Full Circle
AN: So, wow. I am now officially waiting to hear if I get into college. That's pretty exciting. So now that that's all done, I only have about a million other things to worry about. I wanted to get this chapter off my back before I forget everything. Argh, more dialogue, which I cannot write for my life. Sorry! Please keep reviewing, you all are amazing!
**
Chapter Seven- The One Chance
Rory was dumbstruck. He had just shown up a few days ago, and now he was going to leave (again). It was a concept that she couldn't understand. She thought that she had explained to Jess the consequences of running away, the fact that he had it really good here with Jim and Angie. But no, he didn't listen, and now she was going to lose him. All she knew was that she had to act fast. So she did.
"Umm. Okay. In that case, I'm coming with you."
Jess actually laughed out loud when Rory said this. He couldn't believe how childishly desperate she sounded.
"Rory, you can't just pack up and come with me."
"No? Why not? You're doing it. What difference does it make if I do the same thing?"
He didn't respond, not at first. He just looked into her eyes, trying to discern her motives and to convey his own message. It was not until he failed at reading her expression, and her complete ignorance of his attempt at nonverbal communication that he voiced his reply.
"You don't know what its like out there. You don't know how hard it's been for me, having grown up in the inner city and suddenly I'm transported to this place where it's like a fairy tale and I've got nothing to do all day except sit around and read and be home by dinner time. I don't belong here in this world, I need to go back out there where people know me, and people don't care as much. You've spend enough time here to not have to deal with any of that crap. So don't go and ruin everything by trying to come along with me."
Rory took a minute to get her thoughts in order before spitting her response back at him. "You think that I don't know what its like to live out there? Before I came here, that's the life I lived, and just because I've been here longer than you, it doesn't mean that I belong here either. I don't want to be here any more than you do."
"You can't just suddenly decide that you're going to leave the good things you've got here just because you want to follow me. You don't know how to survive in my world, you'll get shot. Is that what you want?"
"No, I don't want to get shot," Rory replied, "but I won't. I know how to handle myself. So when are we leaving?"
"What about college Rory? Are you just going to give up on that, on your one chance in life to go on some stupid adventure with somebody like me?"
"Yeah. Yeah I am willing to give up on that because it's not my 'one chance in life'. The only reason that I ever wanted to go to college was to get away from this and start over on my own. I can do that now. I don't know why I never thought of this before. I think it's kind of ridiculous that I should have to take out a crazy amount of loans to pay thirty or forty thousand dollars each year just to get away from this life that I've been living."
"Rory, I can't just take you with me. It's a liability that I'm not willing to have. I understand that you want to get away, but we can't run away and get out of sight if there's two of us."
Rory didn't know what to say. Since she just found out that Jess had made the decision to leave, she doesn't know any of the details and hasn't given any though to how it would work if they ran away. She was just counting on Jess to come up with a foolproof plan. She decided now was the time to find out exactly what he, no, they, were going to do and where they would go.
"Where are we going to go? What were your amazing plans that I would somehow ruin if I came along?"
"I don't know. First things first, get out of here. Lay low, stay inconspicuous for a while. I've got friends that would let me stay with them for a few days. Then, after a day or two, get out of the city."
She smiled devilishly as she informed him that it didn't sound very complicated, and that she was sure she could handle everything. Then she turned on her heel and crawled back through the window. Once she was back inside the apartment, she turned back to face him again and said, "Just let me know when you're leaving. I'll be ready." And with that, she walked down the hallway towards her room in order to pack her belongings, while Jess stared at her retreating form. When she had turned the corner and could no longer be seen, he turned back towards the skyline and began contemplating the changes he would have to make to his plan to ensure her safety in his hands.
