CHERRY. [JESS MARIANO]

Wow, He Really Is Whipped

"I herby designate next Tuesday Harry-the-twinkle-light-man-from-Harry's-house-of-twinkle-lights-day." Taylor's banged his gavel and everyone clapped.

I walk into Miss Patty's with my mum by my side. "Do I really have to sit through this?" I whined to my mum. We walk over to two available seats -knowing that we had to leave two for the Gilmore girls- which happened to be in front of Luke and Jess.

"Sit." She tells me sternly. I sent her a dirty look before plopping myself in the seat in front of Jess.

"Aren't we happy to be here," Jess leans forward and whispers in my ear.

I turn my head to look at him. "I'm about as happy as you are," I retort back.

"Late again are we?" Taylor chided once he noticed Lorelai and Rory enter from the dark night outside.

"They just got here too!" Lorelai pointed at my mum and I with a frown. She looked like a child accusing someone else for stealing their crayons.

My mum turned around to send a playful scowl Lorelai's way. "Don't drag us into this."

"You four really need to work on to your punctuality," Taylor chided to us, sending the two pairs of us disapproving looks. "I banged the meeting in thirty minutes ago."

Lorelai gasped as she took her seat next to Luke. "Dirty," she commented.

Taylor rolled his eyes at her usual antics. "I'm gonna take advantage of this unexpected pause in our proceedings to..." I ignored whatever he had to say as I zone out.

I never liked the town meetings anyways. The most concerning thing we had was when Al's Pancakes ran out of pancakes. I always thought that if my mother went that it would be enough and she could always tell me if anything important had happened.

Alas, she always said the same thing when I ask to be left out of the meetings. 'You're a part of this town and you will go.' It never did stop me from trying to find various ways to keep myself out of them. I still participated in most of the events in town but I always dreaded the town meetings.

My thoughts were interrupted by someone kicking the back of my chair. "Cherry," I heard Jess whisper from behind me.

"Shush, Taylor's talking." I reply without turning my head. He was going on about some permit for vegetables or whatever.

Jess scoffed from behind me. "Don't act like you're actually listening to him."

"What do you want?" I sigh out before turning to look at him.

He slides his chair a few inches forward. "Do you have the next book?" He asks. "For Harry Potter, I mean."

"Only if you have another Hemingway for me."

Jess raised an eyebrow at me. "You liking it so far?"

"Let's just say he may have been a drunk," I say. "But he was a genius drunk."

"Told you so." He responds with a triumphant smirk.

"Maria! Luke!" Taylor exclaimed, throwing an accusing glance at them. Jess and I stop our conversation and see what he has to say. "Get your offsprings under control! If they're in here they should be listening!" He glared at the two of us.

My mum narrowed her eyes at the town mayor. "Under control?" She repeated slowly, as if making sure she heard him properly.

"Offspring?" Luke chimed in with a look of horror at his nephew.

After a heated glare from my mother, Jess and I decided that it would be best to keep quiet unless we wanted Taylor to run us out of town with pitchforks. Although it didn't seem like such a bad idea. I turn to the front with slightly red cheeks. I felt like a student who has been called out by the teacher in front of the class.