PLAY BALL
NOTE: I don't own these Gilmore Girls characters but I do love the show so much.
A/N: This takes place six years after season three of Gilmore Girls. I felt badly that Jess's spin-off series got cancelled so I decided to give him one. I hope you enjoy.
CHAPTER 4
The next day came and the Red Wolves had another practice. Since most of the girls had been tardy Jess had to wait for them all to come out to the baseball diamond before he called attendance.
Jess went down the names as he usually did but when he called, "Rosa," no answer came.
Jess sat his attendance book down, figuring that the little brown haired girl would be reading again. He glanced towards the bench where his team sat lined up but did not see Rosa where she usually sat the end.
"Did Rosa come to school today?" Jess asked the other girls.
"Uh huh," Ellen replied to him in her usual energetic way.
Kathy raised her hand enthusiastically and said, "Coach Jess, let me do Rosa's job! I'm better than her; I can do anything."
Even though the child was arrogant Jess had to admit that Kathy seemed to be the best player on the entire team; a good pitcher and batter.
"All right," Jess sighed lazily. "Kathy, you fill in Rosa."
The girls ran out to where they were supposed to stand around the baseball diamond. Jess sat on the bench, watching the practice, seeing that the girls really did seem to know what they were doing, especially Kathy.
When school let out that day Jess wondered into the teacher's lounge, not expecting to see four other teachers in there. He did not seem to mind; the other teachers didn't really seem to notice the new guy, which Jess was.
Jess slid the coffee pot out from under the maker and sniffed it, making a face at how it had nothing on Luke's coffee. Nonetheless, Jess poured himself a mug of it and immediately gulped it down as if it were cold medicine.
A female teacher looked up at Jess and smiled at him, seeing the look of disgust he had over the coffee. The teacher stood and went up to him.
"Hi." Jess turned to see a tall, brunette teacher looking at him. "I'm Diane." She held out a hand.
Jess gave it a quick shake. "I'm Jess... new guy."
"I noticed," Diane smiled at him. "You're the new coach for the younger children aren't you?"
"Yeah," Jess nodded.
"Cute kids, aren't they?"
"Good girls," Jess had to agree. "I'm only having a problem out of one."
"Who would that be?" Diane asked.
"Her name's Rosa Brookes," Jess replied.
"Rosa?" Diane smiled again at the name. "She is such an adorable little girl, so quiet, though."
"So absent, too," Jess muttered, taking another sip of the coffee and making another face.
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind," Jess said, shaking his head. Diane shrugged and went to sit on the couch in the room. Before Jess turned to leave he took hold of the coffee pot once more and quietly poured it into the sink; he then left out.
Jess dangled his keys around his fingers as he walked out to his car, which he had parked in front of the school. Before he unlocked the car Jess caught the sight of the bushes that stood right outside the school rustling. It was odd as there was absolutely no breeze in the air.
Rosa peeked a head out of the bushes and started to tip off, her book bag on her back. Jess could not believe the girl; did she get stranger every day? He made his way over to her, tapping her on the back of the head.
Rosa jumped back a mile and looked up at him, holding her heart and panting lightly. "You scared me," she whispered.
"Sorry," Jess apologized defensively. "What are you doing walking around out here? You should have missed the bus like an hour ago."
"I... I..." Rosa stumbled her words, her voice croaking. "I... I just... I... I'm." Jess stared down at her, waiting on an answer. What came out of Rosa's mouth was quite surprising. "I tried to catch the bus and I almost did. When I got really, really close the clouds got super big; then, instead of rain, they blew out a lot of wind." Rosa spun around a little blowing from her mouth to illustrate her point. "They blew me all around the school and then I fell in the bushes." She finished the story with that.
Jess raised an eyebrow at her, feeling a weird duo of emotions. The child wasn't exactly publisher worthy but the story had been pretty creative; probably from her excessive reading. Of course, Jess had not believed a single word of it, even if it had entertained him greatly.
"Uh huh," he finally responded. "Well, wind or no, I think your family is worried about you. Right?"
"Maybe," Rosa whispered, looking down at her white sneakers.
"Who do you live with?" Jess asked, mostly making conversation.
Rosa looked up at him, her eyes now filled with interest. "My aunt."
