❝𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚕,
𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕.
𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚢,
𝚂𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚞𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚢.
𝚂𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕, 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚕𝚎,
𝙳𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚞𝚜𝚑 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕,
𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚘𝚍'𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗,
𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎.❞
𝙸𝚌𝚎 𝙽𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜 ― 𝙵𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝙳𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜

❝𝚆𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚢𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚎'𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚝.❞ — 𝙰𝚍𝚊𝚖

Rhian had managed to get out of the Friday Night Dinner in Hartford by working 'late' at Fran's. Emily was fine with it since she had a job and couldn't make it.

So, on Monday, Rhian had made caramel apple coffee cake and caramel apple tarts for the Chilton Bake Sale, something that Fran and Marjorie helped her with.

However, the guys were going to help her set up the table at Chilton.

Rhian can hear loud music from Rory's room as she packed up the display case with her baked goods. Adrian and Patrick were looking through the fridge while Jordan and Adam were looking through the cupboards.

Rory came in and went to the coffee maker.

Lorelai was sitting at the table and she said, "Hey."

The guys and Rhian looked at her.

"What?" asked Jordan.

"I have an idea for a new reality show." Lorelai said, "How about everyone just looks out their freakin' kitchen window for a change?"

The guys stopped what they were doing and went to go look out the kitchen window.

"I see Keira Howard wearing her American flag bikini while jogging," Adrian said.

Rory looked at Rhian and the guys, "Ooh. She's cranky this morning."

"Let's just say the world has a formidable opponent," Lorelai stated.

Rory looked at Rhian's display case, "Wait." She turned to Lorelai, "Shouldn't you be baking?"

"Shouldn't you be knitting?" retorted Lorelai.

"I don't think Rory would be any good at knitting," Adam told Lorelai.

"Mom!" exclaimed Rory, "The Chilton bake sale is today!"

"I know," Lorelai replied. "I got it covered."

"She has Sookie making your portion," Rhian told Rory.

Lorelai nodded, "Yeah. I do have it covered."

"We better get going," Rhian said.

"Yeah," Adam said.

The guys set up the table and Rhian had smoothed out the light pink disposable checkered tablecloth out before setting her display cases on the table.

The guys ended up taking off, probably to check out the girls, which kind of annoyed her because she was sure that was why they chose to show up.

Summer came by, "What are you annoyed about?"

"My friends ditched me to flirt with girls," Rhian told her.

"I've been there with Austin," Summer said with an eye roll. "It's annoying as hell."

"Very annoying," Rhian agreed.

She spotted her mother, Rory, and Sookie setting up a table. "I'll be right back." She went over to them.

"Okay – we've got our French fantasies, American treats, and our Italian taste sensations," Sookie explained. "Well, what do you think?"

"Amazing," Rory said.

"Incredible," Lorelai added.

"Stunning," Rhian added.

"It is good, isn't it?" Sookie said, "Well, final touch." She picked up a culinary torch and turned it on.

Rory asked, "Oh, can I do that?"

"Whoa, honey," Sookie said. "This is a more delicate procedure than you might think, okay?"

"Okay," replied Rory.

"It takes an expert hand," Sookie said, going around the table, lighting the tablecloth on fire.

"Uh, Sookie," Rhian started, looking at the fire. Lorelai filled up a cup with lemonade from the next table and dumped it on the fire.

Lorelai noticed the women at the table giving her dirty look, "Um – hi. Oh, well, gee...what is that, a dollar? Let me find you a dollar." She handed over a dollar. "You know what? I'll take two – I'll drink one." She took a drink from another cup of lemonade. "Mmm...tasty and flame-retardant."

Rory took off.

"Very Henry the Eighth," Mr. Medina said, coming up to them.

"Well, we're not into subtle," Lorelai stated.

"We're pretty sure that 'well, that escalated quickly' is our family motto," Rhian added.

Mr. Medina said, "Good to see you, Lorelai, Rhian."

"Good to see you, Mr. Medina," Lorelai said.

"Max," Mr. Medina said.

"Mr. Medina," Lorelai countered.

