*An Hour Later, Rory is sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter drinking
her 6th cup of coffee while Matt sits on the couch tuning his fender
guitar. The sound of jingling keys is heard.
Rory's eyes go wide and for the first time in her life, she willing puts down her cup of coffee and stands up, her legs now shaking.
"Well, I'm back." Jess harsh cold voice announces his presence. "Man you really need to get that thing worked on, from outside it sounds like you're killing a ca-" Jess cuts himself off as he looks up and Rory comes into view. His eyes soften on her for a moment before he gains control of himself and manages a harsh expression.
"Uh, Jess, I forgot to tell you Rory stopped by." Matt says trying to make light of the situation, meeting Jess' cold eyes, he puts his guitar down, "Well I should go....somewhere else that's not here." Matt makes his way swiftly to the door and leaves.
Jess puts his stuff down, walks to the fridge and pulls out a beer without a word to Rory.
Rory takes a step towards him, "Jess I-"
"Why are you here?" He says harshly.
"I, I wanted to apologize."
"Why? You did nothing wrong, I'm a man I did everything wrong, took advantage of you, you know I never cared about you or your feelings." Jess says sarcastically. "I mean I never laid a hand on you before but I had my opportunity and man I took it." His harsh words cut Rory down and tears streak her face. "I could have had any girl there, but I said nope lets take the drunk good girl gone bad." Jess snarls at her.
"Jess..."
"Hey I know this isn't taboo but let me be real cliché here and say, "It takes two to tango." Jess takes a long swig from his beer can.
"Would you just listen to me?" Rory yells.
"You mean like you listened to me? I thought that's what I was doing."
"You have no idea what this last week has been like for me." Rory says.
"You're right I have no idea, but you, you have no idea what it's like to walk around in a daze knowing that you screwed up possibly the most functional relationship you ever had, knowing that not only does your best friend hate you but once they get done telling all your family and friends about it, they're going hate you too." Jess' voice booms, making the pictures on the wall shake.
"Stop it!" Rory shrieks. "I wasn't drunk!!!" Rory exclaims.
"No shit Sherlock."
Rory chokes on her words, "You knew?"
"Rory, who do you think you're dealing with. How do think Matt and I spent the majority of our adolescence?" jess says angrily. "I know when someone's drunk and I know when someone's pretending to be drunk."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You obviously felt the need to pretend, I mean you obviously felt you couldn't tell me the truth, so yes, you want to hate me go head because in a weak moment I said to myself, "Maybe things are finally turning around, maybe Rory who I've been chasing after for the past 8 years has finally discovered that we're meant to be together", so I when it happened, I let it happen." Jess runs his finger through his hair, "Was it the wrong thing to do? Most definitely, do I regret it? Absolutely, Do I wish things could go back to the way they were? Not in the least."
"What are you saying?" Rory says moving closer to Jess.
"I'm saying that I sat around for 8 years while you went around with guy after guy, when Lane went to New York for college I assumed the role of the confidant, the best friend, but let me tell you when you're in love with someone and they refuse to see you as anything but that it kills you inside, it eats away at you until you just want to die."
"I, made you want to die?"
"Sometimes." Jess sighs.
"I'm sorry Jess." Rory sys softly, "For everything, I've spent the last 6 days trying to make things right, but I don't know what to say, I don't even think you want to hear it, I mean there you were on the bridge SMOKING, and you couldn't even look at me when I called your name."
"I couldn't Rory, I knew that if I did I'd happily apologize and let everything go back to what it was, and I couldn't do that, Rory I just couldn't. I need to get on with my life."
Rory looks down at her feet, "I understand." She takes a few steps back. "I don't want to cause you anymore grief, despite the fact that I apparently treat you like shit, you're a great person and you deserve someone who can see that right off the bat and not lie to you and then get made at you for the choices that they themselves make."
Rory sighs, "goodbye Jess." Rory turns towards the door. Her hand on the doorknob she glances back at him, "Just so you know, I think I love you." With the final words said, Rory exits the apartment.
The door to Matt Greer's apartment creeks open causing Rory to look back again. Standing in the door way is the lean, muscular body of Jess Marino.
"Forget to kick me on my way out?" Rory asks sadly.
"Don't go." Jess says solemnly.
"Why?"
"Because if you go now, you may never know how you truly feel---and believe me that's almost as crippling as being emotionally ignored for 8 years." Jess smirks at Rory.
"You know that thing really is contagious."
"Yes, well one day I will corrupt the world."
Rory smiles faintly, "So what now, Dodger?"
Jess raises an eyebrow at her, "Haven't been called that in a while."
"Yeah well I figure it's time to bring it back into circulation." Rory smirks at him.
"Feel like pizza?"
"Well I haven't eaten in a while."
"Do you like pepperoni, I could just get it on half if you don't."
Rory approaches him, "Pepperoni's fine. Can I come in?"
"I don't know can you?"
Rory walks past Jess, and then turns to him and gives him a serious look, "Are we going to be ok?"
"I think so, just give it some time....oh and no more clubs for you, ok?"
"Deal. I'm going to make some coffee." Rory grins at him.
"That stuff stunts your growth."
"I stopped growing when I was 12." Rory replies walking into the kitchen.
Jess smiles at the familiar banter, "It's still going to send you to an early grave, so anyway about this "Fountain Head...."
And as the infamous literary debate starts up again, the apartment door closes as does this story.
A/N Yep that's the end. I might do a sequel but who knows w/ may schedule, hope you liked it; I'm a big fan of banter and dialogue so that's why the last two chapters were all dialogue, I know this was total drama and unlike my other stuff but I really like it and it was fun to do. So R and R. Thanks.
