Blair was no stranger to warfare.
She was cunning and never apologetic for her sharp tongue and lack of manners towards even an enemy that concedes, but as with any ice queen there was a limit.
Never did Blair Waldorf expect that her limit would be pushed by Chuck Bass.
It was an obvious play, once she thought about it. As far as Chuck was concerned, Eva had been his shining beacon of hope. Though he loved Blair fiercely, she never managed to give him the full acceptance he so craved.
But that was because Blair was no fool, unlike Saint Eva, who seemed to be content with even a murderer for a lover, as long as he loved her back. That kind of generosity does not exist in the Upper East Side, and Blair would not reprimand herself for being too selfish.
This was who she was, and no one would impress anything else upon her.
It had been three days since Chuck's further declaration of his attempts to ruin her life at the Hamilton House, and for the first time in Blair Waldorf's life, she found herself waking up afraid. She hadn't eaten a meal since the morning after the horrible date set up debacle, and even Dorota was beginning to reflect Blair's fears in her own careworn face.
"Miss Blair, I brought you breakfast," Dorota cooed from behind Blair's closed door; the brunette rolled over, slightly pulling up her nightcap and groaning, "I'm not hungry Dorota…." And then she rolled right back over, pulling a pillow over her head.
There was a knock, and then finally Dorota opened the door. It was dangerous business dealing with Blair Waldorf in the morning, but now it seemed this queen was too drained to even snap back.
Feeling Dorota sit on the foot of her bed, Blair groaned again, sitting up, still wearing her nightcap.
"What?" She threw her hands up, exhasperated.
"This cannot go on, Miss Blair," Dorota spoke slowly, folding her hands in her lap. "You need to go to class, and eat," she waved her hands at the tray of fruits in front of her. "Miss Blair cannot let Mister Chuck win."
"Dorota, simple Dorota," Blair said matter-of-factly, pulling her night cap off, "Mister Chuck is no longer interested in winning or losing. He wants a total take down. I'm not prep—we're not prepared for that sort of thing," she frowned, eyeing a piece of strawberry on the tray.
Dorota noticed and scooted it closer to Blair, looking concerned.
"I…," Blair began, knowing that she'd been considering the possibility for the last three days, but unsure if she wanted to pursue it, "I think I need to go somewhere."
If there was one thing Blair learned from being best friends with Serena Van Der Woodsen, it was how to disappear. She left a note for S, a note for her mother and Cyrus, and a box of chocolates for Dorota. By the next morning she had withdrawn from Columbia, and was on a plane to her new school, and hopefully her new life.
It was unlike Blair Waldorf to run from a fight, so she knew it would take everyone a bit of time to figure out where she'd gone; if she planned things right, Chuck Bass would never find out.
Her plane landed in California, and much to Blair's surprise, it was intensely sunny for a late fall month. Perhaps she was so used to the cycle of weather in New York that her body wouldn't be able to handle the heat.
By the time she was hailing a cab, Blair had already decided to return the next day. This was a silly idea, she told herself; Chuck really wouldn't destroy her life.
The long cab ride changed her mind.
She remembered the look on his face when he told her he wouldn't stop, when he looked so clearly at the face of the first woman he loved and told her that he had every intention of shattering her world. Chuck Bass was not a man to be stopped, once set on something. He would destroy her life, gladly.
She had become so immersed in thought that it took the cab driver three taps on her window to get her attention. They had arrived, and the campus seemed to be in full swing. Stepping out of the car uneasily, Blair clutched her Louis Vutton purse close to her chest and glanced around, unable to hide her nervousness.
Her outfit looked ridiculous next to everyone else; she wore a peacoat, red stockings, and a pair of Manolos. Everyone else seemed to be wearing shorts and flip flops. Blair even cringed when she saw two girls walking in bikini tops.
The cab driver seemed to have noticed her concern, and he gave a low chuckle, "I'm sure after a month or two you'll fit in just fine."
Blair grimaced, unused to cab drivers addressing her, and she took her suitcase from him slightly forcefully.
"Just bring in the rest of my stuff," she smiled bitterly, and then turned her back to him, taking in a breath and starting to walk towards the building in front of her.
"Welcome to UCLA!" A group of fraternity boys walked by, laughing at what Blair suspected to be her.
"Ugh," she rolled her eyes, pulling out her phone and scrolling through her contacts until Serena's name was highlighted. This was miserable.
Blair never managed to press send; she was forcefully interrupted by a soccer ball that grazed the back of her neck, flicking some of her loose curls that spilled out of her half ponytail.
Whipping around in true offended-Blair-Waldorf fashion, she scoffed and immediately looked for the perpetrator.
It seemed he was two steps ahead of her, for he was already clutching the soccer ball guiltily to his chest, giving her a sheepish grin. "Sorry… sometimes I get a little over enthusiastic," he gestured at the ball.
Blair made a face, holding her bag to the side with her hand out, still ready to dial Serena on her cell phone. "Excuse me?"
"Here," he suddenly moved forward, taking the luggage out of Blair's hand, "let me help you. New student?" He gave a boyish smile, but she was still too offended to be charmed by his manners.
"Yes, not that it's any of your business," she snapped. Pausing, she considered the situation and decided to use it to her advantage. "If you insist," she began, giving him a wry smile, "the rest are in the cab," she waved behind her, where the cab driver was already sweating as he stood over five other suitcases.
The boy blinked, unsure of what to do, and Blair smiled to herself and walked towards her dorm, leaving the cab driver and the boy in her wake.
