Subj:[gilmoregirlsfanfiction] Running Ashtrays (1 revised, 2 /?)
From: arwendle@yahoo.ca (Artwen Rance)
Running Ashtrays Part 1
By Arwendle
Disclaimer: Not mine! I'm just using them for profit.
Joking I don't own them and I'm not getting any money
for this
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: R/J
Summary: Jess trys to run away from Stars Hollow
I have to get out of this place! Thought Jess as he
stuffed the last of his essential belongings in his
duffel bag. He checked his watch 7:30pm. The last bus
out of Stars Hollow came at 8:15. Plenty of time. Jess
opened the window of Lukes' room and dropped his
duffel outside. He’d pick it up later. He glanced
around the room one final time, grabbed his sweater
and headed downstairs.
Jess hoped that Luke wouldn’t spot him as he walked
through the diner but Luke was fully absorbed with
Lorelai who was in possession of a bag that seemed to
be bulging with every types of junk food imaginable.
Rory! thought Jess. He wanted to see her one more time
before he left. He didn’t know why he wanted to see
her…He just did. There was something about her that…he
couldn’t put his finger on it.
Jess collected his bag from the place where it had
fallen and walked towards the bus stop. He lit a
cigarette and inhaled deeply hoping that the smoke
would do it’s worst possible damage before being
released again out into the air. 7:43 he deposited his
bag behind the bench of the bus stop. He cracked open
his book but it was dark and he couldn’t quite make
out the words. He got up and walked over to the
nearest street lamp and it was as he was opening his
book again that he saw her through the windows of the
video store. 7:45 he had plenty of time. He tossed his
cigarette onto the ground and walked towards the
store.
The door jingled as he entered. He ducked into one of
the aisles of video tapes. He looked around. If anyone
had noticed they weren’t acting like it. He played it
cool. He walked down the row of tapes pretending to
look at them. He picked up one or two and glanced at
the covers. He wasn’t interested in movies tonight.
Rory was talking to that guy Kirk at the other end of
the store. Jess positioned himself in the W section
and picked up a movie and pretended to be looking at
it.
“Lord of the Rings is way better than Harry Potter.”
Rory said
“That’s it out of the store!” said Kirk
“um…Kirk I haven’t got my movie yet…”
“you have 30 seconds!”
“What!” cried Rory and ran frantically for the W
section. “Where is it?” she said searching the rack.
“20 seconds” yelled Kirk. “18, 17,16…
Jess who had been standing there the entire time,
movie still casually grasped in his hand, watched as
Rory got down on her knees and scanned the rack.
“Where is it?” she asked again.
“is this what are you looking for?” he asked. Rory
turned to glance up at him. It was like time had
stopped. They looked at one another each holding their
breath.
“ 10 seconds” Rory came back down to earth.
“What is it? Wizard of Oz? Yes that’s the one.” Rory
said as she grabbed the video from Jess. She ran to
the counter and plunked the money down and before Kirk
had time to protest was out on the street with her
prize. A stunned Kirk stared at the money as Jess ran
out the door after her.
“Quite a disappearing act you pulled there.” He puffed
as he caught up to her.
“ Well tonight is movie night. I couldn’t leave
without a movie.” Rory replied.
“Speaking of movies did you happen to notice that I
was holding the movie you grabbed? Maybe I was
planning to watch…” Jess glanced at the video in her
hand “The Wizard of Oz.”
“Sure you were.”
“ I think I was! I think therefore I am.”
“Voltaire” Rory mumbled
“ I believe I’m going to have to confiscate that tape
for my own personal viewing or be compensated.” He
mock puckered his lips.
Rory glanced at him, at his lips, at the movie in her
hand. She made her decision.
“ I’ll be back in one second. Wait right here.” She
instructed and ran into Luke’s.
Jess glanced at his watch 8:05 she had better be
quick. 5 minutes passed by. Jess pulled out a
cigarette and lit it. He had better be getting to the
bus stop. He walked to the bus stop and picked his bag
up from behind the bench. 8:12 he checked his watch
again. He couldn’t wait to get out of here.
“There you are!” the cry came from across the street.
Rory ran across the street and grabbed his arm. She
let go when her heart fluttered from the contact.
Remember Dean she told herself. “ You want to see the
Wizard of Oz? Well come to our movie night. But you
had better hurry up my mother gets cranky when she has
to wait for the munchkins.”
Maybe he could wait a little longer.
“What’s with all the stuff?” Lorelai asked as Jess
dumped his duffel in the front hall.
“ I thought we were having a slumber party” he said
sarcastically
“ohhhhh What a great idea” Lorelai squealed “I have
the perfect thing!” she began to rummage through
closets.
“um mom? Aren’t we going to watch the movie?” asked
Rory. Lorelai stopped her rummaging and they all
settled down in front of the couch.
“Did you know that if you play Pink Floyd's Dark Side
of the Moon album it is synchronised with the Wizard
of Oz?” asked Jess
“no way!” cried Rory.
“try it”
Lorelai went and found her Pink Floyd CD. And put it
into the CD player.