"Max," Mr. Medina retorted.

Lorelai said, "Mr. Medina." She realized that Sookie was standing there, "Meet Sookie, the chef at the inn. Sookie, Mr. Medina."

"What's your name again?" joked Sookie.

"Mr. Medina," the teacher replied.

"I'm going to go find my friends," Rhian said, not wanting to watch her mother and teacher flirt with each other.

She went to go find the guys.

Instead she found Rory, who was sitting on a bench with a book, and went to her. "Don't look now, but you can see our mom flirting with our English teacher."

Rory looked up, "What?"

"Yeah, they're flirting with each other," Rhian said.

"But they can't date," Rory said. "If they break up, we won't be able to look him in the eye."

"What are you talking about?"

That was Adrian.

"Our mom flirting with our English teacher," Rhian told him. "If they date and break up, we won't be able to look him in the eye."

"Just look a little to the left, problem solved," Adrian said.

"No," Rory said.

"They're just flirting," Adrian said. "I doubt she'll go out with him. This is, what, the second time they've seen each other?"

"I think so," Rhian said.

Adam, Patrick, and Jordan came up to them.

Patrick asked, "What's up?"

"Apparently you, since you're a tower with legs," Rhian told him.

"You're hilarious," Patrick told her.

"Damn straight," Rhian replied with a grin.

Adam asked, "So, what's going on?"

"Our mom is flirting with our English teacher," Rory said.

"Oh, wow," Jordan said.

"What's going on here?"

Rhian groaned because it was Dugray.

"It's none of your business," Rhian told him.

Dugray looked at the four guys, "I think it's my business if a bunch of random guys are surrounding two girls who seem upset."

Jordan laughed, "You think you're going to come over here to try and be some white knight?"

"Fuck off, Dugray," Rhian told him with her arms crossed. "We've known these guys since we were kids."

Rhian's friends stared Dugray down.

Dugray finally relented and walked away.

Rhian's table did surprisingly well. She even saw one guy return for fifths on the caramel apple coffee cake.

Fran didn't have anything for Rhian to do, so Rhian went home to do her giant pile of Chilton homework that she hated.

Adrian asked her, "Are you almost done? I'm bored. Let's do something."

Rhian was curious, "Like what?"

Rory came in, "Do you know why there's a veterinarian van in front of Babette's house?"

Rhian was confused, "What?"

They got up and went outside to see what was going on.

"If it's a veterinarian van something must've happened to Cinnamon," Adrian deduced, because it was obvious.

"I'm going to get Mom," Rory said and took off.

Rhian went to the door with Adrian.

It turned out that Cinnamon had died.

Lorelai and Rory returned, but Adrian took off because he didn't do well when dead animals were present.

Rhian scooted up the couch so Rory can sit on the couch next to Morey.

Rory asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, Morey?"

"This is life, you two," Morey said. "It breaks your heart."

Rhian awkwardly looked around while Babette explained what happened again. She took Cinnamon was asleep, gave her a nudge, then pushed her off the couch and Cinnamon apparently skidded right into a lamp, breaking it, because the floor had been waxed.

The vet asked, "Listen, why don't you let me take her out to the van and then I'll get out of your way?"

"Oh, no, stay," Babette said. "All of you: please stay. Cinnamon would want you here."

"We'll stay as long as you want," Rory said.

"I'll never eat clams again," Morey said.

"Me either," Rory replied, patting Morey's arm.

"I haven't eaten clams and I won't start now," Rhian stated.

When evening feel, 'mourners' trickled in.

Michael arrived, but something seemed different. Maybe how he was wearing dark clothing instead. He was probably going through that goth phase or something.

Rhian asked him, "Did you dye your hair?"

"Yeah," Michael replied. "What do you think?"

"It suits you more," Rhian told him. It did.

Adam came up to them, "Did the cat really break a lamp by rolling into it?"

"Yeah," Rhian said. Adam snorted. "Dude, it's not funny."

"It kind of is, if you picture it," Michael said.

Rhina snickered, "We're so going to hell."

