Manhattan School of Arts chap 14
Summary : Nate and Chuck are friends. Blair and Serena are friends. They all gain places at the prestigious Manhattan School of Arts and the year is set to be very interesting. Definitely AU but may go on to contain other GG characters.
Apologies again for slow updates, but it looks like it's going to have to be this way :( teachers seem to think I have nothing better to do other than sit at home doing homework, really not fun times. I hope you can stick with me! You readers are absolutely wonderful though! Thank you so much for reviewing, i know i'm awful at updating, but the reviews cut it time between chapters from 3 weeks down to 2 weeks! lol. Much love to y'all :)
thank you, thank you, thank you to Kate2008 because she is just the speediest, most awesome beta ever!
"B, you alright?" Serena asked as her and Blair left the dance studio, she placed a comforting arm around the brunette knowing that something was off.
"Yes. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Blair returned, shrugging off her friend's arm.
"You seem…distracted, that's all." Serena replied, a brief look of uncertainty flashed across her features but was soon replaced by a bright smile, "So, what's the plan for lunch?" She smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood. Blair looked at her friend pointedly. "Oh, but B, we did so much last night!"
"No buts, S. You said you wanted us to spend more time together here and so you have to nail this audition." Blair said in a tone that she knew left little room for Serena to argue.
"Fine." Serena agreed reluctantly, "But it's Friday today and after my audition, we are going to do something fun in the evening."
"Audrey?" Blair asked hopefully, but was not surprised when Serena shook her head forcefully, sending her cascade of blonde hair flying.
"Seriously, we're not boring, single, middle aged losers. Film night can be any other, but not Friday!" Serena declared, grinning at Blair.
"You're boring, I'm single and our ages combined can be considered middle aged…" Blair reasoned, "Please can we just stay in?" Blair had no idea why she was asking Serena's permission to spend an evening at the apartment, but it seemed somehow Serena always got the upper hand when it came to deciding on activities.
"You know your life would be so boring without me."
"I suppose I can't disagree with that." Blair conceded, looking fondly at her friend.
"Good. Now we've agreed on that. We are going out tonight – that is a non negotiable fact." Serena said assertively, "We can rehearse my audition later, did you say you weren't meeting Chuck to practice your duet today?" Serena gave Blair a sly side wards glance as she mentioned the name Chuck.
"Yes." Blair replied guardedly, narrowing her eyes at Serena, daring her to continue a conversation about Chuck.
Luckily for Serena, she knew when Blair's warning meant business and promptly changed the subject, "Good. We'll do my drama piece during your usual vocals lesson then. Let's get some food first, I'm starving." And before Blair had time to protest or say otherwise, Serena grabbed Blair's arm and dragged her into a nearby restaurant for lunch.
"Blaaaair." Serena groaned three hours later, "We've been through this enough times. I could act this scene in my sleep." She continued, to which Blair scoffed, "Okay, maybe not in my sleep, but I can do it whilst I'm awake and I'm pretty sure I'll be awake for the audition." Her mouth began to form a pout.
"Okay, okay. Fine." Blair grumbled at her friend's lack of cooperation. "We'll leave it there." She glanced at her watch, "Oh. I have to dash. Drama. Meet me outside the classroom at 5? I'll wait outside while you audition."
"Alright." Serena agreed and then proceeded to wave her friend away. "Now go. You know you hate to be late."
"True. Bye S." Blair turned on her heel and left the apartment, where they had spent the remainder of lunch and the time usually spent on vocals, rehearsing for Serena's audition.
…
"Hi." Blair breathed out as she sat herself down in a stool next to Chuck, she wasn't out of breath, but she had walked rather fast across campus to reach the drama lesson on time.
"Hey." Chuck returned with a smile. "Cutting it a bit fine, eh?"
Blair opened her mouth to respond but hadn't managed to get a word out before Mr. Keeson ran into the room, "Sorry I'm late. There was a hold up in my previous class." He peered around at the students, frowning as they stared back at him. "I will let you off as this is the first time, but I generally expect you to be doing something slightly more productive than just sitting, even if I'm not here."
