Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. This chapter holds probably the last of the flashbacks. Hope you enjoy and remember to keep reviewing!!!!
10 reviews = a new chapter!
Italics are flashbacks and memories.
Disclaimer: I had a dream that Matt Czuchry took me out for dinner. Does that make him mine??
Seeing black
Rory was on her way to the library when she heard Logan call out her name. He had been avoiding her all day.
'Uhm, we need to talk.' There they were the dreaded four words that no girl ever wanted to hear. She nodded for him to continue.
'I've been thinking you see, everyone keeps talking about how college is meant to be fun and carefree. Finn and Colin can't wait to start hitting on new girls and spending countless nights at the bar and I just, I…uhm-'
'You want to experience all that too.' Rory could feel the tears forming.
Logan gulped and nodded. He watched as the tears began to fall. He wanted to plead with her eyes to not believe him. He wanted her to look at him and realise that he was lying, that he had to do this, that he loved her. He had to do this because he loved.
'Who am I to stop you, I'm only your high school girlfriend, or I guess ex-girlfriend.' It killed Rory to have to say that but she didn't want to hold Logan back. It was clear to her that he didn't want her anymore. He stood there staring at her and she really couldn't take much more of it so she did what any normal girl would do in this situation, she ran.
Logan so desperately wanted to stop her, to go after her and tell her the truth. But he knew he couldn't because he loved her too much and knew how much writing meant to her.
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Stephanie ran into the school desperately searching for Rory. She had just gotten off the phone with Honor and she now knew everything. She had to tell Rory before it was too late. She was still searching when someone literally ran into her. It was Rory.
'Oh sweetie what happened? It's going to be ok I promise you' Stephanie hugged Rory as she tried to comfort her. She led her into an empty classroom because a crowd had begun to form around them.
After about 30 minutes Rory's sobs quieted down.
'He…he broke up with me…'
'I know. But Rory it's not what you think it is, he had to.'
Rory was confused, 'what do you mean he had to?'
'Mitchum threatened him and you. He felt that you were holding Logan back from all the great things he could achieve. Mitchum thought that with you in Harvard and Logan in Yale your relationship would end. But when you chose Yale he got angry and took matters into his own hands.'
'What did he say?' Rory wiped at her newly formed tears.
'He told Logan that he'd destroy you, that he'd destroy your dream. Rory, Mitchum's an important man in the journalism world. He told Logan that if he continued with the relationship he would ruin any hope you had of finding a job after college. Sweetie, you have to understand that Logan only did what he did because he loves you so much.'
Rory didn't know what to say and the only thought running through her mind right now was that Logan did want to be with her and that he did love her. She needed to find Logan and set things right.
'Rory, there's more. Logan's not going to Yale anymore, Mitchum is sending him to London for college. I guess that was his sure fire way of making sure you guys stay apart.'
Logan was leaving? Rory's heart was racing as she felt the room begin to spin. She felt herself begin to fall before all she saw was black.
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'…And the Chilton class of 2004 valedictorian, Miss Rory Hayden.' Rory made her way up onto the stage as everyone clapped for her. She accepted her diploma and shook hands with all the necessary people. She approached the microphone as everyone quieted down.
'A few weeks ago when I first sat down to write my speech it all came easily to me; graduation equals a new journey, new experiences…a new chapter in life. Recent events made me pull out that speech, rip it up and throw it to the roaring flames. Graduation to me now means having to grow up, to make decisions I normally would not have made,' Rory sniffled as she held back some tears, 'the end of high school means the beginning of our trek into the real world where succeeding in your chosen career should be more important than your true happiness. The future holds both happy times and disappointment for us. My time here at Chilton, as short as it may have been, has given me memories that I will cherish forever. Although it's exterior may seem foreboding to many, it was my comfort zone my very own happy place. I was allowed to feel freely, experience things freely and most importantly I was allowed to love freely. So what does graduation really mean to me in the society we live in? It's when familial responsibilities and duties kick in, when a son or daughter's freedom is stripped away from them. When attending the legacy college is a must, when failing to do things results in threats and broken promises,' Rory was now crying freely, 'This morning my mum asked me if I was happy to be graduating, well, my answer mum is no, today is probably one of the worst days of my life. Thank you.'
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'Darling are you alright?' James looked at Rory worried.
'Hmmm? Yes I'm fine I just got lost in my memories.'
'I would suppose this place holds quite a few for you?'
Rory looked around again, everything was still the same. The halls of Chilton were exactly as she remembered them. Without even realising it, they had stopped in front of her old locker. She moved forward to get a closer look as she wondered if it was still there. And sure enough the top left hand corner still held the letters that had been engraved into them. She sighed longingly as she ran her hand across them:
L + R 4ever
It was the night of the reunion and Rory couldn't help but hope that he would be there. The event was being held in the grand hall but James had asked to see the inside of the school.
Rory's thoughts then turned to James. She met him 3 years ago at a society party her grandmother was hosting. They got to talking and before the night was over James had asked her out for dinner. As Rory accepted his invitation she couldn't help but think of a certain blonde. She knew she couldn't live in the past forever and as time went on she found herself falling in love with James. He proposed to her on their 2 year anniversary and here they were, the wedding only a month away.
Rory and James finally made their way to the grand hall just as the blonde invading Rory's thoughts pulled up in front of the school.
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Rory was at the bar refreshing her drink when she heard the voice. It was 10 years since she last heard it but it still sounded the same.
'Does your fiancé know you still wear your ex-boyfriend's necklace?'