"Do it." Blair muttered to herself, staring at the phone in her hands. "Call him." She had been at this for over an hour. Deciding to call him, and then right before pressing Dial, she would flake out. She didn't know why she was so torn up about it. It was a simple call, three sentences (she had counted), but somehow she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Oh, this is ridiculous." She sighed and pulled Chuck's number up on her screen. She made sure she was on Private Caller before pressing dial.

"Hello?" Chuck answered on the third ring.

"Hi, this is your princess." Blair heard an intake of breath on the other line. Blair shut her eyes, bracing herself for the next line; she didn't want to hurt him.

"Yes?"

"I um…I wanted to tell you that I'm over you. So please stop trying to find me." Blair closed her phone quickly before he could answer, and she turned it off so he couldn't call back.

"You're a horrible person." Blair chastised as she threw her phone onto her bed with more force than necessary.

...

Chuck stared at the blackberry in his hand, refusing to believe what he had heard. Had he just been dumped by a girl whose identity he didn't even know? Chuck swore at himself for letting him feel these feelings. He should've known that it wouldn't work out. Chuck knew he could hire a P.I. to track the number. He knew that he could track her down, and confront her. But Chuck couldn't afford to allow himself to feel this stupid feeling he felt now.

"Heartbreak." Chuck muttered. The veneration Chuck felt for this girl returned. If anyone could say that they broke Chuck Bass's heart, they should be proud.

...

"Wait you what?" Serena was laughing. She immediately closed her mouth when she saw Blair's glare.

"I feel horrible. And I know I shouldn't, but I do." Blair looked straight at Serena. "S, I saw him that night at his party. He is totally caught up in this girl."

"Chuck Bass? No way. I think you must have been in Paris for too long."

"Look, I know what I saw. Despite my absence, I still know people, and I know that this girl, who unfortunately is me, means a lot more to Chuck than your average whore." Blair nervously checked her phone. She had turned it on 1 hour prior to meeting Serena, and she had been expecting Chuck to call ever since.

"I say don't worry about it, B. Chuck knows how to handle himself. I'm sure he'll be over it before the week ends." Serena added lightly.

Blair looked down. She was actually upset to hear that Chuck would probably get over her quickly. No, you're upset that the boy you met at the masquerade is getting over you. You feel absolutely nothing for Chuck. Blair was oblivious to the fact that they were the exact same people.

...

Blair didn't know what series of events led her to be pacing in front of the Palace. Perhaps it was the fact that the only time her phone rang this whole morning was when Serena called to have brunch, because Blair knew that she wanted Chuck to be hurt, though she would never admit it if you asked her. The thought that Chuck had simply waved her off with a hand and never thought of her again was one she couldn't bear. She wanted him to feel the pain that had been inflicted on her when she had called him. It was completely messed up, because she was a sadist, and she knew it. And with that, Blair Waldorf surmised that she was sick enough to care about Chuck Bass.

"Blair?" She spun on the spot, nearly dropping her phone, which she quickly shoved back into her purse. Chuck knew what her phone looked like. It was a dead giveaway. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" Nary an excuse ran through her mind. "I'm here to see Nate."

"Nate's not here."

"Oh, well…" Why? Blair thought. Why do my flawless lying skills have to stop working now?

"He's at the Archibald manor if you want to go see him."

"Oh. Well, thanks." Blair could feel the blood pooling in her cheeks. This was so stupid. Of all the people she could be dazzled by, it had to be Chuck Bass. Before he could pick up the forming shade of pink on her face, Blair turned around and started towards the next cab in sight.

"Blair?" Chuck repeated.

Blair spun back around. She didn't know why, but she did. "What?"

"Nothing, I just…I just thought…" Chuck trailed off, wondering why he had stopped her. There was a certain familiarity in Blair. Déjà vu, some would call it.

"Chuck," Blair looked genuinely concerned. "Are you okay?"

Chuck paused. Did she know? "Yes, I'm fine. Why?"

