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2.19: teach me tonight
❝ 22: jealousy, thy name is everleigh ❞
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     Everleigh Morgan was not having a great time.

     The past few days have felt like hell. She's been trying to distract herself—throwing herself into her usual comforts: movies, sweets, anything to avoid thinking about Blaze or Jess. But no matter how much she tries to drown it all out, the weight of the breakup and the argument with Jess presses down on her like a boulder.

     She was lying on the couch, curled up, hugging a blanket tightly to her chest. A half-eaten slice of red velvet cake sits abandoned on the coffee table. Moonstruck plays on the TV for what feels like the millionth time, barely paying attention. Something that even Mark picked up on.

    He leans against the doorway, arms crossed, watching her for a moment. Contemplating whether it was finally the right time to ask what really was going on in his daughter's life. He sighs, "You've been like this for days."

     Everleigh doesn't move. Her eyes stay fixed on the screen, "I'm fine."

     Mark raises an eyebrow, stepping into the room. "You've watched Moonstruck every single day."

    She shrugs, pulling the blanket closer, her gaze still on the TV. "Maybe I just want to admire Cher's beauty."

    He glances at the untouched cake on the table. "And today you're eating red velvet cake."

    Everleigh shifts slightly, her fingers fidgeting with the blanket. "Maybe I was just craving it."

    "You do these things when you're trying to deal with your emotions." Mark states softly as he moves to sit on the edge of the couch.

    Everleigh's grip tightens on the blanket, and for a moment, she doesn't say anything. He was right, it was her way to silently deal with her emotions. She just wasn't expecting him to notice all these signs so simply. After a moment she finally speaks up, her voice quieter. "It doesn't matter how I feel. I'm fine."

    Mark sighs, leaning back a bit, his gaze never leaving her. "Did you get into a fight with Blaze?"

    Everleigh's body goes still. The weight of his words hangs heavy in the air, and for a moment, she feels her pulse quicken. Slowly, she sits up, clutching the blanket in her lap, trying to seem casual. Her eyes flick to Mark's, forcing herself to meet his gaze.

     "Why would you think that?" she asks, her voice a little too forced.

     Mark doesn't break eye contact, his voice soft but persistent. "Because you've been moping around, watching movies, eating cake, and acting like you've checked out of reality."

    Everleigh forces a laugh, but it falters, and she drops her gaze to the floor. She shakes her head, muttering, "Everything is... fine. — Sort of. I don't know."

     Mark studies her face, not convinced. "So, no fight?"

    Everleigh shrugs, keeping her gaze to the floor. She fidgets with the edge of the blanket. "Can we drop it? Please?"

    Mark watches her for a moment, then nods slowly. "Okay."

    Everleigh lets out a breath, but instead of feeling relief, guilt rises in its place. She leans back against the couch, her chest tightening as her thoughts race. She's upset—about Blaze, sure, but as she sits there, she realizes the ache in her chest is more about Jess than anything.

    And that makes her feel even worse.

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Later that day, Lydia stands in the doorway of Everleigh's room, holding a massive takeout bag from Luke's with a playful smirk on her face. "Wow, you're really taking this whole Limp Bizkit thing a little too seriously."

Everleigh groans from her spot on the bed, curled up with her blanket. "I just have to break stuff and I'll have the whole shebang," she mutters, her voice muffled by the pillow she's partially hugging.

Lydia chuckles, stepping into the room. "You still got your humor, so that's a good sign."

Everleigh shifts slightly, still wrapped in the blanket. "Why are you here?"

Lydia moves closer, dropping a massive bag of snacks and goodies onto the floor beside the bed. "Because you're my best friend, and you're clearly not having the best time. Plus, Luke went the extra mile to pack all of this." She gestures to the overflowing bag she dragged in.

Everleigh sits up a little, her gaze flicking over the bag in surprise. "Luke? He did this?"

