Stars Hollow was a town built on tradition. We had festivals every few weeks it seemed, but one of the worst was the Stars Hollow 'Bid On A Basket' Fundraiser. It always brought out the feminist side of me – did I really want a man to bid on basket full of food I was supposed to make? For anyone who knew me but at all, the answer was obvious.

However, participation was mandatory for the Gilmore girls.

"So Rory and I are going to get some baskets," Mom declared, rising from her seat at Luke's. Rory had spotted Lane outside and had headed out to say hello while Mom finished her coffee. "You in?"

"Can you grab me one?" I asked. "You know how I've been dying for that one dashing young man to bid on me like I'm a piece of meat."

My beautiful moment of sweet sarcasm was somewhat ruined as Jess passed our table, and my mother raised an eyebrow at me.

"I can think of someone you wouldn't mind," she smirked.

"Funny," I deadpanned.

"Why don't you come?" Mom persisted.

Since our fight where my spectacular PSAT results had been revealed, as well as my extracurricular activities, Mom had been trying to get close to me again. It was getting slightly annoying. She was kind of clingy lately, to be honest. I was constantly invited, over and over, to do things with her and Rory. On Rory's date nights with Dean, Mom organised movie marathons with just the two of us.

It's not that I didn't like the odd movie marathon. It just all seemed a little forced. We'd always done stuff together, but now it was like Mom was trying too hard to gain the closeness she had with Rory with me.

"Mom, I'm fine here," I said. "I was just going to hang here. Draw. Maybe sit at the counter with Luke so we can mock the 'Bid On A Basket' properly."

"Women aren't property," Luke stated, breezing past us with a customer's lunch.

"Solidarity, Luke," I appreciated. I turned back to my mother. "See?"

Mom looked apprehensive. "You sure?"

"Go," I said, and reluctantly she headed outside.

"So," Jess sat opposite me, making me jump. He loved popping out from nowhere. "This may be the first time I've seen you without your mom in weeks."

"I'm pretty sure if she could come to school with me, she would," I agreed. "So, I missed you in English yesterday."

"Oh yeah?"

"Jane Austen," I confirmed. "I wiped the floor with the non believers."

He smirked. "You defending Austen? Not even I can convince you otherwise."

"Hey, you've only spent weeks upon weeks trying," I said with false sympathy.

"Very funny," he deadpanned. "You know what the problem is with Austen…"

I didn't think we were debating for that long when Mom burst into the diner.

"Miss Patty has a picture of me in her wallet!" she announced, looking freaked out.

"She's trying to set Mom up," Rory laughed. "Apparently she needs a visual aid."

"Well, I hope she got the one of you in your blue sweater," I mocked. "Really brings out your eyes."

"What's with the baskets?" Jess asked.

Mom and Rory looked at him in simultaneous shock.

"Only one of the most important festivals in Stars Hollow," Mom gasped.

"Bid On A Basket," Rory explained. "Women fill a picnic basket with lunch, the men bid. We then eat lunch."

"Here's yours, Ava," my mother handed me a huge basket.

"What am I supposed to put in here?" I scowled. "Look at Rory's nice and little one!"

"I hear you're supposed to put lunch in there," Jess said ever so helpfully. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Next time you can come shopping with us," Mom said. "Come on."

"Where?" I asked warily.

"Mommy daughters time," she said. I cast Jess a desperate look as I left with Mom and Rory.

"You know what's wonderful about this festival?" Mom asked us as we made our way with our baskets into town.

"No, what?" Rory asked.

"That it always falls on the day after trash day," she grinned. "Therefore, all the stuff you'd usually be stuck with for another whole week you can instead put in a pretty basket and auction off for charity."

"That is wonderful," Rory replied.

"What's up with you, missy?" Mom asked me as Lane arrived to explain her overly complicated plan to have her official first date with Henry.

"What?"

"You're awfully quiet," she said. "Still dreaming of that dashing young man?"

"I was just thinking of who Miss Patty will pick to be my new stepdaddy," I responded innocently.

Mom narrowed her eyes. "Demon child."

We set our baskets down just in time for the auction to begin.

"So, is Dean ready for five year old Doritos?" I asked Rory, having taken a peek in hers before we'd left.

"I love him, therefore he's well aware to eat lunch first," she said as the auction began. "Who do you think will bid for you?"

"Probably Mom," I said, grateful our mother was distracted chatting with the people next to us. "Or as I call her, Ultra Cling."

"Stop," Rory said. "You know she's just trying to fix things between you."

