10 Sleep, Suffer, Slip

Jess looked beside him to see Lucy falling asleep at her desk in fifth period. He frowned. She looks like she hadn't gotten any sleep. He rubbed his head in thought. Maybe he had been a colossal jerk about this entire situation. He sighed softly. "Dammit." he muttered.

He saw as Lucy's head slowly fall down to her desk asleep. He let her. He sighed before taking out a piece of paper from his back pocket. He looked up at the board, and for once in his life, Jess started taking notes. Not for himself, but for Lucy.

He heard murmuring next to him. Jess looked at Lucy as she continued to talk in her sleep. He chuckled and shook his head. He could save her from getting a bad grade, but he couldn't save her from embarrassing herself.

Jess continued writing when he heard her murmurs a little clearer. "...No...No... Dad-Dad stop--" He jolted up from his desk and helped her up out of her own. He didn't skip a beat.

"Mr. Mariano what's the meaning of this?" the teacher turned around to him. "A kidnapping, can't you tell?" he said sarcastically as he walked out of the classroom. Jess supported the sleeping Lucy's arm around his shoulders.

He carried her to the field of the school and sat down with her. He took his water bottle from his bag and dumped it on her face.

"No!" she jolted awake and coughed. She wiped her face and looked around getting familiar with her surroundings. She looked up at him confused. "Jess?"

"Morning to you too, Princess." he breathed out; as if trying to get over a heart attack of his own.

"Wh-what happened?" she asked.

"You fell asleep in class. You were sleep talking." he said. Lucy froze, "You mean--"

"Oh yeah, I mean." he said sarcastically before sighing. "What's so bad about your dad Lucy?" he looked at her; cutting the bullshit. "You've isolated yourself from a town you grew up in. --To the point where no one knows you. You wear long sleeved sweaters in 100 degree weather. You flinch whenever a guy is near you. You have nightmare conferences with Luke at ungodly hours, and now you're falling asleep in class. What is it Lucy? What are you hiding from?"

Lucy looked down. She sniffed slightly as the tears came back, "You have to promise it won't change..."

"What?"

"You're look." she looked back up at him, "You have to promise you're look towards me won't change.." she cried, "Luke knows...Lorelai knows... and they all have that same look."

"What look?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Pity..Like it was so unfortunate a person could get saddled with this.." she breathed unsteadily. "Nothing but pity." she fiddled with her fingers.

He lifted her chin. "Lucy, just tell me." he said.

She took a deep breath. Was she ready to tell another soul again? The last person she told was Luke back when she was 12, and even then, it was more of him talking and her nodding her head. Since then, Luke had called the police and filed the lawsuit against her father that would bring her to where she was now. Living with her grandpa and being home-schooled.

Lucy found herself taking off her sweater slowly; wearing a tank top underneath. Jess finally saw her skin, something he was so interested in since they met and not for the reasons you think. He finally saw it, and he wished he hadn't. He saw cigarette burns trailing up her forearms. Other scars he couldn't make up of their cause that were littered on her body could be seen if he looked hard enough.

For once the very witty Jess Mariano, had no words.

Lucy bit her lip hard enough to bleed. She felt so vulnerable so she put her sweater back on. She looked down obviously conflicted. Jess observed her for a good few moments. He bit his lip before looking at her. "Lucy--"

"--It's taken care of now okay? You won't have to worry. Luke called the police and now my dad's in prison so-so you don't have to worry." she looked down and rubbed her arm; looking like a four year old.

"Then why are you worrying?" he said seriously.

Lucy avoided eye contact. She went to speak but found her tongue was practically useless. She looked down ashamed. "Jess I--"

He pulled her close to him in a tight embrace; rubbing her back. Lucy felt surprised, but warm and relieved. She hasn't felt this way in a while. She closed her eyes tightly and blinked away the tears.

Was this what it felt like. To be excepted?