Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Wanderer ❯ Chapter 1

Title: Wanderer

Author: ShadowHitori

Rating: PG

Summary: Inspired by Fall Out Boy's “Homesick at Space Camp”. A random stop in Chicago may change Jordi's life.

 

Jordi sat in the crowded terminal, earphones seated comfortably in her ears. The blaring music was drowning out the ranting and moaning of the frustrated people around her. Their plane destined for LA had been stopped in Chicago. There had been another terrorist scare which sidelined all the planes to be checked over again.

 

“You'd think that with all the security they make us go through that the airlines could not delay us more than we already have been!” she heard a man next to her grumble. She sighed. It was true that the plane had been delayed for an hour in leaving because of extra checks, but it wasn't like they couldn't have predicted this.

 

Staring out the window, Jordi began to wonder. Unlike the rest of the people on the plane, she had no place she was going in particular. Her life at home had come crashing down around her and now, she was just trying to pick herself up again.

 

She placed a hand delicately over her heart. She felt the locket still lying under her shirt. It was all she had left of him. Her other half had given it to her before he died. Without him to keep her grounded, Jordi had spiraled into depression. After an attempt to take her own life failed, her grandparents suggested that she take some time to sort things out. She had been rather successful in her work, as had he. She had more than enough money to afford to wander some while keeping an odd job or two. And so she had traveled. She had been all up and down the east coast and was thinking about going west to California to see what they offered.

 

Feeling lost, she pulled on the delicate gold chain and opened her treasure. Inside was a picture of him, his senior picture in fact. It was a few years old, but he hadn't changed much. On the other side was an engraving. “To my love - Reno Sinclair Charlton”

 

“May we have your attention!” Jordi paused her Sansa, another gift from him, and glanced up at the speakers. “All planes have been delayed until tomorrow morning at 8 AM. We have made arrangements for you to stay at local hotels. Pick up a voucher with your flight attendant. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”

 

Jordi winced as cries of outrage came forth all around her. But then again, they were on their way somewhere. Many of them had already pulled out their phones, likely to make other plans. Well, might as well get going. she thought to herself. After stretching for a moment, she grabbed her things. She didn't bring much, just a small suitcase, a computer bag, and her beloved viola. She joined the line of angry passengers and waited for her turn to find out where she would be staying. The attendant looked rather grateful when she didn't make a fuss about having to stay the night and gave her a room at the Holiday Inn. Nodding, she got in a taxi and sped away.

 

Her room was a rather nice one. It had a fluffy King sized bed and a beautiful view of the city from 10 floors up. She threw her computer and suitcase on the bed, then took a bit more care in setting her instrument on the dresser. It was getting late, already 9, and Jordi had yet to eat a proper meal that day. She changed out of her sweats and into something more suitable for wandering around the city.

 

She rode the elevator to the lobby and stepped into the rather posh room, unusually so for a family friendly hotel. “Where is a good place to eat?” she asked the receptionist, who was dressed impeccably in a uniform that looked like it didn't even know dirt existed.

 

“There's a rather nice café and bar just down the street from here.” he replied. “But, pardon my rudeness, aren't you a bit young to be going out all alone?”

 

Jordi used all the control she had to keep her eye from twitching or for just smacking the guy. The one comment she got was about how young she looked. Many people commented that she looked as if she were still 16. While it's nice to look young, there are times when she wanted to look her 24 years of age. “Thank you for the recommendation.” She turned on her heel and strode onto the street.

 

Immediately, Jordi was reminded of the last time she had been to Chicago. She was only 13 at the time, and was traveling with her and her sister were traveling with her aunt's family. Maybe while she was here, she would visit the Sears Tower like she wanted to back then.

 

Brushing off the memories, she walked in the direction that had been pointed out to her and it wasn't long before she found the café. It was a small little place with a sign outside that had been so eroded by age that it was barely readable. Stepping inside, she was overcome by warmth. It wasn't busy, being the middle of the week. Only a few regulars sat at the bar. She took a table in the corner and watched the football game playing in the corner.

 

“Look at them Patriots go!” someone shouted from the bar. “They're the best damn team out there!”

 

From above her, someone laughed. “He wishes. They'll meet their end soon enough. Anyway, I'm Sarah. Can I get you something to drink?”

 

“A vanilla cappuccino would be lovely. Also, a slice of coffee cake.” Reno had made her promise to stay away from alcohol and even after his death, she planned to keep that promise. He had never managed to succeed, to his frustration, in breaking her coffee addiction. In fact, if he were here, Sarah thought that he'd likely chide her on eating sweets when she needed dinner.

 

A few minutes later, Sarah had returned with her order. “So…” she began,

 

“My name's Jordan Charlton, but everyone calls me Jordi.”

 

“Jordi. What are you doing here?”

 

“My plane was forced to stop here for the night. I'm staying at a hotel not too far away.” I sipped my hot drink. It was delicious.

 

“Where were you going to?”

 

Sarah seemed rather interested in talking to her. Jordi attributed it to the lack of other customers who weren't growing more drunk by the minute. “No where in particular. I'm looking for a place to get settled.”

 

“Oh? Would you mind my asking why?” Sarah couldn't even keep the curiosity off her face anymore. “After all, it's not often we get new faces in Twilight.”

 

“So that's the name of this place…” Jordi mumbled to herself. She took a minute to think. It might do her good to talk about it a bit. After all, all her friends at home had been too busy grieving as well to help her and when they were ready to, Jordi foolishly pushed them away. And Sarah didn't know her. There was no way she could judge her the way the people back home had.

 

“I have nothing for me back home. My lover died of complications following a surgery to remove part of his kidney that had been damaged in an accident. Afterwards, I went through a rough time and soon, everyone had left me. I have many talents, but none of them seemed to matter there anymore. So I'm going to find a new life somewhere else. I was on my way to California.” Jordi drained the rest of her sweet caffeine and waited to see what Sarah would say.

 

After being silent for a moment or two, Sarah seemed to know what she wanted to say. “Do you have any experience as being a manager, or are you a performer of some sort?”

 

“I- I minored in business in college and played in a symphony orchestra for a while.” was the confused reply.

 

“I think we a position for you here then.” Sarah elaborated. “Our previous manager left and we've been looking for a new one. I'd been filling in.”

 

“My lover ran a computer servicing business and I often filled in to manage when he would go away to conferences.” Jordi was beginning to see where this was going.

 

“Would you like to take the job?”

 

Jordi had to stop and think. Here was a chance at a new life here in Chicago staring her in the face. She didn't know what she might find in California. And here, she felt at peace. This could be a gamble; after all, she didn't know if this would pan out and then she'd be up a creek without a paddle. But then again life wouldn't be any fun without any risk.

 

She pulled out her phone to tell the airline to cancel her ticket. “I'll take it.”