11 Decorating Committee

"Morning Lucy." Luke smiled briefly, "Cup of coffee?"

"No thanks. Have you seen Jess?" she asked curiously as she looked over the counter for him slightly. Luke looked at her knowingly, "No, I haven't--Hey, did you need me earlier?" he asked.

"What?" she looked at him now paying attention.

"Earlier in the week, I got a text from Jess when I went on my fishing trip. He said I had to come home." he said as if hinting to something as he finished, "..Did you need me?" he asked. Lucy looked down briefly, "Well, I did but--not anymore." she said awkwardly. Luke looked at Lucy skeptically but nodded. "Alright. Well when you do.." he trailed off already knowing she knew what he meant.

"I will." she assured him.

"Good." Luke said. He was about to go off to serve coffee but stopped and stepped back to her, "Why are you looking for Jess?"

"You know that dance marathon that's coming up?" she asked; receiving a quick nod from Luke, "Well I want to take Jess. I think it would be fun."

"Jess? A dance?" he said in doubt, "I don't know, he's pretty set on his own thing. Which, if you haven't already realized is going against society."

"I don't want to dance per say, I would just like to watch the festivities." she shrugged.

"With Jess." he clarified. She gave a quick nod. Luke gave another skeptical look, "Lucy, remember that talk we had a month ago."

Lucy looked down at the counter, knowing exactly the one. She fiddled with her thumbs before looking back up at him, "I don't think you're right, Luke." she said. "I don't. I think that Jess is a nice guy." she said.

"Yeah? Well a nice guy, and a good guy, are two opposite things." he said his shoulders squaring forward in an argument as they do.

"Meaning?"

"A nice guy is someone who is nice to you in return for something from you, a good guy is a genuinely good person." he said.

"Jess is not a nice guy." she tried telling him.

"Really."

"Really." she nodded.

"How can you tell?" he said in disbelief. Lucy sighed exhausted from this fight and got up. She went around the counter to where he was and pulled him back to the stairs to his apartment for privacy. Luke looked at her in confusion, "Care to share with the class Ms. Miller?" he said sarcastically.

"Jess knows." she blurted.

"Knows about what?" Luke asked. Lucy hesitantly lifted her sweater sleeve to show a glimpse of the cigarette scars. Luke quickly pulled her sweater sleeve back down, "How the hell does he know about that? He didn't try anything did he?" he said ready to call war.

"No, he didn't."

"Then how??"

"I showed him."

"You showed him!"

"Yes." she said exhaustively. Luke pinched the bridge of his nose about ready to have an aneurysm just by having this conversation.

"I know you wont tell me why Jess is here, or anything having to do with that--but I know that whatever it is, he's like me." she said.

"He is not like you, Lucy." Luke said sternly.

"The look he has when situation comes up in a conversation-- or when I talked to him, it was--"

"--Contempt? Resentment?" Luke interrupted, "Lucy, Jess is a little boy who's mad at the world, nothing more."

"Are you not hearing me right now?" she asked getting upset. Luke gave his heaving sigh before crossing his arms. "...I'm listening."

"Who am I?" she looked at him her confidence peaking. Luke looked at her confused. She continued, "I extensively analyze things. Like him. I make little sound to express my feelings. Like him. What does that make me?" she said. She looked at him after taking a deep breath, "All that I am. All that I've ever been, has somehow interested him."

"Yeah, cause you're a girl and he's hormonal." he gruffed. Lucy hit him in the arm. "Ow!" he said holding his arm, "You just hit me--"

"Listen!"

"I'm listening! I'm listening! You never-hit me before--" he sighed softly.

"If he knows about this, and nobody else knows? Then he must be a good guy." she looked at him, "I didn't swear him to secrecy or anything--I didn't have to. And Luke?"

"Yeah?" he stopped himself from shaking his head in doubt throughout the whole time she was talking. She looked him straight in the eyes, "He didn't change." Luke looked at her confused. "When he looks at me--the way he looks at me--he doesn't know what I lack. Or how I am incomplete. He sees me for what I am. As I am." she smiled sadly, "He's happy to see me. Every time. Everyday..."

Luke looked down briefly and listened still.

"He wasn't immediately looking for a solution to anything, or what kind of makeup to use to hide scars, or the therapists I should see..." she looked down, "He just hugged me."

"He hugged you?" that caught his attention.

"Luke." she looked at him telling him that wasn't the point.

"Sorry." he sighed.