"We really are psychopaths since we're having a wake for a cat," Adam stated.

"The only psychopath here is Adrian and that's because he keeps reorganizing the utensil drawers." Rhian said, "At my home. Not his."

"'Not his' what?" asked Jordan.

"How Adrian reorganizes my utensil drawer," Rhian said.

"Yeah, that's kind of psychotic," Jordan said.

Adrian came up, "What's psychotic?"

"You reorganizing my utensil drawer," Rhian told him.

Adrian smiled wickedly, "You're welcome."

Rhian rolled her eyes, "There's something wrong with you."

"It probably happened after we smashed heads at Action Park," Adrian told her.

Michel came in holding a white tube, "Hello? Hello? Where is Lorelai? I'm dropping something off."

Rhian went to him, "Here, I'll take that to her."

Michel handed the tube to her, "Is she having a party? Why wasn't I invited?"

"It's a wake for a cat," Adrian told him.

Lorelai came over, "Oh, hey, I'll take that, Rhian. I think I saw Patrick lurking and looming over Rory and Lane because he can't find his and I quote, 'Hobbit friends'."

"Hey, he lurks, he looms. Anything with an 'L' he'll do it," Adrian replied.

They took off to find Patrick.

Michael and Jordan tagged along, "Where are we going?"

"To find Patrick," Adrian said.

Jordan joked, "How do you lose a tower with legs?"

"Apparently very easily," Michael said.

Sookie and Luke came in with food.

Luke set his bag down, "Dig in!"

Rhian was right in the middle of the crowd, trying to get to the food.

Someone grabbed her arm and yanked her out.

"I saved your life now you owe me your soul," Michael joked.

"What makes you think I have one?" asked Rhian.

"They say the eyes are the window to the soul," Michael said. "You have one, unlike my cousin Troy. He has nothing there."

"Who are you talking about?"

That was Patrick. He happily grabbed some onion rings from the take out box Rhian had grabbed.

"Troy," Michael said. "He has no soul."

"Got that right," Patrick said. "Pure evil behind those eyes. Like looking the devil in the eye. Real fucking creepy."

"Even as kids, nothing there," Michael agreed. "You need to see some pictures of him."

Patrick nodded, "Yeah."

Jordan came up, "I think I saw your teacher at your door."

Rhian went to the window and peered out, "What the fuck?" She went to go outside towards Mr. Medina who was at the door.

Of course her friends followed after her.

Rhian asked, "What's going on? Am I and Rory in trouble?"

"No," Mr. Medina said. "I was just here to pick Lorelai up for our date."

Date? Rhian wasn't made aware of this fact. "Oh. She's next door."

"Is she canceling?"

"No, we're just at a wake," Jordan said.

Mr. Medina asked, "Who died?"

"Oh, the neighbor's cat," Adam said.

Mr. Medina seemed confused, "You're holding a wake for a cat?"

"No, the neighbor is the one hosting the wake," Rhian corrected.

Mr. Medina asked, "So, is she canceling?"

"Probably not," Rhian said slowly.

Lorelai rushed over, "Oh my god. Hi."

"Hey, I'm going to Adam's house," Rhian said.

"You go do that," Lorelai told her.

Rhian came home from Adam's house and was going to go upstairs when Lorelai intercepted her.

"We haven't discussed the whole dating-your-teacher situation," Lorelai said. "I already discussed it with Rory, so I have to talk to about it. Like I told her, I won't go out with him if you don't want me to."

"Go for it," Rhian said. "You're allowed to date whoever you want, as long as they're not under eighteen."

"You know it's whoever we want," Lorelai said.

"I'm sure as hell not going out with him," Rhian said. "That's just weird and gross. I hope he's not into teenage girls."

"If he does anything to make you uncomfortable, let me know and he'll be out of there," Lorelai said.

"Okay," Rhian said, going upstairs.

"It's not like I'm desperate since there's plenty of other guys out there," Lorelai told her.

"Mom, it sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out of dating Mr. Medina," Rhian said. "Go for. I don't care." She went upstairs.