Project X

by mc933

Summary: There's a new kid in town. He's there to stir-up trouble. Suddenly, Rory's empty social calendar isn't as empty as it once was.

Prologue

Rory stared out the window. She watched the autumn leaves fall to the ground. The colors were a vibrant hue of yellow, orange and red.

"Ms. Gilmore," said the voice of Rory's teacher, Mr. Medina. "Please, pay attention."

Rory jumped in her seat. "Sorry, Mr. Medina," said Rory. "I'm focused now."

"Good," said Mr. Medina. He continued with his lecture.

Rory heard tittering in the back-of-the-classroom. She wasn't surprised that it sounded like Paris, Louise and Madeline.

Rory rolled her eyes. She was having a bad day. She wanted nothing more than to turn around to say a scathing comment to the three girls that made her life at Chilton Prepartory Academy miserable. However, before Rory was further tempted to do just that there was a disruption in the classroom. A stranger walked into the class.

He was a dark-haired boy. He had intense eyes and a bored look about him.

"Yes?" asked Mr. Medina impatiently.

"My name's Jess," said the boy. "Jess Mariano. I'm a new transfer."

The students around Rory started to whisper. Rory sat-up straighter in her seat. He's another new kid like me, thought Rory. He transferred here even later than I did. He's going to die trying to catch-up with all the material.

Mr. Medina interrupted Rory's wayward thoughts. "Yes, all right," said Mr. Medina. "You can have a seat. Take that empty desk behind Ms. Gilmore."

"And who is Ms. Gilmore exactly?" asked Jess.

"I am," said Rory in a voice that was stronger than she felt.

"Now my day's starting to look up," said Jess with a smirk.

Rory sighed with relief. It was her lunchbreak. She was glad to have some time to herself.

Rory sat at her usual table. She placed her lunch tray on the table. It was a cobb salad with a side of delicious, greasy French fries. She had an iced-tea as her drink-of-choice.

Rory bit into a French fry. Then, she pulled-out her bookbag to get her headphones and her book-of-the-month. Something interrupted her search.

"Mind if I sit here?" said someone.

Rory glanced-up from what she was doing. It was the new boy from her English class…. Jess.

"Oh," said Rory. She was surprised. "Yes, all right."

The boy took a seat beside her. He placed his lunch tray down.

"Nice lunch," said Jess. "Gotta say, I love the salad-French fry combo. Good choice."

Rory shrugged. "Yes, what can I say... I love my mixed greens with a side of grease."

"I guess I just like the grease," said Jess. He had a slice of pizza on his lunch tray.

Rory smiled.

The two fell silent. Rory felt uncomfortable. However, before things got too strange between them Jess began to talk.

"So, I hear you're new here, too," said Jess.

"Yes," said Rory. "I transferred a few months ago."

Jess nodded. "I still hear you're the best girl to go-to if someone needed to copy some notes."

Rory blushed. "Where'd you hear that?"

"From a crazy blonde-haired girl who sounds like a military sergeant."

"That's Paris," said Rory. She sighed. "That's typical."

"So, what do you say?" asked Jess. "Can I borrow your notes?"

He raised an eyebrow.

Rory decided that the best thing to do would be to let him borrow her extensive notes. I guess I can help him, thought Rory. I don't know what I would have done if Madeline didn't lend me her notes when I first got here.

"Okay," said Rory. "You can borrow them."

"Great," said Jess.

"If you find me at the end-of-the-day by my locker, then, we can head over to the library. You can photo-copy my notes there."

"Photo-copy?" asked Jess.

"Yes. It's easier than copying all my notes first-hand," explained Rory. "Trust me."

"Trust requested and given," said Jess.

Rory smiled.