Give Me The Platform Tonight

Chapter Three: Hide and Seek, Blair

Disclaimer: I don't own Gossip Girl.

A/N: I just wanted to say thank you if you alerted, favorited and most of all, reviewed! I love your reviews! :)


Chuck stared absently at Serena for a second long, before turning away and pushing his way through the thick crowd of students milling around Constance Billiard and St. Judes. He sprinted his way through the girls' various hallways before finding Blair at her locker. Good, Serena had been right. She had returned to school.

He pulled on Blair's arm, twirling her to face him. She turned around, the scowl around set into her face.

"What the hell are you doing with Georgina?"

He demanded loudly at her, watching her face carefully as she furrowed her brow, obviously caught off guard.

"Are you crazy? She's in reform school, halfway across the world, Bass."

Blair lied through her teeth.

"You're lying. I already know she's here. Answer my question." Chuck insisted.

"So what if she's here? I don't need to explain myself to you."

Blair's scowl darkened and she defiantly crossed her arms.

"She's crazy, Waldorf, you know that. Georgina's a bad person to be around."

"Right, and you're such a Virgin Mary that I should listen to you."

Chuck stared at her resistant face, disbelievingly. There was no way that Blair Waldorf would be defending Georgina Sparks.

"Georgina's different. She's terrible. Remember what she did to Serena?"

Blair sighed exasperatedly, his words and his insistence that he cared was bothering the crap out of her. She didn't need him now that she was free. It was too late.

"No, she's not. When I'm around, I don't need to act like everyone's bitch. I get what Serena saw in her because now I don't need any one of you. I just need a bottle of hard liquor."

He shook his head angrily.

"Georgina-"

"Georgina was there for me when I had no one else to turn to because you and Serena took them away. She actually woke me up when I was super fucking late for school. Everything bad Georgina did to Serena, she deserved it."

Blair flared up even though her words weren't exactly true and watched as Chuck's face turned speechless.

"Blair, think of what you're doing to your reputation." He tried desperately.

"I don't care about all that bullshit! It's my whole point, I want to feel separated and on top of the world every night! And I don't care what I have to do to get that feeling."

She stormed away, leaving Chuck dumbfounded in her wake.

--

While exiting her confrontation with Chuck, she almost rushed into Serena and a group of girls at her side. She was about to walk away when Serena's voice stopped her.

"Hi, Blair."

Blair revolved slowly on her heel to face her ex-best friend. Did S honestly think they were on speaking terms? She might be trying to forget but it didn't mean she was going to forgive.

Forgiveness?! Perish the thought!

"Oh, so I'm not too lowly of a Waldorf for Queen S to talk to."

"Blair, I'm-"

Hazel eagerly cut in. "Did you actually hook up with Jake Maddock?"

The other girls chimed in.

"He's sooo hot."
"The star of the football team!"
"Have you seen his abs?"

Blair smirked at the sudden attention. Now, this was the way it was supposed to be.

"Wait, was he the blonde one?"

This caught the girls' attention.

"Hold on, are the threesome stories true?"
"Oh my god!"
"Weren't you scared?"

Blair shrugged nonchalantly as if it was no big deal. Secretly, she loved the spotlight.

"It was so much fun, you girls should try it. You're all too uptight."

Everyone including Serena gaped. Uptight? From Blair?

It was Hazel who broke the astounded silence. She started off timidly,

"Maybe you could take us out one day, Blair?"

Blair stared her down before finally acquiescing. "Maybe."

Hazel nodded gratefully as Blair flitted away triumphantly, the girls bursting into excited chatter behind her. Serena stared at the back of her old friend. It looked different.

Everything looked different.

--

Serena needed to talk to Blair herself. She knew how damaging Georgina's 'don't give a shit' lifestyle was. Even though it might be great to just float along feeling nothing but pleasure night after night, in the long run, it wasn't worth it.

She found Blair flirting with a brawny senior, leaning in and lightly touching his arm. Serena marched up and pulled Blair away.

"We need to talk." Serena said seriously.

"Talk, then." Blair snapped back.

"Georgina's dangerous, B. You need to know who you're dealing with here."

Blair bristled, she wasn't helpless like Serena. She didn't need someone to take her home, clean the crap out of her hair and keep hangover cures handy. Blair could hold her own.

"If that's it, thanks." She replied stiffly and made to leave when Serena grabbed her arm.

"Blair, I'm serious. Stop hanging out with Georgina and don't bring the other girls into this."

The brunette girl's eyes narrowed as she heard Serena's words and a realization hit her.

"You're scared! Scared that I'll do to you what you did to me. And you know what, maybe I will. I mean, what goes around comes back around, right?"

