The Rory Bridge

"Can I join you?" Rory said, mirroring my sadness. "Please… Misery does love company after all."

"Okay," I said.

Rory sat down on the bridge, leaving about three feet in between us.

"So," I asked, "why are you miserable?"

"You know how on scary movies when someone is talking to someone else on the phone and suddenly the phone goes dead?" Rory said.

"Not really," I replied truthfully, "but I guess I know what you mean."

"Well that's what happened to me," Rory said sadly. "I don't even know if they are okay."

"Why don't you just call them back?" I asked her confused, it seemed like the logical thing to do.

"I can't," Rory said sadly. "I guess you could say that I don't have their number."

"Hmm," I said thinking about it. "I'm sure they're okay."

"Yeah," Rory agreed. "You're probably right."

"So who are they?" I asked her curiously. "Are they your boyfriend?"

"No," Rory said as she blushed. I smirked. "They're just a really great friend."

"Okay," I replied and she blushed again.

"So?" Rory asked me. "Why are you miserable?"

"I only found out I was moving yesterday," I told her. "So I didn't exactly get to say goodbye to everyone."

"Oh," Rory said sadly, "that must suck. So no one knows you're here?"

"Only my mom and Uncle Luke," I told her.

"So that's why you were on the computer," Rory said, suddenly realizing. "You were trying to get in contact with someone."

"Yeah," I answered. "They weren't online… They should've been online."

"They will be," Rory said and she shifted her body subconsciously, so she was facing me. "So, how do you like Stars Hollow? It must be different from New York."

"Yeah," I answered sadly. "I only saw one park here, but I did find this bridge."

"My bridge," Rory corrected.

"Excuse me?" I asked her confused.

"It's my bridge," Rory said and I looked at her like she was insane because she was. You couldn't own a bridge. "Move your butt," Rory said and I reluctantly got up after glaring at her. The move, however, did give me a chance to shove her copy of Howl into my back pocket without her seeing it.

"Huh," I said as I bent down and read the tiny plaque. "The Rory Bridge… That's original."

"I know right," Rory said annoyed. "Do you have a knife on you?"

"What?" I asked confused as I sat back down, a little closer to her this time.

"A knife?" Rory said again. "You know they cut things."

"I know what knives are," I said. "Do I look like a guy that carries a knife around?"

"I don't know," Rory replied. "No one else comes here… and I don't really want to be caught carrying a knife around Stars Hollow."

"Why do you want a knife?" I asked her. She didn't want to kill herself did she, oh god.

"To pry that stupid plaque off," Rory told me. Oh.

"Here." I handed her a small switchblade out of my pocket. "Go crazy."

"Why do you have a knife on you, Jess?" Rory asked me playfully as she fiddled with the knife. "Ah, Jess… How do you? …Where's the blade?"

"Here." I took the knife off her and pulled it open. "Now, don't cut your fingers off… If you do I'm taking it straight back off you."

"Why bother?" Rory asked confused. "You think after I cut one finger I'm going to go back and cut the others."

"Maybe," I answered as she tried to pry the little metal plaque off. "How do I know you're not a perfectionist?"

"A perfectionist," Rory questioned confused, still trying to get it off.

"Yeah," I said, "if you cut one finger off what you are going to do with the others? A perfectionist would want them all to be the same proportion."

"That's stupid," Rory said as she gave up. "Who in their right mind would do that?"

"Lots of people," I said as I grabbed the knife off her. "You'd be surprised," I added as I pried the plaque off in one go.

"How'd you do that?" Rory asked amazed as I handed her the plaque.

"It's all in the wrist," I said as I pocketed my switchblade. "So, what are you going to do with it?"

"This," Rory said as she leaned back and threw it into the lake, with a little too much force I might add, she started to go in after it.

"Watch it," I said as I grabbed her before she fell into the water. "Geez you must've really hated that plaque."

"You have no idea," Rory muttered. "Thanks for saving me."

"Sure," I replied. Now we were closer than before, our sides were touching. "You would've done the same for me," I said.

"Jess?" Rory asked, staring at my face curiously… It started making me feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah."

"Are you wearing make up?" she asked me.

"No," I quickly replied.

"Really?" Rory said as she touched my face. "You are," she exclaimed as she wiped some off. "Why are you wearing makeup? …Oh," she said as she uncovered one of my many bruises.

"It's nothing," I replied, turning my head away from her embarrassed.

"Why are you wearing make up to cover your bruises?" Rory asked me.

"I didn't want Uncle Luke to think I was some kind of… hooligan," I told her.

"But you are a hooligan," Rory said amused. "Taylor was practically shouting it from the rooftop when I passed him earlier."

"Taylor?" I said. "I don't even know a Taylor."

"He's the town selectman," Rory explained. "So how'd you get that bruise?"

"A swan," I lied.

"Really?" she asked, trying to figure out whether or not I was lying.