He wiped his face in exhaustion and looked at her, "Okay, so, what's this mean huh? Do you like him?" he spoke sporadically with his hands. Lucy shook her head, "As friends, I just want to hang out with someone from the town I can stand." she said.

"Hang out with me." he shrugged.

"Are you kidding?" she looked at him.

"What? I'm fun to hang around." he told her. Lucy chose to change the subject, "Don't get me wrong, I love everyone here, they're very likable and fun. But if I had to chose someone to spend almost 24 hours with, it would be Jess. We just have more to talk about I think."

"Like what?"

"Books...music..stuff." she shrugged.

Luke looked at her; thinking this was absolutely ridiculous. He sighed, "If I can find him, I'll convince him to go. But if not, then you'll find someone else to hang out with, right? No moping?" he told her.

Lucy smiled holding up three of her fingers together, "Scout's honor."

"Jeez." he muttered as he walked out. She followed him out to the counter at the diner. She picked up her bag and looked at him, "Thank you Luke." she told him as he was filling someone else's coffee. She walked out of the diner; hearing the satisfying ding as she did.

"Lucy!"

She heard and turned around to see who it was. "Thank goodness I got a hold of you." Taylor caught up to her quickly. Lucy tried walking faster. "My! You walk fast." he breathed.

"That's because I'm purposely picking up the pace." she said and did so.

"Now hold on, Lucy." he said innocently and stopped her, "I recently noticed that you are quite the expert at decorating. Your picnic basket for the bidding was rather extravagant."

"What's your point, Taylor?" she looked at him; trying to keep polite.

"I'm glad you asked." he smiled; bringing out a clipboard from behind him. She sighed. People should really keep those away from Taylor, she thought, it's like giving a kid a gun and badge and telling them to be a cop. Uncontrollable authority.

"As you know, the Stars Hollow Dance Marathon is coming up tomorrow." Taylor said. "Oh really?" she said sarcastically. "And I was wondering," he continued, "If you would like to be in charge of the decorating committee." he handed her the clipboard. Lucy looked at it like it was a foreign object. "Decorating committee?" she said, "Taylor, there's a difference between decorating a stupid basket, and decorating the entire school gymnasium." she tried to stress the problem in the situation.

"Now, I know it would be a handful, but I thought that someone who puts that much effort in a picnic basket, is someone I can trust to decorate." he smiled.

Lucy looked at him astonished at how much he hasn't listened, "Again. Taylor. Picnic basket?" she showed her hands in a small size, "Gymnasium!" she made her arms bigger.

"I knew you would except!" he said excitedly; shoving it in her hands, "Now if you have any questions just ask me or Ms. Patty." he said before walking off, "Good luck!"

Lucy stood there still astonished. "Did Taylor just hoodwink me..?" she said to herself. She looked at her watch. It didn't matter anyhow, she had to get to class. She hurried over to the school and into her classroom. She sat down in her desk and set her things down. She didn't realize she still had Taylor's clipboard out on her desk, until someone behind her mentioned it.

"That looks like one of Taylor's clipboards." she heard the familiar voice say. She rolled her eyes and turned around to Jess, "Wow. You managed to make it to class today." she retorted. She was trying to remember why she defended his honor earlier this morning.

Jess saw the opportunity and Lucy knew he would take it to poke fun.

"Now, why on Earth would you have one of Taylor's clipboards?" he continued prodding. Lucy turned around, "Leave me alone, Jess." she begged exhaustively.

"Did you steal it?" he leaned over on his desk to get closer. "Cause if you did, I'd congratulate you."

"Drop it Jess."

"Or did you happen to stumble by it on your way to school and think to put it in your collection?" he teased. Lucy turned around to him quickly, "Jess. It's a clipboard just leave it be!" she whispered harshly before taking it and shoving it in her bag.

"Ms. Miller?" the teacher turned to them, "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"

"No." she grumbled. Jess smirked as she continued paying attention to the teacher at the front of the class. "Well," the teacher sighed, "If you're done flirting with Mr. Mariano, I would like to continue my lesson?" she looked at her. Everyone laughed a little at the comment as expected. Lucy clenched her fist before looking down at her notebook.

Jess watched her stay still in her seat in amusement before the teacher continued teaching. He continued not listening to the lesson and leaned over his desk some more. He reached out and grabbed the clipboard hanging out from her backpack.

Technically it wasn't going through a girls bag, he thought, especially if you already know what you're looking for.

He looked at the clipboard; reading it over. "Stars Hollow Dance Marathon: Decoration Committee." it read. Jess tried contain himself from bursting out into laughter. He slipped it back into her bag discreetly.