CHERRY. [JESS MARIANO]

Show Them Who's Boss

"You're coming to my graduation right?" I asked Luke who stood on the other side of the counter. I had asked him this before but I wanted to be sure he wouldn't pull out at the last minute.

Today was the last time that I was going to be working in Luke's Diner. It was like a part of my life closed and locked away for good. My graduation was tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I had everyone who was important to me there.

One person in particular would definitely not be able to make it but Luke had to. Whether I had to drag him there in a body bag or if he was willing to go voluntarily.

"Yes, kid." Luke grumbled out as he made a fresh pot of coffee. "Still can't believe it's your last day in here."

I wiped down the counter with the rag in my hand as I smiled up at him. The bell above the door rang, signalling that the last customer of the day had left.

"I know," I agreed in astonishment. "It's been two years?" I say unsurely as I recalled all those times I had worked in here. The late nights with Luke, my mum and the Gilmores. Or the times that Luke and I ganged up in a shouting match with Taylor. And all of Kirks weird orders.

I look around at the empty diner that was washed with bright light from the setting sun in the horizon. "I'm gonna miss this place," I tell Luke sadly.

He stops making the coffee for a second to send me a sad smile that mirrored my own. "It's gonna miss you too, Cassie."

I tilt my head and smile at him mockingly. "Is that sentiment I hear in your voice?" I mock him as I make my way behind the counter to hug the man who has been more of a father to me than me real one ever has.

"Shut up or I'll take it back," Luke warned before embracing me tightly. "Cant believe you're to New York. To Columbia, an Ivy League school."

I pull away from Luke and shake my head at his praise. "It's nothing, Rory got into Yale." I tried to shift his praise to her, I was always uncomfortable when stuff like this happened. I never knew why.

"Stop it," Luke said with a pointed look, catching on to what I was doing. "I'm proud of you." He ruffled my hair slightly with a kind smile.

"Thanks," I say quietly as I go back to wiping down some tables by the door. We both stood there in comfortable silence for a while before Luke spoke up.

"You're okay right?" He suddenly asked as I stopped my movements, not understanding what he meant. "After he saw my confused face, he went on to rephrase his sentence. "About Jess."

It had been awhile since I'd heard that name. Within the week that he had left, my mum made it her life mission to pretend like he never existed. We both avoided his name like it was taboo.

"I'm fine, Luke." I lied halfheartedly. It wasn't that I wasn't fine, I think I was. It was just like a piece of me that had been there for so long was suddenly gone. I missed him, a lot, but I wasn't gonna pine. Not when he was the one to leave.

"You're not mad at me or anything?" Luke asked warily. To be fair, at first I was pretty mad at Luke. In my head I blamed him for driving Jess away, for not letting him stay because of the stupid agreement.

But after I calmed down, I realised that Luke only did what any guardian would have. He made a deal and he stuck to it, he kept true to his word. Jess was the one who couldn't uphold his end. So none of this was Luke's fault, Jess just couldn't do what he agreed to do.

I shake my head at look solemnly. "I don't blame you," I assure him. "Jess could've asked my help for school but he never did. So that's on him."

"Still, I'm sorry." Luke apologised for nothing. "I know how much he meant to you." He consoled me as I gave him a grim face, unsure of what to do in thus situation.