POKING NORMALCY IN THE BACKSIDE

By Oregano

                Jess leaned back to see what Shane was so busy drawing.  She looked back at him with a coy smile and lifted her shoulder to block his view.  Jess’ lip twitched.

                He missed this.  This whole thing that he felt when he was with a girl.  It was just like when he was with - his eye jerked - Rory. 

                Well, Rory wasn’t here anymore, and she’d been gone for a long time now.  At first it hurt him that she didn’t say goodbye; but as the pain faded, so did his affections. 

                Shane, on the other hand, was different.  She didn’t make him feel like some stupid puppy that followed her around.  She appreciated him.  She wasn’t a very big fan of reading, like he was, but she still read a little and was well-informed.  That was enough. 

                Art was Shane’s life.  It was her passion; her thing.  Just like reading was Jess’.

                An arm went around him, jolting him back to earth. 

                A few days later, Shane walked into the Diner.  Jess looked up with a smile, and took his break.  Sitting down beside her, he spoke, “Hey.”

                She smiled.  “Hi, my little Love-Muffin.”

                “Jesus, Shane,” Jess chuckled softly at the horrible attempt of a greeting.

                “Pssh, whatever.  You like it and you know it.”

                “Who told you that, my cute little Bunny-Boobs?”

                The moment he said that, Lorelai walked in and looked at him with so much confusion that he smiled.  Then he saw this look pass over Lorelai’s face.  He couldn’t describe it, but it wasn’t a look he saw often.  It couldn’t have been Jealousy, unless Lorelai was into Pedophilia.  It couldn’t have been Hurt, as that lead to Jealousy, and that led, yet again, to Pedophilia.

                She noticed him staring at her and the mystery look vanished.

                Huh.  That was weird.

                Jess lay awake that night, thinking about Lorelai’s reaction.  Replaying the scene over and over again in his mind, he tried to figure it out.  But thinking was a tedious task.  Soon, he just had to get up and walk. 

                He grabbed his jacket, put on some shoes, and was out the door.

                He had planned on aimlessly walking around, but his feet took him somewhere specific, which defeated the purpose of aimlessly walking around, really.

                He sat on, which he affectionately called, “The Godamn Bridge,” and he easily lost himself to his thoughts. 

                Jess remembered the look Lorelai’s face that morning yet again.  What did that look mean?

                He watched the water swirl around his feet.  Then it hit him.  It felt like an anvil dropping on his face, yet it was so refreshing to know.

                Lorelai was concerned about him.  Miss Lorelai Gilmore was worried about him.

                Jess was seriously growing on her.  He was getting under her skin. 

                This was weird.

                Huh.  This was funny.  Not laugh-out-loud funny, because God only knows the last time he laughed out loud; but a weird-funny funny.

                Who would have thought that Lorelai Gilmore was fretting over the Devil Boy and his girlfriend?

                That next morning, Lorelai walked into the Diner looking very tired.  Jess smiled. 

                “Lorelai.”

                “Oomph.”

                He poured her a cup of coffee.  She drank it while Jess waited for her to put it down, which was a long time, considering Lorelai’s obsession with the stuff.

                Lorelai’s features changed from Sheer Bliss to What-The-Hell-Are-You-Looking-At?

                “What the hell are you looking at, Jess?”

                “Nothing.”  A slight smirk.

                She looked at him suspiciously and drank more.  The door jingled and Shane walked in.  Jess saw the suspicion disappear and was replaced by that same look she made the day before.

                “Hey, Shane.”

                “Hey, Jess.  I just came over to say that my parents are having this dinner thing tomorrow night, and they wanted you and Luke to come.  They really want to meet you guys.”

                He stole a glance at Lorelai and smiled wider (but wasn’t really seen by the naked eye since Jess wasn’t the big-smiley type). 

“Sure, we’ll go.”