Inevitable
Summary: AU - Jesse and Rachel never met in high school... so what happens when they meet during Rachel's first year at NYADA? Some things are inevitable.
Author's Note: Hi everyone :)! So this is my first attempt at a glee story and my first attempt at fanfiction in years... I want to admit right off the bat that I have not seen all of Season 3 (I can't stand it without Jesse), so I apologize for anything inconsistent with the plot. For the purpose of this story, Shelby never decided to send Jesse to lure Rachel to her and therefore the two never met. Rachel and Finn got back together after his disastrous date with Santana and Brittany, and the rest remains the same as what actually happened (just minus my favorite character3). I'm sorry the beginning moves a bit slow, but I promise the background is necessary. I hope you enjoy!
P.S. If anybody catches the Jon Stewart reference I threw in here, I will be BEYOND amazed.
1: The First Day of My Life
Overall, Rachel Berry considered her high school career to be a success. Certainly, there were a few things she would change if given the opportunity (namely, losing so spectacularly to Vocal Adrenaline her sophomore year at Regionals, cheating on Finn with Noah, getting suspended, et al.); but overall, she considered her achievements to outrank such minor blemishes on her life.
This was overall; but right now, Rachel was anything but pleased. As she sat on the train inching closer and closer to New York City and away from her fian...ex-boyfriend, she pondered when exactly things had started to change.
And where else to begin but at the beginning?
If it started anywhere, it was following the conclusion of Finn's disastrous date with Santana and Brittany during her sophomore year. She was still smarting from his decision to "pursue his inner rockstar" and spent countless hours in the local music store looking for suitable music to express her melancholia.
It took Finn all of twenty minutes into his double (he wasn't entirely sure if this counted as a double date or not, but he assumed it did) date with the Cheerios to realize that Rachel and her crazy calendar was way better than being treated like he was invisible.
At least Rachel, you know, cared.
He approached her the following day at school. She was irritated with him and he earned every bit of her forgiveness through a grueling process that she had dubbed the 'Redeem Yourself to Rachel' plan, but he was pretty confident she was just as relieved that he came back as he was that she was willing to forgive.
They spent the rest of sophomore year together, comforting one another when they were utterly crushed at Regionals by the reigning national champions, Akron's own Vocal Adrenaline. Along the way, they had minor fights (she was too neurotic, he was embarrassed by her) but it had mostly been smooth sailing for the two.
They had a harsh break-up during junior year when Finn decided he needed to see if there were any sparks left with his ex-girlfriend. Rachel spent several months crying, and never let him forget that she attended her junior prom without an official date while he danced with Quinn.
Around the time of Nationals, Finn finally removed his head from his ass and realized that Rachel was the one he wanted to be with and won her back.
It was here that she paused for thought.
The last year had been rather perfect. They had worked through their insecurities for the most part, and they were engaged. She had decided to postpone her first year at NYADA to stay with her boyfriend and best friend. They were happy. Finn loved her, and she loved him... so why, in the name of all things Barbra, was she sitting on a train without him?
Jesse St. James was kind of a jackass. No, but seriously.
His mother and father meant well, but were not equipped to be parents when his mother discovered she was six weeks pregnant. They had been married for a short time, and were not prepared to move from their honeymoon stage to the realities of raising a child.
They were wealthy and rather inept at taking care of an infant; and like many wealthy and inept people do, they hired various caretakers for their one and only son.
In many ways, Jesse was a poster child for the effects of success on human development. Although they loved him and were proud of him for his accomplishments, Mr. and Mrs. St. James preferred to show their affection by giving him the best of the best for everything he wanted.
In return, the very best was expected of him in all aspects of his life. It happened that his greatest skill, his talent for the stage, was discovered by accident. He had inherited some good genes from his mother's side of the family, and it took exactly one time hearing the young boy singing in the shower to enroll him in every acclaimed musical program the family could think of.
By eight years of age, he was winning singing competitions against children five and six years older than him.
By eleven, he was invited to attend a summer camp run by Shelby Corcoran, the well-known slavedriver, *ehem*, coach of Vocal Adrenaline.
