A/N: This is not my normal feel-good story and …bleck…Dean is in it. Note that I spit his name with venom. Anyway, I am merely the writer of this story, not the plotter behind it for a change. This is a story idea brought to me by JustLikeAGilmore who doesn't believe she would do it justice. So, I agreed to write it out for her and have signed on a co-writer and consultant. Said co-writer is purpleribbons. She's pretty much amazing, so this story should be good. With that said, I'll warn you now, it's cliché and has been done, but I think with the right spin and if I can get my writing into gear, this should be at the very least a well-written story. I love you all as usual. Please review for me because they keep me going. By the way, I have a story idea written down in a notebook that I may start after or during this one. I haven't decided. If you'd like me to start it, tell me in your review and I'll PM you about what it's about. So, this has been a very long author's note so let's get this thing rolling.
A little background: First chapter will be in Jess' POV. The rest will probably be in Nobody's POV. This takes place around when Jess first gets to Stars Hollow.
Disclaimer: Don't own…well, anything actually…it's not even my plot…wow, I feel very poor.
On with the story…
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Chapter 1: The Arrival
I stepped off the bus into Hicksville, USA and almost threw-up. I couldn't believe my drunk of a mother sent me here. I've never even met this dude that's supposed to be my uncle and I'm supposed to live with him? Unbelievable. I looked around the bus stop, but didn't see anyone that matched my mother's description of my 'uncle' so I took out a pack of cigarettes and my lighter. I lit it up and inhaled deeply. I blew out and started walking in a random direction, not ready to find my uncle's diner.
I was walking down some street lined with houses—I'm sure it was the named after some fruit—when I saw a girl leave a house with tears pouring down her cheeks. She was limping slightly and I had the urge to yell gimpy, but refrained when I saw the hand print on her face. Her arms were wrapped protectively around her waist and her head was down—I would know the signs anywhere. She had been beaten.
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After around two hours of wandering around, I ended up on an old bridge, hidden from the town. I figured no one went there often and decided this would be the sanctuary I would retreat to. Having decided this, I walked off in order to find Luke's Diner, where my uncle worked and lived.
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When I finally arrived at the diner, I scoffed as I read the 'William's Hardware' sign above the door. Guess my uncle's a cheapskate.
As soon as I entered through the door, all of the people in there went silent and watched as I walked to the counter and threw my bag on the floor. I sat on the stool and waited for a man dressed in flannel to appear from the kitchen. After around five minutes of no noise—okay, maybe the occasional whisper—a man came out yelling.
"What hell is going on out here?" he screamed, "Why is no one talking?"
He looked to a heavy woman in bright, vibrant colors for an answer. The woman smiled the most disturbing smile I had ever seen and nodded her head towards me.
"Who are you?" he directed towards me.
"Who wants to know?" I stood up and crossed my arms.
The man also crossed his arms, "Luke Danes. I own this place. Who are you?"
I laughed and uncrossed my arms, "What's up Uncle Luke?" I quipped and headed upstairs.
The look on his face was priceless.
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After unpacking the few things I brought with me, I picked my favorite Hemmingway and walked right back out the diner door and to that bridge without speaking a word to my uncle who I think just stared after me in awe.
What can I say? I'm not a people person.
As I walked the path to the bridge, I heard weeping and immediately slowed my steps. I finally reached the beginning of the bridge and hid behind a tree as I looked to find out who was on the bridge. It was the girl from earlier today. The girl that was beaten. It may have made me seem like an insensitive jerk, but I didn't plan on talking to her. I had just left a life of abusive men and a woman, the woman being my mom, and didn't plan on getting involved in anything similar anytime soon.
After a few minutes of watching her, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her jacket pocket, and after checking the id, she composed herself and flipped it open. After a minute or so of talking, she hung up the phone, stood, took a deep breath, and started walking the opposite way off the bridge.
I sighed and started back for the diner, not in the mood to read anymore.
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I came down into the diner around dinner time. I hadn't eaten all day and was anxious to see just how crappy the diner food was. I made it to the bottom of the stairs, but as soon as I came from behind the curtain, silence enveloped the place. I rolled my eyes and took a seat at the counter.
"Uncle Luke!" I taunted with a smirk.
"Don't call me uncle," he said gruffly as he whipped out a pencil and pad of paper, "Are you hungry?"
"Actually yes," I answered.
"Well…what do you want?"
"Gee, I don't know, some food would be great," I replied sarcastically, just to see how far I could push him.
"Listen smartass," I guess not that far, "I know you know what I meant so answer the damn question."
"Burger, fries, and lots of coffee!" I heard a lady's voice from behind me yell out.
Luke sighed, "I wasn't talking to you Lorelai."
"Ah, but I am a paying customer and my daughter and I would like to eat burger, fries, and coffee!" she answered back.
