Gossip Girl
Je suis votre princesse
. . .
Bonjour mes amis – something old, something new, something borrow and something blue – but my guess is that won't be the dress, that's right upper East Siders our Queen B is marrying and I've got a court side seat for all the drama,
You know you love me,
Xoxo
Gossip Girl
. . .
The figure was still slight and she was still attractive, her form was holding…for now. She stroked her chest, now it was flat and perfect, she looked immaculate…five more months and that would all have changed, she'd give birth to a bastard who would never be the heir to the throne of Monaco and she'd probably be executed. Well maybe not executed, they had move on from the 16th century but the Royal Court would hardly look so well upon a pregnant bride prior to the Wedding, she'd certainly be excommunicated and her issue would be removed from succession. She frowned and touched at it some more…was that a fat line she could see?
Superficiality was everything in Monaco, the price of your watch, the designer of your dress…the quality of your shoes – you were always under constant scrutiny, the courtiers were not sympathetic – always prying for a mistake, not that Blair Waldorf made mistakes – she hadn't made a single once since coming to court, Dorotha had ensured that, her maid's knowledge of the European monarchies had proved quite useful, invaluable actually – something Blair didn't particularly relish admitting to herself but she made the exceptions since otherwise she would have to endure one of Sophie's Maids who she was quite sure both looked down at her as a commoner and also would have fed the intimate details of her private life straight to the Princess: trust was hard to come by.
Not that she'd told Dorotha about the pregnancy – why should she? There was no need to tell anyone yet…she still had a few weeks before she started showing for real…a few weeks to gather her thoughts, though she didn't wish to, she had to admit – grudgingly admit that she really needed Serena by her side. Blair might have been an adept at manipulation, seduction and subterfuge in general, but Serena tended to have excuses and lies covered as a department…unfortunately that would mean putting a call half way around the world to California and the possibility of her getting to a telephone in the palace was…slim.
She crossed the room from the mirror to her wardrobe, looking out the balcony window towards the harbour and the crystal clears waters of the Mediterranean beyond, it was a glorious day and she was stuck inside…not that she particularly enjoyed sunbathing but there was a certain allure to lounging on the balcony in the shade with a good novel. The whole reason she'd joined Louis in Monaco was to spend time with her fiancé before their marriage but she'd hardly seen him…he'd been too busy playing polo with Prince William and though Kate Middleton was nice…she wasn't exactly what Blair had in mind as best-friend material.
She opened the doors and walked into the annex, she admired the dresses, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Dior, Mulberry, Manolo Blahnik…it was ironic, she had almost everything she'd ever desired in a world, an excuse to read the classics all day, an excuse to wear the most fantastic clothes in the world without thought to price…and yet she was unhappy – or more correctly she wasn't happy. She wasn't sad – she was just…coasting along…it had always been a dream for her to be a Princess and it had been right for her to choose Louis over Chuck, but what was the point in her choosing happiness if even when she'd taken it she couldn't feel it? She couldn't see the point to it. You read stories about Princess Diana staying in a dead-end marriage with Prince Charles, about the unhappiness and how it drove her to bulimia…she didn't want that for herself. But then you couldn't really leave a Royal Engagement could you?
"Dorotha bring me Wuthering Heights." She called out.
. . .
Spending summer with your grandma wasn't exactly every gorgeous leggy blonde's dream, and Cece's personality didn't exactly endear her to her grandchild either but there was a certain allure to a summer in California away from the drama of the Upper East Side and that, coupled with the enterprising offer of writing the script for one of her favourite novels – The Beautiful and Damned – had made the summer fly past. She had also become passionate about screenwriting, she had been in love with the book which had made adapting it for screen that much easier – she had of course been helped some of the way but it was basically her script and her ideas – and somehow it had gotten her creative fire burning.
She listened to the sea lapping at the shore, the methodical ebb and flow of the waves crashing onto the beach as she finished editing a scene from the mid-point of the film – they were in the final process of editing now, she'd already received some money upfront and she would receive the rest once they were satisfied with rewrites. A few tweaks to dialogue and a few additions to directions and she was contented with her work, her phone vibrated and she looked at the caller ID – Mom, Lily had been locked away in the Penthouse all summer…it was only a few weeks till she could be released on parole but Serena was still unsure whether that was even what Lily wanted…she was truly very lonely, most of her friends…if you could call them that had turned their back on her, did she want to be free in such a hostile New York?
"Hey mom," she said, shutting her laptop and strolling to her bed, flumping onto the vast double-bed and sinking into its comforting embrace, "how's New York?" She immediately regretted the question but at the same time it was a good way of seeing how Lily was feeling – not that she'd share her inner feelings, she would merely offer some kind of tone to her voice that Serena would be able to judge as happy or sad or indifferent, Lily had been a master at disguising her feelings since day one, when she wanted to, but her opinions always came across somehow. Her mom sighed on the end of the phone – she was upset then.
