*After intense questioning by security and the police, Carmella gathered a mascara-stained Blair and a bloody Dan. She hadn't known them for long but it was long enough to have one feel like a sister and she knew how much her best friend cared about him. Chuck was now behind bars for the time being. The only thing they'd have to worry about the next morning would be vulture-like paparazzi and icing their battle wounds.
During the cab ride home they could look nowhere other than straight out the window. The only sound came from Blair every so often when she let out a sob. Although she didn't mean to still be crying, she was shaken up and couldn't help herself. She was still mentally kicking herself for letting her emotions for Dan get the best of her. Tattle-telling to the Plaza's security was something she knew she'd later regret.
The cab pulled in front of NYU's campus and pulled to a sudden halt. Carmella paid the driver and thanked him, then helped Blair climb out of the cab. The brunette looked like a hot mess in a mismatched outfit, mascara running down her face, and her curls in a messy bun on the top of her head. The second Dan climbed out of the cab and laid his eyes on Blair, he never thought he'd seen someone look as beautiful as she did in that one moment.
"B, I'll give you guys a second to talk?" As much as she didn't want the blonde to leave her side, Blair knew that she had to say something to Dan otherwise they'd have to talk the next day.
Carmella started to walk toward their dorm as she dialed a number she'd stolen from Blair's phone. She was only calling Nate to let him know what had happened… or that was her excuse at least.
Dan put his icepack back on his knuckles and sighed. They didn't have anything to say to one another and the silence proved it. Blair just wanted to go to bed; she was going to get this conversation over and done with.
"Listen Humphrey, I can't keep doing this. All I want to do is stay as far away from Bass as I possibly can. So quit getting your testosterone levels maxed out and thinking that you can win this war against him because you can't."
That one stung a little bit but Dan knew that she was right. There was no point in even trying to beat Chuck; he invented every war game known to man.
"I know. Thanks for the tip though."
"Dan it's not a joke, he's very dangerous and I'm tired of trying to keep you two from going to jail. I don't want to be with either one of you so just leave me alone."
As much as he hated to admit it, she was one-hundred percent right. She had interfered one too many times and now she was finally fed up. Instead of taking the drastic approach, maybe this time he should try to be the bigger person; even if it meant swallowing his pride.
"Fine, you want me to leave you alone then so be it."
That is exactly what she wanted, a break from the Humphrey-Bass war that'd be waging for much too long.
"What I want is to go back in time and fix this. I wish I never would have been alone with him that night. I wish I could have been the one to make him suffer."
"Blair, you know that what happened wasn't your fault. If Nate and I didn't come to your rescue then who knows what could have happened. Something awful."
"Like I needed you, Humphrey, to come to my rescue. When push comes to shove you're probably the last person I need to save me. You did it once; I thanked you, big deal. No need to make it sound like a bigger deal than it is. Don't let your ego get bigger than your head asshole."
Dan tried to suppress the smile that beginning to form on his lips. This is exactly what Blair needed; to get the anger out from the past few months she felt toward herself, Dan, and Chuck. This was the therapy Blair refused to pay for. This was what she considered "a waste of time".
"Dan, what the fuck is wrong with you? Are you smiling at the fact that I feel awful?"
"Oh heaven forbid someone not dropping everything to make you feel better. There's more to life then the way Blair Waldorf feels. I know you never got that memo but I certainly did the morning you chose to walk out of my apartment."
Blair was speechless; how dare he throw that in her face. He was the one who recommended that she should leave.
"You really want to stoop to that level now? How about the day you chose to tell me how you really felt? That was what, like four months after the moment you should have actually told me? Or how about earlier today when you told Nate that we spent that night together? I'm not the one who needs to grow up Daniel. I would never be with someone who can't own up to how he really feels in the exact moment he needs to."
Blood rushed to Dan's cheeks. This time he wasn't blushing; he was furious. She crossed a line bringing up his flaws. She's one to talk. Like Blair Waldorf was perfect.
