Jess was leaning over the counter to whisper something in Rory's ear when their respective guardians walked through the door.
"Where is it?" Lorelai cried impatiently on entry. "Where's my surprise? I don't see streamers for a party or a stage set up for David Bowie."
"Bowie was booked, and you know what happened after your last party," Luke replied. "I told you, it's nothing big. You'll just have to wait down here for a few minutes while I get it ready upstairs."
"Ooh, upstairs," Lorelai echoed suggestively, her voice growing louder as he headed up the steps. "Just remember that my very impressionable daughter who is, by the way, dating your nephew, is going to hear every detail later, so it had better not be too dirty!" Turning, she met the eyes of several silently amused people. "What?"
"Hey Mom," Rory smiled, pulling her into a tight hug. "How are you feeling?"
"Amazing, wonderful, and ready for my next surprise!" she called the last part so Luke could hear it from the apartment. "How was your first day back at school?"
"Interesting," Rory replied. "Somehow, I am now friends with Paris and Tristan. And don't ask me how that happened because I still have no idea."
"Very productive day, it seems," Lorelai smiled. "How are your teachers?"
"Good, except now one of them is watching me because my cell phone rang in the middle of her class," she said, sending a playful glare towards her boyfriend.
"Hey," he protested, his arms held up defensively, "I already apologized for that! Besides, you'll find a punishment for me later."
"You bet your butt I will," Rory pointed at him teasingly.
"Dirty!" Lorelai cried, and then after a second, "Hey! There will be no 'dirties' when it comes to my daughter! At least don't tell me about it."
"Oh, sorry, I forgot. Rule number one," he smirked. "Got it."
"What?" Rory looked between the two. "What rule?"
"Nothing," Lorelai replied innocently. "We weren't saying anything."
Again, Rory looked between their furtive smirks before throwing her hands up in the air. "I don't know! I don't care! Whatever it is you two are talking about, I don't want to know!"
"Lorelai," they turned as Luke peeked out from behind the curtain, "are you ready?"
"Ooh, surprise!" she squealed, running to his side and grabbing onto his arm. "Lead the way!"
When they had disappeared again, Rory turned back to Jess. "So what is this rule you and my mom were talking about? If there are rules we're supposed to be following, shouldn't I know about them?"
"I thought you didn't want to know," Jess smiled, rounding the counter to take an order.
"Of course I want to know!" Rory sighed with exasperation, following him around the diner. "I just said that because I know my mom doesn't want me to know. She didn't let me in on the rules with Dean either. Apparently, they're too horrible for my sensitive ears to hear, but I thought that maybe my brilliant, handsome, completely wonderful boyfriend who loves me would be honest and smart enough to tell me what my horrible mother has threatened him with."
"I'm sorry," he replied evenly, walking behind the counter again to put in orders. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't give me that!" she cried, following him there as well. "I know that there's something to tell, and you know that I'll get it out of you! I have my ways, you know!"
"I'm very sure you do," he smirked, throwing her a look that made her blush. "But I'm afraid that I'm pretty tough to crack."
"I'll get you," she smiled, narrowing her eyes playfully as she went back to her seat. "Count on it."
"Oh," he smiled, "I will."
"Luke, I swear on all things holy, if I trip down the stairs and end up back in the hospital again, I'm going to kick your flannel-clad butt," Lorelai called as he led her blindfolded up the stairs to the apartment.
"Wow, you're grouchy," he teased. "Maybe I should bring you back when you're in a better mood."
"No," she protested. "I promise I'll be good!"
"Just a couple more steps," he chuckled. "Keep your eyes closed."
He led her the rest of the way up and then into the apartment.
"You ready?" he asked, a smirk in his voice.
"Luke, if you don't let me have it in the next five seconds . . ."
"Okay, okay," he smiled, "open your eyes."
When Lorelai opened her eyes, she didn't see anything spectacular. It was just Luke's apartment. She was a little surprised to see Jess's stuff all over the place, but she didn't see anything spectacular waiting for her.
"Where is it?" she asked, throwing a confused glance at Luke. "You promised me a surprise, but there's nothing here. What was all of that blindfolded and 'don't peek' stuff if there was nothing here for me to peek at? Is this you being mean again?"
"You're not looking," he smiled softly at her. "Trust me, it's here."
