A/N: Sorry for the super duper long hiatus! But no worries, I haven't given up yet! Will be working crazy hours these days, but I promise I will definitely take time out during the week to update again. Sexy times are coming soon, for all of you that are asking. I just didn't want to rush it, and want to make sure it works with the fabric of the story. Let me know what you think about this one! Reviews keep me motivated to keep writing! :) :)
"Seth, look at this," Blair commanded Seth, holding a piece of paper so close to his face that it almost touched his nose.
"Well hello to you too, Blair," he responded sarcastically, peering out from behind the piece of paper to try to get a better look of his girlfriend. But Blair had more important things on her mind.
"I'm serious, Seth. Look! Student council elections are coming up, and it's the perfect chance for me to secure my position at Harbor. I'm handing in the nomination form today," Blair informed him curtly. She examined the form meticulously, barely glancing up to look at Seth.
Seth frowned at her. "Uh huh…great. Except you're forgetting one thing – you have to actually get elected to become president of the student council, and forgive me for being honest, but I'm not really sure you have what it takes to win over the votes of the entire school, being a new student and all," he reminded her gently. Seth took a moment to examine their surroundings – they were in Harbor's coffee shop, and were encircled by students of all nationalities and backgrounds, most of which would never even look at him twice. He had no idea why Blair would want to be president of this bunch in the first place, but also knew her well enough to know that the woman never missed an opportunity to be in a position of power.
Blair waved her hand at him dismissively. "Details…details. I may be new here, but I'm obviously already one of the most popular girls at Harbor. Just look at the army of freshmen dying to get waitlisted," she answered, adjusting her headband.
"You have a waitlist?" Blair shrugged airily, showing her indifference. "Okay fine, I admit that you may be a tad more popular than me among the elites of Harbor," Seth continued as he watched Blair throw him a victorious smirk. "But there's more to the school than just the popular kids. Have you forgotten what may be uh…let's see, let's say seventy percent of the student body – the band geeks, comic book fanatics, and chess club members – who will also be getting a vote?"
Blair's frowned, and a deep wrinkle appeared across her forehead. Seth didn't like seeing Blair upset, mostly because he knew that he would most likely be at the receiving end of her tantrum. Still, this was one case where Blair may not be able to get her way.
"So I may have slightly miscalculated," Blair finally conceded. She pouted while they made their way out of the café and into the halls. She watched the students shuffle down the hallways around her. Her eyes fell on an awkward-looking boy, dressed in jeans that were so completely three years ago, and holding the latest issue of Naruto. "Well I guess we can just forget it, then. I mean, how am I supposed to get people like that guy over there to like me?" Blair whined, throwing her head in the boy's direction. She glanced back at Seth, who happened to be holding the same issue of the manga in his hands as they spoke. "Uh…Seth, what is that?" she suddenly snapped at him.
"Oh, this? It's amazing! They're explaining now the history of the Umeda clan, and it seems like - "
"That's it! You're a genius! Finally, you're useful for something!" Blair jumped up and gave Seth a long hug, which almost made Seth lose his balance.
"Wow, gee thanks, Blair," Seth said, slightly offended. He watched as Blair's eyes twinkled mischievously as she grabbed his hand and dragged him along with her as she approached the boy.
Blair flashed her million-dollar smile at the boy, who looked star-struck as Blair made her way towards him. "Hi there," Blair cooed at him, flipping her hair purposefully, "I don't think we've met before." Seth eyed his girlfriend suspiciously as she worked her manipulative magic.
To both Blair and Seth's surprise, the boy turned to Seth. "Oh, I know who you are. You're like, famous among us. You're like, one of us, but you got…well, her," the boy replied, lowering his head shyly as he gestured at Blair.
Seth watched with disdain as Blair gloated over the boy's comments. He was about to question the boy's logic when Blair suddenly jumped in, making her motives clear to Seth. "Yes well, that's what we're about – the two of us. In fact, we're running for president and vice president of the student council together so we could, uh – produce a closer bond between the haves and have-nots in our school. And by haves and have-nots, I mean those who have friends, and those who don't." Blair finished her explanation with a smile, as the boy's face fell in disappointment.
