Thea sat on a picnic blanket while she watched Aiden take pictures of the abandoned Dragonfly Inn. Sometimes she liked going to the Dragonfly just to read because she liked how peaceful it was, although she could do without getting chased by the Armbrusters. She liked sitting on the porch, since she brought a chair there or even on a picnic blanket under a tree. 

She liked imagining that it was her home and she lived there with her friends once it got refurbished, maybe even had some children running around.

It was nearing sunset when Sage finally showed up.

Sage set his backpack on the picnic blanket and kissed the top of Thea's head.

"Our boyfriend is around here somewhere," Thea stated as Sage sat down.

"Okay," Sage replied as he opened his backpack. He stopped and looked at her, "Wait, what?" Thea laughed. "Just for that, you're not getting any wine that I took from my mom."

Thea rolled her eyes. She knew that Sookie allowed him to take it, just the one bottle, since she was of the mindset that if she acted like alcohol was some forbidden secret, it'll just make them seek it out more.

Besides, she wanted to be open with Sage about those types of things. She even told him about sex and how it was okay if he sought it out as long as he had condoms and the girl was sober and wanted it and that No Means No and Stop means Stop. She also told him that drinking alcohol was okay in moderation as long as he wasn't getting black-out drunk and never get in a car with a drunk person.

It was sort of like how Lorelai raised her and Rory – except for the sex thing. She had warned them about the dangers of sex (teen pregnancy) and guys who would pressure them into it. However, Annette told Thea that it was fine as long as she made sure the guy wore a condom and got away if he didn't wear one and to dump the guy if he tried to pressure her into having sex.

Annette also told her if the guy spread a rumor that they did have sex, to spread rumors about the guy having some disgusting fetishes. Annette also gave her a book called Forever... by Judy Blume to read, which was very informative.

So, she took a mug of wine that Sage handed her, and accepted a kiss that Sage gave her, and looked towards Aiden, who came out from the back of the inn.

"So, that's where you went," Thea told him.

"I wanted to see the back," Aiden said. "I forgot that this place existed." He sat down on the picnic blanket and took the bottle of wine from Sage and took a very long drink.

"Yeah, Fran owns it," Thea told him. "I come here sometimes."

"That explains tossing the ducks some bread and gunning for it when they were distracted," Aiden stated.

Thea nodded, "Yeah." She looked at the inn.

"I think Sookie and your mom would like to know this place exists," Sage said.

The idea of Lorelai taking something from her, scared her. This place was hers, not theirs. She didn't want them taking it from her. She wanted the inn a little longer.

"No. Don't tell them," Thea said. "Besides, Fran won't sell it anyway. It's like her baby and she doesn't want to abandon it." 

Thea woke up to Rory yelling, "It's 7:10!"

She almost groaned, but got up anyway. She needed to get dressed, eat something, and meet up with her friends.

She lied awake in her bed listening to Rory yell at Lorelai for oversleeping. She considered getting a cat. Lorelai didn't like cats, sure, but that didn't mean anything.

They once had a hamster, but Lorelai took it back to the pet store. Sure, Skippy bit Lorelai repeatedly and bit Rory once, but Skippy seemed fine with Thea. The hamster allowed Thea to hold him and all. Lorelai ended up taking the hamster back. Thea was sure that Lorelai returned Skippy because he liked Thea (and bit Rory and Lorelai) but Thea digressed. She had money, so she can afford taking care of a cat.

Thea tossed her blanket to the side and got up to get dressed in regular jeans, a Stars Hollow High shirt under a black sweater, and gray converse. She got her backpack and was now on her way. She went downstairs and spotted Rory standing at one of the banisters.

Rory yelled, "It's seven—"

"Don't even finish that sentence!" Lorelai demanded as she came down the stairs.

She wore the most awful outfit Thea had ever seen – denim cut-off jeans, cowboy boots, and a pink tie-dye v-neck shirt.

Lorelai asked, "What?"

"Nothing," Rory replied. "I just didn't know the rodeo was in town."

"All right's, that's it," Lorelai said. She grabbed picture from a side table. "I'm bringing the baby pictures." She took off outside.

There were only two baby pictures that included Thea, the rest were of Rory.

"No! I'm sorry! I love the rodeo!" Rory chased after Lorelai, "The rodeo rules!"

Thea went to Luke's and sat on a stool at the counter. Luke looked at her.

"Eggs benedict, a side of bacon, and coffee, please," Thea told him.

Luke tossed a towel over his shoulder, "Okay." He poured her some coffee.

Thea said, "I think I have an English test today on Huckleberry Finn."

Luke nodded, "Good luck with it."

"Thanks," Thea said, then Luke went in the kitchen.