I remained silent, knowing Rory couldn't understand.

Rory's basket was up next, quickly and easily won by Dean.

Ever the cutesy couple, the pair smiled at each other goofily as they headed to receive the basket.

"Now we've got another nice and big basket here," Taylor approved.

"Oh, mine," I realised.

"How about five dollars?" Taylor offered.

"Five dollars," Kirk called.

Mom and I exchanged startled looks.

"Not again," I groaned. Kirk had bid on me last year. Let's just say I knew more about his mother's digestive issues than I'd ever wanted to know.

"Ten," a voice called from the back of the crowd.

"Twenty," Kirk said.

I managed to curve around the crowd and saw, much to my surprise, that it was Jess who had bid on me.

"Thirty," Jess countered, not looking at me.

"Fifty!" Kirk declared, but at Jess' raised eyebrow and slightly threatening look, quickly added, "Withdrawn!"

"Okay…" Taylor said. "Thirty dollars going once, thirty dollars going twice… sold to the nice young hoodlum in the back for thirty dollars."

"Well, well, would you look at that," Mom said knowingly.

"Not a big deal," I shrugged.

"Look who bought your basket," she continued with a teasing tone.

"My friend who just saved me from Kirk, that's who," I said, heading through the crowd. I bumped into Rory and Dean on the way.

"Hey," Rory said, with the same teasing tone as Mom. "Wanna double date?"

"Not a date," I clarified, but it was no use. Most people in the town thought we were dating (Miss Patty and Babette especially liked to ask me 'how the little hoodlum kisses') but I'd never really thought much of it. It was easier being friends with Jess, in any case.

"I gotta tell you, of all the nutty, barn raising shindigs this town can cook up, this one wasn't half bad," Jess grinned as I walked up to him.

"You heard me refer to this as being bidden on like I'm a piece of meat, didn't you?" I said.

"Hey now, you could have been Kirk's piece of meat," he said.

"Smart ass," I said, unable to stop the smile on my face.

"So shall we?" he asked, lifting the basket.

We automatically headed to the bridge. If I didn't meet him at Luke's, we met at the bridge. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes just to escape the parental figures in our lives at the same time.

"I like this place," Jess said thoughtfully as we sat down.

"Wow, first the festival and now the bridge?" I said in awe. "Is Stars Hollow actually growing on you?"

"Like you're not as desperate to leave as I am," Jess said with a roll of his eyes. "But it's got some good memories."

"Sure," I agreed. "Like when Luke pushed you in."

He laughed. It wasn't often I managed to get a laugh out of the king of surliness, so I was a little pleased with myself.

"So why'd you do it?" I asked.

"Do what?" Jess asked, playing dumb.

"Uh, bid for me when the whole town already thinks we're together?" I said. "Ring a bell?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Started as a joke just to bug Kirk, like when I switch him back and forth from decaf to regular at Luke's. Then I thought, I can't actually leave you to have lunch with Kirk."

"What a hero," I said sarcastically.

"I try," Jess said with false modesty.

"If Miss Patty and Babette start talking about what a cute little rebel couple we make, you can deal with them," I said.

"Cute little rebel couple?" he smirked. "Please tell me you made that up."

"I wish to God I had," I said. I looked at the lake, pondering. "I can always throw you in the lake. Maybe that'd keep them off my back."

"It's cathartic, I hear," Jess said.

"Maybe in a little bit," I considered.

"Whenever," he said. "Maybe next time Ultra Cling won't give you a break and instead of breaking your best pencils you could throw me in."

I laughed. "Sure."

"So when do we open this thing?" he asked.

I opened it, revealing two thermoses lying at the bottom of the oversized basket.

"Wow, there are so many choices," he said sarcastically.

"Hey, I didn't slave baking for you," I retorted.

"Or anyone, apparently," he replied.

"Hey, consider yourself lucky," I said. "If you got Mom or Rory, you'd be eating food cleaned out from the darkest corners of the refrigerator and cupboards," I leaned over and opened the nearest thermos, handing it to Jess. "With me, you at least you get coffee."

It was so easy to sit with Jess, sipping coffee and talking about books. I'd never clicked with someone like I had with him. Mom was trying to connect with me, but it was an effort. It was so… effortless when it came to Jess Mariano.

"Ten?" Jess said incredulously.

"Yeah, but only because I saw Rory had read it so I convinced myself I had to too," I admitted. "Reveal this to anyone and you die, but I actually didn't understand it until I reread it when I was fourteen."