Lydia grins, nodding. "Yeah, surprised me too. He's worried about you. He told me to keep an eye on you."

Everleigh exhales sharply, her eyes staying on the bag until she looks up to Lydia. Curiosity getting the best of her. "Was Jess there?"

Lydia hesitates, then shakes her head. "No, he was apparently upstairs."

"Oh." Everleigh lowers her gaze, trying to seem unaffected, but the disappointment lingers in her voice.

Lydia shrugs, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "He'll come around."

Everleigh scoffs, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. "Highly doubt that."

Lydia rolls her eyes and tosses a granola bar from the bag into Everleigh's lap. "It's Jess. When it comes to you, he will." Lydia glances at her friend for a second, who seems to sulk at the sentence. She bites the inside of her cheek before continuing, "Besides, I know exactly how to get your mind off all of this."

Everleigh raises an eyebrow, curiously getting the best of her. "How?"

Lydia leans in slightly, her voice dropping as if she's about to share the world's biggest secret. "I've got a confession to make, but you have to promise you won't say a thing to anyone. ...Ever. — And you can't laugh."

Everleigh narrows her eyes, sitting up a little straighter. "Okay, fine. What is it?"

Lydia fidgets for a second, avoiding eye contact. Finally, she blurts out, "I used to have a crush on Dean."

Everleigh's jaw drops. She sits all the way up now, her mouth hanging open as she stares at Lydia in disbelief. "No." Lydia gives her a sheepish nod, her face reddening. "Our best friend Dean?" Everleigh repeats, a small smile creeping onto her face. "When?"

Lydia nods again. "When he first moved to Stars Hollow, before Rory got with him. He was the new kid, you know?"

"Do you still...?" Everleigh trails off.

Lydia scrunches her nose, shaking her head quickly. "God, no. I got over it pretty fast once we became friends."

"Ew." Everleigh grimaces, her smile faltering for a second as the thought of Lydia and Dean together makes her shiver. "I love him, but come on, it's Dean. He's just... meh."

Lydia laughs, nodding in agreement. "Oh, trust me, I know now. As a friend, he's great. But seeing him as a boyfriend? I count my lucky stars every day that I dodged that bullet."

For a moment, neither of them says anything. Then, without warning, they both burst into laughter—loud, genuine, and uncontrollable.

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    After having a conversation with Lydia and just having her company she finally decided it was finally the time to get back to her old routine. That also involved getting back to work.

However, being back at Luke's felt odd. She hasn't been back since her fallout with Jess, so working again was strange. It did help knowing he wasn't on shift with her. Letting her get back on routine with a slight ease.

Standing behind the counter, wiping the same spot over and over, trying to focus on anything but the last time she was here. The air feels heavy, especially with Luke standing awkwardly beside her, clearing his throat every couple of minutes.

    Everleigh finally glances up, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?"

    Luke stiffens. "Nothing."

    She narrows her eyes, "You're acting weird."

    "I'm not," he insists, but then lets out a heavy sigh, looking uncomfortable. "So, I've got this favor to ask."

    Everleigh leans against the counter, "The answer depends on the favor."

    Luke scratches the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. "You do well in school, right? I've seen you studying here before and have overheard your results for tests. — You're a smart kid."

    Everleigh tilts her head, smiling, "I'd like to think I am."

    "And you're friends with Jess," Luke continues, not noticing the way Everleigh's fingers tighten around the cloth at the mention of his name. Or the way her smile instantly faltered.

    She turns back around, wiping the top of the counter again, "What's that now?"

    Luke doesn't seem to catch her reaction. "You and Jess... are close. He's fond of you."

    Everleigh's eyes dart to the side as she busies herself rearranging mugs. "Where are you going with this?"

    Luke shifts on his feet, pausing but then finally blurs out, "Is there any chance you could tutor him?" Everleigh straightens up, ready to argue, but Luke keeps talking before she can get a word in. "You know how he is with school. I just thought maybe you could help him out, push him to get his grades up."

