Life and Death

By blackbirdfree


Chapter Three

Rory went to school the next day in an angry mood. She hated having her mother around. And, now, it seemed like Rory was going to have her mother around way more often.

Rory hated that her mother left her with her grandmother and her grandfather when she was a baby. It's true that she loved both her grandmother and her grandfather but she hated that her mother couldn't find it in her to stick around.

"Ugh, I hate broccoli cheddar soup day," said Colin to Finn at the lunch table that afternoon.

"What do you hate more? The broccoli or the cheddar?"

"Do you have to pick one or the other?" said Rory. "Maybe both are equally grotesque."

"No, you definitely need to pick one or the other," supplied Logan. "It's one of those things."

"Like stripes or polka dots," added Madeline. "You can never wear both together. Only one at-a-time is acceptable."

"I agree," said Louise. "It's a major faux pas to wear stripes and polka dots together."

"I have an idea," said Paris in a falsely bright tone-of-voice. "Let's continue to talk about patterns you can wear on your clothes instead of something important like the latest news on CNN. That way our brains will be able to rot from the-inside-out."

"Good movie," said Logan with a grin. He glanced at Rory and winked.

Rory laughed.

The day looked to be getting better.


After lunch Rory stopped by her locker to switch out the books that she had on hand. She started to gather together the books that she needed for that afternoon. Something slipped out of her locker as she rearranged her books. It was a lighter that Rory always kept with her.

Someone approached her while she stood by her locker.

"Hey, Bambi," said the person. "Have a light?" he asked.

There was a cigarette box in the boys' hand.

"Oh," said Rory. "Yeah, sure."

Rory tossed the boy the lighter. He caught it with a deft hand.

"Are you going out back to smoke?" asked Rory after a minute. "Fifth period is just about to start."

The boy shrugged. "What can I say? I love to live on the edge."

Rory rolled her eyes. The boy turned to leave. Rory came to a spur-of-the-moment decision. "You want some company?" she questioned to the boys' back.

The boy turned around. He smirked. "I was never one to say 'no' to the company of a pretty lady."

Rory smiled. "I was never one to say 'no' to the company of a man holding a pack of Newports."

Rory showed Jess where many people hung-out when they wanted to cut class to smoke. It was a place behind the school next to a tall and a looming tree. Rory explained that the teachers couldn't see that spot from the back windows of the school.

"How do you know about this place?" he questioned.

The two were smoking together.

"I heard about it from someone older over-the-summer," explained Rory. "So, do you live nearby?"

Jess nodded. "I live in this place named Stars Hollow. I just moved."

Rory remembered that the town named Stars Hollow was the town where Lorelai moved to.

"Oh," said Rory. "Where did you move from?"

"New York City."

"Ah. A City man."

"Guilty."

Rory brushed a strand of long brown hair behind her ear. "I think that's my last cigarette," said Rory. "I'm heading back inside. Are you coming?"

Jess thought for a second. "Yeah, sure."

The two began to walk back toward Chilton.

"Who do you have next?" asked Jess.

"Copenhagen," said Rory. "Trig."

"I have Williamson. Geography."

The two walked into the side entrance of the school together. "I'm heading that way," said Rory. She nodded toward the right side of the hallway.

"I'm the opposite way."

"I guess I'll see you later."

"I guess so. See you around, Bambi."

"The name's Rory," she answered with an eye-roll.

"I'm Jess," he supplied.

The two parted ways.