"I've yet to make it through it," Jess said.

"Try it," I advised. "The Fountainhead may be a struggle, but it's worth it."

"Yeah, but Ayn Rand is a political nut," he argued.

"I'll give you that," I conceded. "But nobody could write a forty page monologue the way that she could."

"Okay, tomorrow I will try again, and you will…"

I groaned. "Please don't make me try Ernest Hemingway again."

"A deal's a deal," he said. "Rand for Hemingway."

"Fine," I said dramatically.

"You know, Ernest has only lovely things to say about you," he said. I went silent at that, and he looked at me curiously. "What's up?"

There had always been something between us that neither of us had acknowledged. I liked him more than I should for someone was fast becoming my best friend. But I couldn't admit that, not to him.

The last thing I wanted was to ruin our friendship over something that wouldn't last. That was a Lorelai move, it definitely wasn't an Ava move.

"Sometimes I'm glad you came here," I said softly. "That's all."

Jess nodded thoughtfully. "Wanna know a secret?"

"Sure," I said.

"You're the only thing that makes this town bearable," he said, and my heart skipped a beat. Our faces were so close, I hadn't realised he had leaned in to me to admit that until I looked over at him. His eyes looked into mine, and I looked away.

Is a kiss worth losing your best friend over?

An awkward silence fell over us.

"Okay, I'm officially starving," Jess declared. "Come on. I'll get you a pizza. My treat."

"Pepperoni?" I suggested.

"My kind of girl," he grinned, and just like that we fell back into our usual, effortless routine. As I walked behind him off the bridge, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I had kissed Jess. As he turned back to me, with a comment about Hemingway, I was reminded of what a good friend he was.

We were better off this way, right?

I walked into my house later than I'd thought. Jess and I took longer than expected in the bookstore we found ourselves in after our pepperoni pizza, due to a lengthy debate on whether I should buy another Hemingway novel since he was so convinced I would become a fan.

I was sad to say I lost that argument, if I only so I could bargain him into reading 'old fashioned chick lit' – his awful way to describe Jane Austen.

"Where have you been?" Mom asked from the couch, putting down a magazine. "I thought Taylor auctioned you off to the highest bidder."

"No, we just went and got pizza," I said, looking through my bag of books. "And bought out the bookstore. You know, the usual."

"We?"

"What?" I asked, distracted as I looked at the back cover of a book I'd found in the bargain bin that Jess had dared me to buy.

"Pizza, book buying," Mom said. "Did you have company?"

"Me and Jess," I said, looking at her suspiciously. "You know, you saw him buy my basket."

I headed into my bedroom, sitting on my bed and going to sort through the books I'd just bought. However, Ultra Cling had other ideas.

"So how was the picnic?" Mom asked, appearing at my door.

"Fine," I said.

"Good," she nodded. "So how is it with Jess?"

"Fine," I said.

"Obviously," she said. "With the pizza and the book… So good. I'm glad."

"What?" I said, getting annoyed. She was acting weird but I wasn't sure why. After all, she was always the first to tease me about Jess, thinking Miss Patty and Babette's questions were hilarious.

"What, what?"

"You're being weird," I said flatly. "Out with it, what aren't you saying?"

"I have nothing to say," Mom scoffed. "I never have anything to say."

"Yes, that's my experience of you for the past seventeen years," I said suspiciously.

"You guys are just getting very close, that's all," she said.

"That isn't news, Mom," I said. "I've been friends with Jess for a while now."

"He just doesn't seem like the nicest kid," she said. This really pissed me off. Where was this coming from?

"You don't know him," I snapped. "You're just judging him by when he came here for dinner, which isn't fair. He got forced to come here, he was mad at his mom and for good reason. He's been a really good friend, okay?"

"A friend? Are you sure that's all he's after?"

"Excuse me?" I said incredulously.

"I don't know, from the things I've seen and things I hear…"

"What? Is he making out with all these girls I don't know about?" I returned.

"It's not about that," Mom insisted. "It's about the vandalism, the stealing, the cutting school, the fighting."

"You've been teasing me for months about Jess," I said. "And now you're going all concerned mother on me about this guy I'm just friends with by the way!"

"I didn't think you two were that close," she said. "I thought it was just a bit of a joke. But from what everyone is saying…"

"Oh great, believe the whole town over your own daughter," I snapped.

"Ava, this is about me being concerned that you're hanging out with someone who could get you hurt," she said.

