Jess watched Rory leave the square and start towards home, not even looking over at the diner, a smile on her face. She'd gone to visit the bagboy and not him, he fumed, his face turning cold. He pushed his way out of the diner and walked into the market. "Bet you're feeling pretty good right now, huh?" he lashed out, wanting to hurt Dean as much as Rory hurt him by turning her back on him, turning instead to Dean. Dean didn't even turn around. He continued stacking cereal boxes onto the shelf.
"What did she say to you?"
Dean paused, relishing in the jealousy that came off Jess in waves, then put the box down on the shelf and turned around. "Doesn't feel so good being on the other side, does it?" He smirked, not unlike the trademark Jess smirk from when the roles were reversed. "Little uncomfortable having another guy comforting your girlfriend while she refuses to talk to you, isn't it?"
Jess lunged but Dean was ready for him and being bigger, grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him forward so that they were almost nose to nose. "Looks like someone's a bit jealous, Jess… Now shove off, I'm working." He shoved Jess away then turned his back, going back to stacking cereal.
Jess clenched his jaw. It was as if he were in another universe. Dean wasn't supposed to be gloating, Rory wasn't supposed to go back to him, and Jess wasn't supposed to be losing his cool in front of people, acting like a jealous psycho boyfriend. And he didn't even have a snappy comeback… He glared at Taylor, who was watching him with intense distaste and intense curiosity. He shoved out the door, tramping back to Luke's. Great. Now the whole town was going to know that he'd freaked on "the good boy" over Rory. Now, everyone was going to think that Rory was breaking up with him to get back with Dean. Which she wasn't… they were just having a rough time in their relationship… it happened to everyone, didn't it?
"Where the hell were you?" Luke snapped as he entered. "You know usually it's the customers that are outside while the people working are inside. What were you doing at Taylor's? Shopping?"
Jess pushed past him. "Leave me alone." He stomped upstairs.
Rory entered her house, calling, "Mom?"
"In the kitchen!"
She went in; taking her coffee from her mom's outstretched hand. "Thanks."
"No prob. What happened?"
"The Queen of Tact," Rory commented dryly.
"I don't have time for tact. I'm going back over to the Inn to take care of some stuff… quick, quick, Coles' Notes…"
"I'm meeting Dean after work to talk."
Loralei squealed. "Oh, honey!"
"Yeah." Rory sat down in a chair with a thump. "But what am I going to say to him? Oh, god, Jess! What am I going to do with Jess?"
"I can hit him with the car on my way to work for you. No fuss, no muss." She sipped her coffee, eyes twinkling.
"Mom!"
"Sorry. Bad plan…"
"No, I have to break up with him."
"Good."
"No, wait, I can't break up with him!"
Loralei frowned. "Why not?"
"What if Dean hates me?"
"Honey…"
"What if he never wants to see me again?"
"Hun…"
"What if he has a new girlfriend?"
"Ror…"
"Oh god!"
"Rory… remember Mission Impossible 2? What that creepy guy says about women and monkeys… you're bordering on that…kinda freaky…" Loralei gathered her daughter into her arms. "I know… it's so hard for you. Two cute boys fighting over you… it's tough…"
"Mom!" Rory squirmed.
"Sorry. Okay. Being serious now. Go. Talk to Dean. Figure out what he watns. Don't talk to Jess now… let him stew for awhile. If he doesn't realize that he's done something wrong then he doesn't deserve to talk to you…"
"What kind of advice is that?"
Loralei moved Rory over then stood up. "The only kind I got right now…" She kissed Rory on the forehead. "Gotta go to work. Bye hon. Make good choices!" she called, leaving the house.
"Thanks mom," Rory grumbled. She gathered the dishes from the table and put them in the sink. What was she going to do until Dean got off work? She was too wired to do homework or watch TV or read a book, too much of a chicken to go back into town to see anyone or go to Luke's or talk to Jess. She picked up the phone and dialed Lane's number.
"Are you crazy?" Lane yelled as she entered the house. "I mean, no, wait, you've finally come back to your senses… which you left behind in Deanland a long time ago… Jess is a jerk-"
"He's not a jerk, Lane," Rory cut in tiredly.
"-and Dean is perfect-"
"He's not perfect, Lane."
"-and I'm glad you've finally come to your senses."
"Lane."
She stopped to take a breath. "You're right. He's not perfect… he's practically Prince Charming! Rory, are you crazy? He's been in love with you since he came to Stars Hollow, he's done a million, billion, trillion things for you, and has always been there for you!" She sighed. "He was your first kiss, your first boyfriend, your first 'I love you.' What was Jess? Your first affair? Your first guilt trip? Your first relationship ruiner?" She say Rory's face and threw up her hands. "I'm sorry but Dean is just so good for you and Jess is so not. Well, he's not bad like evil mad scientist… but you were just happier when you were with Dean. I mean, Jess is all about the danger and the excitement and you're happy when you're with him but Dean was the comfy sort of happy and you seemed to stay happier longer…"
Rory stared at her blankly.
"Okay, new example. Dean's the marrying type. He's the husband type. The settle-down-white-picket-fence-2.3-kids-and-a-collie-type. Jess is the bachelor-one-night-stand-who-you-met-in-Hawaii-on-vacation-never-to-see-each-other-again type. Which would you prefer? Personally, I'd love the first…"
Rory frowned. "But it's not black and white like that, Lane. You can't pro and con list them."
"Well, then what are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
"Well, you could talk to me for a start…"
Both Rory and Lane jumped and turned around.
Dean stood in the doorway. "I knocked but no one answered."