Gossip Girl – Secrets
Author: L
Chapter 10
Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or any of its characters.
Author's Note: This is the final chapter. I want to thank everybody for reading and reviewing this story. I really appreciate it.
She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder as he tightened his grip around her arm protectively. Serena listened to the silence in the limo and thought back over the past three days. On Friday, she was sat on the couch in the front room watching movies with Blair all day. Every now and again, Serena could feel her best friend focussing on her instead of the television. Blair was evidently worried about her but she was trying her best to pretend as if nothing had happened, just like Serena was doing. However, she didn't know that Serena had not stopped thinking about it since the morning it had happened; at times, Serena felt the shield of strength around her slowly slipping away.
When Dan, Chuck, Nate, Eric and Jenny had returned back to the penthouse, they deliberately evaded Serena's questions about school, choosing to comment on the movie that they were currently watching instead. They didn't want to talk about anything that could possibly upset Serena. Feigning happiness soon became exhausting for Serena but she carried on, not wanting to break down. It was also hard for the six of them to act normal around her but they persevered, oblivious to the fact that she was bottling up her feelings. The weekend consisted of the same routine as Serena spent both Saturday and Sunday indoors, playing board games and watching movies.
Despite Lily, Blair, Dan and basically everybody else's objections, Serena had insisted that she would like to return to school today. It was too soon, she knew that, but she also knew that her friends were struggling to keep up their facade. They had done so much for her and if she could just make it through one day of school then maybe they could start to focus on their own lives. Dan and Nate had spent practically every minute with her which meant that they hadn't been able to complete their history papers. She had also caught Blair sneaking into her room and deleting posts from Gossip Girl each time Serena's message tone had rung. She didn't want to be a burden anymore.
The limo started to slow down as it reached the entrance of the school and Serena waited nervously, dreading the moment that it would stop. Silence washed through the limo and she reluctantly opened her eyes, greeted by worried expressions. A feeble smile tugged at her lips as she waited for the chauffer to open the door but Chuck had instructed him not to move until he was asked to. "I'm fine," Serena tried to persuade them but her voice had quivered at the end, throwing any credibility of the statement out of the window. She decided to try again. "I'm fine; honestly, I am. If there are any problems, I promise to tell you straight away and then I will immediately go home."
Chuck glanced at Blair, who was seated on the other side of Serena, and waited for her to make a decision. She sighed and nodded at him before Chuck turned to the chauffer, letting him know that he could do his job. When he opened the door, the brightness of the sunlight surprised Serena and she shrunk closer to Dan. He watched her worriedly as she opened her eyes again, attempting to bring her breathing rate back to normal. Chuck and Nate were the first to step out, followed by Eric, Jenny and then Blair. Dan held his breath, waiting until Serena was ready to leave the limo. Steadying her nerves, Serena shifted along the seat and towards the door until a wave of fresh air washed over her.
Shakily setting her foot onto the ground, Serena held onto the door for support and pulled herself into a standing position. Dan quickly emerged from the limo and resumed his protective stance, holding Serena close to him. The chauffer closed the limo door and returned to the driver's seat, pulling away from where they were stood. She watched the limo turn the corner, disappearing from her view and the fear started to take effect. Staring at the magnificent Constance Billard building, Serena felt lost and began to panic. A crowd was forming around them as students from both schools whispered loudly among themselves with several cameras pointing at Serena.
As the sound of a shutter rang through the air, Serena flinched and turned to bury her head on Dan's shoulder, overwhelmed by the sudden rush of anxiety. Blair and Nate angrily turned around and shouted at the students causing them to disperse immediately, muttering as they walked through the entrance. Lifting her head slightly, Dan felt his heart break at the sight of his girlfriend's tear-stained face as she cried, "I can't do this. I really thought that I would be able to but I can't. I'm sorry." Chuck, hearing this, pulled out his cell phone and told the chauffer to return to the school to pick Serena up and take her home. Eric and Jenny watched helplessly as Dan tried to comfort her.
"Serena, it's okay. If you're not ready, no one's going to blame you. None of us expected you to forget this so quickly. It'll take some time but I want you to remember that you will always have me by your side. Serena, I love you and I promise I will help you through this," Dan whispered into her hair. He felt her grip tighten around him and he stroked her hair soothingly, occasionally kissing her forehead as they waited for the limo to return. He looked up in time to see Blair glower threateningly at a girl who was about to take a picture with her cell phone. The arrival of the Bass limo caught his attention and he gently pulled away from Serena. "The limo's here," he murmured.
Lifting her head off of his shoulder, Serena took a step towards the limo as the chauffer hurried to open the door for her. When she glanced at her friends, Serena felt indecision surging through her. "I think I'm going to stay," she whispered timidly. Her friends wore expressions of disbelief and concern but she found the strength to continue before Blair could protest. "I know you are really worried about me but I also know that the only way I can walk into that school is if I have every single one of you by my side, and I do. I need to do this because if I don't, he'll... he'll always have this power over me," Serena explained, biting her lip at the thought of Bradley Taylor.
There was a moment of silence as they all pondered whether or not to agree with her decision. Serena glanced at Dan but he was lost in thought. After a minute, he finally turned towards her and asked, "Are you sure?" When she nodded in response, Dan wrapped his hand around hers and smiled. "Okay, I'll be here for you, just like I promised. We're going to get through this together." Serena took a step towards him happily and their lips met in a gentle embrace. In that instance, Serena realised that her source of strength came from the knowledge that Dan would always be there to protect her. They pulled away from each other and she stayed close to his side as the seven of them walked through the school entrance, ready to fight Serena's fears together.
The End