SILVER LINED DOUBT. [JESS MARIANO]

TWO.

There was a small window built into the wall beside him where he could see Marley's locker. It was slightly off-centered from where he sat, something of which he didn't notice until he saw her standing in front of it.

Jess put his finger in between the pages and looked on as she opened her locker. Her brow furrowed as the note fell out. She left it there for a moment, grabbing a book she had obviously forgotten before bending down to unfold the paper.

Her eyes scanned what he had written and he watched her squint at it, scoff, scowl and then eventually, a small smile came across her face as she huffed a laugh. She folded the note back up, shoving it into the book and walking back to class.

Jess didn't want to smile. But he found himself doing it anyway.

✧

TO SAY THAT Luke's Diner was hectic would have been an understatement.

Luke didn't put on many, scratch that, any events, so he was a little unprepared. He was losing his mind and both Jess and Marley knew it.

Taylor Doose had decided a couple of weeks ago that he would be hosting his family's reunion at Luke's Diner. While Luke was quick to deny his first request, his second came with accommodations and a very generous sum of money that Luke knew he would be an idiot to ignore. So, he took in the Dooses for the night and had Caesar began to cook everything he'd ordered to be there.

As soon as people were in the room, Luke had regretted his decision.

Marley had been helping out in every way that she could the whole night, careful not to step on her boss' toes. She hated when Luke was stressed out. It didn't happen too often, but when it did, it packed a punch.

Jess was a little bit more fearless, but not by much. Marley was surprised by how obedient he was. He did every order with an eye roll or a sigh, but he did them. It was strange to see Jess not fighting every little thing under the sun. She didn't want to admit it, but she actually liked Jess better this way.

Marley found herself grimacing as she looked at the clock on the wall. It was nine-thirty and though the majority of Taylor's family had migrated to the center of town, there were still a couple of stragglers, including Taylor himself. She had a half-an-hour until close. She could do this.

"Miss Acosta?" a voice asked from the corner of the diner. Marley turned toward Taylor, who had a CD case in his hand. "Would you mind playing this on the stereo?"

She plastered a smile on her face, walking over and taking the disc from him. His voice was sweet and slightly slurred and it took everything in Marley not to wish for Taylor to drink more so that she could finally see him drunk. It had been one of her and Courtney's missions to see it before they left Stars Hollow.

Marley placed the blank, nameless CD onto the player, shutting the top and watching it spin around inside. She raised her brows as the all too familiar sounds of her mother's favorite group rang through the diner. Taylor's table cheered at this, then returned to their conversation.