"At least I can admit I cared about you without trying to rape you! Would you have preferred to hear Chuck say he loved you?" She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "That's what I thought. Do you even really care about me Blair or am I fighting a battle with the devil for no reason?"
Dan was asking her to be honest. Is that something she could risk right now in her vulnerable state? No.
"I don't care about either of you in that way. I already thanked you once for coming to my rescue so stop trying to save me. I only have time to be nice once a year."
"Blair I'm not trying to save you. I'm trying to show you that it's possible for someone to care about you without trying to hurt you. Not every guy is like Chuck Bass."
"When are you going to get it through your thick head that I don't care? I don't give a shit if every guy is like Chuck or not? I don't want to date; I don't want to care about anyone. I don't have time to deal with you or someone else. So get over yourself and go back to Serena. Remember her? She's tall, blonde, lives on Rhode Island? Yeah she's everything I'm not, so go waste your time being her watch dog and leave me alone."
She brought up Serena in a negative light; boy what a low blow there B.
"Don't you dare bring up what I had with Serena. That ended a long time ago and you know it. Why don't you allow yourself to be happy? Must be because you really are the ice queen everyone claims you are. I was trying to look past that but I guess I can't."
Touché Mr. Humphrey. Looks like D might actually know how to play with the big boys nowadays.
"Just stay away from me. I don't have time to deal with your childish crap. If you want to get your testosterone out join a gym or a fight club. Maybe a dose of estrogen every now and again would be good for you." Dan snorted. "Don't call, don't text, don't show up. Just throw in the towel. Don't try at all. You never met me; I don't exist in your world."
Impossible. Not only did dear Daniel surround himself with pictures and articles about our lovely Miss Waldorf, but he also insisted on having the people he cared about check in on her without her realizing. Giving up Blair wouldn't be as easy as she made it seem.
"Whatever."
The two turned and started going their separate ways. It took all the energy Blair had left in her to not break down on her way to the dorm. As much as she didn't want to walk away from Dan she knew it was for the best. She just wanted to feel what it was like to be in his arms once again. Shut up. She'd never allow herself to think that again. This time she was leaving Dan Humphrey for good.
*Four months later Blair and Carmella had their dorm completely packed up and ready to ship out. The two had become like sisters; they could finish each other's sentences and they were close to inseparable. When summer quarter rolled around they decided it was time for a change of scenery. Carmella started to look on the internet for apartments close to campus and close to her sweetheart. The thought of a relationship almost made Blair sick every time she thought about it, but it made Carmella happy and that was all she cared about. All of her energy lately had been put into school, Carmella, and shopping; the three things that made her feel as complete as she could.
Around five that evening, all of their boxes and items had been moved into their new apartment. It was a few blocks from campus and had everything the two girls thought they needed; hardwoods, two beds, three bath, appliances included, and pet friendly. Sure it was something that their parents were paying for but it's whatever makes you happy right?
Carmella ordered take-out so the three sat around their new coffee table to eat dinner. Blair was busy reading news stories on her Blackberry to even think about touching anything resembling food. Her best friend noted that and looked at her with a stern look. The brunette was too involved in her phone to even notice.
"Excuse me B, what is more important than me?"
Blair looked up innocently. "Marc Jacob's trunk show?"
Carmella shook her head and handed her a pair of chopsticks. "Negative."
The brunette rolled her eyes but set her phone on the table in front of them. "Fine, I surrender boss."
A laugh came from Carmella's boyfriend and Blair shot him a cross look. He quickly frowned and shoved a noodle in his mouth.
"Something funny Archibald?" He shook his head no. "That's what I thought."
After the incident at the Plaza that night, Carmella and Nate couldn't stop talking. Blair couldn't tell if he only liked her because she reminded him of Serena, or if her crazy hippy ways were exactly what he was looking for in a woman. Either way she let them do their own thing; they were happy. Now he lived across the hall from them, so Blair silently prayed that for some "unfortunate" reason Nate and Dan were no longer friends. She hadn't seen him for months and she wanted to keep it that way.
