❝𝙸 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞,
𝙰𝚜 𝙸 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜,
𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢.
𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞,
𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍,
𝚆𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚙 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢.❞
𝚂𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚝 – 𝙻𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝙱𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍

There was field hockey practice, because they needed to condition for the fall season.

Sure, there was summer school, but that was optional and Elsie really didn't want the extra stress added onto her. It would be a good distraction, considering how Elsie felt out of place within her friend-group despite them trying to act like the whole month hadn't happened.

Cassian had become clingier, always being next to Elsie, or having one arm around her shoulders, or having her cuddled up to him when they watched movies together, always one arm around her.

She knew that he was worried that she would end up 'disappearing' again, so he was just being a little over-affectionate and a little clingy to make up for lost time.

Elsie had decided that she and Cassian should take things slow, more for Elsie's benefit because she didn't trust herself. Cassian had looked a little pained and had agreed to take it slow.

So, field hockey was a nice distraction, except for the ugly uniform that they had to wear; blue plaid athletic skirts that looked like the uniform skirt, white tee-shirts (at least for practice), white or gray tube socks, and cleats.

It felt like a bit of normalcy for her considering the month that she had been through.

So, she went through the motions of conditioning before heading home.

When she got home from conditioning, her grandparents were happy. She knew that the class ranks were supposed to come in today.

She must still be in the top three percent considering how she had fallen behind a little.

She looked at them, "I'm still in the top three?"

"You actually made it to the top one percent," Emily told her with a very wide smile.

Elsie was in disbelief, "I did what?"

Emily was beaming with pride, "You made it to the one percent."

Elsie still couldn't believe it. She fell behind, but she made it to the very top; well, behind Paris at least.

"Go wash up," Emily told Elsie. "We're making your favorite for dinner to celebrate and Lorelai and Rory will be here."

Elsie nodded and went upstairs to wash up.

Elsie got dressed and went downstairs to wait for Lorelai and Rory to show up.

Richard was busy so it was just Elsie looking at her black converse shoes.

Lorelai rang the doorbell and Emily went to go answer the door. Emily led Lorelai to the living room. Emily was saying, "I had Antonia make some Roquefort puffs because they're Elsie's favorite." She called out, "Antonia, bring the puffs!"

For a brief moment, Elsie imagined Chilton's 'secret society' The Puffs coming out, but no.

"Come, sit down sit down," Emily was saying. She called out, "Richard!"

Richard called back, "Say nothing until I get there!"

Emily shouted, "Well, hurry up!"

Of course, Emily and Richard were happy because Rory made it in the top three percent, but Elsie liked to think they were happy that Elsie moved up to the top one percent.

"Mom, what's going on?" Lorelai asked. Emily grabbed her arm again moving her into the living room, "Ooh, the nails, the nails, the nails."

"She just got them manicured," Elsie said.

Emily went to get a drink and asked, "So tell me what's new with you girls?"

"Uh, nothing," Lorelai replied.

"Hey, Grandma, Elsie, what about you two?" asked Rory, "Did something special happen?"

They seemed a little nervous, Elsie noticed.

"Well, as a matter of fact," Emily started, "Oh for goodness sake. Richard, damn it!"

Lorelai asked, "Mom, why don't you just tell us what's happening now?"

"Oh, all right," Emily said, sitting down. "I can't wait for your grandfather any longer. Well, you know I'm very good friends with Bitty Charleston, the headmaster's wife."

"And the mother to Cassian, Elsie's boyfriend," Rory joked.

Lorelai nodded, humming an agreement.

Antonia came over with the Roquefort puffs, so Elsie reached over to snag one, taking a napkin.

"Well, we had this little arrangement where she keeps me apprised of all the goings on at Chilton. You know, she tells me all the gossip on the students and their parents, and any piece of information I might find useful. Well, this afternoon she called to tell me the class list just came out and Rory has finished in the top three percent!"

"I know," Lorelai replied.

Lorelai was confused, "You do? Well, who do you know at Chilton?"

"Um, Rory," Lorelai said.

"Oh," replied Emily.

"It wasn't definite, but I had a pretty good idea," Rory replied.

