Chapter 17
"How long will you be gone for?" Jess asked.
"Just three and a half weeks." Rory replied.
"When are you leaving?"
"The day after the World Ocean Day festival. So basically, Thursday."
"The what festival?"
"The World Ocean Day festival, it honors the oceans and products they provide, such as seafood, as well as marine lives themselves for aquariums and pets."
"You say it like it's the most common thing in the world and like I'm actually supposed to know what in the hell it is."
"Well.."
"So what do you do?"
"Well, you eat tons of seafood and you can adopt a fish or some kind of oceanic animal."
"That's all?"
"Pretty much."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes."
"No, you're not."
"Yes I am."
"No, you're not."
"Yes I am."
"No, you're not."
"Yes I am."
"No you're not."
"No, I'm not." Rory said trying to trick him.
"No you're not." Jess replied slyly, catching her trick.
"Damn."
"Ha. We sound like your mom."
"Yes, we do."
"Why do you have to go to Europe for three an a half weeks?"
"Jess, my mom wanted to take me somewhere before I go to college and I've drempt about this my ENTIRE life."
"I understand. So when do you want me to pick you up for this cracked fesival you're talking about?"
"You'll go!"
"I guess, if you're there, it shouldn't be so bad."
"Yay, at about one fourty-five on Wednesday."
"Okay, I'll be there."
"Adios, mi amor."
"Véale mañana, te amo." Jess said, gave her a kiss, and walked off. Rory walked off with a huge, Jess-like smirk plastered on her face.
On Wednesday, as promised, Jess arrived at one fourty-five with four large coffees to give to Lorelai and Rory. One for each at their house and one for each on the way to the festival.
He knocked and Lorelai answered. "Jess." She said and noticed the coffee cups. "You know us too well. One for here, one for the road, good man."
"Well you didn't come in the diner in the morning so I figured you both be on Luke's coffee withdrawl."
"You were right. Come in. Rory, lover boy is here and he brought us both TWO cups of coffee for fear that we'd both die of Luke's coffee withdrawl."
Rory bolted out of her room and retrieved her cup of coffee. "Hey, no greeting?" Jess asked.
"Oh sorry." She said kissing him passionately and returning to her coffee.
"You guys, ready?"
"Yep. Mom, let's go!"
"Coming!" Lorelai yelled from the kitchen. She came and they left. On the way they discussed again, how on earth Coldplay could be considered an alternative band. Lorelai was happy Rory finally found someone with good music tastes, AND who would gave her coffee when Luke didn't.
"We're here." Lorelai said to Jess in a witch's voice when they arrived at the festival. Everything was blue, like the ocean and there were huge aquariams with every kind of fish known to man.
"Dear God." Jess said. "It smells like fish."
"It's supposed to." Rory said.
"Hey, I'm gonna go drag Luke out here." Lorelai said.
"Okay." Rory and Jess said in unison and Lorelai walked in the direction of the diner.
"I wonder why they didn't have this at the bridge." Rory said.
"I'm kind of glad they didn't, that bridge is ours."
"Good point. I'm hungry."
"When are you not hungry?"
"Again, good point." She said and they walked in the direction of the food.
The rest of the night, in Jess' eyes went very slow. But, that was good, considering this was the last full night he would spend with Rory. They parted ways for the night and Rory went home to finish packing. She made sure she packed Jess' Tool and Ramones t-shirts. She packed almost all the books he'd written in at one point and went to bed.
The next morning, she got up took and took a shower and got dressed, making sure to wake her mother. She asked Jess to come with them to the airport and Lorelai asked if he'd bring the car back to Stars Hollow so she wouldn't have to pay the airport parking fee.
The part Jess and Rory most dreaded arrived and neither of them were ready to let go of each other for three and a half weeks.
"Rory, you have to go." Jess said dissapointedly.
"I know."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"You have to go." He said letting go of her tight embrace.
"I know." She said grabbing him again, before he could get away.
"Bye, Ror."
"Bye, Jess." She said kissing him hard, grabbing the attention af several people in the airport. They let go and Rory and Lorelai went to their gate. Jess thought, 'What in the hell am I going to do for three and a half weeks.'