𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗚𝗘 (JESS MARIANO)

03

"bye anna! i'm off to work." teagan bid her adieus to her foster mother as she bounded down the stairs, dressed in blue jeans and a crop tank.

she could hear anna's muffled steps coming towards the front door to analyse the girls outfits if it was 'appropriate' or not. "no. you're entire stomach is out, teagan!"

"i'm gonna wear something over it." teagan mumbled as she side-stepped past the woman, towards the coat rack.

her foster mother eyed her as she grabbed a light brown trucker jacket and slipped it on.

"happy?" teagan clenched her teeth together, sick of the same routine every morning, most ended in her getting changed to make the woman happy.

anna took a sharp breath in. "fine, have a good day."

teagan mumbled a "thank you" as she trudged out the house, her mood slightly deflated from the interaction with anna.

~

after her encounter with the mariano boy the night before and conversation with her 'mother', teagan was less than happy to begin her shift the next day before school.

and yet she walked in with a smile on her face to please her boss and lorelai.

"morning!" the girl greeted the pair, ignoring rory, before heading behind the counter to begin filling coffees and orders for the stars hollow regulars.

"someone's in a good mood." lorelai responded behind her mug of coffee.

"yeah well, just trying to see the good in things considering-" she turned around to be faced with 'stars hollows asshole'. "well him." she pointed to luke's nephew. "i hate that shirt by the way." she said to him while lightly poking him.

"what's with the violence this early in the morning? besides i love this shirt." the boy responded.

"nope, you're going to get changed, you are not wearing that. and you two" luke chimed in, pointing at his two employees. "no fighting!"

"yes sir!" teagan saluted to her boss with a smile, while jess just rolled his eyes.

"you are such a loser, you know that, Tea?" jess commented on her enthusiasm towards her boss.

"did you really just call me a loser, Danes?" she frowned as her colleague walked past her.

"hey! tell me what happens with paris, okay?" lorelai rold her daughter who was readying to leave for school.

"i will, bye!" rory shouted back over her shoulder as she left the diner.

"oh dear, is miss private school having trouble with other miss private school? life must be tough." sarcasm dripped from teagans tone as she turned towards lorelai.

"eavesdropping is wrong." lorelai replied, not even bothering to try to reason with the waitress who did not like her daughter.

"whatever." the teen dismissed, turning back to bully her colleague.

"hey, seriously that is not a nice shirt. good band, just bad bad shirt." she directed at jess who she had now noticed was holding the book that he refused to give back the night before.

"yeah and hey seriously, you're going to go change it now. why do you even like that shirt?" luke added from behind teagan.

"it brings out my eyes!" he told his boss and then turned to the intrigued teagan. "hey Tea, you lost something?"

"yeah, whatever. just change into appropriate work attire, not something that will scare away customers." luke said, walking towards a waiting table. "and for your own sake, stop calling her 'tea'!" the man added before taking the orders of the table in front of him.

"you should really listen to him, you don't know what i'm capable of." teagan smiled before trying to grab her book which was snatched away from her grasp by the taller boy.

"was that a threat, Tea?" the boy said holding the book above his head, away from her reach. "because i think you need to be nice to me if you want this book back." he smirked down at the clearly annoyed girl.

"what are you? like 5'6? this isn't even a challenge." teagan jumped up towards her book, but jess just moved it to his other hand.

"5'9, and you seem to be struggling." he sniggered as the girls face contorted into anger.

before she could say anything back, luke walked past the two and grabbed the book from his hand and passed it back to teagan.

"jess, grow up and get to school." the man told him, annoyance clear in his tone.

"she started it!" the boy mumbled back to his uncle.

"seriously, how old are you? just get out of here and behave. both of you!" luke said before walking way.

"ha ha, he took my side. he likes me more." teagan gloated to the boy standing in front of her after luke has walked away.

"whatever. bye Tea." jess rolled his eyes before heading back upstairs to change his shirt and leave for school.

"i count that as a win, Danes!" teagan shouted up to him before turning back to lorelai.

"listen i'm hosting a 'welcome to stars hollow' thing for jess at mine tonight and i want my favourite foster daughter there." lorelai smiled to the waitress standing in front of her.

"what? rory and jess? for a whole night? thanks, but i'll pass." teagan sent a sarcastic smile to the woman who was sipping her coffee.

"oh come on, please? sookie's cooking, it'll be great!" lorelai pleaded with her.

she considered this for a moment before an idea popped into her head.

"i'll go. if you can convince luke to let me skip my shift tomorrow." teagan responded to lorelai.

"ugh! fine, but you have to stay for the whole thing!" lorelai agreed.

"yeah, whatever." 'nope, absolutely not.' she thought. 'no one will notice if i sneak off'

"great, we have a deal! have fun at school. don't get it any fights with a particular colleague of yours." lorelai smiled to the girl.

"mhm great advice, see ya later!" teagan replied, heading for the door.

she opened her book to a small note, folded at the corner.
confusion and curiosity overtook her and she opened it up to read;

                    'i hope i live up to expectations. i'd just      
                     hate to disappoint a girl who chooses to
                     read pride & prejudice instead of one of
                     jane austin's actually good books.

                         i'm still not a danes though, tea.  
                            just thought i'd remind you'

'har har, very funny. he has no taste in good books.' teagan thought, a small smile creeping onto her face as she headed for school.

————————————-

authors note
im changing the time-line of the show slightly because it works better for the book.
i hope it's not too annoying
enjoy! :)