A/N: Here is a little NJBC story I came up with. I hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review telling me what you think!
(This story has since been re-edited and updated on October 18, 2015).
Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.
"Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up."
All Good Things Come to an End
"Can you please remind me WHY we are cleaning your closet out B?" Serena huffed. They stood inside Blair's enormous walk in closet which neatly stored shelves of the best designer shoes, racks of Eleanor Waldorf original dresses (all of which were perfectly hung and pressed), and boxes overflowing with this season's most coveted designer purses.
"We're not exactly cleaning S. We're just going through some of my things that date all the way back to preschool…Be careful with that!"
Serena set down the snow globe she almost dropped back in its place. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have a lot of stuff B?"
"These things are sentimental, S. They hold meaning and value," Blair explained while pulling and stacking a couple large boxes.
"This is such a waste of my time B. We could be shopping at Barney's right now!" Serena sighed. She leaned back on Blair's laundry hamper, her arms crossed, head lolled against the wall.
"No it isn't! Look S, we're going off the college in a few weeks. You're going to Brown, and I'm going to NYU, so we need to spend as much time left as we can together!"
"And this is your idea of spending time together?" Serena asked arching her eyebrow.
"Yes it is. Now stop slacking and start helping!" Blair ordered.
Serena rolled her eyes and hopped off the hamper, "Seriously B, it's a thing called purging…" Serena's eyes drifted to the bottom left corner of the closet. She could see a sparkling box hiding in the corner. Its lid was rounded like a semi-circle, and it held a rectangular shape with a small lock. Serena fell to her knees and pulled the box out. She dusted off the top of the box revealing what it was. Pink and blue splotches blended were painted on the lid, and gold glitter was sprinkled all over it. On the top center of the lid it read PROPERTY OF THE NON-JUDGING BREAKFAST CLUB! DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 2009.
Serena let a small smile escape from her perfect lips, as she clutched the box in her hands. "I can't believe it!"
"What is it?" Blair turned around to see her best friend holding the box. "Oh my god!" Blair cried when her eyes met with the mysterious object.
"It's our time capsule S! I totally forgot that we made that thing!"
"Why do you want to paint it pink? That's so girly Waldorf!"
"Shut up Bass! If you actually were helping you would have the choice to pick a colour!"
"Paint it red then or something, right Nate?"
The blonde perked up. "Yeah sure."
"Fine! But only this time Bass."
"We'll see about that, Waldorf." the brunette's smirk grew into a smile.
"Me too," Serena said. Her eyes stared at the box, but all she could see were memories. She tore her eyes away from the box. "We need to call Nate and Chuck."
"Waldorf! What's wrong? You said it was an emergency!" Chuck Bass came rushing into Blair's bedroom.
Serena and Blair sat on Blair's rug in front of her bed, the box hidden behind their backs.
Chuck's eyes scanned the room looking for any indication of disaster. "This is your emergency?"
"Well I may have exaggerated slightly." Blair grinned.
"You said that your life depended on it! I walked out on a very important business meeting for this!"
Blair hid her smile after hearing this.
"Well it's pretty important Chuck," Blair replied.
Just then Nate came through Blair's door. "Hey," he said, as he entered." So what's up?"
"Nate were you told that there was an emergency and to come here right away?" Chuck asked.
"No, Serena just said to come over because she had something to show me."
Chuck turned to Serena. "Classy Sis."
"Ugh, Chuck! Of course I didn't mean it that way!" Serena said.
"Can you two please stop arguing? Sit down. We don't have all day!" Blair commanded impatiently.
"On the floor? What are we uncivilized?" Chuck complained.
"I'm sure you'll manage Chuck. Now sit!" Blair commanded.
Chuck mumbled a couple expletives and sat down across from Blair cross-legged.
"So today we were going through some things in Blair's closet—"
"You could have asked a maid to do that," Chuck interrupted. He then received a slap from Blair. "Waldorf! I like it when you're feisty, but now's not the time or place."
Blair turned to Serena. "Why did we invite him again?"
Serena ignored the question and continued. "So we were going through Blair's closet—"
"Would you get to the point sis?" Chuck interrupted again.
"Shut up Bass and let her finish." Blair slapped him again.
"Okay, okay, fine. You don't need to be so violent Waldorf."
Blair was about to respond when Nate cut in. "Will you two stop bickering, and let her get on with the story?"
Both brunettes stopped to listen to Serena, "Thanks Nate. So we were cleaning out the closet and I found this box."
"I'm sure there are a lot of boxes in that closet. I would know." Chuck smirked at Blair.
"You're asking for it Bass. Shut. Up," Blair's cheeks turned fire engine red.
"I don't even want to know," Serena replied with disgust. "Do you guys remember that time capsule we made in the eighth grade?"
"Oh yeah!" Nate exclaimed, "The one where we put in where we saw ourselves in four years?"
"Correct Archibald," Blair replied. She then pulled out the box, and set it in front of Nate and Chuck.
