BLANK SPACE ; jess mariano

ᴠɪɪ. ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪᴅᴅɪɴɢ

TAYLOR stood in the gazebo, condescending on the whole town as they crowded below.
"Right, Now this next one may not look like much ..." Taylor inspected the basket and Rory told Sage that that was her basket. Sage nodded, eyeing the dainty but pretty basket. Sage knew very well that Rory had specially made her basket for Dean, who, when she glanced back, had been beaming with delight. Although she knew who really wanted it. She scanned the crowd and spotted him. She waved, a small grin plastered to her face. Jess mischievously smirked before gazing at the dark haired girl next to her. Sage created a love heart with her hand behind Rory's back before she turned, Sage having to pull her hands back speedily. Rory smiled at Jess and looked back to the front as the bidding began.
"Five dollars." Dean bellowed.
"Now that's the kind of bidding we want to be hearing today!" Taylor hyped up the crowd, who stayed silent, "Five dollars, do I hear a ten dollars."
"Ten dollars." Sage recognised that voice very well. She spun on her heel and furrowed her brow at the boy. Jess received a deadpan look from Dean. The two already hated each other. "Okay, I hear ten dollars, do I hear fifteen?" Taylor urged, waiting for a response.
"Twenty dollars." Jess chirped, giving Dean a patronising stare.
"Twenty dollars, do I hear twenty five?"
"Thirty." Dean crossed his arms over his chest.
"Okay, see, I don't think you boys understand how this works..."
"Forty dollars." Jess added.
"Fifty dollars."
"Excuse me, have either of you noticed how tiny this thing is?" Taylor chuckled awkwardly, his hoarse laugh sounding almost annoyed aswell. Rory was getting concerned now, as the boys reached this price.
"Seventy five." Jess asserted.
"Now we're not talking cents gentlemen, we're talking dollars remember." Taylor pointed his finger at the crowd to remind them.
"Eighty." Dean challenged.
"He does not have eighty dollars to spend on that basket." Rory's face turned an awful shade of pale as she began to feel anxious about the bidding confrontation.
"Eighty? Eighty dollars?" Taylor's voice transformed into one that was terribly high.
"Ninety." Rory's eyes turned into saucers.
"Ninety dollars, is that correct?" Taylor approved with Patty and the other town council members, "Okay, we've got ninety going once, ninety dollars going twice. . . sold to the nice young hoodlum in the back for ninety dollars."
Jess grinned slyly like a prowling fox, looking for its prey. He sauntered up to the gazebo and handed Taylor the money, walking back like one of a catwalk, having everyone stare up at him, bewildered.
"I better go talk to Dean.." Rory decided.
"You want some help?" the girl's mother piped up.
"Nah, I'll be fine." Rory started to stroll away before turning back, "Sage!" she said through gritted teeth.
"Oh okay.." Sage followed ocean eyed girl, it wasn't like she had a choice, to be honest.

SAGE AND JESS stood awkwardly as they watched Rory and Dean argue, there body language out of control.
"So why did you outbid Dean?" Sage began the conversation.
"I hate the guy." Jess lied. Sage cocked her head to one side.
"Really? Or is it because you're in love with his girlfriend.." Sage made kissy noises to humiliate the boy.
"Shut up! She's only over there." he shoved the girl, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks.
"So he admits to it!" Rory and Dean walked back to the two, seeming like the couple were refusing to look at each other.
"I gotta tell you, of all the nutty barn raising shindigs this town can cook up, this one wasn't half bad." Jess told, glancing round at his autumnal surroundings in the rural town.
"Glad you enjoyed it." Dean spoke in an incredibly low voice.
"Yes I did. Shall we?" Jess raised his eyebrows at Rory.
"Shall we what?"
"Shall we go?" Dean and Jess stepped closer to each other.
"Go where?"
"Go eat." Jess explained to Dean, "The person who buys the basket wins the company of the person who makes the basket for lunch. Basket, basket maker, guy who didn't bring enough money."
"You think this is funny?" Dean towered over the boy that was smaller than him.
"Well, it's no Lenny Bruce routine but it has its moments."
"Jess, come on now.." Sage tried, but her pleads were ignored.
"Bye Jess."
"Where you going?" Jess pondered, anticipating Dean's reply.
"You're the one who's going." Dean backlashed.
"I will. As soon as Rory's ready."