    Her gaze drops to the counter. The last thing she wants is to think about Jess, let alone help him right now. "He's stubborn," she mutters.

    "Yeah, but you've gotten through to him before," Luke insists. "How hard could school be?"

    Everleigh shakes her head, staring down at the mugs. "I'm not the right person for it."

    Luke frowns. "Sure you are. He listens to you."

    Everleigh slumps slightly, grabbing a mug to fidget with. Her eyes glued to it. "I'm not. He doesn't listen to me... doesn't see what I'm trying to say." She mumbles, turning the mug over and over again. "Anyone else would see the signs— hell even read them. But not Jess."

    For a second Luke doesn't say anything, just stare at her with creased eyebrows, "Are we still talking about tutoring?"

    She sighs, shaking her head as she puts the mug down. "I'm sorry, Luke. You should ask Rory. She goes to a fancy school. Fancy schools require fancy brains."

    Luke raises an eyebrow, still skeptical. "Are you sure?"

    "Positive," Everleigh says a little too quickly. "Besides, I've got lots of plans." At that exact moment, the bell above the door chimes, and Everleigh's heart skips. She stiffens as Jess walks into the diner, his usual confident stride carrying him past the counter. Without thinking, she raises her voice just loud enough for him to hear. "I've got lots of plans with my boyfriend."

    Jess barely glances her way, rolling his eyes as he passes by, heading straight for the back of the diner. Everleigh's stomach knots, and she huffs, turning her focus back to the counter. Part of her wanted to throw something just for him to acknowledge her.

    Luke watches the exchange, eyebrows raised. "So... I should just ask Rory?"

    She forces a smile, turning to him. "Definitely."

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    Few days later, Everleigh leans back against the lockers, her arms folded, eyes narrowing as they settle on two people across the hallway. — Two people that she thought never would interact... like ever. Seeing them together struck a chord within her.

    Shane and Jess.

    Shane was twirling her hair between her fingers, talking in what was an overly sweet voice that made Everleigh's skin crawl. Jess, on the other had had his expression casual, nodding along, but as soon as his eyes met with Everleigh's across the hallway, something changed. Suddenly his posture straightens, and leans more towards Shane. Engaging into her conversation.

    Everleigh inhales sharply and mutters under her breath, "She's so exhausting,"

    "Who?" Lydia, standing beside her, glances over, following her line of sight. As her eyes land on Shane, she catches her playfully nudge Jess. Lydia's attention instantly shifts back to Everleigh. Right on time to catch her narrow her eyes at them. "You mean Shane?"

    "Yeah, she's pretty, sure. Confident, too. Shame she left her brain at home." Everleigh's tone flat.

    Lydia raises an eyebrow, "Care to elaborate?"

    Everleigh's gaze remained fixed on Jess and Shane. "There's nothing to elaborate."

    "You sound jealous," Lydia says, tilting her head with a knowing smirk.

    "Jealous?" The girl scoffs, rolling her eyes as she glances at Lydia, "Over who?"

    "Over Jess and Shane," Lydia replies easily with a shrug.

    "There's nothing to be jealous of." Everleigh looks down, words almost too quiet.

    But Lydia heard that, and she teases, "Still sound jealous to me,"

    Everleigh sighs,"Jess is just being so aggravating right now."

     Lydia couldn't help but chuckle softly, watching as Everleigh's eyes once again dart back to Jess. He shoots a glance in their direction, catching Everleigh's gaze briefly before turning back to Shane, who had taken a step closer, her hand brushing his arm. Lydia's smirk widens, noticing how stiff her friend got over the interaction across the hallway. "You two still not speaking?"

    "No," Everleigh grumbles as she watches Shane laugh at something Jess had just said. "And I refuse to speak to him until he becomes a decent human being. And less of a jerk."