"Sure," I replied. Lying was easier. I wasn't going to lay all of my problems on this poor girl. "It beaked me right in the eye."

"Beaked you?"

"Sure," I replied as I turned away from her.

"Hey, Jess," Rory said and I turned back around. Rory splashed my face with water, effectively washing all my make up off.

"Great," I mumbled as I wipe my face on my shirt. I heard Rory breathe in sharply and I realized that my shirt must've ridden up a fair bit by my actions. I smirked as I pulled my shirt down quickly.

"So," Rory said shakily. I loved having this effect on her. "So, did you do your own make up?" she asked me trying not to laugh.

"Yep," I answered truthfully. "I nicked it from the store on the corner."

"Oh," Rory said, taken slightly aback. "Well, that does make it manlier... I guess."

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically.

"There's no way a swan did all that to you," Rory said as she looked at my heavily bruised face. "What'd you do… get hit by a car."

"Taxi," I corrected her. "They're just everywhere. I got clipped by one and hit my face on the road."

"Ow," Rory said, a painful expression on her face. "I bet that hurt."

"Not really," I replied. "Hurt my pride more than anything else."

"Well we can't have that," Rory said, smiling at me.

"No, we can't," I replied, smiling back.

"So?" Rory said. "Will you be using my computer again?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Well, as long as it's alright with you."

"Its fine."

"It just until I can get my laptop fixed," I told her.

"Oh," Rory said, disappointment in her voice.

"So?" I asked Rory hopefully. "Do you know anyone in this town that can fix a computer?"

"Sure," Rory answered amused. "Kirk, Kirk Gleason, he's your man … he can fix anything."

"Thanks," I replied sincerely. I couldn't help but feel as though Rory had an ulterior motive here… but who cares, my precious laptop was getting fixed. "So, where can I find this Kirk Gleason?"

"The diner," Rory answered. "He's always there… I'll take you now."

"Thanks," I replied happily, jumping up.

"Excited much?" Rory asked me as she got up excruciatingly slow.

"Come on," I pleaded her. "This is important."

"I'm moving, I'm moving," Rory said, but she didn't match her strides with mine, so once again I was forced to slow down. "Anyone would think you're going to talk to your girlfriend," Rory said, picking up her speed a little.

"Maybe I am," I answered back smartly.

"Really?" Rory asked. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Maybe, a potential girlfriend, well, as long as I can get my laptop fixed."

"Okay," Rory said, her mood brightening, "and how'd you break your computer?"

"Dropped it," I lied. "I just hope it can be fixed."

"Oh, don't worry," Rory said amused. "Kirk can fix anything… he fixed my mom's car once."

"What about you dad?" I asked her and her face dropped.

"He's out of the picture," Rory said sadly.

"Well, his loss," I said trying to make her feel better.

"Yeah," she agreed, her mood brightening. "Race you to the diner," Rory said as she took off.

"Wait, Rory," I pleaded as I chased after her. "I don't know where to go."

It didn't take long until we were back in town and I could see the diner in sight. I sped up, but Rory still beat me to the door.

"Rory," I heard Lorelai scold as I made my way into the diner. "What have I told you about running?"

"That Gilmores don't run," Rory answered.

"Good girl," Lorelai said. "So why were you running, and from Jess I might add?"

"I don't know," Rory said. "It seemed like a good idea at the time… God what is that? …My stomach feels like I just got stabbed… Jess, you stabbed me didn't you?" Rory accused.

"It's called a stomach cramp," Luke told her.

"See," Lorelai said. "That's why we don't run. Have you learned your lesson?"

"Yes," Rory said as she collapsed on a stool at the counter.

"Good girl," Lorelai said.

"So where's Kirk?" I asked Rory.

"There," Rory said, pointing to some random guy sitting by the window.

"Why do you want to talk to Kirk?" Lorelai asked me.

"Rory told me that he could help fix my computer," I said, before heading over to Kirk's table.

"But Kirk doesn't-" Lorelai protested.

"Kirk," Rory said, cutting off her mother. "You can fix anything right?"

"Yes," Kirk answered. "Well within reason… I doubt I'd be able to fix a rocket, I'm not a rocket scientist you know."

"Great," I told him. A laptop's gotta be easy to fix compared to a rocket. "Can you fix my computer for me?"

"Sure," Kirk said, "but I do charge… Although, if I don't fix it, or if it somehow gets back to you worse than when I got it, you don't have to pay for anything."

"Sounds good," I told him. "I'll just grab it."

I ran up the stairs and into the apartment. I'd finally found someone to fix my computer and hopefully Kirk could fix it before tomorrow. I really needed to get my angel's address before I made any connections here.

I couldn't wait to talk to my angel again. Even though I had Rory, who seemed surprisingly easy to talk to and was somehow suffering like me, she could never replace my angel… no one could.