Moonlight Diner, East Village, morning
"What's going on man?" Nate says seeing Dan entering Capacio Cafe alone, looking more and more miserable than anyone else in the cafe "rough day?" he ask because now, Dan Humphrey do look like he have the world on his shoulder.
"I need more!" he says, setting his messenger bag down on the floor and sit down and without even asking Nate, he took Nate's grilled sausage sandwich and eat it "and I'm hungry..." he adds.
"What? You seriously have no money?" Damien ask Dan, as he look at Dan eating the free lunch on Nate's plate.
"I need money for Jenny actually," he says and everyone is looking at him "she need to go for an operation, I need the extra money for it."
"How much?" Nate ask.
"5 grand!" he says seriously.
"Wow man, where are you going to get that much of money?" Damien ask "I can give you some but seriously, when do you need it?"
"By next month!" Dan says without even looking at anyone.
"There's this job that I'll normally do if I have no cash but I don't think you want to do it?"
"Tell me anything, I need the money!" Dan says nearly pleading for his friend to tell him about the job scoop and when Damien tell him about it "I'm in!" he says "this should not be that bad right? Just walk around and read celebrity sightings and take their photos..." he adds.
"Take this number and give them a call, they will tell you what to do next..."
With that, Dan immediately call the company to see if he will have a shot in doing what Damien has been doing part- time. He really need to money, he have been working in Starbucks for a year part time and work for hire whenever a freshman don't know how to do their assignment, Dan will do it for a maximum charges. Dan has been raising Jenny ever since their parents passed away when he was 12 years old, his grandmother is taking care of them but with only a minimum state fund every month, it won't help with the household. Dan has been working since he was 13 years old, he's thankful that he got a scholarship for Tisch NYU school of Art, he is blessed.
30 minutes later...
"Okay, thank you sir. I will do my very best!" he says and click disconnect on the phone
"You got it?" Damien ask "I knew it, I knew he will give you a shot!" he smiles and nudge Dan on his back "so what do you have to do tonight? It is tonight right?" he adds.
Dan nodded "apparently I have to be around West Village as there is an event..." he says and look at his notebook "Varick street between Lafayette and Bond!"
"High end, bro!" Damien says "easily 300 bucks per scandalous photo!" he says and high five with Dan.
"Be careful!" Nate finally says something "it's dangerous what you're doing!"
"Nate!" Damien says "I know how in touch you are on your feminine side but seriously..." Damien smile "a man got to do what a man got to do!"
"I'll be fine!" Dan says got up and brush his fingers on Nate's shoulder "baby okay?" he laugh and rolls his eyes.
"Don't you ever!" Nate says getting annoyed by Damien and Dan as they are mocking him.
West Village, night
"You got anything, man?" Damien ask on the other line "it will take a lot more time than you think!"
"You know what, I want to walk around and see what I can get!" he says but Damien was furious of him doing such a thing because he was supposed to do what the editor wants him to do "look, I've been standing there for 5 hours and there's nothing... relax, I know what I want to do okay!" he says and disconnect the line again.
He took a stroll on different avenues to see what's really interesting living the life in the west side of the town. You see, he never understood how people can live here on the west side as he has always been the east side boy. Ever since his parents passed, their Upper East Side Mansion was sold for couple of millions but that doesn't sustained his future, he lives with his grandmother now that living her life modestly in lower side of East Village. East 6th Avenue B, which is totally different than any other avenue in the city. As he walks around this west side of the town, there's a big town houses around, their nanny's will take care of them and not their parents. Too rich and wealthy sometimes doesn't do people any good but that's the downside of living in the city.
As he took a stroll down the Varick Street, he can't help himself to overhear an argument between a man and a woman on the next street. He didn't mean to hear them argue but it was loud and clear for him to hear. He look around him, definitely there is no one around because it is extremely late. He thought at first it is a good thing to take out his camera and snap a few photos but when he got even nearer, he can hear that the girl is badly crying and a car just leave.
He took a step closer to the street, afraid if there's something there that will make him regret for being there in the first place. The last thing he wants to is be in trouble, he can see a girl crying and shaking like she's gasping for air.
"This will help you," he says bending and wrapping his leather jacket over the girl but she was caught off guard "I was just passing by..." he says but the first thing that the girl caught her eyes is his Nikon D3000 camera and she backed off.
"You're paparazzi!" she says raising her voice "get away from me..." he says pushing Dan aside but Dan was confused.
"What? I didn't take any of your photo!" he lied, he did took some video of the girl and the guy from a far but that doesn't mean he is going to sell it to the tabloid, she's a nobody. So he thinks but when he looks closely, this girl looks familiar and in fact very familiar but when she try to get up, she felt "look, I'm just walking and saw you. I'm trying to help!" he adds, with that he took the girl in his arm "let get to the nearest drug store okay."
"No!" she says "I lives 5 blocks away on this street..." she adds as she is trying to balance herself but she can't. She look at this stranger who is helping her, he's wearing all black with high tech cameras and lenses "are you sure you're not a paparazzi?" she ask again as she want to make sure.
"Even if I am, I didn't take your photo!" he lied "let me..." he says bending down to grab her leg as he can carry her "5 blocks will make your legs badly damage if we walk on your pace." He says but this girl didn't say no, so it is a yes for her.
