A/N: Thanks to Stephanie for the beta!

Chap 05 – Apologize?

= MONDAY MORNING =

"Jess", Luke bellows as Jess puts the pillow over his head.

"Jess!" Luke calls again, louder this time.

"What?" Jess asks, clearly annoyed.

"Wake up! You don't want to be late on your first day of school."

"You're right. I don't want to be late, or early, or on time, or there at all! I'm not going."

"You don't have a say in this. Now get up and get ready."

Luke passed by Jess and into the kitchen. A few minutes later Jess pulled himself up and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

= LATER =

Jess got out of the bathroom and went to the kitchen, where Rory was sipping a mug of coffee.

"Wow! How can you possibly drink that this early?"

"It's never too early to drink the elixir of life."

He just glares at her and fill a mug of tea. "Couldn't you have breakfast at Luke's?"

"Yeah, but I'm not hungry, so I'll just have coffee."

He nods and sits at the table. A moment after she rests her mug in the sink, she grabs her backpack and turns to him. "If you intend to go to school I suggest that you follow me now." She walks out the door without looking back.

He notices she seems upset about something, so keeps his mouth shut for right now. Instead he goes into the living room, quickly grabs his backpack and runs after her.

Ten minutes later they arrive at Stars Hollow High. "Luke asked me to give you a tour and help you out since it's your first day at Stars Hollow High. Before it starts I just want you to know that I would do neither by choice, and I'm only doing it because Luke asked me to. Now, let's get it over with." And she started walking, pointing and naming the rooms. She showed him the toilets, the classrooms, the principal's room, the cafeteria, the gym and finally she showed him where the lockers were. Odd enough, his locker was two doors to the left.

"So, that's Stars Hollow High. Thanks for the attention, and let's not talk in school."

She was just about to walk away when he hold her wrist. "What's your problem?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes, you know. One minute you're all sweet and nice, and the next you're rude and you have an attitude."

"I was never sweet nor rude with you. I've just treated you like I would treat anyone I've just met."

"It's so not true. Don't try-", Suddenly he was interrupted. Rory put her sweet smile on once again and said 'Hi' to Lane and Dean, who were coming in their direction, as if she had been telling Jess how nice it was to have him living in her house.

"Hey Rory!" Lane greeted back, not noticing Jess' grip in Rory's hand.

When Dean approached them, Jess let go of her hand, letting it fall by her side. Rory kissed Dean quickly and Jess turned his face, so he wouldn't be forced to see the kiss.

Only Lane noticed, she was watching the scene unfold with excitement. She had noticed some kind of tension between Jess and Rory, but couldn't quite say what it was. That is until he turned to miss Rory's display of affection. She tried to hide a smile, but couldn't.

When Rory finally took a step back and turned to the other she looked up at Dean, "Why don't you walk me to my first class?" She asked him, purposely ignoring Jess. Dean was so focused in Rory, he didn't notice Jess either. So both walked down the aisle, hand in hand, going to Rory's class room.

Lane looked very amused by Jess' face. He was in shock by her behavior and at the same time angry at her for acting this way and at himself for feeling this weird feeling inside of him because of her...it was almost like it was hurting him the way she had acted.

Lane took Rory's place in front of him and said, "I'm Lane, Rory's friend. Where's your first class?"

He looked down at a small paper that he had forgotten he was holding and read, "American History – room 305."

"It's mine too. Come with me."

She lead him to their class and they took their sits at the back of the classroom. Jess sat by the window and Lane sat by his side.

"So, you're the guy who read 'Liaisure Dangerouses' to Rory", Lane stated simply.

Jess looked at her suspiciously, leaning closer, his brows furrowed, "She told you about that?", he asked carefully.

"Of course she told me! I'm her best friend, she tells me everything!" Lane announced as if it was a common knowledge.

"And still, you didn't tell Dean?"

"Obviously I didn't. Rory would kill if I dreamed about it."

Jess leaned back in his chair. "Interesting. I thought you were friends with him."

"Not exactly. He's Rory's boyfriend, so I get along with him. We talk, we're nice to each other, this kind of stuff...I mean, we have to get along, we are doomed to see each other occasionally after all. But it's not like we are great friends or anything."

"Huh."

Lane leaned closer to him and whispered, "You like her?"

"What?" He asked, trying to sit straight in the chair, surprised by her direct question.

"Rory", Lane clarified. "You like her, don't you?"

Jess put on his mask, and lied to her face without even a blink.

"Sure", he said sarcastically. "Have you seen the way she treat me? When she is not treating me bad she is ignoring me", he paused and laughed, realizing that she was seeing through his lies, "I'm becoming a masochist."

Lane laughed too, "Yeah, that's what seems", she played along. "By the way, you probably should be more careful about the way you act when she is with Dean. And don't even think about telling him about your little reading session", she advised.

Jess looked at her seriously, "What's your point?"

Lane gave him a genuine smile, "Don't worry, your secret is save with me. And besides, she's not the smartest girl when it comes to boys, she won't notice anything unless you tell her", the girl said knowingly.

He though this over and relaxed a little bit more, but kept quiet. He decided he was done talking about the subject, so he ignored Lane and started looking outside the window.

He walked through the aisle lazily, looking around at no one specific until he saw her leaving the building. Keeping some distance, he decided to follow her. After a couple of minutes he found her meeting her so called boyfriend near the lake.

"Hey, I've missed you today."

"Yeah, me too", she leaned forward and kissed him.

"So, what happened earlier? You were acting so odd around that Jess guy. It was like you didn't want me to get to know him."

"No, of course it was not that. Why would I do that?" She tried to defend herself.

"I don't know. But you didn't look like yourself. You were...aggressive, I guess."

She looked into the space, apparently bored, and then looked back at him, her mask back in place. "I was nervous because I had a test. I must have seemed a little more aggressive for that, I'm sorry."

"No problem, actually you were only rude with Jess. Maybe you should apologize later."

"Yes, you are right, I will", she said, looking at the leafs at the ground.

He stepped closer to her, reaching her hand and pulling her into his embrace, "Come here", he kissed her.

Jess found this was his cue to leave. He wasn't really in the mood to watch her making out with her boyfriend, or any other guy for that matter.

He went straight to the Gilmore house and laid on the couch with a book, waiting her to come home and apologize to him.

About an hour later she got home and without acknowledging his presence, she headed for her room.

He smirked and went after her to her room.

"Oh, good afternoon. Are you ready to apologize?"

She laughed, "Apologize?", she said amused, "For what?"

"For the way you treated me earlier, of course."

"I don't have to apologize for anything. You are not exactly the kindest person either, if you don't know it yet."

"But the thing is, I don't have to be. I am the bad boy. Even my mother couldn't stand me. Now, you in the other hand, seem to be very friendly with everyone. Except with me", he said, leaning against the door way of her room.

She went to him and pushed him out of her room, "Well, you better get used to it", she said and closed the door in his face.