#chapter four of twwcil will probably be first

[natsugia]

Sneak Previews

I know, I know. I said that the next chapters to The Weight We Carry Is Love (TWWCIL) and Of Soul And Spirit (OSAS) would be up like two months ago, but I'm sadly, I'm still working on them. Writing has been a little bit slow lately, but we're getting there. Hoping to post the next chapters really soon.

For now though, I thought I'd at least give a sneak preview for each chapter, since you guys have been so amazingly sweet and patient, absolute saint-like. Hope this can tide you over until I'm finally able to post.

TWWCIL Chapter 4 Excerpt

“Hey you!” They both turned in response to the shout to find a short Korean girl wearing pigtails and glasses, lips downturned in a frown, rapidly marching up to them.

Jess eyed the girl appreciatively at first -- finally someone that breaks the mold -- until seeing the “Jesus is my homeboy” t-shirt. He quietly groaned. One of them. Wonderful. Just what he needed.

Luke let out a similar groan and opened his mouth to speak, but the girl just plowed right through to Jess, a finger pointed at his chest.

“Listen here you opportunistic, devious, sex-addicted fiend!” yelled the girl as she jabbed him repeatedly in the chest.

Jess’ eyebrows rose sharply. He’d been called a lot of things in his life, even some of these words in a different context over the years, but considering he’d barely been in this town for a day, he had to say he was surprised by the accusation. He hadn’t even had time to do anything devious or fiendish, and where the hell did sex-addicted come from? He made out with Rory once - ONCE - less than twelve hours ago. Surely that’s not enough to ascribe him that label.

He glanced back down at her shirt again and reconsidered.

“Excuse me?” he finally asked her, a bit of annoyance bleeding through his tone. He glanced at Luke, but his uncle only shook his head and sighed in exasperation. Gee, thanks for the help, Uncle Luke.

The girl growled as he leaned out of reach from her finger before squaring her shoulders and placing her hands on her hips. “Where the hell do you get off putting your hands all over Rory like that?” she questioned. She was shorter than him by a few inches, but she easily stood her ground, eyes boring into his with indignation and suspicion.

He frowned. So this was about Rory? Word sure travelled fast. Also, what was wrong with kissing the girl you’ve liked for months? First Lorelai. Then that total circus act at the diner. And now this girl. He did not understand this town. “What?” he asked again in a sharper tone.

The girl again plowed through his confusion. “First off, she already has a boyfriend--”

He might have smiled at that. Sure, he may have dreamt about him and Rory together for months, but he never really thought it would happen. It was a pipe dream. And then he moved in with his uncle who just so happened to live in the same town as her. Which meant he got to live in the same town as her. If he actually did drugs, he would check the quality of his stash right about now.

“--One she’s absolutely crazy about--”

He sure hoped so. Otherwise moving out here would just be another cruel twist of fate in the life of Jess Mariano.

“And even though his dislike for Sting is questionable, he’s perfect for her--”

“Right,” he said slowly as pieces clicked in his mind. Only two people knew how much he hated the British rockstar. He took another assessment of the girl in front of him. Korean, fiery, protective of Rory, and now that he was paying attention, her voice was familiar. This girl could only be one person. His lips widened into a smirk. This would be entertaining.

“--And while he lives in New York, and you look like Stallone’s younger hotter brother--”

“Thank you.”

“--that doesn’t give you the right to put any of your greasy paws all over my best friend. She’s not like that. She’s amazing and brilliant and she’s going to Harvard--”

His smirk turned warmer. “I know.”

“--So don’t even think about messing that up for her since you’re obviously headed to working 80 hours a week in a sweaty garage--”

He nodded once. “Got it.”

“--And I don’t care if you’re Luke’s nephew or where you come from, but if you touch her again, you’re gonna find yourself fending off broken bones from a giant cricket bat! My mother taught me how to swing one.” She shook a fist at him.

He bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. “Noted. You done?”

She squinted at him. “For now. But I’m watching you. That Metallica shirt barely gets you any points.”

“Ah, but it does get me some points?”

“NO!” she yelled in his face. He grinned.

“It’s just they’re a great band,” she amended with a haughty air before she turned her head and muttered, “And the shirt might match your eyes.”

“Huh.” He turned to Luke. “Imagine that.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Ignoring that.”