"Your aunt?"
"Yes. She's married to my Uncle Danny but Uncle Danny doesn't live with us."
"Oh, really?" Jess questioned with interest. "Why not?"
"He flies planes," Rosa explained simply.
"A pilot you mean?"
"Uh huh. He does it all the time but it's OK. He brings us the bestest presents at Christmas time and he even knows Santa Claus because he's always going to the North Pole to help deliever all the toys and kids really, really, really like him, especially me."
Jess looked at her, amazed. The kid had to be the master of run-on sentences. "That sounds great," he said. "Anyway, let's get you home to your aunt."
Rosa fidgeted a little as she replied softly, "OK."
Jess nodded and guided her to his car, opening the back seat for her. After getting the address from Rosa, Jess drove off, noticing how the girl remained quiet the whole time. When he finally parked Jess noticed that there were no houses around, only places of business. They had parked in front of a McDonald's.
"This is where you live?" Jess asked incredulously.
"Yes," Rosa replied cheerfully. "My aunt works here at McDonald's. I can go in by myself. She'll be there."
Jess sighed a little and looked at in his rear view mirror. "Rosa, I think it'd be better if I took you to your house. Now where is it?"
"But I'm OK," Rosa argued.
"Where is it?" Jess repeated, ignoring her.
Rosa sighed, seeing that she was defeated, she told her gym teacher her true address.
Jess drove off in the direction Rosa had named and parked in front of a real house. Jess figured that the six-year-old had been telling the truth this time.
"I'll walk you to the door," Jess told her.
Rosa just sat quietly, a pout forming on her adorable face.
Inside a young blonde woman stood over an ironing board, furiously ironing away at a blouse, glancing at her watch several times. When she heard the doorbell go off she furiously headed for the front door, yanking it open.
"There you are," she started to shout at Rosa then noticed Jess and smiled. "Oh, hello."
"Uh, hi," Jess returned the greeting pretty dryly. "I'm Rosa's gym teacher. I was just taking her home. She missed her bus."
"Thank you," the woman said with forced sincerity. She pulled Rosa into the house. "You know Rosa is very careless that way."
"You must be her aunt," Jess said, ignoring the comment.
"Her aunt?" The woman raised a confused eyebrow. "I'm her mother."
"Oh, well, Rosa said—"
"You know Rosa just loves to tell stories; she lives for it," Rosa's mother explained.
"Noted," Jess nodded. He looked down at Rosa. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow and on time."
Rosa just nodded her head slowly and miserably.
Jess turned and left.
As soon as he was in his car Rosa's mother slammed the door to her house, a dangerous look on her face. Rosa could not face her mother's eyes, as they scared her far too much.
Ms. Brookes made her way over to the ironing board and started folding the blouse that had been on it. "I thought I told you to come right home after school." No reply came. "Didn't I?" Rosa's mother demanded.
"Yes," Rosa squeaked, keeping her eyes on the floor.
"So why did you disobey me?" Her mother asked, calmly yet angrily.
"I didn't mean to," Rosa uttered.
"Don't you feed me any of yours lies!" the blonde mother suddenly shouted, turning around. "All you do is lie, lie, lie! That's all you're good for."
Tears formed in Rosa's eyes. "I'm sorry."
"That's all you know to say," Ms. Brookes glared at her evilly. She took a deep breath and rested her hands on the ironing board. "All you do... is make me unhappy..."
Rosa's head shot up and her tears spilt over. "I'm sorry, Mommy. I don't mean to."
"Children who make their mothers unhappy... they have to pay the consequences."
Rosa immediately panicked and raced for the bathroom door. When she got to it she worked the knob furiously, trying hard to get it open.
"It's locked up," Ms. Brookes said, a crazed smirk forming across her face. Rosa turned and looked at her. "Your hiding days are over."
As her mother approached her Rosa's panic rose higher. "Mommy, no!" she yelled in a voice that rose high above her usual whispering tone. Her mother only got closer. "Mommy, don't! No, stop! I'll be good, I swear. Oh, God, Mommy, don't do it!" Rosa's plead screamed loud enough to be heard from town's over.
A/N: I know. The ending of this chapter is horrible. I've never written this kind of thing before so please no one yell at me, please? Reviews are very nice!