PLEASE READ

Firstly, I have realized the power of the Twitterverse. So please follow me for updates, previews etc. My username is redonesie

Secondly, I'd like to thank Liz (aka Dr. Holland haha) who was my beta reader for this chapter. She helped me keep Derena on track!

Thirdly, I promise you that Chair is coming. But this buildup is necessary. You have no idea how excited I am to show you their scenes. They're already written up.

Fourthly, I changed the pairing to Derena just for this chapter because it is heavily Dan and Serena. The next chapter is split into four fairly equal amounts of Blerena, Duck, Chair and Derena.

Fifthly, the dialogue between Serena and Blair at the start was inspired by the book "Does My Head Look Big In This?" by Randa Abdel-Fattah.

Sixthly, thank you to the following people for their wonderful reviews on the last chapter: jessyang0530, alyxoxo821, Miss Mello, Cosmokaramel, chairchairchair, melly326 and all the guests!

Now enjoy, lovely people :)


Chapter 4:

Please Don't Tell Me it's Over

Blair was primping herself in front of her mirror when she got a call from Serena. Her best friend managed to speak for an entire minute without Blair understanding more than three percent of what she said.

"Serena! Slow down! I can't make out what you're saying! What happened? Something about Dan, the color blue and you wanting to jump off the Empire State Building? What the hell has happened?" Blair exclaimed.

Serena laughed. "Oh my God, B! Dan and I have been sending text messages to each other for the past hour! We started during American Idol and it went through to Law and Order. That's ages! And I've replied, so all up we've officially had a fourteen-text-message exchange! Isn't that unbelievable? I mean, come on, that's kind of cool isn't it?"

Blair held back a laugh at how lame her best friend was acting. Now that she knew that Serena liked Dan, Serena had become a little too comfortable with debriefing Blair on all of their conversations. As pathetic as her friend was being, it was kind of adorable to see Serena act this way about a guy, so Blair fulfilled her duty as her best friend and went with it. "Wow! That's awesome! So what did he say?"

"We started off with our usual corny jokes, but then out of nowhere he said, and I quote, 'Do you wear blue contacts?'"

"Oh my God, he's in love with your eyes!"

"He actually noticed something about me, Blair! Me. It's just too unbelievable" Serena said dreamily.

"Yes Serena, he is mentally unstable for being attracted to you. Call the men in white suits" Blair said, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, I was having a panic attack trying to think of something witty or cute to say back. The more I thought about it the longer the time was passing between the reply, and I was freaking out because before it was like instant replies but suddenly there was this huge, long pause. Then something came over me, Blair! I felt this energy and confidence take over me and I thought, to hell with it, I'm going to flirt!"

"Finally!" Blair said with a chuckle.

"Don't get excited. That lasted about three seconds."

"No!"

Serena laughed. "Only joking. I was shameless. I replied: No they are mine and in case you're wondering my Dad isn't a thief."

Blair paused. "Huh?"

"Don't you get it?"

"No..?"

"Come on! You know that pick-up line, 'Is your dad a thief because he must have plucked the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes.' You must know it."

"Oh my God! Of course I know it! But it doesn't fit! Did Dan get it? What did he reply? That could have been text message suicide! Tell me this has a happy ending!"

Serena burst out laughing. "No, he didn't get it. He didn't reply either."

"What? He could have pretended to get it. How could he ignore you like that? How could he be so rude?"

"Relax, Blair. He didn't reply because he called."

"Dan called?"

"Yes. He called to tell me that I'd officially written the worst text message response in teenage history and would I go on a date with him tonight."

"Oh my God, Serena! Is this a joke? You totally expose yourself and the guy you like asks you out in response!" Blair exclaimed.

"B, I feel like I'm floating around in my bedroom. It doesn't feel real, but it is! Dan asked me out."

"I'm coming over in 5" Blair replied simply with a grin, then shook her head as she hung up on her ecstatic friend.

