PARIS IS BURNING
WAITING for their mother to return from a date wasn't an unusual affair for the Gilmore twins, but waiting for her to return from a date with their English teacher? That was new territory. Rory let out a groan as she continued to massage Hayden's feet as the pair lounged on the couch "Remind me again why I'm doing this?"
"Because as my biggest support in all things dance you understand that these babies," she gestured to her bare legs and feet "are prized winners and need regular maintenance."
"What you need is a new pedicurist." Rory scoffed, wiggling her big toe "Who did these? Caesar?"
Hayden sat forward to cover her toes protectively "Tristan painted them."
"Ugh, you guys make me sick." Rory complained.
"Try saying that with a straight face." Hayden tossed a pillow at her sister with chuckle, the pair sharing a smile knowing both twin was happy for the other and that despite first impressions, Rory Gilmore did in fact approve of Tristan Dugray. The girls shared a look at the sound of the front door closing quietly before Hayden turned back to raise an eyebrow at their mother attempting to sneak in "Well, well, well, Missy. What time do you call this?"
Lorelai groaned as she looked between her teenage daughters "Busted."
"It's one o'clock in the morning." Rory reprimanded.
"I know but my watch stopped during a terrible car wreck and I had to save kittens and small children and four baby chicks."
Hayden raised an eyebrow "And what about the adult version of all of God's creatures?"
Lorelai waved her off "Meh, they can saves themselves."
Rory rolled her eyes in amusement before questioning "Did you have a nice time?"
"Not bad." Lorelai smiled.
Hayden raised an eyebrow at her mother "That's a very big smile for a not bad night."
Lorelai sighed as she slumped down onto the couch in between them "Yeah well... Hey, he loaned me a book."
Rory perked up "What book?"
"Swann's Way."
Hayden grimaced "Gross. Does he even like you?"
Lorelai nudged her with a smirk "Yes, he does."
"You know what it means when a man loans you a book don't you?" Rory questioned with a smile.
"That he's already read it?"
Rory nodded "Yep."
Their mother chuckled "How was your night?"
Hayden groaned "Let's just say, I considered drowning myself in Luke's coffee pot more than once."
"Shift from hell, huh?" Lorelai rubbed her arm sympathetically but highly amused before turning to Rory "And what did you do?"
"Homework."
Lorelai smiled "How many times did Dean call?"
Rory tried to shrug nonchalantly "Not that many."
"How many?"
"Three." At her mother and sisters knowing looks she sighed "... Five."
Lorelai chuckled "Not an all time high but very respectable. And Tristan?"
"Twice." Hayden smiled slightly "Once at Luke's to make sure he fed me and the second here to make sure I got home. Rory made me hang up so Dean could call again."
"I did not!" Rory protested.
Lorelai chuckled at the pair before getting to her feet "I'm going to bed. Don't stay up much longer."
"Hey," Hayden called out and their mother paused on the bottom of the staircase "you look happy."
"I am kid." She smiled.
Hayden returned it softly, heart clenching "Just checking."
☕️
HAYDEN couldn't bring herself to listen as Mr. Medina finished off the lesson, not as she pictured him and her mother. What would everyone say if they found out?
"—There's a certain slant of light, winter afternoons that oppresses like the heft of cathedral tunes." Mr. Medina sighed with a smile "That, my friends is the first verse of a poem by Emily Dickenson. Now read some of those tonight, and as you do, consider the fact that Emily Dickenson writes convincingly about passion and about the world in spite of the fact that she lived as a virtual recluse. It'll help you appreciate her mind."
"I could listen to him talk about passion all day." Madeline sighed dreamily as she leant closer to Hayden and Louise "Do you think he's dating anyone?"
Louise rolled her eyes as Hayden shifted nervously in her seat "Of course he is."
"A teacher?" Madeline guessed.
"Please."
Madeline frowned at the blonde "Why not?"
Louise looked to her "Have you seen teachers?"
"He's a teacher." She defended.
"Male teachers are different." Louise argued "They can still be mysterious."
Madeline shrugged with a smile "I bet his girlfriend's pretty."
"I bet she's dumb."
Hayden couldn't help but question "Why?"