I turned around and saw the girl from earlier and a woman that could have been her sister, but apparently was her mother.
"Who are you?" she directed towards me.
"Jess Mariano, I'm Luke's nephew," I answered monotonously.
She gasped comically, put a hand to her heart and turned to Luke, "Lucas Danes, I think you have failed to inform me of a very important event in your life. Care to explain?"
What is she his girlfriend or something? And Lucas?
Luke sighed again, "Lorelai, Rory," so that was her name, "this is Jess, my nephew. He'll be staying with me indefinitely. Jess, this is Lorelai and her daughter Rory."
I nodded at them, "I'll have a burger and fries too. Call me when it's done."
I stole a quick glance at Rory and noticed the extra make-up on her left cheek covering the handprint I had seen earlier. I shook my head angrily, not understanding how anyone could treat a woman like that, and continued upstairs.
If I was wrong about her, then I wasn't breathing. She had all the signs straight from the book. Crying after leaving somewhere, handprint across the cheek, extra make-up to cover that handprint up, long sleeves to cover bruises, head down, quiet, and eyes downcast— she had them all.
I figured I wouldn't get involved, maybe drop a hint to Luke, or slip a comment towards her. I had watched and even heard my mother get beaten too many times to start getting involved with another girl that's being abused. She was a beautiful girl. She didn't deserve what she was getting—none of them ever did. The point was that they got it and they shouldn't—end of story.
I sighed and entered the apartment, scratching my head and searching for a new book to start.
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When I went down to eat my dinner, Lorelai and Rory were still there, sitting at the counter eating and drinking, what looked like bowls, of coffee. I nodded at them and stood behind the counter to eat.
I let my gaze fall upon Rory as she quietly sipped her coffee. Her lips were moving, like she was talking, but no sound was coming out. Damn, it must be bad, I thought. I felt for her, I really did, but I just couldn't get involved in that. I heard my name being called and turned towards Lorelai.
"Huh?"
"I was just saying that Rory here is the same age as you. You should let her show you around," she repeated.
I groaned inwardly, No, no, no, no. I cannot be around this girl, I thought to myself as Rory's head snapped up, obviously hearing her name.
"Huh?" She muttered.
"Will you show Jess around town?" Lorelai asked with a smile obviously intended to mean that she didn't necessarily have a choice in the matter.
"Sure," she replied with a tight lipped smile, "Once we're finished eating I'll take him around."
She turned her gaze on me and met it steadily. She finally broke it with a blush adorning her cheeks and went back to eating.
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Around twenty minutes later we both had finished eating and she suggested we go. I nodded and took both of our dishes into the back. When I came out, she was waiting by the door.
"Ready?" she asked with a small smile.
I simply nodded and walked towards her. I called out to Luke that I was leaving and we walked out the door in silence.
She took a deep breath and started talking, "So, this is the gazebo, basically the center of town, that's Sophie's, the only music store here…"
And she went on to explain almost everything worth explaining in his godforsaken hellhole they call a town. As we started rounding the corner to end up where we started she took a sharp turn onto the street leading to the diner.
"So, where are you from?" she asked, arms wrapped around her stomach protectively.
"New York."
"Guess you probably hate it here," she conceded, eyes looking down.
"Pretty much," I sighed.
"Not talkative?" she inquired.
"Not really," I responded, "but if your mother is any indication, you sure are," I smirked at her, trying to show that I wasn't going to bite, but that I just didn't like talking.
She smiled and, for the first time that day, it met her eyes. She chuckled, "I usually am, but I don't really know you." She tilted her head to the side and looked at me searchingly, "but I think I want to."
Immediately after she said this, she blushed profusely and lowered her eyes again, suddenly finding her shoes quite interesting.
I just smirked and also looked down at my shoes.
And that was how we walked down the street, just staring at our shoes in a comfortable silence.
That is, until someone yelled her name.
"Rory!" a tall boy with shaggy hair bellowed from the end of the street.
I snapped my head up and then over to Rory. Her eyes had widened and her mouth dropped open in shock, "Oh no," she whispered almost inaudibly. She turned to me and curled her lips into a shaky smile, "I have to go, I'll see you around."
And with that, she ran to the tall boy who looked ready to kill someone at any second.
Her abuser.
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A/N: Okay guys, that's it. I know it's not as long as usual, but that's okay. Every chapter will be a minimum of five pages with no maximum. Whatever comes out, comes out. The next chapter will either be in Rory's POV or Nobody's POV i.e. mine and purpleribbons'. Again, the basis idea for this story is not mine, it belongs to JustLikeAGilmore. I simply took her idea and wrote it out. This will be continued as soon as I get the chance, which will probably be around Sunday night when I start and Tuesday when I finish. Who knows though? Reviews are love so press the pretty little button!