"You're playing hide and seek with my surprise?" she whimpered. "That is mean! I'm a sick woman, Luke, and this sadistic game may send me over the edge!"
Luke just smiled secretively at her and took a seat at the kitchen table as she began to rummage through his sock drawer.
"Wow," Rory said, laying a notebook down on the counter. "That is really good. How long did it take you to write that?"
"A while," Jess replied, shrugging off the compliment as he took back his essay. "I just figure that if I get this out of the way, Matthews will get off my case when I don't pay attention. It's not like I need to be there."
"True," she replied with a smile, "but you never know. I've heard he's a really good teacher; maybe it wouldn't be so bad. And I'm sure the class could use your input in discussions."
"Whatever," he rolled his eyes. "So you really thought it was good?"
"Excellent," she assured him. "You'll knock him right out of his chair."
"Should be an interesting display," he smirked. "So, tell me more about your day. What's with these two people you keep talking about?"
"Paris and Tristan?" she asked. "Oh, just the king and queen of Chilton."
"Your school has a monarchy?" he chuckled. "Wow, that is advanced."
"Paris is this extremely paranoid girl who tried to make my last year there a living hell. Half of the time she thinks I'm there in a covert conspiracy to steal her class rank, and the other half she seems to want to be my friend. It's really confusing trying to figure out which mood she's in at the moment."
"A whole new spin on bipolar."
"That's what I said," she chuckled. "And Tristan is the self-proclaimed class flirt. He decided on my first day last year that I was a fun new toy to torment, and he's been hitting on me ever since. I swear, until this morning I didn't think he knew my name because . . ."
"Whoa, back up there," Jess interrupted, his eyebrows raised with interest. "Go back to the part where he's hitting on you."
"Down boy," Rory smiled. "You're showing your teeth again."
"I am not!" he protested defensively. "See, no teeth. I'm just very interested in hearing about this guy who was hitting on my girlfriend and, therefore, will be dead by . . . okay, so there was some show of teeth."
"It was nothing," she assured him through her laughter. "He was never crude or offensive, and he was actually pretty understanding there for a few days after . . ." she trailed off, catching herself before she told him about the party, and then picked up almost immediately, her voice light. "Anyway, I talked to him today, and we decided to be friends, as long as I sent him a memo when I'm single again."
"Gee, that's comforting," he rolled his eyes, choosing not to question the pause. "So you're hanging out with a guy who's just waiting for us to break up so he can make a move. I thought you were trying to make me feel better."
"Relax," she smiled, patting his hand comfortingly. "If I wanted to be with Tristan, I wouldn't be here right now, would I?"
"Fine," he sighed, kissing her softly on the lips. "I trust you." Another kiss. "But if I hear about him—"
"You won't," she interrupted, cutting him off once more with a longer, lingering kiss that quieted anything he might have said. "Besides," she added, eyebrows raised, "I didn't go crazy about the girl who was drooling on your desk today."
"Yes," he replied, "but that was completely different."
"Really?" she laughed, smiling at him challengingly. "And why is that?"
"Because Shane's not my type," he pointed out.
"And Tristan is mine?"
"Okay," he nodded, "but you've known him a lot longer."
"So the fact that he's been bugging me for a year makes me more susceptible to his flirting?" she questioned.
"Well he . . ." he started, then stopped abruptly and looked down thoughtfully. "But Shane . . . and you're . . ." Again, he stopped, glancing at her smug face. "I'm not going to win here, am I?"
"Nope," she smiled.
"You know what? I'm going to shut up now." Pulling her towards him, he kissed her again. "I'm tired of talking."
"One hint?" Lorelai asked as she tugged the sheets off his bed and checked under the mattress.
"Nope," he replied, still sitting serenely at the table with a can of soda.
"Come on Lukey!" she whined, giving up on the bed and moving to search the kitchen drawers. "You know how good I am at finding things. I had to buy a new TV last summer because I couldn't find the remote. I would never know where my cordless was if it didn't have one of those pager things. This is going to take me all day!"
"You really are hopeless," he smiled, standing up and going to the counter. "You want some coffee while you hunt?"
"Please," she replied leaning against a chair.
"Would you get me a mug out of that cabinet?" he asked, pointing to one next to the sink. "There should be one right up front."
