I have been writing a lot, lately. But the vacations are coming here in France, and I'll take a little break, otherwise, I'll never stop. Ever.
So here is a follow up to Generation Gap. It takes in what happens in everyones lives, and how they connect with each other. Therefore, it's not Dair centric. This chapter doesn't even end with Dair. I used the style of the actual GG books, except that this is a lot of dialogues, and not really about character's introspection.
Anyway, this is full of drama, and really useless to write, but oh well.
A little reminder of who is who and the age of the kids.
Vanderbaizens : Serena, Carter, Adeline 18, Vita 15.
Archibalds: Nate, Ivy, Travis 21, Emily 19, Samuel 15.
Waldorf-Humphreys : Blair, Dan, Ombeline 22, Elvis 17, Cleo 15.
Also Adeline and Travis are dating, as well as Cleo and Sam, but Vita is in love with Sam. Travis goes to Columbia, Emily to Harvard, Ombeline to USC and all the others to Constance-St Jude.
"Elvis, I will need you to go get Nana at the airport tomorrow"
Elvis didn't move from his computer screen, and Dan could hear the music coming from his headphones. He moved closer to take them off, startling his son.
"Jesus, Dad, can't you knock?"
"I could, but I won't because this is my house" Dan replied "And you're getting Nana from the airport, tomorrow"
"What? Why me?"
"Because your mother and I are busy and Cleo doesn't drive"
"Send a cab"
Dan crossed his arms, showing Elvis that arguing was completely unnecessary. Elvis rolled his eyes.
"Fine" he sighed.
Dan smiled, getting out of the room
"Love you, son"
"Doesn't really make anything better"
Elvis went back to listening to his music and browsing through the internet for new drumsticks. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his phone buzzing on the desk. Adeline.
"What's up?" he picked up
"I need a favor"
"What's with everyone asking me stuff today?" he grunted "What's going on?"
"I was wondering if you could talk to Monkey. She's not been herself lately, and she won't say a word to me"
"Have you ever considered trying not to call her Monkey?"
"The problem doesn't lay there, Elvis. She is in love with Sam, who happens to date your little sister. She needs guidance"
"Why should I be the one giving it to her?"
"It turns out that you're kind of our step-cousin, and you're the closest to her after Cleo and me" Adeline pointed out "Please?"
"Alright. I'll do it. I'll take her for a car ride tomorrow"
"Thanks" Adeline said, not sounding relieved.
"Are you okay? You too seem a little off"
"Yeah, well I too kinda need guidance, but I can't talk about it to my best friend, since she's still mad at me because my step-cousin cheated on her with her sister" Adeline said dryly.
"Fair enough" Elvis said, without even an ounce of guilt in his tone "Talk to your mom?"
"I can't"
"Ivy?"
"Nope"
"Emily?"
"Can't do"
"Travis? He's your boyfriend right?" he said, and when he didn't hear her answer, he asked "What's going on, Addie?"
Elvis was starting to get worried, because Adeline had been this closed up to people for weeks, now. She sighed in the monitor.
"Don't worry. I'll figure things out. Just help Monkey"
She hung up, and Elvis dialed his mother immediately after.
"Hi, sweetie"
"Mom, could you talk to Addie? I think there's something going on with her, she says she needs guidance but she won't talk to anyone. I'm afraid she's going to join a cult"
"Mmh, sure, I'll drive by her dance class after work. I think she finishes at 6" Blair said.
"Thanks, mom"
He hung up and put his music back on, shaking his head. They wouldn't go a day without him.
/
Cleo ignored the fifth call of Sam, because she didn't want to get caught up in a phone conversation with him on the first day of her internship. He didn't understand that he was way too much of a distraction. She turned off her phone.
"Hi, you must be Cleo"
She turned around to see a tall boy looking at her. She instantly blushed. He had brown skin, and piercing blue eyes. And the way he was smiling at her.
"Hi" she answered, her voice stuck in her throat
"I'm here to give you a tour of the locals you're supposed to work in" he said, shaking her hand "My name is Thomas. Follow me"
Cleo listened religiously to everything he was saying, looked at everything he was pointing, taking notes on her little yellow pad. She bristled when he touch her back to lead her out of every room they had entered. She had never been around such a gentleman. Such a handsome gentleman.
"And this is the boss's office"
Cleo looked at the leathery door, with the golden plate written 'Mr. Charles Bass – CEO' written on it. She bit her lip.
