Jess's Girl

Ol Luke's

Lucy sipped on her soda as she sat at the bar; listening to her music. HER music, not Jess' new playlist, for obvious reasons. Luke passed by; looking at what seemed to be the past.

Lucy, sitting by herself, not opening in conversation and listening to that damned iPod. She was relapsing. But from what he couldn't tell.

He cleared his throat to get a conversation going with her, "Lucy."

She looked up briefly taking out one earbud, "Yeah Luke?" she asked gently.

"Anything interesting happen this week?" he asked as he cleaned out a glass. He felt like the cheesy therapeutic bartenders, it was making him sick.

She looked at him absentmindedly, "Nope. Same boring Stars Hollow." she said and looked back down at her plate of toast.

"Do you want anything else?" he asked.

She shook her head.

Luke sighed. He felt like he was pulling teeth with this conversation. If you could even call it one. He looked at her and moved closer so only they could hear each other, "Are you okay? Did something spook you?" he asked.

Lucy looked up about to retort when she heard the backfire of an ugly ugly car trying to start up. She sighed and put her earbud back in. Luke noticed her revert back in her shell and looked out the window that gave him view to the dead of night.

"No way." he muttered to himself before quickly leaving his notepad on the bar and hurrying outside.

Lucy looked back out the window to find Luke and Jess already arguing. She sighed shaking her head and finishing up her soda.

"-So I guess it didn't work out with your dad huh?" Luke changed the arguing about his car to something he could converse about; his arms still crossed not defensively but exhaustedly.

"It worked out fine." Jess defended.

"So what are you doing back East buddy? Still searching?" he poked.

"Been traveling." Jess side-eyed him.

"Well-thanks for all the swell letters and cards you sent while you were away." He said sarcastically. To which Jess immediately yelled at him, "You kicked me out, what did you expect? A candy gram??"

"I didn't kick you out, you got yourself kicked out," he replied calmly. "Nice spin, you should work for Bush." Jess rolled his eyes and his finger around. "So what'd you get out of this Kerouac trip of yours- you write the great american novel, or learned to play the hermonica?"

"What do you care? You're not my guardian anymore.."

"And I bless every day that I'm not."

"Well when you're not best at something it's best to cut and run," Jess jabbed. "Oh, sorry I tried to give you a decent life Jess. Sorry I didn't think driving a Forklift for the rest of your life was good enough for you."

"Well that is condescending isn't it? What happened to friend of the working man?" he retorted.

"-Oh that sister of mine, what a prize. What, a prize." he shook his head. "What does she have to do with anything?" he said.

"I tell her about the car, she runs and tells you, and her claiming she had no contact." he guessed.

"Again. The car was Mine. Liz was doing the right thing- that's what family does." he pointed. "Family?" Luke frowned, "What a joke coming from you."

"Go clean your counters, I'm tired." he said done with this conversation five minutes ago. "So you staying in town?" Luke said; not like her cared.