"You know you don't intimidate me Waldorf." Carmella and Blair started cracking up. Nate couldn't help but crack a smile of his own. They were the three amigos.
"I might not intimidate you now, but when push comes to shove I'd be the only person who could take you down Natie."
Carmella sighed. "Wrong yet again there dear best friend. I'm pretty damn strong…"
The three burst into laughter once again. She was a stick.
"Yeah right; nice try though." Nate set down his food and stood up. The two girls gave him questioning looks but he continued toward the door. He shouted over his shoulder on the way out, "I'm expecting company!"
The two girls looked at each other with eye brows raised. "Nate has friends other than us?"
"That is so strange!" Carmella set her entrée down as well and quickly followed behind him. She slammed the door shut. Now Blair couldn't see who it was. She sat quietly for a moment hoping to hear them talking.
"She's going to kill you Nate. "
Muffled conversation.
"No I mean like she's going to murder the both of you."
More mumbling.
"Alright, go ahead and see for yourself. It's nice to see you again, come in."
The door swung open and Blair stared at her best friend. Carmella put two fingers up to her head and pretended to shoot herself with an imaginary gun. She made her way into the apartment and behind her walked Nate and Dan. Sure as shit they were still friends.
Blair's jaw dropped along with her food. If this isn't the biggest fuck my life moment I don't know what is.
Dan looked at the brunette gawking at him on the floor and sighed. He forced a half smile to form on his lips as he raised his hand as if to wave. She just glared at him.
"Do I know you?"
Dan looked down. "No, I guess you don't."
It was probably the most awkward situation that they could have put them in.
Nate finally spoke up. "Yes you do. B this is the new and improved Dan Humphrey. Dan, this is the same bitchy and ice-cold Blair Waldorf some choose to love and others not so much."
They all expected her to shoot Nate a dirty look then leave the room but she didn't. She kept her composure… for the time being.
"Doesn't ring a bell, but thanks for trying Nate. Why did you bless us with your presence stranger?
Dan stood there speechless; Blair was pretending like she didn't know him. Guess there was no reason to play nice anymore. "I just came to see Nate, that's all. Not trying to rain on anyone's parade." He turned to Nate. "Could we go to your apartment dude?"
Nate shrugged. He obviously didn't know about their falling out. "Yeah I mean we can if you want to."
The two turned to head toward the door when Blair stood up. "Why are you here?"
Dan stopped and turned to face her. "I just came to tell Nate some news."
She didn't believe it; something was going on that they weren't telling her. "Carmella, tell me what's going on."
The blonde just looked at her and shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't know he was coming babe. Beats me, sorry."
Blair then turned to Nate. He just looked down. No one wanted to be honest with her. So be it, Dan would have to be then.
"Cabbage patch, tell me what's going on."
"I'm getting-"
Nate cleared his throat. "Dan."
"I'm getting married Blair. I'm engaged. I wanted to ask Nate if he'd be my best man."
There were a few moments of awkward silence. Blair grabbed her phone and looked at Dan.
"Good for you. See you around then. Nice to meet you."
Without another word she exited the room. All she knew to do was curl up into a ball on her new bed. Before she could figure out what she was thinking, her phone started buzzing.
2 New Text Messages.
The first one was from Serena. Shit, she's probably going to tell me that she's engaged to Dan. I can't deal with this.
She didn't want to read it but she opened it anyway. She was curious.
Guess what? V and D are engaged. I can't believe it. Did you hear? –S
A huge wave of relief rushed over Blair. She didn't have to disown her other best friend. Thank the lord.
The second text was one Dan had just sent her. Great.
This is what you wanted. –Some guy
Blair couldn't even respond. All she could manage to do was begin to silently sob into her pillow. He's right, this is exactly what she wanted. Blair wanted Dan to leave her alone. So why was she crying?