"I heard Stanley Gordon designed his office"
Thomas smiled at her "He did. You know about him?"
"Are you kidding? He's the most fabulous interior designer of all time. He worked on my grandmother's house in the Hamptons" she said. "I tried to hire him to design my room, but my father wouldn't pay for it."
"Would you like to see it?" Thomas nodded toward the office.
Cleo's eyes widened "Are we allowed to go in?" she whispered.
Thomas shrugged "The boss is not here today, and there's no one around. Come on, I've done it before"
Cleo looked around, tempted. She shouldn't. But how gorgeous must it be? Seeing her hesitation, Thomas took her by the wrist and pulled her with him inside the room.
She has a small gasp when she entered. The leather chair, the mahogany desk, the librabry, the Wharols on the walls, the view on Wall Street. It was heaven. She wondered how long she would have to work before getting one exactly like that.
She turned to Thomas "You just made my day" she told him with a nervous laugh.
"Good" he smiled at her, and she melted a little.
"Do you work here?" she asked "I mean, you seem a little young to be already working in such a company"
Thomas was going to answer, but the door of the office opened and Cleo's heart stopped. She was being busted of sneaking into the boss's office on her first day. She stood there, tetanized as she recognized Chuck Bass coming in. He looked at the two of them, surprised, and then he frowned.
He walked toward his desk slowly, never taking his eyes away from her, then dropped his briefcase. He was still looking at her, standing tall and stuffing a hand in his pocket.
"You look like your mother" he said.
It was only then that Cleo breathed again. It had always been her favorite compliment.
"I've been told" she said in a squeaky voice.
A little smile broke onto his face "Which one are you? I don't even know how many children she and…I don't know how many children she had"
"I'm Cleo, sir. The youngest. I have two older siblings, Elvis and…"
"Ombeline" Chuck said, nodding.
Cleo pressed apologetically her lips. Right. He already knew her sister. Chuck turned to Thomas.
"Do you need anything?" he asked.
"No" Thomas shook his head, and Cleo was amazed by how relaxed he was "Cleo just wanted to see Stanley's work"
"Well you too go back to work, you are not here to chat" Chuck said, taking a seat in his chair.
"Alright, see you later Dad"
Cleo stretched her eyes at the word, she looked at Thomas who was grinning at her reaction. He pushed her gently toward the door, and Cleo let him, still slightly in shock. Before exiting the office, she turned around.
"Mr. Bass" she called and he looked up. She swallowed "I think she misses you. My sister, I mean"
Chuck looked at her for a little while, then smiled gently.
"Have a good day, Cleo"
/
Samuel had never been happier to get home. It had been the most stressful day he ever had to live, and on top of everything, Cleo was still not taking his calls. He assumed that she was mad from the blast and she had every right to be. But he was sort of pissed that she wouldn't even let him explain.
The house was silent. His mother had a show tonight, and his father was probably still at the office. Sam had gotten used to be alone ever since his two siblings had gone to college. He went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water, dropped his fencing equipment there, and moved to go lock himself up in his room.
"Samuel"
He stopped when he heard his father call him by his full name from his office.
"Could you come a second, please?"
When he got to his father's office, he went directly to sit in one of the chairs.
"What's up, dad?"
"I saw the blast" Nate said, looking intently at his son.
Sam frowned "You check Gossip Girl?"
"Well, since the anniversary dinner revelations, I thought it might me good to know what kind of things you kids are up to" Nate admitted.
Sam shook his head, standing up "Whatever, I don't have time for this"
"Hey sit back down, and don't talk to me that way. We're not the VanderBaizens, for Christ's sake"
Sam obeyed, not really feeling bad about his behavior.
"Talk to me" Nate said.
"What do you want me to say, Dad? Vita kissed me out of nowhere and that Cleo refuses to take my calls"
"Out of nowhere?" Nate couldn't help but laugh "Come on, kid, you're not that stupid"
"What do you mean?"
"Vita loves you"
Sam was about to answer that he knew that, but then he took in the way his father was looking at him, and he got the hint. So Vita loved him, this way.
"But…" he said "How?"
"Come on, you're pretty handsome" Nate said.
It didn't amuse Samuel, who looked somehow worringly pale. Nate sighed, feeling bad for his kid.
"Listen, it's going to be okay. You just have to talk to Vita, and explain her that you are in love with Cleo, but that it doesn't mean you don't love her. And tell Cleo basically the same thing, except from the part where you love Vita. She won't take it well."
