I woke up to find an empty dip in my bed next to me. I sat up and got out of bed to get dressed. When I walked down to the diner it was full of people with Luke at the counter. I felt confused for a moment. I walked over to Luke, who was pouring Kirk his coffee. As soon as Luke saw me near he slammed down the coffee pot and stormed over to me. He put both of his hands on my shoulders pushing forward.

"Back upstairs now!" He yelled while pushing. Everyone was staring so I just stayed quiet. Once we were up the stairs he shoved me into our room and had his finger on my chest. "Jess, you better start explaining yourself right now."

"Your home early."

"Start talking."

"I thought you were getting home in a couple days."

"I was, but things changed." He said furious. "Why the hell when I got home last night, find Rory sleeping in that bed with you?"

"Woh, look she was really upset from her break up with Dean, so I let her sleep over." I answered putting my arms and hands up in defense. He took a minute to think about this.

"Break up? Wait if she 'just slept over', then Why the hell is she sleeping next to you in your bed?!" He was still clearly upset. I stood silent ready to speak.

"Look, Dean, broke her heart. I found her crying on a bench, so I sat next to her. She cried on me a little, we talked and then I.." I stopped talking. Luke had his arms crossed ready to hear me tell the rest. He blinked several times waiting.

"You what, Jess?" He asked still waiting.

I gulped down a lump in my throat. Then mumbled the first part then continued, "then came here where she asked to stay over so I said yes."

He seemed confused. "What was the first part?" He asked staring at me. I mumbled it again a little louder. "I can't understand you."

"I kissed her ok!" I finally said clearly and then turned around.

"You kissed her?! I thought she was with, Dean? How can that much happen in one day?" He asked not expecting an answer. It was silent between us. He finally spoke and broke the silence, "How long have you been waiting?"

"That's what she said." I answered turning around facing him. He giggled after I said that. "Oh grow up, would ya! God."

Luke sighed and turned away but then looked at me one last time. "You two didn't do anything? Did you?"

"No, just sleep, nothing else." I answered calmly. He squinted at me and then nodded. He went downstairs, which I followed and put on my jean jacket. I walked out the diner through the door.

I walked to school and into class fashionably late. I snuck through the door to my desk where I sat down as quietly as I could. Rory was sitting right in front of me taking her notes. I leaned forward.

"Hey, stranger." I whispered.

She turned when she saw the teacher wasn't looking. "Hi, Jess." She whispered back. "Sorry for leaving this morning. Luke told me to leave."

I nodded. "Sounds like something he would do." I looked around the classroom briefly and then back at her. "Look, no hard feelings. And you do remember what I had said last night."

He had a more serious face now. "Yes, and.. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet."

"The kiss, or the words?" I said a little bit louder than I meant to.

She looked at me like I did something wrong and turned back around to the front of the room. I nodded in agreement. In the corner of my eye I saw Dean squinting at me. I didn't understand why exactly. So I just waved with one hand and wore a fake smile.

After school when I was exiting and stepping down a step, Dean hoisted me up by the collar of my shirt. He pulled me to the side of the building. He raised his fist and had his face right in front of mine.

"What kiss?!" He fumed. I had the eyes closest to his fist closed. I felt my back pressed up against the brick wall and my feet off the ground.

"Hey, would you look at that." I said looking at my lifted feet and then into his face. "We're the same height now."

"Shut up you moron." He said still angry. I heard footsteps, and apparently so did Dean. Because we both looked in the direction where the noise came from. It was Rory. Dean seemed embarrassed after seeing her.

"Rory!" He said still staring and dropping me. I fell onto the cement on my butt. After the pain started to fade away I stood up.

"Dean how could you!?" She yelled at him stepping closer. I brushed myself off.

"Rory I didn't know you were watching. How long were you standing there?.." he began and then paused. "He kissed you?" He then pointed at me, but his finger I must admit was too close to my face.

"Dean! You broke up with me for one! So don't correct my actions. Two, even if I weren't watching, why the hell were even lifting him that high?" She yelled.

Dean was speechless. So I spoke. "He's just upset because I kissed you." I answered.

"Dean, that was literally just a kiss. I as upset about happened." She said touching his hands. Once I heard this I was actually a bit shocked. I blinked hesitantly. She had a glimpse of my face and instantly felt sorry. At least, that's what her expression showed.

"Guess it wasn't worth the wait." I retorted.

"Jess. I didn't mean it like that." She tried apologizing. She reached out one hand and touched my arm. I shook it off.

"Then what did you mean, Rory? Because I know you better than him and he's your boyfriend." I said gesturing to Dean.

Dean was offended by this. "Excuse me? I know her just fine."

"Just fine huh. K then, what's her favorite book?" I asked while Rory stepped back. When I got no answer I asked a different question. "What's her favorite gum flavor?"

He stood there staring at me and then at Rory. "How am I supposed to know that?"

"Ulysses." I said.

"Excuse me?" Dean said confused.

"It's her favorite book." I answered and then we looked at Rory who nodded. "Is it wintergreen, or mixed fruit your favorite gum?" I asked Rory.

"Both." She said tilting her head at me in thought.

"As I've proven my point, I'm off to Luke's to tackle my shifts at work." I said clapping my hands together. "Time is a horrible thing to waste." Looking from Dean to Rory I said that last sentence. Then I decided to just walk away, the thing I do best I'm told.

I looked over my shoulder to see Rory yell at Dean one last time and then walk away in the same direction as I as heading. I turned my head back to facing forwards. She ran so she was walking next to me.

"It was just a kiss right?" She said breaking the silence.

"It was to you anyways." I answered looking down and shaking my head.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Jess." She said grabbing my arm. I stopped walking, so did she. I looked over to where Dean was standing. I looked back at Rory who didn't seem to take her eyes off me.

I gave her a quick kiss on her lips and pulled away. "I think you need to still recover from that lunkhead." I said and then patted her on her shoulder. I walked away from her after she folded her arms against her chest. Work was busy. And Luke was out out so it was just me working. Once Lorelai came in after work she helped with coffee. I don't think she knew about the whole thing that happened the night before.

Once the day finally ended I went upstairs to go to bed. I looked at my pillow before getting in bed. There was a little piece of folded paper on it. I picked it up and unfolded it, sat on my bed, and starts reading it.

"Dear Jess, earlier when you knew my favorite book and gum, I had no idea you knew that much about me. I'm sorry for treating you like dirt sometimes. And kissed you, slept over, and then just left. What you said the other night was really sweet, no ones ever made me feel that way before. Thank you so much. —Rory"

I read it over and over, then folded it up, and then stuck it in my pocket. She was my equal. My muse. My one true, I couldn't figure out love, or what she was. But she was important in my puzzle.