chocolate is heartbreak's band aid
Blair Waldorf frowned at the chocolate fudge cake on her plate. Nate likes Serena, Nate likes Serena. Na-na-na-na-na-na, the cake seemed to be gloating her. Blair scowled and stabbed the dessert with her fork, cramming the gooey chocolate into her mouth.
Blair raised her half-empty glass of raspberry-flavored martini to her mouth and gulped the remaining liquid down. Suddenly, her eye caught the familiar flash of light from a camera phone. Oh shit. Blair grabbed her napkin and wiped the chocolate off her red mouth, but it was too late. The picture was taken. "Fuck," Blair hissed. "Could it get any worse?"
"Blair, what a pleasure!" a voice boomed just as lightning ripped across the Manhattan skyline and rain started to pour down.
Apparently, it can get worse.
Chuck Bass slid into the red vinyl booth beside her and draped his arm around her shoulder. "Go away, Chuck," Blair said and shoved his arm off her body. She retrieved her wallet from her new Hermes' pink leather tote and whipped out her credit card as the waiter stopped at her table.
"How is Natie-Boy doing these days?" Chuck asked as Blair checked her cellphone for messages. Blair rolled her blue eyes at the gay-sounding term and then growled at her No New Messages screen. Fuck. The waiter came back and Blair impatiently signed for the check, grabbed her card, and checked her phone again. Nothing.
"Damn," Blair muttered, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Why hadn't Nate called her yet? He was supposed to love her. Not Serena. It wasn't fair. Blair blinked away her tears and then turned her attention back to Chuck.
"Darling, you really musn't let Nate get the best off you," Chuck whispered in her ear. Blair shuddered in disgust and dug her four-inch Jimmy Choo heels into his brown leather shoe. Hard. Chuck yelped in pain and fell out of the booth. Blair shut her phone, stepped over him and hurried out into the rain, waving a cab. Chuck stood up and watched through the rain-streaked window as she disappeared into the yellow vehicle. A smirk crept across his lips as he laughed quietly to himself. She was such a stubborn person. He walked out the door and into the rain, cursing when he realized that his driver wasn't parked right in front of the restaraunt. Chuck ran down the empty sidewalk and pounded on the back-seat door of his limo. The door swung open and he slid in onto the leather seat. "Home, please," he told his driver and then shook his head, sending water droplets everywhere. His cellphone beeped and Chuck retrieved the device from his pocket. Ah, the latest update from Gossip Girl.
Spotted: Blair Waldorf
Apparently, Blair and Nate are over again and Blair's drowning her sorrows in chocolate. Better head to the gym, Blair. No one wants to look fat for the holidays.
Chuck shook his head in minor disgust. They really shouldn't have done that to Blair. She'd been through enough today. Chuck sighed and shut his phone before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up. He rolled his window down just enough to let the smoke out, but not enough for the rain to pour in. As he stared out the tinted window, he noticed two familar figures dashing down the sidewalk under a huge black umbrella. The girl had long, wavy blonde curls and the boy had a wavy mop of golden brown hair. Chuck rolled his eyes and blew a stream of smoke into the air. Hadn't Nate gotten tired of being torn between Blair and Serena?
Obvioulsly, the answer to that was no.
Chuck's thoughts were interuppted by the sound of his cellphone ringing. He flipped it open and brought it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Chuck, I'm going insane!" Blair wailed from the other end of the line. "My life is a mess. I can't stay at home, it's too crazy. Can you come get me?"
"Blair, calm down," Chuck said softly. "Yes, I'll come get you. You can stay at my place, okay?"
"Okay," Blair sniffled.
"Pack your things, I'll be there in a minute." Chuck hung up and then leaned forward. "Can you swing by Blair's place, Jeeves?"
"Certainly, Mr. Bass."