Sighing, Lorelai walked over and opened the cabinet, then let her arm fall to her side as a small smile spread over her lips. Right up front was a large, white mug with the name Lorelai spelled out across it in sparkly blue paint.
"Luke?" she turned to see his smirk. "What is this?"
"This," he said walking over and taking the mug down, "is your own personal 'free refills' coffee mug."
"Free refills?" she asked, her eyebrow shooting up. "Please go on about this free refill idea."
"I know how you like to decorate and name things, so go right ahead," he told her. "Paint it, name it, carry it around in your purse if you want, but as long as you have this cup, I will not refuse you coffee."
"Never?" she smiled mischievously. "Even if I've have twenty-three cups that morning?"
"If you've had twenty-three cups in one morning," he replied warningly, "and you call mug on me, I'll break it."
"Pooh," she sulked. "But besides that, you'll give me all the free coffee I want?"
"Yes," he sighed. "I'll even keep it here at the diner for you."
"This is so cool!" she screamed, grabbing the mug and jumping around the kitchen with it. "You are so cool! I love dating a diner man!"
"I'm glad you like it," Luke smiled and sat back down, just content to watch her in all her beautiful insanity. He could do this all day.
"He got you a coffee mug?" Rory asked later. "That was your big surprise?"
"And a homemade meal! Besides, I don't think you're getting the big picture here," Lorelai replied, turning excitedly towards her on the couch. "Free coffee. All the free coffee I want. Are you hearing this?"
Smiling slowly, Rory thought over the idea. "Can I borrow it some time?"
"I don't know if it works that way," Lorelai said. "We could try. Hey, maybe I could write Rory on the other side. That way it'll be the Lorelai/Rory free refills mug."
"Do normal people ever have these conversations?" Rory asked suddenly.
"I don't know," Lorelai chuckled, putting her arm around her daughter, "but if they don't, it's just one more reason I would hate to be normal."
Leaning against her mom's shoulder, Rory just smiled and turned her attention back to the television. For the first time in a long while, she truly believed that this would last.
"You got her a coffee mug?" Jess asked disbelievingly. "As in one of those novelty mugs you pick up in gift shops for the people you're only pretending to like?"
"That's a very unflattering way to put it," Luke grunted as he wiped the counter, "but yes."
"Did you get the tone in my voice that's telling you that you're an idiot?" Jess rolled his eyes.
"Oh ye of little faith," Luke smirked. "Just wait. Tomorrow morning, Rory will come in here and ask you for one."
"Why would she want me to buy her a coffee mug with her name on it? It just screams 'cheesy.'"
Luke chuckled under his breath, watching his nephew furtively. "And you're supposed to be the smart one."
Rolling his eyes again, Jess put the last chair up and headed upstairs.
The next morning, Rory sat up straight in bed at the sound of a loud crash and a string of curses coming from the kitchen.
"Mom!" she yelled, not even bothering to get up and open the door. "Is that you?"
"Yes, babe," came a reply.
"Okay!" she yelled back. "For a moment, I thought we had a very incompetent burglar on our hands!"
Her door opened suddenly, almost making her jump. "Funny girl," Lorelai said, poking her head in. "What would you like for breakfast?"
Rory smiled, which turned into a chuckle, which turned into almost hysterical laughter. "Oh my gosh," she gasped between fits of giggles. "Are you trying to make breakfast? Is that what I heard you say, 'cause the last time you tried to cook, it involved three fire extinguishers."
"You are completely over-exaggerating," Lorelai sighed. "It was only one. The other fires, we used baking soda."
"Oh, okay," Rory nodded sarcastically. "Well in that case, I'll take eggs jubilee."
"Did anyone ever tell you that it's not nice to make fun of Mommy?" Lorelai pouted.
"Just tell me one thing," Rory said seriously. "What were the loud crash and the colorful vocabulary about?"
"Point taken," Lorelai sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and just standing there a moment. "Well?" she said finally. "Aren't you going to get ready? You'd better hurry if we're going to make it to Luke's before your bus."
"See, this is the even-headed mother I like to see in the morning," Rory smiled before getting up and heading to the shower.
Twenty-five minutes later, the diner door sprung open with enough force to make Jess spill coffee all over Kirk's shirt.
