Everything that you recognize from Gilmore Girls the show belongs to
Amy S- P and the WB. Everything else is mine. Enjoy!
-----
"All right. So. . . try a red-ox reaction problem. Here. . . number 36." Rory looked up at Jess. He was staring straight at her, but obviously not paying attention to what she was trying to explain.
"Jess!" she said, exasperated, "Please, just try to concentrate."
"I'm concentrating," he answered, not breaking his stare.
"Concentrate on chemistry! Come on. You have a D in chemistry. I know that it's no fun, but you promised me that you would get at least a C+ in all of your classes. All though how I got roped into that, I'll never know. You could be a straight A student if you put your mind to it."
"This is so boring!"
"Look. . . how about you do. . . three more red-ox problems, and then we'll take a break."
"How about we take a break, and then I do five more red-ox problems."
"Jess! I'm not bargaining with you here."
"Just three? And then we can take a break?"
"Yeah. Just three."
He sighed. "Number 36?"
Rory smiled and nodded. "36."
@@@@@
Rory trudged up the steps onto her bus home from Chilton. She had been working extremely hard lately, and she just wanted to get home and go to sleep. Suddenly, she remembered that her admissions envelopes should be coming soon, and a little jolt of excitement took over her. She pulled out "The Happy Room" and began to read.
It wasn't long before the bus arrived at her stop, and she exited the bus. Luke's or home? she thought to herself. She decided on Luke's. She could use a cup of coffee. She paged her mom to let her know where she was, and walked over to the diner that had been her second home for as long as she could remember.
Because she was alone, she walked directly to the counter and chose a spot. She dropped her backpack next to her. Out of nowhere, Jess appeared with a green mug and the pitcher of coffee. With a little slight of hand, he twirled the mug around before setting it down, filling it to the brim, and giving Rory a slight smile. He slid a stapled packet of papers across the table to her. She picked them up and looked a the top.
"93% on red-ox! Jess!" She stood up and leaned across the counter to give him a kiss. "Great job! Oh my god, this is so good! Congratulations."
"Well thanks to you, Miss Smarty-Pants, looks like I might graduate high school after all."
"Thanks to me? This is thanks to yourself! You got this 93! Oh Jess, I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks." He set the coffee pitcher down on the counter. "So. . . hear from any colleges yet?"
"Nope, not yet. And I'm freaking out! I'm so nervous about the letters. And once I get them, I don't know where I'm going to choose! I just hope I get into one school and then I won't have to make any decisions."
"Well, unfortunately for you, that ain't gonna happen. You're gonna get in everywhere and have to make a choice."
"Stop it. You're making me blush."
"Wanna take off?"
"Don't you have to work?"
"Nah. Caesar's here, and Luke should be back in a half hour or so. And there's no one here."
"I resent that!" came Kirk's voice, who was sitting alone at a corner table, nursing an iced tea and eating a bacon sandwich.
"As I was saying, there's no one here. . ."
"OK. Sure. Where do you wanna go?"
"No where in particular. . ."
"OK."
They walked out of the diner and started walking through the town. It had become a familiar sight in the town: Rory's hand in Jess' back pocket, and Jess' arm wrapped around her waist, walking like that together everywhere. Rory and Jess walked over to the bridge and sat down, side by side.
"Which ones do you have to choose from?" Jess asked.
"What?"
"Which colleges? Where did you end up applying?"
"Oh. Um. . . Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Vassar, and BU. And then I had some safeties, but I'm hoping it won't resort to that."
"It won't."
"How do you know?"
"I just do." Jess smiled and leaned in to plant a kiss on Rory's lips.
"Ok. Good enough answer for me."
"I thought so."
"Did you apply anywhere?" Rory asked.
"Community College. I'm going to go to community college if I graduate-"
"When you graduate."
"When I graduate, and then probably work really hard and try to transfer to State University."
"That's cool. I'm glad that you decided to go to college Jess."
"Hmm."
"No, I really am. I'm really happy. I was worried about you. You have so much potential-"
"Oh GOD not this speech."
Rory was silent and looked hurt.
"Sorry. It's just-"
"No. No, it's fine. I'll stop talking about college."