"We figured that since we found it now, and that there are only a couple weeks left until we go our separate ways, we should go through it," Serena explained.
"That's a great idea!" Nate replied. "I can't even remember what I wrote!"
"Well it's time to find out," Serena said. She turned the box towards herself, the lock facing her and said, "Umm we have a slight problem. Where's the key?"
The Non-Judging Breakfast Club stared at one another.
"Wait! I think I have the key in one of my jewellery boxes. I think…" Blair said. "Come on guys. Come help look for a key," Blair motioned to her makeup desk and dresser. There were four different jewellery boxes in total.
"Everyone grab a box and look for a small key," Blair commanded.
They all took their stations, each taking a different jewellery box and started looking.
"What a lovely necklace you have here Blair," Chuck smirked. He held up the Erickson Beamen necklace, and they held a gaze that only the two of them could understand.
"Thanks Chuck, it was a gift."
"Well, this person has excellent taste," he replied while putting it back.
"Any luck guys?" Serena asked.
"Nope, but Blair has enough jewellery here to end world poverty." Nate laughed at his own joke.
Chuck and Blair just rolled their eyes. "You're so clever Nate," Blair mocked. Nate just glared at her.
"There's nothing in here," Serena said.
"Nothing here either," Chuck echoed.
"Ugh, I don't remember where I put the key!" Blair sighed in frustration. "I know I was the one that said I'd keep it because I didn't think any of you were responsible enough."
"How ironic." Chuck smirked.
Blair glared at Chuck before Serena interrupted." Focus you guys! We need to think, well Blair does, where was the last place you remember that you had it?"
Blair closed her eyes pressing her fingers to her temple while trying to visualize what happened that day. It was no easy task considering it had been four years ago. "I was fighting over it with Chuck when I finally won it and had it in my hand…"
"Actually you practically killed me to get it," Chuck defended. "I have the scars to prove it."
"I'm trying to focus here Bass! Anyway maybe it's in or on my desk somewhere?" Blair sat in her chair and riffled through her drawers and cups of pencils to find nothing. Serena came over watching to see if she'd find it when her gaze drifted to the picture frames on Blair's desk.
There was a picture of Blair and herself from the sixth grade in their Constance uniforms, Blair and her parents and a picture of the four of them in the eighth grade.
"I can't believe you still have this picture!" Serena squealed. She picked up the frame and looked at it more closely. She saw herself smiling widely in the picture beside Nate who had his arms around her and Blair. Blair was pulling on Chuck's scarf nearly chocking him, but Chuck still managed to look as if he wasn't being strangled at that moment. Good times.
"Of course that was when we were in grade eight… Oh my god!" Blair exclaimed the puzzle pieces fitting together in her mind.
"Serena give me the frame."
Serena handed it over. Blair turned the frame around to the backside. On top of the velvet exterior was a small key taped to the center of the frame.
"I found it!" Blair said happily. She practically raced over to the box and opened the lock with ease. Everyone was soon around her once again to witness the content of this box.
"Are you guys ready?" Serena asked smiling in anticipation.
"Just open the box, Blair!" Chuck spoke impatiently.
Blair rolled her eyes and did what Chuck asked. She opened the lid carefully to see an assortment of items. Photos, headbands, bowties, a baseball card, a flower ring and a leather bound journal were all the items they stored in the time capsule four years ago.
"My old headband!"
"My favorite bowtie!"
"My Eddie Murray baseball card!"
"My flower ring!" They all said in unison. They all clawed away at their items they had completely forgotten about.
"Man, if I ever lost this card, back then, I thought it would be the end of the world," Nate laughed.
Chuck took his business tie off, and replaced it with his bowtie. It was a deep shade of red with stripes of black running through it.
Blair removed her golden headband she was wearing to replace it with her silver headband. It had a colorful butterfly that was anchored on the right side of the headband, and back then, it was envied by every girl in the eighth grade.
Blair took out some of the pictures of the four of them. They all looked so carefree and innocent. Well everyone but Chuck, but when was he ever innocent?
Blair passed the pictures around so everyone could see them. Once Serena got her hands on the pictures she said, "We were all so young!"
Nate them removed the chocolaty leather brown bound journal. "Didn't we put down where we saw ourselves in the twelfth grade?"
"Yes, and what we wanted to become in high school. Nate why don't you read yours first?" Blair asked.
"Sure." Nate opened the book to his page. "Well, I said that I'd be captain of the lacrosse team, which I accomplished, get into Dartmouth, well I didn't apply because my dad didn't want me too- and oh…"
"What is this oh? Nathaniel proceed," Chuck prodded.
Nate face turned to a dark shade of red, "I said I want to be in a relationship with Serena."
"You had a thing for her then too didn't you? Is that supposed to surprise us?" Blair huffed. They weren't together anymore, but the thought of him liking another girl while he was with her was not okay.