Sam nodded "I'll think about it. I just need to sleep, really"
Nate let his Sam go, thinking about the irony of his son getting into a love triangle with Serena's and Blair's daughters.
/
Blair had been sitting in the car for about twenty minutes before she spotted Adeline getting out of the conservatory. She winded down the window.
"Addie!" she called "Need a ride home?"
Adeline looked at her, surprised, then rolled her eyes, hoping into the car next to Blair. Blair gave the chauffeur the sign to start driving and smile at Adeline, dusting the snow off her hair.
"Cold today, isn't it?" she asked.
"I know that Elvis sent you, Blair, but I don't really wanna talk"
"He told me that you did, but didn't know who to talk to. I am a litte cross that you never thought of me"
Adeline shook her head "It's not that. I can't talk to you"
"Why not?" Blair frowned "What's going on?"
Adeline didn't answer, but looked out the window. She had always been the most secretive of the children.
"Why don't we go back to my place and have a cup of tea?" Blair asked. "The house should be empty at this hour"
Adeline shrugged, then nodded, still not looking at Blair. When they got to her place, Blair led her directly to the kitchen.
"Where is everyone?" Adeline asked, because she couldn't remember the last time she had heard the Waldorf-Humphrey residence being this silent.
Usually, there was always Elvis's music, or Cleo screaming at him, or Dan and Blair bickering about things like where their latest art acquirement should be placed.
"Elvis is working backstage on Ivy's play tonight, and Cleo texted me to say she was hanging out with some people she met at her internship today. Dan should be home in about an hour, but he won't disturb us"
Adeline pursed her lips. Blair had probably told Dan that she was inviting her over for tea. That was the thing she never understood in this couple, they always told each other everything. She was therefore a bit wary at the idea of talking to her.
Once they both had a cup of tea in their hands, Blair took her to the living room and made her sat on the couch next to her.
"So, darling, tell me. Is it something at school?"
"No, everything is great there, as usual"
Blair nodded with a smile. Not only she was the smartest student at Constance, but she also had this blond hair, those blue eyes and her father's smile that obviously made everyone instantly love her.
"Is something wrong with Travis?" Blair tempted, knowing that even Addie wasn't immune to boys problems.
"Not really" she said.
But then Blair was startled when Adeline broke into tears in front of her. She put down her cup and held Adeline in her arms.
"I'm really starting to get worried, Addie. You have to tell me what's going on"
Adeline shook her head, still crying. Blair almost swore when she heard the front door opening. The sobs led Dan to the living room, and he seemed shocked by what he was witnessing.
"What's going on?" he asked.
He went to sit next to them, and Blair put Adeline in his arms.
"I'm gonna get her a something to calm her down" she said.
Dan nodded while he closed his arms around Adeline, trying to sooth her the best he could, whispering words of comfort. He was wondering why Blair hadn't called Serena. Blair came back with a glass of water and a little pill that she handed to Adeline.
"Here, take this" she said "It's just a little anxiolytic"
Adeline looked at the pill, and shook her head, crying harder.
"I can't take that"
"It'll help, I promise"
Adeline sniffed, and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She stopped crying, and wiped the humidity on her face.
"I'm pregnant" she said.
Blair put down the glass of water not to drop it and sat numbly on the couch, in shock. Dan looked at his wife, then back to Adeline.
"Okay" he said in a calm voice "Are you sure?"
"I took three tests"
Dan nodded, thinking about how Carter would lose his mind if he heard. Once he heard.
"For how long?"
"I don't know" Adeline shook her head "I couldn't bring myself to go to the doctor"
"I'll take you to mine" Dan said, stroking her hair "He practices in Queens, no one will hear"
Adeline nodded in gratefulness.
"Does Travis know?" Dan asked.
Adeline shook her head again. Dan took a deep breath, thinking about Nate.
"You need to tell him. He's strong, he can take it, and you can't go through this alone"
Dan looked at her. She was so young. She had a whole, bright, successful future ahead of her. He couldn't believe it was happening to her, of all people.
"Thank you, Uncle Dan" she said "And you too, Blair. It does feel good to be able to talk about it"
"You can come to us anytime, Addie. You know that"
"Can you keep it for yourself, for now?"
Blair snapped out of her numbness. She couldn't lie to Serena. But Adeline was looking at them with such pleading eyes.
"We will" she said.
