Defending Bjork
Chapter 18: The Bear, the Barbie, and the Chemistry Set
Disclaimer: We've all grown bored with the disclaimer. We know what it says; we know what it means; let's move on, shall we?
A/N: Sarah (The Sister). Marissa (The Compass When I Veer Off-Course). Dani (The LitVid Goddess). Sidney (She Who is Much-Missed). Mai (She Whose Art is the Epitome of Beauty). Elise (The Writer I Aspire to Be). Kat (The Comeback Kid). Ali (She Whose Greatness Cannot Be Captured With Words). Mandy (Reviewer Extraordinaire). This chapter is dedicated to each of you with appreciation, admiration, and awe. ~Becka
Taylor Doose stood at the podium in front of the room, puffed up and proud as he turned his eyes back to the town meeting gatherers.
"All right, people, you've now heard both sides of the issue. It's time for the vote. Now please, take a moment and weigh the options carefully. We don't want any rash decisi—."
Before he could finish, the group broke out into yells and hollers. Half of the people were shouting "Number 1", single fingers held up to emphasize their votes. The other half wagged two fingers in the air and chanted "Number 2."
Rory looked around the room with wide eyes. It was like she was stuck in some sort of surreal Stars Hollow version of "The Dating Game" or "Love Connection." She turned back to the platform, a sick feeling rising in her stomach.
"Now, people! People!" Taylor reprimanded, moving his hands up and down in calming motions. "Chaos is not the answer. We will do this in an orderly, organized fashion."
"Where's the ballot box?" a voice shouted.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you, Bootsie?" Taylor replied. "Well, I'm sorry. I will not have you stuffing my ballot box again!"
"Ooh, dirty!" Lorelai called out, nudging Rory with her elbow. Rory gave her a small smile.
Lorelai looked at her with concern and reached out to feel her forehead. "You look green, hon. Are you feeling okay?"
Rory swallowed thickly and stared forward. "I'm fine," she whispered, her voice feeling small.
"This time, I have safeguarded against vote tampering," Taylor stated, looking proudly at the crowd. "We will have an open vote. Each town-member must state his or her opinion loudly and clearly. I will keep a tally. There will be no hiding your opinions, people. Everything's out in the open. So choose wisely." He glanced knowingly at the two men beside him, his eyes narrowing at one of them in particular, then he turned back to the crowd. "We'll start in the back left corner. Ms. Shea, speak your mind!"
The middle-aged woman stated her choice, and Taylor proceeded around the room. After a few minutes, he reached Babette's row.
"Babette, it's your turn."
Nodding, she frowned and looked at the choices. Her eyes darted from one man to the other then back again. She sighed and glanced at Rory. "I'm sorry, sugar, but he kidnapped my Pierpont," she apologized. She looked to the podium. "I gotta choose Dean, Taylor."
He smirked. "Fair enough, Babette, fair enough," he said, trying to hide his glee. He marked it down and moved to the next person. "Kirk?"
Kirk shifted nervously, avoiding eye contact with the front of the room. "I pass."
"What?" Taylor exclaimed. "You can't pass!"
"They'll beat me up!" Kirk defended, his voice rising with anxiety.
"Don't be silly, Kirk," Babette assured him. "Dean's a sweet boy."
"Tell that to my Obi-Wan Kenobi action figure!"
Dean's cheeks grew red. "That was an accident."
"Sure, it was!" Kirk accused. "I didn't see you at his wake!"
Taylor rolled his eyes. "Kirk, your vote."
After a slight hesitation, Kirk mumbled something inaudible.
"What?" Taylor asked, leaning forward.
"Jess. He said Jess," Babette supplied.
Taylor frowned. "It sounded like Dean," he lied.
"No, it was Jess," Babette disagreed.
"Dean, it is," Taylor said with a nod, marking down the vote. "All right, who's next?"
"Hey! No tampering with the votes!" Bootsie yelled. "Give Jess his vote."