Georgia came in and sat next to Thea, "We're going to watch Huckleberry Finn in English."

"Oh, great," Thea muttered. "I can probably get some sleep during it."

Georgia nodded, "Yeah. I'm just glad that we're through with Huckleberry Finn."

"Me too," Thea said. "I think we're doing Of Mice and Men, Night, and after that, we're reading To Kill a Mockingbird."

Georgia asked, "Night?"

"Holocaust biography," Thea told her.

Georgia nodded, "Right."

Liberty came out of the kitchen and placed the eggs benedict in front of Thea.

"Thank you," Thea told her.

Liberty gave her a look, "You know, you're the only one who actually says 'please' and 'thank you' to us. Your mom and sister don't."

That was a weird thing to point out.

"It is kind of rude of them," Georgia stated.

Thea shrugged.

Luke came in and set a plate of crêpes and a glass of orange juice in front of Georgia, because the girl was a creature of habit when it came to her breakfast food.

"Thanks," Georgia said to Luke.

"My mom and Rory are heading to Chilton today," Thea said to Georgia. "My mom got up a bit later than expected." Luke nodded. "You should've seen the outfit she was wearing when she left. I didn't even know she had that in her wardrobe either."

Thea was trying to focus on her math work, but it seemed like Dean was whispering, "Thea."

Thea tried to ignore him.

"Thea," Dean whispered again.

Thea gripped her pencil.

"Theodosia," Dean whispered.

Thea definitely tried not to stab him in the neck. She turned to him, "What?"

Dean started, "This math problem—"

"Is there a problem over there, Mr. Forrester and Miss Gilmore?" the teacher interrupted.

Of course she got in trouble even though she wasn't doing anything.

Thea looked at the teacher, "No, Ms. Whittaker. Everything's just fine." She glared at Dean for it.

When the teacher looked away to go back to grading, Thea flipped Dean off for getting her in trouble.

Dean looked shocked, as if he didn't except that from her, because Rory would never do such a thing. And Rory was prim and proper and perfect and Thea was inappropriate and improper and imperfect.

Thea looked back at her work.

Thea went to the lunch table where her friends were at and flopped down into a chair. She opened the wrapper on her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"We should go to the mall after school," Liberty stated.

"Sure," Thea replied. She knew that Lorelai was going to at least go to Chilton after work to pick up Rory to hear all about Rory's first day at a prep school. Besides, Thea wanted to see what kind of books they had.

Lane walked over to them and sat down at their table. She looked at her food, "What are we talking about?"

"We're just trying to figure out what to do after school," Sage told her.

"Oh," Lane replied, looking dejected. "I have to study for a test and listen to my parents try to find another future Korean doctor for me to marry."

Thea grimaced at the idea of her mother and sister trying to figure out who Thea should marry. However, they had no interest in her so she was free to date whoever the hell she wanted. She nodded in sympathy for Lane, "That really sucks, Lane."

"I know," Lane replied. "I told my mom that I want to find my own boyfriend, but she told me that I should want a future doctor."

Thea grimaced at the thought, "I'm sorry you have to deal with that."

"Me too," Lane stated. "I love them; they're my parents, but..."

"You just want to date who you want?" Thea finished.

Lane nodded, "Yeah."

The rest of the day past by with Thea feeling like she was in a daze because some of her teachers basically wanted her to go in some deep discussion of something that Rory normally would've done before she went to Chilton.

Of course she got That Look.

That Look being: 'Why Are You Not Rory?'

It was frustrating because she and Rory were two different people, not one whole entity like the Grady sisters from The Shining, at least the movie version.

She made her way to her next class when Aiden came up to her in the hall.

Aiden asked, "Can I come over to your house?"

"Sure," Thea said. Maybe she can cram in a study and make out session while Lorelai was gone.

She went to her chemistry class, last class of the day, and went to the table that she shared with Liberty.

"Theodosia, what did you think of In Broad Daylight?" Her chemistry teacher, Mr. Conn, asked as he closed the book that he was reading.

He was probably one of the few people and teachers that didn't see her as an extension of Rory, or Rory incarnate.

Mr. Conn for some reason liked Thea's full name and used it at every opportunity. Thea didn't mind. They swapped book recommendations and sometimes talked about archery, something that they first bonded over. He was sort of like an uncle figure to Thea.

"I think McElroy deserved it," Thea told him as she handed the book back to the teacher. "Mr. Conn, what did you think of A Game of Thrones?"

"I'm still reading it. Your tabs on this book very interesting," Mr. Conn stated, looking at the colorful tabs.

"I'm already making tabs on the next two books for you," Thea told him. 

Mr. Conn set the book aside, and took another book out of a desk drawer. He set it down, and slid it to Thea. "The next book you're going to read is American Psycho."