"The city's beautiful, in full bloom," she groaned, "I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to getting back to freedom…just to be able to do what I used to…to be able to shop in stores or have lunch at the Four Seasons…I'm sorry, I'm boring you – how's the script-writing have you finished yet, I can't tell you how proud I am of you finding something like this to do while you're visiting Cece." Her mother confided sincerely - it was a deflection but Serena understood it was a necessary one, Lily was still unprepared to face her feelings.
Serena grinned, "It's good mom…really good, I'm just doing the last few rewrites and then the film should go into production next week I think the producer said, I'm getting paid upfront though so…if things don't go to plan I'm still in the clear, I think grandma's fine…still drinking but then that's nothing new…and abusing the help." She said in her best Cece imitation…her grandma could be rude but she was rude in that old person way that meant you couldn't actually tell them not to…because they were old…it was a warped kind of special treatment. "Hey have you spoken to Aunt Carol or Charlie?" Her thoughts drifted back to Charlie from time-to-time, she'd left New York a while back and Serena hadn't heard a thing from her which she thought was strange…before she went off her medication Charlie had been getting quite close to her…Serena didn't know why she wouldn't have called…maybe Carol was keeping her away from the phones…
"I spoke to Carol the other day but she's still…being evasive," evasive was one of Lily's adjectives that implied disapproval and disdain without being outwardly negative or offensive in tone, one had to have studied Lily's vernacular carefully to discern those little tweaks she used in stead of being outwardly rude, she had after all taken etiquette classes, "I wanted to invite her and Charlie to the city for my release Party but Carol said that she didn't think Charlie was emotionally prepared…even after three months away."
"Don't take it personally," she reassured, "I'm sure it isn't because they don't want to come…Charlie was pretty crazy before she left mom…she probably just needs time to get back into her routine at home and get settled."
"Well…maybe you're right," Lily said, sounding decidedly unconvinced, "give my love to Cece."
"Will do," Serena reassured and heard the phone go dead at her mother's end. She placed her phone on the bed and looked up at the canopy above it…if she'd stayed in New York she'd just have made her mom feel bad about keeping her daughter cooped up all summer…but then why did she feel guilty about it?
. . .
"So Lily is…?" Dan regretted going in with that line of questioning but conversation with his Dad had dried up and in all honesty he was a little concerned for his Step-Mom's sanity, she'd been in that apartment for months without any fresh air…from his point of view he'd have gone stir-crazy by that point and jumped from the building.
"Tired, stressed, angry," Rufus replied exasperatedly, "…she's Lily…she'll be fine in a few weeks when she gets out on parole, she just wants to you know, stroll around Central Park or shop at her favourite stores…she wants a life back. How are you and Eric?"
"Well…" Dan was debating whether to be honest with his Dad or give him the glossed-over version. In the glossed over version all they'd done was go for a few drinks around the Hampton's and otherwise had just relaxed at the House, relaxing at the House was true but a few drinks…was more like a lot of drinks…with a lot of different girls in Dan's guys and different guy's in Eric's place. He'd actually been surprised at his Step-Brother, he hadn't pegged him for that guy, Eric had probably made out with more guys than Dan had girls and he'd certainly brought more people home, maybe this was him having his summer of indulgence before he went to College…Dan couldn't be sure. Maybe it wasn't even indulgence but some kind of explorative journey…all that he could tell was that Eric had been going at it for most of the summer and he didn't show any signs of slowing down, although it made more sense to tell Rufus the glossed over-version. "It's been pretty quiet," he finished quickly, "Eric's been reading most days…getting prepped for College."
"I'll have the truth when you get home," Rufus joked, "on a different note how do you feel about trying to get in touch with Charlie for me? Lily isn't having too much luck with Carol like I said but before she left you and Charlie had a bond, maybe you'd be able to speak to her?"
"I would do," Dan said sincerely, he had actually wondered how Serena's cousin was doing after her turn in New York, though she had clearly been on the verge of going over the edge when they'd briefly been dating they'd seemed to have a connection, and even some medication wouldn't discolour chemistry like that – or at least it wouldn't change it entirely, "but I never got her cell number before she left, did you ask Serena?"
"No but I didn't really want to get her involved," he admitted, "she's talking to Lily pretty often and I don't want to ruin her summer, if she really knew how torn up her mom is about Carol not showing then she'd be on the first flight home from Cece's and it's good for her to get some space, just like it's good for you to get some space too."
It was true that he'd enjoyed getting away from New York, the city could be suffocating after a while and the Hampton's was so…fresh…so alive…so vibrant, it was the perfect place for some down time after what had been even by Upper East standards a more than dramatic year, it also meant that he could avoid thinking about Vanessa and everything else bad that he associated the city with. He missed his Dad and he missed Lily but he didn't miss the City, the Upper East Side had never felt like home the way Brooklyn had and even after four years his feelings were no different. In some ways he wished he'd never have to go back to New York, even if it meant seeing his friends when he went back it still wouldn't feel right. He was and always would be an outsider that was just the reality of it. His Dad had simply married into good stock, he would always be lonely boy to them, he was kidding himself if he thought he belonged to the same stratus of the social hierarchy as Blair or Nate – they were a cut above him, even if they'd both had their reputations marred in scandal they were still valued above him: and he would never forget that.
