No Happy Ending
He doesn't buy a ticket for Nationals on purpose.
He has the money to do so, of course, but as the days wears on and on and Nationals looms ever closer, he never makes the purchase.
Why should he? Rachel told him that she desired to be left alone in New York, and he isn't as stupid as Finn. He knows exactly what that means. She will most probably have a tryst with Finn in the heat of the moment in New York, influenced by the beautiful sights and landmarks. Rachel is still a young girl at heart, no matter how much she tried to deny it. Just seeing New York would remind her of what she wanted to achieve, and how hard it would be do to with the lanky Finn on her arm, whining into her ears. She would do something with Finn, instantly regret it and come home into his awaiting arms.
And he will forgive her, of course. How can he not? Ever since he had smashed that fragile egg onto her beautiful hair, he had wanted to make amends. And surprisingly, she had forgiven him without him even having to break out into the plans he had deliberated on for so long before returning to Lima. Maybe she was just desperate for a 'real' date for junior prom, but he liked to think that she had finally realised that he was right for her, not Finn.
But he wakes up one day in his tiny motel room on the outskirts of Lima, his blue no-name label sheets itching his skin like normal, and he realises he should be in New York with Rachel. Not because Finn is there, and he is paranoid that she will return to him, but because he should be experiencing the sights with her. He should be taking her places, seeing her pure amazement of the city. He should be watching her perform with love in his heart, and he should be the one who holds her when she is either sobbing with sadness or delight.
So he buys a ticket, and boards a train. It takes him nearly two days, but he makes it to New York just in time for her performance.
She looks beautiful when she enters the stage, a pure Broadway dream. If only things could have been different and he could have been on that stage with her instead of Finn. Watching her belt her heart out reminds him of how much he misses performing. It was his life for four years, and now it has been taken from him over some silly marks.
She is amazing. All he wants is to snatch her from the stage and make her his. He wants to be her Phantom to his Christine.
And then she kisses Finn, and his heart stops. Can't she see how much he loves her? He came back for her, he wants her to be his. When Finn and her break apart to the shocked, silent audience, he can barely look at her. He could name every adjective in the dictionary, hell in the entire world, and still not find one that describes how she looks now.
She looks like she is in love. And not with him.
And that kills him. All he wants is to be together again, and it is obvious that she does not reciprocate his feelings. She wants Finn.
And he cannot change that, even if he wants to.
There is no happy ending for Jesse st James.