He was fourteen when he entered high school and joined the glee club whose director he had now worked with for several years. Winning the national championship as a freshman (and for the next three years) was not surprising.
It was inevitable.
He spent exactly one semester at UCLA before realizing that typical college programs were not for him. Sure, his grades were somewhat abysmal now that he didn't have a token Asian to do his assignments for him, but something so simple would not stand in his way.
After a year and a half's worth of begging, borrowing, pleading, donating large sums of money, and a whole bunch of other verbs too embarrassing to be associated with someone of his prodigious skill, Jesse St. James had finally secured a place at NYADA for the upcoming fall.
It was, he was certain, the right move for him.
Moving into her dorm was not nearly as painful as Rachel had imagined it would be. Hiram and Leroy Berry may have loved their daughter with every bit of their hearts, but they were not blinded by the fact that any situation involving Rachel with a roommate would most likely end with a giant condor eating NYADA.
They had forked over the extra cash in order to secure a single room for Rachel and prayed fervently that even she could learn how to share a bathroom with two other girls.
Being somewhat less insufferable than she had been in her early high school years, Rachel had no trouble quickly making friends with a girl across the hall from her who hailed from the smallest state, Rhode Island, and was also trying to adjust to the city atmosphere.
Brielle was a dance major, hoping to secure a role in a ballet company upon graduation, and Rachel was happy to finally have a female friend who WASN'T her competition for solos.
On the eve of her first day of college, she performed her nightly face-care routine and considered the fact that tomorrow may be one of the most important days of her life. The ability to make a good first impression was absolutely essential to someone in her industry.
She sighed as she realized she would get no sleep until she spoke to Finn and prayed that he would still be awake as she dialed the familiar numbers.
He was.
"Rachel," was the first word out of his mouth as he answered on the first ring. "I was literally just about to call you. How was move-in?"
"I-it was good. Quicker than expected. How have you been?"
She was quiet, and he could hear the unspoken question that she posed.
"I'm fine. Been packing for the big move. I leave for Fort Benning for basic training in three weeks."
Her lower lip trembled for a moment before she was able to compose herself. They spoke for a little longer before she declared in a falsely cheery voice that she simply had to get a full night's rest before her first official day of college.
He acquiesced and whispered a small, "Love you, Rach" before his goodnight. She tried not to cry as she choked out her return and flipped the light in her room.
Jesse, on the other hand, had opted out of dorm living. He had no desire to live with people two years younger than him or to share a bathroom, and he had even less desire to live in a room roughly the size of his closet at home.
When he woke up in his apartment the morning of his first day of classes and strolled to his closet (he had WAY too many black leather jackets, now that he really looked), he was determined the look perfect. NYADA was a new chapter in his life, one that would wash away all memory of his colossal failure at UCLA, and looking the part was essential.
He strolled into his first class of the morning, Intro. to Acting, and attempted to look as casual as possible.
That was when he saw her.
She was at once the same and much different from the last time he had seen her face, but there was no force on earth that could make him forget the petite brunette who had competed against him a little over two years ago.
She was talented. It did not surprise him to see her here; everyone who was accepted to NYADA was a performer of the highest quality... but still.
Jesse could not remember a time in his life he had encountered someone who floored him with their vocal ability. He had a sneaking suspicion it had happened on the 3rd of Never, and he would be damned if he was going to pass up the chance to speak to her like he had all those years ago.
To tell the truth, he had forgotten about her until she walked into the room. He was past certain that he would not see her again until the two of them collided on Broadway.
His feet moved toward her of their own accord, and he realized he had been standing in front of her silently a beat too long just in time for her to look up at him.
Her mouth dropped in a little circle of surprise and he felt irrationally pleased about the small level of recognition in her eyes.
He held out his hand.
"You're Jesse St. James," she said in a soft voice as she took it, "You were on Vocal Adrenaline."
He nodded once and proceeded, "And you're Rachel Berry. I saw you perform 'Faithfully' two years ago at Regionals. Your performance was flawed. Your duet partner was vastly overshadowed and you pulled all of the focus..." She frowned. "...but you're talented."
And then Rachel smiled.