"I can't believe I'm a dwarf," Nate sighed to Chuck as they walked out of their classroom and headed to the front of the school.
Chuck smiled to himself. Poor Nathaniel. He really couldn't handle not feeling he was the prettiest one in the room. He threw his arms around Nate's shoulders as they walked. "Listen! Don't take it too hard. I mean, you get to wear such a great little hat." He laughed out loud as Nate stared in unamused silence.
"I swear you must have paid Mrs. Kellerman to get her to cast you as the Prince."
Chuck frowned at Nate. "Are you saying I didn't earn the part with my innate charm and charisma?" He held Nate's gaze for as long as he could as the other boy began to wilt under the scrutiny.
"I'm sorry. I was just--"
Chuck laughed out loud. "I'm just kidding. Relax."
Nate laughed in relief. "I wonder what parts the girls got cast in," he said as they approached the sidewalk and Chuck began to glance around for Blair and Serena.
It had been three years since the incident on the playground and the four children were now thick-as-thieves fourth graders. Of course, the first year of that time had involved a lot of begging on the part of Nate and Serena to get Blair to stand in the same room as the boy who had callously pushed her over that day on the tetherball courts, but she had finally given in and it had only taken another year after that for the hostility to come out of her voice in every conversation she had with Chuck.
It had also taken three years for the newly named Chuck Bass to convince himself that the pretty little brunette who he'd spent so much of first grade watching across the playground was just like any other friend. He didn't like her any more or less. He especially didn't feel anything fluttering in his stomach at the sight of her. And after three years, his determined ignorance of that fluttering had paid off-- he didn't even feel it anymore.
Nate spotted Serena and grabbed Chuck's arm to pull him in the blonde's direction.
Serena smiled at the two boys who had become her best friends-- second only to Blair in terms of importance. "Did you guys find out?" she asked excitedly.
Nate nodded, sheepish at the thought of having to admit he was a dwarf. "Yeah."
"And?" Serena seemed positively giddy over the whole thing.
Nate looked at Chuck, willing him to go first. Chuck smiled his best Bart Bass smile and looked at Serena with the confidence that won him his part. "The Prince," he said smoothly.
Serena laughed out loud. "I totally knew it! I told everyone it'd be you." She smiled at Chuck, a gleam in her eye that the young boys hadn't quite figured out meant Serena was in love. Sighing softly to herself, she turned her head to Nate, though her eyes didn't quite stray from the young Bass. "And Nathaniel?" she asked with curiosity.
"I'm a dwarf," Nate admitted, face turning slightly pink.
Serena, ever the positive one, jumped up once and threw her arms around Nate. "Me, too. Oh my gosh! How exciting!"
Nate and Chuck were both a little shocked. They had both thought Serena was a shoo-in for the lead. This came as a big surprise.
"Well, then . . ." Nate began. "Who's Snow White?"
"I am," came a voice from behind them as the fourth member of their small circle of friendship walked over, joining the other three. "I'm Snow White," Blair repeated, an excited flush on her young cheeks.
Serena laughed with happiness for her friend-- she was always happy for everyone. Nate smiled in amusement, glad for Blair, especially since it meant that he hadn't missed out on the opportunity to kiss Serena. Chuck . . . . Well, Chuck didn't say anything. His mouth, however, dropped open as he stared back at the brunette, with her smooth pale skin, who he never realized was actually a dead ringer for the part she'd been chosen to play.
And that's when he felt them.
Those damn butterflies were back.
****
The theatre was loud as the children gathered excitedly for the first day of rehearsal for their new play. Mrs. Kellerman had divided everyone up into groups: the dwarves gathered with Mr. Mason for costume choices and to start practicing their lines, the woodland creatures were given animal assignments and were working with Mrs. Burns, the choreographer on their "movement," the Wicked Queen and the Hunter were running lines together and Mrs. Kellerman was talking to her Prince and Princess about their roles.
"Mr. Bass and Ms. Waldorf, congratulations. I'm very proud to have both of you as my leads. Now, this is a very important production and you are representing all of the fourth grade, so I expect you to take your roles seriously and act in a very professional manner. . . ."
Chuck tuned out the teacher as his thoughts strayed to his recent realization that his infatuation with Blair Waldorf, which he had thought long since past, had resurfaced with a vengeance. He felt nothing but excitement as he thought about all the time they'd be spending together in rehearsal every day.
" . . . . even though kissing one another might be uncomfortable, it is just a part of the play."
Chuck felt ripped back into the conversation as he caught the last sentence. What did she just say?
