Disclaimer First chapter.
Chapter Six Tragedy
I will never forget the day Charity called. No one, but Landon, had called me since I had moved. Her voice was heavy with tears when I answered the phone in the diner. She said, "Jess? It's Charity. Landon was killed last night. He was caught in the crossfire of a drive by shooting." I dropped the phone with a huge crash. I leaned against the bar for support, but I came tumbling down anyways. The diner seemed to be spinning. I began to cry. I was balling like a baby in front of every patron in the diner. Luke was asking me if I was okay and what was wrong. But everything had blacked out. Rory and Lorelai came in, Rory rushed to me. I couldn't stop crying. No one knew what was wrong. Rory held me close, kissing my forehead and cheeks, not having a clue what had upset me. I finally managed to choke out that Landon was dead. Rory began to cry with me, our tears melding together. It was like Rory had taken part of my pain onto her heart and was feeling the exact same things I was feeling. Luke and Lorelai watched us, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong. I couldn't say it again. My best friend was dead. I should have been there. I should have been there to stop him from being out on the streets. Landon wasn't in a gang, how could he be killed by gang members? Why did he die? I vaguely remember Rory picking up the phone and talking to Charity briefly. Under normal circumstances, I'd have been worried, but not that day. Rory got the date of the funeral and told her we would be there. She hung up and went back to coddling me, crooning loving words into my ear.
Luke drove us to New York City for Landon's funeral. I remembered his last words to me. I wonder if Landon knew he was going to die so young. He had his whole life ahead of him, but he had been shot in the head. I think when he came to visit, we knew it would be the last time we would see each other. I never expected him to be dead. I knew I woulnd't see him again as he left on that bus. I had been quiet since I got the news, understandably. Luke gave me the week off officially and I had missed three days of school. I more or less stared at the wall, contemplating our lives, the good times, wondering why Landon had left the world. My life and my problems seemed so trivial now. We arrived at the funeral. Luke stayed in the back, but Rory never left my side. Landon's parents were in the front, his mom looked a little sad, but his dad was drunk. I couldn't believe he couldn't sober up enough for his own son's funeral. I wanted to scream at him, yell at him for everything he had done to Landon. All the beatings he had inflicted upon Landon, all the hurt he had caused my best friend in his short life. But I didn't. Not many people were there. I found Charity, Jarod, Rachel, and Ryan were though. We hugged, showing a rare display of emotion foreign to us. Our own morose childhoods had hardened us to our feelings, especially us guys, but this was too much to hold in our feelings. Rory clutched my hand through the entire service. I was called to give the eulogy, which surprised me. I stood up, tears in my eyes, and my voice was scratchy. "Landon Thomas was my best friend and he always will be. He was like a brother to me. We did everything together, we protected each other, got into trouble together. We partied and hung out all the time. We've known each other since we were about two. He was the greatest guy. He was tough, smart, talkative, crazy, fun. He wanted everyone to reach their full potential in their lives. He believed in me, like every best friend does. We had unflailing trust in each other. He recently visited me in Stars Hollow and he and my girlfriend laughed a lot together. Landon was good at making people laugh. He liked to hear people laugh; he didn't get the chance to laugh much. He had this great way of spinning things into beautiful stories. I can't believe he's gone. I'm going to miss him so much. I know we all will." I sat back down because I couldn't bear to be up there anymore. The service ended. The six of us were now a group of five, and it seemed really empty. We went to his gravesite and I watched Landon's casket being put into the ground. They shoveled dirt on the coffin and the whole thing seemed so understated to be so final. We left then and headed home to Stars Hollow in silence. Luke tried his best to lighten things up, but I wasn't in the mood. Rory held me the whole way home and I actually fell asleep in her arms. I was exhausted because I hadn't slept since I found out Landon had died. I missed him terribly and I still do. I visit his grave at least twice a year and I still talk to him. I feel like he's watching me sometimes.
Chapter Six Tragedy
I will never forget the day Charity called. No one, but Landon, had called me since I had moved. Her voice was heavy with tears when I answered the phone in the diner. She said, "Jess? It's Charity. Landon was killed last night. He was caught in the crossfire of a drive by shooting." I dropped the phone with a huge crash. I leaned against the bar for support, but I came tumbling down anyways. The diner seemed to be spinning. I began to cry. I was balling like a baby in front of every patron in the diner. Luke was asking me if I was okay and what was wrong. But everything had blacked out. Rory and Lorelai came in, Rory rushed to me. I couldn't stop crying. No one knew what was wrong. Rory held me close, kissing my forehead and cheeks, not having a clue what had upset me. I finally managed to choke out that Landon was dead. Rory began to cry with me, our tears melding together. It was like Rory had taken part of my pain onto her heart and was feeling the exact same things I was feeling. Luke and Lorelai watched us, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong. I couldn't say it again. My best friend was dead. I should have been there. I should have been there to stop him from being out on the streets. Landon wasn't in a gang, how could he be killed by gang members? Why did he die? I vaguely remember Rory picking up the phone and talking to Charity briefly. Under normal circumstances, I'd have been worried, but not that day. Rory got the date of the funeral and told her we would be there. She hung up and went back to coddling me, crooning loving words into my ear.
Luke drove us to New York City for Landon's funeral. I remembered his last words to me. I wonder if Landon knew he was going to die so young. He had his whole life ahead of him, but he had been shot in the head. I think when he came to visit, we knew it would be the last time we would see each other. I never expected him to be dead. I knew I woulnd't see him again as he left on that bus. I had been quiet since I got the news, understandably. Luke gave me the week off officially and I had missed three days of school. I more or less stared at the wall, contemplating our lives, the good times, wondering why Landon had left the world. My life and my problems seemed so trivial now. We arrived at the funeral. Luke stayed in the back, but Rory never left my side. Landon's parents were in the front, his mom looked a little sad, but his dad was drunk. I couldn't believe he couldn't sober up enough for his own son's funeral. I wanted to scream at him, yell at him for everything he had done to Landon. All the beatings he had inflicted upon Landon, all the hurt he had caused my best friend in his short life. But I didn't. Not many people were there. I found Charity, Jarod, Rachel, and Ryan were though. We hugged, showing a rare display of emotion foreign to us. Our own morose childhoods had hardened us to our feelings, especially us guys, but this was too much to hold in our feelings. Rory clutched my hand through the entire service. I was called to give the eulogy, which surprised me. I stood up, tears in my eyes, and my voice was scratchy. "Landon Thomas was my best friend and he always will be. He was like a brother to me. We did everything together, we protected each other, got into trouble together. We partied and hung out all the time. We've known each other since we were about two. He was the greatest guy. He was tough, smart, talkative, crazy, fun. He wanted everyone to reach their full potential in their lives. He believed in me, like every best friend does. We had unflailing trust in each other. He recently visited me in Stars Hollow and he and my girlfriend laughed a lot together. Landon was good at making people laugh. He liked to hear people laugh; he didn't get the chance to laugh much. He had this great way of spinning things into beautiful stories. I can't believe he's gone. I'm going to miss him so much. I know we all will." I sat back down because I couldn't bear to be up there anymore. The service ended. The six of us were now a group of five, and it seemed really empty. We went to his gravesite and I watched Landon's casket being put into the ground. They shoveled dirt on the coffin and the whole thing seemed so understated to be so final. We left then and headed home to Stars Hollow in silence. Luke tried his best to lighten things up, but I wasn't in the mood. Rory held me the whole way home and I actually fell asleep in her arms. I was exhausted because I hadn't slept since I found out Landon had died. I missed him terribly and I still do. I visit his grave at least twice a year and I still talk to him. I feel like he's watching me sometimes.