Jo's POV
Lorelai was in the diner getting business help from Luke. Jess was walking around with the coffee pot.
Some lady held her cup to him for a refill and he walked right past her. I took the pot from him and refilled her cup.
He took it back offering Lorelai a refill.
"How are you Jess?" she asks.
"I'm not bleeding or anything," he replies.
"Well, then it's gonna be a good day," she says.
"It's 7:45," Jess says.
"So?" Luke asks.
"So, do you want us to go to school, or do you want to openly defy child-labor laws?" Jess asks.
"Go. Stay out of trouble," Luke tells him.
"Guess, that means calling off the chickie run down at the salt lots," Jess replies.
"Out!" Luke yells at him.
I pull on my bag as Jess gets his jacket. As we pass the window Luke gives me a small wave that I return. We make it halfway across the square before Jess talks.
"You've been skipping your meds," he says.
"No, I haven't," I replied.
"I haven't seen you take them," he says.
"I take some of them," I reply.
"So, why did you stop?" he asks.
"Why do you care all of a sudden?" I ask.
"I always care," he says.
"If you cared, you'd stop causing trouble. Luke didn't have to take us, and no matter how much you hate it here it's a hell of a lot better than that shit show we had going in New York, if you forgot."
I walk off, speed walking the rest of the way to school. My day was filled with mostly nods and fake smiles. Jess apparently decided to do the exact opposite of what I asked him.
On the way home from school I was the commotion outside of Doose's about the chalk outline. I make it to the diner and tell Luke I'm going to do my homework before helping.
He's busy enough I know he won't be up for a while. I search Jess' stuff until I find a pack of his smokes. I take one and his lighter and go to the window.
When I'm done I take two more from the pack. I hide them and one of my lighters in a place I know the guys won't look. My box of girl things.
Luke is almost terrified of the damn things. I actually do my homework and then head downstairs.
Luke tries to fix the toaster when the bell rings. Lorelai and Rory come in with an older woman I don't know.
Luke sees her and quickly rushes over to hug her.
"Mia, hey," he says.
"Nice to see you, Lucas," she replies.
"You're the only person in the world that can call me that, Mia," he says.
"I know this."
"I'm saying it for others who plan to try it later," he says, looking at Lorelai.
"Whatever, Lucas," Lorelai replies.
"Mia, you know anything about toasters?" he asks.
"Not a damn thing."
"Well, then sit down and let me get you some coffee."
He goes back to killing the toaster, and Jess comes down.
"You're making that worse."
"Big help. Thanks," Luke replies.
"Luke's niece and nephew," I hear Lorelai say as I grab them cups.
"Luke, this is you niece and nephew?" Mai asks.
"Liz's kids. Jess, Jo, this is Mia. She owns the Independence Inn," Luke says pouring their coffee after I hand him the mugs.
"Huh," Jess reples.
"That's, "Hello. Nice to meet you," in slacker," Luke adds.
"You don't need me down here, do you?" Jess says as more of a statement, before disappearing again.
"I'm sorry, Mia, he's just-"
"Oh, please. Forget it. You weren't exactly a talkative boy when you were his age."
"That's right. You knew Luke as a boy," Lorelai says.
"I can't imagine Luke as a boy," Rory adds.
"Can we change the subject?" he asks.
Mia tells us about Luke when he was younger until Taylor comes in and pulls him away. Taylor and Luke get into an argument about what happened outside of the market.
Taylor leaves and I get back up to start working again.
--
Later that evening Luke and I are closing up to go to the town meeting. Luke is locking the door when someone yells behind us, startalling him.
"Ah ha!"
Luke jumps and turns quickly. It was Lorelai, who had walked up with Rory and Mia.
"Jeez! Don't sneak up on me like that," he tells her.
"Yeah, boy, I was lucky you had your phasers on stun, huh?" she jokes.
"Well, at least we're not late. Luke's never late," Rory says.
"Actually, we're two minutes early," Luke says, checking his watch.
We make it to Miss Patty's and see they've already started, as Luke opens the door everyone goes silent, turning to us.
Taylor tells us there was a special issue the business community had to discuss. That group includes Luke.
We apparently weren't invited because their special issue was Jess.
"Dammit, Taylor!" Luke yells.
"Luke, honey, calm down," Miss Patty yells.
"After all this is all your doing," Taylor tells him.
The arguing continues.
"I never liked the look of that kid from the second I saw him," Bootsy says.
"Unbelievable!" Luke yells.
An argument breaks out between Bootsy and Luke.
"The bottom line here is, there is a consensus among townspeople who are in agreement that Stars Hollow was a better place before Jess got here," Taylor says.
"So this half of the room gets the tar, and the other gets the feathers?" Luke says.
"There hasn't been any talk about tar and feathers, although..." Taylor says.
"Look, I've lived in this town my entire life, longer than most everyone here."
"Beg to differ. I'm five weeks older than you," Bootsy says.
"Shut up!" I yell at him.
"I've never bothered anyone, I've kept to myself, and I've done the best I could. I pay my taxes, and I help people when I can," he continues to defend himself.
"What's your point, Luke?" Taylor asks.
"His point is- You mind?" Lorelai asks.
Before he can answer I stand up.
"The point is that you have no idea what we have been through. None of you have any idea what happened to us before we came here."
The whole room stares silently at me. I turn to Luke and stick out my hand.
"Key."
He immediately gives me his keys and I rush out.
\\AN// -- All grammar, punctuation, and spelling corrections are helpful, encouraged, and greatly appreciated.
Thank you
-- Izzy