A/N Again, seems like not much happens. maybe i'm not cut out for this story telling at all but i'll plod on anyway. i'm finding it difficult to get in the characters heads to be honest, so until i really do i cant have things happen too quickly. There won't be an update for a couple of days because I have to work but hopefully i'll get something up in the next 9 days, and then i'm on holiday for two weeks. sorry if it seems jumbled i couldnt work out how best to set it out.
Warning - Sorry but i'm english. So i use english words not american. eg. 'Lift' not 'Elevator'
Disclaimer. I do not own gossip girl - i dont think anyone does, she does what the hell she likes!
This chapter is for BAEFJNH09 and Del-Sara my first 2 reviewers who seem to have faith that this could end up going somewhere. Ta guys!
Chapter 2
Jenny wasn't sure how long she stood there staring at the envelope. She couldn't bring herself to open it, too scared of what was written inside. "what does he want me to know that he can't say to my face? That it was a huge mistake and he doesn't feel that way about me. The only reason is because we were living together and he'd mixed the stronger friendship with something different? Did he even want to be her friend at all?" She had all these thoughts swimming round her head making her feel sick to her stomach. But amongst those feelings was another thought. "He did contact me, all this time I was feeling rejected and he had got in touch." That was the thought that pushed her into opening the envelope and unfolding the letter inside.
She had to re-read it twice, to believe what Nate had written. This was so unlike him to lay bare his feelings. Yes, he had always found comfort in talking out his problems with people, but this? He never went this deep, never let people see how much things affected him. Jenny couldn't get the last page out of her head.
I can't hide the way I feel about you. The emotions are too strong for me to pretend that they don't exist. I think about you all the time. Now that your brother knows about us, I have to stay away from you. But I don't want to. I really care about you. I just don't know what to do.
Nate
Tears welled up in her eyes as she chewed on her lip. No wonder he hadn't tried to contact her again. Nate had told her feelings that she was sure he had never told anyone else, even Blair and they had dated forever; and he must have thought that she had just ignored him. He must feel humiliated. Jenny had to see him, set it straight and explain everything, why she ran, why she hadn't called and why everything had gone wrong for them. She just hoped it wasn't too late.
Jenny put the letter in her bag and grabbed her coat, putting it on as she ran towards the front door.
"Where do you think you're going?" She halted. Damn, Dan was sat on the sofa staring at her. "I've got something I need to do, its kind of important." she replied in a rush, hoping she could get away quickly. Dan looked at his little sister with disappointment "Jen you've only been back five minutes and your already using the place as a doss house. Have you even asked dad if you can go?" Jenny looked at her brother. He had a point but this couldn't wait. "Look Dan, I know were getting back to rights and everything, and I don't want to do anything that will rock the boat but I have to do this, I need to, I'll try not to be too long okay?" She looked at him and gave him an apologetic smile and twisted the door knob. "Wait, Jen-" But it was too late, Jenny was already out of the door.
Jenny got onto the street and started to walk in the cool night air. There was nothing like walking at night to clear her head and give her time to think. "Will he hear me out? Would he believe a word I say - I'm not sure even I believe what has happened the past few weeks. It just went from bad to worse." She kept her eye out for a taxi the whole time, she was never going to walk all the way to the upper east side, and eventually one came into view. She stuck her arm out and was thankful for the warmth inside the car when she got in and closed the door.
She realised she hadn't really thought any further than 'Go see Nate' when the taxi driver asked "where to, love?" Where would Nate be? "Erm…" Jenny replied "I guess I never thought that far" The driver gave her a questioning look. "Head towards the upper east side for now and I'll try and figure it out" she gave him a nervous laugh. "Okay" The driver looking a little amused, turned back round and pulled away from the curb.
Jenny took her phone from her bag and dialled Nate's number. It began to ring and the butterflies had started up again, but before they could fly around too much the line abruptly cut off. She tried again but the same thing happened. So he was obviously rejecting her calls. She couldn't blame him, she would do the same in his position, but she had to talk to him. She sighed. Well Nate wouldn't be stupid enough to go back to squatting in his house, Jenny was sure of that. He couldn't have been with Serena because Lily had mentioned something about Aaron. She had seen Blair earlier and she was dealing with her own problems, which just left… Chuck. Great. The last person on Earth she ever wanted to talk to but how else was she supposed to get to Nate?
She rang Chuck and he did answer. "Hello?" She shuddered as she heard the sleazy voice come through the line. She took a deep breath. "Hey Chuck, It's Jenny" She told him, adding false joy to her voice. "Well, well, well. Little Jenny Humphrey. To what do I owe this pleasure?" His voice made her skin crawl and she was reminded once more of the rooftop a year ago. Jenny couldn't stand the pleasantries anymore. "Let's cut the crap Chuck, I'm only ringing to see if you know where Nate is. I wouldn't ever think of calling you under any other circumstances." She could hear the distaste in her voice but she really didn't care. Why should she act any other way after what he had nearly done to her. The phone was quiet at the other end, after a moment Chuck replied "Well I don't know, he's not here." Somehow she wasn't convinced, Chuck was a good liar normally but he sounded confused like he didn't know what was going on, it made her think he was keeping something back. "Well do you know where he might be?" she asked, exasperated. "No, Sorry." was all Chuck replied. "Well thanks for nothing Charles" Jenny responded tartly and hung up the phone.
Chuck had said here, that must mean he was at home right? "I think I know where I'm headed" she told the taxi driver "Can you take me to the Palace please?"