"But," Lane interjected with a stern look, "any very miniscule points you may have earned were wiped out by your inability to keep your hands to yourself. And not just wiped out, but negatively netted. You're in the red with me."

"Uh huh. And if Rory asked for the hands?"

Her finger was back in his face. "You!!!" she yelled, outraged.

Luke stepped in between with his palms up. "Okay. Knock it off." He pointed to Lane, who was still glaring at Jess. “If you couldn’t guess, that’s Rory’s best friend, Lane. Lane, this is my nephew Jess.”

Jess watched in amusement as Lane's eyes grew wide as saucers and her jaw dropped, the anger completely disappearing from her face. “Jess?!” she finally squeaked. “As in Rory’s Jess?”

“In the flesh.”

“You’re Luke’s nephew?”

Luke narrowed his eyes at Lane. “You knew about them?”

Lane pointed to herself. “Best friend.”

Luke gave her a pointed look. “Right.”

Jess shrugged. “World’s too small.”

She absently nodded. “No kidding. This is what you look like?” she asked as she scanned him head to toe, surprise still etched in the corners of her mouth.

“Yes?” he drawled out hesitantly. He quickly glanced down at his shirt, jeans, and Vans. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

She blinked rapidly, as if to clear her vision before shaking her head. “So trippy. This has got to be like fate or something.”

He tilted his head in agreement. “The universe works in mysterious ways.”

Slowly a smile worked onto her face as Lane realized just exactly who her best friend was kissing last night. “That she does.”

OSAS Chapter 8 Excerpt

“You!!!” Her shout danced off tables and floors, and how she wished a hole would swallow her now that everyone in the room was staring at her.

Including the guy from the bodega earlier, the book hanging loose in his hand.

Including the Boss, whose eyes felt cold and empty as they locked on hers.

“There a problem?” Bennelli asked in a measured tone.

Her mouth dried up under his gaze. “How are -- this is -- he didn’t--” she stumbled over her words, tongue rough against the roof of her mouth as she stood too in shock over her gaffe, over this mysterious person’s presence at the meeting to truly speak.

Johnny stood slightly behind Bennelli, a wry half-grin on his face. She did not want to know what that meant. Interrupting the Boss as he was speaking couldn’t possibly lead to something good.

She swallowed hastily, the lump barely making its way past her constricted throat.

Bennelli gave her another once over before switching his gaze to the young Italian with the book.

“Jess, you know her?”

Jess. His name was Jess. She had no clue why her brain filed away the information. Probably because of the book.

Definitely because of the book.

Jess shrugged and gestured to her with the novel in his hand. “We bumped into each other while shopping today. She threatened me with a pair of packaged scissors.”

Rory internally groaned as a few chuckles scattered throughout the room. She needed all the cool points she could muster at this point, and that confession was not helping.

“Should have taken them out of the plastic,” she heard Nick mutter as he tightened his grip around the blonde’s neck. “Would have done more damage.”

Angelo next to him just shook his head with a sigh. “Wasted opportunity.”

There was a hint of jibe at Angelo’s words, a mock at the relayed event, but she couldn’t tell if it was directed at her. She turned back to Jess with a sharpened gaze, and that smirk on his face said it all. They were making fun of her. She could see the smirks matching with a young Tristan’s at Chilton, matching the tone of voice as he steadfastly called her Mary. She knew that smirk, and she hated it. So, pushing the embarrassment aside, she grabbed hold of her old friends, wit and spite, and said, “Funny you call it shopping when you didn’t even pay for the super glue.”

Shit. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say because now the smile seemed genuine. Rory was definitely not looking.

“That is funny,” she heard him say, traces of the Burroughs lingering after the words trailed off, “since I don’t recall you paying for your gum either.”

Rory felt her jaw drop for a second time. “How did you--”

He lifted his eyebrow as he interjected, leaning toward her slightly, “That was a nice touch with the shelves though.”

Oh god, he thought it was intentional. “That wasn’t--” She bit back her reply quick when she saw the Boss’s eyes slide to hers.

“Shelves?” he asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Shit. She definitely couldn’t say that it was an accident now.

Jess had no problem answering though. “She might have knocked over a few as a distraction.”

“I--” she started again, but the words were stuck in her throat. There was definite interest in Bennelli’s eyes now.

She couldn’t stop the shiver at the back of her neck as he replied, “Is that so?”