"Now, lecture over." He rubbed his hands together, "Let's get down to the real business." He flicked through his script, "We'll take it from the top and just do a general run through for those who aren't familiar with the film." He looked around pointedly at the guys in the room. "I will read the parts that have yet to be cast. Go." He indicated with a small point for Dan to begin reading his lines as Cameron.
Chuck grinned and leaned back on the table behind him, he had a good few scenes before he was needed and he intended to watch the rest of the class through judging eyes. The first few lines, between Dan and Keeson were uneventful…good, but it lacked something. He let his mind wander as the rest of the scene was read out. "Ouch!" He exclaimed as he felt something hard and pointy make contact with his shin. "What?" He turned and grumbled at Blair who returned his look of anger with a patient one of her own.
"You're up." A hint of a smirk in her voice.
"Oh." Inwardly Chuck cursed, embarrassed at having held up the whole class.
The rest of the rehearsal ran smoothly, although Chuck was disappointed to find he spent almost the entirety of the first half not talking to Blair, or 'Kat'.
They had just reached the end of their first real exchange, the scene they had auditioned with, when Keeson raised an arm, indicating the end of the rehearsal. "Well done folks, I can see this is going to be a pretty impressive play. We're going to have to wrap it up there for today, I believe I have a queue of students outside, waiting to audition." He beamed around at the students, "See you all tomorrow, I'll try to be on time, but if not, get rehearsing!"
"We will be amazing…" Chuck murmured in Blair's ear as he brushed past her on his way to the exit.
"It took you that long to figure that out, huh?" Blair grinned back, the rehearsal had gotten her confident about her part in the play and she was in a generous mood. He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off as Serena ran up to Blair, with Nate trailing behind.
"Nathanial, what are you doing here?" Chuck asked, surprised. He could have sworn he'd made plans to meet Nate back at the apartment after his drama class.
"Well, Serena mentioned she was auditioning to be an extra and I figured I'd give it a shot." Nate shrugged with a laugh.
"Wait." Blair cut in, "Serena, a word?" She pulled Serena to one side, "Are you serious?"
"Come on, B."
"No, S. I thought this was so we could spend more time together. That's not going to work with blondie over there hang-"
"I'd consider him more mousey blonde." Serena mused with a giggle.
"Irrelevant, Serena!" Blair cut in impatiently, "This was supposed to be our time."
"Look, I figured as you'd probably wind up spending most of it with Chu-"
"What? Why?" Blair asked quickly, her eyes flicking nervously towards Chuck.
"Well…with you two being the lead, it makes sense that you'll have to spend most of rehearsal time together." Serena reasoned, not catching on to Blair's anxious behavior at the mention of Chuck's name.
"Oh." Blair visibly relaxed, "Fine. But he hasn't prepared anything." She shrugged, "There's no assuming he's going to get in."
"Blair, thank you for your concern in the matter, but I'm sure he'll be fine." Serena said in voice that ended the conversation as she steered Blair back towards the waiting boys.
"Are you sure Blair's alright with me auditioning as well?" Nate whispered not so quietly to Serena anxiously, Blair rolled her eyes.
"Archibald, by all means. Audition." Blair said dryly, "I can't tell you what or what not to do."
"Um, thanks?" Nate replied uncertainly. He did, in fact, believe Blair was the boss of many people, himself included.
"Hi everyone!" Mr. Keeson stuck his head around the door to the drama studio, "Wow, nice turnout. Now, if I could have you all in a line and we'll just call you in for auditions." Blair gave Serena a final smile as Serena and Nate walked over to the back of the line.
Two hours later, Serena was still squealing about the audition from her room, "Oh my god, B. I've never been more nervous in my life! I think it went alright though." She walked into Blair's room, "B, you're not getting ready?"
"For what?" Blair looked up disinterestedly from the magazine she was flicking through.
A smile spread on Serena's face, "You're not getting out of it that easily." She walked over to Blair, pulling the brunette off the bed, "Come on." She continued as she marched Blair over to her wardrobe, "You're wearing this," She pulled a plain, short, dark purple dress out of the closet, "And you'll look fabulous, and we'll have a good time tonight." She finished with a satisfied nod.
Blair sighed, admitting defeat, something she did not do often, "Fine." She took the hanger with the dress off her friend, "Are you sure you can bear to be apart from Nate for a whole evening?" She mocked as she changed. Serena laughed off the jibe as Blair pulled the dress over her head.
