kessemm – Spuffy is the Spike/Buffy pairing from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Encarta - Yay! I was hoping people would pick up on that! There are so many little things I slip in, and when I proof it I realize no one outside of my own head will get it. A lot of the time, even I don't remember the fantastic symbolism behind it.
The shower was nice and warm when Jess climbed in, to his relief. So many times he'd been desperately in need of a long, hot, relaxing shower, and the prick next door had killed the heater. Okay, warm water, no one around, The Clash playing on his in-shower stereo, everything was in place. Time to think.
Rory. This whole thing had started as some stupid plot to get the media off their backs, but last night had been fun, genuinely fun. They'd had coffee, made fun of a movie and started a massive theatre-wide popcorn war, and then she'd taken him to the most amazing book store he'd ever seen. And when they'd arrived at the House of Usher, she'd wandered off by herself. She hadn't clung to him or followed him like a puppy as so many of his past girlfriends had been content to do (until they got bored), but she'd just gone off on her own. Independence. This was a new thing in women, at least women close to Jess. His type of girl tended to be a little, well, needy. And after growing up with Liz, a Class A whiny, helpless, basketcase, it was a little unnerving.
But he was trying to focus on Rory here, and thinking about Liz would just get him mad. Rory. Think about Rory. Pretty blue eyes, cute little pink lips, killer-
Okay, so now he was thinking about Rory in a more-than-friendly way. That was fine. It was bound to happen. He didn't believe in platonic. And Rory hadn't seemed to mind letting him kiss her in the obviously deserted parking lot under the pretense of The Plan. She wasn't stupid, quite the contrary. She'd clued in to their lack of audience.
So, after his quick moment of soul-searching…what now?
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
"Hi, I'm Francie Jarvis, huge fan of yours." Rory smiled at the latest addition to Max's band of miscreants, guessing this was the actress playing new-girl Isabel.
"It's nice to meet you Francie." She shook the redhead's hand, and then continued on her way to her own trailer.
"Who was that?"
"Francie Jarvis."
"Yes, but why is she here?"
"I'd assume she's going to play Madison's replacement."
"Max replaced you?" Lorelai looked shocked, stopping in her tracks.
"You didn't read the script, did you, doofus?"
"I don't remember if I did or not."
"If she's the girl I'm thinking of, she's playing a new girl who takes Madison's old place in the little four-pack, until they get bored of her, and make up with Madison in the season finale. Which is coming up in a few weeks, amazingly."
"Wow, I can't believe how fast time flies. It's astounding we look so good for our ages."
"Isn't it?"
"Hey." Jess walked by, tapping Rory's arm as he passed her.
"I'd say 'hey', but I think 'bye' is more in order." He raised his hand to show he'd heard as he turned a corner, heading for Terri's office. He had to admit he was a little proud of himself- he'd come to the set completely lost, begging the crew for directions. Now he knew his way around, and he knew pretty much everyone he passed. He didn't talk to anyone other than Rory, but he could name almost every person at this studio. He wasn't 'the new guy' anymore. He was one of the regulars, and though he wasn't quite as regular as some, he was coming back next year a veteran.
"Hi, I'm Francie Jarvis, huge fan of yours." A girl was standing in front of him with her hand stretched out, a big smile on her face.
"Bet you're saying that to everyone." Walking past her outstretched greeting, he climbed the two steps to Terri's trailer, and disappeared inside. Pouting, the girl headed off to introduce herself to more people.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Isabel: (Points to Madison in a picture of the four of them) Who's this?
Kayla: (Taking it from her and putting it in her nightstand) Oh, that's Madison.
Isabel: I've noticed her around school. Is she a friend of yours?
Haley: No. (Kayla and Kris exchange pained glances)
Isabel: (Noticing the atmosphere) Ah. Well, you said you had a shirt that'd look good with my hair.
Kayla: Right. (Takes shirt from closet) Black goes great on redheads. I bought this during the whole 'goth with style' point in time, but I can't wear it without dying my hair, and I finally found a color that works with me. (Isabel goes into bathroom to try it on)
Haley: This is nice. Four is a good number for us.
Kris: Haley, it's not like you can just replace her, you know.
Haley: Watch me.
Kris: We have a history with Madison. We have years of-of memories, and souvenirs.
Haley: Drama queen.
