A/N: The episode where Jess came to ask Rory to come away with him didn't happen. And also the way Jess got into Yale is a far stretch of the imagination but please just bare with me on that. Thanks.
What did I expect?
She learns that he's had exactly 5 jobs in California, none of which include waiting tables. He says Luke has rid him of ever wanting to work in food. He sliced his thumb cutting up lettuce for Sasha, and tears stream down Rory's eyes trying to imagine Jess in a kitchen, let alone trying to cook. She learns he found a stray dog on the boardwalk and took it home with him, named it dodger. Her sweet and sour chicken is plentiful but she hardly touches it. She finds that there is so much they both haven't said yet and so much they want to say. She laughs more than she's laughed in a very long time. It's enduring for her. They sit in her common room. It's Friday night and like most college girls, her roommates have dates. She sits cross-legged on the couch while he recounts the tale of how he reached Yale. Turns out Jimmy rode him so hard to keep up his grades, that Jess did just that. He took finished his senior year with summer school. And took double the workload of most kids to take extra college courses early. He went to a nice college in California that let him transfer into Yale his sophomore year. Rory looks at him in admiration, Jimmy did all of the things she couldn't do.
"I'm proud of you," she pipes at him.
"Miracles do happen."
"Who would have thought?"
"Doesn't matter, what counts is I'm here now," he says.
She smiles, reaching across to take some of his Kung Pow Chicken. And then she starts into it. She doesn't know why she picks that exact moment, but she feels its right. She has to clear the air before they can truly come back to normal.
"Jess," she starts. "Why didn't you say goodbye?"
He looks down, for a moment. He feels terrible about that day. Almost everyday since he wishes he could take it back, but he can't so he lives with the consequences.
"I was stupid; I thought that if I left without you knowing, it would hurt you less. But it just ended up hurting you more. Look Rory, I've changed so much since then. I can't even explain it to you. It's like I'm a new person. I just want you to be able to trust me like a friend."
She just nods.
"I don't know how long it will take for me to trust you again. But I really want to be friends again, I want us to be honest with each other."
"Good, so do I," he tells her.
They sit there for a moment, in happy silence. Suddenly the door flies open.
"Doyle there is no way you're getting away with this!" Paris screams.
Jess smirks, as Paris flies by both of them as a little man scurries as fast as he can into her room.
"Good to know that," he says. "Some things just don't change."
He wants to be a writer. Something she finds adorable. He says he liked to scribble things on spare pieces of paper when he was in California, he says he's never been one for organization, and she readily agrees with him, on this fact. He finds Yale to be stuffy, at times and sometimes it feels nothing like home. She wonders how of all the schools he in the world, why he decided to come to Yale. But she pushes the thought of her mind, not wanting to think about pointless subjects. Sometimes when they are alone, their minds wander. He likes making up stories, mostly because he likes to see her smile at him. They have few classes together but that doesn't stop them from spending time together. They don't talk about significant others because as far as their concerned they've called themselves "friends".
One day he starts to wonder about her. Particularly because he longs to be with her, romantically of course. He often sees guys glance just a little too long her way. She doesn't seem to notice and if she does she doesn't let on. He wonders how a girl as beautiful, smart, classy (does he really have to go on?) as her, doesn't have someone else.
"Ror?" he asks, one day. They're both sitting on the lawn. It's still warm and the sun is out. She's trying to concentrate on her sociology paper, but he won't let her.
"Ya," she says, not looking at him, but at her books.
"Can I ask you a question?" he asks.
She looks up at him and smiles.
"Uh-oh, is this serious?" she asks him, jokingly.
He smiles at her, trying to ease the tension in his stomach that is building.
"Ha, good one. Ya, well, I was wondering you know, last year, did you meet a lot of – um – people?"
She looks at him, her head cocked to the side, pondering his question thoughtfully. She wonders what he's trying to get at.
"Well, I had some friends, I guess. Why?"
"I was just wondering, you know, cause I didn't know if you – I don't know. Never mind, I'm just bored I guess."
She laughs at him.
"Don't you ever have to study?"
"It's all up here," he says pointing to his head.
She smiles at him, knowing that he will probably be staying up the whole night before cramming for the test. She goes back to her books. Trying again to start studying. But suddenly her cell phone rings. Jess, just sits back and watches her. She reaches into her purse to find it and answers.
"Hey," she answers.
"Oh my god, where are you?"
"Really?"
"Was it fun?"
"Tonight?"
"Definitely."
"All right,."
"Bye"
She hangs up and puts the cell back into her purse before returning to her books. Jess watches her for a moment, and then speaks up.
"Got a hot date tonight?" he asks teasingly. He hoped it would be a joke back.
She looks at him, and she notices as she fidgets slightly before finally answering.
"No," she answers. "That's was Paul."
Jess's eyes just about pop out of head.
"Paul?" he asks.
"Yes, Paul," she answers.
"And so who is Paul?" he asks.
She takes a moment to finally answer him again. He thinks this isn't such a great sign.
"My boyfriend," she says barely audible to Jess.
"Excuse me?"
"My boyfriend!" she yells.
The couple next to them looks at them, sneering and turns back to what they were doing.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about Paul?" he asks her.
"Well we never talked about it. He was in Michigan with his family, but he's back now," she says to him.
He just shakes his head.
"Rory, I thought we were trying to be honest with each other."
"Well, I never lied to you."
"But you withheld information from me, last time I checked that still counted as lying."
"Jess…"
"Rory, why can't you just be honest with me anymore?"
"Because Jess! I can't stand being around you anymore. You think you can just run off, and suddenly when you come back I'm all right? I don't work that way Jess."
"I thought we already talked about this."
"We did, but that still doesn't instantly just make me feel better about this."
"I know, I told you already. I'm sorry," he tells her.
"I know, you're sorry. You're sorry about everything."
"Rory, I don't want to fight about this. Ok, I was just, I don't know, surprised about Paul."
"I know, I should have told you. I'm sorry Jess. Look, I will try my best to tell you everything, but like I said it's going to take a little bit of time."
"So…when are you seeing Paul?" he asks her.
"Tonight, he wants to take me out to dinner."
Jess just nods, thoroughly disgusted with himself. She looks down at her watch.
"I'm late, I should get going," she tells him and that she gathers her things and leaves him all alone.