Disclaimer: I do not own "The O.C." or "Gossip Girl."
Author's Note: This story is set in 2008. So aproximately one year after the series finale of "The O.C." and during the early part of season two of "Gossip Girl." It is centered around Kaitlin Cooper, but will take place in New York City.
"We just want you to be happy here, honey."
Kaitlin Cooper stared at her father. Silence, she'd learned, was her best weapon.
It disconcerted her parents like nothing else.
Of course, most days, her mere presence was enough to set them both off balance.
Julie Cooper had moved on with her life. She was living in San Francisco, going to college, raising her son, working as a realtor—she had put herself together for the first time in… maybe ever. Living a life where no one saw in her a conniving, gold-digging wife, a gossiping harpy, a neglectful mother.
Jimmy Cooper had moved himself three-thousand miles away to start over. And he had. New girlfriend, new apartment, new job, new friends, new haircut—a world where no one knew Jimmy had lost four-million dollars and a teenage daughter.
But still, all it took was one look, one silent stare, from Kaitlin and she could she bring it all back for the both of them; lost careers, failed marriages, betrayals, and a dead child wrapped up in one baleful, blue-eyed glare.
"I think you'll really love New York. It's such a vibrant city." Julie added.
She shifted the silent stare to her mother.
"Kirsten has been friends with Lilly Van der Woodsen for years… of course, now she's Lilly Bass. But thanks to her influence we were able to secure a place for you at the Constance-Billard School for Girls. It's a very prestigious institution."
"And this way you can start looking into those colleges you were considering here in the city—or anywhere on the East Coast, remember? Like we'd discussed..."
Silence fell over the three of them, stretched and threatened to swallow them whole, and then her dad sighed.
"Say something, Kaitlin."
She shrugged. "Why? I said stuff in Newport, didn't I? I said stuff on the plane, in the airport, in the taxi, all day yesterday and again this morning. Why say something now when we're waiting to meet this lady. What's the point?"
"Don't act as if this is our fault, Kaitlin. Harbor has expelled you. Archer School expelled you. I had three private schools reject you at the very mention of your name and a boarding school call me back after probably investigating you to say they couldn't expose their other pupils to your sort of behavior."
"You've burned bridges, honey."
"You've become a menace and no one is willing to tolerate it anymore."
"Right. The dead sister card only takes you so far, got it."
They both reared back from her simultaneously, both paled and looked away from her, from each other.
Marissa, too, had become an effective weapon.
They waited in silence. When Lilly Bass entered the room her parents stood.
Lilly was tall, blonde, and regal looking. She spoke softly, politely, and smoothly. She was gracious and she regaled them with information and stories about the school; promised that her daughter, Serena, would show Kaitlin around, promised to be on call should Kaitlin need a woman's advice, promised to keep Julie abreast of any details that slipped Jimmy's mind.
Lilly Bass was already giving Kaitlin Cooper a migraine.
Her Mom had a flight to catch back to California that day. Kaitlin and her Dad were staying for dinner.
When her mother stood to leave, she pulled Kaitlin up for a hug, held her tightly. All her mother's hugs in the past two years had been tight, almost suffocating.
"It's a fresh start for you here, Kaitlin" Julie whispered in her daughter's ear, "You make of it what you will."
It was the best, most sincere advice she could give her youngest daughter.
And then a maid showed Julie to the door and Kaitlin was left with her father and Lilly Bass's icy politeness.
"You nervous?"
She sent her father a sidelong glance over her bowl of cereal as she shoved another spoonful of captain crunch into her mouth.
"I'm nervous." He stated, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You sure you don't want me to… to…"
"Come with me to school? Yeah, Dad. I'm sure." She finished when he trailed off.
He nodded, then took a seat across from her. She braced herself; he had his earnest-talk face on.
"Look kid, I just wanted to say… that I'm happy you're here, living with me. I feel like… like I don't really know you--"
"You don't." She cut.
She hated the earnest-talk's, best to shut them down fast.
She stood and turned to take her still-full bowl to the sink. Breakfast was overrated anyhow.
"Kait--"
"You never did. You knew Marissa though." She offered him, turning back around and sending him a bright fake smile, "That accounts for everything, don't you think."
He gaped at her.
Mom would have had a rebuttal by now, she thought sadly. Her dad had never been one for a quick wit.
"I'm gonna wait for the Bass limo outside," she told him.
Lilly had told her that her step-son's limo would be by to pick her and take her on her first day. Kaitlin had no intension of waiting for the limo.
She was going to feel this vibrant city by taking the subway; the less contact she had with these people the easier it was going to be to ditch them.
There was a ski resort in Aspen calling her name.
"What do you mean she wasn't there?"
Chuck sighed, "The concept is rudimentary, Sis."
Serena rolled her eyes and grabbed Chuck's arm, stopping him in the front courtyard of the school. "Mom told us to watch out for this girl, Chuck. You were supposed to bring her here and I'm supposed to show her around. She's new to the city. What if something happened to her?"