"B, you're looking very thin." Serena observed in a worried tone.
"Thanks." Blair accepted what she considered a compliment with a smile as she pulled her hair out of the messy bun it was currently it, dark locks tumbling over her shoulders. "I'll meet you in the living room in twenty minutes"
"Alright, twenty minutes and not a second more!" Serena called out cheerfully as she waltzed out of Blair's room in a very revealing gold number she'd picked out for the evening.
Blair sighed, sitting down at her vanity, sometimes her friend's constant cheerfulness was too much for her to handle. Facing her reflection in the mirror, she let her hand hover above her lipsticks before choosing a deep crimson one. She liked red lipstick, it was something she could pull off that Serena couldn't and it made her feel empowered. She had just begun to consider shoe choices when she heard the doorbell ring, she frowned, if Serena had invited Nate along tonight, Blair reserved the right to be severely pissed off with the blonde. "Serena, who is it?" She called as she stepped out of her room. "Oh." She stopped short of the door as she saw none other than Chuck Bass standing in the doorway.
"Hello to you too, sweet." Chuck drawled as he leaned casually against the doorframe.
"I'll, just be in my room." Serena cut in awkwardly before hurrying into her room, closing the door carefully behind her.
"What do you want Bass? Serena's waiting for us to go out." Blair asked, walking to the door and facing Chuck.
"It's Friday." Chuck replied simply, shoving his hands into the pockets of his purple trousers. Blair bit back a frustrated groan as she looked over the dark haired boy's outfit. He was dressed head to toe in a purple suit, not as dark as her dress, but purple nonetheless. Why did they always match?
"You came over here to tell me what day of the week it is?" Blair asked incredulously, "Thanks, Bass. But such things I'm sure I can figure out myself." Especially with Serena going on about it being a Friday night – going out night.
"No. I came over here because I said I would." Chuck explained slowly, as if talking to a child.
"Don't take that tone with me." Blair shot back indignantly, "I don't recall you saying you were coming over on Friday and I definitely didn't agree to it."
"Yes. You did." Chuck persisted, "Pick you up Friday?" He smiled as realization visibly dawned on Blair, "Oh right, Friday, uh huh." He finished, his voice an octave higher.
"Okay, firstly, if that poor attempt at a high voice is an imitation of me, don't bother speaking to me ever again. And secondly, that was Kat and Patrick. Not you and I."
"Fine. But before you refuse, you might want to know that I may have let it slip to Nate that you and Serena were going out tonight."
"So?" Blair asked impatiently, she didn't have time to stand around chatting to Chuck all night. Well, she had the time, but not the will.
"Oh, I also maybe implied that Serena would enjoy his company tonight on your outing."
"Chuck!"
"And once he's ready and here which is in a matter of minutes, she won't be able to turn him away. So…" Chuck smiled, clearly enjoying himself, "Enjoy third wheeling." He finished with a wink and turned to go.
"Charles Bass." Blair almost shouted, causing Serena to come running from her room.
"What's going on?" She asked breathlessly, hobbling with only one shoe on.
Blair opened her mouth to no doubt say something unpleasant about Chuck, but he beat her to it, "Ah, right on time." Chuck said as he spotted Nate leaving their apartment.
"Nate!" Serena smiled, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips, "What're you doing all dressed up nice?"
"Oh, well…" Nate trailed off uncertainly, glancing at Chuck briefly.
Chuck rolled his eyes, "Okay, I know you girlies wanted to go out tonight, but new plan: Serena, Nate will take you out somewhere, and Blair is coming with me."
"What? Chuck! No, you can't do that." Blair fumed.
"Do what?" Chuck asked, his face a picture of innocence.
"Make our plans for us."
"Blair, don't be silly. We arranged last week that I would pick you up on Friday."
"It was part of the script!" Blair protested angrily.
"Don't ponder on such small details, Waldorf." Chuck resisted the urge to laugh at Blair's reaction.
"Um, actually, B. I wouldn't mind going out with Nate tonight, and you know how clubbing isn't really your scene…" Serena trailed off anxiously with an apologetic look.
