Gossip Girl – Secrets

Author: L

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.

Author's Note: To be honest, I shouldn't have started a story because I have my GCSE examinations in less than two weeks. I'm sorry but I won't be able to upload new chapters very often because I have to revise.

As the cool New York air continued to drop in temperature, Serena enjoyed the warmth that her scarf provided and brought the cup of hot coffee to her lips. She took a long sip while she scanned the streets for any sign of her boyfriend. They had shared an awkward dinner with their families last night and Serena wanted to make sure that things were alright between them. It had taken them a long time to overcome the many obstacles that stood in their way and she wasn't prepared to let this ruin everything that they had worked for.

"Serena, are you listening to me?" Blair asked, suddenly aware that Serena wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. Following her friend's shifting gaze, she let out a loud sigh as Serena turned towards her with a sheepish grin. "Ever since you got this boyfriend of yours, I've dropped down to second on your list of priorities."

"B, you're my best friend," Serena smiled, letting out a gentle laugh. "Dan and I have been dating for almost eight months now; I thought you would be used to it. I just want to reassure him that we're okay. He looked really worried when he left last night."

Blair slowed to a stop, removed her arm from where it was looped around Serena's and faced her with a soft smile. "S, I love you and as much as it pains me to admit this, Humphrey may actually have a point. Your parents are dating each other and if they get married – which, judging by your mom's track record, actually seems likely – then the two of you may as well be committing incest. It has to be weird for your families."

Hearing this didn't do much to ease Serena's nerves. She had told herself what Blair had just told her almost a million times since her mother and Dan's father had started dating. Although she insisted that she was fine with the situation, the word 'marriage' always managed to make her feel really uncomfortable. If anything, she would like to attend a Humphrey-van der Woodsen wedding as the bride, not the daughter of the bride.

She was relieved to see Dan walking towards her and sent a warning glare to Blair. A potential brother-sister relationship with her boyfriend was not something that she wanted to discuss with said boyfriend. Wiping any remaining traces of anxiety from her expression, Serena wore what she hoped was a convincing smile and wrapped her arms around Dan's neck, kissing him briefly on the lips. A longer kiss would have been preferable but she didn't want Blair to comment on their public displays of affection.

"Hey," he smiled at her.

Dropping her arms from his neck, she slid one hand down his arm and clasped his hand tightly. "Hey," she replied, leaning in for another kiss. Their lips met and she allowed herself to give in to temptation, closing the gap between their bodies even more. She could feel him tear away from her as they heard the click of a shutter.

"I'm predicting a Gossip Girl post in the next few minutes," Blair stated in a teasing tone as the two young freshman girls ran into the school, giggling at the picture they had taken.

Although she was happy that Serena was finally with a guy that treated her right, she knew that her best friend could see through the jealousy that she desperately tried to hide. It wasn't the attention that Serena received which bothered her; it was the loving boyfriend. Throughout the past few weeks, it had become common knowledge that Blair had not only one, but two suitors. The only problem was that they both seemed reluctant to step up and become her boyfriend; instead, they wanted her to make the decision.

A limo pulled up outside the school, a few steps from where the three of them were standing. Blair instantly recognised it as a Bass limo even though it looked just like any other limo. Abruptly turning her head towards her friend, Serena watched Blair's expression carefully, glancing back in Chuck's direction when she heard his footsteps.

"Let's go inside," Serena murmured to her boyfriend, looking back and forth wearily between her stepbrother and her best friend. It wasn't her place to interfere, especially since Nate was her friend as well. Feeling the warmth of Dan's body, she shifted closer to his side as he moved his arm to wrap it around her waist. They shared another kiss but once again, it was interrupted by a third party.

Wolf-whistles rang through the air as the couple stared in confusion and irritation at the two St. Jude's students who were watching them. They were medium-height; one of them had blonde hair while the other had a lighter shade of brown. Dan recognised them both from his English class and rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the same time. They were both immature, barely scraping a pass with their essays and exactly the type of people from Serena's world that he hated.

He watched them head in their direction, stopping a few feet away as they dropped their cigarettes on the floor. The blonde-haired boy started walking again, this time continuing until he was stood right in front of Dan. Releasing the smoke that he had stored in his mouth, he laughed as Dan spluttered after having been hit in the face with it.

Serena glared at him. "That was really pathetic, Brad," she said angrily.

"You actually remembered my name," he responded, feigning surprise. "But then again, with a body like this," he paused to gesture at himself. "How could you not?" Brad winked knowingly at Serena, basking in the satisfaction of annoying her but when he noticed the confusion on Dan's face, it made things all the more interesting. "Wait, don't tell me she hasn't told you," he said with an excited grin on his face.

Taking the bait, Dan asked, "Tell me what?" He wasn't directing the question at Brad though. Serena shifted uncomfortably under his enquiring gaze, her heart beating fast as she shot a pleading look at the boy stood in front of her. This didn't go unnoticed by Dan, only succeeding in causing him to grow even more suspicious. She felt her stomach drop as Brad's friend chose this moment to join the three of them in conversation.

"Losing our virginities to Serena van der Woodsen," Brad grinned. "That was a night to remember, wasn't it?" He looked as if he was about to burst from the joy at revealing this secret but nevertheless, he waited patiently for his friend to reach his side. "Serena has the most beautiful body, almost like a goddess. I bet you still look as sexy as you did on that night. What do you think, Matt?"

A smirk crept on his face when he saw Dan snap his head in Serena's direction, watching her with disbelief. "I don't know why you look so surprised, Humphrey," Matt, the brown-haired boy, sneered. "Most of the boys at St. Jude's have lost their virginity to her. She really knew her way around a bed. I'm fairly certain there's no one as experienced as her in the whole of New York City."

Dan was growing immensely angry. He knew all about Serena's wild past when she was forced to confess everything to him after the incident with Georgina. He didn't want to know the names of every guy that Serena had ever had sex with but he also didn't want this topic to be sprung upon him first thing in the morning with absolutely no preparation at all. Serena was refusing to make eye contact with him but Dan could feel her hands wrapping tightly around his.

"In your very experienced opinion, Serena, who do you think was better in bed?" Brad asked, revelling in the desperation that Serena was emitting as she watched Dan's expression worriedly. "If you've forgotten, don't worry about it, we don't mind refreshing your memory," he laughed, slapping his friend on the back. "I'm sure dear Daniel over here won't mind lending us his room."

Something in Dan snapped and he pulled away from Serena, grabbing Brad's collar forcefully with one hand while he clenched his other one. He felt Serena tugging on his arm, frantically repeating, "Dan, it's not worth it. He's not worth it. Come on, just let him go. Just walk away. Please Dan." When he refused to release Brad from his grip, her eyes swiftly searched the entrance, hoping that either Chuck or Nate were going to walk into school at any second and break them apart.

"Go on Humphrey," Brad laughed mockingly, trying to goad him into a fight. "Hit me. I dare you. Or are you not 'man' enough?" Rage coursed through Dan's body and his knuckles were starting to turn white as he clenched his fist tightly. Smirking again, Brad sneered, "Hit me."