Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Gossip Girl


Gossip Girl here! Your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite - or Manhattan's elitist off spring, at least...

My hair was cropped to perfection, even and blunt all the way around, just barely touching my shoulders. It was exactly how I liked it, so why did it look so wrong?

I ran my fingers over my hair, tucking the strands behind my ears, then pulling them out again. And then tucking and then pulling and then fluffing and then fixing and then brushing. Everything was perfect...except for the brown mop on top of my head.

"What are you doing?"

"It's not right," I told him, turning my head from side to side in the mirror, examining every piece.

Henry walked up behind me, resting his big hands on my dainty shoulders. "Your hair looks perfect."

I narrowed my eyes at him through the mirror. "Are you lying?"

The look he had on his face was always mischievous and distrusting, but I knew he was telling the truth. He laughed quietly to himself, nodding to me. "I would never lie to you, baby sis."

I smiled, spinning around. "And I would never lie to you." I glanced at his awful brown shoes, walking around him and deeper into the closet. "Lose the shoes, H. You're clashing."

"Clashing, me?" He looked in the mirror. Now that I was out of the way, he could look at himself - his most favourite thing to look at. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"It's not my fault you didn't inherit mother's fashion sense."

That struck a cord, as he spun around, sporting an unimpressed look. "Careful, E. I could leave at any time."

I softened. I always did when he looked at me like that. I sighed, walking towards him, seeing every bit of our father in him - every small bit of our tough, but loving father. "You're right." I stopped right in front of him, fixing his tie. "Thank you for fitting my birthday soiree into your busy schedule. I know things have been hectic since graduating Harvard."

Chin up, letting me fix away, he said, "Anything for my baby sister."

"Stop calling me that." I tightened his tie, putting on one last touch of straightening it out. "As of today, I am no longer a baby." I walked around him, giving myself one last look in the tall mirror.

"I remember turning eighteen. Best week of my life."

"Yes, well, some of us prefer to forget the stripper incident, Henry."

"And some of us try to remember every detail."

The door swung open and our mother walked in, eyebrows high on her forehead, mouth open. She was looking at us as if she was expecting for us to say exactly what she wanted to hear. "Well?"

I turned toward her. "Well..."

"Every one is downstairs waiting!" She was so small and skinny and yet, held the most power in one single person I had ever seen. Watching her command a room, or my father, was something to be admired. She snapped her fingers. "Hurry it up in here." When her eyes fell on Henry she sighed a delighted smile and walked over to him, hands finding his face. "Oh, my handsome boy."

It was my theory that he was the favourite because mother had forgotten just how much of a pain in the ass Henry used to be when he lived with us.

Henry smiled. He always loved our mother more than life itself. Oh, wait, no - He always loved attention more than life itself. Our mother came second to that. He looked smugly over at me. "Hear that, E? Handsome."

Our mother gave him a quick and soft smack on the face. "Don't brag." She turned to me, holding her hands out for me to grab, which I did. "And my beautiful eighteen-year-old." He bottom lip came out. "Eighteen."

I laughed, enjoying the sound of having someone else say I was eighteen other than myself - even if it was coming from my overemotional mother. "But I will always be your little girl, mom." I squeezed her hands for reassurance.

She sighed, retracting her hands to shake them, blinking a good couple of blinks to get rid of the forming tears. Her hands folded in front of her and she composed herself. "That's enough of the sentiments. Ella, you have a whole room of people waiting. Come out in one minute, no more, no less." She spun around, heels clicking as she grabbed Henry's arm and pulled him out of the room.

I was left in the closet, hearing only my breath and my mother's voice on the microphone echo through the upper east side apartment.

It was truly the happiest day of my life. I had everyone I cared about downstairs waiting for me and I was finally eighteen and going off to college in a couple of short months. Nothing felt better.

I walked out of the closet, out of my room and started to descend the stairs, picking up my long, lavender dress to avoid an embarrassing trip.

"So join me, in wishing my daughter the happiest of birthdays. Happy Birthday, Ella Bass."

I stopped at the landing, letting my hands fall onto the railing as I looked out at the crowd gathered below.

They all smiled up at me and said collectively, "Happy Birthday, Ella!"

I wanted my look to be poised all the way to the bottom step, but I couldn't stop smiling. When I descended the stairs, the chatter started to come in as everyone started to mingle. The second my Armani shoe hit the marble floor, my friends were in front of me.

Addison and Alice. Two of the most beautiful blondes I had the pleasure of growing up with.

Addison smiled brightly, the infectious and effortless charisma rolling of of her naturally. "You look so beautiful, E, as always."

"I'm loving the lavender." Alice grabbed my hand, her soft and gentle hands very representative to everything about her. "Do a twirl immediately."

I twirled around, laughing into the air. Once I was facing forward again, I threw my arms around the two girls. "Thank you, A's. I wouldn't look this good without your expert advice, of course." I nodded towards a handsome waiter. "Champagne?"

I had been mingling for probably about an hour before bumping into one of my favourites. "Oh!" My hands found his broad shoulders. "Mr. Archibald! I was looking for the best-looking man in the room."

He laughed, hand patting my shoulder briefly before finding his champagne glass again. "Ella, you look wonderful. Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

"Your father and I were actually just talking about you and Yale. Are excited for the fall?"