Exasperated, Taylor looked at him. "What are you doing?" he hissed. "You voted for Dean, you idiot."
Bootsie shrugged. "Fair is fair."
"Yeah," Lorelai cheered, raising her arms in the air. "Fair is fair, Billie Jean!"
Rory sent her a worried look.
"It's a great movie, and you know it!"
With a deep, anguished sigh, Taylor erased the mark by Dean's name and placed it by Jess's. "Fine. Luke?"
All eyes turned to the diner owner. He sat with his arms folded over his chest, a scowl on his face. "This is ridiculous."
"Luke, vote now or hold your peace."
"Do you people realize how insane you are?" Luke accused.
"This is an important issue that can and should be decided by fair and impartial vote," Taylor stated.
Luke's blood pressure started to rise. "This is Rory's choice," he said, pointing a finger at her. "She gets to make it."
Rory looked at him gratefully.
Taylor shook his head. "She's not thinking clearly. She can't be trusted."
"Of course, she's not," Luke argued. "No one thinks clearly when they're in love!"
"Since when do you know anything about that?" Taylor huffed.
"It's her decision," Luke repeated.
"Her decision will affect the whole town!"
"To hell with the whole town!"
"Vote now, Luke, or we're moving on."
"I'm not voting," Luke said firmly.
"C'mon, Luke, you have to vote," Lorelai chimed in. "Taylor's right. She's not thinking clearly."
Rory's eyes shot to her mother.
Lorelai patted her on the leg. "You're not, honey. Everyone knows it. Dean is the perfect boyfriend. He's sweet and kind and considerate. Jess is," she waved at him dismissively, "a phase. We're gonna help you through this before you get hurt," she finished, her voice morphing into Emily's. "Don't you worry."
Rory opened her mouth, but no words came out. All her voice would allow was a small squeak.
LorEmily squeezed her arm. "Let us take care of you."
Rory squeaked again.
Lorelai turned her eyes to Luke. "Vote!"
"Fine, you want me to vote?!? I'll vote! Jess!" he boomed. "I vote for Jess! Hear that, Taylor? Jess! J-E-S-S!"
Lorelai glared at Luke then went back to rubbing Rory's arm reassuringly.
"All right, now that that ugliness is over. Father?" Taylor said, turning to the minister. "It's your turn. Who'll it be: Dean or Jess?"
They continued around the room. Rory watched in horror, her mouth feeling like it was full of marbles. Unable to lift her arms. Unable to move. Unable to protest.
Minutes ticked by, and Taylor reached the last two rows. "Ah, Paris, which will it be?"
Her eyes flashing confusion, Rory turned her head to look in the direction of Taylor's gaze. Sure enough, sitting at the end of the row was Paris Gellar. None of this made any sense; Paris wasn't a member of the town.
Deadly serious, Paris studied the two young men on the stage. Then, she turned to look at Rory. "Once, when I was five, my mother took me to a toy store," she began. "It was the only time in my entire life that she did that – that anyone did it. I remember what it looked like, rows and rows of manufactured, beady eyes staring at me. I remember what it smelled like. I hated that smell. It stayed with me for days. Just thinking back on it makes me want to wretch. All I wanted to do was leave. She told me to pick something out." Paris looked around at the rest of the crowd. "We have more money than God and Donald Trump put together, and she'd only let me choose one thing." Her eyes moved back to Rory. "I narrowed it down to two things: a stuffed bear and a Barbie doll. The bear was soft and warm and safe. I'd never seen or felt anything like it. But the Barbie was taboo and wicked. No self-respecting girl is supposed to want a Barbie. I wanted them both. I didn't know what to do."
"What'd you pick?" Babette hollered.
Paris paused, deep in thought. She shook her head. "I don't remember. My mom saw my choices and forced me to get a chemistry set."