"I can't believe him," Lorelai was muttering to herself as she walked briskly to the counter. "I swear, if he says one more word to me, one more word . . ."
"Who are you talking about?" Luke asked, dumbfounded, as he threw a towel in Kirk's lap.
"And where's Rory?" Jess added.
"She'll be here any second now," she sighed, plopping down on a stool. "She was running interference with Taylor so I wouldn't kill him." She looked down at her watch. "Let's see. Five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . ."
The bell above the door rang once again, and all three of them looked up to see a very annoyed Rory followed by a very emphatic Taylor.
"I just don't see why your mother is being so difficult," he was saying. "Everyone voted on it at the town meeting on Saturday, which, by the way, neither of you attended. Goes to show why one should never neglect a town meeting."
"Mom was in the hospital!" Rory agued with incredulously. "And you can't plan an event in a building without telling the owner. It's not legal!"
"Oh, come now," he rolled his eyes dramatically. "Let's not get into all that legal mumbo-jumbo. The town voted."
"No," Lorelai cut in, letting a tired-looking Rory off the hook, "you voted, Taylor. Everyone else abstained because it was the last thing on the agenda and you wouldn't stop arguing. Now, for the last time, you are not taking over the entire inn for your absurd Boy Scout Olympics."
"Absurd?" Taylor scoffed. "Absurd! I'll have you know that this is a very momentous occasion in these boys' lives."
"It's a bunch of boys seeing how many arrowheads they can dig up in a tub of sand," Luke frowned. "If this is a momentous occasion for them, I really have lost all hope for the future generation."
"Now that is—"
"You cannot spring an event on me, and you cannot expect me to do this pro bono just because you're the head of a hundred different committees that mean nothing," Lorelai practically screamed. "You'll have to book the grounds in advance for the going price just like everyone else. We cannot kick out all of our scheduled guests because you didn't make a reservation, so either reschedule it or find another place."
"Now don't be difficult," Taylor argued. "If you don't concede, I'll just have to go over your head."
"Over my head?" she asked in sheer disbelief. "I'm the manager. There is no 'over my head.' My head is Mount Olympus. Deal with it."
"Lorelai—"
"No," she said firmly. "For the hundredth time, the answer is no, and if you make me say it again, the only thing you will be teaching your scouts is how to eat food through a straw."
"This is an outrage!" Taylor fumed. "I hope you know that this will be brought up in the next town meeting."
"Can't wait!" Lorelai yelled back as he walked lividly out of the diner. "Let me ask you this, Luke, why hasn't anyone put a hit out on him yet?"
"I couldn't get the right permit," he grumbled back.
"Right," she sighed. "Maybe Woodbury will give us one."
"It's a possibility. I think they're about as sick of him as we are."
They looked at each other with matching conspiratory smiles.
"Good morning," Jess said, walking behind the counter to put an order in. "How you doing?"
"I have a Taylor headache," Rory groaned softly. "My mother, who is supposed to love me," she paused, sending a glare Lorelai's way, "ran away and left me to deal with his insane ranting."
"Sorry," Lorelai shrugged, "survival of the fittest and prettiest. If you can't keep up, what happens next is your own fault."
"Do you have any Tylenol?" she asked Jess, ignoring her mother.
"Coffee and painkillers," Jess smirked, grabbing a bottle of pills from behind the counter, "breakfast of champions."
"Add a plate of pancakes to that, and you will be my very favoritest boyfriend in the world," she smiled.
"I bet you say that to all your boyfriends," he rolled his eyes, scribbling the order down and putting it in.
"Yes, but I only mean it with you," she tried her best to put on an innocent expression.
"And you say I'm full of crap," he rolled his eyes.
She just smiled before grabbing his collar and pulling him down for a kiss. "Hey," she said when she pulled away, "did you finish that essay?"
"Typed, printed, and sitting in my bag as we speak," he replied.
"Good," she said, pulling him back for another lingering kiss, which turned into more long, lingering kisses.
"They really are sickening," Luke grimaced as he and Lorelai looked on. "You think that kind of public display is sanitary in a diner?"
"Oh, lighten up, Luke," Lorelai hit him playfully on the arm, taking a long sip of her coffee. "They may be sickening, but we can be sickening too."
