IDLE TOWN, jess mariano

⁰⁷the inn shindig

「 chapter seven 」
❝ I'm fine! everything's fine! „

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"HEY ARIES; BRI," LANE GREETED as she and Dean walked over to the two girls walking out of school.

"Sup Lane. Deano," Briar said, offering them a small smile.

"Hey Lane," Aries replied.

"Are you guys going to this big shindig at the inn tonight?" Dean asked.

Briar sighed dramatically and tightened her ponytail. "I wish I could. I have to go eat dinner at my aunt and uncle's house."

"I kinda have to," Aries answered with a shrug. The Gilmores had invited her to a big dinner party slash sleepover type thing at the inn and she couldn't deny it since she basically lived there.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to trick my mom into not going with me," Lane answered with a frown and the other two chuckled.

"How's that coming along?" Dean said.

"How's that Pixies reunion coming along?"

"We'll see you and your mom there," Aries said and waved to her as she started to walk in the opposite direction.

"Bye," Dean said.

"Bye," Lane said before leaving them to go home.

"Have fun at the dinner thing," Briar said, waving and following Lane in the direction of their respective homes.

As Lane walked off, Aries and Dean turned their heads to a commotion between two guys who were fighting and Aries internally sighed and rolled her eyes when she realized it was Jess and Derek.

"Is that—"

"Yep," Aries finished.

They rushed over to break up the fight. They shouted at them to stop (to no avail) and since Dean took hold of Jess, she pulled back Derek and glared at him. Derek and Aries watched as Jess tried to swing at Dean even after he knew the fight was over.

"Get off man, I'm not fighting you! Jess, knock it off man!" Dean spat, pushing Jess away from him and creating a distance between them. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Nothing," Jess answered with a smirk.

"You saw it was me, Jess! Why'd you keep punching?"

Jess just casually shrugged as if he hadn't just gotten into a fight. "I had momentum."

"Oh my god," Aries muttered in annoyance as she glared at Jess.

She turned her attention back to Derek and pulled him away from the crowd and when they were walking off, she could've sworn she saw Jess's eyes catch hers.

"Why—What are you doing?" she asked with an exasperated sigh once they were out of hearing range from whatever Dean and Jess were fighting about.

She didn't plan on walking anywhere in particular, just away from all the people that had been hoping to watch a fight.

"Maybe you should ask your friend that," he said, a small smile lingering on his lips as he tried to lighten the mood.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"He started it!"

"Oh wow, how mature."