The rest of the crowd melted into the background as Paris continued, each word measured and directed only at Rory. "Try to follow me, Gilmore; I'm only gonna say this once. If you hesitate, the choice is taken out of your hands. So just make the damn choice. It's not that hard."
The crowd snapped back into focus, and the image of Paris started to fade away. Soon, it was like she had never been there at all.
"Lorelai, it's your turn," Taylor stated, turning to the elder Gilmore.
Lorelai looked at Rory and smiled. "Nothing is more important to me than you. You know I just want you to be happy." She brushed a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear. "That's all I've ever wanted."
Rory felt herself start to relax, let herself believe her mother finally understood. But a beat later…
"Jess will never make you happy. I choose Dean."
Rory's heart sank.
Nodding happily, Taylor jumped to the person sitting to Rory's other side. "Lane?"
Without hesitation, Lane spoke. "Jess."
Tears started to sting at Rory's eyes.
Having reached the last person, Taylor turned to the woman beside him. "Miss Patty?"
Eyes twinkling, she leaned over in her chair and examined the boys from behind. "Hmmm…" she drawled, angling her head left then right. She smiled wickedly. "No offense, Dean, you know I love you, but Jess has that extra something, if you know what I mean."
Both men shifted uncomfortably.
Miss Patty reclined back into her seat and smiled. "I choose Jess."
Taylor cleared his throat and looked down at the tally. "After adding my vote for Dean, that brings us to…" He counted up the votes, frowned, and then counted them again. Bewildered, he looked at the crowd. "A tie."
A murmur spread among them. Taylor counted again. "How is that possible?" he asked. "I made sure we had an odd number of people."
"I'll say," Luke mumbled under his breath.
The crowd looked at each other.
After a moment, Kirk stood up and dramatically pointed an accusing finger at Rory. "She didn't vote!" he exclaimed.
All eyes turned to her.
Taylor nodded. "That's right, Kirk. It seems Rory didn't vote. Now, Rory dear, you must vote. You get just as much of a say in this as anyone else. And we know you'll make the right choice," he pressured.
Rory shifted, uncomfortable under the stares. Her eyes journeyed over the faces around her: Luke's disgruntled but hopeful expression, Lane's supportive smile, her mother's brow furrowed in worry. Slowly, her gaze reached the stage, and she looked at Dean, always sweet and caring. He smiled at her. A tear rolled down her cheek. Feeling her heart quicken with anticipation, she drifted her eyes to where Jess stood.
But he was gone.
With a jolt, Rory's eyes flew open, and she sat upright. Every muscle in her body was twitching, and her heart was beating violently. Her gaze darted around the room, and she slowly took in the familiar presence of her dresser and desk. Her curtains were billowing gracefully in the night wind, carrying in the town's spring scents. The breeze brushed her cheeks and cooled the tears she hadn't realized were there. She blinked and focused on a pinpoint, calmly reassuring herself that none of it had been real. That he was right across town. After a moment, she leaned back against her pillow. Slowly, her memory of the dream receded… but the loneliness she'd felt remained.
***
Bare-chested, Jess walked out of the bathroom and hurried over to his dresser. Pulling out a shirt, he yanked it on and impatiently fastened the buttons as he shuffled to the refrigerator. Reaching it, he pulled the door open and grabbed a carton of orange juice. It felt light, but upon shaking it, he decided there was just enough for a glass. He lifted it to his lips and took a long sip as he shut the fridge door again. Abruptly, he stopped mid-motion, the carton still raised to his lips. He blinked and lowered the juice. Reaching out, he snatched the papers from the magnet and marched towards the door, pausing only long enough to set the juice on a table on the way out.
"What the hell is this?" Jess asked, holding the papers in the air.
Luke glanced up from the customer he was serving. "I'll be right back," he said calmly before heading towards his nephew. He looked at the papers. "It's your test."
"Yeah, I know it's my test," Jess said angrily. "How the hell did it get on the refrigerator door?"