"Sure…thanks Dad, I'll see you next week." Dan reassured.
"Bye Dan." Rufus replied in that same awkward familial way he always had. Dan threw the phone onto his bed and walked out of his bedroom, down the stairs and out onto the patio, making a beeline for one of the loungers beside the pool, Eric was already sat with a book and a pair of large sunglasses – evidently blocking out the glorious sunshine to stop it making his already painful hangover anymore. He was checking his phone, probably scanning the Gossip Girl headlines for the morning. Dan slumped into the lounger beside him and exhaled as though he didn't have a care in the world.
"So what's Gossip Girl talking about in the absence of her favourite Gossip topics?" Dan quizzed – without Blair and Serena in the city she'd lost her stars, Nate and Chuck were sleeping their way around the world, she didn't have anyone to terrorise. Eric laughed and passed him the phone.
"Apparently there's an exposé that's already in some social circles, an insider's published a tell-all about the Upper East Side from the inside," he said, grinning, "I wonder if Serena and Blair will make it in."
Dan froze on the spot but tried not to show it – it couldn't be his novel, surely it wasn't?
"She says the pen-name's anonymous but the book comes out for general release next week, Gossip Girl's also confirmed she didn't write it – wonder who'd write something like that though, they must have a death wish if they're still on the Upper East Side when everyone comes back…"
This wasn't happening. It couldn't be…Vanessa said she didn't send it…or was this just her final act of revenge? Dan didn't know and he had bigger things to worry about than why she'd done it, his novel was about to come out and he was going to lose the only friends he had in the world…and then he'd truly be an outsider…
. . .
"She was particularly…delightful." Chuck said, surveying his latest conquest as she swept out of the bedroom in very little clothing, quite a lot had been torn during the night so she would have to take what she could get, Nate was leafing through the papers, sipping at what looked to be a lethal cocktail in an ugly shade of pink, loud, bright and probably toxic. Nate seemed completely absorbed by the paper which was unusual, especially considering the night he'd had with two Swedish twins – or at least that's what it sounded like to Chuck in the rare instances when he'd been distracted.
"Sorry man, you say something?" Nate asked when he realized that he'd completely ignored Chuck's presence in the room.
Chuck regarded his friend, "Nothing. What's so interesting in the paper?" Chuck asked, grabbing one of the copies of the coffee table and briefly leafing through it, there was very little of immediate interest – then he found the article that he was reading through, "You're worried aren't you?"
"Not worried," Nate protest immediately, throwing the paper on the table as though he didn't care if it spontaneously combusted there and then, "just thinking about her…as a friend…Serena's in California, we've been sleeping our way around the world…and then there's Blair, trying to live in a foreign country where the only people she knows are Louis and Princess Sophie, and by the looks of that article Louis hasn't been with her for most of the summer."
"Louis is a good man," Chuck said sincerely, he wouldn't have let Blair go with anyone else but he'd known that it was what she truly wanted, what she truly needed, "and I have faith, once they're married things are different, right now Blair is probably just trying to ingratiate herself with the Royal Court, something we both know she excels at. If Louis hasn't been home then she'll have had more time to focus on that."
"Look I know that you gave her your blessing and everything," Nate addressed directly, looking him in the eye, "but did you think it through? I mean do you not still have feelings for her – if she marries him she can't just divorce him, they don't work like that – once that ring is on her finger then she's gone man, gone from our world and living in a world…a world that's members only."
Chuck nodded knowingly, "I considered that all but on reflection Blair needs this time to herself Nathaniel, as I needed the summer to myself, look we'll be back in New York next week, Blair will be flying in to meet some of the people she wants to help her with the Wedding – if things need saying then they can be said then, for now," Chuck said looking Nate in the eye, "drink that cocktail, we'll find you a girl and you can have some fun okay?"
Nate smirked back at Chuck's simple assessment, though he didn't buy that there wasn't a chance Chuck would see Blair when she was back, he might have given her away but he still had his mind on her – Nate could see that in the fact that he was still trying to obliterate the pain in a haze of booze and cheap whores, there were going to be fireworks when they finally got back to the City.
. . .
This just in, looks like there's a budding author among you, and in the pursuit of millions of dollars he's sold his soul to a publishing giant – let's just hope it was worth it anonymous. Hell hath no fury like an Upper East Sider Scorned, the suspense is killing me,
Xoxo
Gossip Girl
. . .
My first Gossip Girl fic so reviews are much appreciated,
The good, the bad and the ugly,
Acrobat
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