She paused for a breath before continuing her tirade.

"Let me live, Serena. You wanted to go shine, so go and leave me alone so that I can do whatever. Don't let me hold you back. Keep your part of the deal and stay away from me."

"Blair, I just don't want to see Georgie hurt you."

Blair's eyes widened and she snorted sarcastically. Excuse me? Was Serena van der Woodsen talking about not hurting Blair Waldorf?

"Right, because only you should have the right to hurt me?"

Blair fired at her and Serena exhaled exasperately.

"This isn't about you and me, Blair. Be careful, that's all I'm saying."

"You really don't get it, do you, Serena? EVERYTHING in this whole world is about you. And I'm sick of it. I'm going to make it about me."

"And you're going to give up everything you've worked so hard for? What about your reputation?"

Blair's eyes flashed dangerously and they narrowed.

"My reputation? What, are you and Chuck on the same team again?"

Serena's mouth fell open in shock. Her and Chuck had never been on the same team, especially with anything concerning Blair.

"Chuck and I? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your rise to Queen S and him making you into a bitch!"

Blair spat the words out and Serena fell silent, unable to formulate words at this proclamation. Blair stared at the blonde girl, taking her silence as an admission of guilt.

"And as for everything else I've worked for, you've just proved how easily you can take it away. Maybe now, I don't want it anymore. Maybe I'll ruin my reputation before you can get to it."

Blair swept away from her former friend, ignoring the incredulous eyes boring into her back.

She was done with Serena and along with her, she was done with being outshined and overlooked all the time. Blair Waldorf was a whole new being.

--

"Chuck!" Serena screamed, marching up to his figure.

"You talked to Blair." He pressed her for information forcefully.

"Yes-"

"What did she say? Tell me!" He asked eagerly.

"Shut up, Chuck and listen to me! How the hell did you make me a bitch?"

"What?" Chuck asked surprised, furrowing his brow.

"She told me that you managed to bitchify me. How?"

Serena stomped her foot impatiently. Chuck avoided his step-sister's eyes, choosing to stare past her ear instead. His lips tightened.

"Jealously's a powerful tool." He responded simply.

"What?" Serena demanded.

"Dan, you were mad at Dan!" He was almost yelling.

It took Serena quite a long time to figure it out, even though her mind was working furiously to put the bits and pieces together.

"You mean you planted Amanda just to piss me off? That's low, Chuck."

"I was desperate."

"You were disturbed." Serena shot back quickly.

"You plotted this whole thing to spite and get back at Blair. It's disgusting, you're disgusting and you know what, I'm not going to play your twisted little game anymore. Go find someone else to be your Queen Bitch."

Serena stormed off in the opposite direction, tossing the vintage scarf she was wearing to the ground. She ran into her followers as she rounded the corner, determined to right all the wrong she had caused.

"Serena!" Penelope exclaimed. "We were looking for you! Where are we going tonight?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should ask Blair."

"Blair?" Penelope asked, confused.

"Yeah, Blair." Serena insisted urgently. "Everything goes through her now, not me, got it?"

The whole clique nodded slowly, surprise and consternated.

"Good. Now I've got to find Dan."

She walked swiftly and purposely away, asking the students milling around the school if they knew where Dan Humphrey was.

An abdication, S? What could possibly bring such a bright star down? Wouldn't you just love to know.

--

Watching Serena move away from him, Chuck cursed silently to himself. He had just lost one of his best allies. Or in need of a better word, puppet. But he could deal with this alone. He was Chuck Bass, he didn't need anyone's help, especially that blonde.

He was going to stop Blair. And what better way was there to do so than be at the scene of the crime itself?

It was time to go into stalker mode.

--

He had followed Blair around the whole night, planning to swoop in when she was too drunk to protest, but not too far gone. She was at Butter getting trashed and felt up.

But not for long.

He decided to enter the clab at last, figuring that he had waited long enough. He couldn't see Georgina anywhere, but he found her downing shots with a whole group of overeager men and cuddling with a guy who looked like he was in high school. She was beautiful insanity.

But the guy wasn't from St. Judes, in fact he wasn't anyone knew.

He grabbed hold of Blair's arm and dragged her for a few steps before she slapped his hand and he lost his grip. He swore.

"Basss! Watcha doing?" She slurred angrily at him.

He swore again, he should have known better than to expect that Blair would be a pushover of a drunk like Serena. He almost laughed at himself.

"Goo awaay, Chuckk!"

She yelled drunkenly at him before making her way, wobbling on her heels, back to her male companion. Chuck shrugged and head towards the bar.

He always had a backup plan. It was a Chuck Bass rule.

