realist ━━ jess mariano

4| a christmas carol

IT WAS ON THIS DAY DID ROSIE GILMORE REALISE THAT JESS MARIANO HATED HER. Or, abhorred her as much as you can hate a person with very limited verbal exchanges to. Aside from their unsystematic exchanges of glares to one another in Luke's diner, and brushing past one another in school as if they've never met, they have hardly had any communication interchanges since the day he faked a murder scene. Which, Rosie took pride in predicting it's outcome; Jess being caught.

       It started on a unremarkable winter day in a rather unremarkable town, Stars Hollow. Rosie trailed around the school campus alongside to approach her friend, Kayla. "Do you have them?"

       Kayla roamed through her handbag, getting out the pills. "I told you not to drink too much last night." She reminded her in an I told you so tone.

       Rosie popped the pills in her mouth after getting out a water bottle from her bag. "God," She swallowed the pills, grimacing. "Maybe I should've listened to you." She gazed up at Kayla, remembering tonight's events. "I can't believe you're not coming to the bracebridge dinner tonight. I honestly don't think i'll survive this without you."

"What about Rory?"

"I think Dean's coming, so..." She trailed off. "And my parents are coming tonight. Oh, and to put the icing on the cake; he is coming."

       Kayla glanced at her redundantly as she placed her books in the shelves. "You can say his name, you know? He's not Voldemort."

       "Jake." She tested the name on her lips, grimacing in disgust.

      "Maybe you should get a date for the dinner." Kayla suggested nonchalantly, as if Rosie had the social status and confidence enough to easily approach a boy to ask him out. That was the difference between the two of them. While Kayla's open energy would ensue harmless love affairs and flings, Rosie would rather stick to one person no matter how intoxicatingly they drained her. She had a fair distaste for exploring things for herself.

        She shook her head. "I don't think so, not after the last time."

Kayla's gaze drifted to something behind her "Speak of the devils."

Hesitantly, Rosie whirled to see that her ex boyfriend and Jess were amidst a fist fight right in the middle of the halls. A faint spark of dread ignited in her as she watched it unfold, from Jess' knowing grin before heading in to punch him to the oh-so familiar agitated look on Jake's face as he barked spiteful words. Eventually, the principal came to break the fight, exclaiming something about detention hours.

Rosie knew better than to interfere, but couldn't help the rush of curiosity flood her. "What was that about?" She murmured to Kayla.

"I don't think Jake cares much to have a reason before fighting someone," Kayla observed with a shrug. "I'll see you after Geo, alright?"

The bell rang, and the hallway emptied as Rosie still struggled to open her locker. She groaned as she shook the lock, preferring to break it and get her books rather that wait any longer trying to get the code right. It's the code she's used since her first year here in tenth grade of last year, so she'd been certain it was correct. Rosie suppressed the thoughts of how agitated her physics teacher would be at her for being late to class.

Rosie had a complicated relationship with this school, much like she did with this town. She cherished how, at her high school at least, the students would mostly mind their own business. Sure, rumours would always float around, and some would get under her skin like they'd intended, but it was serene. The most disputes occurred in high school parties, intentionally isolated from the adults. They had gotten used to avoiding conflicts in more local areas, in respect to the other rather prying old town folks that would without a shadow of doubt get involved in said conflict.