Serena was acting downright adolescent, but Blair couldn't be more glad. She had been worried for so long that Serena was going to surpass her in maturity, seeing as she already had sex. Blair had feared that she was going to eventually lose her friend to the wild lifestyle that the older kids at school had adopted. But Serena's feelings for this Dan guy had slowed her down a little to a level that Blair could relate to. She was filled with excitement for her friend and relief for herself.

Blair scrolled through her contact list to call Nate to tell him she'd be late for their own date tonight (she figured that S would need her to help choose the perfect outfit), but found that he had already sent her a text saying that he had emergency lacrosse training and wouldn't be able to make it. Her shoulders dropped as she re-read the distant and suspicious-sounding message.

This had been a usual occurrence, and Blair didn't understand why. She thought she was doing everything right when it came to their relationship. Blair was starting to have doubts about Nate, and wondered if he really was her perfect man. She believed that she really loved him, and they had been together too long for her to let go.

'But...I mean, a Prince Charming would want to be with his princess wouldn't he?' she thought to herself.

Blair had been conditioned by her mother to believe that she needed Nate, and it was just something she had accepted all long. But was her mother really a reliable source for good relationship advice? The woman was losing her husband to men. The thought made Blair smirk despite herself. If it wasn't such a tragedy it would have been funny. Actually, it kind of was.

Blair loved her father but she was still so angry at him. She hadn't seem him for some time, asking him to give her space. But maybe he would understand her confusion about Nate? Blair wondered how both her parents would react if she brought home Chuck Bass.

Blair gasped, collapsing back against her bed and covering her mouth with her hand in shock. How did his name creep in there? Her brain wasn't allowed to be having those thoughts about someone like him. And yet, ever since that day she found him playing the piano, the image kept appearing in her mind. It felt so forbidden to be acknowledging the dark-haired, gorgeous man, who she lately couldn't help but notice dressed as perfectly as the male-leads in her favorite films. She felt her face go hot with embarrassment at the thought of anyone knowing that she had thought that.

Thank God people couldn't read minds.


"So you're taking the S out?" Chuck asked, leaning against the doorway of Dan's suite with a smirk on his face.

"Yep" Dan replied, not looking at him as he fiddled around his suite looking for something to wear. He couldn't believe he had finally plucked up the courage to ask her, but her attempt at flirting with him had given him that glimmer of hope. Dan nearly laughed out loud as he recalled her poorly thought out text. She was adorable, and she was going out on a date with him tonight. His heart had been doing jumping jacks all day in anticipation.

"So what were you thinking? A 5-star dinner for two at the top of the Empire State Building?" Chuck threw in jokingly.

"What? That's ridiculous. Can you even do that?" Dan replied, finally stopping what he was doing and looking at Chuck.

"You can if you're Chuck Bass" he replied smugly.

Dan rolled his eyes. "I'm taking her out Humphrey-style. That means shooting pool and great diner, not your dream-date with Blair" he said with a teasing look, which caused Chuck to glare at him darkly.

"Need I remind you that you're taking Serena van der Woodsen out, not some Brooklyn chick. Does she scream pool and food from a diner?" Chuck sneered, trying to get Dan back for making fun of him about Blair.

Dan was silent in thought for a moment. Was Chuck right? He had been waiting so long for a date with Serena, and was he about to turn her off for good with his totally pedestrian date? He had always said that the only way to be with her was to become someone who made sense in her world.

"What would you suggest?" Dan asked Chuck.

"Now we're talking..." Chuck replied with a smirk.


Serena was buzzing with nervousness and excitement as she waited for Dan to knock on the door of their suite at the Palace. She had dressed down for the evening, in jeans, boots and a funky top, figuring that Dan was the kind of guy that wouldn't take her anywhere too proper or fancy. He was fun and laid-back, something she always strived for in her world but never seemed to have the opportunity to experience.

Tonight was going to be perfect, she could just feel it. Now if those nerves could just disappear, then maybe she wouldn't feel so anxious.

