"Taylor...what is that?" I asked, standing next to Shane in front of Luke's.

"You don’t know what a traffic light is?" Taylor snapped, hands on his hips like we were the ones who should be embarrassed.

"Alright, alright... but why is it here?" Shane added with a grin, clearly enjoying getting under his skin.

"To help control traffic in Stars Hollow," Taylor said, as if we should've been impressed by his genius.

"Wait... was traffic really that bad around here?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Taylor scoffed. "Well, when you’ve got a population that peaks at, what, 10 cars on Main Street at once? You’ve got to keep things under control."

Shane tilted her head. "So, what, the street’s a warzone without it?"

"Exactly!" Taylor replied, nodding seriously. "There’s a delicate balance between no cars and too many cars. We can't risk the chaos."

I exchanged a look with Shane. "I think the last time we had more than five cars at once was when the ice cream truck got stuck."

Taylor didn't miss a beat. "Exactly! And that almost led to disaster. People were walking in the middle of the street, confused and panicked."

Shane snorted. "Oh no, not confusion and panic."

"Trust me," Taylor said, his tone grave. "Stars Hollow isn’t ready for that kind of anarchy."

I couldn't hold it in anymore and started laughing. "I’m sure the whole town will feel safer now."

Shane leaned in. "Yeah, Taylor, you might have just saved us all."

Taylor straightened up, pleased with himself. "Thank you. I do what I can."

He strutted back toward his shop, looking way too pleased with himself, and the two of us made our way into Luke's.

"Are you two picking on Taylor again?" Luke asked without even looking up as we reached the counter.

"It’s too easy, don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it a little," I said, sliding onto a stool.

Shane nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and we owe you one for getting Ceaser to make those gummy bear pancakes in your favorite skillet."

Luke looked up at that, a slight smirk on his face. "You know, that skillet’s practically an antique."

"Exactly," I said, trying to keep a straight face. "You should be thanking us. It’s a small miracle it survived that disaster."

Shane laughed. "It was a masterpiece. And now, every time you use it, you can think of us."

Luke rolled his eyes and poured us each a cup of coffee. "You two are trouble."

"Yep, and we’re getting really good at it," I said, grinning as I took my mug.

"Usual?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, sounds good," I said, and Shane gave a quick nod of agreement.

Luke sighed, pouring a little more coffee into both our mugs. "You know, sometimes I think this place would run smoother without you two."

"Impossible," Shane replied without missing a beat. "We’re essential to the Luke’s Diner experience."

I smirked. "It’d be a little too quiet without us."

Luke shot us a look. "You know, I’ve been running this diner just fine without your help."

"True," I said, leaning back a little. "But how much fun would it be without our ‘help’?"

Shane grinned. "Exactly. It’d be a lot less interesting."

Luke shook his head and continued working.

-------------------------------------------------------------

"So, how exactly do you plan on sneaking me and Rory—your minor daughters—into a club?" I asked, standing next to Mom in line, both of us dressed up for her bachelorette party.

"Uh, I’ll figure it out when we get there..." Mom said with a shrug, clearly not worried.

We finally reached the bouncer, who glanced at Mom and then at us, his expression flat and unimpressed. Yeah, this should go perfectly.

"She’s an international model," Mom said, pointing to Rory with a grin.

"Uh huh," the bouncer muttered, crossing his arms, barely acknowledging Rory.

"And this one..." Mom started, pointing to me with an exaggerated flair.

The bouncer looked at me for a second, his eyes narrowing, but he didn't hesitate. He opened the rope and said, "You can come in."

I blinked, a little caught off guard. "Oh... thanks?"

Mom beamed. "See? Easy."

I tried to play it cool, glancing at Mom with a shrug. "Guess I must look older or something."

Mom raised an eyebrow, clearly still processing what had just happened. "Wait, he didn’t even ask for your ID. Not even a second glance?"

"Maybe I’m just that convincing," I said, smiling innocently.

