This is important: As I have been doing, each chapter skips ahead a few weeks

This is important: As I have been doing, each chapter skips ahead a few weeks. It is now November and Jess is already in Boston. You'll read that in a moment. I have also introduced a new character that you'll learn about shortly. He's not center stage, but he will not be so faded in the background that you barely see him. One last thing, as you will read, Jess is growing up. I'm sure you'll notice that during the course of the chapter. Oh, and the end…

Thanks for the reviews on chapter five: ultimategilmoregirl, Curley-Q, DiehardJavaJunkie14, chunkymunky85, CherryWolf713, ShaolinQueen, gilmorefanforever, and Lynn.

Disclaimer: Ah…all the things I wish I owned but sadly don't: the MBTA and any of the stations, BHCC, Mike's, Coke, Oliver Twist, and the Boston Red Sox. Things I do own: Corey Sullivan and tickets to a game in June.

Hey, Jess

"Hey, Sully. Yeah, of course I'll be home for dinner tonight. Order Supreme. Supreme is fine." Jess rushed past a group of people exiting the train station. "I'll pick it up on the way back. I'm coming right now." He stuck his hand in his pocket and fished for the tokens he had purchased in bulk. "Okay, I'll see you later." Jess pressed the off button on his cheap cell phone and slipped it into his messenger bag before going through the turnstile. The orange line train heading to Oak Grove sped up and left the station. Jess sat down on a bench and waited for the next train to Forest Hills to arrive. A breeze cut through his jacket and he wrapped it around himself tighter. Looking up, he saw the train he was expecting in the distance.

Jess had almost been too late to register at Bunker Hill Community College, but he was able to secure a spot for the fall 2003 semester. As the doors binged open, Jess scurried for the spot he most liked on the orange line. It was free, as it usually was when his English class ended on a late Friday afternoon. Jess settled into the seat and propped his messenger bag in his lap. He tipped his head to the side and closed his eyes until the train reached Downtown Crossing.

After registering at Bunker Hill, it was vital for Jess to find somewhere cheap and mildly safe to live. The first person that jumped to mind when he thought Boston was his friend Corey Sullivan. In New York, Jess and Corey had been best friends. Corey's parents were divorced, but he had a decent relationship with his dad. During the summers, Corey would spend bits and pieces of his vacation with his father in Boston. After Jess was shipped off to Stars Hollow, they had kept in contact through letters. Luke would often inquire who the person on the return address was, but Jess liked to keep his New York life separate from his Stars Hollow life. Since running off to California, Jess had neglected to check in with Corey. When he finally called him to ask if his dad knew of a place to move in, Jess was shocked. Corey was living near the city in a rentable apartment, and he was in desperate need of a roommate. Out of all the people Jess knew, Sam and Rory aside, Corey was the person that knew him best. Since he did not believe in any kind of fate, Jess chalked it up to pure luck. As soon as he arrived in Boston, Jess moved in with Corey and settled down.

College was changing Jess, and he liked it. He was calm, organized, and social. Corey, or Sully as he was typically called, was elated to have his friend back in a nicer state of mind. Jess was proud of himself; he was changing his life around and his resources had yet to run dry. The apartment, as it turned out, was nice and clean, not to mention convenient to get to from school. Corey had always been a neat-nick and made sure everything was perfect. It couldn't have gotten any better for Jess.

Sully had changed from when Jess personally knew him, which he figured was what the move to Boston did. Sully loved math, literature, pizza, and the Boston Red Sox. As far as sports fans were, Jess knew Sully was a big one. When the Red Sox lost their chance at a championship, though Jess had no idea which one, it was the only thing Sully talked about for a straight week.

"Downtown Crossing." Jess slung his bag over his shoulder and raced toward the next train he needed to catch. The red line to Alewife arrived right as Jess stepped on the platform. It had been a long day for Jess. Since classes had started, he had been working his ass off studying. The concept surprised Jess at first, but he found himself enjoying the order once he was accustomed to it.