Thea looked at the book and at her teacher. She joked, "I thought I read it because McElroy was a real American Psycho."

"That guy is a real piece of work, but you should read about Patrick Bateman and then watch the movie," Mr. Conn told her.

Thea took the book and looked at it one more time. She nodded, "Okay." She went to her desk as students started walking in.

After school, Thea would've gone back to her home with Aiden, maybe to do some homework together and maybe make out a little, but she spotted Lorelai waiting with her jeep.

Thea felt her eye twitch at the sight. Lorelai just wanted to rub salt in the wound that Rory was going to a prep school and Thea wasn't.

Aiden seemed to glower because he knew he wasn't going to get a make out session.

"See you guys around," Thea muttered to them before going to Lorelai's car.

Lorelai handed her a to-go cup of coffee, "I got you a cappuccino."

"Thanks," Thea said, before getting in the jeep. She took out American Psycho to read while Lorelai drove to Chilton. "Did you have a crappy day?"

"Yeah," Lorelai replied. "I so don't want to talk about it."

"Okay," Thea replied as she opened the book to where she left out.

Lorelai started talking, "I had the worst first day outfit, your grandmother wanted to give us DHL—"

"Nothing wrong with having faster internet," Thea stated.

"She wanted to give you and Rory a car, along with a parking spot at Chilton," Lorelai continued.

And by 'you' she meant Rory. Rory would've been given a car since Thea could walk to school, so, it would've been Rory's car. Besides, she doubted that Emily even considered giving Thea a car, Lorelai was just being nice by including Thea in that statement.

"Someone called and said that you had archery practice tomorrow," Lorelai told her.

That 'someone' was a girl named Gwen who was the leader of the Stars Hollow Archers. No surprise that Lorelai didn't know Gwen's name since sometimes she forgets Georgia's and Aiden's names. However, she only knew Liberty's name because of Luke and Sage's name because of Sookie.

Once they got to Chilton, Thea got out of the car to stretch.

It was a pretty school, she'll give it that.

A blond guy came up to her, "I don't remember seeing someone as pretty as you around. So, you're not coming here."

Thea looked at him. He was good-looking and he clearly knew that. She wasn't interested.

"Tristan Dugray," the guy said. "And you are?"

"Not interested in whatever the hell you're trying to sell me," Thea stated. She looked back at Lorelai and Rory, who were hugging each other.

Dugray looked over too, "You're related to Mary?"

Thea asked, "Who the hell is Mary?"

Dugray nodded, looking at Rory with some kind of fond expression, "Mary."

"Her name is Rory and yes, she's my twin," Thea replied. She went to the jeep, feeling something acidic in her stomach again. Lorelai never hugged her like how she hugged Rory.

Tristan grabbed her arm, "Hey, come on. I didn't get your name."

"If you can't get my sister's name right, what makes me think you'll get my name right?" Thea asked, shaking Dugray's hand off her arm. "Let go of me. I'm not interested. I'm dating someone. I'm only here for my sister and I'm not interested in becoming Girl #30 for you."

"Give me some credit," Dugray said. "You won't be Girl #30. So you came here to check out the student body and you're not interested in anyone."

"I'm dating someone," Thea told him. She would've thrown the fact that she was dating two guys, but he probably won't believe her anyway.

Dugray asked, "Is your sister dating someone?"

"Fuck off," Thea told him, moving away from him. She almost shuddered at how slimy that was.

She got in the car and took out her Walkman to listen to while Rory talked about her day or whatever.

After getting back to Stars Hollow, Thea went to Aiden's home, although she stopped by to tell Lane that Rory was home.

So, after leaving Lane's home, she went onto Aiden's home. His aunt and uncle weren't there, but Aiden allowed her in, grabbing a hold of her waist and kissing her deeply. She closed the door behind her as they made their way inside the house and towards Aiden's bedroom.

They didn't get very far, Thea wasn't ready for sex yet, they just did some over the clothes light groping, before they pulled themselves together to do homework in case Aiden's relatives came back and stumbled upon them.

It was a good thing, because two minutes later afterwards, Aiden's aunt Susan and uncle Rob came back, although Sage, Liberty, and Georgia showed up as well.

So, they sat down on the couch to watch a movie together.

Sage put his arm around Thea's shoulders, pulling her close, and kissing her temple, "So, what are we watching?"

"This movie called Sometimes They Come Back," Aiden stated. "It was from a Stephen King short story. That's all I know about it."

"I think I read that short story," Georgia said. "Some guy was murdered in a train tunnel, I think."

"Ssh, don't spoil it," Sage stated.

Georgia gave him a glare and Thea laughed because she right where she belonged, with her friends.