Dusk fell, the substitute parents came home, dinner was eaten, and each person present went their own direction for the rest of the night. When Jess was sure that Jim and Angie were asleep, and all the lights were turned out in the apartment, he went and slowly opened Rory's bedroom door. The light from the moon came through the window and shone directly on the bed where Rory lay, tangled in her sheets, fast asleep. He didn't know whether or not to wake her up, and deciding that his best course of action would be to leave unnoticed, he tiptoed back out into the hallway. Before he closed the door however, he noticed that many of her books were missing off her shelf and he saw broken shards of her precious "Piggy" the piggybank on the dresser. Then he knew that she was serious about coming with him, and there was no way that he could leave now without waking her up.
So he stepped back into the room and gently shook her shoulder. She grumbled something unintelligible and rolled onto her stomach. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He wasn't sure how to wake her up appropriately without startling her, so he just stood there. One minute went by, two, then three. Eventually he decided to go for it, and covering her mouth so she couldn't scream, pulled the covers away from her body and pulled her legs so that her feet rested on the floor. Her eyes opened with a start, but when she realized who had woken her up, she relaxed again. Jess realized that she was fully dressed already, shoes and all, so he told her to get everything that she would need and meet him in the living room in ten minutes. He smiled to think that she had been telling the truth when she said that she would 'be ready', but then he kicked himself for being so amused when he was going to get them both killed.
He went back to his room, picked up the duffel bag that he had never unpacked, and looked around the room to make sure he didn't forget anything. Then, he walked soundlessly to the kitchen, opened the cupboards and refrigerator, and loaded some food into his bag. He wasn't sure how much they'd need, but he figured it was better safe than sorry and grabbed a few oranges and bananas from the bowl on the table. Then he did one quick sweep of the room and noticed the cookie jar on top of the cabinets. He knew what was inside it, although Jim and Angie never told the kids. He felt a flash of guilt pass over him, but then it was gone as he reached his hand inside and pulled out the contents. He had no other choice, they wouldn't be able to survive otherwise. And so, with that, he went to the living room to wait for Rory.
AN: Okay, a very strange chapter, I thought. Sorry this took me so long to get out, I'm going to try to be better about updating. Please let me know what you think about this chapter and the story as a whole, I really appreciate the feedback! Thanks!
AN: So, wow. I am now officially waiting to hear if I get into college. That's pretty exciting. So now that that's all done, I only have about a million other things to worry about. I wanted to get this chapter off my back before I forget everything. Argh, more dialogue, which I cannot write for my life. Sorry! Please keep reviewing, you all are amazing!
**
Chapter Seven- The One Chance
Rory was dumbstruck. He had just shown up a few days ago, and now he was going to leave (again). It was a concept that she couldn't understand. She thought that she had explained to Jess the consequences of running away, the fact that he had it really good here with Jim and Angie. But no, he didn't listen, and now she was going to lose him. All she knew was that she had to act fast. So she did.
"Umm. Okay. In that case, I'm coming with you."
Jess actually laughed out loud when Rory said this. He couldn't believe how childishly desperate she sounded.
"Rory, you can't just pack up and come with me."
"No? Why not? You're doing it. What difference does it make if I do the same thing?"
He didn't respond, not at first. He just looked into her eyes, trying to discern her motives and to convey his own message. It was not until he failed at reading her expression, and her complete ignorance of his attempt at nonverbal communication that he voiced his reply.
"You don't know what its like out there. You don't know how hard it's been for me, having grown up in the inner city and suddenly I'm transported to this place where it's like a fairy tale and I've got nothing to do all day except sit around and read and be home by dinner time. I don't belong here in this world, I need to go back out there where people know me, and people don't care as much. You've spend enough time here to not have to deal with any of that crap. So don't go and ruin everything by trying to come along with me."
Rory took a minute to get her thoughts in order before spitting her response back at him. "You think that I don't know what its like to live out there? Before I came here, that's the life I lived, and just because I've been here longer than you, it doesn't mean that I belong here either. I don't want to be here any more than you do."
"You can't just suddenly decide that you're going to leave the good things you've got here just because you want to follow me. You don't know how to survive in my world, you'll get shot. Is that what you want?"
"No, I don't want to get shot," Rory replied, "but I won't. I know how to handle myself. So when are we leaving?"
