A/N: This chapter came fairly slowly. Part is my own creation, and part is straight dialogue from the show. The dialogue is from the episode the Ins and Outs of Inns. You'll recognize it, I promise. Anyway, I want to thank all of you for your reviews of the last chapter. I hope you all will return for chapter 4! R/R. Peace and Love — moi!

Disclaimer: Like I said . . . .Milo . . . .frozen margs . . . .'nuff said!

On with the story . . . .

The bell sounded — a cacophony of loud notes that could be heard throughout the halls. The students herded into the classroom like cattle before sitting down in their seats and retrieving spiral notebooks, textbooks, and pens from their backpacks. The teacher muttered something about homework when a knock at the door was heard. The principal walked in the classroom while ushering Rory in as well.

"Mr. Walker, I apologize for interrupting, but we have a new student," the principal informed with a warm smile.

He glanced at Rory, her eyes glazed and features tight and callous.

"Students, this is Rory Mariano. She's come to our area from New York. I hope you all make her welcome." With that, the principal left.

"Well, Rory," Mr. Walker began, "take your seat. We are about to discuss our homework from last night on the subject of D.H. Lawrence's The Rocking-Horse Winner."

She rolled her eyes as she sat in the first empty desk that she spotted. "Mother. Son. Rocking horse. Oedipus Complex. I believe I've read it."

The gray-haired man praised her for her knowledge before beginning to ramble something about thematic elements. She shrugged and then reached into her leather jacket pocket for a beaten paperback — Christopher Moore's Lamb. Before finishing the second paragraph, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Rory turned around to a cute Korean girl who was grinning like an idiot.

"Lane Kim," the girl whispered, "I like your shirt,"

Rory self-consciously looked down at her black and pink CBGB's tee. One of her mother's boyfriends had gotten it for her on his trip to Los Angeles on business.

Lane continued, "It's awesome. The Ramones started there. Blondie, The Clash, The Cramps. They all played their at one time or another. It's the Mecca of the punk revolution."

"I agree and thanks." She smiled and then turned back to her book.

"If we're going to get an A, which we are, it is strictly vital that we research Dickens's political standpoint and controversial nature — Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities, et cetera!" Paris Ghellar forcefully explained.

"Paris, Dickens wasn't just about poverty or politics. He was a story-teller. His characters were deep and memorable. David Copperfield, the Artful Dodger, or even Pip! No writer in the 19th century created characters like Dickens!" Jess argued.

Madeline and Louise just stood there, quietly chatting amongst themselves about boys, lip gloss, or some other inane topic. Their fifth man, Tristan Dugrey, had yet to arrive. Paris assumed he was off sucking the life out of some poor cheerleader.

"Listen, Bernard Shaw! I know you have an Oliver Twist obsession but immortalizing Nicholas Nickelby and Mrs. Havishem will get us nothing but a C minus!"

"Jeez, Paris, Dickens was more than just this author who wrote about the calamities of the lower classes in England at the turn of the century. He was a genius!"

"Well, Jess, you don't seem to be taking any lessons from him." Paris challenged.

Madeline looked over at Louise and grinned. "I know what you mean." Louise responded.

Madeline nodded her head. "I wish she would just tell him. It's so obvious that she likes him."

The bus came to a complete stop, and Jess Gilmore, fully clad in his Chilton uniform, walked off to find his best friend, Lane Kim, waiting for him with coffee. He smiled, taking the cup from her hand, and they walked arm in arm down the sidewalk towards Luke's diner.

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked her.

"Absolutely nothing. I wanted to tell you that I met Luke's niece today. Rory? She seems okay. Bookish type." Lane informed.

Jess laughed out loud. "Rory? Bookish? Not hardly. You might have spotted her engorged in a book, but she's definitely not the tape-on-the-glasses type."

"Anyway, so how's Dana? You're relationship, I mean."

"Great. We went out Saturday night. How's your love life, or lack thereof?"

She glared at him, jokingly. "Phenomenal. I mean, Mama Kim lessened the dating age from forty to thirty-five a couple of days ago; So, I'm hopeful!"

They both laughed, and then, Jess noticed a crowd gathering around the entrance to Doose's Market.

"What the hell?" Jess cursed.

They could see better as they drew closer. The front of Doose's was covered in yellow police tape, and on the sidewalk, they made out what looked like an outline of a person chalked in front of the front door. They then drew even closer towards the chaos to see exactly what the argument was between the police woman, Taylor, and Bootsy.

"This a CATASTROPHE!" Taylor Doose exclaimed.

"Just try to calm down, Taylor." the woman suggested.

"Calm down! Why should I calm down!"

"Yeah, why should he calm down?" Bootsy asked, ever the sidekick.

"I want actions not words." Taylor replied, trying to ignore the boy that was standing next to him.

"Yeah, actions not words."

Taylor glared. "Bootsy, don't you have to get back to your newsstand?"

"Nope, I'm all yours buddy!"

