"ARE YOU -" AVA BEGAN, unable to finish her sentence as she placed a hand in front of her lips," oh my."

"Am I hearing things?" Alex frowned," did you just say you're related to Clarkson, like our vice-principal Clarkson?"

"My father, yes," Reyan nodded," Mia is my cousin."

"Then," Alex continued slowly, pointing at the car," in there is..."

Clarkson came out after a moment of silence, his usual tracksuit replaced with simple clothing as well. It looked so weird to not see him in his iconic fluorescent colors Ella couldn't help but stare.

"Students," he nodded," I didn't expect to see you all here, but hello."

"Your tracksuit -" Alex stammered.

"You know what," Ava said," you are actually quite fine, sir. The neon yellow kept it hidden from for a long time, but I can see it clearly now."

"Don't ever say something like that about my father again," Reyan said, face devoid of much emotion.

"I think you'll like him, Levi," Ella said to her man," you both give off the same vibe."

"No," Levi said, narrowing his eyes as he stared at Reyan," he looks like he enjoys talking."

"First you're not wearing a tracksuit, now you have children?" Alex continued next to them to their vice-principal, sounding betrayed," I thought we had shared everything with each other, Clarkson!"

"You mean you overshared your excessive fear for crabs once to me," Clarkson said," and I would've said if you had asked."

"I just assumed your life revolved around me and St Joseph," Alex said, seeming disillusioned as he placed a hand on his head," I can't believe you have a wife."

"Ah, so you're the student obsessed with my father," Reyan remarked.

"Define obsessed," Alex said.

"You come in his office practically every day to complain and send postcards to our home."

"I just wanted him to have a happy Christmas!" Alex exclaimed," and those are from Will and Levi as well, by the way, not just me."

"It's true," Will smiled," I helped pick them out."

"That was actually really kind, thank you," Clarkson nodded," I did have a good Christmas."

Vinh tried to sneak away, completely having lost all color in his face, but Reyan grabbed his shoulder before he could, keeping him in place.

"Where do you think you're going?" Reyan said, voice low.

"I swear, Reyan," Vinh said to him with wide eyes," I didn't do anything weird, so whatever Elisabeth has said to you, she is lying."

"So you didn't drag Mia out of the house by force," Reyan said slowly.

"I just did what your aunt told me to do!" Vinh exclaimed, looking pale," I don't know why everyone is getting so angry at me for that, she was the one who asked me to do so."

"My mother did?" Mia blinked.

"What did you say?" Clarkson spoke then, stepping forward.

His usual good-natured grumpiness was gone, replaced by something far colder. For a moment Ella could imagine him as a delinquent at St Joseph himself, his whole attitude fitting in so well. Genuinely, if he had been a student along with them, she might even have been friends with him. Right now, she was glad he was here though. Despite the jokes she made, he was the only teacher she always felt she could rely on.

"Uncle," Vinh began, swearing softly under his breath, before flashing a bright smile at Clarkson. "I seem to have forgotten my manners, I'm sorry for not greeting you first. How have you been?"

"We'll do the smalltalk after I find out exactly what Lorelai told you," he said," Joon didn't even want this engagement of yours and Mia, I doubt he's going to like her continuing to be a -"

He swallowed whatever insult he was going to say, coughing in a bad attempt to cover it up when he realized Mia was closeby. Surprisingly Reyan believed it, a hand on his father's arm as he looked up at him.

"Are you ill, Father?" he said.

"I am not, Rei," Clarkson reassured him.

"You better not be, I have my exams soon."

"I swear, who did you get that from?" Clarkson frowned," I love you, but you're going to make me cry."

"I obviously got it from you," Reyan replied.

"They have such a sweet bond," Will smiled at Mia.

Clarkson chuckled, ruffling a hand through Reyan's hair before he turned back to Vinh again.

"Anyway," he said," can you answer my question?"

Vinh hesitated and Reyan placed a hand on his father's shoulder, nodding solemnly.

"I got this," he said.

Before anyone could react Reyan had already grabbed Vinh's hair and slapped him in the face, Ella's lips parting in surprise.

"Are you going to tell us now?" he said.

Clarkson pulled his son off before he could deliver the second hit, Reyan glancing up at him with a puzzled expression. 

"What?" he said," two more hits and he would have cracked."

