Chapter 13: Rory

So why don’t they all just leave him alone!

“..So why don’t you all just LEAVE HIM ALONE!”

YEAH! Take that!!

Rory’s tiny frame was shaking with emotion as she screamed these last three words.

She slammed her body back into her chair and stared at all of the faces gazing, open-mouthed, at her.

She blushed.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

She heard her mother whisper her name as Taylor tried to re-instate the meeting.

Oh, God.

What have I done?

Oh God…

…okay…three…

two…

ONE!…

She stood up and bolted out of the room, into the pouring rain.

OH MY GOD! What was I thinking!?

I just stood up there and screamed at all my friends!

For what?!

JESS!? HAH! …

Her feet pounded on the sidewalk as she raced through the street, her face damp with a fusion of rain and angry tears. Muttering curses to herself as she found shelter in the gazebo.

She sat down in the centre and hugged her knees to her chest.

…for Jess…

I did this for Jess.

Everyone always picks on him – just because they have no clue what he is like, deep down. If they bothered to get to know him they would know exactly who he is! Not just categorize him as a hoodlum and a thief…

If they bothered to get to know him they’d realise he was… funny…smart…sweet, kind, thoughtful, caring, passionate…

Why is it only me who sees him as he is?

…why does he only show me?

He was always nice to me… always so…so…

I would say insistent but that hardly describes it!

Its not that he pestered me… but he was…he… it was almost as if he needed me… he never had a person to care for him before…

Not that I…

Well…

Maybe I never realised how much I –

“Rory!”

Rory was shifted out of her thoughts and, as her eyes re-focused, she saw the looming silhouette of her boyfriend, Dean.

Oh…OH… he didn’t … did he?

He wasn’t in there… was he?

She stood up slowly and greeted him with a shy smile, “Hey, Dean! You shouldn’t be out here; it’s pouring with rain…”

He moved closer, a strange smile on his face, “Well, you’re here aren’t you?”

Rory giggled nervously as he inched closer.

What…is…he doing?

Suddenly he pressed his lips to hers, grasping her arms and pulling her close to him. Rory’s confused, frantic eyes roamed around as he kissed her.

…why does this feel …different?

This isn’t right…

She pulled away.

He put a hand through his hair and muttered, “I knew it.”

“What do you mean?”

He sighed and turned to look at her, “You don’t love me anymore, do you?”

Oh, God

“Dean! No! I –“

He rubbed his temples as he interrupted her, “Rory, there’s no need anymore! Don’t lie to me, you owe me that much!”

She frowned at him, confused, “What are you talking about?”

He sat down, copying her former position and sighed once more.

“I should have known before now. Really, I mean, I should have guessed the moment you went with him at the basket auction!”

Known what? What is he talking about? Why is he…?

I don’t understand…

“Dean, I don’t understand…”

Dean eyed Rory from his seat on the floor, “Then you’re not as smart as you claim to be, Rory Gilmore.”

He laid down and stared at the roof of the gazebo as he talked, resting his head on his arms.

“I should have done something about this earlier, but tonight… tonight was the clincher. First off, you totally ignored me when I arrived at the meeting – You were staring off into the distance at the time. Then, you stood up and verbally smacked down the entire town to defend Jess. Now, if I remember correctly – the last time you did such a thing was when you wanted to get a message through to me, about how much you ‘loved’ me. You stood up and talked for ages, desperately trying to make everyone else understand- because you felt so much for me,”

Rory sat down next to him, tears filling her eyes.

I remember that. We had just broken up and I wanted him back. I loved him so much…what went wrong?

Dean continued, “When you did this tonight, I had a different view …you were doing it… because you felt so much… for him – not me- him. And then –oh, and this was great- you ran. You flew out of there so fast the wind knocked your mother over. This, yet again, another characteristic of when you make a bold romantic move – need I remind you that you stole cornstarch in one of those runs?”

Rory blushed.

I ran then, I ran when I kissed Tristan too…  

“So, yeah – I put two and two together. Dumb Dean the Bagboy figured it out. So I followed you out here and saw you have one of your little battles with your inner monologue. I knew I had to test you, so I kissed you. Although maybe this was just so I could have just the one last kiss… but anyway – I kissed you. And…” He sat up and squinted at her, “you felt it too, right? It wasn’t … the way it used to be…”

Rory’s tears were streaming down her face as she placed a comforting hand on his cheek.

“I’m so sorry, Dean…” she sobbed.

Dean nodded and smiled sadly, pulling her in for one last hug.

She clung to him.

“I never meant to… I didn’t think that… I’m so sorry…” she cried into his shoulder.

“Shhh,” he soothed as he rubbed her back, “it’s ok, don’t worry. I’ll be fine. He better treat you good…”

With that, he got up and looked at her one last time.

She smiled as they parted as boyfriend and girlfriend – and watched him walk off in the rain.

Will it always be this hard?

She wiped her eyes and leaned against the handrail.

Is this the end of something great?

Is this something I’ll regret for the rest of my life?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Or is this a chance to start afresh?

To live my life without worrying about making him mad?

She heard a board creak behind her, making her jump.

She spun around to find a sodden Jess, staring intently at her.

This is it…

She walked slowly towards him.

He did also, with a whispered, “Thank you.”

Their eyes were locked together, silent verses passed through their gaze

This is the moment…

She looked down and realised her hands were clasped in his.

I guess that’s the way it’s always going to be. He’ll hold my hands in his, and I won’t even notice…

He’ll have made me fall in love with him, and I won’t even notice…

Until now.