He shrugged off her hold. "Not our problem. I went there, she wasn't there."
Serena watched him go. "Great," she murmured as other students slid past her inside.
"I honestly can't deal with all this sunshine," Hazel complained.
Penelope winced too as they walked outside, "The weather really needs to be regulated."
"It was supposed to rain today, no?" Iz commented.
"B, what am I supposed to do?" Serena whined.
Blair shrugged, leading the way to the Met steps. "It isn't your problem, you told your Mom right?"
"Yes, but--"
"Then just leave it. So this girl didn't show up… isn't she some druggie, alcoholic anyway? This is just a tiny pit-stop on her way to rehab."
"Probably not her first trip, too," Penelope added.
"Guys stop!" Serena cried, "I was supposed to be responsible for her. I knew I should have gone with Chuck. He probably didn't even stop the limo."
"Can't say I blame him, S." Blair stated, patting her arm, "Let's just have lunch and--"
"What is that?" Hazel nearly screeched.
The girls stopped at stared. There was towel lying across several of the steps and on the towel was a girl; a girl wearing nothing but her underwear and bra, knee-socks, and shoes. She was leaning back on her elbows, head tipped back facing the sky, sunglasses covering her eyes, her legs stretched out before her and crossed at the ankles.
There were several girls from their school sitting around her, paying her close attention. There were also a few guys a milling around, a bit farther, waiting for their moment to swoop in.
There was also a police officer standing off to one side, smirking a little.
Blair quirked her eyebrows at the scene, "I do not know."
"That's the Constance uniform there," Iz pointed to the stack of clothes to one side.
Blair nodded, "Let's find out, shall we?"
She led the way.
When the other girls saw them approaching, they scampered back. A look from Blair and hers, a moment later, had them scampering away.
When she was standing by the girl's head, Blair looked down at her and spoke.
"I'm Blair Waldorf, who are you?"
The girl lifted her head and turned it towards Blair, then did a quick job examining the other girls and the space around her that had been vacated, before saying in a decidedly sarcastic tone. "Impressive."
"You're a Constance girl?" Penelope asked, disdain dripping from her voice, "Obviously, new."
"Oh my god!" Serena cried, stepping past Hazel, Penelope, and Iz to stand next to Blair, "Are you Kaitlin? Kaitlin Cooper?"
The girl stiffened a little, "You are…?"
"I'm Serena."
Blair huffed and turned to Serena. "Perfect. Your charge likes to strip in public, why am I not surprised?"
"Blair!" Serena hissed, then dropped down next to Kaitlin.
"I am so sorry, Chuck bailed on you this morning! Did you get lost? I can't believe that he just--"
"Oh did he?" Kaitlin peered at the statuesque blonde through her sunglasses. So far New York City hadn't been so much vibrant as cliché.
Sure, the buildings were taller than most places and the people seemed to be a bit less medicated which resulted in more depression and anger, but everything was a sickening shade of gray and she'd barely had to smile to get the officer to let her work on her tan for an hour; a sob story about an emotionally abusive mother waiting for her in Cabo, so really… boring.
Serena blinked. "Yeah, he was supposed to pick you up--"
"Right! Right. Yeah. I took the subway, went shopping… bought these shades. You like?" She smiled.
Serena stared at the girl. "You are Kaitlin Cooper, right?" She confirmed.
Kaitlin sighed; obviously this girl was blonde down to her vocal cords. She sat up, "Yep. That I am."
"You were supposed to get a ride from Chuck to school… you were supposed to uh, come to school..."
Kaitlin reached up and pulled her sunglasses down. "Wow. Okaay. Well, I'm gonna go." She reached over and grabbed her skirt then stood.
"You're what? Wait." Serena stood too and watched as the girl slipped back into her skirt and then picked up her shirt.
"You… uh, school… that's why you're in New York, isn't it?" Serena asked.
Kaitlin rolled her eyes, "Yeah, okay. The last thing I need is a lecture from legally blonde barbie and the headband brigade. I have a papaya hotdog to track down."
She had her bag slung over her shoulder and was moving towards the police officer, "Thanks, Keith, you're a doll!"
When Blair stepped forward and spoke, pitching her voice at a level Kaitlin was sure to hear. "See, S. Tiny pit stop on the way back to rehab; there are just a sort of people who are not worth… well, anything really."
Kaitlin froze.
She swore she could feel goose-bumps prickle her skin in the warm spring afternoon.
She turned slowly and in the back of her mind could hear Summer's voice saying, rage black-out.
Summer.
Three-thousand miles away.
She blocked off that thought, instead she locked eyes with the dark-eyed brunette.
She held that gaze for a moment as she remembered Ryan-- and his Look.
Kaitlin Cooper unleashed the patented Ryan Atwood stare and then she turned around and skipped down the steps.
She was really craving a hotdog.
TBC.