Kayla: Hay, what I think Kris is trying to say is, Madison's one of a kind. If you miss her, you can't just pluck the new girl from her table in the cafeteria and make her your new best friend.
Haley: I like Isabel. She's cool, she has good taste, and she's fun to hang around.
Kayla: We like Isabel too, it's just-
Haley: Wait, WE? You both are in on this?
Kris: No one's in on anything, we're just saying that you're doing this the wrong way.
Isabel: (Coming out of the bathroom) I like it. Thanks Kayla.
Kayla: (Quietly; all three avoid each other's eyes.) I like it too. Take it.
Isabel: You're so sweet. None of my old friends would have let me just HAVE a shirt they didn't like.
Haley: Well, with us as friends, you're covered. (Smiles at Isabel. Kris frowns while Kayla rolls her eyes)
"You're not in this scene." Rory looked at the page her mother was reading.
"Correct."
"Why'd you make me read it if you're not even in it?"
"I didn't make you read it, I merely suggested you look at my script because you were complaining about being bored, and it's not like you've read it before anyway. You're the one who opened it to that page."
"Yes, but I've used up the brain power that I could have spent reading a scene my daughter was in by reading this one, so now I'm bored AND I don't have the mental capabilities to entertain myself."
"How sad for you."
"For an actress, that didn't sound too sincere. What scenes are you in?"
"We're filming the one that starts on page 11 today." Lorelai flipped to page 11.
"Tony is a loser," she stated as she began to look it over.
"Why?"
"'I have an extra ticket for the science fair, do you want to come?' And this is they guy your character is considering sleeping with?"
"Read the last page." Lorelai wet her forefinger and turned to the end as a makeup artist continued to work on Rory, holding up tubes of lipstick to her shirt and pondering.
"FINALLY!" Rory grinned at her mother. "I knew they were going to end up doing it sooner or later!"
"Well, your wait is almost over. We shoot that scene tomorrow."
"Wait, the sex comes after the science fair? Not exactly an obvious score there."
"Hey, how 'bout you read quietly?"
"I'm just saying…"
"And if you must find something to fixate on, let it be that Jess gets to play the science fair nerd." A wicked grin spread over Lorelai's face.
"He will never live this down."
"Yea, because you two talk so frequently that you can just bring it up in conversation all the time."
"Well if you two start spending more time together, I'll see him more often."
"Why would we spend any more time together? We stayed out till three a few days ago, I think that's a lot of time."
"I guess."
"What are you insinuating?"
"Nothing, I was not insinuating."
"You were definitely insinuating."
"I just meant…if The Plan were to continue for an extended amount of time…and not be a plan."
"Huh?"
"If you and Jess were to stumble into Backwards World and end up together for real, then I'd see a little more of him, and mock him every single time."
"You think we'd have to go to Backwards World for that to happen?"
"Well, seeing how not long ago you were smacking him around, it'd be a tiny bit different." Rory sighed and stood up as the makeup artist finished her work, and moved towards the door. As Lorelai followed her out, she could have sworn she heard her daughter mumble 'How would one get to Backwards World?'
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Jess's shirt was striped. Big, thick, red and blue stripes, with a polo neck. It made him look like a pansy. And it was itchy.
"Max, please let me change," he begged, sticking his bottom lip out for emphasis.
"Once again, no Jess."
"I'll find something else equally dorky, just not this. Anything but this."
"I'm a busy man, Jess."
"If I throw up on the shirt, can I wear something else?" Max walked away without giving an answer. Scowling darkly, Jess slunk back to where the director's chairs were set up. Attached to one of them was a piece of plain white paper with his name in large, black, bold Times New Roman, and he sank into it without greeting any of the people milling around him.
"Nice shirt." Jess looked up from his script to see Rory sitting next to him. Ever since they'd decided to tell the world they were a couple, the crew had been setting their chairs up side by side.
"Max won't let me change it," he shrugged.
"I've had a few outfits like that myself."
"You always look cute, what are you talking about?" He smirked at the flush creeping up her neck.
"I'm talking about the fact that as the years go by, the clothes get smaller and smaller."
"Who's complaining?"
"Well you, having a Y chromosome and all, wouldn't care, but I sometimes wonder if people take me seriously as an actress as long as Terri is picking out my attire."
"You're on a teen drama called Jersey Girls, I don't think you could be taken any less seriously if you tried."
