Stars Hollow Street- Morning
I hear my mom's cell phone ring for the third time in the last two minutes.
"Mom, who keeps calling you?"
"It's the Inn, probably Sookie."
"Why don't you want to talk to Sookie?"
"Oh, I want to talk to her."
I look over at Dean we exchange confused glances. He's confused a lot, I think he's just accepted it.
I continue, "If you want to talk to her, why don't you answer your phone?"
"If I answer this call, then she might ask me to come to the Inn, and I haven't had coffee or breakfast, and I don't want to go."
"What if it's an emergency?"
"What kind of an emergency?"
"I don't know… an earthquake."
"An earthquake that hit just the Inn, and nowhere else. That's likely, maybe I should call her back." She says pulling out her cell phone just to mock me.
"Ok, bad example, what about, a leak?"
"So, of course they would want me there, the best plumber in town!"
"Mom…"
"Or maybe if someone drove into the Inn, they could call me and I could go get the extra drywall we have just lying around and fix that up too. You know how I am with drywall!"
I just ask a simple question, and she'll be on this kick all day. One of the many things I love about my mother.
"Ok mom." I roll my eyes, and look over to Dean and smile. "I think I'll focus on you now."
"Sounds good to me."
Dean holds the door for my mom and I, and while Luke and my mom banter, Dean and I find a table and mom comes to join us.
"Or, maybe Sookie broke the stove and she wants me to come over and use my super powers to cook the food with just a glance from my eyes," Mom continues.
We place our order with Luke after he sends Jess away, which causes a surprising sense of disappointment for me. Soon after, our food comes, and I am pleased when I see that the diner boy's nephew is carrying our food.
"Pancakes?" He asks.
"Right here" I say quietly.
"French toast!" my mom yells before Jess asks her, but her plate is in front of her before she finishes.
"Here are some extra napkins. You'll need them." Jess drops a napkin in front of me, and a small stack in the center of the table. Jess walks away with no mention of where Dean's food is, or when it is coming. I dig into my pancakes, expecting he will be right back with Dean's food.
After the first drop of syrup lands on my lap, I make a mental note to thank Jess for the napkins. I take the napkin he gave me and begin opening it up to place on my lap. I notice that someone has dirtied this white napkin.
I read the familiar, small, slanted writing. It reads, "Just finished Small Town Punk. Feel like talking? Want it back? Break in 20."
He's already finished it. I lent it to him two days ago. It took me just under a week to get through it. Feel like talking? Yes. Do I want it back? Yes, especially if he wrote notes in the margin. Usually I request that he does, but I think he knows the drill, and it makes me happy so he always does it when he borrows my books.
It is a truly sensual experience reading his thoughts and getting inside his head. It's like a less creepy version of Being John Malkovich. Wow, why am I thinking about that?
How can I get out of this lunch and go see Jess. I wonder if Dean has somewhere to go. Maybe he works today. I should ask him.
I look up. When did Luke get here? I notice that everyone is engaged in a conversation that I am just not part of. I fold the napkin back up and pick up my purse and place it inside.
"Rory? What are you looking for?" My mom asks me.
Huh. Looking for? Sure… I'm looking for something. I shove my hand to the bottom of my purse and see what I find.
I hold up the little tube that I've found and look at it and declare, "Chapstick!" I take off the cap and put some on. At least I didn't pull out a tampon. That could have been potentially embarrassing. Good work purse. I knew I always liked you.
Now that Dean has his food, everybody is occupied by his or her meal.
Mom starts up a conversation with Dean about school. It's slightly pathetic that as far as I can see, my mother and my boyfriend have more to talk about, and more fun talking than my own boyfriend and me.
Dean responds, "I'm supposed to read Othello for English."
"Oh really?" I get excited. Something I know about. Test me on my Shakespeare, go ahead, test me. "I could lend it to you if you want." Shoot! I'm sure Jess has written in that book. Please don't take me up on that offer! I could always buy another one and let him borrow that…
"That's ok. I'll probably just read the cliff notes and watch O. I like Julia Stiles. I hear it's really similar to the book." Dean responds.
"Oh, ok." I tune back out of this conversation. I remember why I don't talk to Dean. We have nothing to talk about. On the one hand I'm relieved he doesn't want my book because it would probably cause a fight because Jess has borrowed it already. On the other hand, my boyfriend can't even make it through a great Shakespearean tragedy. He'd rather spend a night with Mekhi Phifer than actually read a book. That reminds me, I need to make a video for English class, maybe Dean would be willing to help me.
"Hey, would you be willing to help me with an English project tomorrow?" I request.
"I work a little in the afternoon…but if you really need me… I guess I could do it. Would it be just the two of us?"
"No, Paris is my partner, but we need a guy in our video."
"Ugh. Paris! She's never liked me Rory. I don't like spending more time with her than I have to."
Great, Dean doesn't want to do this, and I'm not going to force him, but I already told Paris I would find a guy to help us out for this project. Oh well, I'll think of something.
"That's ok, Dean, a lot of people feel that way. Maybe she can find somebody to help us out. Do you have work today?"
"Yeah. I have work in about 20 minutes, but I still need to change and stuff."
"Oh, ok, well I can walk you home."
Dean smiles. "Thanks Rory. Are you ready now?" Rory looks at her watch. Jess's break would start in five minutes, she should have enough time to walk Dean home and find Jess.
"Yeah, I'm ready," I say to Dean. To my mom, "Do you have to go into work today?"
"Yeah, hun, just for a bit. I'll be home in a couple hours."
"Alright, I'll see you later then."
I stand up and walk out of the diner with my boyfriend, the whole time thinking about another certain dark haired boy. I feel guilty about this, but cannot really do anything to change it. I need to go find Jess.
A/N: Ready for more? Go read Chapter 3! Review and tell me what you think.