A/N: I'm not sure about this one, but it's been in my head since the last 'Our Little Corner...' collection, specifically #9 'Into The Valley', after which a couple of people asked me who the teacher was that 14 year old Jack bumped into and received a glare from. Here's your answer, folks!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

6. Some Kind of Jerk - 15th November 2019

Jack couldn't figure out what the problem was. It wasn't as if he excelled at sports and he was never going to be the jock type, but he did okay when it came to hitting a ball or running a distance, well enough to be in the middle of the class where nobody ought to notice him. Unfortunately, somehow, he seemed to have got the attention of the gym teacher (who was also the basketball coach) and there was just no avoiding it.

"At first, I thought I was imagining it. Y'know, being paranoid, because maybe the guy glares at everybody that way when he passes them in the hall," he told Alex and Martha when they sat together at lunch. "But its more than that. It's like he hates me and I have no idea why."

"Why would he hate you? He doesn't even know you" said Martha, frowning hard. "And if he did know you, I can't imagine what he wouldn't like about you."

"It's not like you completely suck at sports" said Alex thoughtfully. "I can imagine a basketball coach getting pretty pissed at one of those skinny asthmatic kids that can't even throw or whatever, but you do okay."

"That's what I thought," Jack agreed. "I don't excel, but I don't suck either. I've always been middle of the road in gym, which is great because nobody really notices I'm there. At least until now."

"Did you try asking Davey about him?" asked Martha then, biting down hard on another carrot stick.

"I did, but this is a new teacher," Jack told her. "He replaced Coach Jenkins mid-semester last Spring when the old guy had a heart attack. Davey said he really doesn't know him."

"No point in my asking my brother," said Alex. "Danny is not the jock type. Man, he is living it up as a Senior though."

Martha rolled her eyes at his attitude.

"All you wanted for the last couple of years is to get into high school, and now you're here, you're still not happy."

"C'mon, Mar, you gotta admit, being a Freshman is not cool. We're back to being the bottom of the food chain."

"That's not even his problem," Jack told Martha, almost as if Alex wasn't even there. "He thought he'd be, and I quote 'swimming in chicks' by now. Apparently, the ladies are not responding to the Tramos charm as easily for Alex as they do for Danny."

"Sometimes I hate my brother," said Alex dramatically. "Seriously, he has way too much luck."

Martha concentrated on her food and tried not to smile. She didn't hate that Alex was having trouble scoring a date, though she wasn't about to admit that right now.

"So, what are you going to do about the coach?" she asked Jack instead. "You can't spend the next four years being singled out that way."

"I don't know," her best friend said with a sigh. "Part of me thinks just be a man and ask what the problem is. It's what my dad would've done when he was here, but I'm not that guy."

"Well, maybe ask your dad for different advice, something that works for you" Alex suggested. "Jess is a cool guy as far as father's go, he's gonna wanna help you out, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey, son. How was school?" asked Jess as Jack came over to the counter and hopped up onto a stool.

"Not bad, but also not good," he admitted, sighing heavily. "Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Anything," Jess reminded him, stopping his tidying and cleaning a moment and giving Jack his full attention. "What's on your mind?"

Jack felt kind of silly now that the moment came to tell his dad about this. He was fourteen years old, a Freshman in high school, and he was about to tell his father that some mean old teacher at school was bothering him. It seemed so pathetic. Still, he had always been able to tell his dad anything up to now, and was never made to feel dumb.

"Jack? C'mon, buddy, whatever it is, it's cool"

He smiled at that, he couldn't help it. His dad really was pretty cool about almost everything. It wouldn't be such a big deal to tell him that a teacher was bothering him.

"I's not much, it's just... my gym teacher" Jack explained at last. "He hates me, or at least he really doesn't like me and I have no idea why"

"You try asking him?" asked Jess.

"No," admitted Jack, shaking his head. "Is that what you would've done?"

