Part 3

"21 Questions"

As we left the platform it instantly got ten levels quieter. Which honestly scared the hell out of me, I was afraid Chuck might hear my heart wanting to pound out of my chest. I don't know why I was feeling like this, but it was just taking me over. It was probably just because I hadn't seen him in so long. Yeah... that's got to be it.

Feeling this way made it hard to speak. Not like I even knew what I'd say. It had almost been a whole year since we last saw each other. Which you'd think might actually help with finding things to talk about since we barely knew anything about each other anymore. But what would be a safe topic to bring up? I don't want to pry, make things even more uncomfortable then they are.

"So... When did you start smoking?" I asked with my weakest voice, taking second lasting glances at him. Breathing became harder as I watched a look of annoyance wash over his face. Shit. "Not to pry or anything. Just curious..." Every time I spoke I couldn't help but let my voice drift off. Chuck made me feel so intimidated, because no matter how much older I get, or how much richer my family becomes, I'll always be Jenny Humphrey from Brooklyn and he'll always be Chuck Bass the devil of the Upper East Side. Is that a stupid way to think about it?

There was pure silence as I continued to walk. Coyly I glanced over to him again, just to see there was no more Chuck walking beside me. I looked to both sides, still no him. Finally I just turned completely around. And to no surprise, there he was. Standing completely still in a non-stop moving crowd. He was staring at the ground, as if it would give him an answer. There was no more annoyance, but seemed to be pain. I never knew smoking was such a tough topic for Chuck.

Quickly, not wanting to waste a second of my chance to apologize, I walked back to him. When his eyes finally left the ground, and looked into mine, they became clear and calm once again. "Listen, I'm really sorry if I brought up something-" before I could even finish, he cut me off.

"No, it's fine. The answer just kind of hit me, and I'm not really sure if you care to hear it." Chuck sighed quietly. His eyes were bouncing off signs, people, walls, the ceiling, anything but me. He caught me nodding my head yes though, as he switched people. His lips barely parted, as if he was still debating if he should tell me. "Blair. Being with Blair, she wanted us to be the perfect couple in our twisted perfect way, and being perfectly twisted didn't include smoking."

I second questioned myself before I spoke, but I decided to say it anyway. "But you didn't even smoke, like, ever even before you and Blair got together." I was going to add "Except the occasional joint I always saw you smoking a little ways down from school before classes started", but I assumed that would be better left unsaid.

A soft smirk barely, just barely, raised the corners of his lips. Like he knew I caught a snag in his excuse- or I mean- reason. "That is… Very true." Finally he looked me in the eyes, once again, ready to have a real conversation. "But when you're with someone who doesn't want curtain things from you, what do you when they're done with you? Do everything they hated."

I tried to hide it. I tried to conceal it. I simply couldn't. A small smile took over. It made me feel a tad bit guilty to be smiling at it, since it was kind of mean to Blair. Screw that. Blair's mission was always to destroy me. I'll smile all I want.

"So you smoke to spite Blair? Does she even see you smoke?" There was a playfulness in my voice, one I made sure he'd hear. He'd have to admit, it was kind of a silly idea. Smoking solely to piss someone off? That's like me dating Damien and dealing drugs; it was to piss off my dad, to be a teen in revolt. We do it because we can. To prove everyone else (my dad or Blair) that they can't stop us.

Chuck just kept his smirk up. As if I was going to get an answer from that. "And since when did you stop wearing so much eyeliner? I think I can see some of your eyelids!" Normally if this came from Chuck, I think I'd be a little offended (if it came from anyone actually), but his voice sounded free, hinting to his joking side he never wanted to show.

So he pitched with sarcasm, I'll hit with sarcasm. "It's the craziest thing actually!" I took a step forward, trying to get us to walk again. Everyone was probably already wondering where we were. "People in Hudson aren't big fans of raccoons. So it was either ditch the extra layer of eyeliner, or be completely friendless for my stay."

After I said that, a nerve inside me got hit. "Friendless". Something I've gotten to familiar with. Even before I became the new girl in Hudson, starting on the social rank as zero, I lost everyone here in New York. Once you remember how having friends feels, and realizing you don't have that anymore, only makes the pain twice as bad.

Who do I have?

"Are you upset you and Clarissa (out of the story: I have no idea what Chuck's new girlfriend in season 3 is named, but she looks like a Clarissa to me, so I'm going to go with that [hope that's alright…]) broke up?" I know I said I didn't want to step on any delicate issues, but he just confessed some of his feelings towards Blair, I think I'm safe. Then again their (Chuck and Clarissa's) relationship did end because of Blair…

We only took four steps, and Chuck stopped again. If I want to get any where I think I need to stop asking him these kinds of questions. "What is this, 21 questions?" He barely chuckled. He was trying to hide the hurt inside. Hurt I could somehow see.