"I need to get ready for Ivy's play, tonight" Adeline stood up, and took her things with her "I'll see you later. Thank you, really"
"Sure"
Dan escorted her to the door, and went back to the living room. Blair hadn't moved.
"Oh my God" she said, looking at Dan
"I know"
He sat back down on the couch, and took Blair into his arms, kissing her on her forehead.
"We need to go see Ombeline" Blair said "We need to talk to her, Dan"
They hadn't spoken to Ombeline since their anniversary, and now the Christmas break had started, but she hadn't come home yet. Dan nodded.
"I'll book a flight for tomorrow" he said.
Elvis and Cleo were going to kill them for leaving them alone with Nana.
/
They were all dressed smartly, waiting for the play to start. Cleo was running late, and Samuel was chatting with Elvis, looking at the entrance of the Theatre from time to time to check her arrival. Vita was a few steps from him, talking with her parents and her sister. They hadn't talked to each other. He assumed she was avoiding him as much as he was avoiding her.
"Are you sure your sister is coming?" he asked.
Elvis laughed "I'm sure. What, you can't go a few hours without her?"
Samuel looked at him. He didn't know about the blast. Elvis was one of the few who didn't follow Gossip Girl. He saw Cleo come into the Theatre, not at all dressed up for the event. She was walking toward them with an angry step, and his heart pressed into his chest. She looked like she was going to strangle someone with her headband. She walked past him, just giving him the coldest look she had ever directed at him, and stopped in front of an anxious Vita.
"Why aren't you dressed?" Blair asked, surprised.
"Why did you do this?" Cleo asked Vita, ignoring her mother.
Vita didn't answer, just crossed her arms, waiting for the wrath.
"Why would you do this to me? Is it because of the internship?" Cleo raised her voice, and all the adults looked at each other, confused.
"Not everything is about you, Cleo" Vita said dryly.
"Well, it is my boyfriend that you kissed" Cleo said, pointing at Samuel.
"He was my friend, before becoming your boyfriend"
"And what am I to you, then? A simple next-door neighbor? We're cousins, for Christ's sake!"
"I was just sick of you always taking everything for granted, okay?" Vita raised her voice too. "You always act like you get everything because it's simply the way it should be"
"No, I get everything because I work for it! You're just jealous, because he chose my intelligence over your big boobs and perfect hair" Cleo said "I actually use my head to get the things I want, unlike you"
Serena and Blair looked at each other, sharing the sentiment of dejà vu. Cleo turned to Samuel.
"How could you do this to me?"
"I can explain, C" Samuel said, taking a step forward.
"You know what? Save it. I don't want to hear from any of you" Cleo said "I'm going home"
She walked off, leaving them all in a heavy silence. The lights starting flickering, indicating that the play was about to start.
/
It didn't take long for Milo to find Travis sitting in the bar. Everything was loud, and joyful, but Travis seemed to be impervious to the ambiance, sipping gloomily on his beer.
"Hey, man" he said when he saw Milo "Thanks for meeting me. I hope I didn't disturb your work.
"I needed a break" Milo shrugged, waving the waitress for a beer. "What's up?"
"Addie is pregnant"
"What?"
Milo looked closely at Travis. His eyes were read, he had clearly been crying and he seemed under the shock.
"Are you serious?" Milo asked, then regretted, because Travis was clearly serious.
"I don't know what to do. She said Dan was taking her to the doctor to find out how long it's been, but she didn't even ask me to go with her."
"Well, you could always suggest" the waitress put his beer in front of him, he thanked her with just a look. "She's probably scared"
"I am terrified" Travis said "I don't even have a college degree yet"
"And she hasn't even graduated from high school yet, Trav" Milo pointed out. "She's top of her class, and Harvard has been basically saving a spot for her and shit. I'm not playing at who should freak out more, but it's clearly her."
"My father is going to kill me. Then Carter will dismember my body and burn it"
It made Milo laugh in spite of himself. Travis put his head in his hands.
"Shit, I thought we were being careful. I think the worst part is that we've only had sex three times, and I was her first, man"
"Fuck" Milo said "She is never having sex again, after that. Talk about a trauma"
Travis grunted. He finished his beer, and asked for another one.
"Go easy" Milo told him
"Let me appreciate, Miles" Travis said "I haven't even been allowed to drink legally for a month, and now I'm going to be a father"
"Fair enough"
Travis took a long gulp from his second beer, emptying half of it.
"So. What are you gonna do?" Milo asked.
