FOOL'S GOLD
CHAPTER THREE
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE ANNIE HARTLEY IS OBSESSIVE. Whether it was the determination to her grades or her clubs or volunteering, she was what some people would affectionately an obsessive neurotic control freak. And that unfortunately for Jess Mariano included people. There were only two viable reasons why Jess didn't like Annie. Either, there was something wrong with him or there was something wrong with her. And Annie refused to believe it was the latter.
Despite the stormy cloud that was Jess, Annie didn't let him ruin the spring in her step. She bounced to life in the early morning as the sun rose high. Annie was the definition of an early bird. She felt most productive when the sky was awake and the sun beamed on her like a battery. Annie was usually up at 5am, going for a run or finishing homework, or baking bribery cupcakes. She always had something to do.
By 7am, Annie had already down two out of three of those things. Now it was time for cupcakes. Annie had concluded after numerous research that the way to a person's heart was through their stomach. Baking had always solved every rut she had been in. Suppose it was more the intention behind the baking than the good itself. When you present somebody with a basket of mini muffins, they feel touched at the gesture that you thought about them and put in your own time and effort to make something, and when you weren't so familiar with what someone liked, cupcakes were always a winner. Annie's baking had never failed her before. Her cookies convinced Mr Lathum to raise her B+ to an A, her apple pie made Hilary Reid smile after her husband ran off with his other woman, and even Sookie St. James herself said her lemon bars were "delightful".
Annie considered that Jess wouldn't have the biggest sweet tooth but showing up with a basket of potato chips didn't have the same effect. So instead she made simple vanilla cupcakes to be on the safe side.
Annie, while a talented baker, was not a graceful one. Flour and butter coated the counters as well as herself with bits in her hair and down her sunflower apron as she mixed the batter rapidly.
"Why does it smell like Wonka's factory in here?" The grumpy voice of Annie's sister Kate asked as she entered the kitchen, still in her pyjamas as she had just woken up unlike her sister. Kate pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and slumped into it. "Oh god, more cupcakes."
Annie ignored her sister and poured a cup of coffee for her. Kate didn't utter a thank you as she took the mug and brought it to her lips. "Who are the cupcakes for?"
"Just a boy at school." Annie answered as she began to pour her batter into their designated cupcake holders.
"Why?" Kate asked with a disapproving scrunch of her nose.
"I want to be nice."
Kate raised her hands in surrender as she exclaimed. "Oh, of course, how could it be anything else?"
Annie set down her spatula. She kept her voice soft but she wasn't happy. "Can you lay off the judgement please?"
Kate feigned heartbreak. "Judging? No I'm not judging. Why would I judge you for selling yourself out for anyone that flashes you a smile?"
Annie whipped round on her heel. "That's not what I'm doing."
"You're right." You're a fool to believe that Kate Hartley would ever agree with you. "People don't even need to smile for you to bend over backwards for them."
"Would you rather I was like you? Letting everyone hate me because I let my pain justify being mean to people?"
Kate's mouth fell open. Annie was not a mean person. She never argued. She never told people what she was really thinking so when she did, it hurt. Kate slumped into her seat. "Well looks like I'm the only person in the world you're not trying to please."
Annie released a tired breath. "Can you just lay off?"
To pull the Hartley sibling squabble to a halt, Graham Hartley entered the kitchen. He, who like his eldest daughter, enjoyed the mornings and was already dressed when he entered. Graham placed a hand on Kate's shoulder as he kissed the crown of her head. "Good morning."
Annie and Kate shared the only agreeable look they could to not fight in front of their dad. They silently agreed to be civil while he was around. Annie smiled. "Morning dad."
"Morning pumpkin." Graham said as he placed a peck on Annie's cheek. Although Annie and Kate had stopped fighting, the tension was still lingering in the air. Graham noticed. "Everything okay in here?"
"She's making cupcakes."
Graham's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh! Can I have one?"
Annie smiled gleefully at her father. "Sure."