After a few minutes of gaping Rory said “that is sooo
cool.”
They watched the rest of the Wizard of Oz making ohhh
and awww sounds whenever it was synchronised with the
CD.
The night passed very fast. Jess couldn’t believe he
was actually having fun in this little hell town.
At around midnight Jess slipped out onto the porch. He
needed some fresh air. The night was cool and crisp
and the stars were brilliant overhead. Normally it was
nights like this when his mind went wild and all his
stories came to him. Tonight no stories came. All he
could think about was Rory. Why was this happening? He
kicked a pine cone off the porch in frustration. He
had been as good as gone from Stars Hollow. And then
tonight had happened. What exactly had happened? He
asked himself over and over again. Why did he all of a
sudden not want to leave so much anymore? Rory stepped
out on to the porch.
“What’s the matter” she asked “Is everything ok?”
“Yeah everything is fine.” There was an awkward
silence.
“You were running away tonight weren’t you?” He
nodded. “Why did you stay?”
He didn’t answer he just looked at her and shrugged.
“I haven’t decided to stay yet. I just delayed my
departure.” Rory looked into his eyes and quickly
glanced down at her shoes. For some reason the idea of
Jess leaving distressed her.
“Don’t leave Jess” she whispered. The moon beams
cascaded all around them. Jess leaned forward to make
a witty reply and found that he was kissing her
lightly, unexpectedly. A static shock zapped their
lips making his heart pound. He deepened the kiss and
for a few seconds she did as well. Then the moon went
behind a cloud and the moment was broken. Reluctantly
he pulled away. He could see confusion in her eyes but
she gave him a small uncertain smile. Then she shook
her head and brought her fingers to her lips. “You
taste like an ashtray” she said and ran into the
house.
Part 2
“This is a total crock!” thought Jess as he walked
through the aisles of Stars Hollow Library with a
shelving cart. Who came up with the brilliant idea
that you needed 35 hours of volunteer work to graduate
anyways? At least his placement was in the library and
not one of the porcelain unicorn shops. He shuddered
at the thought and shoved another book onto the shelf.
Near the end of his shift Jess decided that since he
was a volunteer he had time to take a little break. He
sat down in one of the library chairs pulled and
pulled out his pencil and notebook. He did not notice
Rory until she spoke to him.
“What are you doing?” She asked. It had been two weeks
and they had so far avoided talking about the kiss.
“Writing” replied Jess noncommittally.
“Cool! I didn’t know you wrote.”
“I didn’t tell you”
“Well obviously but… What are you writing about?”
asked Rory apparently undeterred by the fact that Jess
didn’t seem interested in talking to her.
“Nothing much, because I’m really having difficulty
getting rid of one of the characters.”
“Hmm maybe I can help. What’s the problem?
“Well I need to get rid of the girl’s boyfriend so she
can hook up with another guy.”
“You could always kill him off.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh? Plus I’d have to
do the whole funeral and the girl would be all mopey
for a while.”
“Good point. What if the boyfriend moved?” offered
Rory.
“Na, that’s an easy out. It’s almost as bad as
shipping him off to boot camp.”
“How about making the guy a real jerk?”
“Breaks character. The guy is too boring to be a
jerk.”
“Goes insane?”
“Do I really have to answer that one?” Jess said in
mock severity.
“I see your problem.” Laughed Rory.
“I mean I could always do the ‘they began to drift
apart thing’ but seriously isn’t that a bit over
done?”
“Just a little.” Rory agreed.
“How am I supposed to write the next great American
novel if I use an overdone idea?” Jess exclaimed
rather loudly.
“ Ok. I think this is getting a little loud for the
library.”
“Point taken. How about we go get something at
Luke’s?” Jess offered glancing at his watch. His shift
had ended 15 minutes ago anyways.
“ Did you say coffee? I’m there!”Rory yelled.
“Who’s too loud for the library now?” Jess joked.
Jess and Rory sat down at a table and waited for Luke
to serve them.
“Jess what exactly do you think your doing?” Luke
asked suspiciously.
“Um let me think…maybe I’m waiting for you to take my
order?”
“ You don’t order here, you work here.”
“I’m on break!”
“Um Luke?” Rory said. Luke turned to glare at Rory
“Coffee please.” She smiled. Luke grunted and headed
off to get her order.
“Hey Luke…” Jess called.
“I’m not serving you!” Grumped Luke. Jess got up and
got himself a hot chocolate.
“Hot chocolate?” Rory asked
“Yeah I don’t drink coffee it’s bad for you. I hear it
stunts your growth.” Jess replied.
“You smoke and you think coffee is bad for you? You
don’t see surgeon general warnings on the sides of
coffee bags do you?”
“No. But I don’t smoke anymore either. I quit.
Apparently it made me taste bad.” He said glancing at
her. Rory knew what he meant and studied the steam
rising from her coffee so she could avoid his eyes.
“What if the boyfriend goes missing?” Rory blurted
out. Jess laughed and shook his head.
Luke looked on in total confusion as Jess and Rory
debated how they were going to rid Jess’s story of a
stubborn boyfriend.
End Part 2
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