The Other Gilmore

New Year...

It was the first day of school. Lorelai, Rory, and Frankie were all at Luke's diner getting breakfast. Rory was freaking out that she would be late which was a conversation that Frankie did not want to be a part of, so she walked up to the counter.

"Need something, Frankie?" Luke asked, not looking up from his task.

"You know, Luke, I think we've been through this bit enough times to know exactly what's going to happen next."

Luke looked up from the counter, an unamused expression on his face.

Frankie rolled her eyes. "Fine, if you want to keep going through the same motions we do every day, so be it. Coffee, please!" she exclaimed, batting her eyelashes.

"You know coffee stunts your growth, right?"

The girl cocked her head to the side. "You know we have the same conversation every day, right?"

"I like the predictability you bring me, what can I say." Luke shrugged, sliding a mug towards Frankie, who smiled.

"Well then. Good thing I'm not growing anymore." She picked up the mug and took a big sip. Luke chuckled and shook his head as he went back to work.

"Oh, my goodness! Did I just make Luke Danes chuckle?"

"No! No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did! I did! Mom, we have to alert the town crier! Luke Danes chuckled!"

Lorelai walked up to the counter as Taylor Doose and a troupe of boy scouts entered the diner. Frankie tuned out the conversation as she drank her coffee. The only thing that brought her back to earth was Luke yelling at the phone.

"This is unbelievable! You will never change, will you?! Okay, fine. Do what you want, make the arrangements. Now, I'm working, we'll finish this later."

"Is everything okay?" Lorelai asked cautiously, holding a bag of doughnuts.

"Do you have a sister?" Luke asked, obviously agitated.

"No," she responded.

"Yes," Frankie answered.

"You have my sympathies."

"Eh, it's not all bad. But thanks," she grinned at Luke, earning a light smack from her mother.

Once Rory and Lorelai left for Chilton, Frankie made her way to school. She was early, which was unusual, so she decided to wait for Kayla by the gazebo. It was tradition that they walk into school together on the first day of the year.

"Kayla!" Frankie yelled across the street, waving her arms frantically. Her friend whipped her head around, a huge smile gracing her face as she waved back.

Frankie sprinted over and crashed into Kayla, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

Kayla laughed. "How much coffee have you had today?"

"I don't know," Frankie said with a shrug, arms still locked around Kayla.

"Francesca," her best friend said in a scolding tone. Frankie immediately withdrew her arms, her mouth open in offense.

"You just 'Francesca'd' me! So rude." Frankie turned on her heel and walked into school, Kayla close behind laughing hysterically.

Once the school day had ended, Frankie skated over to Ms. Patty's. "Ah, Frankie, there you are! Come in, come in! Get changed, stretch, and we'll run through your recital piece before the children arrive."