"Mom, I'm coming out."

My mother turned around at me entering the door. She had her reading glasses on and was holding a magazine. The couch she was sitting on was facing the tv that was turned on but muted.

She looked at me as she pushed her glasses up into her dark hair. "You're gay?"

"What? No, I'm coming out to society." I rephrase as I put my school bag down and and sit next to her in the couch.

She closes the magazine. "Yes, I heard about that," she says solemnly.

"How? I just got back."

She takes a deep sigh before looking into my eyes. "Nana called," she begins as I groan. "She told me all about it."

I bury my face into the nearest pillow. "Is there anyway I can get out of it?"

"I could, but your Nana is on the way here and..." she trails off.

I pick my face off the pillow and sit up straight. "What?" I ask in disbelief. "You mean she's on the way here. From London."

My mother just nods. "She's on the way here. All the way from Europe!" I repeat. She winces, a look on her face signalling she knows something I don't. "Oh my god. Is there more?"

"Well, her and your grandfather are on the way from Europe."

I let out a loud moan and flop back onto the couch. "There's no way we can get out of it now, right?" I ask hopefully as I stare up at the ceiling fan.

Running her hands through my hair soothingly, she's begins to speak. "Honestly Cassie, I tried. I really did try to get her to drop it. But you should've heard how happy she sounded." She began looking down at me. "And you know how lonely they get up there. I just had to agree."

I let out a big breathe. "Yeah you're right," I agree sadly.

Giving my forehead a light kiss, she begins to stand up. "Thank you," she says quietly.

"Curse us and our good hearts." I grumbled before rolling off the couch dramatically.

~~~

"We need an escort?" I ask with a groan. Rory, sitting across from me grabbed the pamphlet out of my hands.

Luke's diner was busy as usual, especially since it was early in the morning. I sipped on my coffee as Rory scanned through the pamphlet. However instead of the warm bitter liquid seeping into my mouth I was met with a mouthful of air.

Looking down into my cup I realised it was empty. I said a quick 'be right back' to Rory before heading over to the counter to get a refill.

"Oh, Romeo." I called teasingly out to Jess who's back was turned to me. He turns around with three plates in his hand.

"Yes, my love?" He shoots back as I frown.

I ignore him. "Where's the coffee?" I ask pointing to the empty pot of coffee.

Jess looks where I'm pointing and sighs. "We're all out." He walks out from behind the counter to hand a few people their plates. I followed him in my uniform with my empty mug in hand.

I look at him with a scowl on my face. "What do you mean it's all out?" I ask incredulously.

He shakes his head as he passes the last plate to out. "I mean, we're all out." He repeats once more.

"But I need my coffee!"

He walks back to the counter with some empty plates that he had picked up. "Don't they sell coffee at your fancy school?" He motions to my uniform with a raised brow.

I was about to answer when I heard Rory calling my name from the table. I sent Jess one last pleading look before he sighs.

"If it makes you feel any better," he begins. "Luke went out to buy more. He should be back soon."

I sent him and exasperated look. "Why didn't you lead with that?"

Jess shook his head at me. "With your constant yapping I couldn't get anything in," he defends.

I sent him a glare. "I don't yap."

Jess scoffs. "You do too."

"I do not. If anyone's yapping it's you," I snap playfully.

"Oh yeah? Then what are you doing right now?" He cocks his head to the side. "Oh that's right, you're yapping."

As I was about to argue back with him I felt Rory tap my shoulder. I look towards her to see that she was looking at me anxiously. "Oh sorry, what was it?" I ask her.

Jess, who still hadn't left watched how Rory seemed to not want to tell me something. "An escort isn't the only thing you'll need," She begins warily. She put the pamphlet down on the counter.

I saw Jess take a quick look at the pamphlet before continuing wiping down some plates behind the counter.

"What what else do we need? A carriage to ride in?" I asked sarcastically.

But looking at Rory's face I realised she wasn't finding it funny. "You'll need your father to present you."

I could feel my face visibly pale. How was I supposed to get my father to present me. I've never even met the guy let alone spoken to him. Oh god, I was not doing this.

Noticing my lack of speech Rory began to talk. "I mean, I'm sure you don't need to. Exceptions have been known to be made." She tries helpfully.

"I, um. Rory, why don't you head to school first," I suggest.

"Are you sure?"

I nod. "There's just somethings I have to take care of first." Rory says her goodbyes before heading out of the diner.

I take a seat by the counter. Trying to come up of any way to get myself out of this. There has to be something I could do. I put my head in my hands as I groaned.

"You feeling okay, Cherry?"

I look up to see Jess looking down on me with a frown on his face. "I feel exactly like Brad Pitt when he got hit by the car in 'Meet Joe Black',"

Jess let's out a small chuckle at my words. "On the bright side, at least you're not possessed by death itself," he tries.

I let out a small smile at his attempts to cheer me up. "Well, as much fun as this has been, I've got to have a long chat with my mum." I stand up.

"Are you sure you don't wanna wait for Luke?"

"Jess, I'm fine seriously. I've got to talk to my mum and you've got to get to school," I point a finger at his chest.

"Whatever you say, Cherry." He sends me one final smirk before I grab my bag and head out the door.