Either Chuck was getting worse with hiding his emotions, or I was getting better at reading them. When the stone wall starts to show cracks, you know something is up. It's kind of nice though. There are no little hidden messages that, no matter how hard you try to get, that you miss.

I gave him a joking grin. "May-beee…" my voice was sweet and seducing. Giving off that feel of innocents, yet when the lights go out I'm a whole different girl. Not that I was trying to seduce him, it was just how my voice came out. More than anything it was taunting.

That voice you use to answer a question with uncertainty. The one that you use to taunt your brother or sister with because it drove them crazy not knowing if you're serious. He'd never know if I was serious or not, unless he made me answer. But why would he waste his time on that? It was a perfect taunt.

No one spoke. We just stared at each other again. My breathing normal as his slowed down. A look in his eyes made it seem like he was about to answer. If this was a game of 21 questions, it'd defiantly be an intense one. I think I'd win.

"Everything happens for a reason." Chuck said nonchalantly as he scratched the back of his head. I'm pretty sure that's a sign of nervousness. Talking about this probably isn't the softest topic for him (my bad for bringing it up). Or maybe he just didn't want to talk to me. Which I guess is perfectly understandable.

As he said that, "Everything happens for a reason", I couldn't help but flash back to our hands skimming the other's as he reached for my bag. Then flashing back to Dan knocking Chuck out right after he proposed to Blair, and then to Chuck and I being… together. All these memories started zooming down my mind with him. Going from when he tried to hook me up with Nate at the party at Brooklyn, to the very first day we met at that party. It even dragged, and ended, on the horrible rooftop where he tried to steal what in the future he ended up stealing any ways.

I hoped my voice didn't come off to mellow as I responded. "Yeah…" My deep blue eyes couldn't help but to fall into his dreamy brown ones. "I guess everything does." My voice came out with that mellow I was trying to avoid, and with some relief. Maybe even happiness.

We can't be proud of everything we did. We can't change what people chose to do to us. And we can't change all that has already been done. But what we can do, is embrace it all (yes, even those really shitty parts), because they may lead up to something great. More amazing then we could ever imagine.

Chuck exhaled as he started to walk past me, his breath just barely hitting my neck. That's when I was the one to freeze.

It all just might add up…

Quickly I caught up to him. Just in time for him to look at me. "They all probably think you didn't make it, and I just left, forgetting to tell them." He let out a laugh. A contagious one and it made me start to softly giggle as well. Chuck rarely laughed, at least to me, so it was nice to hear it. "What do you think they're thinking right now?"

"Do you think they even care?" We both stayed silent, answering my question. Of course they didn't. No one wanted me home. So why be worried about where I was? Chuck seemed to get that. "Ready for some more deeply personal questions as we walk back?" I smiled at him, with a slight joke tone to my voice. I don't think I'd go very far with my questions any more.

All he did was smile back. Just like that we were officially off to find my family. And our game of 21 questions continued. I felt like I was finally getting to know the real Chuck Bass, and it was great.

"Out Of My Comfort Zone (Which Is Surprisingly Home)"

We approached the limo that was clearly ours, a group of well dressed people just standing there (not many Upper East Side families do this kind of thing), while I was trying not to crack up. Question number 20 was "Angelina Jolie's lips, or Jennifer Aniston's boobs?" Clearly, if you couldn't tell, we were running out of non-prying questions to ask. And what made all of this even funnier was that I actually answered.

After he asked, I instantly answered. "Jennifer Aniston's boobs for sure! Because honestly," I stared down at my own little boobs, "these are kind of pathetic. Plus, I don't think I could pull of Angelina's lips." I puckered my lips up as much as I could.

Chuck, finally, let out a full on laugh. He glanced at them for a second. Normally I'd slap him, but under the circumstances I thought I'd let it slid this one time. "They're not that bad." Then his eyes went to my lips, "I'm not into the big lip thing any ways. Yours are just… Perfect." He lightly smiled at me.

Of course I smiled back, but I still wanted to crack up. I probably shouldn't have answered it so quickly. It was like I've thought about it before, and I already knew what I wanted to say. I haven't thought of it before, obviously, but I could help but blurt it out.

When we reached everyone, my smile quickly vanished, and when I looked over to Chuck, he was already taking steps to distance himself from me. Was he embarrassed to be next to me? Was it really that bad with everyone? Or was he just afraid what they might think? Either one it is, I'm now officially freaking the hell out.