She heard a knock at her door and jumped up from the couch, but stopped herself from answering it too quickly. Serena didn't want him to think she was just sitting there and waiting around. She ignored the fact that she had been doing just that.

However, when she opened the door she was surprised to see him dressed up in a suit and tie. They locked eyes for an awkward moment.

"Am I early?" He asked, cutting the tension.

Serena looked at him blankly for a moment before coming to her senses. "Uh...no, no. I'm just running late" she said breathily.

Great, this is your first date with him and you've already managed to look like an idiot, she thought to herself.

"Excuse me while I slip into something less comfortable" she said smoothly, hiding her embarrassment. He chuckled, and her stomach did a happy dance like it did every time she got him to laugh at her jokes. "Talk to me while I change?"

"Sure" he said with a grin, following her to stand outside her room while she changed.

Dan glanced around her huge suite. "It's a nice place that you and 800 people have got" he quirked, then slapped himself inwardly. Oh no, it was happening. Whenever he felt out of his league the inner cynic in him came out.

"Yeah the identical surroundings do make you crazy after a little while. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a secret government experiment" she replied easily.

He felt a bit more comfortable after that, so he continued despite himself. "Most government experiments don't have plasma TVs or maid service, just something I've noticed.." Dan trailed off as he turned to glance at her bare back as she reached for a dress on her bed. He swallowed, then made himself look away like the inner-gentleman he was.

Dan waited silently after that for her to finish. When she stepped out from her room, he stared at her then looked at the ground quickly, as though she was a bright light. "Wow," he murmured, more to himself than her. Serena looked incredible in her short, glittering black dress that flaunted her statuesque body. She had simply taken her hair out from the ponytail it was in before, and the blonde locks cascaded beautifully around her face.

Serena couldn't help but beam at his reaction, feeling like a million dollars.

"Shall we?" He asked with a charming smile, holding out his arm. She bit her lip in a smile, clutching onto his offered arm as they headed down.

They walked out front, and Dan led her to the waiting limo. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, and he just shrugged casually as though it was an everyday occurrence for him to have limo at his beck and call. It was good to be friends with Chuck Bass.

He held the door open for her to enter, and they were off. Dan was taking her to a restaurant that Chuck had suggested, and that Dan had to drain his entire life savings to prepare for. If he was honest with himself, the whole thing made Dan feel uneasy and panicky, but his need to impress Serena overran his own insecurities.

They eventually arrived, and they were brought to their seats after the concierge completely humiliated Dan by forgetting his booking from earlier that day.

And naturally it began to happen again; Dan's nervous twitch of making half-hearted, non-stop jokes to cover the uncomfortable feeling of inadequacy. Serena wasn't even laughing anymore at his jokes. He could tell real laughs from polite ones. Little did he know that Serena was distracted by the fact that she had just spotted her worst nightmare.

Juliana Rodriguez was seated at a nearby table with friends. Serena had a brief fling with the captain of the swim team last year, only to find out that he had been also seeing Juliana, a senior at Constance. Serena had ended it as soon as she found out, but the girl still shamelessly hated her guts. It was lucky that she was in college now, but incredibly unlucky that they were at the same restaurant. Knowing that the girl would attempt to humiliate her, Serena prayed to God that she wouldn't see them, and tried to hide behind her menu.

They managed to get through their appetizers safely, but during their main course disaster struck. Juliana appeared to be leaving, but she spotted them on her way out. Seeing that Serena was on a date seemed to heighten her purpose as she stalked over to them.

"Who came up with the concept of eating a rabbit anyway?" Dan had been musing out loud when Juliana interrupted him.

"Well what do we have here?" She drawled, then held her hand out to Dan. "Hi, I'm Juliana Rodriguez."

"Oh, hey" Dan replied easily, shaking her hand. "Is this a friend of yours Serena?"

Serena opened her mouth to answer, but Juliana spoke over her. "Allow me, Serena and I go way back. We've shared many things. Would you like to hear one of them?" she said with a malicious smile.

