April 28th

"Jess where were you? Rory said she couldn't find you after last period. If you're skipping school again, I swear-"

"I'm not, relax," Jess cut his uncle off abruptly as he walked into the house, "I just had some things to take care of after school and I didn't have time to wait for Rory to tell her."

"What sort of 'things' could have possibly been so important that you couldn't spare a minute to let someone know you wouldn't be home until after seven? Come on Jess, we were worried."

"It's not important, I'm sorry I worried you, I'll let you know next time, okay?" He promised, attempting to push past his uncle towards his room, but Luke was making it difficult. Eventually he succeeded, although his uncle was hot on his tail.

"Oh no Bud, that's not going to fly," the man informed shaking his head, "I want to know where you were tonight and neither of us are leaving this room until you tell me."

Jess sighed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling before licking his lips and returning his gaze to his uncle, "I went to a job interview."

"A job interview?" Luke brought his hand up to his ear as if he was hearing wrong, "Gee, I didn't know the diner was so terrible that you're seeking other employment. You're messing with me right?"

"Well, actually, first I had a meeting with the guidance counsellor to see about a scholarship, but apparently the Gilmore's have already sent in the first cheque and Chilton now thinks we have the money. They said they need to save the scholarships for kids who actually need it," Jess rolled his eyes.

"You had a meeting with your guidance counsellor?"

"Is that really the part you're stuck on with that whole speech!? Yes me, and I hope you're happy that it was all for nothing since you didn't think to talk to us about the money issue before the Gilmores."

Luke sighed, "Jess we have talked this subject to death, it's not that big a deal."

It hadn't taken the kids too long to knock it out of the parents exactly why they were made to leave the room at the Gilmore mansion, and as soon as they found out what their parents had done they had both been quite vocal about their displeasure.

"It is a big deal, which is why I went to McDonald's straight after my meeting."

"McDonald's?" Luke asked baffled.

"McDonald's hires fifteen-year-olds and since I can't get a scholarship I want to be able to contribute something more than the few hours I'm getting at the diner. I could work there on the nights I'm not at the diner, plus weekends."

Luke shook his head,"You're going to call them right now and tell them you're quitting."

"They haven't even hired me yet! And why should I?"

"You shouldn't be worrying about paying for your high school education Jess. There's a reason I give you the hours I do at the diner. You don't need to be working any more than that at your age. You know that's part of our deal. When do you plan on doing your schoolwork with those hours? Huh?"

"It's a better option than relying on the Gilmores," Jess huffed, averting his eyes as the conversation was obviously not going his way.

Luke closed his eyes and sighed, "Please trust that we are doing what's best, Bud. I know you don't like the arrangement we made, I know it's not ideal, but we will survive and your education is worth it. So will you please go back to putting your money towards more important thing? Like maybe that car you've been saving for," the uncle gave his nephew a knowing look and Jess' eyes flicked up.

"How did you-"

"Jess you're my kid, don't you think I know how your mind works?"

"I thought you would want me to save it for more important things," the boy admitted.

Luke only shrugged in return, "Well I do think you should be putting some of it aside for your future, but I don't see the harm in working towards a car too. Like you said, if you don't want to take the bus you're going to need one sooner than later."

Jess smiled with a slight nod.

"You're going to call McDonald's tomorrow and tell them you don't need the job anymore, okay?"

Jess sighed, knowing it was a lost cause, "Fine."

Luke nodded once, giving the boy a small small, "In a month when you're out of school we'll talk about giving you extra hours for the summer, sound fair?"

"Okay," Jess agreed. The extra hours would be a nice advance toward the car, "That would be good."

"Now it's nearly eight and I'm going to guess you haven't even started your homework yet, right?"

Jess rolled his eyes, "And just when I thought we were having a nice moment!"

Luke barked out a laugh as he turned to leave, "Get it done, nephew!"

April 29th

"You and Dean were awfully cozy today," Jess noted to his sister as they walked home from school. The siblings and Lane had been allowing Dean into their group at lunches the past few days and though Jess was trying for his sister, he still didn't exactly have the warm and fuzzies for the guy, especially when he and Lane had to sit and watch as the blossoming couple got a bit too mushy whenever they were together.

"We're just friends, Jess," Rory rolled her eyes as she did every time Jess brought up the subject.

"Huh, Lane and I sure don't giggle at each other as we converse, and yes you just made me use the word giggle, I hope you're happy."

She turned to the boy as they continued to walk, "Are you ever going to leave us be?"

"Are you ever going to admit that you like him?"

"Jess."

He sighed. As much as the guy bugged him, Jess knew that he would have to accept the fact that he was most likely going to be a part of his sister's life, and if he wanted to keep his relationship with Rory good, he was going to have to drop the snide remarks.