Richard walked in, "Rory, wonderful news. You finished in the top three percent of your class." He had a small gift bag with him.

"Oh, yeah, Dad," Lorelai said. "J. Edgar Hoover over here was just telling us."

Richard said, "What?" To Emily, he spoke, "I told you not to say anything before I got here."

"Well, you took too long," Emily countered.

"It's a simple request," Richard said.

"Just hang up the phone," Emily told him.

"Okay, good news either way," Lorelai said. "Let's all agree on that."

"Well, I assume you told them that Elsie finished in the top one percent," Richard said, handing the gift bag to Elsie.

"Uh, no," Lorelai said. "She didn't tell us that."

"Oh," Emily replied.

Richard handed the gift bag to Elsie, "Here you go."

Elsie took the gift bag and removed the tissue paper that was in it. She took out two boxes, already knowing what was inside of them. She got the exact same boxes last year when she made it in the top three percent.

She opened them and looked at the Montblanc pens that Richard got her.

She set the boxes down and went over to hug Richard, "Thank you."

Richard smiled, "Top pens for the top of the class."

"Paris is the top of the class," Elsie said.

"Either way, I am proud of you, Elsie. New school year, new pens," Richard replied. He looked at Rory, who looked a little left out. "I am immensely proud of you too, Rory."

"Yes, we knew you could do it," Emily added.

"Oh, we certainly did," Richard said.

"We have to celebrate," Emily told her. "Next week, we will have a special dinner, since we're celebrating Elsie."

"Grandma, all of your dinners are special," Rory said.

"Well, this one will be extra special," Emily said. "We'll make all of your favorite foods and you can invite some of your friends."

"There's an excellent chance that presents might be involved," Richard said.

"You guys do not have to do this," Rory said.

Richard said, "For the top three percent?"

"We most certainly do," Emily said.

"You start late, have to catch up, and by the end of the year, you've overtaken almost everyone." Richard said, "A true Gilmore."

"Through and through," Emily said.

Antonia came back in, "Dinner is ready."

"Thank you, Antonia," Emily said. "Shall we?"

"Ah ah ah ah," Richard said, "After the top one percent in her class, followed by the top three percent in her class."

Elsie was amused, "Thank you."

"Yeah," Rory replied. "Thank you very much."

"Uh, just go ahead and start without me," Lorelai said. "I gotta check in at the inn. Michel's there by himself, people could die."

"Well, hurry up," Emily said.

They went into the dining room and sat down.

"I am extremely thrilled about this," Emily said. "Do you think the both of you will get a certificate?"

"I'm not sure," Rory replied.

"Well, they certainly should give you a certificate or a plaque or something," Emily said. "I'll talk to Bitty about that tomorrow."

"I can't wait to tell Tellman McCabe about this," Richard said.

"Oh, Richard," Emily sighed.

"Oh, he's always bragging about that simpleton grandson of his," Richard said.

"William is a lovely boy," Emily said.

"His head is shaped like a football," Richard countered.

Elsie snickered.

"It is not," Emily defended.

"If he fell asleep in the park, someone would try to punt him," Richard continued.

Elsie laughed at the mental image of that.

"Tellman is a very dear friend of yours," Emily said.

"Yes he is," Richard said. "And one should always share wonderful news with one's very good friends."

"You just want to brag," Emily told him.

Richard said, "Well, I think I have a right, don't you?"

"Well goodness, you'd think you were the one who finished in the top three and top one percent of your class," Emily said.

"Well it was my genes and I helped raise Elsie," Richard said. "I get to claim a little responsibility."

Rory screamed, jumped up, and ran over to hug Lorelai.

Elsie was confused, "What was that?"

Richard spilt his drink on his shirt, "Oh!"

"Goodness!" exclaimed Emily.

"I just spilled on my shirt," Richard said. "What are you doing? What are they doing?"

"I'm just as lost as you are," Elsie replied, looking at the two.

"Yeah, I have no idea," Emily agreed. "Stop that you two!"

"Sorry," Lorelai said.

"Yeah, sorry," replied Rory.

"What is going on?" asked Emily.

"Uh, I'm just really jazzed about this whole three and one percent thing," Lorelai said.