"I like that you care so much about me."
"Who will if I don't?"
"My point exactly." Jess leaned in to kiss Rory again. She moved her legs from where they were lying straight ahead next to Jess' to on top of his, so that she could face him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He played with the hem of her shirt, flipping it up and down and gently caressing the skin of her lower back. Then he slipped one hand completely up the back of her shirt. Rory stiffened, but didn't stop him. He moved his hand further up her back until he came to her bra clasp. Rory wasn't thinking about the kissing anymore. All she could think of was that hand. She felt his fingers moving towards the clasp. She moved one hand from Jess' back and placed it on his arm, trying to show him that she wanted him to move it. He didn't. She pulled back from the kiss and pushed his arm away.
"Jess. . ."
"Forget about it." He turned away from her and looked off into the distance.
"It's just. . . this is so new. I. . . I've never done. . . I told you that I didn't go very far with Dean. . . this just isn't the right time for me."
"Whatever." Jess wasn't going to talk to her anymore. She stood. "I'll talk to you later?"
"Yeah, I'll call you," he responded, but he didn't look her way."
"OK."
She turned away from him and walked away from the bridge. She tried to hold back the tears until she got back to her house. As soon as she got there, she ran into her room, slammed the door, and flopped down on her bed.
Why was she such a baby? She was a senior in high school, and she wouldn't even let her boyfriend get to second base. This wasn't a big deal. Jess, she was sure, had gotten farther than that even, with girls that he barely knew. She was disappointing him. He was the kind of guy who took things like this lightly, expected them, and she kept turning him away.
Rory didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to explore all of these things with Jess. Why was she so scared?
Because she didn't want to disappoint him, she confessed to herself. Because she knew how experienced he was, and she didn't want him to know how much experience she lacked. What if she was no good for him? That scared her so much. She really didn't want to disappoint him.
She had to tell him what she was feeling. He was her boyfriend, and he deserved to know what she was thinking and feeling. Besides, it concerned him. She would talk to him soon. Not over the phone. Face to face. Maybe tomorrow. She knew he would understand. At least, she hoped he would understand.
-----
"All right. So. . . try a red-ox reaction problem. Here. . . number 36." Rory looked up at Jess. He was staring straight at her, but obviously not paying attention to what she was trying to explain.
"Jess!" she said, exasperated, "Please, just try to concentrate."
"I'm concentrating," he answered, not breaking his stare.
"Concentrate on chemistry! Come on. You have a D in chemistry. I know that it's no fun, but you promised me that you would get at least a C+ in all of your classes. All though how I got roped into that, I'll never know. You could be a straight A student if you put your mind to it."
"This is so boring!"
"Look. . . how about you do. . . three more red-ox problems, and then we'll take a break."
"How about we take a break, and then I do five more red-ox problems."
"Jess! I'm not bargaining with you here."
"Just three? And then we can take a break?"
"Yeah. Just three."
He sighed. "Number 36?"
Rory smiled and nodded. "36."
@@@@@
Rory trudged up the steps onto her bus home from Chilton. She had been working extremely hard lately, and she just wanted to get home and go to sleep. Suddenly, she remembered that her admissions envelopes should be coming soon, and a little jolt of excitement took over her. She pulled out "The Happy Room" and began to read.
It wasn't long before the bus arrived at her stop, and she exited the bus. Luke's or home? she thought to herself. She decided on Luke's. She could use a cup of coffee. She paged her mom to let her know where she was, and walked over to the diner that had been her second home for as long as she could remember.
Because she was alone, she walked directly to the counter and chose a spot. She dropped her backpack next to her. Out of nowhere, Jess appeared with a green mug and the pitcher of coffee. With a little slight of hand, he twirled the mug around before setting it down, filling it to the brim, and giving Rory a slight smile. He slid a stapled packet of papers across the table to her. She picked them up and looked a the top.
"93% on red-ox! Jess!" She stood up and leaned across the counter to give him a kiss. "Great job! Oh my god, this is so good! Congratulations."
"Well thanks to you, Miss Smarty-Pants, looks like I might graduate high school after all."
