"maybe this thing was a masterpiece
until you tore it all up"
in which cherry doose is just trying
to do her job and the boy who works
in luke's dinner won't let her
gilmore girls fanfic
[ JESS MARIANO x FEMOC! ]
HIGHEST RANKING - #5 JESSMARIANO
...
Cherry Doose was draped in lavender as a bridesmaid, waves of silk bouncing of her curves with a bright grin dazzling her soft features. Her curls were pinned back by butterfly clips that sparkled under the sun that had decided to peak out its head on such a joyous occasion. Layers and layers of white were toppled one above each other as the cake stood gallantly in the centre of it all.
She was glad Lindsay had allowed her to wear kitten heels — those stilettos some of the other girls wore would have produced too many blisters to count. Unable to stop smiling, Cherry made her way through round tables, grass sinking under her weight as she approached her own seat. In front of a plate was her name scribbled in fancy handwriting to indicate where she was to be sat — in the same table as the bride and groom, who were busy doing their first dance.
Realising her phone was ringing, Cherry quickly dug her hand in her purse, digging through the lipstick and the book before grasping unto her phone. Flipping it open, Cherry pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"
"It's me, your one and only caller."
Cherry's smile became even bigger — if that was even possible. "Jess, hi. Also, you're delusional if you think you're the only person that calls me. I have plenty of suitors."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Jess taunted. He stood next to a phone booth — as he didn't own one — his usual leather jacket wrapped around his arms as he stood near a beach. He had been spending the summer in California, reconnecting with his dad. "Are you busy?"
"Well, I am at a wedding, yes. As I said, I have a life that doesn't revolve around you." she retorted, tilting her head amused.
"Shit! I forgot about that." Jess straightened his posture. "How's the hell-like experience, worse than Dante's Inferno? Well, I bet you look amazing, as always."
Cherry smiled. Throughout that summer, the two had been exchanging calls like their lungs depended of that air they provided for each other. They didn't exactly know exactly what they were, or what the future held, but it's what they had for now. "Is that meant to make a girl weak in the knees?"
She could feel him shrug through the phone line. "Well, a guy can only hope."
"Aw, you've gone soft." Cherry teased, switching the phone to her other ear as her arm grew slightly tired.
Jess smiled softly, dangling with the phone's cord with his fingers. If I have, it's because of you. Cherry could completely destroy him without meaning to. Instead, he scoffed. "As if. This profound journey as made me really tough."
Laughing, Cherry slowly strolled along the grass, smiling at those she passed by. "I envy your ability to being able to see the bigger picture."
"Well, I am the visionary of our generation."
"I'm serious!" she chuckled, tucking her curl behind her ear. "When things got tough for you, you knew the thing you had to do was to take a break from what was expected from you."
Jess shuffled at the sudden praise directed towards him, scratching the nape of his neck. "I think you're giving me way too much credit. The only thing I knew I wanted to do was to get out of town straight away." he paused, thinking a way to make the conversation lighter. "Before I made it into a profound journey, of course. What's bringing this on?"
Cherry hesitated — it was hard to put how she felt into words. Everyone around her seemed to have their life on track, or at least on its way. Dean was getting married. Jess was with his father. Rory was at Yale. She seemed to be stuck in the same spot, with no clear direction. "I don't know. I just . . . I feel like I'm acting how I think Cherry Doose is supposed to act, but I no longer know what that is. Everything I thought I was supposed to want has shifted. I feel like I'm floundering."
Hesitating, Jess knew the feeling all too well. "You know there's no rush in trying to figure out who you are. Hell, what do you think I'm doing?" he paused, glancing at the Californian beach behind him. "Maybe you just need a change of perspective."
"I guess you're right." she muttered, not entirely convinced.
"Look, I'm going up back to New York soon. Why don't you joi—"
"Oh!" Cherry slightly gasped, interrupting Jess as a bouquet of flowers was thrown into her hands. Glancing up, Cherry met Lindsay's grin at the fact she had caught the bride's bouquet.
Jess's voice crackled through the phone. "What is it, are you okay?"
"Yeah." she muttered quickly, glancing at the flowers and what they symbolically meant. Shaking her head, she put the flowers down. "It's nothing. Look, Dean's asking me to dance. Can't say no to the groom, right? We'll talk later. Miss you!"
Before he could answer, a beep indicated she had hung up. Jess pressed his lips together, slowly putting the phone back in the booth.
