Author's Note: Thanks everyone so much for the reviews. They are my coffee... except not really, because nothing could replace my coffee.

To CatPhish: I'm sorry if my spelling of Jaime/Jamie offended you (or anyone else for that matter). I've seen it spelled both ways, and in my personal opinion, Jaime seems so much more... how can I say this? "Upper Crust-y?" Yeah, that' s what I wanted to say. But please, don't let my spelling of a name deter you from reading my story. I really enjoy everyone's reactions.

I wrote this on Notepad, because I'm at my grandmother's house. She has dial-up and no Microsoft Word. I combed through it, but if I missed something, I'm sorry.

Enjoy!



7:15 at Alicia's Apartment

All we have at the end of the game

Is the lonely road out

All I know at the end of the day

Is I love to smile now

Even if that's fake

All I know is I'm done acting

And I'll be happy for your life

Even if I hate it all


"You're late." Alicia's face was kind, but her voice held a slight acidity.

"Alicia," Jess said, moving swiftly aside as she breezed past him, "I'm sorry. I was writing and I lost track of time."

Alicia scoffed. "You and that silly book. Don't you know you're future lies in reporting? She threw an appraising look at the young man behind her. His shoulders had slumped just slightly. "Babe, I know you. I know you better than anyone. Trust me when I say this: sitting around working of a seven million page novel isn't going to make you happy."

"Whatever," Jess said, sliding into the driver's seat of his used Sentra.

Alicia took a moment to look at her latest fling. He was cute, handsome even. His tousled black-brown locks fell in his eyes, curling slightly at the ends. His dark eyes, so filled with passion, darted around as he impatiently adjusted the rear-view mirror. She noticed a white scar from his life in New York, standing out against the olive skin of his forearm as he pushed his long sleeved black t-shirt up to his elbows.

She liked him, she really did. But he was young. Jess was two years her junior, and as much as it hurt her, she didn't want him to get too attached. She was leaving in the fall-- off to the Chicago Tribune, where she had been offered a prestigious internship. The sound of Jess' voice shook her from her reverie.

"Leece, come on," he said, his quota of patience running dangerously low, "The show starts in five minutes."


Rory Gilmore was drowning.

Okay, so she wasn't literally drowning. But that's what it felt like as she surrounded herself with the books and paperwork needed for her first assignment. She poured diligently through each document, assessing not only it's meaning, but it's overall helpfulness to the story.

Earlier, Alicia told her about a slight disagreement between Princeton's marching band director and football coach. Apparently, the tiff had resulted from a misplaced football helmet being found in a tuba player's bell. Rory originally thought that the idea was stupid. But as she went through statement after statement, record after record, she realized that the rift between the football team and marching band had existed long before the infamous helmet incident.

As she slowly pieced together her story, Rory's mind began to wander. Her thoughts drifted to earlier that day in the Princetonian's newsroom.

"Does he do that with everyone?" Rory asked, slightly awed by the amount of information Jess had collected.

A junior, the photography editor who had introduced herself as Joanne, smiled understandingly. "He gathers information for every new addition to the staff." Rory still looked confused. Joanne continued, "He says it keeps him sharp."

"Right," Rory said, drawing the word out. She watched Alicia leaning over Jess' desk, murmuring things under her breath, making him smirk The she glanced back at Joanne. They were total opposites.

Alicia was tall and stick thin. Rory thought that she would be more at home on a runway than in a stuffy newsroom. Her blonde hair was now tied back in a messy bun that looked not only effortless, but elegant; it was just the kind of thing that Rory could never pull off. Alicia's pressed khakis and button up white blouse made Rory feel under-dressed in her old jeans and navy sweater.

Joanne was short. She had a slim waist but her hips ballooned out from her. Her figure was very "motherly," and Rory wondered whether that had some effect on her personality. In the short time that Rory had known her, Joanne had made sure that Rory knew she was the den mother of the staff.

As soon as Alicia had finished showing her around, Joanne scooped Rory up and went through the Princetonian's gears and cogs. She introduced Rory to all of the other reporters and to the photographers, or the "photogs" as they were commonly referred to.

"So Joanne," Rory said, "Jess is a junior like you?"

Joanne shook her head. "No," she said, a bit testily, "he's only a sophomore." Joanne said this as if it made Jess less of an editor. Just as Rory was about to say something else, Joanne added, "He's the youngest managing editor in... well... forever. First underclassmen to ever get an editor position."

Rory's cell rang. "Sorry," she said to Joanne, "I need to take this." She held her phone to her ear. "Hello, Jaime?"

At this, Joanne's eyes seemed to flash with some strange emotion. She stared at Rory.

"Yeah, " Rory said into the phone. "I'm doing fine. Stop worrying about me." She gave Joanne an exasperated look and rolled her eyes. "Yes. Yes. I told you, yes! Fine. I'll talk to you later." She hung up, a troubled look on her face. Joanne looked concerned. "Oh," Rory said, noticing Joanne's face, "it's nothing. He's just way too concerned about me."