Lies, Elsie thought. She didn't such much enthusiasm over Elsie making it to the one percent.

"Yeah, really really jazzed," Rory agreed.

"Yeah," Lorelai said.

There was more screaming and hugging.

"Don't even try to understand, you two," Emily said to Richard and Elsie.

"I'm way ahead of you," Elsie replied.

Emily called out, "Antonia, please bring some club soda for Mr. Gilmore's shirt!"

Pepper asked, "What's going on for next Friday?"

"My grandparents are celebrating Rory making it to the top three percent and she's bringing Dean over to hopefully make up for that out all night stunt that they accidentally pulled on the night of the dance," Elsie explained. She still felt awkward in the group.

Skye asked, "Don't you think it's weird that the Birth Giver never met Cassian yet?"

Elsie was incredulous, "You think she actually cares about that? She doesn't."

"Maybe you should bring Cass over so she can meet him," Vivian said. "She's eventually going to meet him."

"Probably never," Elsie muttered.

Pepper gave her a look, "Just do it already and get it over with."

Elsie almost groaned, "Fine."

Cassian arrived ten minutes early, because he can. He even wore the vest with the patches of bands on it. If Lorelai was going to ignore him, she might as well ignore who he really was. This is him, take him or leave him. Besides, he meet Emily, Richard, and Christopher, so he pretty much earned the approval of the important people in Elsie's life, which was good enough for him and Elsie.

"Antonia, take this and put it in the dining room please," Emily said. Richard went over to her with his bowtie crooked. "Oh, I like that tie."

"It's rather snappy, isn't it?" Richard said. He realized something, "Oh, oh, oh."

"Richard, don't you dare get on that phone. They'll be here any second," Emily said.

"I'm not getting on the phone," Richard said. "I'm going to give Rory that first edition of Mencken's Chrestomathy."

Cassian was lounging on the couch. He seemed confused, "The hell's Chrestomathy?"

Elsie waved it off.

The doorbell rang.

Emily, Rory, Lorelai, and Dean came into the living room. Lorelai looked at Cassian who had to sit up.

Dean looked at Cassian, "Uh, Craig right?"

"Cassian," he corrected.

"Mother, this is Cassian," Elsie said to Lorelai.

Lorelai was looking at the patches on Cassian's vest, "Uh, hi, nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Cassian said.

Emily asked, "So, what would everyone like to drink?"

"Uh, well, I'll have a white wine and Dean'll have a beer," Lorelai said.

"What?" exclaimed Dean.

Lorelai joked, "Corona, right?"

"No, I don't want a beer! I don't drink beer. I'll have water or soda or anything. Or nothing. Not beer. Never beer. Beer is...beer's bad," Dean said, fumbling over his words.

"Relax Dean, that's just Lorelai's little sense of humor," Emily said. She passed Lorelai her white wine, "You're very cruel."

"Well, yes, keeps me young," Lorelai retorted.

"I'm just gonna sit here and stare at my hands," Dean stated.

Emily asked, "Soda, Dean?"

"Please," Dean said.

Emily asked, "Elsie, Cass, Rory?"

"I'll take a beer," Cassian joked.

"Me too," Elsie said.

"Rory?" prompted Emily passing out the sodas.

"Oh, I'll have a beer too," Rory joked. Emily and Lorelai laughed. "I'm sorry, Dean, we're not laughing at you."

Elsie was laughing at him.

"Oh, wait, I think I was," Lorelai said.

"I think I was a little too," Emily said. Richard came into the living room. "Oh, Richard, there you are. Come join us."

"Hey, Dad," Lorelai said.

Rory said, "Grandpa, hi. This is Dean." To Dean, "Dean, this is my grandpa."

Richard stared at Dean.

"Hi," Dean greeted. He got up, "Sorry, uh, hi." He went to Richard.

"Hello," Richard said.

"It's uh...it's nice to meet..." Dean started, offering his hand.

Richard ignored him, "Does everyone have drinks?"

"Uh, yeah, well all have drinks," Lorelai said. "Thanks."

Dean whispered something to Lorelai.

