Chapter 2: You Stole A Book?
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Chapter 2 : You Stole A Book?

 




“You know I’m not going to your school, right?”

Jess nodded, turning on the radio. “Yeah. Fair enough—you don’t want to be late.”

“No, I don’t.”

“I’ll just skip. It’s no big deal. Maybe I’ll go see a movie. How about it?”

“How about what?”

“A movie.”

“I’m not going to skip with you—you can just forget it.”

“Okay.”

“And you shouldn’t either,” Rory added, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He turned to her.

“Well how am I supposed to get to school on time all the way from Chilton?”

Rory turned on her blinker and made a sharp left turn.

“Woah, where are you going? Chilton’s that way,” Jess said, motioning behind them.

“I know. You’re going to school.”

“It’s not necessary. They won’t miss me.”

Rory pulled up to the school a minute later. “Here we are.”

“Huh. Here we are,” he echoed.

Rory nodded, looking out the window. She turned back to Jess. “Why aren’t you leaving?”

“I’m just waiting for Dean to make his way over here. He looks pretty upset...”

“Dean?” Rory cried. “Where?”

Jess pointed to her left and Rory turned, jumping at the sight of Dean, not a foot away.

“Dean!”

“What are you doing here—with Jess?”

Rory glanced over at Jess, glaring at him before turning back to Dean.

“He was just leaving. Bye Jess.”

“Bye Rory. See you at Luke’s after school?”

“She’s hanging out with me after school,” Dean told Jess.

“I’m sorry, you answer for Rory now?”

“We’ll see, Jess,” Rory said. “Now go! You may not care if you’re late, but—“

“Calm down.” Jess smiled. “See you later, Rory. Bye Dean!”

Dean glared at Jess, who had a smile on his face as he walked off. “Why did you drive him to school?”

“He needed a ride.”

“You know I don’t like him.”

“He’s my friend. I was helping a friend. Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not.”

“Dean?”

“I’m not,” he assured her.

“Okay, well, I have to go. I’m going to be late.”

Dean leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “See you after school?”

“Sure,” Rory replied. “Bye.”

“Bye,” Dean replied, but she was already driving off. She had no time to waste. She was going to be late, no doubt, but she still had to hurry to make sure they didn’t lock the doors. Because then she wouldn’t be able to get into the school at all.

About twenty minutes later, she pulled into the school parking lot. And thankfully only a few minutes late, she slid into her seat, unnoticed by the teacher.

Paris shook her head at Rory, and Rory was almost afraid she was going to rat her out. But to her immense relief—Paris kept quiet. She just kept glaring Rory’s way while the teacher was taking attendance.

* * * *

“Why aren’t you downstairs?” Luke asked Jess.

Jess didn’t even look up. “I’m reading.” He wrote some notes in the margin of his book.

“If you’re not up here studying, you should be downstairs. It’s pretty crowded—I could use the extra help.”

“I want to finish this book.”

“The one you’re writing all over?”

“That would be the one.”

“Finish it later. I need some help.”

“I want to finish it so I can give it back to Rory. It’ll take like ten minutes.”

“You can’t finish that book in ten minutes.”

“Not with you distracting me, I can’t.”

Luke threw up his hands. “Fine. Ten minutes.”

He went downstairs, letting Jess finish his book.

Approximately ten minutes later, Jess flew down the stairs.

“Where are you going? Jess!”

Jess paused. “I told you I borrowed Rory’s book. I have to give it back to her.”

“I’m sure she’ll be here later.”

“No she won’t. She has plans.”

“Fine. Go give Rory back her book.” Luke gave up trying to get Jess to actually help him at the diner. God forbid Jess pouring a few cups of coffee, or being social for that matter.

Jess left the diner and walked to the Gilmore house, not far away. He knocked on the door and it was immediately opened.

“Hey—Jess?” Lorelai asked, confused. She looked around for a second, then turned back to him. “You lost?”

“Can I come in?”

“No.”

“I’ll only stay a minute...” He held up Rory’s book. “I borrowed a book from Rory.”

Lorelai eyed the book then reached out for it, but Jess pulled it away, just out of her reach.

“I can give it to her, Jess. I think you can trust me to give a book to my daughter.”

“You don’t trust me,” Jess pointed out. “Yet I should trust you?”

“Fine. Come in, but only for a minute. Do you know how long a minute is?”

“I think I—“

“Jess! What are you doing here?” Rory asked, somewhat nervously. She looked over his shoulder to make sure Dean wasn’t coming. “You can’t stay.”

Lorelai watched in amusement until Rory looked at her. “Oh, right—I’m gone. I’ll be at Luke’s. Bye sweetie. Bye Jess.”

“Bye.”

“Ma’am,” Jess replied.

Lorelai was about to say something, but Rory nudged her. So she just walked off.

Rory looked over Jess’s shoulder once more, then pulled him inside and closed the door.

“Jess, why are you here? You know perfectly well that I’m hanging out with Dean tonight.”

“Oh, that was tonight?” Jess asked innocently, sitting down on the couch. “What happened—he stood you up?”

“No.”

“He’s late?”

“No, he’ll be here any minute. You have to leave.”

“Why? We could have a party. It’ll be fun. We can watch those old movies you were talking about. Then when they’re over, we can explain them to Dean.”

“Why are you here, Jess?” Rory tried again.

“To give you the book I borrowed.”

“You didn’t borrow a book from me,” Rory pointed out.

“Oh. It must have been the bookstore then.”

“You stole a book?”

“Borrowed. You can read it if you want.” He held it up for her to see.

Just as Rory was reaching for it, the doorbell rang, and she quickly drew her hand back.

“That’s Dean!”

“Great. Now we can start the party.”

“Jess!” Rory hissed. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Go!”

“You want me to leave?”

“Yes.”

“You really want me to leave?” Jess raised an eyebrow.

“Yes!” Rory cried, shoving him toward the kitchen. “Go!”

Jess laughed. “Stop pushing! I didn’t even get a chance to ask you—“

“Rory?” Dean called. “The door was unlocked, so I just let myself in.”

With one huge push Rory shoved Jess into her room and closed the door.

“Dean!”

Dean came into the kitchen. “Am I late?”

“No, you’re right on time.”

She stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss.

“What do you want to watch first?”

“What are my choices?”

“They are all on the table in there. Why don’t you go sit down and relax, and pick out a movie, and I’ll be right back.”

Dean took her hand in his as she started to turn away. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“To my room...to change. To change into something more comfortable.”

“Okay, hurry back.”

Rory nodded, waiting for Dean to sit down in the other room before opening her bedroom door and disappearing inside.

 

* * * *

 

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