CHERRY. [JESS MARIANO]

Gross T-shirt, Good Band

"Hey guys, what do ya need?" I ask with a pot of coffee in my hand. I fill their cups as I wait for a reply.

Rory and Lorelai scanned the menu, which was the first time I've ever seen them do that since I've been working here. "Geez, I don't know. Me and Rory are-" Lorelai was cut off by Luke calling my name.

"Cassie!" He yelled from the kitchen. I shout back a 'what' in reply. "Table seven!"

I look towards the table to see two tourist waiting impatiently for me to take their order. I mumble a quick 'sorry' to the Gilmore Girls before heading over to take table sevens order. Wearing a school uniform along with a tie and blazer made it hard for me to do my job with speed but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Luke came out from behind the kitchen as I was writing down orders. "Sorry guys, I'm swamped. We're supposed to have help but we don't so," he apologies as he talks about his nephew who was supposed to be here.

As I was walking towards Luke to hand him the new order Jess came trudging down the stairs. His hair in it's usual style along with a Metallica t-shirt that was a bit too harsh on the eyes. Our eyes meet for a split second before I avert mine.

Luke took a few long strides towards Jess as I humoured Lorelai and Rory. "You guys better order quickly before Luke serves you a sunny side up with a side of boiled spinach."

"Pancakes!"

"French toast!"

Quickly writing down their orders I went to hand it to Luke only to stop, seeing as he was in a heated conversation with Jess.

Luke looks at Jess' t-shirt with furrowed brows. "What the hell is that?"

"What?"

"That!" Luke point at the shirt, looking at it as if it's come alive and want to attack him.

"That is a shirt," Jess deadpans.

"Change."

"What?" Jess say for the second time.

Luke groans at him. "Go upstairs," he gestures to the stairs. "And change the shirt."

I stood next to Rory as I watched this whole exchange. "I like this shirt," Jess tried to reason with Luke.

"How can you like that shirt?" Luke retorts with a frown on his face. Jess seemed to make him do that a lot. Frown, I mean.

Jess scoffs before turning to me, "It brings out my eyes, don't you think?" He gives me a smirk, urging me to agitate the diner owner some more. Which, as anyone who has ever met me can say. There are two things I love most in this world. My collection of vinyls and agitating people.

Putting on my best thinking face, I looked Jess up and down. "Well would you look at that," I start with a grin. "It really does."

Giving me a glare that could turn plants to ash, Luke sighs "I'm not even gonna begin on how unhelpful that was." He waves his hand at me, completely deciding to ignore me.

The agitated man in front of me takes a deep breathe before turning to face his nephew. Luke looked about ready to go to war. "Okay, part of the deal of you staying here is you work here. When you work here you'll wear proper work attire. And that is not proper work attire." He points to the shirt. "Now, go upstairs and change into something that won't scare my customers."

Nodding his head, Jess answers him. "Whatever you say Uncle Luke," he says in mock salute.

He heads towards the stairs but not before casting a small glance towards me. Jess gives me a wink to which I only roll my eyes at. Jess displays a look of mock hurt before heading up the stairs.

Lorelai sips her coffee. "Gross t-shirt," she comments.

Me and Rory nod in agreement. "Oh yeah."

"Good band though," I defend.

"Oh yeah."

~~~

My back was aching. Stupid lab chairs. They weren't even chairs, they were just one round piece of wood stuck onto four metal stilts. Our Chilton biology teacher droning on in front of the class didn't help at all.

Her cat eyed glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, threatening to fall off. Her salt and pepper hair was tied up into a neat bun on the top of her head. She was going on and on about the Pulmonary Artery in her nasally voice.

Don't get me wrong, I loved biology. Seeing as I hate physics and chemistry one might think I'd hate biology too. But it was the total opposite. However, having a teacher who took the fun out of funeral didn't exactly give me some motivation.

It didn't help that from behind me Tristan Dugray has been trying to get my attention. He's been throwing small crumpled pieces of paper onto my desk. Tristan and I weren't exactly friendly, but we weren't enemies either.

Occasionally I would help him study during lunch or free period and occasionally he would talk to me when he could. So I guess you could say we were acquaintances. But right about now I wanted to punch him in his face.

"Cassie," I heard him whisper from behind me. When I didn't give him a response I heard him sigh. Before I knew it I could feel him lean forward on his desk so his face was practically beside mine. "Cassie," he called slightly louder.

My lab partner, a girl named Beatrice looked over at us with a glare. "Would you just leave her alone? I cant concentrate," She snapped at Tristan. Our teacher at the front as oblivious as ever. I was starting to think that her glasses weren't helping.

I sent her a grateful smile as Tristan scoffed at her. "Mind your own business," he retorted. Beatrice rolled her eyes before going back to her notes.

Finally fed up with his constant pestering, I answered him. "What is it?" I turn around to face him.

He was sitting comfortably in his chair -as comfortable as you can get with these things- which a smirk on his face. His hair was in its usual blond spikes. The blue blazer that matched mine and everyone's in this school was unbuttoned. The tie hanging loosely around his collar.

"I knew you'd come to me."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Need I remind you that you called me?" I started as Tristan pretended to look as if he was trying to remember that. "Just get to the point, I wanna get back to actually listening to our class."

He put his hands up in surrender at my annoyed tone. "Alright, I need help with chemistry," he said solemnly.

"No way!" I protested a bit too loudly, earning a few looks my way. None of them the teachers anyhow. "You know I hate chemistry."

"Yeah but you still ace it," Tristan tried convincing me.

I thought for a moment about what I could make him do in exchange for this. "I'll help you," I start. Tristans head snaps up in astonishment that he had actually got me to agree. "But, you owe me. Anything." I express.

Tristan a nods eagerly. "Done. How about after school?"

I was about to agree but stopped myself when I remembered what I had to do with Rory. "I can't, I have to follow Rory to her grandparents after school."

He groaned. "Cant you just blow her off?"

I reach over the desk between us and flick him lightly on the head. "I'll take that as a no." I was ready to turn around and finally focus on the class at hand.

However as usual, Tristan always had more he wanted to say. "How is little Mary, anyway?" He asks. Every time. He always found some way to ask me about Rory.

"Still with her loving boyfriend, if that's what you mean," I tease. It's no secret to me or Rory that Tristan likes her. Rory had made it perfectly clear -many times might I add- that she was not interested. Yet, Tristan being who he is kept on asking. Waiting for when he could finally make his move.

When I got no rebuttal or sarcastic remark back, I turned my attention back to the front of the class.