"Rei!" Mia exclaimed, looking shocked.

"How are you not attending St Joseph?" Alex said, disbelief coloring his voice.

"I get high grades," Reyan said matter-of-factly.

Vinh's hand was covering his cheek as he looked wide-eyed at Reyan and Clarkson. For a moment Ella thought he was going to cry, but Mia was already by his side, concern coloring her eyes as she looked at his red cheek. She hadn't moved far from where she had initially stood with Will, but he took a step back still, as if he was intruding. There wasn't any anger in his expression about it, merely warmth as he looked at her, like it didn't matter where she was, just that she was close.

"I'm sorry," Vinh said then, leaning in against Mia's hand on his cheek as he looked back at Clarkson," I'll show you the texts, uncle. She said Mi-Ja was hanging with the wrong crowd and that this was the only way to do it."

"That witch," Clarkson murmured underneath his breath, before giving Mia a gruff nod," it'll be alright, I'll take care of this."

"So you're not going to punish me, right?" Vinh said, gaze flicking fearfully to Reyan.

"Why would I?" Clarkson frowned," you are not my student, Vinh, I shouldn't have to teach you decency. Your matters you will settle with Mia, she's perfectly capable of doing so herself. I will not force myself in that situation."

"Thank you, uncle," Mia smiled at him," I'll talk with mother too, but she always listens better to you."

"That's because you're too nice, Mia," Reyan said, shaking his head in disapproval," I have told you already, emotional sabotage is the way to go."

"I swear to God," Clarkson sighed, before grabbing Reyan and pulling him along," don't you let your mother hear any of this, okay?"

As Reyan got dragged away his gaze flicked to Elisabeth, the neutral expression he had been carrying until now flickering for a moment as he waved at her.

"Elisa," he said," how are you?"

"I'm fine, Rei," she smiled back.

"Tell your mother I said hi, Elisabeth," Clarkson nodded at her, not seeming tired at all by the fact that he was practically lifting his adult son up.

Reyan grabbed some plastic cups off the grass as he was getting pulled to the car, throwing them into a garbage can before he finally complied and moved along with Clarkson. Right then police sirens went off, so loud it startled all of them. Ella was about to move when Clarkson's gaze snapped towards them, eyes wide, and he started running.

"Cops!" Clarkson yelled," scatter!"

"Why are you running?" Alex shouted, following closely behind.

"We went over this, Father!" Reyan called out after him from where he was standing by the car," get back here!"

"Oh shit, yeah," Clarkson said, coming to a sudden halt," I'm an adult, I'll deal with this."

All of them had already run off, only Ava and Mia having remained behind, both of them getting in the car with Reyan.

"Couldn't we have ran in the house?" Ella said as they rounded the corner.

"I am just running along because it seemed fun," Will smiled.

"It's too late to go back," Alex said," the streets are my home now."

A car blared it's horn at them for sprinting on the road and they all scattered in different directions, Levi pulling her along in an alleyway. Only halfway through did they stop, the only light here the faint rays of the moon spilling through the cloudy sky, Ella panting as she leaned against the wall.

"Who would have guessed Clarkson had a son?" she said.

"He always seemed like the father type," Levi shrugged.

His hair had gotten free out of his usual slicked back look, the locks messily across his face. She leaned in to tug one behind his ear, his breath hitching at her proximity.

"We haven't even had the chance to officially announce we were dating yet in all this chaos," she said.

"I think it's better if we tell Will and Alex separately," Levi said," Alex will scream and Will is going to cry."

"Why can I see that happen?" Ella chuckled.

"I know it will," Levi said," they both told me what their reactions would be when I talked about how to ask you out."

"You talking about things," she teased," were you nervous about asking me out, Peterson?"

"Yes," he said without any hesitation," as I should have been, because you're amazing." He shook his head, faint amusement glittering in his eyes. "Not like my conversations with the boys was useful. I thought I'd ask them advice on how to be more romantic, but Will's never been on a date before and Alex only has bad ideas."

"There's no need to be romantic," Ella smiled," I like the way you are plenty enough."

He placed a hand behind her ear, tugging softly against her hair as he kissed her, the world around them silent.

"St Joseph is going to be such a mess when we get back," she whispered against his lips.

"Let it," Levi murmured back.