"Thanks to me? This is thanks to yourself! You got this 93! Oh Jess, I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks." He set the coffee pitcher down on the counter. "So. . . hear from any colleges yet?"
"Nope, not yet. And I'm freaking out! I'm so nervous about the letters. And once I get them, I don't know where I'm going to choose! I just hope I get into one school and then I won't have to make any decisions."
"Well, unfortunately for you, that ain't gonna happen. You're gonna get in everywhere and have to make a choice."
"Stop it. You're making me blush."
"Wanna take off?"
"Don't you have to work?"
"Nah. Caesar's here, and Luke should be back in a half hour or so. And there's no one here."
"I resent that!" came Kirk's voice, who was sitting alone at a corner table, nursing an iced tea and eating a bacon sandwich.
"As I was saying, there's no one here. . ."
"OK. Sure. Where do you wanna go?"
"No where in particular. . ."
"OK."
They walked out of the diner and started walking through the town. It had become a familiar sight in the town: Rory's hand in Jess' back pocket, and Jess' arm wrapped around her waist, walking like that together everywhere. Rory and Jess walked over to the bridge and sat down, side by side.
"Which ones do you have to choose from?" Jess asked.
"What?"
"Which colleges? Where did you end up applying?"
"Oh. Um. . . Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Vassar, and BU. And then I had some safeties, but I'm hoping it won't resort to that."
"It won't."
"How do you know?"
"I just do." Jess smiled and leaned in to plant a kiss on Rory's lips.
"Ok. Good enough answer for me."
"I thought so."
"Did you apply anywhere?" Rory asked.
"Community College. I'm going to go to community college if I graduate-"
"When you graduate."
"When I graduate, and then probably work really hard and try to transfer to State University."
"That's cool. I'm glad that you decided to go to college Jess."
"Hmm."
"No, I really am. I'm really happy. I was worried about you. You have so much potential-"
"Oh GOD not this speech."
Rory was silent and looked hurt.
"Sorry. It's just-"
"No. No, it's fine. I'll stop talking about college."
"I like that you care so much about me."
"Who will if I don't?"
"My point exactly." Jess leaned in to kiss Rory again. She moved her legs from where they were lying straight ahead next to Jess' to on top of his, so that she could face him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He played with the hem of her shirt, flipping it up and down and gently caressing the skin of her lower back. Then he slipped one hand completely up the back of her shirt. Rory stiffened, but didn't stop him. He moved his hand further up her back until he came to her bra clasp. Rory wasn't thinking about the kissing anymore. All she could think of was that hand. She felt his fingers moving towards the clasp. She moved one hand from Jess' back and placed it on his arm, trying to show him that she wanted him to move it. He didn't. She pulled back from the kiss and pushed his arm away.
"Jess. . ."
"Forget about it." He turned away from her and looked off into the distance.
"It's just. . . this is so new. I. . . I've never done. . . I told you that I didn't go very far with Dean. . . this just isn't the right time for me."
"Whatever." Jess wasn't going to talk to her anymore. She stood. "I'll talk to you later?"
"Yeah, I'll call you," he responded, but he didn't look her way."
"OK."
She turned away from him and walked away from the bridge. She tried to hold back the tears until she got back to her house. As soon as she got there, she ran into her room, slammed the door, and flopped down on her bed.
Why was she such a baby? She was a senior in high school, and she wouldn't even let her boyfriend get to second base. This wasn't a big deal. Jess, she was sure, had gotten farther than that even, with girls that he barely knew. She was disappointing him. He was the kind of guy who took things like this lightly, expected them, and she kept turning him away.
Rory didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to explore all of these things with Jess. Why was she so scared?
Because she didn't want to disappoint him, she confessed to herself. Because she knew how experienced he was, and she didn't want him to know how much experience she lacked. What if she was no good for him? That scared her so much. She really didn't want to disappoint him.
She had to tell him what she was feeling. He was her boyfriend, and he deserved to know what she was thinking and feeling. Besides, it concerned him. She would talk to him soon. Not over the phone. Face to face. Maybe tomorrow. She knew he would understand. At least, she hoped he would understand.