"Harvard Square. Next stop, Davis Square." Jess tapped his foot. He and Sully ordered food only on Friday nights. The rest of the week, they ate from the small refrigerator in the equally small kitchen. In the short weeks that Jess had moved to Somerville, he had restored his relationship with his best friend.

"Davis Square." Jess let the bitter cold cut through him once again as he ran across the street and then over to Mike's.

"Hey! Mariano!" Ben yelled from behind the counter.

"Hey, Ben. Sully called in a pick-up. Should be under either of our names.

"I got you right over here." Ben grabbed a large pizza box and handed it to Jess. "Five bucks."

"Five this time? Wow." Jess fished the bill out of his wallet.

"Joint employee discount. Don't rat me out," Ben requested as he rang in the pizza through the register.

"If I'm getting a large Supreme for five dollars, I'm not letting anyone know." Jess straightened his bag on his shoulder and grabbed some plates. "Working tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then." Ben waved shortly and Jess was off again.

He balanced everything while searching for the key in his bag. "Sully!" he yelled as he finally got the door open.

"Pizza!" the skinny red head yelled from the couch.

Jess dropped his things by the door and handed his friend the pizza box. "What are you watching?" he asked while breaking apart the paper plates.

"Just the news. There's some talk about Curt Schilling coming from the Diamondbacks to the Sox." Sully turned the volume down before heading over to the refrigerator.

"Who from the what?" Jess asked. He had never been a baseball fan, but Sully was forcing him to brush up on player knowledge.

"Curt! Curt Schilling is an ace pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. They're talking about a contract with the Sox. That could be great!" Sully exclaimed, popping the top back on his Coke. "Especially with all the "Manny's being a traitor and wants to play for the Yankees" news that's been going around. This could be good. This could be really good."

Jess scratched his head. "I really wish I knew who and what you were talking about," he said, popping up his own soda tab.

"When spring training starts, you're watching a game with me. Better yet, I have a few games taped." Sully tore a slice out of the box on the coffee table and looked at Jess. "Hey! That's my soda."

"Tough," Jess replied as he sipped from the can. "You didn't buy any of mine when you went to the market."

Sully rolled his eyes. "Buy it on your own market day."

"I buy both sodas when I shop," Jess retorted. "And I don't have any soda left. Which is why," Jess took another sip of the soda, "I have to drink yours."

"You suck," Sully replied, biting the pizza slice.

"And I paid for the pizza, but you don't hear me complaining about that." Jess flicked a stray piece of sausage at his friend.

"Doesn't that count as complaining?" Sully asked as he flicked the meat back in Jess's direction.

"No. Because I didn't refer to it as my pizza. Which it is."

Sully laughed. "I hate you."

"You're the one that said you were too tired to run a block and a half to Davis to get the pizza." Jess broke off another slice and closed the box to trap in the steam.

"It wasn't out of your way! I knew you were coming back from class." Sully ripped his pizza crust in half and threw it at Jess.

"Why the food fight?" Jess asked as he picked the crust off the floor. "I paid good money for this."

Sully started laughing. "Haven't you noticed this happens every Friday night?"

Jess stopped mid-bite and looked at his friend. "I know."

Jess clutched his copy of Oliver Twist in his cold hands. His leather jacket was not providing any warmth on that frigid Saturday afternoon. Downtown Crossing station was whirring with excitement as he waited for his train back to Davis Square. The station was underground for the most part, but it was not much warmer than outdoors. He shoved his book in his back pocket and zipped up his leather jacket.

When the train pulled into the station, Jess took the book out of his pocket and sat down gratefully. "Next stop, Park Street. Change here for the Green Line."

"Park Street. Change here for the Green Line." The doors binged open and ten people scurried in for a seat. "Next stop, Charles MGH." Jess looked up from his book briefly and noticed a brunette in the corner.

She peered up at him, a copy of Oliver Twist clutched in her hands, blue eyes penetrating his very being. "Jess?" she whispered in disbelief before dropping the book.