ROSIE HAD A LOT OF FIXING TO DO.

To start off, she had to explain the situation to Rory. She skirted around telling her own sister, heavily aware of her distaste to Jess, but had to explain to Rory first. Rory pieced the story together halfway through her explanation and lacked the anger Rosie expected.

    There was one more thing she had to take care of, one she wasn't initially planning on, but Rory's advice pushed her to it.  Make amends with Jake. A ridiculous idea, at first, but after a brief phone call with him earlier, she learned that his father was sending him off to boarding school. He apologised vaguely for how everything turned out, and informed her of the going away party his friends were throwing him tonight. She wouldn't have agreed to go if it wasn't for the melancholy voice of his and feeling like she owed herself closure. Show up, say goodbye, and leave.

    She fiddled with the car keys in her hands, stopping by Doose's for some gum and ice tea. They can't offer me a drink if I'm already holding one, she thought, not trusting herself enough to decline a drink. She grabbed the items, heading to the cashier. "Rosie, hi." Dean greeted her awkwardly.

    "Hey." She smiled, sensing his discomfort. "Everything okay?"

Dean narrowed her eyes at her before tilting his head back, realising something vital. "Rory didn't tell you?"

Rosie's brow pinches. "Tell me what?"

"We broke up."

"You broke up?" She echoed, attempting to sound more surprised than she actually was. "Sorry to hear that." She said, grabbing the grocery bag.

"It's alright, it was a mutual decision, really."

She nodded, not sure whether or not she should believe him. She looked at him sympathetically, muttering a goodbye and leaving. For as much as she felt bad for Dean, she couldn't help but feel relieved. Rory had been looking for ways to break up with him for a while, and postponing it any further only would've been unfair to Dean.

Walking out of the store, Rosie began walking to her car, muttering a curse word to herself for deciding to park it so far away. Lifting her gaze up from the floor, she turned around the corner, seeing Jess in the distance. She froze for a moment, observing him, feeling the grey line between butterflies and nausea hit her. He was standing outside of Luke's, a book in his hands, biting a pen down. What are you doing? She asked herself. Move, Rosie, move.

By the time she took a step forward, continuing her path to her car, he lifted his head to see her. She tried to avoid eye contact, figuring running into him before visiting her ex-boyfriend's party wasn't the best timing, but she could hear his footsteps approaching her.

"Hey." Jess said, sliding his book and pen into his jean jacket's pocket.

Rosie faked a look of surprise as she glanced to her side, not stopping her path to her car. "Hi." She replied timidly, pursing her lips.

"Have time to talk?"

"Oh, not really."

"Where are you going?"

"Parked my car a little far." She answered shortly, skirting her way around the question.

Jess nodded. "Where's your car taking you tonight?"

And there it is. "A party." She answered quickly, hoping he won't ask her for details.

He kept his gaze firm on her, analysing her as she kept walking to her car, staring firmly at the parking lot to avoid looking him in the eye. "Great, i'll be there."

She let out a heavy breath as she finally reached her car, opening her car door to place the grocery bag inside. Afterwards, she finally faced him. "No, you won't." She stated simply.

"Why not?" He tested.

Rosie gave him a slight glare, like he should know the answer to this already. "Because you fought at least seven of the guys that are going to be there." She said. "And you hate parties with crowds of people you already know. You don't want to go."

His smirk deepens. "I think I get to decide that." He dismissed.

"You hate everyone there."

"How would you know?"

She crossed her arms. "You hate everyone."

"Not you." He replied, almost affectionately. Something inside of Rosie fluttered, and she froze, unable to answer. "Why do you even want to go to a stupid party?" He continued. "It's just one of those things you're only supposed to find fun, like New Year's, or even worse, New Year's Eve."

Resting her elbow on her car's roof, she stared thoughtfully at the ground. New Years is stupid, she thought to herself. "Or Valentine's day." She added.

     Jess nodded along, piling onto the list. "Roller coasters."

    "Staying up late." She continued with a shrug.

    "Parties." He concluded, drawing back to his point.

     He's right, she thought to herself. She tried to quickly brainstorm of other ways she could have closure with Jake, and coming up with a few ideas, she relaxed. "It is stupid." She agreed. "Okay. What do you want to do?"

Jess smirked victoriously, glancing over to her car. "Did I ever tell you that I got my driver's license only a few weeks ago?" He asked, leaning against her car suggestively.

Getting the idea, she groaned. "Horrible idea."

"Did you mean to say exciting?"

"Did you forget what happened the last time you drove Sylvia?"

"Not even close to being my fault." Jess persuaded her, moving around the car to the driver's seat. "Keys?" He lifted his hands, ready to catch it.

Rosie didn't have time to give it much thought, and so she threw the car keys over to him, getting into the passenger's front seat. "Fine, but we will listen to Britney Spears the entire car ride."

"As long as you don't throw in an NSYNC song." Jess said as he got into the car, settling into the car seat.

"Hey," She started defensively. "My car, my rules, and Bye Bye Bye will be making an appearance." She said, the. thought back to what he said earlier. "When you said you got your driver's license a couple weeks ago, that was before you drove my car after that party, right?"

"Sure." He said, not attempting to sound convincing. Jess adjusted the car seat, sliding it back further. "So," He puts his foot on the pedal and turns on the engine, turning to look at her afterwards. "Where you want to go?"

     She inserted a tape into the player, turning the volume up to This I Promise You. "Well," She set her eyes on him. "New York's only a two hour drive from here." She said. She saw it in his eyes right then, the glint of exhilaration that flashed before dimming when she said; "I'm kidding." She turned back to the road. "Lorelai would murder me. Plus, Sylvia would not function outside of Connecticut." 

