Attachment Issues // Jess Mariano

CHAPTER 15:

"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny."  - C.S. Lewis

"Wanna go for a ride with me?" Jess asks as he pulls up beside Delilah. She was just leaving the town meeting when he arrived, much to her happiness.

Of course, Jess had been thinking about this since he picked up the car from Gypsy. Thinking about how he would never take his eyes off the road with her in the car again and how he couldn't live with himself if she ever got hurt again. He debated even asking her, but he also knew it was the best option.

"Absolutely I do." She says after a moment of thought, climbing into the passenger's seat.

"Buckle up, Lilah." He says, driving off down the road as soon as she's finished.

"So... you got a car?"

"Yeah, Gypsy's gave me a good deal and I've been saving up some from the diner."

"It's pretty."

"I'm not sure I believe you, but alright. Wanna ride to school today?"

"Of course I do." She says with a smile as he pulls to a stop in front of her house, letting her out.

---

"Stop the car!" Rory says as she and her mother drive home from Sherrie's babyshower together. Lorelai does as she's told immediately, making the younger girl smile.

"What? Why?"

"Do you want catharsis?" Rory questions, making her mother's eyebrows scrunch together in confusion.

"Yes..." Lorelai says, confused by her daughter's wicked smile, one she rarely ever sees on the girl.

"I know what'll do it for you."

"What?"

"Jess's car." Rory says, gesturing to the beaten up rust bucket parked outside of Luke's.

"What?" Lorelai questions again.

"We egg Jess's car, it's perfect."

"Are you serious?"

"No one's around and it's just sitting there! Plus, I know you're pissed he and Lilah are getting close again."

"Rory, if rearranging Sherrie's medicine cabinet is immature, what's this?" Lorelai asks, making her daughter chuckle.

"Off the chart." She answers, climbing out of the car with leftover deviled eggs in hand. Lorelai doesn't even need to think about it before she's climbing out as well.

---

Delilah chuckles as she watches the large clump of people watching Jerry's banner drop from the church. She sits on a bench across the park, making sure not to get too close to the people in hopes that she doesn't get sucked into whatever nonsense is going on.

"Luke!" Someone shouts. She turns immediately, finding a very angry looking Jess standing close to her park bench. She stands up quickly, making her way over to him.

"Jess, what's going on?" She asks, taking his hand in hopes of calming him down, but he doesn't seem to budge. Jess gives her a look, making his way back over to his car, which seems to be emitting a foul odor.

"Do you see this?" Jess asks the man, gesturing to what seems to be hard boiled egg remnants all over his car.

"See what? what happened?" Luke questions as he makes his way over.

"Someone egged my car." Jess says angrily, hand tightening on Delilah's slightly.

"Jeeze, it stinks." Luke complains.