"How could Jess get me hurt?" I said angrily. "Jess has been nothing but good to me, Mom. But hey, if you wanna believe what everyone is saying, then I'm back to being the dumb twin."

"Hey! Entirely different situation, and I have never thought you were dumb," she yelled, then took a breath. "Look, in the short time he's been here, Jess has managed to make a lot of enemies."

"I'm sorry, is this Salem? Oh, yeah, you sound like that town meeting when they were sharpening their pitchforks to kick Jess out of town!"

"I'm just concerned about you," she said. "You're young and naïve and even though you like to come across all mocking, you have a soft side and some people might take advantage of that."

"What, like Jess?" I scowled.

"I've known guys like Jess," she said, as if her years of dating uniquely qualified her to talk about Jess, somebody she didn't truly know. Not like I did. "He seems cool because he's got this dangerous vibe and this problem with authority and he's seen a lot of Sylvester Stallone movies."

"You think we're friends because he has a dangerous vibe?" I yelled. "Are you out of your mind? You have no idea what we talk about, what we have in common and what's different about us. He's pretty much my best friend. And if he were a girl, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Girl or not, he's going to get into trouble," Mom persisted. "Which, if you keep hanging out with him, gets you into trouble. I don't want you to get into trouble."

"You don't know him!"

"I've been there, okay? You haven't."

"Been where?" I snapped. "I will say this for the millionth time: he is my friend. This is none of your business. And even if for some reason we got together, it would still be none of your business."

"Ava –"

"Just get out," I said, suddenly tired. "This is going in circles. Your concern is noted. It's just not necessary."

"So do you know what the hell is up with Mom?"

I finally cracked and asked Rory the next day just exactly what Mom's problem was. She'd been teasing one minute, and then panicked the next.

Rory looked at me in surprise. "You actually want to know?"

Granted, I usually didn't ask her opinion on stuff like this. Or anything really, other than books.

"She's literally gone crazy," I said. "Lorelai translate for me?"

She sighed, putting her homework down. "I think she's only just realised how close you guys are, and it's freaking her out."

"It shouldn't," I said stubbornly. "I can be his friend if I want to. Though on the plus side, she's finally stopped being clingy. So maybe this is a win."

"Ava," Rory sighed.

"Rory," I mimicked.

"Maybe you should try and talk to her," she said.

"Maybe she should mind her own business," I retorted.

Friday Night Dinner came around once again, and once again, Mom and I were in the middle of a fight. Rory wisely remained quiet, not wanting to trigger another argument.

Grandma was talking about something to do with Grandpa and a cigar club as I picked at my food.

"Sorry, am I boring you?" Grandma finally demanded at our silence.

"No, you're not," Mom shook her head.

"Sorry, Grandma," Rory said.

I remained quiet.

"This isn't about your scores again, Ava?" Grandma asked. "Because they really were wonderful scores. We're all very proud of you."

"Thanks, Grandma," I said.

"So how are things at the Inn?" she asked Mom.

"Fine, the same," Mom said.

"Rory, how's that boyfriend of yours?"

"He's great," she beamed and I couldn't help but stab at my food. Mom liked Dean. But she couldn't even accept my friendship with Jess. "He's got a big date night planned tomorrow I'm pretty excited about."

"Wonderful," our grandmother smiled. "How about you, Ava? Any boys caught your eye?"

"Happily single," I said, purposely not looking at my mother.

"Alright, what's going on?" Grandma demanded.

"Nothing, they're fine," Rory assured her.

"They? Of course, there's a fight going on between your mother and Ava," she deduced.

"I'm not," Mom said.

"Please," I scoffed.

"Please, what?" Mom said. "You're the one who's been freezing me out all week."

"I just like to stay out of other people's business," I snapped, grabbing my beeping pager from my bag.

"Who is it?" Mom, the ever nosy one, asked.

"No one," I said with annoyance.

"Why won't you tell me who?"

"Because it's none of your business," I reminded her sweetly.

"Is it Jess?" she asked.

"Jess? Who's Jess?" Grandma asked.

"He's a friend of mine," I said to her.

"Luke's nephew," Rory clarified.

"It's not Jess anyway," I said. "It's Emily from the newspaper. You want to read it or will the newspaper also lead me down a dark and troubling path to danger?"

"That's not funny, you know all week –"

"We're not going to talk about this again," I said. "Concern noted. Moving on, please."

"Talking about what?" Grandma persisted. "Is it about this Jess, the thing you're not talking about?"