"More excited than ever!" It was true. Yale had been my dream since before I could remember. Every moment that I had to wait to be apart of the university was torture. "You know just as well as anyone Yale has always been my dream."

His handsome face was bright with pride. Mr. Archibald had always been like a second father to me. "Congratulations to you, then. I know Noah enjoys Yale. I'm sure you will too."

"Speaking of -" I looked around the open space. "Have you seen your lovely son wondering about?"

"Last I saw he was talking to Henry."

"Oh, yes. About sports, I presume?"

"You'd be right there, Ella."

Henry and Noah spent far more time together than I would've liked. With Noah being just a year younger than Henry and three years older than me, they had a couple more years of knowing each other over me. Henry liked to rub that one in my face.

Alice appeared at my side, sliding her arm through mine. "Looking for my brother?"

"Aren't I always?"

She steered me to the left, so that my gaze rested upon Noah and Henry, deep in conversation. She leaned in close to my ear. "Noah has been bragging about the present he got you for weeks now. Let me know what it is as soon as you find out. I'm quite curious." Just like that, she disappeared.

I kept walking on, eventually reaching the two, tall men. "May I interrupt?"

Henry turned to me, pursed lips. "Aren't you dong that already?"

I tilted my head, offering a tight, closed-mouth smile, stepping in between him and Noah. With my back towards Henry, I smiled up at Noah. "Well, how do I look?"

Noah glanced over my head at my brother and laughed. He then looked down at me, hand finding my hand. "Absolutely stunning, Ella. You always are."

"Is there anything else you want to say?" I said innocently.

He smiled, teeth white and straight, going well against his tan skin and dirty blonde hair. His whole face was a wonderful colour scheme. He was incredibly attractive, with a tall and athletic stature. His voice was deep, which made it all the more enjoyable to hear it when he said, "Happy birthday, baby."

I felt the joy inside of me. I took a step closer, craning my neck up to press my lips against his in a short, sweet peck. I then took a step back, hand rubbing his chest. "Alice says you've got quite the present for me. I can't wait to open it."

He leaned in close, his hand sliding around my waist. His eyes bore into mine. "After the party, when every one is gone, we can open it together."

I couldn't help but to give him another quick kiss. I took a step back, looking him over briefly. "It's a date."

"Ella!"

I spun around, eyelashes fluttering. "Daddy." I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around him.

He hugged me tightly. "My little girl. Eighteen." When we pulled apart, his hands were resting on my arms. He sighed heavily. "You're very grown up, Ella. A beautiful, young lady."

"Thank you, dad."

"Now -" He started to walk towards the center of the room, pulling me with him. "A toast and then cake." He made it to the dead center, where his natural place was. Like father like son, he was a master of attention. When all eyes were on him, he was happiest. He tapped a knife against his tall glass. "I'd like to raise a toast!"

Everyone quieted and turned to the two of us.

"To my wonderful daughter." He looked down at me, smiling because he couldn't help it - my favourite kind of smiles. Henry and our mother appeared behind him as he continued to speak. "Watching you grow into the intelligent, hard-working, determined, spirited young woman you are today...has been the greatest joy of my life. Your mother and I -" Their hands connected. "Are so proud of you, Ella. I'm sure you'll impress us with many more birthdays to come."

Henry raised his glass, shouting loudly, "To Ella!"

Everyone raised their glass. "To Ella!"

I raised my glass too. "Thank you, everyone! Being surrounded by the lovely people here has made this day all the more special." I sipped on the champagne, as did every one else.

The night went on smoothly. There were plenty of plates full of chocolate cake, as well as hugs and laughter. And then a couple hours of talking went by and people slowly started to disappear. Eventually, the only people in the apartment were Henry and some girl he wouldn't let leave before getting to kiss him, Dorota, who was cleaning like a mad-man, my parents, who were nowhere to be found, and sweet Noah Archibald.

After realizing no one would notice if we snuck away, it only took a matter of seconds before we were in my room, sitting on the end of my bed, sitting across from each other. And it wasn't long after that when Noah pulled a flat, square box out of his back pocket.

"I wanted to wait until after the party."

I took the box from his hands, opening it to reveal a gorgeous necklace. Thin, gold chain with a beautiful pearl hanging from it. The way it was crafted - it looked expensive. "Noah..."

"I know it's not a huge diamond necklace, but -" He scooted closer to me, hands finding my legs. "I wanted to get you something you could wear every day, in the hopes that it would remind you of me."

I put the box down beside me, gentle as ever. I crawled into his lap, throwing my arms around his neck and looking at his ever so handsome face. "It's beautiful, Noah. But I don't need to be reminded. I think of you every day as it is."

"I know, I just -" He was struggling with his words, lips parting and pressing together over and over again. "I just - all this time we've spent apart because I've been at college - I couldn't take it anymore. I know you'll be at Yale with me soon, but -"

I touched the side of his face soothingly. "These past couple of years have been tough, but I wouldn't change a thing. I love you, Noah."

I always wanted someone to look at me the way my parents loved each other. I always wanted a love more powerful than anything. An epic love. I always wanted what my parents had, and I felt like I had that with Noah. He was the love of my life.

His arms tightened around me and his face got closer. "I love you too, Ella - more than anything and anyone, I love you."

I leaned forward and kissed him, letting us fall back onto the silky sheets, to bask in the happiness that was this joyous day.

Happy Birthday to me!