DURING THE LONG and sleepless night, Brooklyn pondered over how foolish it was to include Sullivan in this mess.Coffee was the only thing that could get her through the day.
"Morning sweetie, did you even sleep?" Lorelai's voice was a gentle hum in the early dawn, her words floating through the hallway like the sweet smell of the freshly brewed coffee she held in her hand.
Brooklyn emerged from the shadows of the staircase, her eyes squinting against the kitchen light. She took the cup gratefully, the warmth seeping into her palms. "Barely. It was a long night. I couldn't decide on a single dress," she said, a tired smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Wear the green one," Lorelai said, her smile broadening. "It brings out the color in your eyes." She paused, her gaze drifting over Brooklyn's sleep-rumpled hair and the dresses laid out on the table. "It's going to be a beautiful day, you know."
Brooklyn nodded, sipping the dark liquid. "Where is Dad?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of concern.
"Oh, he had some work to do before the weeding," Lorelai replied, her smile fading away as she stared out the kitchen window into the dewy garden. Her eyes searched the rows of flowers, and for a moment, she looked lost in thought.
The cell phone's jingle cut through the quiet morning air, and Brooklyn jumped, her heart racing. She glanced at the screen; it was Spencer. "I have to go,"
"But what ab-" Before Lorelai could even finish her sentence, Brooklyn was already out the door, the breeze whipping through her hair. She could hear her mother's voice fading behind her, but she didn't stop.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she sprinted towards Spencer's house, the dew-covered pavement cold against her bare feet. The quiet of the early morning was pierced by the sound of her own ragged breathing and the distant chirping of birds just beginning to wake up.
Spencer's house loomed in front of her, the windows dark and foreboding. She didn't bother to knock, pushing the door open and rushing inside. The living room was a mess of overturned furniture, and a trail of shattered glass led her to the source of the commotion - the kitchen, where Spencer sat hunched over, her eyes wide with fear.
In the center of the room, a large wooden box sat on the floor, the words "open or she dies" scrawled in what looked like blood across the top.
Emily, Hanna, and Aria sat on the couch, their eyes wide with shock, their phones clutched tightly in their trembling hands. The silence was palpable, broken only by the distant ticking of the clock in the hallway and their own shallow breaths.
