Jeff had read the invitation over a glass of neat scotch. The first thing that sprung to mind when reading 'Greendale' was her. It wasn't unusual to think of her. She came into his thoughts every so often. She was the flickering flame in the back of his mind that refused to be put out.
A smile found itself on Jeff's face but it didn't last long. He had looked to the photo frame on his desk of himself, Britta and their son. The girl had made her choice long ago and so had he. It was no use thinking of her.
Yet somewhere from reading the invitation a month back, he had ended up at the event but couldn't remember when he thought it would be a good idea. The Greendale reunion was organised and run by none other than the girl herself. Jeff could only expect she wasn't a girl anymore though but a woman; a successful and beautiful woman.
"This is ridiculous" Britta grumbled.
She lit a cigarette and offered one to Jeff but he gestured otherwise.
"I quit"
"Oh yeah that's right"
She took a puff before looking back up at Jeff, who looked distracted to say the least.
"You seem... off" She frowned, taking another drag.
"Just excited to see Abed and Troy and... uh..."
"Annie?" Britta raised her eyebrows and when Jeff looked to his feet, she smiled, "You're not excited, you're nervous"
"Am not"
"Are so"
"Shutup"
"You shutup"
Jeff rolled his eyes and subtly wiped the sweat from his palms onto his jeans but Britta noticed anyway. She always had to tease him about everything.
"Okay, maybe I am nervous"
"It's cute. You were never this nervous about seeing me"
"I was nervous the day of our wedding..."
She cackled at his reminiscing and took another drag before dropping the butt to the pavement and squishing it with her heel.
"Do you think that celebrant ever had both the bride and the groom jilt each-other?"
That made Jeff laugh and his tension eased up. She put a hand on his shoulder and sighed.
"What's the use talking about our almost wedding? You should be going and getting the girl or whatever"
"It's too late... the moment passed long ago. You don't understand"
"No, of course not, it's not like I'm the mother of your child or your best friend or I've known you for a ridiculous amount of years" Britta groaned.
She went for another cigarette but Jeff stopped her.
"We should go inside"
As he said that, he felt his heart accelerate at all the possibilities that could occur when walking through the door of Greendale Community College. He thought to stroll down the corridor to the main hall like he had done a countless amount of times, both as a student and a teacher, would be so bizarre to do so now. It was unbelievable to think it had only been five years since he was last there.
Britta noticed his hesitation and took his hand in hers. She squeezed it for comfort before letting go and jotting up the stairs. She stopped at the top and bobbed her head to the door in hopes he would follow. Once he had regained his breath, he did.
Nothing had changed. Everything looked the same. Even the logo their old study group had jokingly created was still the symbol of the school, displayed proudly on the many banners that decorated the halls.
YOU ARE READING
REUNION
FanfictionCommunity - Jeff x Annie oneshot // set after the series finale // The weight of regret has never sat so heavy on Jeffrey Winger's chest as it did seeing Annie Edison again for the first time since he dropped her off at the airport. After receiving...