A/N: Y'all see what's coming next, don't you? Well, please do have faith in both me and the Lit relationship going forward, because as in all good stories, true love will prevail... in the end ;)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 8
"This is going to be a great opportunity for you, I'm almost jealous," said Paris as she watched Rory get ready for the party at her grandparent's house.
"Trust me, I would much rather be here with you, or at home with Mom, or out on a date with Jess," Rory assured her, "but Grandma and Grandpa really want to introduce me to these people and I hate to disappoint them. Okay, how do I look?"
"Sickeningly good." Paris sighed. "I think I'll head over to Jess' dorm, see if he has plans. The Illyiad's just not doing it for me tonight. Worst case scenario, I might let him finally convince me to read one of his Kerouac catastrophes and spend the night editing it into what it ought to be."
"Party animal!" Rory teased her, picking up her coat and purse to leave. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"That leaves me with a very short list!" Paris called after her, but she was smiling when she said it.
Rory really had been a very good friend to her in the past few weeks. They had been close for a while, but Paris' default function had been to turn to Jess somehow. Now she realised there were certain things that it was just easier to talk to a fellow female about, and Rory was fast becoming the sister Paris was never biologically blessed with.
Strange as it was to Ms Geller even now, since she always believed she could do just fine on her own, it was nice to have family. If you didn't get one via blood, there was apparently nothing to stop you making one for yourself.
Paris set off for Jess' dorm without further delay. On her way out, she heard Janet yell something about her behaviour or her attitude. Since Paris cared not a bit what her room-mate thought of either thing, she summarily ignored her and kept on walking.
There was almost a party atmosphere across campus as Paris walked to the other building. College students on a Friday night tended towards the same habits as high schoolers, Paris noted, though with markedly more alcohol and easier access to beds for rampant sex.
At least when she reached Jess' room she knew she would be safe from the party atmosphere that was never really her scene, and most especially not lately. Things with Jamie were so undefined. Technically, they were taking a break, but despite having gone over the finer points of what that meant at the time of deciding it, Paris now wasn't so clear on what relationship she and her so-called boyfriend really had left. She was starting to wonder what the point was to any of it.
"Oh. Hey, Paris," Marty greeted her with a smile as he opened the door. "You knocked," he noted then. "That's... new."
"After the last time when I caught the free show from your meathead room-mate, I wasn't taking any chances," she said, shuddering at the thought. "Since Rory is at her grandparents tonight, I'm guessing Jess is here?"
"In his room," Marty confirmed, ushering her through. "I'm on my way out. Going to..." he trailed off when he realised she was already gone. "Never mind," he muttered, letting himself out.
Paris didn't notice any of this, just gave a courtesy knock on Jess' door and then let herself in when he replied.
"Hey, sis," he greeted her, barely glancing up from his book. "One sec."
She waited, almost too patiently for Paris, until he got to the bottom of the page and closed the book. Even then, Jess noticed she made no move to shift from the door, and she certainly wasn't smiling or anything.
"Wow. You're a real ray of sunshine tonight," he dead-panned.
Paris rolled her eyes. "I'm not even going to bother to pull that redundant statement to pieces," she told him, finally moving, wandering aimlessly in the too-small space, trailing her fingers along the spines of books he knew she would never want to read.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Jess, leaning back on his bed. "I mean, I know Rory is busy tonight, but usually I'd be passed over for Homer or Austen or some paper you really, really have to get an A on," he said, smirking like he usually did.
Paris might've laughed on any normal occasion, but not today.
"Is there something wrong with me?" she asked, turning very suddenly to face him. "And I don't want any lame jokes or your patented sarcastic comments, I'm being serious. Is there something wrong with me?"
Jess frowned as he realised there were tears welling in her eyes now. He sat up fast, shaking his head.
"Paris, I don't-"
"I know I have my faults. I'm not perfect, far from it. I'll never be as beautiful as Rory or as cool as you. Whatever, I can live with that, but I thought I was okay, you know? I thought I was smart enough and decent looking and... and now I don't know anymore. I feel like there must be something wrong, right? There has to be."