"Yes, sorry, okay? Do whatever you want with Dean and I'll keep my trap shut," he surrendered.

"And you'll try to be friends with him?"

"Rory," he mimicked her previous tone.

"He likes you, he told me."

"Oh gee, great. Maybe later we can hold hands and skip."

"Come on, Jess. Please."

Jess sighed as they reached their porch, "Fine, I will attempt to get along, I do let him sit with us at lunch if you haven't noticed."

"Yeah, and he's noticed your dagger eyes at him too."

He shrugged his head to the side, "Ok maybe I haven't been as subtle as I thought."

"You think!?"

They reached their yard as the door swung open forcibly.

"Heeeello children!" Lorelai sing-songed, stepping aside with a wide grin to allow the pair through the door.

"You're happy," Jess noted, grabbing an apple from the counter as Rory set her books down on her bed.

"I just got off the phone with my mother."

"I've never seen you this happy after getting off the phone with Grandma, Mom," Rory gave her a bewildered look, joining Jess at the table to start on her homework.

"Please tell me you guys had a big fight and she's refusing to give us any more money and therefore we get to can the whole 'Friday night dinner' deal before it begins?" Jess asked hopefully, already dreading the next night.

"Why would that make her happy?" Rory asked.

"It would make me happy," Jess answered with a shrug, biting into his apple.

"No, that is not what happened, but you're not too far off kid," Lorelai praised, bumping Jess' shoulder, "I did get us out of them for the time being!"

"How did you do that?" Rory questioned in disbelief, knowing how strong-willed her grandmother was.

"I simply called her and we talked," Lorelai shrugged.

"Mom."

"Okay, maybe not talked, yelled a bit, bickered, threatened. Then, I told her that the school had offered us a scholarship and maybe we didn't need her money after all."

"Mom! Way to lie!"

"I prefer little fib, dear daughter. It was for the greater good!"

"I'm guessing she didn't take that very well," Jess concluded.

"I explained to her that we weren't actually going to be using the money right away and she agreed that we didn't need to start the dinners until September... after she yelled a bit more, but that's beside the point," Lorelai waved her hand, "She didn't want to miss out on roping us into her deal, so she compromised. Well as much as my mother can compromise..."

"So were seriously out of it?" Jess smiled.

"For four months," Rory corrected.

"I'll take it for now," Jess sighed, his apple suddenly tasting better than it had a moment before.

"Amen," Lorelai agreed, "Now I say we wait for my lovely hubbie to come home and then go out to celebrate!"

"You know, that was pretty sneaky of you, Mom. If you don't watch out I would say you're starting to become a little bit like an older Gilmore girl we both know," Rory teased playfully.

"If you are trying to tell me I am like my mother you can forget the double scoop of ice-cream later tonight Missy!"

"Who said you were anything like your mother!?" Jess feigned shock, "If anything I'd say you're the furthest possible thing from her!"

"Ahh see that's the words of a boy who's going to get three scoops! Take notes Rory!"

Jess stuck his tongue out at Rory and she playfully smacked him as she shook her head, "Brown-noser!"

"Only if I get chocolate ice-cream and I miss my mouth."

"Why aren't bowling shoes in fashion outside the bowling ally, I'd wear them!"

After ordering everything off the menu at Al's Pancake World, even the pancakes surprisingly, which may have been a mistake, the small group, bellies too full, continued their celebration and found themselves at Stars Hollow's oldest (and only) bowling ally. The girls thought it would be a laugh, Luke had agreed if not only to give everyone a bit of exercise after the insane amount of food they had just put into their systems, and Jess only hoped that nobody from school would see them at quite possibly the lamest place in town.

"They are literally the most uncomfortable shoes on the planet," Jess grimaced at his step-aunt as he tied his rentals.

"Probably the leading caus of the world's foot fungus problem too," Luke agreed.

"Yes, but they're cute! Right Rory?"

"Sure, in a sign me up and put me in a league sort of way, all we need are some matching jerseys."

"Please, don't give her any ideas," Jess begged, standing up straight.

"Alright, what names do you all want to call yourselves for the score screen?" Lorelai questioned, filling out the card for the waiting attendant.

"How about 'Jess'," the boy rolled his eyes.

"Nooo, you have to have something cutesy! For example, I'll be... Pink Flamigo! Rory?"

"Ooh! I'll be Jean Louise!"

"As in Scout from 'To Kill A Mockingbird'?" Jess smirked at her.

"Maybe..." Rory shrugged, "I've been doing another read through!" she defended.

"Ok, Luke?" Lorelai moved on.

