Touch of Hellfire

☕️61☕️

Finals are finally over. And me and Andrea were in the meditation position on her bed. "Can't believe we made it through freshman year in one piece."

"Neither can I," I smiled. "I mean I thought I was gonna flunk."

"But you went up, that's my girl," Andrea was proud of me. "So, I have the Rollercoaster Extravaganza Agenda all sorted."

"It's gonna be so fun," I cheered.

My phone's cry for attention disturbed our peaceful time. "Always your bloody phone," Andrea rolled her eyes. "Excuse me, it could be my mom or my sister," I told her. "We going to that diner tonight?" Andrea asked me as I rooted through my backpack.

"Is that even a question?" I laughed. "Hello?"

"Hey hon, how are finals?"

"We just had our last ones today but I'm staying for a bit to hang with my friends, June and August I am all yours," I told her.

"Holly wanted me to organise something for you and Tessa, so I booked you guys a room in the inn, is that okay?"

"It's perfect," I told her. "And I'm not a hundred percent sure if I should tell you this, but Jess is in town for his mom's wedding."

"He's not Voldemort, we can talk about him," I reassured her. "It's okay to mention him on the phone."

"Well he and I were talking the other day and I told him how you were getting on...is that alright?"

"It's fine Mom, trust me and thanks for calling," I said. "I'll talk to you later, see ya hon."

"Bye," I said and I hung up. "So you going back to Stars Hollow?" Andrea asked me. "Might hang around for another week," I shrugged.

"Think about it, next year, we will be sophomores, letting Columbia know 'yeah, we get the game now, time to play dirty!'"

"While we pick on the new freshmen?"

"Obviously."

Next year, me, Andrea and Sophia will be sophomores, the game will get harder. That's when I need to get cracking on the scripts. To impress the people from Sundance.

Claire promised to give me and Sophia pointers next fall. I was nervous as hell.

***

"I'm sorry you have a final tomorrow Rory," Grandma said to her. "I thought you'd be free as a bird."

"Why is the music different?" Mom wondered. "The music?" Grandma raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, there's singing."

"Don't you like it?"

"It's not that I don't like it, I do, but you've never played it, you and Dad always play classical music."

"Oh, well he's out of town tonight," Grandma told her. "So is there no one left at Yale?"

"Not really," Rory told her.

"And Columbia?" Grandma turned to me. "Just a couple of us, there's a boat party on Wednesday, the seniors are throwing it."

"You got invited?" Mom asked me. "Cole is taking me as his plus one," I told her. "Is he your new boyfriend?" Grandma asked me. "What..no, no, nothing like that," I muttered.

"Rory?"

"No boyfriends or girlfriends."

"Let's change the subject," I mumbled.

So we were getting hounded on our lack of romance. Just. Peachy.

Saturday morning was peaceful, the best lie-in ever. By the time I was awake, or in the mood to get out of my bed, it was lunch time.

"Good afternoon," Andrea greeted me. "Have I missed anything important?" I wondered.

"No calls or anything, today is all about celebrating freedom and I'm going out for the whole day with Dave so enjoy the TV, DVDs and total alone time."

I put some popcorn in the microwave and started calling for pizza. "Alright, the celebrations start now."

I dived onto the couch and turned on a Mets game. Sophia took time to make a DVD with baseball games for me.

I lay down on my couch and I didn't even realise how tired I was as I fell asleep, not even touching the pizza that arrived not two minutes ago.

***

I felt someone shaking me and I opened my eyes to see a shadow lurking over me.

I screamed and I thrusted my arm out, my fist colliding with whoever was there.

"OW!"

"What the?!" I turned the light on to see Jess, holding his face in pain. "What the hell?! How did you get in here?!"

"The window was open," he muttered. "So you broke into my apartment?" I gaped. "I pressed the thing down there six times, there was no answer, I climbed the ladder and I saw you passed out on the couch. I also called the phone three times."

I went into the kitchen and got him some ice from the freezer. "For the nose, sorry I punched you. Jess...why are you here?"

"The phone call."

I shook my head in embarrassment. "Oh God. I don't remember what I said, what did I say?"

"You told me that you broke up with me because you didn't want to tie me down to your commitments, did you mean it?"

I looked him in the eye and I nodded. "I guess I'm the girl who can't keep her mouth shut when she's drunk, spills everything," I mumbled. "But even though I don't remember what I said, all of it was true, more than likely."

I put my head into my hands. "We both want different things, you don't want to stay in one place..I do, even though I don't have much of a choice. I have to stay here, I can't leave and throw away what I spent my entire life trying to get."

"I understand."

"You do?"

"And I would never ask you to do this," Jess said to me. "I'd never forgive myself if I did but I came for closure, I wanted to know where we stand on this."

"I love you Jess, but I can't be with you," I murmured. "I love you too," he sighed.

We just sat there on the couch, in silence. "I guess that's where we are now," Jess murmured. "I guess this is goodbye...for good this time."

"Where will you go?" I asked him. He shrugged. "Anywhere."

He placed his hand on top of my clenched fists. I let my fingers uncurl and relax. "It shouldn't be you setting me free," Jess said. "It should be the other way around, I'm setting you free Heath."

I turned to face him and we were both leaning in and his lips brushed against mine.

He pulled away slowly and regretfully. "Goodbye."

He went back out the window and climbed down the ladder. I watched him get into his car and drive away.

We were over.

For good this time.