"No," said Jess definitely, smirking hard. "It's what your mom would've done, probably. Me, I'd've figured if he's going to treat my like a problem, I'd start acting like one," he said honestly, "but following what I would've done at your age is not the way to excel. You know any reason why the guy wouldn't like you?" he asked, leaning his forearms on the counter so he was at his son's level.

"Not really," Jack considered. "I try hard. You know I'm not really sports guy. I haven't said or done anything to make him mad, it was just like from Day One Coach Presby decided he hates me."

He wasn't looking at his dad when he said it, so Jack missed the look that came over his face at that moment. It was one of shock and distaste, that was for sure.

"Coach, what?"

"Presby," Jack repeated, frowning now that he realised how mad his father looked.

"Chuck Presby."

"That's his first name?"

"Yeah, and the guy is a jerk," Jess exploded. "A huge one. Bigger than I thought apparently. Well, he's not gonna be any more, Jack, not with you, okay?"

He said it with such authority, Jack was not going to argue, not for a second.

"Okay," he agreed, "but why do I feel like I just turned over two pages at once?"

"It's fine," Jess assured him, literally waving away Jack's concern, even as he started to pace a little behind the counter. "It's just... We have history, nothing for you to worry about. You leave this to me and your mom, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Dad."

"Chuck Presby is the new gym teacher at Stars Hollow High?"

Rory looked as stunned as Jess had felt when he told her the news.

"Apparently," he said, nodding his head. "Can you believe that? Why would they employ that jerk?"

"Well, he is a local guy and I guess they were pretty desperate when Coach Jenkins had his heart attack," Rory considered, even as she watched Jess pace up and down the living room. "Wow, he was always such a... a jerk."

"I know," Jess agreed, "and now he's making Jack's life miserable, because of us."

"Us?" Rory echoed, shaking her head, getting up to stop her husband in his tracks. "Hold on a second, I always knew Chuck was a jerk and that you two didn't get along, but why would he have a problem with me?" she asked, completely in earnest.

Jess looked at her confused face and couln't help but smile. She was so adorable when in earnest of things that ought to be so clear to her.

"Ror, what do you think me and him used to fight over in school?"

She opened her mouth as if she were going to answer him with her best guess, then closed it again fast when she saw the look on his face. The light dawned in her head. It had all been about her.

"No! Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," Jess confirmed without pause. "He had a real hate for Forester, which I thought'd mean we'd get along great, but it turns out he just didn't want anybody near you. He really liked you," he explained, "so I'm thinking any kid you have with me? Not going to be his favourite student."

"That's crazy," Rory gasped, "and so wrong!"

"You got that right"

Jess watched several emotions cross his wife's face and then suddenly her eyes hardened. She may be flattered to know she had another admirer, sad that her son was getting picked on, frustrated by a teacher that was behaving so badly, but mostly right now, she was just mad. Rory did a good Momma Bear routine when people messed with her babies, and right now, she was royally pissed.

"You think he's still over there?" she said, hiking her thumb back towards the door, presumably indicating Stars Hollow High.

"They have practices after school so maybe" Jess considered.

"Let's go," said Rory, grabbing her husband's hand and heading for the door. "I'm going to give that jerk a piece of my mind!"

Jess stopped her at the porch and pulled on her hand so she turned into him. He was smiling, confusing Rory who could only feel anger right now.

"What?"

"You are beautiful when you're angry" said Jess, glad to see her smile and blush at the same time.

Rory spared him a single breif kiss on the lips, that was all.

"Save it for after, tough guy," she told him teasingly before turning serious in a moment, "and please, whatever happens, do not hit Chuck!"

Jess said nothing, just set off walking, his hand around Rory's own. He hadn't promised and she wasn't sure she trusted him to not get fist happy in a situation like this. Honestly, Rory wasn't quite sure she trusted herself.

"Jess..." she said, trying to get his attention. "Promise me," she insisted.

"Okay, I promise," he agreed grudgingly, "unless he hits me first," he added, giving her a look.

Rory smiled back at him.

"Deal."