"I mean, technically, you both said some awful things to each other." Everleigh glares at Lydia as she raises her hands up in mock surrender. "You're the one who told me what happened. I'm the one whose feelings haven't been hurt."

     "There's no feelings."

     Lydia hums, "Mhm. Sure."

    "There's none," Everleigh repeats, her voice almost too firm.

    "Okay," Lydia grins. "But, come on, it's you and Jess. That literally doesn't need any more explanation."

     Everleigh huffs, trying to dismiss the conversation. "Whatever. I don't care anymore."

     Lydia's eyes flicked back to Jess and Shane, then to Everleigh, who had unconsciously clenched her fists. Her breathing had subtly quickened, and her posture stiffened, betraying the frustration bubbling just beneath her calm facade. As Shane lightly touches Jess's arm, Everleigh's body went rigid. Almost as it triggered something in her mind She turns to Lydia, "Come on, Lydia. We're going over."

    Lydia raises an eyebrow, biting back a laugh. "Thought you didn't wanna speak to him?"

    "Changed my mind." Everleigh hums.

    And just like that Everleigh walks over to Shane and Jess, almost too quickly. Lydia sighs heavily, closing her locker and trailing after Everleigh as she mumbles. "It's your own funeral."

   As Everleigh stops directly in front of them, her presence forcing a break in their conversation. Before she could say anything, Jess turns to Shane with a casual grin. "I'll see you around, Shane."

    Thrown off guard, Shane blinks in surprise before offering a half-hearted smile. "Uh, yeah. See you." She gives Everleigh a wary glance, looking her up and down before walking away.

   Everleigh watchs her leave, her lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, sorry, did I interrupt something?"

    Lydia steps up beside her, offering Jess a casual greeting. "Hi, Jess."

   "Hi," Jess responds, though his focus was entirely on Everleigh. He raises an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching. "What's wrong, Robin?"

    "And here it comes," Lydia mutters to herself, smiling down at her shoes.

    Everleigh ignores her. Everleigh's eyes focused on Jess. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just surprised you finally showed up to school."

    "Well, here I am," Jess says with a sarcastic lilt, leaning back against the lockers. "Enjoying as much time as possible."

    Everleigh's eyes narrow. "Sure you weren't just enjoying Shane?"

   Jess tilts his head, pressing his lips toward. "You sound bothered."

    "I am so not."

   "Well, you sound bothered to me," Jess says, his smirk widening.

   Everleigh crosses her arms, her voice tight. "Why should I care? I have a boyfriend."

    At the word "boyfriend," Lydia's eyebrows shoot up, watching her friend with mild curiosity. Blaze and Everleigh were no longer an item but the way Jess's smirk seemed to fade at that, told her he didn't know the major information.

    "Yet, he's nowhere to be seen," Jess replies smoothly, shrugging. "Again. I'm starting to think he's imaginary."

    Everleigh shoots him a glare. "Oh, please. Get over it. I don't need to prove anything to you."

    Jess raises an eyebrow, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm as he points at her. "You know, I'd ask if you even like him, but you seem more invested in avoiding me than in him."

    Everleigh scoffs, "Whatever, it's not like I need your approval on my love life. You're not exactly the expert here." She looks away, adjusting a her shoulder strap, "Since when are you hanging out with airheads?"

"Airheads? Ouch," Jess responds, his voice low and teasing. "You must be talking about your boyfriend, then."

"At least my boyfriend doesn't need a manual to hold a conversation." The girl fires back.

"Should we get Lydia's opinion?" His attention shifts to Lydia who couldn't help but smile at the two. "What do you think, Lydia? Is Shane an airhead?"

Her eyes bounce between them, her smile not fading for a second, "Honestly? You two are the best entertainment I've had all day."

"See?" Jess grins, mischief dancing in his eyes, looking back at Everleigh. "You should take a page out of her book and lighten up."