"Um, Mrs. Kellerman, I don't want to be a problem," he heard Blair break into the speech. "It's just, I don't think I can kiss Chuck Bass."
He saw her glance sideways at him and he smirked back at her in response.
Mrs. Kellerman laughed. "Oh Blair, don't be silly. It is very simple. Just a peck on the lips. You can't forget how important that kiss is the play. It is, after all, the reason Snow White wakes up to begin with."
Blair once again looked over at the young Bass, resistance in her eyes and resignation on her face. She definitely didn't want to say yes. Her eyes gave her away. Chuck knew exactly how to read those eyes. But Blair was smart and she knew she couldn't disagree-- not if she wanted to keep her part. She sighed aloud, turning back to face her teacher. "Okay," she agreed, "But I won't do it until the actual play. No rehearse kissing."
Mrs. Kellerman nodded. "I think that will be fine. And you Mr. Bass? Are you okay with this agreement?"
Chuck shrugged his shoulders, a cocky grin on his handsome face. He didn't mind at all. It just gave him more time to practice. He was going to blow her mind when he kissed her. And then she'd love him forever. Just like Snow White loved her Prince.
****
Chuck Bass liked to skulk. He often did so in the Bass offices, making sure to stay hidden and listening in on all of the secret goings on that occurred on a daily basis in the scandalous cubicles. He also snuck around his father's parties and had witnessed enough secret trysts and torrid affairs to blackmail the entire Upper East Side for millions of dollars. Chuck liked to think of it as a job: as a future businessman and CEO of Bass Industries, you can never have too much dirt on someone.
Then again, sometimes it was just fun.
It had also become a habit, which was why Chuck found himself creeping around backstage in the theatre less than a week before his theatrical debut and the kiss that would make Blair Waldorf his forever.
"But Blair, I don't understand. I would be so excited."
Chuck's ears perked up. He didn't realize there was anybody back here. Rehearsal wasn't for another hour. Yet, the voices drifting from inside the wardrobe closet proved otherwise. Not only were there definitely people in the theatre, the voice Chuck had just heard was Serena's. And she was talking to Blair.
"It's not that that I'm not excited. Any girl would be thrilled to be a princess, of course, and I do fit the role perfectly. It's just, I had really counted on it being Nate."
Chuck made his way closer to the closet as quietly as he could. Luckily, his years of practice paid off, and he made it to the door without a single sound. He leaned as close as he could and focused on the conversation. What was this about Nate?
He heard Serena sigh. "Nate's way fun. You know I think he's the greatest, but don't you think he's a little bit boring? I mean, if I were you, I'd be so happy with the way things were. I think Chuck's absolutely dreamy."
Chuck almost laughed out loud. He had thought Serena might like him in a lovey sort of way. She never stopped bringing him cookies from home and always insisted she be the one to sit next to him on movie nights at Blair's house.
He heard Blair groan in irritation. "Gosh Serena, I'm so tired of hearing about Chuck flipping Bass. The boy is a cretin. Don't you remember how callously he knocked me over in first grade?"
"But B-- that was three whole years ago. Besides, I thought you were over that whole thing. You said you liked Chuck."
Chuck pressed his ear closer, anticipation rising as he awaited her answer. Did she? Did she really like him?
"Um, yeah! As a friend! That's it! Not like you're crazy self-- sighing with love over Butthead Bass. If you had any sense at all, you'd see how truly wonderful Nate was."
He felt himself slipping back away from the door. Nate again. It was always Nate with this girl. Why should a guy even bother?
"Besides," he heard her continue, "don't you think Nate looks more like a Prince Charming?"
Serena laughed. "No! He looks more like a silly dwarf with those pointy ears!"
The silence that followed could only mean that Blair was giving Serena one of her patented death glares. Chuck was very familiar with those. "S-- those are for his costume and you know it!"
Serena giggled in response. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Still--"
There was a moment or two of silence and Chuck leaned forward again, wondering what had happened. He pushed forward slowly, daring to peek just slightly around the door to get a glimpse of the two young actresses in gossip mode.
Serena was standing to Blair's side, adjusting her dress, as Blair brushed her hair through the tight curls she wore as Snow White. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and right then he knew, there would never be a princess quite like Princess Blair, in storybooks or in real life.
Blair let her hand drop to her side and sighed quietly. Her voice held a touch of sadness as she spoke again to her blonde companion. "It's just-- I love Nate so much and he really is my Prince. I just know that if he were to kiss me in our play, he would fall in love with me forever and I would be the happiest girl that ever lived. I just know it."