--

It was way too easy to execute. But it worked well and simply.

All it took was him to send Blair a drink anonymously, watch as she downed it quickly like he knew she would and notice her pass out, the guys she was with, hovering over her nervously. The one Blair had been fondled with made to pick her up.

"Put her down." Chuck ordered, his voice low as he walked over calmly to where Blair was. The guy wrinkled his brow.

"Who are you?" He exclaimed tipsily.

"Blair's friend. Chuck Bass." Chuck said smoothly.

"Maxwell-" The guy started to introduce himself.

"Need to know basis only. I don't care."

Chuck interupted abruptly and the other guy scowled.

"Do I know you? Your name seems familiar."

Chuck smiled. "You probably do. Now give her to me." His tone changed suddenly as he pointed to the unconscious Blair.

"Or what?" Maxwell taunted childishly and Chuck's jaw tensed.

"Or I promise to ruin your life. I never break a promise like this."

Something in Chuck's face told the guy to believe him . Maybe it was the glint in his eye or the set of his jaw. Maxwell slowly handed Blair over to Chuck and she mumbled something incomprehensibly.

"Thank you." Chuck added politely before heading to his limo.

Mission accomplished.

--

Blair blinked slowly, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. Man, did her head hurt! It was the worst, the aftermath of an amazing night. And she still had to face the awkward morning after. Speaking of that, she turned to see whoever she had hooked up with last night because she honestly didn't remember and she wanted Georgie to be here and-

She almost creamed.

Because right there, beside her on the king sized bed was Chuck Bass.

What. The Fuck?!

Had she had sex with him? Had she broken a promise to herself to never go back to those who had really hurt her. She clearly (okay, maybe a little less than clearly) rememebered having the intention of hooking up with a hot football captain from Dalton and that was because all the St.Judes boys were avoiding her. She had no idea why. Maybe Serena had scared them off.

She wanted to scream. Maybe she would have. But then Chuck Bass sleepily propped open his eyes.

She jumped out of the bed.

"What am I doing here?"

She shrieked at him.

"Good morning, sunshine."

He mumbled back, squinting at her and getting slowly out of bed.

"Chuck! What am I doing here?!"

She asked again shrilly, hurridly checking if her clothes were still in place.

They were. Whew.

"What happened to that football captain I was with? Martin, Mattie or whatever?"

She quizzed, relieved by her state of dress.

"Lasty night, you swore to monogamy and he respected your decision." Chuck said.

Blair raised her eyebrows skeptically. No way. She knew Chuck was lying.

"I don't believe you." She declared. "What really happened?"

She bored her eyes into his guilty brown ones and he fidgeted.

"I might have knocked you out and took you here. And persuaded Maxwell to leave you alone."

His eyes moved shiftily and Blair gaped at him. "What did you say?"

She gasped and tried to meet his eyes again, noticing that he looked away.

"That I would destroy him and everyone knows Chuck Bass is serious with his promises."

He muttered softly.

"You can't scare away every guy in New York."

It sounded like a good plan to him.

"Did you honestly think I was going to allow you to sleep with some guys whose name you didn't even know?"

He demanded loudly.

"YES! You were, because it wasn't even your decision to make! It was mine! MINE!" She yelled back at him, frustrated.

"I'm not going to let you wreck yourself with Georgina."

His face had hardened into into a determined ugly mask.

"You don't have a say in that matter. You can't interefere in my life anymore. How many times do I have to tell you to let my live my own way?"

"Exactly, Blair! I'm trying to save you from yourself!"

"Then stop! Go try out your Prince Charming act somewhere else because this damsel likes her distress. I don't need you."

He blinked at her, desperation washing over his features and his thoughts. He needed her and he was going to make her need him back.

He reached for her waist and pulled her tightly against him, their bodies so close they could scarely breathe. He melded his lips against hers softly at first and then harder and harder until they both couldn't think straight. It seemed to last forever, and to be honest, they didn't want this moment to ever end. It was just too beautiful.

They finally ran out of air and she closed and opened her eyes repeatedly as if trying to bring the world into focus, gazing up at him.

"Tell me, tell me, that you can want anyone else after that."

He told her breathlessly. She didn't say anything and he let his eyelids shut triumphantly. Gazing at her intensely, he said,

"You can't, can you? I knew it." He told her, satisfaction coloring his voice.

She mentally put herself back together and gently pushed his hands away from her body.

"Leave me alone." She commanded quietly. "Please."

She stepped away from him and out of the suite, shutting the door silently behind her. She left Chuck Bass in her wake, dazed broken and hurt.

And hopeless. He couldn't ignore hopeless.

No matter how much he tried.