Chapter 3: Dean's Horrible Sucky Life
[Rory]
Forty-five minutes later, Dean came back holding a brown bag. Rory snapped off the TV.
"You mind if I eat with you?" Dean asked.
"No, not at all," Rory said. "I could use the company."
Dean, sat down and set their lunches on the tray/table Rory had in front of her. Rory took out the letter.
"Did you lose this?" Rory asked.
Dean took the letter and examined it.
"Did you read it?" he asked.
"Well, you dropped it and it was right on the floor," Rory said. "How could I not?"
"Fair enough," said Dean.
"Are you really on academic probation?"
"Yes."
"Why? You're so smart."
"I really don't want to talk about it."
Rory decided to drop the subject. Dean leaned down to get the drinks out of the bag. Rory was horrified to find a bruise on his face.
"Oh, my god!" she exclaimed.
"What?" Dean asked.
"You have a bruise on your cheek!"
"So?"
"Did you get it playing football or whatever sport your playing now?"
"No."
He's hiding something from me, Rory thought. She didn't know why Dean was hiding anything from her. He obviously didn't trust her. I don't blame him, she thought. After what I did to him with Jess, I wouldn't even trust me. But, this is totally different. But still, we're friends. He should be able to share this stuff with me.
"Dean, do you not trust me?" Rory asked.
"Rory, I trust you completely," Dean said.
"Well, it pains me that after all we've been through, even now, you won't tell me what's going on. Tell me, Dean. Please. I want to know."
[Dean]
Dean ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted to tell her about his horrible sucky life, but he didn't want to burden her with the emotional baggage he was carrying.
"You sure you want to know?" he asked.
"Yes," Rory said.
"It's a lot of emotional baggage. Think you can handle it?"
"Yes. I'm worried about you."
That meant a lot to Dean. For the first time in months, someone actually cared about him. He drew in his breath.
"Well, it started with me and Lindsay," he said. "We were married, but we started to grow apart. Finally, I suggested that we get a divorce. At first she hated the idea. She got upset, but then she agreed and we got the divorce."
"I'm sorry," Rory said.
"It's okay," Dean said. "But, strap yourself in because that's not the worst part. You sure you want to hear it?"
"Yeah, keep going."
"Lindsay and I made a lot of friends on campus. Actually, Lindsay made a lot of friends. I was just the husband that everyone had to love. After we got divorced, everyone hated me. It's been two months since the divorce and everyone is still teasing me and taunting me and beating me up. Some people even spread rumors about me that I slept around or that I was an abusive husband. Even my roommate hates me. Lindsay got a new boyfriend and he beat me up before I came in here."
"Oh, my god. I'm so sorry."
"That's not all. I tried to get my grades up so I could transfer out, but all the teasing and taunting and rumors are bugging me so much its getting in the way of my studies. I can't concentrate. Now I'm on the verge of being thrown out of college so I took this job as an orderly so I could earn some money and buy an apartment."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."
"I'm just glad you listened."
Dean felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. Someone actually listened to him for the first time in a few months.
[Rory]
Rory couldn't believe what Dean was going through. He needed help. He needed a friend.
"Why don't you come by and eat dinner here and hang out?" Rory said. "So we could talk."
"I can't," Dean said. "I have the dinner shift tonight."
"Okay," Rory said. "What about tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, I'm free tomorrow night."
"Why don't you come by after your shift?"
"Sounds good."
Rory was suddenly struck with an idea.
"You want me to help you with your studies?" Rory asked.
"Don't you have a lot of work to do for yourself?" Dean asked.
"I'm going to be here for a month," Rory said. "I'm going to have it done in a week. I can help you out."
"You would do that?"
"Of course. You up for it?"
"Sure."
"Okay, bring your books with you."
"Okay." Dean looked down at his watch. "Shoot. I have another shift. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Okay. Bye."
Dean started to leave, but then turned around.
"Rory?" he said.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Thank you."
"No problem. Happy to do it."
Dean walked towards the door.
"Hey, Dean," Rory said. "You want to sign my cast?"
"Sure," Dean said. "You have a marker."
Rory gave him a marker and he signed his name.
"There you go," he said. "See you tomorrow."
"Right back at ya," Rory said.
Dean walked out. It felt good to spend time with him and help him out. Rory looked down at her cast at his name and ran her fingers over it. It sort of felt sentimental that Dean felt his name on her cast.
[Dean]
Dean started walking down the hall, delivering medicine to the other patients who needed them. He was looking forward to tomorrow night. He was going to spend time with Rory and she was going to help him turn his life around while it was hovering over the toilet.
For the first time in two months, he had something to look forward to and a friend. However, he wanted Rory to be more than just a friend. He knew it was a lot to ask, but ever since he ran into her before the wedding, he felt his old feelings for her come back. He tried to push them away when he was married to Lindsay, but now he couldn't hold them in.
Okay, Forester, Dean thought to himself. Be grateful for what you have. You actually have a friend now. Don't wish for more that you have. But, he couldn't help being a little hopeful that she felt the same way about him.
A/N: Chapter 4 is coming soon.