I took a quick look of everyone that was here to get me. Rufus was here, no surprise. Lily was here, she was here but I'm not too sure how happy she actually is to see me. Dan, of course he's here, he'll always love me no matter how much I screw up. Vanessa, yes (I still have my sister)! Erik, boy have I missed that face. Serena, forced to be here no doubt. Blair-wait… what?

"Oh my God," I barely muttered out under my breath as I saw her face right next to Dan's. That was Blair Waldorf. The person who ran me out of the Upper East Side because her ex-boyfriend made a mistake, just so happened he made that mistake with me, but whatever. Why in hell's name was she part of my welcome party?

Dan pushed past Lily and Rufus to get to me. Like the big brother he is, he threw his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in tight. "Good 'Oh my God', right?" He kissed the top of my head, which made me turn a little pink. He was never going to let me grow up. I'll always be his baby sister.

I tried to smile. I really did. But the happiness just wasn't rushing through my veins. I felt more comfortable, and had more fun, walking with Chuck here, then I was seeing everyone who (supposedly) loves me. Call me paranoid, which this probably is (at least, I hope that's what it is), but all I felt was judging eyes on me. They were all looking for flaws on me, and felt as if my body, my soul, just gave them those flaws.

Completely I turned around, my back now facing them, and gave Dan a huge hug. My eyes buried into his shoulder, trying my hardest to keep the tears back. "Of course it's a good thing Dan." I pulled away, hoping my eyes weren't stained Tear-Red. "I've missed you so much." Slowly I turned back to everyone. "All of you… I've missed all of you." Ten minutes being back and already I was lying through my teeth.

Everyone was smiling. Which would normally be a good sign, but they were just the smiles I've seen a thousand times. Smiles that turn into frowns, and then into anger; all leading up to hatred towards me. But then there's the person who's not smiling, which is actually less scary then all the smiles. At least I know for a fact she hates me.

And no, it is not Blair. Instead it's Serena. Her eyes burning a hole in my soul. As naïve as it was, I was secretly hoping it'd all be ok once I got back and saw everyone again. Instead it seems to be back to normal. Great.

"Let's get back to the apartment, and really get this party started." Vanessa chirped in from behind Chuck's head. It was like she could see the happiness drain out of my face. For that I love her like a sister. She knows when I'm in pain, and knows when to help stop it.

I could go into the whole Nate thing. But I'm just not.

So like the insane, mismatched group we were, we all started to get into our limo. After the first four of us though, it didn't feel so big any more. Blair stopped before entering, peeking at everyone crammed together. Then she looked at Dan, the only other person still not in the limo, then back to us. A weak smile came and went.

"Since I arrived late, I brought my own limo. And since it's so crowded, I think I'll just take that." She said it in her very best Blair-like persona. What wasn't so Blair-like is what she said next. "Dan, would you like to join me? You know… Since it's already so crammed in there?" Is that a real smile I see?

Dan shrugged, pretending as if he didn't care. Now I couldn't tell if it was a good I don't care, or a bad one. All I could tell was that he was hiding something under his plain-Humphrey face. Then his eyes caught me staring at him.

"Uh, sure. Why not?" He smiled at me, knowing I was trying to read him. "Don't worry Jenny, we'll get to talk in no time." Then, without another word, he slammed the door shut, and all I could do was watch them walk to Blair's limo through the back window.

It was weird watching Dan and Blair. She couldn't stop laughing (I honestly don't think Dan's the funniest person ever…), he couldn't stop smiling. They seemed so happy for people who use to hate each other more than hatred itself. It gave me a bit of hope that maybe after some time, time can change things. Maybe all I need to do is give Serena a bit more time to get use to me.

Serena caught me glancing at her, making her glare go from bad to death glare.

Or maybe not.

Awkwardly we all just sat there, quite as can be. It didn't help with my feeling out of comfort. It was just purely awkward. No one wanted to talk to the others. No one even wanted to talk to me. It felt kind of ridiculous.

I took a deep breath. Prepared myself for a fake smile. And just went for it. "So how's it going?" It was sent to no in particular, yet I was hoping anyone might answer.

Who knew an awkward silence was a deadly killer?

*Line*

A/N: This time I'm not really going to give my opinion. I just hope you liked it. Next chapter is DEFIANTLY going to be my favorite yet! And you may ask "Why is the next chapter your favorite Jamie?" and I will simply say "Because Question 21 hasn't been asked yet… ;D "

Sorry for the crappiness -.-' I am really sorry. It'll all change soon though! And the plot will thicken. Next chapter will actually explain A LOT (at least I'm hoping it will… :x)