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Full Summary:
Set predominantly at The Knightley School in Cornwall, Connecticut, this is the story of Serena's lost nine months before the GossipGirl Pilot aired - filling in the gaps of what happened after Serena ran away to boarding school. This story explores Serena's journey; how she went about building her life back up from the disastrous events which caused her to flee Manhattan, and tells the story of the people and places which helped make her transformation possible.
Original Characters plus Lily/Eric/Nate/Blair/Chuck/Damien and other Knightley/NYC cast cameos.
Slight S/N, S/OC.
The story is also written to fit in flawlessly with the (canon) TV story line. In other words, there is no reason why this couldn't have happened...
Legal Disclaimer:
I don't own Serena van der Woodsen, her NYC cohorts or the NYC based storyline depicted in the GossipGirl books or TV show, etc., etc., etc., … Cecily von Ziegesar, Josh Swartz, and the CW have that pleasure. I don't receive any remuneration for this work.
What happens at Knightly though, that's another story.
Namely, this one!
STORY UPDATE for existing readers:
The Prologue - Chapter 9 (Relapse) have been revised as of February 21, 2018! But never fear - no need to go back and reread it all.
If you've read the story before...
#1: WELCOME BACK MY DEAR AND FAIHFUL READERS! ^_^ I promise not to abandon you again.
#2: You will notice the 2 following major changes:
- 'The Knightly School' replaces Warwick Academy as the name of the school (fitting in with the storyline).
- My original character Jack (as in Jackson Charles Montgomery), now goes by the nickname 'Jake'. I made the change since, you know, Uncle Jack showed up... thought it would be less confusing to the canon characters and hits the ear and eye in a similar fashion.
Prologue
[September 2007: Serena's dorm room at Knightley - 24 hours before the pilot aired.]
Something was vibrating. Serena could hear the low buzz emitting from somewhere on her cluttered dorm room floor.
Her cellphone.
"Leave it." The boy said, wrapped his fingers around her waist and leaning in to kiss her again… but at the second buzz she regretfully rolled away, pulling herself to the far side of the bed.
"It could be my roommate. She said she'd call me to warn me if she was heading home early…"
She rummaged around the floor, finally finding her cell-phone in the back pocket of a discarded pair of Seven Jeans. The caller ID showed a California number.
That's odd, she thought. Who did she know in California that would call her at this hour?
"Who is it?" the boy asked, resting his head over her shoulder.
"Hello?" She answered, ignoring him.
"Serena?" An older woman's voice sounded on the other side. Her grandmother.
"Hey Grandma. I'm kind of in the middle of something…"
"Serena please..." CeCe's voice sounded calm enough, but it was as tight and cracked at the end, the only indications to tell her granddaughter something was seriously wrong.
"What happened?" Serena asked with trepidation.
"Eric… Eric's in the hospital."
"What?" Serena sat up on the bed. "Is he all right."
"He's out of danger; the doctors are looking over him. Your mother is with him at the hospital, she wanted me to call and let you know…"
"Oh my God. What happened?"
"It's complicated…" CeCe began, then trailed off.
"Grandma, tell me what happened." She demanded.
For a long moment her grandmother said nothing. And, then, as if the words were the most difficult she had ever uttered, she spoke.
"He… he tried to kill himself, Serena."
Serena's hand stopped in mid-swipe of her long blonde locks and a cold hand of terror gripped her stomach.
"Serena? Darling? Are you still there?" CeCe's voice called across the line.
"When?" Her voice trembled.
"Yesterday. Your mother discovered him in time to call the paramedics."
"Where is she? Why didn't you call me sooner?"
"We… wanted to wait until we were sure… well, he had lost so much blood..."
"Are you with mom? Can I talk to her?"
"She's resting now. Your mother was up with him all last night and today at Lennox Hill Hospital and today filling out paperwork– She asked me to call you."
"I'm coming home." Serena said with fierce determination. She didn't wait to hear the rest of the explanation, wrapped up as she was in the weight of her own guilt. Coming home was the only choice.
"That's the other reason I called, he's been asking for you." CeCe said.
"I'll be there as soon as I can… can you call the school and explain?"
"You mean Knightley?"
"Yes, but you'd better call Constance too."
"I will, sweetheart. Don't worry about a thing. Now, let me call the school before it gets much later. Your mother will be in touch first thing in the morning. I love you."
"I love you too Grandma, And tell Eric…" Her voice broke as she choked back a sob, "Tell Eric I love him too."
"I will. Try to get some rest tonight."
Serena's hand was trembling so badly it took her a few tries before she managed to click the disconnect button to hang up.
"What was that about?" The boy's voice startled her. She had forgotten he was here.
"My brother's in the hospital… I need to pack."
"What, why?"
"I'm going home…"
She paused, not wanting to voice the inevitability she found herself faced with.
"For how long?" The boy asked.
"For good."
"You're going to go back there?" The boy said, shocked. "What happened to starting over?"
She began to choke up as sobs began to overtake her. "I don't have a choice..."
...
24 hours later...
...
"Hey Upper-Eastsiders, Gossip Girl here and I have the biggest news ever... spotted at Grand Central, bags in hand, Serena van der Woodsen.
Was it only a year ago our It Girl mysteriously disappeared for, quote, 'boarding school'? And just as suddenly she's back..."
(GossipGirl, Pilot)
/
We know why she left. We know why she returned. What we don't know is what happened in between.
For that we need to read...
In Between The Lines:
The Untold Story of Serena's Connecticut Semester.
xoxo,
Lily Jacobs