~~~

"Did you know about this?" I ask my mother angrily as I slam the pamphlet on the reception desk. The Independence Inn was relatively empty with the exception of a few staff members walking around. I had passed Lorelai on my way in, where she asked me 'what was I doing here and shouldn't I be in school?' I had waved her off by asking for my mother and assuring her that Rory was in school.

After all of that I found my mother at the reception desk where she was logging something into the computer. Now, back to the matter at hand.

My mother looked up at me with a sigh. "I knew," she confirms my suspicions.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me? Or better yet, get me out of this thing!" I shout, furious at her.

"Calm down, I'm sure we can find someone else to take his place," she tried to reason with me.

"Who? There's no one who can take his place. You know why? Cause I don't have a father in my life!" I knew I was being dramatic but I didn't care.

I hated this whole thing. This stupid ball. This stupid 'fathers have to present their daughters' thing. Why couldn't mothers present their daughters? They have such a bigger part in our lives than a father ever would. Even if I had a father in my life I know that my mother would still hold the place as first parent.

"Now, stop it. Remember, were doing this for grandma." She tells me sternly.

To hell with grandma. That's what I wanted to say, but obviously I didn't. Instead I say, "I'm sure she'll understand."

"Listen to me," my mother says very carefully as she gently caresses my face over the desk between us. "We don't need him. We don't need your father. We never have, and we never will."

I scoff. "I know that. But it seems that we kinda need him for this," I say sarcastically.

My mother shakes her head at me. "No, I don't think you understand. We don't need him. We can find someone else, someone who's actually been there to see you grow up into the wonderful person you are."

"Who?"

"Well, I can think of a certain grumpy diner owner." Luke.

As usual my mother was right. Luke was there when I won my first debate. He was there when I broke my arm when I fell of the roof of our house -don't ask. He was there for most of my major milestones. He was most likely the closest thing to a father I had.

"Luke? He'll never agree to it."

My mother winks at me. "Leave that to me. You head on over to school and think about who's gonna be your escort."

I nod at her words as I began to pick up my bag that I dropped in anger just now. "I'm sorry for getting so upset," I apologised.

"It's okay, sometimes I think like that too. I think of how hard it is doing it on my own. But the thing is, we're not alone. We have Luke and Lorelai. And you have Rory." She says with a gentle smile. "So instead of getting a father, you get one big family."

~~~

As I stuffed my bag and extra books into my locker, I heard the sound of footsteps in the empty school hallway. I finished putting my stuff in my locker before slamming the door shut. I turn around to see who was walking only to get a hand clamped on my mouth.

I begin to panic as I ran through countless scenarios in my head. Most of them end up with me being dead. Thinking through everything my mum ever told me to do if I was ever in a situation like this. I remembered that she told me to use my elbows. So that's exactly what I did.

I elbowed whoever my captor was. Instead of them fighting back like I expected, they let go of me with a loud groan. I turned around expecting to see a middle aged man or a psychopath covered in blood.

All I got was a face full of Tristan Dugray on the floor, clutching his stomach. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" I quickly apologised before helping him up.

He leans on one of the lockers as he sends me a glare. "All I wanted was for you to not tell everyone I was skipping class!"

"Well, I'm sure there's a better way than practically kidnapping me!" I snap back.

"Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you were free to study."

"Now?"

Tristan looks at me with a scoff. "No, two weeks from now. Is half past three okay for you?" He says sarcastically.

I send him a scoff. "You're ditching class, so that I can help you study?"

"Is that a no?"

"Of course its a no! I have class!" I was about to continue on about how dumb his idea was when what my mother said struck me.

Tristan looked at me skeptically after noticing my frozen look. "Okay, okay. We don't have to study now, just unfreeze your face. It's getting creepy."

"Will you be my escort?" I ask him.

He looks at me in disbelief. "I'm sorry, could to repeat that? I think I heard you say you want me to be your escort."

"No. Not want, need." I repeat. "Look, I got roped into this Debutante Ball next week and I need an escort. And since you're well, you I figured that you've done this whole thing before," I quickly explain.

"Why would I ever say yes to another one of those horrific nights?"

I smirk at him cockily, "Well, you owe me."

The look of despair on his face already said he agreed.