     "She hardly functions in Connecticut."

Rosie rolls her eyes, then turns to face him. "There's a Mexican place that sells the best churros, but it's a fifteen minute drive."

     "Lead the way." He said agreeably, then taking the right turn when she told him to. Stars Hollow's streets, as usual, were quite empty, as the residents preferred to walk to places. "So, who taught you about this place?"

     "Lorelai." She answered. "When you finish trying every restaurant in Stars Hollow, you get a little bored of Luke's diner and Wok's Chinese food. We had to branch out eventually."

"I can imagine." He said. "Well... any summer plans?"

"Yeah, actually, I got a summer internship."

     Jess glanced at her with a teasing smile. "Well, colour me impressed."

"It's nothing."

"Doesn't sound like nothing." He retorted. "Publishing house?" He guessed.

"Yeah, Ink House." She nodded, looking down at her lap sheepishly. "Not the best publishing house, but one of the few that offer internships to high school students. I don't think I'll be doing much, though, it sounds more like I'm meant to be there to observe rather than create."

      "Oh, no way." He gave a disapproving look. "Knowing you, you'll do a lot more than just observe." He said. "Did they publish any book I've heard of?"

     "Most of the books have a small audience, but their most popular one is Play It As It Lays."

     Jess slapped his hand on the steering wheel enthusiastically. "Love that book."

     "Of course you do." Rosie said, scoffing at how predictable his reading taste is. "Joan Didion is a Hemmingway-loving writer and you are a Hemmingway-loving man."

     "I appreciate you not saying boy."

     "You're welcome." She said, then signalling for him to make a left turn.

"I see it." Jess said after a moment of silence.

She gave him a puzzled look. "See what?"

"You working at a publishing house." He said. "Most of the notes you write in books are ideas on how to make the story better, you keep pointing out plot holes and all. Just sounds like you'd be a good editor."

Rosie gave it some thought. She never considered being a book editor before, always thinking that she would end up as an author herself when the right idea comes to mind. On second thought, being an editor didn't sound so bad. "I guess so."

It took every ounce of her not to ask him about his future career paths. She knew that education and careers was a sensitive topic to him, one she successfully avoided bringing up before. But the more she got to know him, the harder it became for her to avoid asking him about it. To stop herself from asking, she turned up the music to a deafening volume.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the place, ordering through the drive through's window. It took a couple of extra minutes for the food to be ready, and they drove down to the lot to park the car. Jess took a bite of the churros, moaning in pleasure and approval. "You're right, they are good."

     By the time they were done, Jess rolled down the window and grabbed something from his pocket. Rosie stared at him with caution, watching him take out his cigarette and lighter in one swift motion. She huffed out a laugh in disbelief. "Oh my god, the nerve you have."

"What?" Jess asked obliviously.

She unbuckled her seat belt to lean in and grab the cigarette from his hands.  She didn't back away, staying close to him when she said; "You're not smoking in my car."

     He pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Well, I didn't think you'd mind, considering Sylvia already smells like someone smoked a whole packet and left the windows closed for a good two days."

     "If you keep talking crap, she will hear you and break down like that last time." Rosie said warily, only half joking.

     Jess rolled his eyes with a smirk. When he looked back at her, he saw her slide the lighter and cigarettes into her jeans pocket. "What, you're not gonna give those back?"

"You should quit, anyway" Rosie said. "They're bad for you."

He lifted a shoulder. She went quiet just then, observing him for a long while, as if building the courage to ask something. "What?" He asked, sensing an unvoiced question.

"Nothing."

Catching on, he rolled his eyes. "Oh, go ahead. I knew you've been wanting to ask since you mentioned your internship."

Taking the opportunity, she asked; "Why do I hardly ever see you at school?"

"Because we don't have any classes together?" He suggested questionably.

"Come on, Jess," She said desperately. "I've tutored you, I've witnessed firsthand how fast you learn, and read the in depth analysis's you write on even the dullest books. You're so smart, and yet the school's considering pushing you back."

His gaze sharpens at the mention of repeating his junior year. "Oh, whatever."

Rosie straightens. "I'm serious, you're the smartest guy I know. You could easily get good grades if you tried."

"Here comes the pompoms." He groused.

"Jess." She whines, prodding him to take this seriously. "What's stopping you?"

He clenched his jaw, giving in. "I'm never going to college, so why try?"

"Okay." She said, softening a little. "Then what's the plan after high school?"

"Get out of town." He said without second thought. "Get a job that makes money, do whatever, stay wherever."

"Very distinct picture you're painting here." She replied satirically, making a little face at the vagueness of his answer.

He gives a slight shake of his head. "I could write, I guess." He said, defeated. "But I don't know." He added quickly.

Rosie smiled victoriously. "You would be great at it." She countered.

He heaved a sigh, and she could only assume that he was in slight disbelief and maybe a little sheepishness that he admitted his pipe dream to her. "You're really nosey and stubborn, you know?"

"You like it."

"Fine, I do." Jess exhaled a quiet laugh. His head dips forward, instantaneously shifting the energy between them. In one sudden instant, the air around them tightened. His gaze deepens. "I like a lot about you."

    When he leans back and meets her eyes again, there was a softness to him she has never seen before. It felt like forever until Rosie replied with, "I like a lot about you, too." She breathed.

     He pursed his lips to stop his mouth from erupting into a grin. He starts the engine again, heading back to the town's centre. The electric moment only lasted a minute or so, but the butterflies in her stomach lasted much, much longer.

Rosie didn't see this coming. Her ending up there, skipping the old town streets alongside Jess Mariano of all people. She didn't see any of it coming— especially not when he pressed on the gas pedal a little too much on a turn, crashing them into a streetlight.