"You didn't like Dean originally, now he's the golden boy," I said.

"I didn't know him," Mom said.

"And now you don't like Jess?"

"That's because I know him," she said.

"No, you really don't," I argued.

"Are you dating Jess?" Grandma asked. "I thought you were happily single not five minutes ago."

"I'm not dating Jess," I said. "Again, we are just friends."

"For now," Mom said. "He has his eye on Ava and he's trouble."

"He is not trouble," I said, rolling my eyes. "And I can look after myself, thank you."

"Yes, he is," Mom insisted.

"Ava, if your mother thinks this boy isn't appropriate company for you, then you need to listen to her," Grandma lectured.

"There, thank you, Mom."

I glared at them both, and got up. "Excuse me, all this delightful judgement of a boy neither of you actually know has left me without an appetite."

I went into Grandpa's library, slamming the door behind me. I spun around in his chair angrily. Once I'd calmed down, I called Emily, who wanted to double check something about my latest article.

I'd just hung up the phone when Mom knocked on the library door.

"Can I come in?" she asked as she walked in.

"Well, clearly I can't stop you," I said. "That was Emily on the phone. Did you want me to hit redial so I can prove it wasn't Jess?"

"Just listen to me for one second, okay?"

Unwillingly, I swivelled the chair to face her. "Yes?"

"I don't want to lock you up and throw away the key," she said.

"I'm glad?" I said, wondering where this was going.

"We've had problems recently, and a lot of that has to do with the fact we've drifted apart, a lot like your grandma and I did," Mom explained. "So I'm sorry that just as we were making progress, I didn't trust your judgement. I just… I got spooked."

"Spooked?" I asked, trying to connect the dots.

"Spooked about you and Jess," she said. "I know it violates the fabulous cool mom clause we're supposed to have going, but I did and I'm sorry."

"Really?" I said, taken aback. I was expecting a lot more war after how angry we'd gotten at each other during our fight.

"Really," she nodded. "Now I am concerned about Jess. Relationship or not."

"You shouldn't be," I interrupted.

"But I am," she shrugged. "Simple as that. However, I do trust you. It's just I've never seen you really like someone this much before. I don't want you to get hurt. He has a reputation, but the fact he likes you does give him a couple of brownie points."

"A least a couple," I agreed.

"You're not a little kid," she said. "If you think he's a decent guy, I have to respect your judgement."

"Good," I said. "Thank you."

"But I'm asking you to be careful," she said. "Really careful. Boy in the plastic bubble kind of careful."

"Mom, just friends," I reminded her.

"Oh kid, then maybe you need to more careful than you realise," she said. "Because the way Jess looks at you, he's not looking at one of his buddies."

"So, fight over?" I asked, eager to change the subject.

"Fight over," she nodded. "And as a bonus, I'll even try to stop the Ultra Cling."

I looked at her, a little horrified. "I'm going to kill Rory."

"Cut her some slack, she was trying to create peace," she said as we headed out of the library.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "You don't look okay."

Mom paused for dramatic effect. "My mother agreed with me tonight."

"I'm so sorry," I said, trying to hide my smirk.

"Thank you, I appreciate that."

"I need a shower!"

"Don't be so dramatic," Rory said to Mom.

"'I agree with you 100%'," Mom mimicked Grandma.

"Go upstairs," Rory ordered.

"Find a movie, I'll be down in a minute," Mom said. "Ava you in?"

"Uh, yeah, I just need to do something first," I said. "Rory, pick the movie?"

"Sure," she said, and I quickly grabbed the phone as I headed into my room. I dialled the number, wondering if I should.

"Hello?" Jess answered.

"Hi," I said, hoping he didn't find it weird. We didn't really talk on the phone. But I kind of just needed to hear his voice.

"Hi," he responded, sounding more alert when he realised it was me.

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing, you?"

"Nothing," I answered.

"Why'd you call?"

"I, uh, wanted to…"

"I'm glad you called," he interrupted, and his tone made me think of what Mom had said. He didn't look at me as one of his buddies.

"Let me guess," I said, feeling more at ease. "Want to bitch on The Fountainhead?"

"You know me so well," he said. "Can you possibly explain what this crazy woman is talking about?"

"I am a leading expert on crazy women," I mused. "Look, just try one more time and if it's still awful for you, I will suffer through the second Hemingway you made me buy."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," he said.

For all my convincing myself he was just a friend, it was moments like this where I couldn't pretend to myself that there wasn't a little more to my feelings for Jess than I wanted there to be.