I just want to be part of your symphony
By blackbirdfree
Chapter Forty-Two
"Obviously, I'm waiting for my fairy godmother to show up. I guess I didn't get a godmother… I got an upgrade to a princess instead."
Rory laughed lightly. She walked forward and took a seat beside Jess.
"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? On New Year's Eve? With a book in your hand. I don't think even I'd do something like that."
Jess shrugged. "Luke and I had some words. I decided to get out of his place to get some air. I grabbed this book by the nightstand on my way out."
Rory nodded.
"What about you? Shouldn't you be out partying with your friends from Chilton? Maybe with Logan or something?"
Rory frowned. "No," she answered. "I decided to stay in tonight with my best-friend Lane from Stars Hollow High. We haven't spent much time together lately. I did have a party that I could have attended… but I decided against it."
Jess raised his eye-brow. "You chose to have a night-in instead of night-out? You're not like the other girls that I knew back in New York."
"Thanks, I guess."
Jess nodded. The two were quiet for a moment. Rory interrupted the silence between them.
"What are you reading out here anyway?"
Jess raised the novel in his hand. "Mark Twain," he said simply.
"Huh," said Rory. "Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn?"
"I take it you've read his stuff before."
"Yeah," said Rory. "I prefer Tom Sawyer. Maybe it's my small-town life getting to me."
Jess nodded. "I can see that."
Rory decided it was time for it. She wanted to talk about the rain-check that she placed on her date with Jess on Christmas Day.
"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened before," she began. "I'm sorry that I wasn't ready for our date that morning. I just stumbled into bed earlier that day and fell right to sleep. I wasn't really in the right mood to go out."
Jess nodded slowly. "You were with Logan… at his family's house, right?"
"Yeah."
"I'd guess his family owns a huge mansion or something."
Rory laughed. "What put that into your mind?"
"He's the type," said Jess simply.
Rory shrugged. "Yes. His family has a mansion."
Jess looked at Rory intently. "How do you feel about that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you like him more because he has money?"
Rory bristled. "No! That's stupid."
Jess laughed a sarcastic laugh. "It's not stupid… it's normal. And I didn't see you ditching him the night of his family's Christmas party."
Rory scowled. "I told you I was sorry, Jess. I was too tired to go out. It's not like I ran over your dog or something. Anyway, the last time you and I were at a party together you gave me ten stitches to my forehead."
Jess didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, he said, "Fine," in a curt tone-of-voice.
Rory didn't know what more to say. She waited to see if Jess had anything else to add to the conversation.
"Maybe you and Logan have more in common than I thought," said Jess, finally.
Rory sighed. "I guess so."
