Part 9 - A Good Candidate
The three walked through the door of Sarah's apartment, talking and laughing like they had all been friends for years. Sarah put the bags on the counter and started putting food away. Rory and Jess sat at the table, talking about music.
"That's the problem with things like that, though. Small bands become popular, they lose what made them special," Jess said.
"I don't think popularity automatically makes a band become less than what they are," Rory argued.
"It's the up and downside effect. You want people to know the band, happy that they get exposure, but then they lose their appeal that they held...like your own private secret. Look at The Strokes, White Stripes, Remy Zero. Even Coldplay."
"Ugh, not Coldplay again!"
"Is this the Coldplay is an alternative band argument?" Sarah asked from the kitchen.
"You two don't know what you're talking about," Jess said, shaking his head.
Sarah walked into the room, holding the bag of Salt & Vinegar chips. "What is this?"
"I'm going with chips," Jess replied, smirking.
"What are they doing in the bag? What did you have planned?"
"Nothing. Playing a joke on you with those chips you hate never entered my mind. Ever."
"That's convincing," Sarah said, sarcastically. "Rory, do you believe him?"
Rory smiled and looked at Jess. "No."
"Great. Can't win here, I guess."
"Hey, does your mom know you're here?" Sarah asked Rory. She shook her head no. "You should call her. I don't want to be the cause of panic. Phone's on the computer."
Rory dialed her number and waited for her mother to pick up. Instead the answering machine did and she left a message. While Rory was on the phone, Sarah kneeled down next to Jess and whispered, "Tell her."
"Do you ever give up?"
"No. Tell her. You'll feel better." Sarah went back into the kitchen and when she heard Rory hang up the phone, she asked, "So what does everyone want? Should I dump everything in big bowls and we can just stick our faces in it?"
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"Rory? Rory, you home?" Lorelai called out to an empty house. "Huh." It's not like she didn't know where Rory was. Lorelai knew she'd be with Jess, probably at Luke's, stirring up even more of a town frenzy. She saw the answering machine blinking and she pressed play.
"Lorelai? It's your mother. We would appreciate a phone call to know that you are still alive. We will see you on Friday."
"Oh, great..." Lorelai mumbled.
"Mom? I'm at Sarah's apartment with Jess. We're just hanging out, eating food. I'll be home around 9-9:30. Love you."
"Well, there's that," Lorelai said to herself.
"Hey, Rory, Lor. I know I'm calling a little early but I was hoping you'd be home. I'll try again after we get back from the doctor. Talk to you soon."
Lorelai felt a deep pang in her chest at the sound of Christopher's voice. To say things were tense would be an understatement. It made their last fight look like Mardi Gras. It wasn't so much as they were fighting but more of Lorelai not speaking to him at all. She was cordial when he called but she didn't extend any other courtesy besides that. Not to say Christopher hadn't tried to talk to her but she was still too hurt for even the smallest of small talk. Like she had told him, he was still Rory's father and for that, she would do what she had to in order for them to maintain a relationship. She had far too many conflicting emotions when it came to Chris and they usually all ended up making her feel guilty.
She picked up the phone and dialed her parents number. A maid, who Lorelai figured wouldn't be there by the time they had dinner on Friday, answered the phone and Lorelai asked for Emily.
"Hey, Mom, it's Lorelai."
"Obviously, Lorelai, no one else calls me mom."
"Okay...you feeling alright? Or am I just bringing out your inner snarkiness?"
"Rory has been home for two days and we haven't heard anything from you."
"Things have been hectic since she got back..."
"Too hectic for her to call her grandparents?"
"Uh, well..." Lorelai had no idea what to say to that. She knew Emily had a very good point.
"I can see you have no answer. Is she there now?" Emily asked, tersely.
"Actually, Mom, she's not."
"Will you please ask her to call us tonight when she gets home?"
"She's not going to be home until after nine, Mom. Can she call you tomorrow?"
"After nine? Well, where is she?"
"Mom, nine is a very respectable time to come home. Far too respectable for a seventeen year old, if you ask me."
"Oh, Lorelai...Fine, have her call us tomorrow after five so your father can speak with her, as well. He is still positively thrilled with all the supplies he bought her. You didn't tell her, did you?"
"Uh, me? No, no, I didn't tell her." A thought came to Lorelai then and she braced herself for her mother's reaction as she asked, "Mom, would it be okay if Rory brought someone to dinner?"
"I thought Rory was no longer seeing Dean," Emily replied.
"No, Mom, she's not."
"Did she meet someone in Washington?"
"No, not Washington, Mom."
"Well, what's his name, Lorelai? Why are you being so vague?"
Lorelai took a deep breath and spit out, "Jess."
"Jess? As in the Jess that broke Rory's wrist? The Jess who you were going to keep her away from? That Jess?"
"Well, he didn't technically break Rory's wrist, Mom. He wasn't like give me your wrist and then snap. Besides, it was only a fracture and she's fine now."
"For now," Emily said, snidely. "She wants to bring Jess to her first dinner back?"
"It would be mean a lot to Rory."
"Well, okay, then." Lorelai could hear the tension in her mother's voice and she could picture the look on her face as she spoke. "You remember the last time Rory brought a boy here? It wasn't the most pleasant of nights."