The police woman stepped in. "Look, we're going to try to get to the bottom of this. I promise."

"But a crime was committed in front of my store!" He exclaimed.

"Now, we don't know that yet for sure."

"But I have a dead body in front of my store!"

"No, Taylor, what you have is a chalk drawing of a dead body in front of your store." She logically stated what he already knew.

"Meaning there were two crimes." Bootsy added.

"What?" Taylor and the police woman asked simultaneously.

"You know, somebody got murdered, and someone removed the body. It's open and shut, bing, bang, boom!"

"Look, I call down to the precinct and get a head count of Stars Hollow to see if anyone is missing." She told them.

"There is no way someone was murdered in Stars Hollow! These people won't hold a water gun let alone a real one!" Lane supplied, as she and Jess listened in.

"I know. Looks like a prank to me." Jess suggested.

They quieted as the police woman returned to talk to Taylor after calling headquarters.

"Well, everyone in town is accounted for. Looks like what we've got here is an elaborate prank, Mr. Doose."

"I told you." Jess whispered to Lane.

"A prank? It looks so real. Where did they get the police tape?" Taylor asked, completely shocked.

"Kids have their ways." She told him.

"Who would be so depraved as to do something like this?"

The woman just shrugged her shoulders. "Hard to say."

When Jess and Lane started towards the Diner, Jess noticed Rory sitting in the gazebo reading. When she noticed he was looking her way, she just smirked at him.

"That was some town meeting, huh?" Dana asked Jess as they walked down the streets of Stars Hollow.

"Yeah, I really felt sorry for Luke. It was like the town really did come at him with torches and pitchforks. All about Rory. Mom was really cool, though. Taking up for him and all."

"Even though Taylor had lettuce problems." He laughed at her joke. He liked that she was trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, I've gotta stop by the market."

"But it's your day off." He reminded her.

"Yeah, it's to get my paycheck. If I don't get it by closing time, Taylor locks it in a safe and its on some kind of timer and when I complain, he lectures me about promptly putting checks in the back and the theories of compound interest, and then my head starts to hurt from all the nodding I do even though I don't listen . . ."

"Go. Go!" He told her.

She smiled, "I'll just be a minute."

He watched her go into the market, but he did not see the female that come up from behind him.

"Should you let your girlfriend go inside alone? I hear this is a pretty dangerous corner."

"She'll be fine." He stated.

"Feeling succinct today?" She asked him.

"Pretty much."

"Hmm. Did I do something to offend?" Rory asked, sincerely.

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"Good."

He exhaled. "You might wanna ask Luke the same question though."

She raised her eyebrows. "Meaning?"

"You've got this whole town down on him."

"Really? How did I do that?"

"You know how you did that."

"I'm not really familiar with the blue book laws of this town, so you can be talking about a lot of things. Dropping a gum wrapper, strolling arm in arm with the opposite sex on a Sunday...."

Jess pointed to the chalk lines on the sidewalk.

"Ah, what about?"

"You did it, Rory! The whole town knows you did it. They had a meeting about it."

"You actually went to that bizarro town meeting. Those things are so To Kill A Mockingbird."

"Yes, I went. Mom went. And Luke went. And when he got there, they all ganged up on him. They all want you gone."

"Wow, bummer."

"And he's standing there yelling at everyone and defending you and paying Taylor back for his lettuce losses . . ."

"Wait, his what?"

"And now Luke's a pariah and its all because of you! What a shock, you don't care about any of this."

"I didn't say that."

"Go. I'm tired of talking to you."

She started to walk away, but stopped when he heard his voice again.

"You care nothing about Luke and his feelings!"

"Got a second wind, huh?"

"All he does is stick up for you and all you do is make his life harder. I guess that's what you have to do when you're trying to be the female equivalent of Holden Caulfield, but I think it sucks! Luke has done a lot for me and my mom and I don't like to see him attacked. Okay, second wind over." He put a hand to his chest, glad that he got that out.

"I didn't know they were coming down so hard on him."

"Funny, I never pegged you for Cher Horowitz either, my mistake.

" Okay, I get it. I really do, but did you at least think it was funny?"

"That's so far from the point!" He exclaimed.

"You thought it was funny!" She smirked at him.

"Maybe a little. I thought Taylor was gonna pounce on Bootsy." He cracked a smile.

So did she. "I met your friend Lane today. She's cool. Punk fan, I assume."

"She's tried on purpose to get lost in a supermarket before." He replied, hopefully she would get his subtle reference.

"London Calling. The Clash. Excellent choice,"

There was a pause.

"Can I ask you something else, Jess?"

"Sure." He answered.

"Did you take up for me at the town meeting?" She asked him.

He thought for a minute. Honesty was the best policy. "Yes."

So? I was definitely recognizable wasn't it? However, the ending was my own creation. Also, I know you're all thinking that I opened a can of worms with Paris, but that just creates more drama. Don't you think? Anyway, I hoped you like it! Please review! I love and need them . . .like the Gilmores need coffee.