Richard got himself something to drink and turned to Cassian, "Cass, it's good to see you."

Cassian nodded, "Yeah, it's good to see you too, Richard."

"How's Hanlin doing? I didn't see him at the country club," Richard said.

"Last I saw, my mom was talking to him about giving out plaques or certificates to the top students," Cassian said, sounding slightly confused.

"Ah, well, it was my idea," Emily said. "Need to display Elsie's and Rory's accomplishment."

Richard looked at Cassian again, "Is that a new patch on your vest?"

Cassian looked at it, "Oh, yeah. It's Judas Priest. My parents took me to see them live in London in June."

Richard nodded, though he never heard of the band before.

Lorelai didn't get it. Here was Dean, a perfect respectable guy, Richard was ignoring in favor of Cassian. 

Even Dean looked a little put out with the obvious favoritism.

Richard asked, "Did you enjoy it?"

Cassian nodded, "Yeah."

When dinner was ready, they moved to the dining room.

Whatever the hell that was on Elsie's plate, however, she didn't want it. Even Cassian looked at her like, 'when this over, I'll take you and get you some real food'.

"Grandma, I can't believe you found the recipe for Beefaroni," Rory said.

Even the name was disgusting. It sounded like someone throwing up, Elsie thought.

"It wasn't easy," Emily said. "Antonia thought I'd gone insane."

"Well..." Lorelai started.

"No one needs a comment from you," Emily said.

Lorelai said, "No, I was just gonna say, 'what's the secret'?"

"Well, let's just say it's not beef," Emily stated.

Cassian and Elsie pushed their plates away, thankful that they hadn't eaten a single bite.

"Oh, okay, I'm done," Lorelai stated.

"Me too," Rory said.

Emily asked, "Dean, would you like some more?"

"Uh, no," Dean said. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Well, then I guess it must be present time," Emily said.

"You didn't have to," Rory replied.

"Oh, yeah, Mom, you didn't have to." Lorelai added, "Unless you got something that'll fit me too, in which, good going."

Emily got up to get Rory's present, "I had to. We got Elsie something so it's fair to get you something, too." She got the box and handed it to Rory, "Here you go, Rory. Congratulations, we're so proud."

Rory smiled, "Thanks Grandma. Thanks Grandpa."

"Now go on, open it," Emily said.

"Okay," Rory said. She removed the ribbon and opened the box. They were pens, but not quite as fancy as Elsie's.

"Oh, pens," Lorelai said, "All yours."

Rory set the pens aside, "It's beautiful."

"I think the top student deserved the top tools," Emily said.

"Thank you so much," Rory said. "Really."

Cassian leaned over to look at the pens, "I think that's a thing parents do. My parents got me similar pens when I got in the top two percent," He added, "And chocolates from Switzerland."

"They took you to Switzerland," Elsie corrected, "And then bought you chocolates."

Lorelai said, "Uh, uh, well, pens and Swiss chocolates are very nice, but I just bet there is a fabulous fancy dessert just sitting out there in that kitchen of yours."

"As a matter of fact there is." Emily said, "Twinkies."

Lorelai said, "What?"

Twinkies were something that Elsie had seen in a gas station in the middle of nowhere.

"Well, Rory told me that was her favorite dessert," Emily said.

"Emily Gilmore, you are one class broad," Lorelai said.

"Antonia, please bring out the Twinkies," Emily called out.

"I can't believe I just heard you say those words," Lorelai said.

"Well, don't get used to it," Emily said.

Richard asked, "So, Dean, where are you planning to go to college?"

Dean seemed caught off guard, "Oh, uh, well I..."

"Geez Dad, start off with 'what's your favorite baseball team' or something," Lorelai said. "And why don't you ask Cass—"

"Cassian," he corrected.

"Cassian where he wants to go to college," Lorelai finished.

"I'm talking to Dean and I already know that Cassian wants to go to Louisiana State University to study biochemistry," Richard said.

"I don't know which college I want to go yet," Dean replied.

Richard asked, "You don't?"

"No, not yet," Dean replied.

"How can you not know? You're going to be a junior, right? That's when you start taking school seriously," Cassian said.