"Just when things were beginning to look up" Nate thought. Sure, his dad had been arrested but at least they could get there house and money back, and The Captain had been living abroad anyway, Nate hadn't seen him in ages, at least he would be able to visit him and wouldn't have to lie to his friends or the police anymore. He had got Chuck back as a friend because he had come to help Nate when he needed it, along with Vanessa who had helped too, despite everything that had happened between them. He really liked Vanessa , and he wasn't sure why they had broken up in the first place so he asked her if she wanted to go out and she seemed up for the idea but then she mentioned Jenny. Why did she have to do that? Just when he was trying to forget about the time he'd spent at the Humphries, she brought up the thing that hurt the most. So he brushed the comment away, he couldn't even remember what he had told her, but from her reaction it seemed to be an acceptable answer.
And then Jenny had rung him. Why now, after all this time, did she suddenly want to come into his life again? He'd written that letter and…nothing! so why should he answer her call. God, He needed a drink! He got up and poured himself a generous amount of whiskey and decided he would drink himself into oblivion. His face filled with horror as he heard Chuck say those three words. "Little Jenny Humphrey" He locked eyes with his best friend and shook his head vehemently. He knew why Jenny had called Chuck, She would never do it unless she felt it was her only option, but he didn't care, he couldn't talk to her. Thankfully Chuck lied for him but Nate had known him for a very long time, he didn't like being kept in the dark, and everybody knew that when it came to Chuck Bass, everything comes at a price: Nate would have to talk.
They had been sat in Chuck's suite at the Palace for some time. Chuck had noticed that Nate had been pretty quiet since his chat with Vanessa outside his house. At first he put it down to the fact that his father had been arrested. Even though Nate had made the right choice for his family, Chuck knew he must be feeling guilty about being the one to persuade his dad into handing himself in. But as the evening wore on and more alcohol was consumed he realised that something else was upsetting his friend. He was about to ask what when Nate's phone went off. This snapped Nate out of his daze and a small smile appeared on his face, but it quickly vanished and he had rejected the call. As Chuck took time to process this the phone rang again, Nate didn't even look at it that time, he just cut the call off and walked to the bar in Chuck's living room to get another drink.
Chuck had decided not to press the matter, Nate would talk when he was ready, he'd always talked through his problems with his friends. As he watched Nate drink a large glass of whisky he worried, thinking back to what had happened earlier in the day. Well, he did overhear one word from the conversation Nate had had with Vanessa. 'Jenny' "Surely not?" Chuck thought to himself "Sure, Jenny's hot, I can't deny that…god I can't believe what I nearly did, what was I thinking?…but Nate, he's not stupid enough to go there is he? Though Dan did throw him out rather abruptly…" His train of thought had been interrupted by his phone ringing, it wasn't a number he recognised .
Nate looked over at his friend as Chuck hung up the phone. He saw the look on Chuck's face, the one that said 'Someone has a secret and I'll do anything to find out what it is' and started fidget. And then it came. "So Nathaniel, are you going to tell me or am I going to have to work it out?"
They both took seats, Nate facing the window and Chuck sat opposite him. "Tell you what?" asked Nate, feigning innocence.
"Don't give me your bullshit Nate, why is Jenny Humphrey calling for you and why have you been moping around all night?" Chuck grilled his friend for answers.
"I don't know Chuck, we're friends, she probably just wants to catch up or something. And if you didn't notice, my dad just got arrested, why wouldn't I be a little down?" He didn't want to talk about this now, or ever really, especially not with Chuck.
"Yeah well I'll tell you what I know. Dan chucks you out of the loft pretty abruptly, you run off for a few weeks, Vanessa asks about Jenny before she says yes to a date…a pattern is emerging here. You've been quiet ever since you heard Jenny's name, you reject her calls and then she's ringing me because she is that desperate to see you." A light came on in Chuck's head "Oh Nathaniel Archibald, please tell me you did not succumb to jail-bait" He looked over at his friend daring him to refute the claims.
Nate looked appalled that his friend could even think that. "Jesus Chuck, of course I didn't. It wasn't like that, Jenny's not like that.
"Well if you didn't sleep with her then what?" Chuck could see that Nate wasn't thinking about what he was saying, if he could guide him in the right direction then Nate would spill without even realising it.
"We were just hanging out at the loft having a laugh, watching films. Then she went out with her mates and I went to get her and then she kissed me. I should have stopped it there but as she started to walk away I pulled her back, I don't know why but I just kissed her, really kissed her." Nate finished and put his head in his hands.
Chuck was more confused than ever. "So your running away and ignoring her because you kissed her once?" This made no sense, Nate had kissed plenty of girls in his time.
"No, it wasn't just once" Nate admitted "I don't know Chuck, It felt right, like we fit together or something, the feeling I got, made me feel like I could be somebody better. But then she ran after Vanessa. She chose her over me" Defeat evident in his voice.
"I'm sure if you just talk to her, you can work it out, you've always been friends. The silent treatment does nobody any favours." Chuck was surprised, he knew Nate, and even though Nate had dated Blair for years he was sure he never really had feelings for her. Nate wasn't really the committed type. But this was different.
"No forget it Chuck. I thought Jenny was someone else but she wasn't, she was just another mistake. If I hadn't been staying with Dan it would never have happened, I guess I just didn't like being single" Nate summarised.
"Well I guess I got what I came for" a too familiar voice stated, and Nate turned around in time to see Jenny in the lift before the doors closed between them.
A/N Dialogue is definetely not my strong point, in my opinion, whats wrong with "he said, she said" :D