"You know Jaime?" Joanne asked, feeling ridiculous because she was asking a question that she already knew the answer to.

"Only for a year or so, but yeah. Why?"

"No reason." Joanne looked down at her shoes, her cheeks a brilliant scarlet. "I just, I don't know..." her voice trailed off. "Never mind."

Rory realized why Joanne had suddenly lost the gift of words. "You like him."

Joanne said nothing, only looking sheepishly at her.

"He has a girlfriend."

"I know." Joanne's voice was laden with sadness. Rory couldn't help but pity her as Joanne's eyes started to water.

She quickly recovered, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve. Her face now held a bright smile that only looked a little forced. "Well, Rory, where were we?"

She showed Rory where all the jocks hung out, where all the professors spent their time when they weren't teaching. She introduced Rory to the best coffee cart on campus (coincidentally, the same one she had first seen Jess leaning against). And finally, she walked Rory to what Joanne called "The best library on campus." It was the only library that held all of the Princetonian's archives, dating as far back as 1898.

Rory stared at her finished piece. She had to admit-- it wasn't bad.


"I can't believe you made me go to a movie about dancing penguins." Jess and Alicia walked out of the movie theatre.

Alicia laughed, "Jess, admit it. That movie made your heart grow a few sizes."

"Whatever." Jess wrapped an arm around Alicia's shoulders. At five foot nine, he was a good two inches shorter than she was. But Jess didn't mind. Alicia was gorgeous, funny, and brilliant-- everything that he had ever wanted in a girl. However, she always seemed so unattainable. It was almost as if he had her now, but "now" wouldn't last very long. Plus there was that whole, "We're non-exclusive" thing she seemed so keen on.


It was ten o'clock. Jess had just gotten back to his dorm and he was already tired of watching Jaime, his roommate, breathe in and out, murmuring his girlfriend's name when he exhaled.

And he says I'm whipped, Jess thought. He wasn't tired, so he decided that he might as well get some work done. He put on his shoes and set out to the Princetonian's headquarters.


Rory had just set her rough draft down on the managing editor's desk. Sure, it was late, but she just needed to get it handed in. Feeling much better after her story was added to the pile on Jess' desk, she couldn't help but steal a look at the materials surrounding it. His laptop was no longer obscuring the five or so books stacked on his desk. Looking around, she casually picked up the first one.

"Howl," she read aloud. She had this book in her dorm. She opened the slim volume, and was surprised to see the pages filled with notes. Chancing fate, she sat down in his chair, and started to read his intelligent musings.

Ten Minutes Later

Rory was just beginning to get into her reading when a bell startled her. She looked up, praying that who had entered wasn't who she thought it was.

"What are you doing at my desk?"

Jess' voice wasn't angry or annoyed; it was just curious. Rory's hands started to sweat. "I was just a... I noticed that you um... I saw your margin notes."
Jess smirked.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Rory asked him.

"I could ask you the same question," Jess said, mocking her (but only a little), "And since I am the editor and you are the reporter, I think you would need to answer it before I did."

Rory scoffed. She stood up from his desk and attempted to make her way to the exit, but he took a step to the side, intentionally blocking her way. Jess couldn't help it. He just really like messing with this girl.

She looked at him, rolled her eyes, and tried to get around him. He just blocked her way again. Getting angry, she snarled, "What are you? Four? Move."

Smirking, he locked his eyes on hers. "What's the magic word?" he asked sweetly.

Rory sighed. "Move, please."

"Now," Jess' smirk grew wider (if that was even possible), "was that so hard? Did it kill you to be nice?"

"Yes, it did," Rory said, with a matter of fact tone. "I can feel myself going into heart failure as we speak. Now would you move? I'd like to get to my dorm room so I can die in a comfortable bed, instead of here, arguing is you."

Struggling to hold in a chuckle, he moved to the side, giving Rory plenty of room to pass. She stepped past him, and walked out of the room.

As Jess watched her retreating figure, he smiled to himself.

Maybe this non-exclusivity thing wasn't all that bad.

Author's Note: I would love you to review. I want to know what you think. Most of this was kind of a filler chapter, but come on. I threw in a little Jess/Rory action at the very end.

I'm a little concerned about Jess' character. I feel I'm making him a bit OOC. But remember: Yes, this is still Jess, but it's Princeton Jess. And (now that I'm rereading) it seems a little weird for Jess to be all against the non-exclusivity thing one moment, and for it the next, but Jess feels some crazy attraction to Rory, and he just can't help himself. AH! Okay, I'm going to sleep. I got two hours last night, so I going to be damned sure to get at least eight tonight.

Goodnight, and review! (*with best baby face pout*Pwease?)