The bus pulled up to the stop. He stepped off and had to stifle a snort of laughter. He didn't know what he had expected. Nothing had changed it was still a cheery All-American town. Thanksgiving decorations were being replaced by Christmas ones. He looked slowly around town thinking that this was just like the first time he came here. He shook his head again, grabbed his bag and started I in the direction of the diner when he stopped suddenly. Oh god not now, he watched her stop. Her jaw dropped slightly as she looked at him. Just my luck that the first person he would see was the one he most wanted to avoid.
'Jess, what, why are, what are you doing here?'
'Nothin'
'Jess'
'What'
'You can't do this, you left, things were back to normal, I was fine I was moving on, things were good, you can't just keep showing out of the blue, you can't come back here and expect me to forget all that happened'
'Jeez, you really need to get over yourself''
'Excuse me'
'Just because I came back here for you once does not mean that I've done it again, had it ever crossed your mind that I had no choice-
'Jess I -
'I mean really, I guess you never thought that my dad would be an even bigger fuck up than me, huh and my mom well it is just like her to pick up and move leaving no address or number no way for me to contact her so I had to come back here, that last place on earth I want to be but I have no money and no place to go so here I am. Only to be told that I can't come back and ruin your perfect little existence, don't get me wrong I'm glad your good, really I'm happy even if I don't show it but I've got a few other things on my mind at the moment, so if you'll excuse me.'
'Jess, I'm sorry I didn't-
'Forget it'
He walked off leaving her standing there looking lost. Figures his presence here had already caused a confrontation. He hadn't meant to yell at her, it had just come out, he had held in all his frustration since his dad had told him to leave and she was just standing there thinking he had come back for her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
He was looking in the diner. He could see Luke behind the counter. He wasn't sure if he should bring his bag inside, maybe he would leave it outside, but knowing Stars Hollow that would probably be breaking some sort of law. Just then Luke went in the kitchen so he took his chance. He walked in and put his bag at the foot of the stairs and went back and stood in front of the counter. Luke came out of the kitchen with a couple of plates, saw Jess, turned and yelled 'Caesar' Caesar poked his head out and looked at Jess nodded took the plates and said 'I got it covered'
Luke didn't even look at Jess as he walked to go upstairs. He saw the bag at the foot of the stairs, and picked it up continuing on his way. They got into the apartment Luke put the bag down and turned it looked as though he was going to say something but before he could Jess cut him off.
'Listen, I know this is sudden, and selfish of me but I really need somewhere to stay for a couple of weeks, unless you know where my mom is?'
'I don't know, at home I would assume'
'That's what I thought but it seems that she has moved, without telling any one where she has gone. I've left messages with her friends so when they hear from her they are going to contact me, and then I can get outa you way'
'You don't have to'
'Yeah, I do'
Luke looked at Jess for a moment before asking 'What happened to Jimmy"
Jess laughed and shook his head. 'Turns out that Jimmy is an unfit parent, he got himself into some trouble, he's back in a cell'
'What he do?'
'Got in a fight, causing bodily harm, severe bodily harm, leaving me no choice but to leave. Believe me when I say that I wouldn't be here if I had anywhere else to go. I don't want to impose my self on you, especially after all the shit I put you through. I'm not proud of what I did to you, I'm not proud of who I am, but I just need a place to sleep.'
'Don't worry about it Jess, stay as long as you need, indefinitely, if you want'
'I couldn't do that to you'
'Sure you can, your family, not only that, but I still got all your stuff'
'You do'
'Yeah, I mean I didn't know where Jimmy was, I thought you might call or write for it but you didn't-'
'Sorry'
'Don't mention it, I called Liz but she just told me to put it in storage, she said she had no where to put it'
'So where is it all?'
'In your room'
'You didn't clean it out' he walked over and looked in his room, it was the exact same as he had left it five months ago, 'Why?'
'In case you moved back I guess. Listen Jess, I've meaning to apologize about-'
'Don't apologize you did nothing wrong'
'No I think I did, I never meant to force you to leave, I know I said that you had to go, but I didn't mean it, I was just angry and disappointed, I didn't really want you to go.'
'It wasn't your fault, I put you through shit, I had to figure some things out on my own. Like my dad I had to go be with him for a while to see if it could work. While I was there I discovered that I am exactly like him, I don't want to be like him, I don't want to be that in twenty years. You did nothing but try and help me and I just threw it back in your face. If I hadn't left I probably wouldn't be going anywhere; I would still be that punk ass little shit who didn't give a damn about anyone or anything. It was my fault, and after all I did to you, you can still stand there and take me back in.'
'Your family, you help family out'
'Well thanks, I appreciate it more then you know'
Luke stood there looking oddly at Jess, 'If you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do about getting your high school diploma?'
'I got it'
'Huh'
'It seems that in Venice the rules are a little more relaxed, I just had to take a few courses over the summer, it took me three months instead of a year to get it,'
'You got your diploma?'
'That I did' he smirked it looked like Luke was about to dance or something, instead he pulled him into a one arm hug, 'well I'm proud of you'
'Ah don't get all sentimental on me, I don't think I could take it'
'Shut up it won't happen again'
'Good'
Luke nodded and smiled 'Well I better get back downstairs, you can unpack or whatever'
'I'll come down and help in a bit'
He nodded again, and left. Jess looked around the room. He sighed, that went better then expected. He thought Luke was going to yell and scream at him, he hadn't expected him to be so understanding. He definitely didn't expect him to let him stay 'indefinitely' but he wouldn't. He couldn't stay here. He would be here a week maybe, a few months at the most, but at least he knew that he could come back here if he ever needed a place to crash. He looked around his room again, picked a book off the shelf and sat down to read.
So that was chapter 3 what did you think?