"Juliana, please don't do this" Serena said quickly in a panic.

"What's going on?" Dan asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"Would you like to tell him?" Juliana snapped icily.

Serena's eyes widened, realizing that no matter what she was completely screwed. She made a weak attempt at damage control. "Look Dan, it was a really long time ago, and I regret it-" she started to say.

"Are you really trying to play the good girl right now? You slept with my boyfriend while we were dating" Juliana exclaimed over her, then turned to look at Dan, practically burning him alive as she eyed his cheap suit and tie. "I just thought you should know, before you fall for your perfect girl in her perfect world and get left all alone." She smiled with triumph at Serena, before leaving the restaurant completely.

"Is that true?" Dan asked her after a long moment of silence.

Serena didn't reply, but she didn't need to. The admittance was all over her face as she couldn't look him in the eye.

"If you'll excuse me" he said, rising from his chair and leaving the restaurant.

Dan wasn't sure why he felt so disappointed and upset, but it was overwhelming him as he walked towards the limo. So what if Serena had done that? It was Serena. His dream girl.

When he thought about it later, he knew what it was that had turned him into a judging idiot.

Discomfiture. Great, overpowering meagerness in that moment brought to light all his short-comings and insecurities next to the blonde who fit into her world like a glove. And it only got worse when she tried to explain.

"Dan! Dan, wait!" Serena cried as she chased after him.

He turned around to look at her. "I forgot about the check, damn it" he said, then moved to walk back into the restaurant.

"Uh...actually, I already took care of it" Serena muttered.

"What?" Dan exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, I-I just charged it on my mothers card. It's no big deal, don't worry about it" Serena said uncomfortably.

"You know, I can pay. It's not like I don't have the money" he said, feeling humiliated and more depressed as their first date seemed to be getting worse and worse.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do. You just shouldn't have to spend it here" Serena replied, trying to explain herself. The restaurant hadn't really matched the kind of place that she thought Dan would love to take her to. This whole disastrous date just hadn't been worth it. Serena just knew she was right. She knew Dan.

"I don't understand, did I do something wrong?" Dan asked, even though he already knew he did from the very beginning by taking her on the date that Chuck suggested.

"No, no. Look I'm sorry about what happened back there" Serena said.

"It's okay, just forget about it" Dan replied quietly, his hurt pride and frustration weighing him down.

"No it's not okay. Look I'm sorry about Juliana-"she began to say.

"It's not about Juliana...well I mean it is but not just her" Dan said, shaking his head.

"No, I know. Trust me, this world is crazy" Serena exclaimed, panicking at the look in his eyes. It wasn't one she had seen before and she was surprised at how much it affected her.

"Yeah, it is" Dan said, glancing up at the restaurant behind her in emphasis before looking back at her and sighing, as though he had come to some depressing conclusion about her in his head. "And you're a part of it."

"What, and you didn't know that?" Serena asked quietly.

Dan paused for a long moment, then rubbed his forehead. "I don't know, I thought you were different, or something. Look, let's just...come on, I'll take you home" he mumbled, before walking to the waiting limo. The words felt wrong as they tumbled out. He didn't mean it in that way.

The ride back to the palace was extremely tense as they sat in silence, as was the elevator ride up. They were both feeling miserable at how horribly the night had gone. Had it only been just over an hour ago that they had been completely excited and ecstatic about their date?

Just before it reached her floor, Serena broke the silence. "I'm sorry I'm not who you thought I was, but what's happened is in the past. If you can't accept that, then you're not who I thought you were" she said sadly.

Dan remained silent, not looking at her as he listened. He didn't know how to reply to her, because he wasn't sure what to make of anything right now. He didn't want her to change. He just feared that he'd never be able to.

The elevator doors opened, and she moved to walk out. "I guess we both made mistakes" she muttered before disappearing.

Dan sighed as the doors closed behind her.

How did he already manage to mess up everything?


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