Everleigh rolls her eyes, irritation etched across her face. "I'm not the one who needs to lighten up. You're the one wasting time talking to someone like Shane." She jabs a finger in Shane's direction.

Jess leans in slightly, his voice soft but challenging. "If you're so secure in your relationship, then why does it bother you who I talk to?"

"It doesn't bother me," Everleigh huffs, her jaw tightening, she doesn't break an eye contact with Jess as she says. "Let's go."

    As Everleigh strides away, Jess watches her, his smirk finally fading. Feeling eyes on him, he glances at Lydia who still hasn't moved from her spot. Jess scoffs, "What?"

     "Dude," Lydia sighs, rolling her eyes, "That was a nice act you had going but you can't fool me. You barely cared about Shane or what she was saying until you saw her looking over."

    Jess looks away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

    "Uh-huh, sure," Lydia presses her lips together, "But keep pretending you don't care, and one day she might believe you."

    She shoots him a knowing glance before walking away. Jess's jaw tightens as he watches her go, deep in his own thoughts.

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   She should've known things wouldn't go smoothly for Everleigh. Her second shift back threw her back to a reality who she had to work with. Being at Luke's — working with Jess wasn't working in her favour in any way. The two couldn't even stay professional.

   What annoyed Everleigh more was the fact that Jess didn't even bother trying to make things right between them. He went all this trouble getting to end her relationship for her own sake just to be a jerk about it.

Which also explained why Everleigh was aggressively wiping down the tables, her movements sharp. Picking up plates with more force than she intended. Jess, standing behind the counter, was sorting orders with quick, irritated motions, his eyes flicking toward her every few seconds.

"Are you planning to smash those plates, or is that just for my benefit?" Jess mutters, barely looking up, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Everleigh's head snaps up, her eyes narrowing. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

He finally turns to face her, "Believe me, I'd love to. But you're making it impossible."

Everleigh slams the cloth down on the table, her patience snapping. "What is your problem, Jess?"

He steps around the counter, walking towards her, his voice sharper now. "My problem? How about you? You walk around here like everything's fine, like you've got it all figured out."

She glares at him, stepping toward him as the heat rises between them. "Yeah? Well, maybe I wouldn't have to if you didn't make everything so complicated!"

Jess exhales sharply as he moves in closer, his eyes locking onto hers. "Complicated? Right. I forgot—you've got the perfect boyfriend, the perfect life. What are you even doing here?"

The mention of Blaze hits her like a punch, but she keeps her expression defiant, refusing to let him see how much it hurts. "I work here," she snaps, her voice icy. "You should be aware of that."

His tone dripping with sarcasm. "Or maybe you should go back to your boyfriend—sounds like you could use a break from me."

Everleigh crosses her arms, stepping even closer, her anger flaring, but the hurt is still there, bubbling just beneath the surface. "Maybe I will. At least he doesn't turn everything into a disaster."

Jess's jaw clenches, his eyes darkening with frustration as they stand inches apart now. Neither of them willing to back down. His voice drops, dangerously low. "And yet, here you are."

There's a moment of silence, their breaths coming heavier, the tension between them almost unbearable. They're standing so close now, eyes locked, the hurt and anger in their gazes colliding with something different. Something they haven't experienced before.

Jess watches her, his eyes searching her face, pushing the boundaries. His gaze flickers down to her lips, and for a moment, Everleigh's heart skips a beat. She glances at his lips too, just for a second, feeling the weight of everything between them, the tension thick and suffocating. She fights the pull, her muscles tense, trying to keep her distance, but the temptation is strong—stronger than ever.

The moment stretches out, the space between them shrinking... until the storeroom door swings open, snapping the tension.

Luke steps into the diner, pausing as he takes in the charged atmosphere. "What's going on?" he asks, his voice breaking the spell.

Everleigh blinks, stepping back quickly, putting distance between herself and Jess, the invisible wall between them slamming back into place. Her breath is shaky, her heart racing.