Before he could question the statement, she took hold of his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss that made her daughter's look chaste. Luke, taken completely by surprise, almost tumbled over the top of the counter.
"Mother!" Lorelai pulled away to see her very disgusted daughter and an equally disgusted Jess.
"What?" she asked, a mischievous smirk curling over her lips.
"That was so very wrong," she shook her head in disbelief. "I mean, I know stuff like that is going to happen, you being you, but please never let me see you do that ever again."
"That's a very emphatic ditto," Jess chimed in as he brought Rory her pancakes. "At least go into the storage closet or something. That's what Rory and I—" He cut off suddenly, drawing shocked looks from Lorelai, Luke, and Rory. "I didn't say anything," he said completely straight-faced.
"I'll make you a deal," Lorelai said, her eyes closed as if trying really hard to forget. "You tell me truthfully that you were joking, and I will never kiss Luke in your presence again."
"He was kidding," Rory said, hitting Jess hard in the shoulder. "Right, Jess?"
"I was kidding," he nodded obediently.
"Thank you," Lorelai replied, looking suspiciously between the two. "Do I have to go over rule number one again?"
"Again with the rules!" Rory threw her hands up. "Eventually, one of you is going to have to tell me about these infamous rules."
With the mood effectively lightened, Jess went to taking orders, and Lorelai turned back to Luke.
"So, Luke," she smiled wickedly, "Rory and I were wondering something last night. See, this magical cup here that gives me unlimited refills, does it work for Rory too?"
"It'll never happen," he said. "You guys are always in here together, and you'll be using it."
"He does make an excellent point," she nodded.
"Besides, you want to extend your coffee privileges to the daughter who just called you sickening?" Luke asked, leaving Rory open-mouthed.
"Hey!" Lorelai said, turning to Rory. "That's right! You just called me sickening, and will therefore get none of my coffee privileges."
"Luke, you ratted me out!" Rory pouted.
"Sorry," he shrugged. "It slipped."
"Jess!" she whined as her boyfriend reappeared. "Why didn't you think to get me a magical coffee mug?"
"What?" he asked, looking in amazement at his uncle. "You were right. How were you right?"
"I have my ways," Luke smirked.
"What's with this magical mug?" he asked Rory. "It's a two-dollar souvenir cup."
"It also yields an ever-flowing river of free coffee," she pouted. Then her face crinkled a little. "Do you think there really is such a river somewhere in the world? If there were, it would be like a Gilmore Mecca."
"If there were, I would have found it already," Lorelai replied.
"Nuts," she smiled softly.
"You really want your very own novelty mug, don't you?" Jess asked, rolling his eyes.
"You know what?" she replied as she finished the last of her pancakes. "I have a coffee man." She kissed him softly as she stood up and grabbed her bag. "I'm pretty sure that's enough for me."
"That's a damn good answer," he smirked, grabbing his own backpack before waving a goodbye to Luke and walking Rory out to the bus stop.
Lorelai watched them go, shaking her head wistfully. Sometimes she really missed young love. Looking at Luke, she almost believed that she could have it again. Almost.
"Hey, I gotta get going," she said hurriedly before she could think more on it. Giving him a quick kiss and grabbing her purse, she stood to leave. "I'll be by when Rory gets home from school."
"See you then," he smiled. "And be good at work. No heavy lifting and only low stress."
"Yes, Dr. Luke," she rolled her eyes playfully, waving as she headed out the door.
When she reached the street, her smile disappeared. She wasn't going to work this morning. She had things to take care of. Of course, she couldn't tell Luke that. She just couldn't. He would worry too much, or insist he go with. Better not to trouble him. So, with one more glance back at the diner, she headed back to the house to get the jeep.
It had been a long day before Jess reached 6th period English. It was still three minutes before the bell, and only a few students occupied their seats. Mr. Matthews sat at his desk going over some papers for another class. For a moment, Jess just stood in the doorway, shifting from one foot to the other and trying to decide what to do.
Finally, with a deep sigh and a roll of his eyes, he stepped over the threshold and walked to the teacher's desk.
"Jess," Matthews looked up with mild surprise, "I was wondering if you were going to show. For some reason, I see you as a once-a-week student."
"Wow, most teachers are a lot slower to pick up on that," Jess smirked, shifting the bag on his shoulder.