"We'll spike Dad's drink so he doesn't go all Sipowitz again."
"Fine, Lorelai. You can tell Rory she can bring her friend."
"Thank you, Mom." Lorelai hung up the phone and sat on the couch. She exhaled and felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. Rory never asked if Jess could come on Friday but Lorelai was trying to make an effort. She hoped that it was the right decision. She hoped that Jess would behave himself.
"Why did I do that?" And then Lorelai remembered seeing Rory when she came into the diner that morning, talking to Jess. She remembered the glow that Rory had. Lorelai nodded her head and smiled. "That's why."
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Rory stepped onto the first step of her porch, still holding Jess's hand. She looked at his hand entwined in hers and she thought if she became any happier, someone would come and put her away. She noticed that he was looking at their hands, as well, but also that he wasn't. He was staring off into another place, lost in his thoughts.
"Earth to Jess, come in Jess."
"Huh?" he asked, snapping out of it.
"Something wrong?" She sat on the top step, still holding his hand. He remained standing, looking around him, averting eye contact with her. "Jess?"
"I need to tell you something."
"Okay, go ahead." Jess let go of her hand and ran his hand through his hair. She watched him pace in front of her and she was very confused. "Hey, Jess, you're making me dizzy."
"You know that I didn't do well in school last year."
"Yes."
"Because I left before finals and had, at least to them, dropped out...summer school wasn't really an option right away."
"Okay..."
"Luke and I went to talk to Martin about things and then we had to go and appeal to the school board. Because I wasn't exactly a model student, they decided summer school wasn't enough."
"I didn't even know you were going to summer school."
"This is why I'm telling you. I went to school every day, studied my ass off. They decided instead of taking a final for every class, they would design one large test, essentially going over everything I have ever learned."
"But if you went to summer school..."
"I'm not what they consider a good candidate. They don't want to waste their time with me if I'm not serious."
"And you're serious now? Before you said you didn't care about those things or college, which, by the way, is a big waste."
"I didn't care before." He knelt in front of Rory, putting his hands on top of hers. "If I don't pass this test...I don't graduate this year."
"But you know it all. You'll pass," Rory told him.
"It's a whole lot of pressure. I'm not a fan of pressure."
"Who is, Jess?" Rory put her hand on the side of his face. "Beneath this cool, calm, and confident exterior of mine, I am scared of everything. School in particular."
"But you don't have to be, Rory. That's the difference." He stood up and began picking the leaves off the bush next to the porch.
"And neither do you. You may have put yourself in this position, but you're trying to find a way out of it. When is is the test?"
"Friday at eight."
"Well, we'll study non-stop, we won't quit until you know everything you can possibly know and you will pass that test without any problems and then we'll celebrate."
"Sarah's here to help."
"That's why she's here?" Suddenly it made sense to Rory. Why he had kept it from her, why he had Sarah here and why he was so nervous to tell her now. She stood up and hugged him. "I could never be disappointed in you. No matter what the outcome is."
He smiled and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He kissed her neck lightly, sending shivers down her spine. He continued to kiss her until he reached her mouth. She kissed him passionately, far more so than even she was expecting to.
"Wrong thing to walk in on."
Rory and Jess immediately let go of each other, Rory spinning around so fast that she crashed into Jess, making him stumble and fall.
"Oh, god, you okay?" Rory asked, bending down.
Lorelai came down to the lawn and tried not to laugh. "Good thing your ballerina dream died at the age of six. You alright, Jess?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said, a laugh escaping him.
"You didn't fracture your wrist or anything?" Lorelai asked. Rory gave her mother a dirty look and Lorelai responded by slightly sticking her tongue out and rolling her eyes.
Jess looked at his hands and saw a large scratch down the palm of his right hand. "No, just a scratch. Nothing life threatening, unfortunately for you."
Lorelai let the comment slide. She had about fifteen responses to that but she was still in trying mode. She could only keep reminding herself that Rory was happy. It was becoming a kind of mantra for her.
"I didn't mean to disrupt you," Lorelai said instead. "I heard some noises."
"I'll be in in a minute, okay?" Rory asked.
"Sure, hon. See ya, Jess."
"Bye." After Lorelai was inside the house, Jess said, "That was an embarrassing moment of epic proportions."
"I thought she handled it pretty well for her."
"Can't argue that."
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yup, it was worth it."
Rory smiled and blushed. "So what time do you want to meet tomorrow?"
"I have to study."
"I know. I want to help." Rory grabbed Jess's unhurt hand and helped him up.
He wiped himself off and said, "I know you do and I appreciate it but..."
"You don't want me to?"
"You're too distracting. I need to concentrate."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"As you should."
She leaned over and kissed him lightly, but lingering, on the lips. "Call me tomorrow night so I can give you a final pep talk."
"Ra-ra-ra?"
"Exactly."
Jess looked straight into her eyes and she felt like he was looking right through her. "Why?"
"Why what?"
This time he leaned over and kissed her. "Why did you choose me?" he whispered. And before Rory had a chance to answer, he walked away from her. She considered going after him, telling him point by point why she chose him. Telling him that it wasn't a choice when it was all said and done. That unlike Stars Hollow High, Rory thought of Jess as a good candidate...the only candidate. In the end, though, she decided against it. She would tell him at another time, on another day.