"I'm done with my shift, Luke," she mutters, her eyes never leaving Jess's, "I'm off to see my boyfriend."

Jess watches her, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface. His eyes burn into her back as she storms toward the door. "Yeah. Run back to him," he says, his voice low and cutting.

Everleigh stops at the door, her hand gripping the handle. She doesn't turn back as she spits out, "Go to hell."

The door swings open, the bell jingling harshly as she yanks it closed behind her. Jess clenches his fists, his entire body tense as he watches her go. He turns sharply, storming out the back door without another word.

Luke stands in the middle of the diner, looking between the two exits, utterly baffled. "Do I even want to know?"

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Later that evening, the diner was quieter now, and the atmosphere feels tense, though not from the customers. Mainly from the heated moment between Everleigh and Jess. Something that wasn't spoken about since then either.

Jess and Rory sit at a booth, his textbook open in front of him, but Jess barely glances at it. Rory, trying to tutor him, glances up from her notes to see him distracted, tapping his pencil on the table.

    Rory sighs, "Jess, seriously, if you don't want my help, I can just go."

    Jess shrugs, not really engaging. "Hey, I'm all ears. Teach me, oh wise one."

    Rory gives him a look, sensing something's off. She tries to focus on the task at hand, but Jess's restless energy and obvious avoidance make it impossible. She shuts her notebook, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Okay, what's going on with you?"

    Jess leans back. "What do you mean?"

   "I mean, you're acting weird. And it's not just now—you and Everleigh have barely said a word to each other all week."

   Jess stiffens at the mention of the girl, though he tries to play it off with his usual nonchalance. "Maybe we just ran out of things to say."

Rory raises an eyebrow, "Yeah, right. When you two are together, you both run your mouths more than anyone else in this town." Rory also wonders about Blaze and how she hasn't seen him much either. Which leaves her wondering, "Did something happen?"

    Jess glares at her, clearly not wanting to talk about it. He shifts in his seat, turning his attention to the textbook like he's actually going to start reading. "Nothing happened. Can we get back to this?"

    Rory narrows her eyes, but she doesn't push further. She flips through the book in front of her, though her focus is still half on Jess. "Fine, whatever. But you're terrible at pretending everything's normal, just so you know."

   Jess shoots her a look, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, though he's still wound up. "Thanks for the tip."

   There's a moment of silence between them and finally Rory softens a little, giving him a side glance. "She'll come around. You two always come back to each other."

    Jess doesn't look up, instead his eyes stay glued on the opened page in front of him. His mind playing over and over again their last interaction. He mutters with a hint of bitterness, "Yeah, well, I know where she stands now. So I guess not."

   Rory watches him, sensing more under the surface but deciding not to pry further. She knew she wouldn't get the whole story from him or whatever happened between the two. Instead she opens the book again, trying to get back to the lesson."Okay, let's just... start with this paragraph."

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     The next day, Everleigh wakes early—too early. Sleep had been elusive, her thoughts refusing to quiet down. Her morning routine is sluggish, every movement feeling automatic. Dressed and ready, she grabs her school bag, heading downstairs, the familiar smell of fresh coffee fills the air.

    In the kitchen, she sees her dad leaning against the counter, a steaming mug in his hands. "Hey," she says from the doorway. "I didn't hear you come home last night."

     Mark looks up, his face lined with exhaustion. "Yeah, sorry. I was in the emergency room—"

    "What?" she asks sharply, her body going rigid. "Are you okay?"

    "I'm fine," he reassures quickly, raising a hand. "It was Rory."

    Her frown deepens. "Rory? Is she alright?"

    Mark hesitates, his eyes dropping to the coffee mug. "She's okay. She fractured her arm, but nothing serious."

     "How?" Her voice tense as her fingers grip the strap of her school bag tighter.

There was a moment of silence before Mark nods towards the table and asks, "Can you sit down?"