"So, was there something you wanted?" Matthews asked, his voice relaying interested amusement.
"As a matter of fact," Jess opened his bag and took out his essay. Looking at it one last time, he dropped it in front of the teacher. "Two thousand words, 12-point font, double spaced."
For a minute, Mr. Matthews didn't know what to do with that. He just looked, dumbfounded, between Jess and the paper.
"You do know that this isn't due until the end of the unit, right?" he asked, picking up the paper and flipping through it quickly.
"Figured I'd do it now while I'm still attending," Jess replied casually before heading towards his seat.
Mr. Matthews looked perplexingly at his retreating back before looking down at the paper and starting to read it.
After class, Jess was halfway out the door when Matthews's voice called him back. "Jess, could I speak to you for a moment?"
"Something wrong?" he asked, walking back to the teacher's desk. "I was pretending to pay attention during most of the class. That's more than most teachers get."
"Vanity and the Artificiality of the 1920s Upper Crust?" Matthews asked, holding up his paper. "Where did you get this?"
"Where do you think?" Jess replied, a little indignant at the implication. "I wrote it."
"Between yesterday and this morning?" he asked.
"Between this class and eighth yesterday," Jess clarified. "It wasn't hard."
"This is brilliant, Jess," Matthews said with astonished respect, and Jess just rolled his eyes. "Seriously, in five years of giving this assignment, I've only gotten two or three papers that even came close to the insight seen in this essay, and nobody has ever turned it in before we've even discussed it in class."
"As I said," Jess cut in. "It's not a hard concept. I mean, the themes practically hit you over the head, even if it's only your first time through."
"So you've read this a few times before?" Matthews asked, a pleased smile playing over his lips.
"A few," he replied noncommittally.
"What about The Scarlet Letter?"
"A few," he repeated.
"Huckleberry Finn?"
"Yup."
"Grapes of Wrath?"
"Is this going anywhere?" Jess asked impatiently, uncomfortable with the attention. "I mean, I'd love to spend the next 12 hours being quizzed on the books I've read, but I do have a seventh period class, and you're actually making me want to go to it."
"Why aren't you in an advanced class?" Matthews asked. "I'm sure you could exempt out of this one if you talked to your councilor."
"Yeah, well," Jess tilted his head casually, "my transcripts don't speak very highly of me. The whole attendance issue we were discussing earlier comes up a lot. I think the phrase, 'would you like fries with that?' is stamped somewhere in there in bright red permanent marker."
Matthews appraised him silently for a long moment, weighing the idea rolling around in his head. "I'll make a deal with you, Jess," he said slowly. "I would love it if you'd add your input to this class, but I also know your type. So here it is. Every other Thursday, I give a quiz over the covered topic, and every unit I assign a project. You show up to take the quizzes, turn in the projects, and pass the final, and I will give you a B- for the semester without you ever having to come to class otherwise."
"You serious?" Jess asked, intrigued. "I take a couple tests and write a few papers, and I can skip the rest?"
"And still pass," Matthews promised. "But I will say this, this arrangement is between you and me. None of the other students will know about it, and neither will the principal, understand?"
"Yes, sir," he mock saluted, heading towards the door again. "See you next Thursday."
"Bye Jess," Matthews smiled, sitting down in his desk and looking over the paper again as Jess headed to his next class.
"So what'd he say? How'd he like it?" Rory asked anxiously as she stepped off the bus. "You did give it to him, right? Tell me you gave it to him."
"Yes, I gave it to him," Jess smiled, putting an arm around her waist. "And yes, he liked it."
"Liked it?" she questioned, her expression dropping as she turned to him. "Just liked?"
"Yeah," he nodded, trying hard to keep a straight face. "He said it was good."
"Are you kidding me?" she fumed as they started towards the diner. "Good? That paper was amazing! How could he not see that? What kind of nut job is this guy?"
She stared incredulously at him for a few moments before his mask cracked and he began to smirk. "Okay, so he said it was brilliant," he admitted.
"Damn straight!" she grinned, throwing her arms around his neck. "You know you're amazing, right?"
"Only when you look at me like that," he smiled, kissing her softly. "So, guess what he said?"
"That it was brilliant," she smiled proudly.
"That," he chuckled, "and he made me a deal. He said that since I already knew all the books, I could just take a few quizzes and write a few papers, and he'd let me skip the rest."