"Ugh, fine. I'll spend the evening with this Basshole." She spat the last word out in Chuck's direction. "But you owe me, S." Blair said with a steely glare in Serena's direction.
"Of course." Serena nodded enthusiastically, "Have fun!" With that, she grabbed a bemused looking Nate's arm and pulled him towards the elevator.
"So…" Chuck drawled, looking Blair up and down, "Your place or mine?"
Blair hated the way he looked at her like that, as if he were undressing her with his eyes, which he probably was, she wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought, "Neither."
"As you wish, dinner perhaps?"
"Alright." Blair agreed reluctantly, thanks to her blonde friend, it wasn't as if she had a choice. She turned to close the door.
"Don't need shoes, Waldorf?" Chuck asked, a cheeky grin plastered on his face. Blair looked down and found she was indeed, still barefoot, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she mumbled something about putting shoes on before fleeing back to her room. She emerged five minute later in a pair of high black slingbacks.
"Nice choice," Chuck looked at the shoes, and the way they accentuated her legs, appreciatively, "Louis Vuitton?"
Blair fought the urge to laugh, "Are you sure you're straight?"
"What?" Chuck gaped, feigning offence, "My dress sense doesn't answer that for you?"
"You are gay!" Blair said triumphantly.
"No, only men comfortable with their sexuality are willing to be more daring." He saw Blair was about to say something, "Straight men." He finished quickly.
"Right." Blair nodded slowly, unconvinced, "So where to?"
"I was thinking off campus." Chuck said lazily, pulling out his phone.
"What? Why?"
"Because, Waldorf, we are people of class, and whilst I have to admit I'm pleasantly surprised by the decent standard of facilities here, I miss dining in style and I would wager my limo that you do too."
"You have a limo?"
"Yes." Chuck confirmed, "You'll have the pleasure of meeting it tonight." He dialed a number on his phone, "Arthur, front of MSA, five minutes." He snapped his phone shut.
"Oh." Blair was, in truth, completely taken aback by Chuck's behavior. It was a real shame he was Chuck Bass – she could have really enjoyed the evening.
"I take your lack of speech as a positive response." Chuck said, "But we should get going." He placed a gentle hand on the small of Blair's back and steered her out the building.
"Thanks Chuck." Blair mumbled vaguely as they reached the entrance of MSA, where there was indeed, a sleek black limo waiting for them.
"Anytime." Chuck smirked, "Hi, Arthur." He spoke to the man standing by the limo, "This is Miss. Waldorf, she'll be travelling with me this evening."
"Good evening, Miss. Waldorf." Arthur said with a tip of his hat as he pulled a door open, gesturing inside the limo.
"Thank you." Blair replied with a smile as she stepped gracefully into the vehicle. She felt Chuck slide in soon after and quickly shuffled to the opposite corner of the limo. "So, um, where are we headed?"
"I thought we could check out The Riviera."
"Really Chuck. Reservations are impossible there, especially this late."
"I think you forget who I am."
Blair laughed outright, "Of course, you're Chuck Bass." She mocked with a roll of her eyes.
Chuck merely shrugged, pulling out his phone, "Hi, this is Chuck Bass, I'd like to make a reservation for a table for two in about twenty minutes." He nodded into the phone, "Thank you." He hung up the phone and turned back to Blair, "They said it shouldn't be a problem to save us a table near the window."
"Wow." Blair said, impressed, "I guess your name does carry some weight."
"Some?" Chuck scoffed. "Please Waldorf, the name Bass practically owns this town."
"Yes, and don't let it get to your head." Blair observed dryly.
"Too late." Chuck chuckled, and Blair found his chuckle made her feel more at ease and she finally let herself relax in his company.
They spent the remainder of the journey talking amicably about the play and songs and before Blair knew it, they had rolled to a stop outside The Riviera building. The Riviera was a new restaurant that had opened within the past month; it was on the top floor of a department store building and had a stunning view across the entire city. Blair stepped out of the limo feeling like a star as Chuck rushed round the side to help her out.
Blair looked up at the towering building with expectant eyes and found herself looking forward to what the evening held. She glanced over at Chuck and the two shared a smile before they stepped into the building.
Hope you enjoyed it! More of Chuck and Blair's 'date' next :) Ingrid x