Touch of Hellfire (Original Version)

☕️39☕️

I went into the hall and answered it. "Hey, you at home?"

"No, I'm in Hartford," I told him. "You seem upset, are you okay?"

"Well I just found out something," I told Jess. "They selected me as valedictorian."

"What..but Heather, that's great news!"

"I don't feel I deserve it," I admitted. "Okay, Heath, get rid of the thought right now, you deserve it more than anyone, you worked your ass off to get into Columbia and you're a great student and you pulled my ass out of Hell which was a very hard thing to do, they chose you because you don't give up, you never give up, you're determined, one of the many reasons I love you," Jess told me.

"I love you too," I smiled.

I hung up right as Mom was talking to Rory. "Hezzy got valedictorian!" Rory announced once I re-entered the room. "Congratulations!" Mom nearly squeezed the life out of me. "Need to breathe," I croaked, while laughing.

"Dinner is ready," the maid announced. "No it's not," Grandma argued. "Go make the salads."

"They're ready too," the maid told her. "Mom, it's your dinnertime," Mom pointed out.

"I don't have a dinner time," Grandma insisted. "I have a busy evening ahead and I'm tired."

"Well you do seem tense," Mom nodded. "What's wrong? Dinner is always at seven and now it's not? It's always been at seven!"

Mom scoffed and rolled her eyes. "It's because I'm here isn't it?"

"Lorelai, your father and I have plans tonight, we are going to the Thompson's, we'll have dinner another time," Grandma sighed.

"So you're kicking us out," Mom assumed. "Dinner has been ready for ten minutes! So if I wasn't here, you'd be asking Rory and Heather to stay, wouldn't you?"

"Lorelai, for the last time, we have plans!" Grandma snapped. "Emily!" Grandpa came into the room. "It's ten past seven, why aren't we eating?"

"Hi Dad," Mom greeted him. "Rory and Heather were gonna stay for dinner if you guys don't have plans."

"Oh of course we don't have any plans," Grandpa said. My jaw dropped, as did Rory's.

"Enjoy dinner," Mom sighed and stormed out. "Mom!" me and Rory went after her.

"God!" Mom groaned. "I'll just get our bags," Rory muttered and went back inside.

"I'm done," Mom sighed and got into the car. Rory handed me my bag and we got into the jeep.

"The amount of fake BFFs in our yearbooks," Rory laughed once we got home. "From people we've never even heard of," I laughed.

"I'm gonna start writing my speech," I smiled. "Don't say anything mean," Rory warned me.

***

"And she's ready," Rory smiled, finishing her new project. My face for prom. "Aw, you look beautiful," Mom smiled and took a picture with her digital camera. She handed me a key. "You're room thirty one in the inn, there's hardly any people there."

"Thanks Mom," I smiled and she hugged me. "First Columbia, then valedictorian now she'll be prom queen."

"I can't be prom queen of a school I don't go to," I pointed out. I heard the doorbell ring and Rory went down to answer it.

"Mom, you can bring her down!" Rory called from downstairs. Mom brought me downstairs, where Jess was waiting, in a suit.

He looked very handsome and he smiled once he saw me. "You look amazing," he said. "Thanks..you look great," I responded, smiling.

"Have fun," Mom smiled and we walked out the door. "I met him, my father," he told me as we were walking towards the school.

"You did?" I wondered. "He wanted me to go to California, but I said no," he told me. "Not after the trouble you went through to get me here."

"It wasn't any trouble," I mumbled. We went into the room and Dave and Andrea came up to us. "You guys look great!" Andrea gave me a hug. Her dress was a dark gold while mine was a dark purple.

"Ladies, gents," Tessa came over to us in a dark green dress. "There's a table for us over there."

The five of us sat down and Tessa got us all punch. "Oh, Presby already spiked it!"

"What is it? Vodka?" Dave asked her. "Rum," Tessa told him after sniffing it.

Tessa's life improved after her mom filed for a divorce. She was glad that she didn't have to hide her sexuality anymore from her family or her friends. A slow song came on and Tessa rolled her eyes playfully. Dave and Andrea got up to dance and Jess held out his hand to me. "May I have this dance?"

"Do you have a trust fund?" I joked. "Can't believe you remember that," he chuckled and we got up.

His hands were on my hips, while my hands rested on the back of his neck. I leaned my forehead against his and we stayed like that throughout the entirety of the song.

"I'm gonna miss you," he whispered. "So much."

"So am I," I murmured.

After Prom King and Queen were announced, which was Dean and Lindsay, we decided to leave.

"Where are we going?" Jess asked me. "I don't want to spoil the surprise," I smirked. I led him to the inn. "The inn?"

I took the key out. "My mom..got us a room," I told him.

We went in and I unlocked the door. The room was nicely lit and the atmosphere was homey and relaxing.

"Heather?"

I looked at Jess and he bit his lip. "Are you totally sure about this, one hundred percent?"

"I am, I'm ready," I told him. He leaned in and kissed me and we both fell backwards onto the bed.

***

"I didn't hurt you..did I?" Jess asked me a couple minutes afterwards. "No, it was amazing. You were amazing," I reassured him. I lay my head down on his chest and he traced circles on my bare shoulder.

"What time is it?" he mumbled. "Almost two in the morning," I looked over at the clock.

Jess fell asleep within ten minutes and two minutes later, I drifted off too.

I woke up in Jess' arms the next morning and I locked over at the clock. It was twenty past eight. "Jess," I yawned, nudging him and he slowly opened his eyes.

"What time is it?" he asked me. "Twenty past eight," I told him putting a change of clothes on. Jess grabbed his change of clothes and put them on.

"Last night was amazing," I told him. "It'd be awkward if it wasn't," he joked. "But it was great."

I kissed him on the lips and I stuffed my dress into my bag. "I'll see you later," he smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too," I murmured and I left.

Once I got home, I found Mom and Rory eagerly waiting for me on the doorstep. "Good morning," Mom smiled at me.

I knew I would get asked every detail so I just went inside to get it over with.