Kinky curls

The Dissonance

CHAPTER FOUR
The Dissonance

9 a.m.

"Are you kidding me, Lorelai?"

I was taking down the order of another customer when Luke began his tangent. He stood beside the Gilmore's table, arms propped on his hips while leering at the mother. She held a phone to her ear and had a finger raised in front of Luke's face, rather obnoxiously. I snorted and caught Rory's eye, who simply looked back at me and mouthed, 'Help me.'

"Oh, and those chili fries. They're always so nice here."

My eyes averted back to the customer, an old man who I've been working with for the longest time now. It was like the more people aged, the duration in which they spoke did as well. He maundered slowly, pronouncing every word like he was reciting the Bible.

Well, I couldn't argue that Luke's chili fries were holy.

"You wanna eat chili fries at 9 in the morning?" I shook my head and jutted our my hip as I scribbled down his second order. I've been standing here with him for ten minutes, and I just got his second order.

The old man glanced up from the menu and regarded me with confused, innocent eyes. "It's 9 in the morning?"

Oh, boy. I put up a bright smile and took his menu before he could find something else he'd like. "I'll...I'll be right back with your orders, Sir." When I faced my back to him and went to the back area, I heaved a relieved sigh and tossed the menus lazily back into their place.

Jess snickered. "I knew I was right to hide in here. I was growing a beard watching him talk to you."

He was fixing up the back area, ordering everything completely differently. It didn't need to be changed at all—the way I organized everything was best, Luke and I agreed. "Why are you reorganizing everything back here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm hiding from Luke and making myself look busy at the same time." The corner of his lip turned up into a lopsided grin. "I guess you could say I'm really good like that."

"I'd rather not say anything at all."

Jess gasped dramatically with a hint of amusement twinkling in his black eyes. "Wow, you're quick with the comebacks, huh?" He whistled like a bomb falling into the earth. I wish it landed right where he stood, to end his obvious misery of having to stay in Stars Hallow. "Very snappy. You might just be one of the most entertaining people in this stupid town, along with that Doose guy."

I slammed the menus down into their shelf with anger. Jess flinched. He knew nothing about this stupid town; he had no right to treat the place as if it treated him horribly. "You know nothing about Stars Hallow. It's not stupid, it's home."

Jess swallowed a lump in his throat, and I took a second to catch my breath. He looked like he felt guilty, but he forced another grin, one more mocking. "Correction: it's your home. Not mine. I never had one, and I never will."

I ran my hand down my face exhaustedly and headed back to the main area of the diner, stopping short at the doorway. I placed my hand on the doorframe and slid it down slowly, thinking. "Why do you think Luke's letting you stay with him? He's trying to give you a home, Jess. Seriously, you can't be that blind."

Then I left, not really caring to hear his witty response. I found Luke in the kitchen, where he was hurriedly making Lorelai and Rory's coffees. "Old Rick wants a grilled cheese sandwich with chili fries."

"It's 9 in the morning!" he exclaimed exasperatedly. He ran out of the kitchen and nearly spilled the two black coffees over himself as he brought it over to their table. "Heather, get them their donuts?"