"I put it there."
"You put it there?" Jess repeated.
"Yeah," Luke nodded.
"I can't believe this!"
"What?" Luke asked, confused. "That's what you do when your kid gets a good grade on something."
"I'm not your kid!" Jess fumed.
"I know that, Jess, but you're living with me now, so I get to put your good grades on my refrigerator."
"No, you don't," Jess disagreed. "Where did you get this?"
"It was on the floor."
"No, it wasn't. It was in my pocket. Were you digging through my stuff?"
"No, of course not. It was on the floor. It must've fallen out of your pocket."
"Yeah, right," Jess scoffed.
Luke stared at him. "What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with you?" Jess threw back. He crumpled the paper into a ball. "This is none of your business."
"Yeah, it is my business. When you screw up, it's my business, which means I get to make it my business when you do something right. I get to be proud of you, whether you like it or not."
Jess shook his head. "I cheated."
"No, you didn't."
"How do you know?"
"Because I saw the test, Jess. No one but you could come up with those answers."
"Whatever," Jess dismissed.
Luke sighed, his chest swelling with pride despite Jess's attitude. "I can't believe you got a B," he said in disbelief.
"Yeah, well, don't worry," Jess raged. "It won't happen again." Without another word, he stormed across the diner and out the door, throwing the crumpled test into the garbage on the way out.
Mouth open, Luke stared after him, not quite sure what had just happened.
***
"Hi Luke," Lorelai greeted cheerfully, sliding onto a stool at the counter.
Luke smiled and immediately turned to get her a mug of coffee. "Rory coming?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Nope, she's headed to school already."
"Aw, really? That's too bad."
"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "But she's working on her Veruca Salt impression today, so you aren't missing much. Trust me."
"Who?" Luke asked, setting the steaming mug in front of her.
"Veruca Salt, the brat in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."
"Rory? Really?"
"Well, she's more grumpy than bratty," Lorelai conceded. "But it was the first name that came to mind."
"Ah."
"Yeah," Lorelai shrugged. "So, what's with this?" she asked, pointing at the coffee. "I didn't even have to beg."
"Rory didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
Luke opened his mouth to explain, but then, thinking better of it, he decided to wait and see if Rory ever planned on telling her about their deal. "Nothing," he said instead.
"Ooh, mysterious. I have my ways, you know."
Luke nodded. "Believe me, I know."
Lorelai smiled and sipped her coffee.
"You're awfully cheerful today," he observed.
"Am I?" Lorelai asked coyly.
"What's going on?"
"I'll tell you when you're older," she teased.
He waved his hand. "Forget I asked."
She grinned. Needing something to do, Luke moved to the pastry case and pulled out a chocolate donut. Grabbing a napkin, he set it down in front of her. "On the house."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't argue.
A second later, he cleared his throat.
She looked up at him. He looked conflicted. "Luke?"
"You put Rory's tests and stuff on the refrigerator, right?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"Uh, yeah, sure," she replied, surprised by his question. "I used to."
"You don't anymore?"
"Our refrigerator couldn't hold the weight," she explained.
"Right. Makes sense," he accepted. Then, after a brief pause, "But she liked it, didn't she? When you did that?"
Lorelai smiled, remembering. "She loved it; made her feel special."
"See, that's what I thought," Luke concurred.
"Made me feel special too."
Luke shook his head. "I just don't get it," he muttered.
"Get what?"
"Jess."
Lorelai nodded. "There's a surprise."
"He got a B."
"Sting?"
"No, on his test."
"On his chest? Ow."
"No, on his test," Luke clarified.
"Okay, I am not finishing that one."
"Jess got a B on his History test," Luke clarified.
"Wait, what? Jess got a B? As in, the grade?"
Luke nodded proudly. "Yeah, that studying with Rory really helped."
"Wow," Lorelai exclaimed, surprised.
"I know."
"So what don't you get?"
