You had watched from your window as he moved in. As Luke helped him out with the several boxes and travel bags, partting his shoulder, as if to reassure him. Jess, you learned later. That was his name.

You weren't used to having younger neighbors. In your sweet street in Stars Hollow, cozy homes were bought by older people, who had probably lived there their whole lives. Your house was a family heritage, modernized every now and then. But that meant you didn't know anything else other than that comforting town.

You saw it coming before anyone else. Jess was Luke's cousin, Luke was your mother's friend, which meant delivering cookies to the guys almost every week, dinner together in rare nights, and of course, the 'making Jess feel welcome' situation.

You tried, you really did. But knowing Luke and his moodiness, you could tell Jess was just as difficult, if not a dozen times more. You tried to talk to him in the streets, at school, asked him if he needed help with his studies although the last thing you wanted was to tutor him.

You did it (or tried to do it) for Luke and your mother, but as months passed by, that initial sympathy turned into an agonizing animosity. From him, and yourself.

Your mother had left for a town meeting late at night, followed by one of Taylor's drama crisis. You didn't bother to ask questions, it was almost a weekly event at this point. Home alone, you were finishing setting up a movie to watch when someone knocked at the door.

You knew who it was before approaching. Still, you asked.

"Housekeeping," Jess replied in a squeaky tone, mockingly. You didn't have to look through the peephole to sense his boyish grin. You opened the door, finding him there, holding two boxes of pizza in one hand.

Before you could ask, he added, "Your mother asked me to. Couldn't leave her baby alone at home without food." He puckered his lower lip in a pout.