Travis shook his head "I don't know, man"
/
Elvis knocked on Vita's door, but she didn't answer. He tried a second time.
"V, it's Elvis, open up"
After a few seconds, the door clicked open, and Vita appeared.
"Did your sister send you to beat me up?"
"Nah, she does all of the beating up herself now" Elvis said, leaning against the door frame "I'm going for a ride, I thought you'd like to come. I know how much you like Rufus's car"
Vita narrowed her eyes at him "What do you want, Elvis?"
"After last night, I figured that you'd need a friend"
"Even though your sister and I got into a huge fight"
Elvis shrugged "I can't stand that brat, I'm picking your side"
Vita rolled her eyes, because she knew it was a lie. Elvis never picked sides.
"Let me take my coat" she said, nevertheless.
Elvis promised Carter to bring Vita back in one piece, and they got together in the car. She picked the music on the radio that his father had fixed, and Elvis let her, because their tastes were pretty similar. She usually went to all of his shows, and he liked to tease her by calling her his groupie.
"So, how are you, Monkey?"
"I knew Adeline was behind it" Vita sighed when she heard the nickname her sister gave her. "It's ridiculous"
"What is it about Sam, that is so special for you to fight over him?" Elvis asked, looking at the road.
"It's not about, Sam. Not only. It's about a lot of things. I just got sick of her behavior. And now, Sam doesn't even call her on her shit anymore, cause he thinks she is the most perfect human being on earth"
"He's in love, V"
"He shouldn't be. She is horrible"
"You do realize it's my little sister, right?"
Vita shrugged "You're the one who wanted to talk"
Elvis laughed.
"I'm really sorry that the guy you love is in love with someone else. But it was wrong of you to kiss him, in Time Square, in front of all of those cellphones"
Vita brought her feet on the car seat, playing with her shoelaces.
"I was going to tell him" she said "Last year, at your parents' anniversary, I was going to tell him. But then the food fight happened, and I went to clean up my hair, and when I went back to Cleo's room, they were kissing"
Elvis didn't say anything, he could only imagine how hard it must have been for her.
"It's always been the three of us, always. And then they've marginalized me, started doing things without me. So I figured, if I had to lose my friend, at least he would know how I really feel about him. That's why I kissed him"
"You'll get over it, V" Elvis said "I promise. It might hurt right now, but you're getting older and more awesome every day. It'll pass"
Vita nodded, she wanted to believe him. She looked at the road, and read the signs, to see where they were.
"Are we going to JFK?" she asked, frowning.
Elvis started humming the music on the radio. Vita turned it off.
"Elvis, when is Nana supposed to arrive?"
"It's such a beautiful day"
Vita groaned in frustration, understanding his scheme. He was taking her to JFK picking up Nana with him, because being Lily Van der Woodsen's granddaughter, to Nana Vita was basically the anti-Christ. Nana would leave Elvis alone and focus on insulting her.
"I hate you" she told him.
"You know you love me" Elvis winked at her with a grin, and she punched him in the arm when he added mockingly " x.o.x.o!"
/
Ombeline opened the front door of her apartment to find her parents beaming at her.
"What are you doing on this side of the country?" she asked
"Surprise" they both said, their smile widening.
She didn't smile back, simply took a step aside to let them in. Her roommate, Becky, started putting away the empty bottles of alcohol displayed on the coffee table.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey" she said awkwardly "So nice to see you"
"You too" Blair said, looking suspiciously at the mess of the living room "What happened here?"
"Oh just a little celebration" Becky shrugged, her arms full of bottles.
"Celebrating what?" Blair asked.
Dan put a hand on her shoulder to stop her "Come on, Blair, you must remember being young, somewhere inside"
"I remember being pregnant, at their age" Blair raised an eyebrow at him.
"Becky, would you leave us a minute?" Ombeline asked, hands on the hips.
"With pleasure" Becky said, obviously relieved. She went to the kitchen and closed the door behind her.
"What are you doing here?" Ombeline asked her parents, sitting on her couch.
Dan and Blair looked at each other.
"We came to tell you to come home, already" Dan said "We miss you"
"You flew across the country to take me home?" Ombeline asked "I'm not five, you know"
"Perhaps if you stopped acting like you were" Blair started but Dan nudged her. She took a deep breath, and pursed her lips at Ombeline's defiant look "We also came to apologize"
Ombeline's attention was caught "For what?"
