Falling - 𝒥𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒾𝒶𝓃𝑜

Chapter 36: Friday Night Dinner

Jess' POV

'I thought you were working tonight?' Luke asks me on the phone. I stand in front of Rory her Grandparents' house. This time joining their usual Friday night dinner. My life can't be more boring at this point.

'I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you about this dinner,' I mumble and look in my mirror at the black-eye I have since yesterday. Rory isn't going to like this. Neither will her grandparents.

'Dinner with the Gilmore family? Good luck!' Luke mocks me before hanging up. After I brought Madelaine's phone back yesterday, I took Luke's small boat and decided to cross the lake. Let's say it didn't turn out well and now I stand here, not wanting to go into this big house looking like I just robbed a bank.

I can probably fool them and tell her grandmother I did a crime, but that wouldn't look good for me. Madelaine's mother is dying, and here I am, having a dinner I don't want to attend. I sigh deep in after one other look at myself, and finally get out of the car.

This house is more a castle than a house. It is nothing like Rory's small town home. I ring the bell and almost immediately the door opens, Rory's smile fading when she gets a look of me.

'Well, this must be Jess!' Her grandmother says more excited than I expected and greets me with an obvious fake smile. This will be great.

'Nice to meet you,' I say to be polite and look around in the giant entrance hall. 'You are late,' Rory notices annoyed and I fight the urge to roll my eyes at her. 'There was a lot of traffic on the road,' I explain.

'We are not going to let the food get cold,' her grandmother eases the tension and the moment I try to follow her, Rory grabs my arm, pulling me back.

'I guess dinner is in the dining room,' I remind her, but she can't laugh at all. 'First you are too late and now you show up with a black-eye?' I have never seen her this frustrated before. 'What happened Jess? Did you fight?'

'Leave it Rory,' I mumble and walk over to the dining room, ignoring all her statements. Lorelai and she hadn't lied when they told me there was a lot of food at these dinners. The whole table is filled with different kind of dishes and I have no idea what to name them.

'Jess, you go to Stars Hollow High, right? Do you already know to which college you'll be going?' Her grandmother asks. I look up at Rory, holding my fork in my hand when she looks filthy at me.

'I'm not sure yet,' I say soft and her grandmother only nods a little. Clearly expecting a lot more from the guy who Rory dates. 'Maybe you should try fighting?' Rory remarks and I put my fork down in a second. 'Fighting?' Her grandmother asks confused.

'Yes, fighting. It would be interesting,' she mumbles back. 'Rory, you are being very impolite to your grandmother,' I notice. She looks down immediately, sighing deep.

'Excuse me grandma, I would like to speak with Jess for a moment,' she says and stands up from her chair. 'I can leave the room' Her grandmother suggests but I stand up instead, following Rory out of the dining room after apologizing. She walks into the office of her grandfather, closing the door the second I am in.

'You are being very rude to my family,' she hisses. 'I'm being rude? What about the whole fighting thing?' I ask confused. 'Just admit it, Jess. I know you had a fight'. I hold up both my arms, not knowing what to tell her. This all happened in that stupid boat of Luke, that lake is filled with idiotic swans. I don't want to talk about this.

'You can't even be honest with me. I know you had a fight with Dean!' She claims after a while. I walk over to her in a second, my eyes wide open. 'Dean? Of course this all comes down to Dean again!' I laugh desperate.

'Well, have you?' She asks louder. 'No Rory. I couldn't care less about Dean. Besides, have you ever considered the fact that he might hit me first?'

'So you did fight with him!'

'No I didn't! And it would be great to have a girlfriend who wouldn't accuse me of fighting with her ex-boyfriend!' I look around the room, seeing a huge painting against the wall of Rory in an expensive dress, holding up a book. I start laughing at it, realizing she is just spoiled.

'Now I have seen everything. Good night, Rory', I mumble and walk out of the office. 'Jess, come back! You can't leave'.

'Maybe one day I'll fight Dean,' I say sarcastic before opening the front door and disappear in the night. She thinks I fought Dean. Of course, everything is about him. I can't even explain how much I do want to punch him, knowing I can't or otherwise I will hurt her. She always stands up for him, not believing me.

In my car I lean my head against the steering wheel, mad at her for never believing me. All she can think about is Dean, and here I sit thinking about Madelaine and how hurt she was yesterday.

We are all screwed up.