"I put his test on the fridge, and he freaked out."
"You put Jess's test on your refrigerator?" Lorelai repeated, fighting a smile. "That's so cute, Luke."
"Is that why he's mad? Because it's cute?"
"I think I'm the last person to try to explain Jess to you."
Luke nodded, disappointed.
Lorelai frowned. "It was a nice thing you did."
"You think?"
"I know."
"More coffee?" he offered, spinning to grab the pot again.
She smiled, enjoying this new fatherly side that was starting to emerge. "Jess is really lucky, you know that?"
Luke turned back around and angled the pot towards her mug. "He's a good kid… underneath it all."
"Well, either way, he's really lucky to have you," she repeated.
He met her eyes. She smiled and motioned to the mug. "Fill 'er up!"
***
Rory stared at Paris. Normally, she paid close attention to English class, to any class really, but at the moment, she could not get Paris's "warning" out of her mind. She couldn't remember most of the details of her dream, but Paris's role was still vivid.
Paris glanced at her and caught her staring. Rory immediately jerked her eyes to the front of the room. Paris frowned and looked away, and Rory peered at her again out of the corners of her eyes. The bell rang.
Shoving her things into her bag, Paris marched over. "What's going on?"
Rory glanced up. "Nothing."
"Do I have something on my face or something?"
"No."
"Would you even tell me if I did?"
"Yes," Rory promised.
"You were staring at me," Paris said bluntly.
Rory shifted in her seat.
"Never take a lie detector test, Gilmore. You squirm like a mafia mole."
Rory grabbed her bag and headed towards the door.
"Hey, why were you staring at me?" Paris called, following after her.
Rory kept walking then stopped abruptly, catching Paris by surprise. "Did you ever want a Barbie?"
Paris frowned. "The doll?"
"Yeah."
"Like a hole in the head," Paris answered.
Rory nodded and began walking again. "That's what I thought."
"Are you on something?" Paris asked, keeping pace.
"What?!? No! Why would you think that?"
"Your eyes are bloodshot, and you're asking weird questions."
Rory scrunched her forehead. "I'm not on anything, Paris."
"Fine, why were you staring at me?"
Rory sighed. "I had this dream, and you gave me some advice, and I was trying to figure out if there was any truth to it."
"I gave you advice in a dream?"
"Yes."
"What was the advice?"
Rory turned to her. "You said that if I didn't choose between a bear and a Barbie, I'd end up with a chemistry set."
"Are you sure you're not on something?" Paris asked.
"Yes," Rory defended before starting to walk again.
"So what did you choose: the bear or the Barbie?"
Rory shrugged. "I didn't."
"So, I gave you advice in a dream, and you didn't take it?"
Rory didn't reply.
"Are you sure you're not on something?"
***
The bell above the diner door chimed, and Luke looked up. He watched as Jess walked past the counter, his eyes averted, and headed upstairs. Calling to Caesar, Luke threw his pen and notepad on the counter and followed after him.
As soon as he entered the apartment, Jess turned to him. "Are you serious?" he asked, gesturing to the refrigerator.
Luke glanced over at the crumpled test that was once again hanging on the door. "It stays," he said firmly.
"You do realize you've lost it, right? You just took my test out of the garbage and hung it on the door that holds our food."
"It stays," Luke repeated.
"Whatever," Jess mumbled. He bent down and grabbed a book off his shelf, then headed to the door.
Luke moved in front of him. "Here's the deal, Jess."
"Can I go?" Jess asked, pointing at the door.
Luke ignored him. "You got a B on that test. I don't know why you're not proud of it, but I am. This is my apartment. I pay the rent. I pay the utilities. I buy the food. So if I want to hang your test on my refrigerator, your test is going to hang on my refrigerator."
"Whatever," Jess repeated.
"I don't know how you did it, but you did it. So here's what I'm going to do. That," he said, pointing at the test, "stays there, and you get the next few days off from work."
