Title: Recalling the Best of the Worst Times
Author: Sirius
Pairing: R/J
Summary: Jess thinks over some of the best times he had in Stars Hollow.
The music store was around the corner when we got off the subway. It had a theme: Good music, and loud. Let's just say it lived up to its advertising. Rory and I looked around separately but still stayed together.
"I haven't even heard of half these bands." Even though I used to come here every Saturday afternoon and stay for three hours or so each time, I was still amazed at what I could find.
"I love that about this place. God, Lane would wanna live here."
I flip through a couple more albums and spot one with an interesting cover. "Who's Slim?"
"I don't know."
The owner made his way over to us when he heard my question and answered me mechanically. "Grunge band out of Kentucky. Two albums, plus a double-A side single, disbanded in '94."
"Thanks." I shot Rory a can-you-believe-that-look. She smiles and continues to shuffle through various records.
"Oh my God!" I come over to her side, not too close, but close enough and look at what she pulls off the shelf.
"What?"
"Look!"
"Go-go's. You must have that one." They're not really my kind of thing, but to each her own.
"No, for my mom. This was her favorite group when she was my age, and it's signed by Belinda. This would be the perfect graduation present. I've been looking for something all week long, and I couldn't find anything and now I have Belinda." Isn't graduation not for a couple more weeks?
"Graduation?"
"Oh, from college, from business classes." Oh, I guess I really never talked to Lorelai that much about her personal life. I more tormented her with sarcasm.
"I'm surprised she has time for anything except lighting darts on fire and throwing them at my picture." I was serious when I said that. I wouldn't doubt it for a second that she did that.
"Well, it's not a lot of time, but . . ."
"Uh-huh. Go on, get it. She'll like it."
"Thank you so much for bringing me here. This was fate." I watch her back as she makes her way up to the register with a smile on her face.
"Yes, it was."
She turns around and comments, "And in return, I just might show you my withering stare."
"I'm a lucky man." And right then, I really felt like one.
Eventually we had to go back to the bus station. I hated to say goodbye, but at least I had gotten to see her again. We travel through rows of Greyhounds until she hesitantly stops.
"I think this one's mine."
"Yup, the sign says Boonesville." Okay, so not really, it said Hartford.
A guy who looked to be in his late thirties and incredibly lost came up to Rory and I and pestered, "Excuse me, I'm so sorry to bother you. Which way is 44th?"
"Oh, um, that way." She was caught off guard and didn't have her wits about her.
"Great, thanks." He smiled gratefully and made his way away from us. Rory turned to me with a huge grin.
"I got asked directions."
'I saw.'
"He took me for a native. That's so cool." She's easily pleased.
"That's very impressive. 44th's the other way."
"Oh no." The look on her face made me regret informing her of her mistake.
"Sorry."
"Oh, man, I should go find him." If she left, she would miss her bus. She would probably be stranded here with me over night until another bus came. That wouldn't be so bad, but I think her mom would freak. I decide to comfort her in telling her that if had any brains, he would figure it out eventually.
"He still thought I was a native. That's cool."
"I'm your witness."
"Well, I should go."
"Okay." I felt like she was an alarm clock and all I wanted to say was "Five more minutes."
"I gotta go to my mom's graduation."
"And give her Belinda." I nodded to where she held the record in her casted hand.
"And give her Belinda."
"Go on. I'll check on the guy, I'll make sure he's not wandering around looking for 44."
She nods and makes her way onto the bus. I follow her alongside and stop when she sits down near the back. I had to know.
"Why did you come here?" She obviously couldn't hear me through the glass and with all the background noise of the bus station so she opened the window.
"What?"
"I said, why did you come here?"
"Well."
"I mean, you ditched school and everything. That's so not you. Why'd you do it?"
"Because you didn't say goodbye."
"Oh. Bye, Rory."
"Bye, Jess."
I left her there after a few minutes of me staring thoughtfully up at her. It was hard to let her go, but somehow I knew that I would see her again, and soon. I knew I had made a lasting impression on the very impressionable Rory Gilmore.
(A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I'm sorry I haven't updated in like, FOREVER, but I think I'm gonna start back up again. I hope you liked this chapter. I think I will have a couple more chapters. One where he comes back to Stars Hollow, one with the first encounter after Washington, and then one big one with them getting together. Sound good? Thanks for reading and please review if you get the chance! ~Amanda)
The music store was around the corner when we got off the subway. It had a theme: Good music, and loud. Let's just say it lived up to its advertising. Rory and I looked around separately but still stayed together.