     After a brief pause, Everleigh sets her bag down and lowers herself into a chair, watching him closely. He pulls up a chair beside her. "Rory was tutoring Jess," he says, and her gaze immediately drops at the mention of his name. "But they ended up going for a drive. Rory said an animal ran into the road, and Jess swerved to avoid it. He stayed with her until the ambulance came."

    "And Lorelai?" Everleigh stares at the table as she asks, "I'm sure she's got her own version of events."

    Mark sighs, rubbing his eyes. "She's upset, and I understand why. If it had been you instead of Rory... well, let's just say I'd be more shaken."

    A hollow laugh escapes her lips. "I was supposed to tutor Jess. If I hadn't canceled..." Her voice trails off, her fingers tracing the table's edge. "None of this would've happened."

     "You don't know that," Mark says gently.

     "You never know," she murmurs, leaning back in her chair. She looks up at him. "Is Rory really okay?"

    Mark nods. "Yeah, I stayed with her while Lorelai stepped out."

    "That was nice of you." She mumbles, nodding her head as she moves to stand, grabbing her bag from the floor, but Mark holds up a hand.

    "Wait." Mark sighs heavily, "I need to talk to you about something else."

    She pauses, settling back into the chair, her bag resting beside her. "What's there to talk about?"

    Mark shifts, choosing his words carefully. "While I was with Rory, Lorelai went to talk to Luke. And... I know you and Jess are close, but you have to understand, everyone's reaction to this accident is understandable."

    Everleigh narrows her eyes slightly. "Okay?"

    "Lorelai's a mom, Eve. Even though Rory's injuries were minor, seeing her in a hospital bed is still hard."

    She sighs, feeling more anxious as ever. "Dad, just say it."

    Mark exhales, "Jess had to move back to New York."

The words didn't quite register at first. There was a moment of silence, as if time had stalled, and then the realization hit her—not with the sharpness of a knife, but with a dull thud, like something heavy dropping into her stomach.

    Jess was gone.

Everleigh blinks, her face unreadable, her mind not fully grasping the weight of what she'd just heard. Everything between them—every fight, every conversation—was now frozen in place and she felt... nothing.

"Okay," she says quietly, as if she were answering a trivial question, not the news that her best friend had left without so much as a goodbye. Her voice was distant, her expression composed, but inside, there was only stillness. She stands up, her body moving before her brain could catch up. "I — I have to go to school."
  
    Mark watches her, concern creasing his face. He didn't expect her reaction to be so... cold. "Eve..."

    "It's fine," She grabs her bag, slinging it over her shoulder with mechanical precision. "Jess got what he wanted. He couldn't wait to leave." Her tone hollow and detached. "Too bad he didn't care about the mess he left behind."

    Without waiting for a response, she turns and walks out the door, her mind still blank, the shock settling in, wrapping around her like a heavy fog.

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     don't worry guys, the plot between jess and shane won't happen not in this act nor the next one but i needed to add that scene, so one particular scene i have planned make sense in act two.

also this chapter is really long, but there was a lot to unpack, so... sorry about that.

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REFERENCES:

☕️ chapter title: jealousy, thy name is everleigh

play — hamlet by Shakespeare (1623)
phrase — ❝ frailty, thy name is woman ❞

—

☕️ mark: "You've watched Moonstruck every single day."

movie — Moonstruck (1987)

—

☕️ everleigh: "Maybe I just want to admire Cher's beauty."

singer, actress — Cher (born 1946)

—

☕️ lydia: "Wow, you're really taking this whole Limp Bizkit style too seriously."

☕️ everleigh: "I just have to break stuff and I'll have the whole shebang."

song — break stuff by limp bizkit  (1999)

[ for one, it's a good song and two, lydia and everleigh was basically referencing the song lyrics which i find fitting. to sum it up, the song lyrics start off about being angry and not wanting to get out of bed, not interact with anyone, and everything and everyone sucks ]

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