"What?"
"I'm even gonna pay you. It's, uh, what do you call it? Positive reinforcement."
"Who have you been talking to?" Jess asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You don't want the days off?"
"Time free of you? Gee, how can I resist?" Jess said sarcastically.
"Great," Luke said, nodding.
"Great," Jess replied. He moved around Luke and walked to the door.
"There's one condition."
Jess paused and turned to him. "How did I not see that coming?"
"You don't work on Thursday, but you have to be back here at five."
"That sounds like working."
Luke shook his head. "Not working…. studying."
"You're gonna force me to study?"
"Rory," Luke corrected, "is going to force you to study."
"What?"
"She agreed to tutor you some more."
"I'm not interested."
"Sure, you are."
"No, I'm not."
Luke sighed in exasperation. "If you study," he explained. "You get a good grade, the test goes on the refrigerator, and you get paid vacation. How is this not good?"
"It's blackmail."
"It's positive reinforcement," Luke clarified.
Jess rolled his eyes. "Call it whatever you want. I'm leaving."
"Don't forget, Jess. Thursday at 5."
Jess glared at him over his shoulder and slammed the door.
Luke stared at the closed door and nodded, his lips pursed. "Well, that went well."
***
"You have grumpitis," Lorelai stated, eyeing her daughter as they walked towards the diner.
"No, I don't."
Lorelai reached out and felt her forehead. Remembering her dream, Rory pulled away, and her hand was left hanging in midair. Stopping, Lorelai turned to her. "What's wrong?"
Rory frowned and shook her head. "Nothing."
"You know, I hear if you talk about it in time, you can stop it before it becomes a permanent condition."
"I don't have grumpitis."
Growing irritated, Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure 'cuz I think it might be contagious."
"Can't I just be grumpy for a day?" Rory asked.
Lorelai shook her head. "You are she of sunshine and light and happiness," she said melodramatically. "You make the birds sing and the children dance. No grumpy allowed."
Rory stared at her.
"I was joking. Of course, you can be grumpy, but if I can help…"
"You want me to be happy, right?"
Lorelai gave her a confused look. "I thought that was the point of this whole conversation."
"Not just today."
"Of course I want you to be happy. Always."
"No matter what?"
"Yes, no matter what. Where's this coming from?"
Rory sighed and started walking again. "I had a dream. You turned into Grandma."
"You had a dream where I turned into my mother?"
"Just your voice," Rory tried to reassure her.
"The grumpitis is definitely contagious," Lorelai frowned. She glanced at Rory. "So in this dream, I didn't want you to be happy?"
Rory shrugged.
"Babe, you can't blame me. I was Emily. She doesn't want anyone to be happy."
Rory felt a small smile tug at the corners of her lips. "You wanted me to be happy."
"Oh, okay. Good."
"On your own terms."
"See, now that was definitely my mother."
Rory smiled. Lorelai reached over and wrapped her arm around her waist, pulling her close. "I want you to be happy on your terms," she said honestly.
Rory glanced up at her. "But what if the terms are a result of unclear thinking?"
"Then, all the better," Lorelai assured her. "I made some of my better decisions when I wasn't thinking clearly. How do you think I ended up with you?"
Rory smiled and leaned her head on her mother's shoulder as they walked.
"Oh my God," Lorelai exclaimed, seeing her smile. "I think she's cured."
"Unfortunately," Rory stated. "Grumpitis might be a recurring problem."
Lorelai leaned down and kissed the top of her daughter's head. "You don't say? And here I thought I was home free. We better get you some coffee."
"Ooh, free coffee!" Rory cooed.
Lorelai grinned evilly. "And Luke's deep, dark secret, at last, is revealed."
Rory frowned. "But there's a catch."
"Of course, there is," she accepted. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself. "Hit me with it."
***
"So, this Thursday?" Lorelai clarified, dropping her purse onto the table and taking a seat. "For how long?"