"What about college Rory? Are you just going to give up on that, on your one chance in life to go on some stupid adventure with somebody like me?"
"Yeah. Yeah I am willing to give up on that because it's not my 'one chance in life'. The only reason that I ever wanted to go to college was to get away from this and start over on my own. I can do that now. I don't know why I never thought of this before. I think it's kind of ridiculous that I should have to take out a crazy amount of loans to pay thirty or forty thousand dollars each year just to get away from this life that I've been living."
"Rory, I can't just take you with me. It's a liability that I'm not willing to have. I understand that you want to get away, but we can't run away and get out of sight if there's two of us."
Rory didn't know what to say. Since she just found out that Jess had made the decision to leave, she doesn't know any of the details and hasn't given any though to how it would work if they ran away. She was just counting on Jess to come up with a foolproof plan. She decided now was the time to find out exactly what he, no, they, were going to do and where they would go.
"Where are we going to go? What were your amazing plans that I would somehow ruin if I came along?"
"I don't know. First things first, get out of here. Lay low, stay inconspicuous for a while. I've got friends that would let me stay with them for a few days. Then, after a day or two, get out of the city."
She smiled devilishly as she informed him that it didn't sound very complicated, and that she was sure she could handle everything. Then she turned on her heel and crawled back through the window. Once she was back inside the apartment, she turned back to face him again and said, "Just let me know when you're leaving. I'll be ready." And with that, she walked down the hallway towards her room in order to pack her belongings, while Jess stared at her retreating form. When she had turned the corner and could no longer be seen, he turned back towards the skyline and began contemplating the changes he would have to make to his plan to ensure her safety in his hands.
Dusk fell, the substitute parents came home, dinner was eaten, and each person present went their own direction for the rest of the night. When Jess was sure that Jim and Angie were asleep, and all the lights were turned out in the apartment, he went and slowly opened Rory's bedroom door. The light from the moon came through the window and shone directly on the bed where Rory lay, tangled in her sheets, fast asleep. He didn't know whether or not to wake her up, and deciding that his best course of action would be to leave unnoticed, he tiptoed back out into the hallway. Before he closed the door however, he noticed that many of her books were missing off her shelf and he saw broken shards of her precious "Piggy" the piggybank on the dresser. Then he knew that she was serious about coming with him, and there was no way that he could leave now without waking her up.
So he stepped back into the room and gently shook her shoulder. She grumbled something unintelligible and rolled onto her stomach. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He wasn't sure how to wake her up appropriately without startling her, so he just stood there. One minute went by, two, then three. Eventually he decided to go for it, and covering her mouth so she couldn't scream, pulled the covers away from her body and pulled her legs so that her feet rested on the floor. Her eyes opened with a start, but when she realized who had woken her up, she relaxed again. Jess realized that she was fully dressed already, shoes and all, so he told her to get everything that she would need and meet him in the living room in ten minutes. He smiled to think that she had been telling the truth when she said that she would 'be ready', but then he kicked himself for being so amused when he was going to get them both killed.
He went back to his room, picked up the duffel bag that he had never unpacked, and looked around the room to make sure he didn't forget anything. Then, he walked soundlessly to the kitchen, opened the cupboards and refrigerator, and loaded some food into his bag. He wasn't sure how much they'd need, but he figured it was better safe than sorry and grabbed a few oranges and bananas from the bowl on the table. Then he did one quick sweep of the room and noticed the cookie jar on top of the cabinets. He knew what was inside it, although Jim and Angie never told the kids. He felt a flash of guilt pass over him, but then it was gone as he reached his hand inside and pulled out the contents. He had no other choice, they wouldn't be able to survive otherwise. And so, with that, he went to the living room to wait for Rory.
AN: Okay, a very strange chapter, I thought. Sorry this took me so long to get out, I'm going to try to be better about updating. Please let me know what you think about this chapter and the story as a whole, I really appreciate the feedback! Thanks!