"Where is this coming from?" asked Jess, feeling completely at a loss. "Is this about Jamie?"
"Yes. No. Sort of," she admitted, her hand to her forehead like she felt a headache coming on. "I just think maybe I don't know how to care about people. Maybe that's the real issue. I mean, Jamie loves me. He really, really does, and I love him, I do. I'm sure of it. I never would've slept with him if I wasn't sure, but... but now, it's like, we're on this break, and... and I don't care, or I do care, but it's better. It's easier since I don't have to try to make it work, you know?"
Though it often happened that Jess wished Rory was around when she wasn't, he had never been more desperate of her company than right this second. Actually, if she wasn't available, he would've accepted Lorelai, even Marty, or Luke. Hell, Dr Phil would be great right about now. Anybody who could help Paris with what she was struggling with, because Jess was fairly certain he was not the right guy. Didn't mean he wouldn't try though.
"Paris, if you don't want to be with Jamie, break up with him," he told her straight, the only way he really knew how to be with anyone. "Nobody is saying you have to date him."
"I know. I know," she insisted, pacing as much as the room would allow. "But that's the problem. It's easier to be on a break, but the idea of ending things permanently... It's too strange. He's my first boyfriend. My only boyfriend. I was lucky enough to find him, but what if...?"
She couldn't finish the question, but Jess had a feeling he knew what the missing words were supposed to be.
"Hey," he said, catching her by the arm on her next pass and maing her look at him. "He is not the only guy in the world that would like you."
"Really? You're sure about that? Because they've never exactly been lined up around the block for me," she said, swallowing hard.
Jess pulled her down to sit beside him and gave her an awkward hug.
"Paris, you're not always the easiest person to approach, but hey, Jamie did it. If he did, so will others. Besides, if they're not even brave enough to try, then they're not going to be good enough for you anyway, right?" he said with a smirk.
"Very true," she agreed, trying for a smile and not entirely managing it. "Of course, it doesn't help that you and Gilmore are so sickeningly sweet and in love. Not that I can exactly be mad at you for that. As much as it pains me to say it, I actually like that you're so happy."
"Yeah, well." Jess shrugged. "As much as it pains me to say this, I wish you were so happy."
It was as close as they were going to get to saying they loved each other and would always be there. With the two of them, it was just implied, as it would be with any brother and sister.
"Ugh, I hate feeling like this," said Paris then, frustration in her tone. "I swear, it was much easier before I became irresistible to that Princeton man, but I know I have to cut him loose. If I loved him enough, I'd miss him more, and I don't."
"It happens." Jess shrugged. "Hey, if everybody stayed with the first person they dated, Rory wouldn't be with me, Lorelai wouldn't be with Luke."
"The world as we know it would probably implode," Paris concluded. "Because there is no denying that Lorelai and Luke are right behind you and Rory in the sickeningly in love stakes," she said with a heaving sigh. "So, maybe number two will be my guy, but I am not going to sit around waiting for him. I'm a Chilton graduate and a student of Yale, Goddamnit. I am not letting my education suffer anymore just because my romantic life is in the toilet."
"Now that sounds like the Paris Geller I know," said Jess with a smile. "Hey, you're going out for the school paper next week, right? Maybe you'll meet some unsuspecting guy there."
"Maybe," Paris considered. "What do you mean I'm going for the school paper?"
"Well, Rory too. When I said 'you' I mean the two of you."
"Uh, the three of us," Paris corrected. "You're coming with us, you have to."
"Need me to hold your hand, sis?" he teased her.
Paris rolled her eyes. "You're going to major in English, Jess, and you're one of the best writers I know. You have to sign up for The Yale Daily News, you'd be crazy not to."
"You may be right, I may be crazy," he quoted, matching her eyeroll with one of his own. "Paris, I don't want to be a journalist."
"Neither do I, you know this, but that doesn't mean you don't join the paper."
Jess sighed and shook his head. Somehow, he almost wished they could go back to talking about boys. He had a feeling he'd done better with that than he was going to with this.