Seth pulled her aside. "Blair, have some tact, will you? You can't just tell people to their face that they don't have friends!" The boy scuffled away from the pair, shoulders hunched. Seth turned back to Blair. "I know what you're trying to do, Blair. And the answer's no. I'm not going to help you win votes from the unpopular people."
Blair threw Seth her best puppy eyes. "Pleeeeeeease, Seth? I promise I'll make it up to you. No shopping with me for a month. I'll even let you call me cupcake. Please?" Blair tugged on the sleeve of Seth's shirt as she pleaded with him.
Seth sighed in defeat. Blair Waldorf was convincing when she was angry, but she was even more convincing when she activated her puppy eyes. He nodded grudgingly as Blair cheered, giving him another hug and a big kiss on his cheek. "But no manipulation. We win this fair and square, or not at all, okay?" he warned her.
Blair gave him an innocent stare. "What manipulation? Come on, we have to work on our slogan!" Seth's face finally broke into a smile as he and Blair walked down the halls, arm in arm. Blair chattered endlessly about her campaign, while Seth watched her in admiration. She sure didn't give up when she put her mind to something. Just then, the two of them were interrupted by the sound of a high-pitched voice, addressing a group of students that were gathered by the lockers.
"And that is why you should vote for me, Taylor Townsend, as president of your student council – because you deserve it. Thank you very much." The crowded erupted into cheers and applause, and scattered to reveal a petite, well-groomed blonde that was dressed in a tight-fitting skirt and a crisp, white blouse. Her attire told Blair that she meant business. A girl approached her and she turned expertly to answer the questions addressed to her.
"Because you deserve it? What kind of tagline is that? What is she, L'Oreal?" Blair crossed her arms furiously, examining her opponent from head to toe. "And what is she doing rallying up votes at this time? We haven't even reached the deadline for nomination yet!"
Seth stepped up beside Blair and watched as Taylor continued passing out glossy pamphlets to every student that passed by. "Look at her go," he said, letting out a low whistle.
"You know her?"
"Yeah, sure. Taylor Townsend. Good luck if it's her you're running against. She definitely has the nerd niche covered. I believe she's able to converse fluently in all of the Middle-earth languages," Seth explained with a frown, as Taylor shoved yet another pamphlet into the hands of a passerby.
Blair curled her lip in disgust, throwing Seth a look. She watched as Taylor shook the hands of those who happened to walk past her, as if she were a celebrity of some sort. Lifting her chin confidently and putting on her game face, Blair strutted up to the girl, ready as ever for a challenge. She tapped her lightly on her shoulder with a single finger, for fear that she might catch whatever germs the girl may be carrying, while Seth hung back, waiting for hell to break loose.
"Um, excuse me. Can I ask what you think you're doing?" Blair asked haughtily.
"Oh, it's you – the new girl. I'm- " Taylor stuck out her hand.
"It's Blair Waldorf. Not 'the new girl'. And I know who you are. But aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" Blair snapped at her.
"Well, I'm a true believer of a head start. There's nothing in the rules that prevents us from starting our campaign early. Here, why don't you take one of these? It may give you some ideas as to how to fit into Harbor. Who knows, you may even want to run for student council next year, after learning from my leadership, of course," Taylor said, giving Blair a friendly smile and handing her one of her pamphlets.
Blair stayed exactly where she was, refusing to touch the piece of paper. She gave Taylor her best death glare, which made even Seth cower back. Taylor, seeing that Blair was not one to be messed with, lifted her own chin defiantly in response, and the two of them stood head to head with each other, as if declaring war.
"You're going down," Blair hissed at her.
"Oh we'll see about that. I hear you think you're Queen B. B as in, bitch. Well, here in Newport, no one likes bitches. Have fun trying to get votes from the little people," Taylor responded, turning her back on Blair. Taylor proceeded to approach yet another member of the school band, sending out light beams with her glowing smile.
"What did you say my special power was, Seth?" Blair asked Seth through her teeth. She was furious.
