"Okay, this time we will, I promise!" Rory said.

"Rory..." Jess said slowly and patiently, "We've been doing this for an hour, and I have got to get back to Luke's before dinnertime."

Rory and Jess were sitting on a park bench near Dean's house. At first, Rory had ran straight to Dean's house but at the stairs she chickened out and turned back. They'd walked back home silently, but her resolve had built up again and she'd ran back to Dean's house, only to turn back once again. This had happened several times before they both finally collapsed onto the bench, Jess exhausted, and Rory contemplative.

"I just can't do it. I can't say sorry...I-I tried to but...I don't think he wants to hear me out," said Rory hoarsely, "But then, who can blame him? I can't believe I was so disrespectful! I mean, the least I could've done was turn up right? And then I could've left. It'd've been much more easier than just letting him wait there for me."

Jess covered his ears. It wasn't because he was jealous, it was just that there was only so much he could hear about Dean (and Rory missing him) before he felt like throwing up. What could he do? That guy just really got on his nerves. It was times like this that Jess felt insecure. He was normally a really confident guy, always hitting on girls, tackling uncomfortable situations head-on....but he was just at a loss at what to say - and do when it came to Rory.

There was this perfect, beautiful girl. His girlfriend, no less, sitting right beside him, and he couldn't even kiss her because it 'wasn't the right time'. Luke had spoken to him about it the night before. Jess was reluctant to take advice from his uncle that was pretty much destined to be a bachelor all his life in Jess' opinion, but something that Luke said had stuck with him.

"Rory might just be using you - unconsciously of course. I'm sorry to say it, but maybe she's going through a mourning period with Dean, and just really needs a friend right now. Just...just don't try to push it or anything if she's still hung up over Dean, okay?"

At that Jess had walked out of the diner, "I'll be back later," he'd said curtly, and then he'd pondered over Luke's words all night.

"...Maybe I should say, 'Dean. I'm sorry. But it's Jess I love now and I just couldn't go on pretending that I loved you when I didn't. I don't want to lead you on...' - oh! How about, 'Dean - it's all my fault. I'm so sorry...Jess and I are together now, but I still want to be friends....'" Rory shook her head, "No that kinda sounds harsh. What do you think, Jess?"

Still sitting next to her on the park bench, Jess sighed and checked his watch.

6:30pm.

They'd been sitting there for over an hour, "Look, Rory, does it really matter?" Jess couldn't take it anymore. She was his girlfriend! Couldn't she stop thinking about that blasted Dean for once?! "I mean - he knows we're going out now, and it's not like there's anything to say. You went to his house before, and he let you run away - you're over him, he's over you, doesn't it all work out?" To Jess that sounded reasonable, but as he turned to Rory for approval he saw her eyes streaming with tears.

"I," she whispered, "I can't believe you'd be so insensitive. Dean and I were a couple for a long time. I can't just end it like this. I have to at least say sorry."

Jess lost his temper, "Well, you know what!? It sounds like you're not even over him yet! How can you say you love me when all you ever talk about is Dean?"

Rory really started crying then, "Look! I don't know! I just want to say sorry to him! That's all! I still love you!" She reached to touch his face, but Jess turned away stubbornly. He heard the chair creak as she stood up, and then her footsteps as she ran away...

"God, Jess!" he scolded himself, "You're such a loser."

Then he buried his head into his hands and cried.

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice, "If it isn't Miss Rory Gilmore."

"Go away, Tristan," she said, looking down, for her eyes were still puffy, "Why are you here? You don't live in Stars Hollow."

"Well, I heard about Dean, and I felt bad about what happened at the cafeteria the other day so I thought I'd cheer you up...," he said cheekily.

"Leave me alone."

Rory was sitting on her verandah steps and Tristan joined her. He sat close to her. Too close.

"Look," Tristan's voice suddenly adopted an apologetic tone, free from all it's previous joking and teasing demeanour, "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have hit on you when I knew you were hung up about Dean...I should've known and respected that. I'm sorry," he did a puppy face, "Forgive me?" he barked, "Pwetty pwease? Can we be fwends?"

Rory looked at his face for two seconds before bursting out into laughter, "Yeah....sure....I forgive you....but look, it's getting pretty late, you should probably go home now."

"Okay, but I can stay a few more minutes."

"Rory, I'm sorry. I was being a jerk - I understand all about Dean, I shouldn't've been so rude," Jess rehearsed as he slowly walked to Rory's house. Luke would be mad that he was late back, but Rory was far more important.

Wait! Who was that? There were two people sitting on Rory's verandah...one was Rory and the other was...Jess squinted. Some blonde-haired guy with a bad puppy-dog expression on his face. What was worse, Rory was laughing and smiling with him!

Jess' hands balled into fists by his side as he walked steadily to Rory's house.