"Dumb girls crave smart men." She shrugged "It's that whole Marilyn Monroe - Arthur Miller syndrome."
Madeline smiled "I still think she's lucky."
"Whoever he's dating is a loser, who doesn't care that he's a teacher in this ridiculous school making a ridiculous teacher's salary." Paris snapped before packing up quickly as the bell rang and storming out of the room.
Louise let out a low whistle "Guess someone read the paper today."
"I know." Madeline nodded as the three followed the Gellar girls lead "Paris' parent's divorce is getting very ugly!"
"Her dad should've just paid her mom everything she wanted and this whole thing would've been over." Louise shook her head.
Madeline agreed "That's what my dad did. Is it true Paris' mom had the entire back of her body surgically reconstructed?"
Louise snorted "Well it doesn't match the front now does it?"
Hayden chewed on her lower lip as she fell behind. No one could know about her mother and Mr. Medina.
Hands on her hips had her jump before relaxing as Tristan rested his chin on her shoulder "Hey, what's up with you? You've been out of it all day."
"Nothing," she quickly put on a smile "just tired. Been a few late night practices this week that's all."
"Okay, come on." His hand slipped into hers with a smile "We can nap through lunch."
☕️
WITH Richard on strict bed rest, Friday night dinner was another Gilmore girl affair and so Emily was practically giddy "How's the squab?"
Rory smiled politely "It's good."
"Squabby." Hayden added before looking to her sister with furrowed eyebrows "Is that a word?"
"It is now." She shrugged with a smile.
Emily smiled before turning to her daughter "Lorelai?"
"It's the best tiny, weird bird I have ever eaten." Lorelai shrugged in turn.
Even Lorelai's humour didn't dampen her smile "I'm glad."
"Why are you smiling like that?" Lorelai questioned suspiciously.
Emily didn't even blink "What are you talking about?"
"You're smiling." Her daughter accused.
"I'm happy." She defended.
Lorelai's eyes narrowed as the twins shared a look "That's not your 'I'm happy' smile."
Emily sighed "Well, what smile is it Lorelai?"
"That's your 'I've got something on Lorelai.' smile."
Emily turned to her granddaughters "Girls, your mother must be very tired."
"She works a lot." Rory admitted.
However Hayden raised an eyebrow "But that doesn't change the fact your smile is suspicious."
"See!" Lorelai gestured to her youngest "I grew up with that smile - I know that smile.
Emily pursed her lips and continued to keep her attention on the twins "Tell me about school."
Rory shrugged "Well, my French final went pretty well."
"Zuri is graduating and she's given me her personal recommendation to be captain of the dance team next year." Hayden smiled sheepishly as the women at the table broke out into excited chatter.
"That's great kid, you deserve it." Lorelai assured proudly.
Emily smiled "So tell me about parent's day?"
Lorelai frowned "What?"
"Parent's day?" Emily raised a knowing eyebrow and suddenly it all became clear the reason for her smile "Next Wednesday? When all the parents are supposed to go to the classes with their children all day long?"
Lorelai gasped in realisation and looked to her daughter "The Chilton newsletter came out today!"
Rory nodded "Yup."
"There's a great picture of Paris biting the dust in the background." Hayden shook her head with a fond chuckle "God, we need to get that framed."
Emily looked to her daughter in faux innocence "You didn't read yours?"
"Not yet."
"Ah."
Lorelai rolled her eyes "But you knew that."
"Well—"
"Hence the smile."
Emily sighed "Lorelai, you're really being silly. There's no evil plan a foot here. I simply brought up a subject I thought we could all talk about. I'll try another subject— the color blue is very pleasant isn't it?"
"I prefer purple." Hayden chimed in.
"Mom not everybody can wait outside the mailbox for the Chilton newsletter to arrive and then instantly memorize the contents in three seconds." Lorelai ranted.
Rory looked up nervously "I'd like to weigh in on the blue colour subject please."
But their mother and grandmother were too lost in their brewing argument "You have your priorities far be it from me to question them."
"Just because I don't read the newsletter doesn't mean I don't care about my daughters."
Emily raised an eyebrow "So are you going?"
"To what?"
"To parent's day!"
Lorelai rolled her eyes "Why don't we talk about it next Friday when I've actually read the newsletter. I guarantee it'll be more fun."