Chuck leaned back in his seat as the limo turned around and headed towards Blair's. Five minutes later, the limo pulled up in front of the penthouse where Blair lived. Blair came running outside and Chuck opened the door for her. She handed him two Louis Vuttion suitcases and then sat down beside him.
"Thanks for coming to get me," Blair said and brushed her wet hair out of her face. "Do you think your Dad will mind me staying with you?"
"No," Chuck said. "He's too busy trying to marry Serena's mom." Blair instantly stiffened at Serena's name and Chuck silently cursed himself. Stupid. Blair toyed with the hem of her wool knit skirt and stared out the window.
"You know I still hate you, right?" she said. "This is only because I don't have anywhere else to go."
"I know," Chuck said. "It's just a temporary thing."
"Good," Blair said. She crossed her arms and rested her head against the cool glass of the window. Chuck scrolled through the messages on his cell, stopping every now and then to take a drag on the cigarette dangling from his mouth. The pair rode in silence until the driver pulled the limo up to Chuck's townhouse. Blair grabbed her suitcases and led the way up the brick steps to the door. Chuck fished his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He stepped inside and flipped the hall light on. Blair followed him up to one of the many guest bedrooms and set her stuff down.
"Uh, the bathrooms are down the hall," Chuck said. "My room is across from yours, the kitchen is downstairs, living room to the right of the kitchen, dining room on the left."
Blair nodded and unzipped the first suitcase. "If you need me, I'll be downstairs, watching tv," Chuck said. He walked towards the door.
"Hey Chuck," Blair called after him. He turned around.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks," Blair said, smiling warmly. "You're not as big a jerk as I thought you were."
"Thanks," Chuck said and grinned. "And you're welcome."
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Serena van der Woodsen burst out laughing, a smile lighting up her flawless face. "Are you serious?" she asked.
"Yes," Nate Archibald replied, barely able to keep a straight face himself. "I ran through Central Park naked. In 15 degree weather. It was the worst experience of my life."
"Ohmygod!" Serena exclaimed, fanning her face with her napkin. "I wish I could have been there. But I was at boarding school." She pushed her lips out in a sexy pout. "Wanna do it again?"
"In the rain?" Nate questioned, spearing a piece of chicken with his fork. "No thank you. Besides, it's a miracle I didn't get arrested the first time." He flashed a grin at her and she smiled happily back. Nate's ringtone started up and he grabbed his cellphone out of his pocket. "Hello?"
"Hey, man," Chuck's voice said. Nate frowned.
"What do you want, Chuck?"
"I wanted to let you know that I currently have a broken-hearted Blair Waldorf sleeping in my guest bedroom. I called to let you know that you're a jackass."
"Well, thanks," Nate said dryly. "But what happens between me and Blair is none of your buisness." Nate gave Serena's hand a reassuring squeeze under the table. "Good-bye, Chuck." Nate hung up and returned his phone to his pocket.
"What did Chuck want?" Serena asked as she stirred her ice around in her drink with her straw. "Is Blair okay?" Serena looked genuinely worried and Nate's anger slowly began to dissolve.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Don't worry about it, okay?"
"Okay," Serena said slowly. She couldn't help but worry about Blair. After all, she had stolen Nate way fom her again. And Serena felt really guilty. She missed Dan. A lot. But she always felt so happy when she was around Nate. She sighed and poked an ice cube with the bottom of her straw. Life could be so complicated sometimes.
Honey, you don't know the half of it.
"So," Nate said, desperate to change the subject. "Wanna go ice-skating?"
"It's raining," Serena said with a laugh as she looked out the window of Jackson Hole.
"Oh." Nate's cellphone beeped, indicating a text message. He frowned and shoved three french fries in his mouth before typing a quick reply. Serena watched him intently and suddenly Dan's face replaced Nate's. She shook her head and the face disappeared. "You okay?" Nate asked.
"Hmm? Yeah, sure. Look, uh, I gotta get home and check on Eric. He's been feeling a little down lately."
"Oh, yeah, go. Do you want me to come with you?"