"Serena, you go next," Nate spoke desperately to take the spotlight off of himself.
"Okay," Serena took the book and flipped to her page." It says here that I wanted to be Andrew Golden's girlfriend, the captain of the swim team-"
"I'm sure you enjoyed all those midnight swim lessons with him S," Blair snickered.
"B!"
"What? It's true!"
Serena turned her attention back to the book." Let's see, and make the honor roll-"
"Boring," Chuck chimed in.
"Thanks for your input Chuck. And I also said I wanted to be Blair's best friend forever."
"Aw S! That's so sweet!"
"Let's get the hankie out for Waldorf here," Chuck interjected.
Blair just glared at him while Serena passed her the book. Blair continued with here goals. "Become the Queen on Constance, be Nate's girlfriend and get into Yale," Blair's tone saddened on the last goal.
"Don't worry Waldorf, NYU is beyond lucky to have you," Chuck reassured her. "Besides," he leaned closer into her ear," I could make it happen if you wanted me too. Just think about it Waldorf."
"Thanks Chuck. Here it's your turn, "Blair's voice softened.
"Nah, I don't really care about what I wrote then. What's the point of looking at the past when it is already gone by?"
"Come on man! Don't you want to know what you wrote?" Nate asked.
"Come on Bass for me?" Blair asked.
"Fine but I'm not sure you're going to like what you hear Waldorf," Chuck answered honestly.
"Okay let's see, hook up with all the girls in our grade and upper years I am fairly sure I accomplished this. Ah, make out with Waldorf here. We've done quite a few more pleasurable things than that-" Blair smacked him hard once again. "Jesus Waldorf! I thought we were supposed to be open about our relationship? Anyway, and lastly getting into a bar underage—well that happened in the tenth grade easily. So that's pretty much it."
Silence overcame them as all four of them sat there reminiscing of all the fond memories they had growing up together. The laughs, the petty fights; these trivial matters at the time were now being remembered.
"It seems like yesterday doesn't it?" Nate said breaking the silence.
"I know, next thing you know we'll be married and having children," Serena cut in.
Chuck tossed the book in the box but Blair picked it back up and flipped through its pages, "Nate you have the worst penmanship." Blair's eyes scanned through Chuck's page when she stumbled on something he forgot to mention. Number 4. Prove myself to Bart.
Blair didn't say anything but felt her heart sink after she finished reading the last point. It was defiantly a sore subject and was clearly something Chuck didn't want to share. So Blair kept it to herself. She put the book back in the box and pretended it didn't happen. Some things were better left unsaid.
"This will probably be one of the last times we're all together. It's going to be weird, huh?" Nate said.
"Probably but its time though right?" Serena said.
"Please. We all know were going to see each other at all the charity and gala events, so don't get all weepy on me," Chuck replied.
"Come on Chuck. We'll all see each other but it won't be the same as it was," Nate responded.
"Why is it that we've been waiting for high school to end for so long, and now that it's over, I don't want it to end? I don't want to leave. Does anybody else feel that?" Blair asked.
"I'm not," Chuck replied instantly.
"Nope."
"Of course not." They all said at the same time.
"You're all lying," Blair laughed.
Blair glanced at the clock on her bed stand. It was almost eight o clock, "You guys? How about we all go for dinner?"
They all agreed and found themselves at the restaurant in the Palace. Everyone was laughing and reminiscing over all the memoires in the past.
"Wait, wait! Blair was so mad at Chuck she took him down!" Serena laughed hysterically.
"He kept saying not the scarf! Anything but the scarf!" Nate laughed.
Chuck glowered, "I wouldn't be talking Nate. Remember when you thought the lbs meant lubs not pounds?"
Blair and Serena roared with laughter and Nate joined in.
"I want to make a toast!" Serena said while catching her breath.
They all held up their glasses: a martini glass, a scotch glass, a champagne glass and a beer glass. "To the non-judging breakfast club! And that we'll be friends forever," Serena declared.
"I think someone should cut her off," Chuck whispered in Blair's ear. She looked at her best friend who swayed happily a large grin plastered on her face and almost knocked over the centerpiece with her champagne glass.
"Serena I think you've had enough," Blair snatched the glass away from her best friend and guarded it away from her.
"Aw B! You're no fun!" Serena pouted.
"On the contrary, sis. You see to get Blair going all you need is—OW!"
"I'm sorry, Chuck. Did that hurt?" Blair batted her eyelashes at him and smiled.
"Not at all." Chuck gritted through his teeth.
"What about my toast?" Serena whined. She flagged down a waiter to order another drink but the others shooed him away.
"Here have some water Serena," Nate said giving her the glass.
Serena accepted it, "To us!" Serena said happily. Chuck and Blair resisted the urge to roll their eyes but went along with it.
They all clinked glasses knowing that this would be their last before they all parted ways and started the next chapter of their lives.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this short story. Sound off your thoughts by leaving me a review. :)