Emily pursed her lips "We could except for the fact that parents day is next Wednesday."
Lorelai slumped in defeat.
☕️
ALL across Chilton was still abuzz with news of Paris' parents tumultuous divorce and Hayden was sick of it.
"—You know I heard that Paris' dad's actually got a second family in Paris."
Hayden's attention snapped to her boyfriend at the lunch table she sat at with him and his lacrosse friends "Tristan!"
"What?" He questioned innocently.
"Can you cut it out?" Hayden gestured to the ripple of excited whispers coming from across the canteen "Aren't enough people gossiping about Paris' parents without her friends joining in?"
He smiled in amusement "You hate Paris."
"I don't hate her." Hayden rolled her eyes as the boy wrapped his arm around her "I just feel violent around her sometimes."
As the boys at the table laughed, Madeline and Louise suddenly rushed over, hands splayed across the the table as they looked to Hayden in disbelief "Is it true? Why didn't you say anything?"
Madeline sighed dreamily "God, your mom is so lucky."
Hayden's eyebrows furrowed "Wait what? What are you guys talking about?"
"Paris saw your mom and Mr. Medina kissing in his classroom." Louise gushed and Hayden felt her heart drop, eyes darting across the room to see Rory stumble to her feet and drag their mother who had just walked in out into the hall "She told... well, everyone."
Tristan looked to the frozen Hayden as the boys at the table broke out into chatter at the news "Mary?"
The Gilmore girls heart was racing, heartbeat echoing in her ears until her eyes landed on Paris. Before she could consider her options, Hayden was up on her feet and striding towards the smug girl who watched her mother and sister rush out "Paris! What's the hell is wrong with you?"
The Gellar girl turned to her innocently "Nothing I'm great."
"You've just spent the past two weeks with all of your family's private problems printed in the newspaper for everyone to read and talk about." Hayden shook her head in disbelief "I saw how you walked around here! I saw how much you hated it and I even tried to stop it. And then you turn around and pull something like this? Do you have any idea how many people you've hurt? Forget me, forget Rory and my mom, what about Mr. Medina? He, for some reason beyond human understanding, actually likes you. He encourages you. He hold up your papers and tells the class how great you are. And then you turn around and spread stories about him." Paris didn't speak and Hayden rolled her eyes "Whatever, forget it. You wouldn't understand—"
"I do like Mr. Medina." Paris began with a sigh.
Hayden snorted as she folded her arms across her chest "Well maybe you should come take some dance lessons cause the way you express yourself needs a little work."
Paris frowned "I...probably shouldn't have told people what I saw. I'm sorry... things have been...well... not good lately. I just didn't want them talking about me anymore, that's all."
Hayden sighed, face softening as she looked around seeing all eyes on her as they whispered "Well, it worked."
"Yeah." Paris mumbled sheepishly.
"You know, i-if you want to talk—"
Paris was quick to cut her off, holding up her hands "Hey, we are not friends."
"Oh, that I know." Hayden rolled her eyes "But if you ever do...want to talk about..."
"I will," Paris smiled a little "if I want to."
Hayden returned the expression as she watched the Gellar girl leave before feeling a prescience behind her and turning with a pout. Tristan smiled sympathetically before wrapping his arm around her "Come on, let's get out of here, huh?"
☕️
CATCHING a ride home with Tristan, Rory waited until she and Hayden where bearing their porch before filling her in "I yelled at her."
"Good." Hayden scoffed "She deserves it. Why would she kiss him at school?"
"To say goodbye..." Rory sighed as the pair entered the house "She broke up with him."
Hayden paused before her her face dropped in guilt "Mom?" She called out, she and Rory dropping their bags at the bottom of the stairs before rushing up "Mom, we're home!"
The pair bundled into their mothers room only to freeze at the sight of her curled up in bed, tears streaming down her face "Mom..."
When Lorelai merely broke out into a heartbroken sob, the twins acted quickly and gathered on either side of her to pull her into a hug. As Rory stroked her hair from behind, Hayden wiped at her mothers tears "It's gonna be okay, Mom. We're here."
Rory rested her chin on her shoulder as she nodded "We always will be."