I'm glad everyone seem to like the idea of this story so far. He's chapter two. Please read and review.

A giant thank you to all my chapter one reviewers: DiehardJavaJunkie14, CherryWolf713, Kassandra27, ShaolinQueen, Curley-Q, Christi, gilmorefanforever, Sagebeth, GrlWithoutAName, and EvilSmirk6.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls or Amoeba Music. I've never been there, but I looked up a neat place for Jess to work…so it does exist.

Jess and the GED

He never enjoyed sun and the ocean before, which was why Jess surprised himself when he showed up in Venice Beach. Yet here he was, still in California two months later. Jess had not opted to stay with his father; instead, he rented an apartment in Los Angeles with a few guys. It wasn't home, but it was the city. Jess was accustomed to the city by now. Los Angeles may have been hotter than New York, but it was not all that different.

He had moved on to California to change his life, and that was exactly what he was doing. The classes to prepare Jess for his GED had started three weeks ago. What Luke had told him rang true in his mind. There was no way he would make anything of himself if he didn't get an education. Jess hated to admit his uncle was right, but he was.

Jess slung his knapsack over his shoulder and fished in his pocket for the key to his apartment. It was an old, run down place that he shared with three other guys. The living room had a musty smell, Jess realized, as he dropped his bag by the couch.

"Hey, man!" Alex called from the other room. Jess looked in the direction of the voice. "How was class?"

Jess grunted. He had tried to tolerate the other guys in the apartment, but Alex attempted to get on his good side too often. "Fine."

Unlike Sam, Alex, and Joe, Jess was obviously not a high school graduate. On the other hand, he wasn't sure about college when all three of them were accepted to UCLA. He was grateful for the apartment, but wasn't sure why they had opted for it instead of a dorm room.

Sam was friendly with Jess, as they worked together at Amoeba Music on West Sunset Boulevard. They shared common interests, mostly music and books. Sam turned his attention away from the computer as Jess entered the room they shared. Jess collapsed on his bed and pressed the pillow against his face.

"Hard day?" Sam asked as he swiveled in the desk chair.

"Mmphh."

"I get it," Sam said as he turned back to his word processor. "Have you written to that girl yet? What was her name…Lori?"

"Rory," Jess said from behind the pillow. "And no, I haven't written to her yet."

"You should do it soon," Sam said simply.

"Maybe," Jess replied. He had been thinking about Rory lately and how he had left her. The only reason he hadn't said goodbye was that he hoped to come back to her soon. After a month, he knew it wasn't going to happen. Rory Gilmore was too good for him anyway. She was smart and beautiful, and that meant she would find a new boyfriend soon. Rory was bound for Yale, the Ivy Leagues, the roaring field of journalism, while he was bound for unemployment and poverty. "I'm not good enough for a girl like that."

"You're getting your GED," Sam said.

"She's going to Yale," Jess said. "She was valedictorian in high school. I dropped out, left her and my uncle, and came here." Jess shook his head. "You don't need to know these things. I'm not interesting, and I don't need to tell you this."

"You're the only intelligent conversation I have. Alex and Joe don't talk to me about anything important." Sam typed a few words and turned to face Jess. "Do you love her?"

Grumbling, Jess pressed the pillow against his face once more. Did he love her? Did he, Jess Mariano, love Rory Gilmore? Over the years, he had experienced lust and sex. With Rory, things were different. She wasn't the same as other girls. For one thing, they had dated longer than any of his exes. In addition to that, they never had sex. Jess had run off before the relationship was able to mature. "Maybe," he answered vaguely.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"I just want to be right for her," Jess mused as he got up, tossing the pillow on the bed. "I'm going to get my GED and go to college."

"That's the spirit!" Sam said, turning away from his computer again. "Where are you going to go?"

Shrugging, Jess started toward the door. "A different city for a new start."

"Newer than here?" Sam asked. He liked Jess, and considered him a friend. Jess had only been in California for two months.

"Something different, maybe further east," Jess said. "After I get my GED, I'm out of here."

Sam watched as Jess closed the door behind him and shook his head. Jess was a good guy, and he deserved to get what he wanted out of life. Sam wasn't going to stand in the way of a person he barely knew. If Jess was going back east, there wasn't anyone that would be willing to stand in his way.

Jess roamed the streets before finding the ATM machine he was looking for to check his balance. The job at Amoeba Music paid fairly well and he put in a decent amount of hours. They only expenses he had collected were related to the apartment and his GED. Jess slid his card and punched in his pin number. The $5,219.87 stared back at him in blue. Intently, he concentrated on the number as if it would triple if he looked long enough. Angrily, he quit off the screen and tucked his bank card in his wallet. He knew he couldn't get a fresh start if he didn't have more money.

Jess didn't consider California a fresh start. He didn't like California as much as he thought he would. Los Angeles seemed like the perfect place to begin his new life, but in reality, it was just a sunnier version of his old life. Sure, he had a little more order and independence. In the long run, that wasn't what Jess was looking for. He had grown up over the past two months, and he was strong enough to admit he had. There were just some things that needed to be sorted out. Back east, there wasn't as much heat. Jess hated hot weather and sunshine. Sighing, Jess set out to work. If he didn't make any money, there was no chance of another change.

The bell over the door chimed as he entered Amoeba Music. "Dude, hey!" Charlie greeted him. "You're early, man. That's radical."

Jess shook his head. He needed to get away from people like Charlie. Sam's shift started an hour after his. Glancing at his watch, Jess realized he was twenty minutes early. He had been warned about clocking in too early, so he found a comfortable spot by a CD rack and sat with his book. It was a book Rory recommended to him, and that made him think about her. Digging a pencil from his jacket pocket, Jess opened the book and began to read. He scribbled some notes in the margins and looked at his watch every few minutes. After about twelve minutes, Jess shut the book and looked at the front desk.

He punched in and spied Charlie doing inventory. Sighing, Jess stationed at his register post. During the hour before Sam showed for his shift, Jess had some time to think. It would be a couple months before he was completely finished with his GED. It was too late to think about a regular college. Jess knew he should look up a couple community colleges to start courses after the first semester. After that, he would be able to transfer to a better school. Jess didn't want to return to New York. He had explored all the possibilities in his head, and couldn't come up with a single reason to go back. In theory, it seemed like a good place to settle back on, but Jess knew he wouldn't get any work done, especially with his past still residing there to haunt him. He couldn't stay in California, since the weather and the people annoyed him to no end. Still, he wanted a place where he was unknown and could sink into the scenery. Pennsylvania? No. New Jersey? No. Washington D.C.? No. Boston? Jess hesitated as the name flashed in his mind. Boston. It had a nice ring to it, and it was a college town. Not only would there be plenty of options for him there, it would be easy to blend in with the rest of the population. A smirk crept onto his lips as Sam pushed the heavy door open.

"You're smug," he said offhandedly.

"I'm going to Boston," Jess said.

"Boston? That's far away. It's cold there!" Sam exclaimed.

"Huh. Never knew that." Jess looked down at the register before facing Sam again. "Not leaving yet."

"I'll be sad to see you go," Sam said.

"Don't get all sappy on me," Jess requested.

"Deal," Sam agreed. "As long as we can buy a six pack and chill before you leave."

Jess smirked again. "As long as you never use the word "chill" in that context again, I'm with you."