Serena put her arm around her friend. "Oh, B."
Blair looked up at Serena. "Dreams come true sometimes, don't they S?"
Serena just shrugged her shoulders as Chuck backed slowly away from the door and crept out of the theatre, head down and shoulders slumped in defeat.
****
"Children! Children! I need you all to pay attention, please! Eyes up front! All eyes on me! Ms. Sparks, please stop pulling Mr. Allen's hair. Georgina, I mean it." Mrs. Kellerman reprimanded her Evil Queen as she clapped her hands calling to the assembled fourth graders, in costume for their dress rehearsal. "Now," she continued, as she managed to calm them down and the music teacher had intervened and gotten Georgina away from the young boy who was now missing a chunk of hair from his scalp, "I have an announcement to make. It seems our Prince Charming, Charles Bass, has been diagnosed with acute stage fright and therefore, will no longer be able to take part in our show."
Gasps rippled through the stage. Serena turned to Blair, watching the young brunette's eyes fill with tears in the fear that her stage debut would be sacrificed in the name of psychology.
Mrs. Kellerman raised her arms in a calming gesture. "Now, now, children, do not worry. All is not lost. Nathaniel Archibald?" She glanced about the stage, finding the handsome young dwarf with his pointy ears and green hat. Nate stepped forward.
"Charles told me that you have been helping him learn his lines and that he is quite certain you would be able to take over the role with no problem. Is this correct?"
Nate shrugged a bit and then nodded. "Um, yes ma'am. I think I could."
"Good," Mrs. Kellerman smiled. "See, children? Nothing to worry about? So, Mr. Archibald will take over as the Prince and . . . . .let's see. . . .Mr. Daniel Humphrey?" She looked up.
A dark haired boy in rabbit ears, with whiskers drawn on his face stepped forward, his arm half raised.
Mrs. Kellerman pointed to him. "You will now be Dwarf 3, instead of Woodland Creature 5. Mr. Archibald, please give Mr. Humphrey your hat and ears."
Nate was only too happy to comply. And staring at the hat and ears, Daniel found himself rather glad to trade in the whiskers for some new ears, pointy or not.
Meanwhile, only Serena noticed the tears of fear had quickly turned to tears of joy in Blair's eyes, as she made a soft sound of excitement. Serena rolled her eyes. She supposed that dreams did come true sometimes, but she still thought Blair was crazy for giving up the reality of the alluring Chuck Bass for the dream of Nate Archibald.
****
"She's been asleep for a whole year," Dwarf Serena announced to the Prince Nathaniel, as he gazed upon the Snow White laying before him.
"She won't wake up, now matter what we did-- uh, I mean do," stuttered Dwarf Daniel, who was feeling a bit of stage fright himself at this point.
Prince Nate, looking regal and as distinguished as a floppy Prince hat could make him, stepped around, looking up at the audience in announcement. "That is a pity," he cried in dismay. "She is the most beautiful creature I have yet seen and I would no doubt make her my bride if she were but alive. Instead, I shall place a kiss upon her lips and continue on my journey to find my queen."
Nate knelt to the ground beside Blair, as she lay on the makeshift stone slab in her coma. She had lain so still since her placement there, you might think she were actually dead, but as Nate knelt down, her feet wriggled slightly in anticipation of the kiss from the boy she knew she would love forever.
In the audience, Chuck watched with dread, knowing the minute Nathaniel's lips touched hers, Blair would be lost to him forever. Yet, he couldn't look away as Nate lowered his head and his lips met Blair's. It lasted all of two seconds, but as Blair sat up with a glow in he cheeks and yawned in exaggeration, Chuck knew it was the happiest moment of her life.
He was glad he could give up his happiest moment to give Blair her own. And as he stood up and walked out of the theatre, deciding not to watch the ending scene when the Prince married his fair Snow White, Chuck decided that love just wasn't worth it. After all, the people at his dad's parties, the ones he could so easily blackmail, didn't seem to be in love with any of the people he saw them with. But they certainly seemed to be having fun.
Yeah. Love was overrated. Maybe lust was an easier shot.
And with that decision in his pocket, a new Chuck Bass made his way out of the lobby doors and into the streets of Manhattan alone.
A/N: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and the story alerts and favorites and all of the exciting things that have been filling my inbox the last week. I appreciate it so much. Every review I get makes me want to write faster. I have Chapter 3 planned out already, so hopefully, I'll have that ready for you in the next week. In the meantime, I hope you liked Chuck and Blair's play. J