He have seen this girl before actually, her name is Serena Van Der Woodsen 21 year old, a blue blood from the Upper East Side and a famous socialite. The last time he heard about her is when she was at the MET Gala and Jenny was adoring her Calvin Klein couture dress but that's all he knows about her as he ponder Serena gave an indication to sneak in thru the back entrance and with that, Serena gave him her apartment key to open and off they went in.
"Here?" he says, elbowing the bedroom door and enter without Serena saying anything "there!" he says placing gently Serena on her bed, awkwardly enough Dan was too weak to get up and he tiltly fell beside Serena on her bed "I'm sorry, my arms... not that strong after all that!" he smiles awkwardly "where do you put the first aid?" he ask and Serena pointed to the bathroom.
"So... hmm..." she tries to create a conversation when he is checking her drug closet "hmm..." she closes her eyes and when she open it again, Dan is right in front of her "hi!" that's the best thing she can say right now.
Dan smiles "hi and this is going to stink for a bit okay?" he says "can I?" and Serena nodded, he took Serena's left leg gently and place it on top of his lap and take the antiseptic slowly and place it on the cuts "just a little, hang in there." He says.
"I'm Serena Van Der Woodsen," she introduce herself, as she look at this stranger helping her from the street to her apartment and into her bedroom. So far, he didn't do anything bad to her and he seems nice enough to help "and you?" she ask with a smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" he says wanted to shake Serena's hand but his hand is full with antiseptic and some even dyed his hand to yellow "Daniel Humphrey," he introduces himself "Dan!" he says nervously and damped around the wound "there, you should be okay for now!" he says "are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor for a check-up?" he ask but serena shakes her head "Well, alright... I think I should go..." he says with a weak smile "anything else you need help with?" he ask with a smile again. He keep on smiling and he need to stop smiling.
"I am normally not that forward but could you help me undress?" she ask ashamed and shy "I'm not comfortable with all my blood on my body." She adds "my PJs is in the drawer, if you don't mind?" now she is blushing but she can't really move at least tomorrow, she can call her best friend Blair for help but now, she really need Daniel to help her change and with that, awkwardly Daniel closes his eyes and unzipped Serena's dress. She knows that Dan won't take advantage on her. Just look at him, he closes his eyes, he is blushing and he is honestly didn't robbed her. She's dressed but Dan still didn't open his eyes.
"Umm..." he wanted to say something "can I open my eyes now?" he ask for permission to open his eyes, he don't want to open and be looking at something that he is not supposed to be looking.
"Yes!" she says sweetly "thank you again, Daniel Humphrey!" she says with a smile and Dan smiles back.
"Oh, no problem at all..." he says, taking his messenger bag and camera bag off the floor "I hope you're going to be alright Serena," he adds "good night!"
"How can I contact you?" Serena says nearly shout as Dan is almost out from her bedroom "I need to say thank you to you when I am okay?" she says now smiling again as Dan is standing near her bedroom door and Dan jot something on a piece of paper and hand it over to her "thank you!"
"Get well soon!" he says and searching for something in his messenger bag "I don't know where to find this in your apartment, but just in case you need it," he says placing 4 tablets of panadols on her side table "bye!" he says and leave her room.
Serena can't help but wonder how old is he because he have beard, she always hate it when a guy have a beard as she can't predict how old they are but his eyes is a pure light brown and there is no deep wrinkles around, so he might be in his early 20s. She determine to thank him in person when she gets better and she hope what happened with her tonight, besides Dan no one else should know about it.
"Good night," Dan says to the concierge man and the door man as he head to the street. He have missed the party, as he was supposed to get some photos of celebrities in their darkest moments but he didn't. His phone is buzzing and he knows it is Damien "Yo!" he says and Damien asking him what's going on as his other friends told him that Dan is not there and such.
"You better get something good or else you're out of part time job by tomorrow, man!" Damien says on the other line.
"I..." he wanted to say that he got a a very steamy juicy story about Serena "I didn't get anything man!" he says, he can't be do that to a girl like Serena. She seem to be broken hearted when that guy tossed her out of his car. Her face was badly punched and her leg and tights were badly beaten "wait, I just a message..." he says and check on his blackberry, its Serena and he just smile.
You saved me and I thank you for my life. Safe driving/subway-ing/walking back - Serena
"Dude!" Damien shouted on the other line and Dan accidently disconnect his conversation with him but get a text from Dan 5 minutes after telling him that his battery is low "he needs money but has no balls to be a paparazzi!" Damien tell himself that "whatever!" he is pissed now.
Welcome and don't worry about me, worry about your recovery -Dan
As Serena received his text, she just smiles and wishes hard to god to make her recovery process faster so she can thank Dan personally. Not that she want to do anything with Dan but to say thank you to him and to know if he got anything on her since he is a paparazzi.
Hi readers,
this is my new fiction, I hope it's okay because I think I know what I want this story to go but it depends. Have fun reading, as for now I don't know what next chapter is going to be like but I know partly. any ideas?
Next :
Who is the guy who throw Serena off the road? Will Dan do anything on his footage since he is desperate for money?