"For not realize how everything that happened in the past had been hard on you" Dan said "Even though you were fairly very little"
He sat on the couch next to her "The worst part is, Serena and Nate both warned us, at the time that what we were doing could be affecting you. But neither of us listened. We were selfish, and irresponsible, and we're sorry."
He smiled and opened his arms for her. Ombeline rolled her eyes, but went anyway, hugging him tight.
"We love you" Dan said "You know that, right?"
"I do. I love you too"
The broke the embrace, and Ombeline looked at Blair who was still standing. She hadn't said anything, and she was just looking at them.
"I'm taking you out for a hot cocoa" Dan said "Get dressed, Omby. Then we'll come back here and help you pack"
Ombeline looked at her mother a bit more, then snorted bitterly and went to her room. When she was gone, Dan stood up to face Blair.
"What was that about?" he whispered.
"What?"
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"You were always better at the talking" Blair shrugged "It was fine"
"She needed to hear it from you too, Blair"
"So what was I supposed to do? Repeat exactly what you said?" Blair rolled her eyes.
Dan knew she was too proud, and that it was the main problem between Ombeline and her. The strange thing was that they had a perfectly open relationship until Ombeline grew up, and moved to California for college.
"You of all people should know how it feels, to have a mother who won't talk openly to you" he said.
Blair didn't answer because Ombeline was coming back into the living room, all dressed. They went to the nearest tea salon, and while Dan went to order, Blair and Ombeline took a table. Ombeline kept her eyes fixed on the window shop. Blair sighed.
"Really?" she said "You're not even going to look at me?"
"You couldn't even apologize" Ombeline said.
"Because there was nothing to apologize for"
Ombeline turned her head back to her "Are you serious, mom?"
"I cheated" Blair threw her arms in the air "I cheated with you father, a thousand years ago, but I already made amends about it to the people that I should have, and you don't happen to be one of them. Because hadn't we done it, you probably wouldn't have a brother and a sister and a loving family."
"So you're going to use our lives as an excuse for your dishonesty?"
"That's what you don't get, Ombeline. It was when you father and I saw each other that we were being the most honest. We loved each other. And while it doesn't make it okay to hurt other people under that pretense, we did" Blair reached out to take her daughter's hand in hers "It was when we were apart, before and after the affair, him with Sonja, me with Chuck, pretending that you were the only thing that we had in common that we were being dishonest."
Blair reached inside her purse, and took out a tiara.
"What is that?" Ombeline asked, not really understanding what her mother was doing with it.
"It's a cubic zirconia tiara, that your father gave me once, when we were young"
"…Why?" Ombeline was confused.
"It's a long story" Blair smiled, the nostalgia taking her over "I wanted to give it to you on your wedding day, but I'm giving it to you now, so I'll save the story for later. The point is, your father and I may have done bad things, but I fall in love with him again and again, every time I wake up next to him. And this is the kind of thing that I wish for you, your sister and your brother. To find a right good kind of love; pure and simple"
Ombeline looked at her mother, touched by her confession. She looked over at her father coming toward them with the cocoa cups. He did look pretty happy.
"Now can you come home, already?" Blair asked "So we can have Christmas all together?"
Ombeline nodded and leaned over the table to take Blair in her arms.
"I love you, mommy"
/
Cleo felt worse than humiliated, she felt betrayed. Sam had tried to call her, again and again, and eventually, she blocked his number. At least it had happened during the holidays, but once school would start, Cleo would have to face all the whispering, and the giggling on her path.
And on top of that, she shared half of her classes with Vita and Sam. She was really considering asking her mother to move to France with Eleanor.
Her phone rang, and she looked at it warily, knowing it wasn't Sam, but hoping it wasn't Vita. When she saw the caller ID, she picked up hastily.
"Hello"
"Hey" Thomas's voice was suave on the phone "I was wondering what you were doing tonight"
She was supposed to have dinner with Nana and Elvis, since her parents were in California.
"I haven't planned anything yet" she said, trying to sound casual.
"Some friends from school and I are having a little gathering. Wanna join?"
She looked through her window at Vita's house, next to her own. Perhaps she would face better going back to school if she had new friends.
"What school do you go to?" she asked.
"Riverside Prep"
It was a school for boys, known for their parties where excess was the order.
"What's the address?" she asked.
Elvis came back with Nana, who started complaining about how it was too cold, and there was no enough light, and how the paintings on the walls were depressing. She also asked where was Ombeline, and was disappointed to hear that she hadn't arrived yet. Nana had never hidden that Ombeline was her favorite.