Rory's eyes go wide and for the first time in her life, she willing puts down her cup of coffee and stands up, her legs now shaking.
"Well, I'm back." Jess harsh cold voice announces his presence. "Man you really need to get that thing worked on, from outside it sounds like you're killing a ca-" Jess cuts himself off as he looks up and Rory comes into view. His eyes soften on her for a moment before he gains control of himself and manages a harsh expression.
"Uh, Jess, I forgot to tell you Rory stopped by." Matt says trying to make light of the situation, meeting Jess' cold eyes, he puts his guitar down, "Well I should go....somewhere else that's not here." Matt makes his way swiftly to the door and leaves.
Jess puts his stuff down, walks to the fridge and pulls out a beer without a word to Rory.
Rory takes a step towards him, "Jess I-"
"Why are you here?" He says harshly.
"I, I wanted to apologize."
"Why? You did nothing wrong, I'm a man I did everything wrong, took advantage of you, you know I never cared about you or your feelings." Jess says sarcastically. "I mean I never laid a hand on you before but I had my opportunity and man I took it." His harsh words cut Rory down and tears streak her face. "I could have had any girl there, but I said nope lets take the drunk good girl gone bad." Jess snarls at her.
"Jess..."
"Hey I know this isn't taboo but let me be real cliché here and say, "It takes two to tango." Jess takes a long swig from his beer can.
"Would you just listen to me?" Rory yells.
"You mean like you listened to me? I thought that's what I was doing."
"You have no idea what this last week has been like for me." Rory says.
"You're right I have no idea, but you, you have no idea what it's like to walk around in a daze knowing that you screwed up possibly the most functional relationship you ever had, knowing that not only does your best friend hate you but once they get done telling all your family and friends about it, they're going hate you too." Jess' voice booms, making the pictures on the wall shake.
"Stop it!" Rory shrieks. "I wasn't drunk!!!" Rory exclaims.
"No shit Sherlock."
Rory chokes on her words, "You knew?"
"Rory, who do you think you're dealing with. How do think Matt and I spent the majority of our adolescence?" jess says angrily. "I know when someone's drunk and I know when someone's pretending to be drunk."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You obviously felt the need to pretend, I mean you obviously felt you couldn't tell me the truth, so yes, you want to hate me go head because in a weak moment I said to myself, "Maybe things are finally turning around, maybe Rory who I've been chasing after for the past 8 years has finally discovered that we're meant to be together", so I when it happened, I let it happen." Jess runs his finger through his hair, "Was it the wrong thing to do? Most definitely, do I regret it? Absolutely, Do I wish things could go back to the way they were? Not in the least."
"What are you saying?" Rory says moving closer to Jess.
"I'm saying that I sat around for 8 years while you went around with guy after guy, when Lane went to New York for college I assumed the role of the confidant, the best friend, but let me tell you when you're in love with someone and they refuse to see you as anything but that it kills you inside, it eats away at you until you just want to die."
"I, made you want to die?"
"Sometimes." Jess sighs.
"I'm sorry Jess." Rory sys softly, "For everything, I've spent the last 6 days trying to make things right, but I don't know what to say, I don't even think you want to hear it, I mean there you were on the bridge SMOKING, and you couldn't even look at me when I called your name."
"I couldn't Rory, I knew that if I did I'd happily apologize and let everything go back to what it was, and I couldn't do that, Rory I just couldn't. I need to get on with my life."
Rory looks down at her feet, "I understand." She takes a few steps back. "I don't want to cause you anymore grief, despite the fact that I apparently treat you like shit, you're a great person and you deserve someone who can see that right off the bat and not lie to you and then get made at you for the choices that they themselves make."
Rory sighs, "goodbye Jess." Rory turns towards the door. Her hand on the doorknob she glances back at him, "Just so you know, I think I love you." With the final words said, Rory exits the apartment.
The door to Matt Greer's apartment creeks open causing Rory to look back again. Standing in the door way is the lean, muscular body of Jess Marino.
"Forget to kick me on my way out?" Rory asks sadly.
"Don't go." Jess says solemnly.
"Why?"
"Because if you go now, you may never know how you truly feel---and believe me that's almost as crippling as being emotionally ignored for 8 years." Jess smirks at Rory.
"You know that thing really is contagious."
"Yes, well one day I will corrupt the world."
Rory smiles faintly, "So what now, Dodger?"
Jess raises an eyebrow at her, "Haven't been called that in a while."
"Yeah well I figure it's time to bring it back into circulation." Rory smirks at him.
"Feel like pizza?"
"Well I haven't eaten in a while."
"Do you like pepperoni, I could just get it on half if you don't."
Rory approaches him, "Pepperoni's fine. Can I come in?"
"I don't know can you?"
Rory walks past Jess, and then turns to him and gives him a serious look, "Are we going to be ok?"
"I think so, just give it some time....oh and no more clubs for you, ok?"
"Deal. I'm going to make some coffee." Rory grins at him.
"That stuff stunts your growth."
"I stopped growing when I was 12." Rory replies walking into the kitchen.
Jess smiles at the familiar banter, "It's still going to send you to an early grave, so anyway about this "Fountain Head...."
And as the infamous literary debate starts up again, the apartment door closes as does this story.
A/N Yep that's the end. I might do a sequel but who knows w/ may schedule, hope you liked it; I'm a big fan of banter and dialogue so that's why the last two chapters were all dialogue, I know this was total drama and unlike my other stuff but I really like it and it was fun to do. So R and R. Thanks.