Jess' Girl

Chapter 2

The loud thud of my ankle brace was the only sound in Star's Hollow except the stirring of a few birds as I headed across to Luke's Diner. My shift wasn't due to start for another two hours but Aunt Patty had an early class and had been redoing the choreography for the fete number as the summer drew to a close and my ankle was still in it's brace. 

Since sleep was inconceivable with the loud symphonies of Debussy and Mozart, I decide to head to Luke's. Normally I would have headed to the Gilmore's used their spare key and slept on the sofa; however, they'd headed off on a road trip after Lorelai called off her engagement to Max. It would be weird to sleep in the empty house.

Pulling the key from the ribbon I had attached it to so it would go round my wrist and I wouldn't lose it. I unlocked the door to Luke's and headed inside, locking it behind me. I glanced at the watch on my wrist deciding I would start opening up before letting Luke know I was here. I hobbled behind the counter, turning on the coffee machine before grabbing the cleaning products. I had wiped down the tables last night but would do it again now. 

I settled them back behind the counter before heading to the stairs. "Luke! Luke! I'm here," I yelled up the stairs. 

His answer consisted of heavy footsteps before Luke started making his way down the stairs. I backed up hesitantly, still not confident with quick backwards steps in the heavy boot. Luke gave me a look over as he picked up the rag from the counter swinging it over his shoulder as he headed into the kitchen. The heavy plonk of my boot signalled my intent to follow, only to be stopped by Luke calling back. 

"You better be sitting on your stool behind the counter by the time I come out. I've not promoted you from behind the counter, yet." Luke's warning I was used to, as I pulled the stool out from behind the counter and took my perch. The physiotherapist had me doing exercises for it twice a day, once when I wake up and another before I go to bed. I still hadn't had any improvement on when I would get the boot off so it looked like I would be starting my Junior year, next week, with trusty boot. 

"Sitting!" I called back, leaning forwards to lean on the counter, tapping the tune to that one Rick Springfield song. 

Luke appeared from the back, halting my drumming just before I reached the chorus. Luke stood next to me with his arms crossed, "There a reason you're here early. We don't even open for another hour." 

"Aunt Patty was driving me crazy and I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd come in, knowing you would already be awake," I shrugged. 

"Go upstairs and have a nap on my couch," Luke nodded to the stairs. "I'll come get you before you're shift."

"Really, I'm fine," I denied. 

"Upstairs and nap or you can go home." Luke crossed his arms over his chest showing me he wasn't going to back down. 

"Fine but I'd like to know how I'm meant to manage the stairs," I joked. I'd been avoiding stairs hence I yelled for Luke. I probably could make it with the boot but the time and the effort really didn't seem worth it. 

Luke groaned before pulling me up, tossing me over his shoulder. "Hey," I complained but he carried on to the stairs. I tried to keep my head up right because I really disliked letting the blood rush to my head. Aunt Patty had told me so many times that red really wasn't my colour. 

Flipped back, I landed butt first on the couch, which Luke lowered me on carefully last minute remembering my boot. Wordlessly he stormed off before my head was covered by darkness. Just as I was about to pull whatever was over my head off, something else bashed into my head. I yanked what ended up being a blanket off my head to see that he had thrown a pillow at me.