"No reason." Blair frowned. This was a year's worth of awkwardness amalgamated into one measly conversation. "I have to go, find…Nate, I'll see you around."

"Bye Blair." Chuck looked completely befuddled as he watched Blair walk off. What was that all about? Did she perhaps know who his princess was? "Wait—" But she had already turned the corner.

…

"A welcome home surprise party really isn't necessary S. You know I hate surprises."

"Which is why I'm telling you now!" Serena smiled cheerfully, "Theme?"

"Well…" Blair gave in to the temptation of planning a party in honor of herself. "I want a burlesque theme." She smiled impishly.

"A burlesque theme?" Serena looked skeptical. "That just doesn't seem like you."

"I know. But there was this wonderful burlesque club in Paris. I had to be sneaky about it though, mother disapproved."

"You're into burlesque, and being rebellious? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Blair Waldorf?"

"I suppose there's just a dark side of me no one knows about." Blair shrugged demurely.

"Ooh, perhaps you're more like Chuck than you think." Serena smiled devilishly, squealing as Blair attempted to push Serena off the couch.

"I would rather not share any similarities with him."

"B, you can't keep living this life of denial. He's bound to find out sometime."

"You don't know that." Blair snapped defensively. "I told him I was over him, he'll probably forget soon enough."

"B," Serena knew how to crack her best friend. "Talk."

Blair stared blankly at Serena before sighing. "I hate it. I hate how I feel when I see him. It's so ridiculous; I'm a Waldorf for crying out loud! And the worst thing is: I want him to be hurt about it. I don't want him to get over it, not while I'm still entirely caught up in it."

"I think you should tell him," Serena spoke decisively. "Tomorrow at the party."

"Absolutely not!"

"B. He deserves to know."

"Deserves to know? It was his own fault he took a girl to the rooftop, no one asked him to fall in love. Not that he did, it was probably a one night infatuation."

"Oh, come on, B. Earlier today you said…and I quote you on this 'this girl means a lot more to him than your average whore'"

Blair looked down guiltily. "Well…I was…delusional. I'm Blair Waldorf, I like to think that I mean more to every guy."

"Blair, he likes you, and you know it."

"He doesn't like me. I see the way he looks at me, he doesn't like me." Blair shook her head disbelievingly. "He just likes that stupid girl from the masquerade. And what am I supposed to do when I tell him? Be with him? Or should I just say 'Hello, I'm the girl you met at the masquerade, but I won't be doing anything, just thought you should know'?"

"Well…" Serena looked stumped as well. "I still think you should tell him."

Blair sighed. "I need to finish unpacking my things. I will meet you tomorrow morning at your place for uh…a low-key dinner just between the two of us." Blair smirked and hugged her best friend before leaving the Van Der Woodsen penthouse.

As she got a cab, Blair thought where her feelings for Chuck stood. She could still feel his breath against her tongue as she kissed him. It wasn't an unpleasant memory. But he was Chuck Bass, and she was Blair Waldorf. The idea of them together was ridiculous.

"Unless…" Blair muttered quietly to herself. What if she didn't have to be Blair? What if she was the girl from the masquerade, his princess? Blair always did love masquerades. And who said the party had to end at midnight? It was against tradition, and Blair was simply cheating herself into thinking that things would ever work between her and Chuck when she was constantly wearing a mask. But Blair's pride was way too huge for her to ever admit having feelings for Chuck Bass, so she opted for the choice with no consequences.

…

"B, are you coming? Everyone's here already." Serena's hushed whisper meant that none of the other guests knew that Blair knew about the 'surprise' party.

"I'm almost ready," Blair spoke into the phone. "I'll be there in 20 minutes."

"Hurry!"

Blair hung up the phone. Her heart was beating fast, and she couldn't seem to concentrate enough to get ready. It wasn't because of the surprise party. It was because of the tiny note she had tucked into the side pocket of her purse.

Sorry for such a short chapter! I'll try and make the next one a little longer. :)