"Just Luke is fine," he sighed, knowing he was wasting his breath.

"Honestly, like uncle, like nephew," she shook her head, "Fine, DinerBoy1 and DinerBoy2. There," she sighed putting her pen down and handing the sheet to the person at the counter to put on the screen.

"You're up DinerBoy1," Lorelai announced, smacking his butt as he grumbled past her, causing him to go pink in the face.

"Hey doesn't that girl go to our school?"Rory questioned to Jess as Luke took his turn. Jess turned to see a girl with short bleach blonde hair accompanied by a few older boys that most certainly did not go to their school.

"Probably," Jess shrugged, "Great, we have a witness now."

"I sure hope those are her brothers," Lorelai commented with a concerned look that could only be reached by a mother, "She's too young to be hanging around with boys... men that old."

"Shane! You're up," Another girl called from their lane.

"Ugh," Rory groaned.

"What?" Jess rose his eyebrow.

"That's Lindsay Lister. She hangs out with Dean sometimes."

He looked over at a slightly taller, slightly longer haired blonde approaching the other and saw the envy in his sister's eyes.

"Jealous are we?" Jess smirked.

"No!" She smacked him in the stomach, "I just don't really like her, that's all."

"Hey, no hitting," Lorelai spoke half-heartedly as she came back from her turn, "I thought we were past the toddler stages."

"Dean's not here, so relax," Jess commented just to his sister, "It's your turn."

"It wouldn't matter if he was," Rory feigned indifference as she got up.

"Sure it wouldn't," Jess mumbled to himself as she walked away. He would definitely be teaching Dean a lesson if he hurt his sister that was for sure.

In the end the family had discovered that none of them were set to be bowling all-stars and the jokes about the jerseys had definitely been nixed. With only Luke reaching a score of over one hundred, the four exited the ally with their 'reward for playing a sport' candy in hand.

"So much for working off our dinner," Luke commented as they walked back to their house.

"We're walking it off right now!" Lorelai countered.

"You really want to say that as you're shoving gummy worms and Milk Duds in your mouth?" The man questioned with an eye raise.

"You know Uncle Luke, it's a good thing we moved in with them, otherwise I never would have discovered my own stomach of steal," Jess pointed out.

"They've wrecked you is what they've done! You were a healthy and responsible eater until they got their hands on you, now I'm outnumbered."

"Oh I was always feeding him extra cookies when you sent him to my house," Lorelai divulged.

"Yeah Luke, you only thought he was healthy and responsible," Rory agreed, "We ruined him long ago."

"Unbelievable," Luke shook his head, though the news wasn't exactly a surprise to him, "You're all brushing and flossing your teeth when we get home! I don't care how tired you are!"

"Whatever you say Uncle Luke," Jess shrugged with a smile.

"Are you ever going to grow out of that one?"

"Maybe when you stop reacting to it," the teen threw him a cheeky grin.

He dodged the swing to his head easily and Luke only shook his head. "This family is something else."

"Oh you love us!" Lorelai teased, pulling her husband in close.

"You're alright," he shrugged back.

"I am the one that got us out of Friday night dinner tomorrow remember... more like sixteen dinners actually," Lorelai reminded, "I'd think about being nice to me or else I'll tell Mom and Dad that we're all busy, but you'd LOVE to go visit them!"

"You'd have to call your mother again to do that," Luke remarked.

His wife went from grinning to frowning, "Okay, you've got a point."

"Well I for one am happy. It would have sucked to have every Friday of summer booked," Jess spoke up.

"Yeah and there's only one month of school left," Rory agreed, "Now we don't have to worry about missing study time to go there. We'll be busy enough with exams coming up."

"Yeah because that's the first thing I would have worried about," Jess mocked sarcastically, "We're already in Chilton, Rory, and these exams might be the last ones we have to slack off a bit."

"Jess! I'm not going to slack off at the most crucial part of the year! These scores will still go toward our GPA whether we're in Chilton yet or not!"

"And you're not going to slack off either, right Jess," Luke rose his eyebrow, causing Jess to sigh exasperatedly.

"I was just messing around guys, jeez."

"Sure you were, kid."

"I was!"

"Uh huh."

"This family is impossible!"

A/N- I'm here I'm here! This was not supposed to take so long but between my best friend and guinea pig both getting really, really, sick, my priorities have been elsewhere. I know it's a bit short but I wanted to get something up for you guys. Also, I really want to move ahead to the Chilton stuff (which is part of the reason I needed to make the Friday night dinners not start right away) so I THINK the next chapter will jump ahead a few months!

If any readers are still around let me know what you think and I promise more interesting chapters are coming!