"Well, not all of us can have a college picked out in kindergarten," Lorelai told him.

Richard said to Dean, "Well, besides that, what kind of grades do you get?"

"Richard, please don't grill the boy," Emily admonished.

"I'm not grilling the boy, Emily. It's an easy question." Richard asked, "As, Bs, Cs?"

"I get a mixture actually," Dean said.

"Mixture?" asked Richard. He laughed, "What's the ratio?"

"Richard..." Emily admonished.

"I'm just trying to get to know the boy, Emily," Richard said. "After all, Rory brings home a young man to dinner; the least we can do is learn something about him."

"He changes a mean water bottle," Lorelai said.

The hell does that mean?

Dean said, "I get a couple As, couple Bs, few Cs," Dean said.

"Really?" asked Richard.

Cassian seemed confused and asked, Dean, "How do you get Cs? School is easy."

Judging from that comment, Cassian was probably getting straight As. Lorelai still didn't get the favoritism considering that Cassian and Elsie were obviously playing footsies with each other.

"I'm not great in math," Dean said.

Lorelai said, "Yeah, except who is really? You know, except mathematicians or the blackjack dealers, or I guess Stephen Hawking doesn't suck, but you know... You know what else is good though, Mom, is a Ho-Ho. Because if you can't find a Twinkie, you know, treat yourself to a nice Ho-Ho. How long does it take to open a box?"

"She's making them," Emily said.

"She's making Twinkies? You're kidding," Lorelai said.

Emily said, "Oh, Richard, wasn't there a book you wanted to give Rory?"

"In a minute," Richard said. "So, Dean..."

"Uh, Grandpa?" asked Rory.

Richard said, "You do know that Rory is going to an Ivy League school?"

"I know," Dean said.

"Harvard, Princeton, Yale," Richard started.

"He said he knew, Dad," Lorelai said.

"You need top grade to get into a top school," Richard continued.

"Yeah, well, Rory's really smart," Dean said.

"Yeah, she is really smart," Richard said. "And so is Elsie for that matter."

Rory said, "Mom?"

Lorelai started, "Yeah, why don't we all go sit in the uh..."

Richard asked Dean, "So, how are you planning to make a living once you graduate from this college you haven't thought anything about yet?"

Rory asked, "Grandpa, can we talk about something else?"

"I'm going to get that book," Emily said, taking off.

"I asked you a question," Richard told Dean.

"I don't know what I want to do," Dean replied.

"You know, when I was ten-years-old, I knew exactly where I wanted to work," Richard said. "Even Elsie knew she wanted to be an architect."

"That's because you two were always picked last for dodgeball," Lorelai said.

"Actually, Elsie is always picked first, because she had good aim," Cassian corrected her.

Lorelai glared at him.

"I knew I wanted to go to Yale and put on a nice suit everyday and be a very important man in a very powerful firm," Richard continued. "And I knew I wanted to travel and see the world."

"Well, that's great," Dean said.

Richard said, "I wanted to see La Traviata at the La Scala opera house. I wanted to walk the ruins of Pompeii. I wanted to travel the Far East—"

"And be a ballerina or a fireman," Lorelai added.

"Lorelai, this isn't funny," Richard told her.

"It's a little funny to think of a ten-year-old kid dreaming of the La Scala opera house," Lorelai said.

"Rory and Elsie do. They want to travel. They have plans," Richard said.

"Rory's special," Lorelai said.

"And your other daughter doesn't exist, apparently," Cassian said. "But then again, I shouldn't call Elsie your daughter since you gave up those rights when you left her behind."

Emily returned with the book, "I got it."

"Dean is special too, Grandpa," Rory said.

"Rory," Dean started.

"You don't even know him," Rory said.

"I know enough," Richard replied.

Yeah, and argument was going to explode over the table.

"No, you don't," Rory said.

"I'm excusing myself from the table to get some actual food," Elsie said, getting up.

"Me too," Cassian said and they both took off.

Emily had this 'God help me' look on her face.

Cassian did take Elsie out for food and when Elsie got back home, Emily said, "Lorelai's getting married on the twenty-first."

Elsie glowered because she didn't know that Lorelai was even engaged.