[Rory]
Forty-five minutes later, Dean came back holding a brown bag. Rory snapped off the TV.
"You mind if I eat with you?" Dean asked.
"No, not at all," Rory said. "I could use the company."
Dean, sat down and set their lunches on the tray/table Rory had in front of her. Rory took out the letter.
"Did you lose this?" Rory asked.
Dean took the letter and examined it.
"Did you read it?" he asked.
"Well, you dropped it and it was right on the floor," Rory said. "How could I not?"
"Fair enough," said Dean.
"Are you really on academic probation?"
"Yes."
"Why? You're so smart."
"I really don't want to talk about it."
Rory decided to drop the subject. Dean leaned down to get the drinks out of the bag. Rory was horrified to find a bruise on his face.
"Oh, my god!" she exclaimed.
"What?" Dean asked.
"You have a bruise on your cheek!"
"So?"
"Did you get it playing football or whatever sport your playing now?"
"No."
He's hiding something from me, Rory thought. She didn't know why Dean was hiding anything from her. He obviously didn't trust her. I don't blame him, she thought. After what I did to him with Jess, I wouldn't even trust me. But, this is totally different. But still, we're friends. He should be able to share this stuff with me.
"Dean, do you not trust me?" Rory asked.
"Rory, I trust you completely," Dean said.
"Well, it pains me that after all we've been through, even now, you won't tell me what's going on. Tell me, Dean. Please. I want to know."
[Dean]
Dean ran his fingers through his hair. He wanted to tell her about his horrible sucky life, but he didn't want to burden her with the emotional baggage he was carrying.
"You sure you want to know?" he asked.
"Yes," Rory said.
"It's a lot of emotional baggage. Think you can handle it?"
"Yes. I'm worried about you."
That meant a lot to Dean. For the first time in months, someone actually cared about him. He drew in his breath.
"Well, it started with me and Lindsay," he said. "We were married, but we started to grow apart. Finally, I suggested that we get a divorce. At first she hated the idea. She got upset, but then she agreed and we got the divorce."
"I'm sorry," Rory said.
"It's okay," Dean said. "But, strap yourself in because that's not the worst part. You sure you want to hear it?"
"Yeah, keep going."
"Lindsay and I made a lot of friends on campus. Actually, Lindsay made a lot of friends. I was just the husband that everyone had to love. After we got divorced, everyone hated me. It's been two months since the divorce and everyone is still teasing me and taunting me and beating me up. Some people even spread rumors about me that I slept around or that I was an abusive husband. Even my roommate hates me. Lindsay got a new boyfriend and he beat me up before I came in here."
"Oh, my god. I'm so sorry."
"That's not all. I tried to get my grades up so I could transfer out, but all the teasing and taunting and rumors are bugging me so much its getting in the way of my studies. I can't concentrate. Now I'm on the verge of being thrown out of college so I took this job as an orderly so I could earn some money and buy an apartment."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."
"I'm just glad you listened."
Dean felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. Someone actually listened to him for the first time in a few months.
[Rory]
Rory couldn't believe what Dean was going through. He needed help. He needed a friend.
"Why don't you come by and eat dinner here and hang out?" Rory said. "So we could talk."
"I can't," Dean said. "I have the dinner shift tonight."
"Okay," Rory said. "What about tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, I'm free tomorrow night."
"Why don't you come by after your shift?"
"Sounds good."
Rory was suddenly struck with an idea.
"You want me to help you with your studies?" Rory asked.
"Don't you have a lot of work to do for yourself?" Dean asked.
"I'm going to be here for a month," Rory said. "I'm going to have it done in a week. I can help you out."
"You would do that?"
"Of course. You up for it?"
"Sure."
"Okay, bring your books with you."
"Okay." Dean looked down at his watch. "Shoot. I have another shift. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Okay. Bye."
Dean started to leave, but then turned around.
"Rory?" he said.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Thank you."
"No problem. Happy to do it."
Dean walked towards the door.
"Hey, Dean," Rory said. "You want to sign my cast?"
"Sure," Dean said. "You have a marker."
Rory gave him a marker and he signed his name.
"There you go," he said. "See you tomorrow."
"Right back at ya," Rory said.
Dean walked out. It felt good to spend time with him and help him out. Rory looked down at her cast at his name and ran her fingers over it. It sort of felt sentimental that Dean felt his name on her cast.
[Dean]
Dean started walking down the hall, delivering medicine to the other patients who needed them. He was looking forward to tomorrow night. He was going to spend time with Rory and she was going to help him turn his life around while it was hovering over the toilet.
For the first time in two months, he had something to look forward to and a friend. However, he wanted Rory to be more than just a friend. He knew it was a lot to ask, but ever since he ran into her before the wedding, he felt his old feelings for her come back. He tried to push them away when he was married to Lindsay, but now he couldn't hold them in.
Okay, Forester, Dean thought to himself. Be grateful for what you have. You actually have a friend now. Don't wish for more that you have. But, he couldn't help being a little hopeful that she felt the same way about him.
A/N: Chapter 4 is coming soon.