"Teen drama? Jersey Girls? Oh yea, that's the one with Jess Mariano!"
"I didn't come here to be taken seriously, I came here to get the kind of recognition you need to someday get the parts that will allow you to be taken seriously."
"What if you get so much recognition, you can never believably play anyone other than Tony Diarcci? You could have this role hanging over your head for the rest of your life."
"Wow, thanks for the pep talk."
"I'm just stating the obvious."
"It's not like Tony is such a memorable role that people will always associate me with it."
"You're going to be on the beginning credits next season."
"Yea, but just a little flash of me, and my name at the bottom for a second. It's mainly you four."
"Who knows? Maybe if you stick around long enough, you'll get a spin-off or something. Try and live that down."
"Okay, now do I not only feel crappy because I have no future job prospects outside this studio, but I still hate this shirt. Thus I'm going over there now, while I still have a little self-esteem left."
"See you at the science fair, Stripey!" The look he shot her as walked off, a cross between annoyance and amusement, made her smile though Max's briefing.
"Why so happy?" Lorelai asked her with a grin.
"Have you seen Jess's shirt?"
"Ah. So this is THAT kind of happy." Lorelai's voice held an ah-ha tone to it.
"Yea, now shut up please." She was turning red in response to her mother's teasing.
"You liiiiiike him," Lorelai shot back sing-song-y.
"Just focus on his shirt, alright?"
"Places, places people!" Max yelled from his position on top of a ladder at the front of the room..
"Break a leg, Bunny." Rory kissed her mother's cheek and went to stand on the edge of the set, where a pair of heavy, blue double-doors opened from a few feet of fake hallway to what would appear on TV to be a gymnasium. This was the largest of their sets, located on one side of the entire studio and it's surrounding buildings and trailers, all of which were classrooms, hallways, locker rooms, parking lots, cafeterias, and anything else associated with their fictional school. On the other side of the studio were sets for personal bedrooms, and a number of blank walls that were occasionally turned into scene locations.
"Annnnnd action!" Max yelled soon enough, and Rory confidently walked through the doors as the camera remained a few feet in front of her, traveling backwards as she strutted.
"Madison!" Jess yelled from a string of tables all bearing poster board and props. She switched her direction and headed for him.
"Hey," she greeted him with a quick kiss.
"You came."
"Like I had anything better to do. Did you think I wouldn't?"
"You didn't seem all that excited when I invited you yesterday, is all."
"Well I am. Now what's this?" She gestured towards a small model of a heart, and the many graphs and charts that covered Tony's project board.
"I did my project on whether males or females have a higher pulse rate." He began pointing to some of his statistics, and Rory held back a laugh as she remembered Max instruction Jess-who had no idea what any of it meant, and didn't particularly care to find out either- which chart meant which in rehearsal. "Women's hearts usually beat faster than men's, so I polled a cross-section of people of both genders after various activities, and listed my results here." He pointed to the biggest chart on the page. "My conclusions are here, and my research is this, plus I had this model lying around, and the judges like 3D models."
"Only you would have a tiny, plastic internal organ 'lying around', Tony."
"Do you like it?"
"I have no idea what any of it means, but you made it, so I love it." She moved closer to study the chart. "Who'd you poll?"
"I started this at my old school, so no one you'd know. I did everything else in the past month, but my information came from going up to my former peers and giving them sheets of paper asking their name, sex, age, height, weight, and then requesting they filled out the blanks below at the requested times." He pointed to a paper labeled 'Sample Survey'. "When they woke up, went to bed, after gym, at the end of the school day, right when they were arriving to class, when they were shopping, resting, afterhavingsex, and any time when they were angry."
"And people willingly wrote down their pulse rates in the aftermath of screwing? Yea I did catch that, Shy Boy." He blushed as she cupped his cheek with her hand and sat on the table next to his project.
"Most of them didn't. I had to give surveys to almost everyone in the school in order to get 32 back."
"And how did you come up with the questions?"
"I picked times in which their pulses would be normal, high, and low."
"That you did. So? Chicks or dudes, who wins?"
"No one 'wins', but females tend to have a higher pulse rate during 8 of the 9 activities."
"Including the sex one?"
"Including the sex one."
"Huh." A small smile played on her lips which Tony returned, and then both turned towards the lady wearing a 'Judge' nametag that had just walked up to the table.