Rory shrugged. "As long as it takes."
"But we get free coffee?"
Rory nodded.
"How much free coffee, exactly?"
"I think that's negotiable."
Lorelai nodded. "Hmm… okay, I think I can agree to those terms."
"Really?"
"Sure. Why not? It's not like I'm gonna have to put up with him."
"Gee, thanks."
"Dean might not take it so well though."
Rory sighed. "I know."
"Just tell him about the coffee."
"I don't think it will have quite the same effect on him."
"Yeah, you're probably right. But speaking of the coffee…" Lorelai peered around the diner. "This place is a madhouse."
As she spoke, Luke rushed by. "Hey, Luke, your secret's out. We want our coffee."
He nodded but kept going. "One second."
Thirty seconds later – each one counted out loud by Lorelai – Luke returned with the pot and two mugs. "So you told her, huh?" he asked Rory.
Lorelai nodded. "I'm familiar with the terms, although I would like to see them in writing."
"Free coffee for as long as it takes Rory to help Jess."
"It's a deal," she agreed. Then, turning to Rory, she added, "Confuse him now and then, honey. Drag it out."
Rory nodded. "I'll do my best."
"Speaking of the Term, where is he?" Lorelai asked, looking around the diner.
"I gave him a few days off. Positive reinforcement," Luke explained proudly.
"Wow, someone's been brushing up on their self-help psychobabble."
"It was Liz's idea."
"You talked to Liz?"
"I thought she should know how well Jess is doing."
Lorelai smiled. "I bet she was proud."
"Yeah, she was."
"Good. That's really good."
"Yeah," Luke agreed. He looked around at the full tables. "How about I just leave this with you?" he offered, setting down the pot. "Let me know if you need a refill," he added before hurrying to wait on the tables.
Wide-eyed, Lorelai looked at Rory. "He left us the pot."
"He's really proud," Rory stated, smiling.
"Hell, for a pot of free coffee, I'm willing to be proud of Jess too."
"I'm sure he appreciates that."
"I wonder what we'll get if you snag him an A."
"The whole diner?" Rory suggested.
"Ooh, you think? In that case, I've been giving it some thought, and I know exactly where we should put the jukebox."
***
Lorelai and Rory turned the corner towards their house, and immediately their eyes fell on Dean. He stood up from where he was sitting on their stairs and waved. Rory forced a smile and waved back.
When they reached the house, Lorelai greeted him, gave Rory a reassuring smile, and headed inside. Dean leaned down and kissed Rory. When he pulled away, she smiled a little and sat down on the stoop. He joined her.
"Did I know you were coming over?" she asked.
"Nope, I just wanted to see you."
"Oh, that's nice," she said lamely.
He leaned over and kissed her again. "You taste like coffee."
She grinned. "Don't I always taste like coffee?"
"Were you at the diner?"
"Um, yeah, we got dinner."
He nodded. "Oh. Anything exciting happen?"
She shook her head. "Nope."
"Okay," he accepted.
She looked at him, and he smiled. She looked away; she had to tell him eventually. Biting her lip, she said softly, "Actually, Luke gave us free coffee."
"Yeah?"
"A whole pot."
"Your mom must've flipped."
"She was pretty excited," Rory agreed.
"So what was the occasion?"
"Uh," Rory said, staring at her hands. "I'm sort of doing him a favor."
Dean gave her a confused look. "Yeah? What kind of favor?"
"Um, Luke needed someone to help Jess study," she explained. "So he asked me."
"And you said yes?"
She glanced at him. "Luke never asks for favors."
"Maybe that's because he shouldn't," Dean fumed.
"Dean…"
"I don't get it. There's no reason you should help him."
"Luke asked me."
"Luke can find someone else. Luke should find someone else."
"It's just studying."
"Tell Jess that."
"What?"
"He's using you, Rory. Figure it out."
"Jess is not using me."