"Unbelievable." Kate muttered under her breath. She took her cup of coffee into her room. Kate loved her family but they were so different from her. She was the dark cloud that loomed over the Hartley parade. She couldn't stand it.
As Kate finished her coffee, she dressed herself in the kind of dark clothes her sister wouldn't be caught dead in. She blasted music that her sister found to be blasphemous. She would go to school and speak to no one because no one liked her they did Annie. Kate didn't care. She didn't need anyone to like her. She watched her sister tear herself into a million pieces for the sake of other people, she could never do that. She refused to become like that. So she let everyone hate her in the way she hated everyone else.
Annie got herself dressed as her cupcakes baked. She changed out of her sweaty running clothes into her favourite black corduroy overalls with a purple shirt underneath. Annie was always noted for being quite tall. Her height was usually used as a compliment. There was the exception of some fragile men who couldn't stand a girl being taller than them. But Annie liked her height. And her overalls with a great way to accentuate her long legs.
She wore flat trainers to not exaggerate her height too much. When her cupcakes were ready she placed them in a basket. She left a cupcake on the side for when her dad got back from work.
Annie could drive but Stars Hollow was the type of town where everything was at most a twenty walk. Besides Annie loved her town. Especially as the fall rolled in, the whole place was cosy with autumnal decorations. Currently the weather was still warm only with a slight chill but there was no weather that made Annie unhappy.
Annie strolled through the streets, waving at passer-by's. She spoke to Taylor and Miss Patty and waved at Babette when she passed her garden.
Eventually she reached Luke's at the heart of Stars Hollow. Jess was at the till. He didn't look up when the bell rang. He clearly wasn't an eager worker. He stood behind the counter with a book hidden under the till as he sieved through receipts.
Annie took a breath before she walked up to him. "Hey."
Jess lifted his head with surprise. He knew her voice. Mostly because she was the only person that had insisted on talking to him. He looked at her. He didn't want to deal with this. He looked back at the receipts. "What do you want?"
"I made you these." Annie raised her creations to him. Jess froze out of pure confusion. No one had ever made him cupcakes. He didn't like it.
"Why?"
Annie lowered her cupcakes as she felt a small amount of shame. "Because I thought you'd like them."
"Why?"
Annie physically couldn't understand Jess's tone. What was wrong about making cupcakes? How could you not appreciate someone making you cupcakes out of the kindness of their heart? Everyone loved them. Why didn't he? "Because people usually do."
"What's your problem?"
Annie's mouth hung open. "I don't have a problem."
"But you refuse to leave me alone which is really annoying."
"I'm annoying?" The world was spinning on the wrong axis. She must have entered an alternative universe where crocodiles run for president and Encino man is the highest grossing movie in the country.
Jess placed his hand firmly on the counter. "I don't want cupcakes."
Annie wanted to argue. To tell him that he was insane. To convince him that she was worth his time and kindness. But she was speechless. All she could say was. "Okay."
Jess stared at her for a second. To see if she was true to her word. He recognised the look on her face. She was shaken to his core. But he didn't care. It wasn't his responsibility to make her happy. Not when she was the one following him around.
Jess pushed himself off the counter. He walked around it and picked up his denim jacket off the coat rack that stood next to the door. Annie watched him leave, frozen in place.
Annie didn't move for a full minute. She was... annoying? Annie had never been called annoying in her whole life. This wasn't small aversion Jess had towards her, he genuinely didn't like her. A part of Annie wanted to cry but she held it back.
"If he's not going to eat them can I?" Annie turned her head to see Kirk hungrily hanging over the cupcakes.
Annie mustered up a smile. She pushed the basket towards him. "Sure, Kirk."
Kirk happily began devouring the basket of cupcakes. Annie looked through the large window. She could still see Jess. Annie released a loud breath, almost a huff. While he was still in sight, Annie quickly exited Luke's.
Jess was across the street. He walked with his hands in pockets and shifted from side to side as if he was trying assert dominance as he walked. Annie tried to keep up with him without alerting attention.
Annie jumped back behind one of Doose's display carts as Jess turned around. After a moment, Jess turned back and Annie returned to the main path.
