Authors note: It's set at the end of season 3 I guess, they're in their last week of school and got the summer holidays to spend their last weeks together. Fairly steady relationship, sleeping with each other, love each other. Both might seem out of character but this is how I'm writing it. Songs which you might not have picked up on are Shimmer by Fuel.
Summary: Road trip baby.
Disclaimer: Don't own nothing. Includin the songs.
Only another couple chapters to come out of this. Question, do you want to read them say goodbye or would u want to skip it, incase its too corny or something? Read and review!
Let's go somewhere far together
Chapter 6
She rolled over and sighed. It was the next day and she and Jess were squished in his car, lying down on the back seat, sleeping there for the night. It wasn't that bad really, it was comforting in a way, he holding her close so she didn't fall off the seat and she loved being close to him. She turned again, this time facing him and buried herself in his chest. He smelt like him. And that was the best smell in the world. The sun filtered through and warmed her face and a garage truck rumbled by and vibrated the car. He groaned and slowly woke up. He opened his eyes to her, only a few centimetres away. She stretched her arm and hit the window and cussed, nursing her now bruised arm. She spoke.
"This sucks."
"I can think of something worse."
"Oh?"
"Yes. We could be back home."
"I suppose."
"Or we could be dead."
"I would rather be dead than be at home."
"A bit dramatic, don't you think?"
"Yes."
"But that's how you feel, right?"
"That's how I feel."
"I hate people who get mad about how you feel."
"Hate?"
"Yes, hate."
"That's a strong word."
"Maybe. But I do hate them."
"As long as you truly do."
"Yes. Don't use that word unless you don't mean it."
"Oh no."
There was a pause. Then she whispered.
"I hate myself."
Jess sighed and pulled her closer. He couldn't say anything and she didn't want him to.
Time passed, as time does. The sun went up in the sky and it went back down. Her hair grew longer, and she wanted to cut it. Their money was ending now. They fought more and resolved nothing. Jess got a haircut like Johnny Knoxville on early Jackass, obeying a dare from two surfers called Trucker and Dunny and she laughed every time she saw him. But then she got used to it and it suited him it seemed so she called him Johnny and it became his second name. They drove to California and got tans dark as the earth and then drove back again and watched their tans fade away. They walked around the Grand Canyon and she tried to jump and he wanted to fly. They sat in Central Park and sunbaked for hours, and got their tans back. With their olive, olive skin they knew it was time to go back. People would look at them and know that they had escaped from the town and seen places. That they didn't need the town, oh no.
They slammed the boot shut full of things they had souvenired and millions of photos they had taken.
Jess looked around New York and sighed and got in the car. He would be coming back here in a matter of days.
Rory look around New York and whimpered. She wanted to stay here. But baby reality was staring them in the face and she wasn't supposed to be here. Follow your heart baby but listen to reality.
They drove on, back to the town that was holding them back before they would escape to the world.
She watched as the trees became taller as they drove out the city.
"Jess?"
"Yeah?"
"I have found all that shimmer in this world is sure to fade."
He snorted then said,
"I suppose you'll call me from the cold."
"Just when you were low, feeling short of stable."
"And all that you intend and all you keep inside isn't on the label."
"I'll say I'm ashamed."
"Then you'll say, can you take me for awhile?"
"Can I be a friend, we'll forget the past."
"But baby, maybe I'm not able."
"Then you break at the bend."
"And you watch me break at the bend, Ror."
They smiled shyly to each other.
"A million and one."
"What?"
"Don't you think Jess? We've said nearly a million and one songs these holidays."
"Yes we have, haven't we?"
"Barely ever singing them either."
"Oh, you don't want to hear me sing."
"Oh Johnny I think you'd be great."
"Maybe."
He grinned.
"It's nearing the end."
"Yes, it is, isn't it."
She tapped her fingers against the window.
"Do you still want to go to Italy Jess?"
"Oh baby it's my dream."
"But?"
"But…I don't have the money Ror."
"Oh."
"But I'll just pretend right?"
"Pretend?"
"Yes, your favourite thing in the whole world baby."
"I don't know."
"I'll just pretend okay? I'll say goodbye and then I'll drive to airport and I'll fly away, fly right into Italy."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"Easy."
"And when I get there, I won't know where to go and I won't understand what they say. But somehow I'll find a way and I'll end up living in a beautiful shack on the river and I'll write the greatest book there ever was."
"About what?"
"About a boy from New York and a girl with a Polaroid camera who wants to drive away. And she's really lucky 'cas the boy wants to as well and he's got a car. So they jump in the car and slam the doors and don't look back, not even in the review mirror."
"Then what happens?"
"They drive but then they get tired and leave each other and he moves to Italy because he wants to and she won't, because she doesn't want to."
"Then what happens?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe she follows him."
"And he hasn't forgotten her."
"So when she turns up on his doorstep, he picks her up and swings her around and throws his demons into the river."
He smiles.
"That's one good thing about a book; you can write your own ending."
"Can't we?"
"I think you're the one pretending now, Rory."
"Maybe."
They drove further on.
"Johnny Knoxville with your funny hair, I think you can go to Italy."
"I think I can too."
"Oh."
"I think I can but I know I can't."
"Is that possible?"
"Yes."
"Oh, Jess."
She watched as they drove passed a fruit stand on the side of the road.
"Do you mind me calling you Johnny, Jess?"
"No."
"No?"
"Yes, I really don't mind."
"I like it."
"Me too. It took awhile to get used to, sometimes being Johnny, sometimes being Jess but I like it."
"I'm glad you do."
"Reminds me of my neighbour."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, her real name was Lucy but everyone called her Sally Sue. Sometimes you called her Lucy, sometimes you called her Sal."
"Depends what mood you were in, right?"
"Right. Just like any other nickname."
"Why'd they called her Sally Sue."
"You know, I don't know."
"Oh?"
"We just did."
"Sometimes things are the way they are just because they are."
"Exactly."
The road they drove on was black tar and she could see the heat rising off it, even though it was nearly dark.
She laughed, recalling a conversation they had so long ago.
"I like this town we're entering, it seems so much cleaner than any other place I've been."
"And you've been everywhere."
"Yes. I travelled everywhere and everywhere was dirtier.
"And you didn't know where you were going."
"No. But I went somewhere far."
"And I went with you, because I wanted to go far."
"And you didn't like this town we're about to enter."
"No."
"So you aren't staying, you aren't going to be here forever."
"No, and I don't know why. And you didn't want to stay in this town forever."
"And I don't know why either."
"So we went somewhere far together."
"We went as far as the stars."
"We stayed together for so long."
"And we stayed in so many dirty places."
"But we had to come back."
"And both of us don't like that."
"Both of us hate that."
She sighed and touched dainty toes which were painted with a French tip and were tanned. They looked pretty and old and mature and she didn't recognised her own feet.
"Johnny?"
"Hmm?"
"We're nearing town, right?"
"Only half an hour away."
"Well, don't you think we should…"
"What?"
"Talk about it."
"About what?"
"You know."
"About leaving?"
"Yes, about leaving Jess."
"No."
"No?"
"We've still got a couple of days around Stars Hollow Ror. We'll say goodbye when we finally have to."
"I guess."
"Baby come here and hold my hand tight."
She obeyed.
"Let's just stop thinking about the future okay?"
"Okay."
She smiled.
"It has been a pretty good time, hasn't it?"
"Oh the best Ror."
They drove closer into the town.