Willow Danes

Visits

The next day is Saturday. Luke and I drive up to New York on a mission. We found the building and looked for apartment F.

Luke knocks and Jess opens the door.

"Hey, neighbor, the guys next door just ran out of crack to sell, so they sent me over to borrow a cup. Hey, nice place. You put those holes there yourself?" Luke says walking into the apartment.

"You know a nice pimp around here? After that lovely chat with those hookers in the lobby I think I found my new calling," I tell him.

"What are you doing here?" Jess asks.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing," Luke says.

"Doing great," he replies.

"Great, you're doing great. Wow, you're doing great, I'm not great and I have running water," Luke says.

"The place is fine," Jess tells him

"Fine? Not great? What happened to great?" Luke asks.

"All this and no housewarming gift," Jess replies.

"Oh, no. I got you a gift. Is it safe for you not to be wearing shoes?" I ask.

He doesn't reply and I look around the room.

"I just thought you were going absolutely nowhere with your life. Glad I'm wrong. Hey, which filthy mattress is your?" Luke asks.

"Right there," he says.

"You got the good corner, with a view of the mold."

"Oo, fancy. You have a houseplant," I add, referring to the mold.

"Yeah, I won the toss, now if you don't mind, I've got places to be," Jess says.

"Let's get down to it. Liz told me you weren't coming to the wedding," Luke tells him.

"No way you're here about that."

"I am here about that."

"We both are! Oh my god, that's a body," I reply.

"Why?" Jess asks.

"Why? Your mother's getting married, and you're not coming."

"No biggie. I'll just catch the next one."

"Oh, he's breathing. All good," I call over my shoulder.

"Jess, this guy is different."

"Come on," Jess replies.

"Well, he could be different. He seems different," Luke says.

"Jeez, man," Jess says.

"Look, I've seen him with Liz. They seem to work," Luke says.

"And he does work. As in this guy actually has a job," I add.

"We need to support this thing, to give it a chance," Luke tells him.

"No, we don't."

"You are going to regret this."

"Doubt it."

"No, you are. If you ever manage to grow up and get yourself together, and drop this selfish, self-destructive behavior you are so fond of, if that ever happens, you are gonna look back on this moment and you are gonna feel like a big, steaming, mound of crap that you missed this," Luke says.

"This could have been a turning point. You could have witnessed something good for your mother, who, yes, has screwed up a bit in her life, but now seems to have found something to make her happy, and you miss that. You refuse to be a part of that, you are gonna be very sorry."

Luke is cut off by Jess's beeper going off. I had found a place that seemed safe to sit, still looking around the room. I was gonna wear shorts. Thank God I didn't wear shorts.

"What, are you a drug dealer now?" Luke asks him.

"I'm a messenger. I gotta go. Ay, Ton, it's four," Jess says.

"You owe me. I was there for you when no one else was, and I want you there... and you own me, Luke tells him.

"I gotta go," Jess repeats.

"So do I," Luke replies.

There is a pause and Luke said he was leaving first. I get up to follow, opening my backpack.

"Hey, Ton!" Jess calls as he walks out behind me.

"I actually got you something," I tell him, handing him the gift.

I didn't have anything to wrap it in, so I just wrapped it in a Luke's paper bag. He didn't open it, and I'm okay with that.

Luke and I get back in the truck and head back to Stars Hollow.

Jess' POV 

After getting in the car I put Willow's gift in the passenger seat. I go to start the car and then freeze for a moment. I grab the bag again and open it.

There's a note that says, "Stay in one spot for a while... or at least call before you run off again. In fact, call at all once in a while, would you?" Under the note is a book. On the Road by Jack Kerouac.