Serena thought for a second and then shook her head no, her long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. "It's okay. I'll see you later." She kissed his cheek, dropped a few crumpled up ones on the table and rushed out into the rain, waving her arm in the air for a taxi. Nate watched her go and then he glanced at his beeping cell phone.
Sounds good. 9?
Nate responded and slipped his phone back in his pocket before dropping a wad of cash on the table. In Brooklyn, his message showed up on a girl's cell.
Sure.
Nate smiled and walked out the door.
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"Dan, come on, open up!" Jenny Humphrey banged on her older brother Dan's bedroom door. She was met with silence. "Dan! You can't hide in there forever! You're gonna have to come out and eat and do other stuff! Dan, seriously, get your butt out here!" After a few more moments of silence, Jenny gave up and walked back in to the kitchen of the Brooklyn loft she shared with her dad and Dan. "I tried," she told her dad as she leaned over and placed her elbows on the kitchen counter, resting her chin on her fists.
"DANNNNNN!!!" Rufus Humphrey shouted, his voice echoing throughtout the loft.
"Dad, everyone named Dan within a ten-mile radius probably thinks they're going crazy right now." Jenny grabbed an apple and bit into it as she stared at her father.
"Haha," he said dryly. Father and daughter exchanged a grin and Rufus affectionately mussed Jenny's blonde hair. "So, what will it be tonight? Lasanga or Chinese takeout?"
"Well, I would ask Dan, but SINCE HE'S DECIDED TO BECOME AN ANTI-SOCIAL FREAK, I think he should be left out of the decesion. Let me think......." Jenny drummed her fingers on the countertop as she thought. Rufus jokiling looked at his watch. "Lasanga."
"I agree," Rufus said. He started gathering the ingredients. "Hey, Jen, can you run down to the market and get a couple of tomatoes?"
"Sure!" Jenny chirped. She walked over to the coat closet to dig her jacket out.
"Do you have money?" Rufus looked up from the cookbook where he was double-checking that he still had the recipe right.
"Yeah, I've got some." Jenny grabbed her coat and mittens and headed out the door of the loft. The chilly air hit he face and she shivered and crossed her arms, her breath making puffs of steam in the air. She purposely strolled past the market a block away from the loft and caught the subway to Manhattan. Soon after, she found herself standing outsde Nate Archibald's door. She rang the doorbell and he answered almost immediately, dragging her inside and pulling her into his warm arms. She kissed him greedily as her fingers tangled themselves in his hair. When they broke apart for air, Nate grabbed her hand and tugged her in the direction of the stairs. "I can't," she said with a pout. "I'm supposed to be getting tomatoes for lasanga sauce." Nate grinned and disappeared into the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with a bag full of tomatoes. Jenny burst out laughing. "Wow, Nate. There's no way my dad would beleive that I had enough money with me to buy all those." She reached inside the bag and pulled out two tomatoes. "I'd better go."
"Already?" Nate whispered, his face falling.
"Yes. I'll see you soon." Jenny gave him one last breathless kiss and slipped out the doorway.
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"You okay?" Vanessa Abrams climbed through Dan Humphrey's window via the fire escape. Dan, who was lying face-down on his bed, didn't respond. Vanessa walked over to him and gently rubbed his back. "Dan, come on, she's not worth it. You're a wonderful guy. And there are plenty of other fish in the sea." Like me, she added silently. Dan rolled over on his back and glared at her.
"How do you know?" he demanded. "How do you know that you're not just made for one person and that if you screw-up you'll be alone for the rest of your life?"
"Because," Vanessa said quietly. "Life doesn't work that way. You alway get a second chance a love." She laid down beside him and pulled him into her arms. "I love you, Dan."
"I know. You're my best friend. I love you, too." Dan wrapped his arms around her and they held ech other until they both fell asleep.
Dan never noticed the single tear that slid down Vanessa's cheek.