Rory, still a little confused, whispered to me, "Did he recognize you, Chrissy?"

I grinned and shook my head. "Nah, I guess I just have a mature vibe tonight," I said, brushing it off casually.

Mom shot me a suspicious look, but then she just shrugged. "Well, whatever works, I guess."

"Yeah," I said, grinning. "I’m just that good."

Good as in Shane and I frequent here....with fake IDs.

-------------------------------------------------------------

"Never thought I’d see Michel dancing," I said, sitting at the table with Sookie… and Grandma, who was suddenly reminiscing about her wedding day, all emotional.

"I think he’s drunk," Sookie slurred, watching Michel on the dance floor, who was moving a little more than awkwardly.

"I think you’re drunk," I teased, leaning back in my chair.

"I am not! I’m perfectly fine!" Sookie insisted, though her words were clearly slurring as she took another sip of her drink.

Before I could say anything else, Grandma turned her attention to me. "Chrissy, how’s school going?"

I paused, suddenly feeling awkward. "It’s good. I’m passing, I guess. Some of my art’s going to be in an art show," I said, unsure of how to continue.

"An art show, really?" Grandma said, her eyes lighting up. "I’ll have to be there. Is it paintings or drawings?"

I was surprised at how genuinely happy she seemed about it. "It’s actually a few different pieces. It’s not much, but I really like them."

"That’s wonderful," Grandma said, smiling. "Do you want to go to school for that?"

I hesitated. "I haven’t really thought about it—"

"You need to," Grandma interrupted, her voice a little sharper now. "I’m not investing in your private school education just to have you waste it by not going to college."

I could feel my stomach tighten. "You know you don’t have to go to college to be successful, right? And I never asked you to pay for anything. The only reason I agreed to go to Chilton was because it was a requirement for Rory."

Lorelai, who had been quietly listening to the back-and-forth, now glanced over at me. I could see the tension in her expression, like she was unsure where to stand. She took a deep breath and finally spoke up. "Emily, I get what you’re saying, but Chrissy’s not Rory. She’s… different. She’s figuring things out in her own way."

Grandma, not letting it go, shook her head. "But that’s just it, Lorelai. She’s not figuring things out. She’s wasting her potential by avoiding the expected path, just like her father."

The words hit me like a slap. "I’m not avoiding anything," I said, my voice a little sharper than I intended. "I just don’t want to be pushed into a box. I don’t want to follow some expected path. I want to make my own decisions."

"Exactly," Grandma said, almost as if she were waiting for me to say that, her tone hardening. "And what is that going to get you? You think the world will just hand you success without effort? Without a plan?"

I could feel the anger bubbling up. "You don’t get it. I don’t need to follow a plan to be successful. I’m not going to do what everyone thinks I should just because it’s easy or expected."

Lorelai sighed, her expression guarded. "Emily, I don’t think Chrissy’s saying she doesn’t want to have a future. She just doesn’t want to be pressured into something that doesn’t feel right for her."

Grandma didn’t back down. "She’s not being pressured. She’s being given opportunities. But it seems like she doesn’t want any of them."

"That’s not it," I snapped, standing up abruptly. "I just don’t want my whole life mapped out for me, like it is for Rory. I’m not her. I’m not going to be expected to follow in her footsteps." My voice was louder now, my frustration obvious. "I want to make my own choices, but none of you seem to get that."

I looked at Lorelai, hoping for some kind of understanding, but instead I saw her hesitation. The way she avoided my eyes, the way she was letting Grandma take the reins. I felt a lump form in my throat, a mix of anger and hurt.

I couldn’t stay there anymore. "I’m done. I’m not going to keep having the same conversation over and over," I said, my voice low but firm. Without waiting for a response, I turned and stormed out of the room, my chest tight and my thoughts spinning.

I needed air. And I needed space from all of this. From the pressure, the expectations, and the constant feeling that my path was already set for me, whether I wanted it or not.

A/N: I am finally on winter break and will hopefully be updating more often. BTW this takes place S2 E3