"So, whilst we haven't set a date yet, I wanted you to be the first to know that Luke and me, we're not waiting to get married. Plans are afoot, youngling. You're going to be in that maid of honour dress sooner than you think!"
"That's great, Mom. Really, I couldn't be happier for you," Rory insisted, though she was sure she didn't sound as happy as she should be.
Lorelai certainly noticed there was a tone to her daughter's voice that wasn't all joy.
"Ugh, sorry, of course you're not in the best mood, you're spending time with my parents," she realised belatedly. "But hey, you called me! What's up?"
"This party is not a Yale alumni party," Rory complained, "or it is, but it's a total set-up."
"A set-up?" Lorelai echoed. "For who? For you?"
"Oh, yeah," Rory confirmed. "Despite knowing that I am in a perfectly stable and permanent romantic relationship, my grandmother has decided to invite all her and Grandpa's Yale friends that have Yale-attending sons my age. I don't think I've seen a female under the age of thirty since the maid took my coat at the door."
"Oh, my God!" Lorelai gasped. "You have got to be kidding me!"
"Really wish I was," Rory replied. "Anyway, I just had to let you know what was going on. This is too crazy for words."
"Rory, honey, you should just leave. You do not have to put up with that. God, bad enough if you were actually single, but you're right, they know you're with Jess. This is low even for Emily."
"Agreed." Rory sighed. "Well, I guess I should get back out there before somebody gets ideas about why I've been so long in the bathroom."
"You didn't hear the part about leaving?"
"I did, and I will, soon. Despite how mad I could be about this, I actually think maybe Grandma meant well, in her own special way."
"You're saintly, kid," Lorelai told her definitely. "Be careful out there."
"Always," she said, smiling at her mother's humour before hanging up the phone.
Staring into the mirror a moment, Rory washed her hands, took a deep breath and headed back out into the party. This was in no way her idea of fun, and yet she meant what she said. She really didn't want to offend her grandparents, and there really was every chance they thought they were doing a nice thing, however misguided it might be.
"There's the lady of the hour," said a voice.
Rory closed her eyes and winced. "You have got to be kidding me," she muttered, turning to look. "Logan Huntzberger. Of course, you're here."
"Of course, I am," he agreed, smiling too much. "Quite the shindig thrown in your name."
"Apparently," she said, rolling her eyes. "Though to me it feels less party, more meat market."
"Ooh, that's a little harsh," said Logan, smiling in spite of himself.
"It gets worse. I already have a boyfriend," said Rory, folding her arms across her chest. "Not that my grandparents seem to care too much about that. Clearly, in their eyes, if I'm not dating a blue-blood, I'm not dating at all," she said, sighing heavily.
"So, if you don't like the party, then leave," Logan suggested easily. "I happen to know a place where things are a little more relaxed and a little more fun, and it's not far from here," he said with a look. "You in?"
Rory opened her mouth to immediately say 'no' and yet the word never quite made it out of her mouth. She was smiling in spite of her better judgement and awfully curious about this alternative party that Logan spoke of. After his apology the other day, she had seen him a couple of times in the halls at Yale and he greeted her with a smile and a cheery greeting both times. They weren't exactly friends, but at least she knew him a little, and she really wouldn't mind an escort in escaping this insane party.
"How far is 'not far'?" she asked, barely getting the question out before he grabbed first a bottle of champagne and then her hand.
"Right this way, my lady," he told her, pulling her with him as he practically ran for the doors and out across the patio.
Somehow, it didn't occur to Rory to do anything but let him take her along for the ride.
To Be Continued...
A/N: I know it's not the ideal place, but this fic is now going on hold 'til 2018. I do this every year as I have a lot of other stuff to do in December, including Christmas-related fics and of course plenty of RL things too. Please rest assured, this story will be back in the new year, and hey, I didn't leave you on too big of a cliffhanger, right? :) Also, I might just have a Christmas surprise of the GG kind coming your way very soon, so keep an eye out ;)