Cleo volunteered to cook dinner. The sooner they ate, the sooner she could sneak out of the house. After dinner she called a car service and got dressed quickly, focusing more on her make up. She knew that Thomas was a senior, and she assumed that so were all of his friends. She was only a sophomore and she needed to look older to fit in.
When didn't put her heels on, while going down the stairs to avoid making noise. Unfortunately for her, Elvis was just getting out of the kitchen with a glass of milk. He blinked when he saw her.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Out with friends"
"What friends?" he asked "You won't talk to neither Vita nor Sam"
"I have other friends" she raises her chins
"We happen to go to the same school, so I know you don't"
"They don't go to our school. I met them recently" she rolled her eyes at him, making her way to the front door.
"What school do they go to?"
"Riverside Prep" she said defiantly.
"There is no way in hell, you're going to a RP party. I'll rat you out, you know I will"
Cleo put her heels and coat on "So they'll ground me? Christmas is in three days and Ombeline is coming back. It's not like I was going anywhere"
She closed the door behind her, and got into the waiting town car. She hated how Elvis always acted like he was her father, whenever Dan was not around.
The party was in a penthouse overlooking Central Park. Cleo couldn't believe that her parents had settled for a miserable house in Brooklyn rather than this. She couldn't wait to move out. Thomas introduced her to all of his friends, mostly boys and two girls. As soon as she arrived, someone put a glass of vodka in her hand, and someone else proposed her a joint. She refused the latter, and sipped shyly on her glass.
At some point, Thomas invited her to dance, and she gladly accepted, putting her hands on his shoulders and letting him guide her.
"Whose place is it?" she asked loudly enough to be heard over the music.
"My father's" he answered.
"It's amazing" she said
"Thanks. You live in Brooklyn, right?"
Cleo nodded, looking down. Thomas laughed.
"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I love Brooklyn, they have the best bars"
"You go to bars?" she asked, surprised.
"Don't you?"
She felt embarrassingly young and uptight "It's not really my thing"
Thomas turned her around, and brought her back flush with his front, making them move in rhythm. His hands were on her thighs, she had never been touched this way. She pulled away from him a little.
"What's going on?" he asked, stroking gently her cheek.
"I need another drink" she said, hoping the alcohol would help her relax.
It did. Within an hour, she was dancing with Thomas and talking with people like she was used to those kind of things. She reminded herself of Vita at parties. She let Thomas give her a tour of the apartment that ended in his room. Only there, he kissed her and she let him too, because it felt good to be truly appreciated, and to know that no one could take it from her.
However, when he pressed her against the door and she felt his hand travel toward the hem of her dress, she pushed him gently away.
"I'm sorry" he said "I must've had one too many"
"It's okay"
She went to sit on his bed, and he joined her, taking her hand.
"I really like you, you know" he told her
"You're drunk"
"I liked you before" he said, pushing a strand of her hair aside.
He pressed his lips on her neck, and she shivered. He probably took it as a signal, because then he was pushing her on the bed and lying on top of her. Cleo didn't know what she was doing. She hadn't even really broken up with Sam. He was probably moping in his room, waiting for her call and she was making out with someone else, about three blocks away from his house.
She didn't really know how it happened, but it did, and when it was over, Cleo quickly dressed up and muttured she had to go. Thomas tried to keep her, but she was too fast, and she didn't even had her coat on before she went out the street.
It was cold, and dark and she felt alone, and confused. She walked by herself, until the emotion was too strong and she couldn't walk anymore. She sat in front of a building and cried, for she didn't know how long before taking out her phone. She couldn't call Vita, she couldn't call Sam, and after the way she had behaved, she felt ashamed to call Elvis.
So she dialed the only other person in the city that she could rely on, even in the middle of the night. It didn't take Travis long to arrive where she was, since he was staying at the Columbia dorms. He didn't ask any question, just took her to his room with him and put her to sleep on his gone roommate's bed.
When Travis turned off the lights, he listened to her breathing and didn't fall asleep until it steadied. As he drifted off, he thought that perhaps it was what it felt like, to be a father, only magnified. He wasn't sure he was ready for it.
I leave this open, but don't expect a follow up anytime soon. I'm just going to casually write the continuity of their adventures everytime I have time on my hand and a shitload of Dair feelings.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.
See ya, lovelies.
xo