"I haven't even heard of half these bands." Even though I used to come here every Saturday afternoon and stay for three hours or so each time, I was still amazed at what I could find.
"I love that about this place. God, Lane would wanna live here."
I flip through a couple more albums and spot one with an interesting cover. "Who's Slim?"
"I don't know."
The owner made his way over to us when he heard my question and answered me mechanically. "Grunge band out of Kentucky. Two albums, plus a double-A side single, disbanded in '94."
"Thanks." I shot Rory a can-you-believe-that-look. She smiles and continues to shuffle through various records.
"Oh my God!" I come over to her side, not too close, but close enough and look at what she pulls off the shelf.
"What?"
"Look!"
"Go-go's. You must have that one." They're not really my kind of thing, but to each her own.
"No, for my mom. This was her favorite group when she was my age, and it's signed by Belinda. This would be the perfect graduation present. I've been looking for something all week long, and I couldn't find anything and now I have Belinda." Isn't graduation not for a couple more weeks?
"Graduation?"
"Oh, from college, from business classes." Oh, I guess I really never talked to Lorelai that much about her personal life. I more tormented her with sarcasm.
"I'm surprised she has time for anything except lighting darts on fire and throwing them at my picture." I was serious when I said that. I wouldn't doubt it for a second that she did that.
"Well, it's not a lot of time, but . . ."
"Uh-huh. Go on, get it. She'll like it."
"Thank you so much for bringing me here. This was fate." I watch her back as she makes her way up to the register with a smile on her face.
"Yes, it was."
She turns around and comments, "And in return, I just might show you my withering stare."
"I'm a lucky man." And right then, I really felt like one.
Eventually we had to go back to the bus station. I hated to say goodbye, but at least I had gotten to see her again. We travel through rows of Greyhounds until she hesitantly stops.
"I think this one's mine."
"Yup, the sign says Boonesville." Okay, so not really, it said Hartford.
A guy who looked to be in his late thirties and incredibly lost came up to Rory and I and pestered, "Excuse me, I'm so sorry to bother you. Which way is 44th?"
"Oh, um, that way." She was caught off guard and didn't have her wits about her.
"Great, thanks." He smiled gratefully and made his way away from us. Rory turned to me with a huge grin.
"I got asked directions."
'I saw.'
"He took me for a native. That's so cool." She's easily pleased.
"That's very impressive. 44th's the other way."
"Oh no." The look on her face made me regret informing her of her mistake.
"Sorry."
"Oh, man, I should go find him." If she left, she would miss her bus. She would probably be stranded here with me over night until another bus came. That wouldn't be so bad, but I think her mom would freak. I decide to comfort her in telling her that if had any brains, he would figure it out eventually.
"He still thought I was a native. That's cool."
"I'm your witness."
"Well, I should go."
"Okay." I felt like she was an alarm clock and all I wanted to say was "Five more minutes."
"I gotta go to my mom's graduation."
"And give her Belinda." I nodded to where she held the record in her casted hand.
"And give her Belinda."
"Go on. I'll check on the guy, I'll make sure he's not wandering around looking for 44."
She nods and makes her way onto the bus. I follow her alongside and stop when she sits down near the back. I had to know.
"Why did you come here?" She obviously couldn't hear me through the glass and with all the background noise of the bus station so she opened the window.
"What?"
"I said, why did you come here?"
"Well."
"I mean, you ditched school and everything. That's so not you. Why'd you do it?"
"Because you didn't say goodbye."
"Oh. Bye, Rory."
"Bye, Jess."
I left her there after a few minutes of me staring thoughtfully up at her. It was hard to let her go, but somehow I knew that I would see her again, and soon. I knew I had made a lasting impression on the very impressionable Rory Gilmore.
(A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I'm sorry I haven't updated in like, FOREVER, but I think I'm gonna start back up again. I hope you liked this chapter. I think I will have a couple more chapters. One where he comes back to Stars Hollow, one with the first encounter after Washington, and then one big one with them getting together. Sound good? Thanks for reading and please review if you get the chance! ~Amanda)