"He'll probably fail on purpose so you have to keep helping him."
"That's not true. He already got a B," she argued.
"Great. Then he doesn't need a tutor. Back out."
Rory sighed and brushed her hair behind her ear.
"What, Rory?"
She glanced up at him and then back at her hands. "Remember when you were in Chicago?"
"It was less than a week ago," Dean snipped.
"I tutored Jess while you were gone. That's why he got the B."
Dean's eyes widened. "You what?"
"It's not a big deal."
He stood up and turned to face her. "Then why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I knew you'd overreact."
"So you helped him study, and he got a B?"
She nodded. "That's why Luke wants me to help him again."
"Did you ever think that maybe he got a B, so Luke would ask you?"
"That's ridiculous."
"Yeah?" Dean asked angrily. "Since when does Jess care about school?"
"I don't know. He—"
"I go to that school, Rory. He's never there," Dean said, waving his clenched fist in the air. "He doesn't care about school or the test. This is about you."
"Stop yelling."
"Tell Luke no."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can."
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I can't."
"Fine."
"Dean," she pleaded, standing up. "I'm sorry."
"I'll see you later." He started to walk away.
She followed after him. "Dean."
He kept walking.
Hurrying inside, Rory grabbed a jacket and stormed back out.
"Rory?" Lorelai called after her, but she was already gone.
***
She went straight to the bridge. At first, she didn't see him. But her blurry eyes scanned the perimeter, and she quickly found him. He was sitting a short distance away from the bridge, his back against a tree and a book resting on his bent legs. He was practically invisible to anyone who didn't know to look.
She marched across the bridge to where he was sitting. "Why'd you do it, Jess?" she fumed.
He looked up in bewilderment. "Do what?"
"Take that test. Why did you do it?"
He dropped his book on the ground and stood up, needing to be on an equal level. "Why do you care?"
"Luke is making me tutor you. Did you do that on purpose? Because you know I wouldn't hurt him by saying no?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm with Dean. Can't you understand that?" she asked. Confusion raced through her veins. She didn't even know why she was standing here yelling at him.
"Look, you've made it abundantly clear who you're with. You're the one who keeps coming to me."
"No, I don't."
"I was sitting here minding my own business, and you just stormed over. Are you sure you don't want to rethink that?"
"You took that test and got a B, so I'd have to study with you."
He looked at her in disbelief. "I get a B on a test, and you're making it about you?"
"It is about me."
"Not everything is about you, Rory!" he yelled. She jumped, startled by the volume of his voice. "Jesus," he muttered, leaning down to grab his book then heading towards the bridge.
She turned and followed after him. "Fine. What is it about?" When he kept walking, she grabbed his arm. He whirled around to face her. "Jess, what is it about?"
"Nothing, Rory! It's about nothing!"
His eyes were wild, and she knew he was lying. He looked sad and lost. She took a step forward. The next thing she knew, her hand was wrapped around his neck, and she was crushing his lips to hers.
Taken by complete surprise, he froze in place, his book thumping onto the wooden bridge as it slipped from his grasp. After a beat, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her slightly, pulling her closer. She ran her hand up to his cheek then gently pulled away.
Bewildered, he searched her eyes, but she quickly shifted them down to the bridge. Seeing his book, she stooped and picked it up. She held it out. He looked down and reached out to take it. The moment he felt the weight of it shift from her hand to his, she brushed by him and hurried across the bridge then out of sight.
***
The front door clicked shut, and Lorelai whipped her head around. "Rory," she said urgently, standing up. "There you are. What happened with Dean? Where'd you go?"
Numb, Rory walked around the couch and sat down.
Lorelai sat beside her. "Rory?"
"I kissed Jess," she said, her voice quiet.
Lorelai froze, processing the information.
"Twice," Rory added softly.
There was a long silence. Then, Lorelai did the only thing she could. Taking a deep breath, she drew her daughter close and whispered, "Okay."