"You mean, not come at all?" she questioned. "Can he do that?"
"Not technically," he smirked. "And yet, he is. I think I really like this Matthews guy."
"So you're just going to skip sixth period every day?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, I guess," he shrugged. "I mean, I'll probably just come out to the bridge. Either way I'm reading, so why deal with stuff I've already read a hundred times?"
"Yeah, that makes sense," she nodded, but her voice was still reserved.
"What?" he asked, picking up on her lack of enthusiasm. "You think I should go? Be bored out of my mind while everyone else around me struggles to find the themes of Huckleberry Finn? I know all that, Rory. I don't need to be taught."
"I know," she nodded. "Trust me, Jess, I know how smart you are. I just . . ." she paused as if not really knowing what she meant to say, ". . . I guess I just don't like the idea of you not being in school." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just being weird. Of course you don't need to be there. And as long as you're passing the class, it shouldn't bother me. I'm fine."
She looked up at him wearing her most supportive smile, but he still looked down at her worriedly. "This is one of those things that you're going to say is alright even though you really don't like it, isn't it?"
"No," she smiled reassuringly. "Really, I'm fine with it. And I'm glad you have such a cool teacher. I know none of my teachers would let me do that."
"Do you want me to go?" Jess asked seriously. "Come on, be honest. Do you want me to go?"
She looked up at him, nibbling her bottom lip. "I don't want you to be bored," she said evasively. "If you don't want to go, don't go."
"Okay," he nodded, his expression neutral as they started walking towards the diner again. "Come on, I'm pretty sure I won't be alive for any of my classes tomorrow if I don't get back to the diner."
"He wouldn't kill you," she assured him, smiling. "He'd have to go through me first, and everyone knows that Luke has a soft spot for Gilmores."
"Must be a family thing," he smiled back as he held open the door.
After waiting in Luke's for forty-five minutes, Rory decided to head home. It wasn't like her mother to be that late, especially for coffee. Opening the front door, a strange feeling crept over her. Everything was too still, too quiet for a Gilmore house. It was like someone was walking over her grave.
"Mom, are you here?" she called hesitantly.
"I'm here," Lorelai called from the kitchen.
Lorelai was sitting at the table, papers splayed out in front of her. She seemed to be concentrating on the one in front of her, but her eyes kept flitting to the ones around it, restlessly examining each before going back to the first.
"What's up, Mom?" Rory asked, still standing in the doorway. "I thought we were going to meet at Luke's."
Lorelai finally looked up at her, seemingly confused, and then glanced at the clock on the microwave. "Oh," she sighed tiredly, "I'm sorry. I guess I lost track of time."
"It's okay," Rory said, coming to sit by her. "I was just a little worried. So what is all this stuff?"
Lorelai looked down at the papers, her forehead creasing. "Life insurance papers," she said pointing one pile, and then each in turn. "Then that is my updated will and testament, the car insurance, insurance on the house, all the papers for the inn, and this," she pointed to the one right in front of her, "is my list of the top five celebrities I want to sleep with before I die."
Rory glanced at the list. "Colin Farrell?" she questioned. "He's only number five?"
"Well, he did play a psychotic bald guy on Daredevil," Lorelai pointed out. "The whole paperclip thing kinda creeped me out."
"True," Rory nodded. "So," she said, a little less lightly, "insurance papers, will, list of celebrities. Sounds like you're getting ready for something."
"Yeah," Lorelai sighed softly. "But of course, you knew that this was coming. This has to be done."
"No, it doesn't," Rory said firmly, looking away. "You're going to be fine. That's what the doctor said, right?"
"Yes, she did say that," Lorelai nodded gently, "but she—"
"She said," Rory continued, ignoring her mother's argument, "that after the surgery, you'll probably live a good number of years. You're going to have a normal, healthy life. Everything's going to be fine."
"But what if it isn't?" Lorelai asked, tears in her eyes. "We have to be prepared. Something could go wro—"
"No!" Rory stood up, wiping all the papers off the table in one sweep. "Nothing is going to go wrong! You're going to be fine!"
Without another word, Rory walked into her room and slammed the door. Lorelai just stared at her door for a few minutes before getting up and starting to gather the papers again.