Loralei walked into Luke's to an insistent buzzing of activity. Luke was at the counter, red-faced and very stormy looking, Taylor and Miss Patty sitting in a corner, discussing something intensely. She went to the counter and sat in a seat, straining to hear the latest.
"What do you want?" Luke growled.
"Coffee?" she asked. Something was up. What was it?
He poured a cup and plunked the coffee down on the counter.
"What's going on, Luke?"
He glared at her. "I went over to Taylor's to get some cream and I came back to an empty place."
"No. Where'd he go?"
"Well, after I searched the whole place twice, I got a call from his mom."
"No."
"Yes," he growled. "Turns out the little punk skipped out to go to California to go live with him."
"No."
"Yes!" he said, exasperated. "Stop saying in that tone of voice!"
She grinned. "Why? It's funny when it makes you angry. But seriously, do you think he's coming back?"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
"Oh. So this is serious?"
"Yes. He's gone."
"As in not coming back?"
"Yes."
"As in 'I'm outta here and I'm not even going to tell Rory, the love of my life, that I'm leaving…'?"
"Yes."
She gave him a look. "Who's repeating himself now?"
He threw up his hands. "This is serious!"
She sighed. "Fine. Fine. What do you care though. I thought you were sick of him. I thought you would be glad to be rid of him?"
He cleared his throat. "Well, yeah."
"What? You actually care about Jess?" She yelled.
Everyone in the diner looked up. Taylor and Miss Patty perked up.
"Shhh…" He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the door. "No, it's a relief. That kid was driving me crazy. Let him make his own way from now on. Let him see how far that smart mouth of his gets him without someone watching his back. I couldn't be more relieved. Now, before you embarrass me anymore, go home."
"Wha-" she squawked before she was shoved from the diner.
¤ ¤ ¤
As she entered the house, she spotted Rory lying on the couch, the phone clutched in her hands, staring at it numbly. "Honey, what's wrong?" She motioned for Rory to sit up then sat down in the vacant area.
"Jess won't answer my calls…"
Loralei bit her lip. "Ror, I have something to tell you…"
"About Jess?"
Nod.
"Bad?"
"Pretty bad…"
"Did he kill someone and have to skip town?" She closed her eyes.
"You got it half right…"
Rory's eyes snapped open. "What?"
"He left, hun… He's gone to California. I'm so sorry."
Rory stared at the wall, not knowing what to feel. On one hand, Jess was Jess, mischievous, goofy sometimes, dangerous, sexy – the bad boy… even though he was rough sometimes, the others, he was sweet… like when they talked about books… On the other hand, it made life a lot easier. Now she could be with Dean and no one would blame her. It wouldn't be a scandal this time around.
"Rory?"
She looked up at her mom with tears in her eyes.
Loralei's heart broke. "I'm so sorry, hun…" She gathered her only child up in her arms and rocked her soothingly.
¤ ¤ ¤
The next morning Rory refused to get out of bed.
"If you don't go to school, you're going to lose the perfect attendance scholarship," threatened Loralei.
"There is no perfect attendance scholarship!" yelled Rory from under the covers.
"Well, there should be to get people like you out of bed…"
"I don't want to go. Go away."
Loralei sighed. "You can't let something like him affect your day… I mean, then he's winning… and you can't let him win…"
"I don't care. Just let me wallow… you let me wallow when I broke up with Dean…"
"Dean is special. It's different. Jess isn't special. Jess is a slimeball…"
The covers heaved up and Rory appeared, her hair tousled. "Jess is not a slimeball, mom. Just because he took off and didn't tell me or anything doesn't make him a slimeball. He is a nice guy…"
"Yeah, when?"
"When he's around me." She fell back on the bed, throwing the covers over her head again.
Loralei sighed again, moving to the door. "Fine. Stay here. But I'm leaving you a list of things to do…"
"Fine. Shut my door please."
¤ ¤ ¤
She wallowed in bed for half the morning, finally getting up and wandering out into the kitchen for coffee. A note was waiting for her,
Rory,
Can you please please please do these things for me? Thanks.
Mom
She glanced at the list. A ton of groceries. Enough to feed the Red Army for a week… She sighed. It wasn't that she was overly depressed about Jess, it was just that she didn't want to face people, especially people her age, at the moment.
She sighed.
Note: I know, I know… it was a weak way of getting rid of Jess… well, he was just bugging me so he got banished to the west… do you think I should bring him back or what?