Jess crossed the street. His speed picked up as he jogged up the steps to Stars Hollow library. Annie was dumbfounded. A library? Was he vandalising it? Did Jess actually read?
"What are you doing?" Annie released an audible yelp as she jumped out of her skin. Annie turned around to find Trin standing behind her with bags of groceries.
"I'm following Jess to find out what he likes." Annie explained as if it was completely normal. She looked back at the library. Jess had already gone in.
"What?" Trin asked. She needed so much more information.
Annie turned back. She stamped her foot like a child. "He didn't like the cupcakes."
"Your cupcakes?" Trin asked with genuine surprise. Annie sadly nodded her head. Trin gasped. Despite how barbaric it was to not like Annie's cupcakes, it didn't justify following him. "Annie, this is crazy. You're stalking him."
"Stalking is a very serious word."
Trin placed a hand on Annie's arm as if to shake some sense into her. "You need to let this go. So what one boy in twenty thousand people doesn't like you. Do you understand how many people love you?"
"That's just it, Trin. He is the only person besides my sister who doesn't like me. I don't understand what I did wrong."
"It's not your fault, Annie. It's life. People love people. People hate people. That's it. I love you, I hate Derek."
"Yes but you hate Derek because he's a ass. Jess can't hate me, I'm not an ass." A thought dawned on Annie. "Oh my god, am I an ass?"
Trin couldn't help but giggle a little. "No, you're not an ass."
Annie pressed her hands against her lips in a prayer fashion. "This is simple, okay. I find out what he likes then I connect with him. People like when you take interest in their lives."
Trin sighed. It was like arguing with a wall. If Annie was anything it was stubborn. She had more determination than Trin had ever seen in anyone which usually lead to positions of power or good grades not borderline stalking. Annie was a difficult person to reason with. "There's no one I can convince you out of this, is there?"
Annie shook her head. "Nope."
"Fine." Trin gave in. "But if this goes too far, I will pull you back."
Annie almost jumped with glee. She loved getting her way. Annie said goodbye to Trin before she followed Jess's jog up the steps. Trin watched Annie retreat into the library with a feeling of regret pressing on her chest. Trin has always wanted to best for Annie no matter what. From an outsider point of view, Annie was perfect. She had everything she wanted. But no one saw how hard she worked for those things. What she sacrificed to be in this position. Trin was never fully happy with Annie's methods but it was for things that we're going to build her future so she didn't mind so much. But now, Annie was tearing herself apart for a boy. A boy who wasn't worth anything. Trin didn't like it. But Annie couldn't be reasoned with so she had to watch from the background.
Annie entered the library. Annie had never been to library. She wasn't a reader. At least not for pleasure purposes. She found novels boring and every history book she needed for school she was happy to buy. But when it came to novels or poetry or plays, Annie just couldn't connect with.
Annie was still partly convinced that Jess was in the library with some ulterior motive. Maybe he was stealing or vandalising or meeting a girl to hook up in the dusty bookshelves. Annie walked between the shelfs, unable to find him. She was slightly scared of what she might run into. But when her eyes fell on him, she was pleasantly surprised. Annie saw him through the gaps in the bookshelves so he didn't see her which was better because he looked so at peace with himself.
Jess sat on the floor of the library, using one of the shelfs as a back rest. His denim jacket lay on the floor alongside a scattered collection of about five books. In his hands was The Art of Fiction. Annie smiled. This was not what she expected. There was something so human about Jess having a hobby. Annie wasn't sure if he noticed but she found him muttering some of the words to himself. It was kind of endearing.
Annie turned her back to him and began to walk out of the library with a fond smile on her face. The good news was that she found what Jess liked. The bad news was that it was books. Annie hated books. But Annie was not foreign to a challenge. It wouldn't be the first time Annie pretended to like something for someone. She pretend to like art so her teacher would raise her grade, she pretended to like ice hockey so Millie Erikson would like her, and pottery for Archie Stonem. It was a small sacrifice. It was time to get to work.