Seth gulped and ran his hand through his hair. He didn't like where this was going. "Remember what you promised me, Blair. No manipulation," he practically begged her.
"Just giving her a little taste of the real Queen B. What was that she called me? A bitch? We'll show her what a real crazy bitch looks like." She grabbed Seth by the collar and dragged him down the hall, briefing him for her scheme to take down Taylor Townsend.
Seth hurried down the halls, hoping no one would catch him in action. He didn't feel comfortable with what he was about to do, but Blair could be very convincing – not to mention intimidating – when she put her mind to it. Seth shuddered at the memory, and continued making his way to the photocopying machines. Just as he was about to head into the library, he came face to face with the person he dreaded to see the most – Taylor Townsend, in the flesh.
"Why hello, Seth. And why are you in such a hurry today?" She glanced down at him as Seth shifted uneasily on his feet, avoiding her stare. Taylor noticed that Seth seemed to be getting paler by the second, and peered down at the piece of paper that he was clutching in his hands. He was grasping it so tightly that it began to crumple. "What's that you have in your hand?"
"Oh, nothing," Seth replied instantly, trying to look as casual as possible. "I'm just running some errands for Blair. Need to photocopy some things for her campaign." He gave her a shrug. "You know, the usual. No big deal. Which reminds me – gotta run! The woman is not exactly known for her patience." Seth tried to push her way through the library door to avoid any further interrogations, but Taylor was determined.
"Why so mysterious? Care to share?"
"Uh – no, Taylor. I don't care to share, considering you're running against her, so that would be a conflict of interest and a breach of – um, confidentiality. And since we were never really friends to begin with, maybe you can just drop the nice guy act and step out of the way and let me through so I can get my stuff done, alright?" Seth gestured emphatically as if to wave Taylor out of the way, allowing some of his paper to show in the process.
"What is that?" Taylor immediately snatched the paper from his hands as soon as she caught sight of a picture of herself printed on it. Seth lunged for it, but it was too late – Taylor had already stepped aside and was scanning through the contents of the poster that Seth had prepared to photocopy for the entire school to see.
"There's me eating a bucket ice cream by myself while crying in the park…and there's me taking pictures of my primary school crush behind a tree…where did you get this stuff? Was it Blair Waldorf? God, is your girlfriend a private detective or something? And by the way, that is not the whole story with the ice cream. I only had two spoonfuls before I threw the damn thing away," she insisted, balling her hands into fists. She gaped at the paper in horror. "And you were going to make copies of this for the whole school? What were you thinking?"
Seth swallowed hard and looked down at his feet in shame, then recovered quickly, taking back the piece of paper. "I was thinking that it's about time the school knows who the real Taylor Townsend is. Let's be serious, okay? You're not president material. What do all great leaders have in common? They're charismatic and confident, with a clear vision. Look at you – you're afraid of your own shadow. As much as you pretend to be all put together, you know it will only take one minor criticism to make you shatter to pieces. You're like Samuel L. Jackson in Unbreakable. Just like that girl in the picture. We're just saving you from the embarrassment you would inevitably suffer if you were to become president." Seth stopped to take a breath, watching for her reaction. He felt as if he had just recited an excerpt from Blair Waldorf's handbook, with a personal touch of comic book referencing. She would be so proud.
Taylor's face fell, and her cheeks flushed in response to Seth's accusations. The next time Seth saw her eyes again, they were full of tears. "Well, I always figured we belonged in different categories of 'nerds', but I had never taken you for a bully. Guess dating Blair Waldorf could have that sort of effect on a guy, huh?" she smiled bitterly as she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.
At that precise moment, Blair was making her way to the library to see why Seth was taking so long. She was worried that he may have chickened out last minute, and decided to check on him to help him stay focused. She stopped when she saw Taylor, wiping away her tears. Blair stayed just close enough to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation, and shrank back out of their sight.
"Blair has nothing to do with this," Seth muttered in defense, looking away.
"Oh really? So you're saying that it was your idea to find pictures of me in compromising situations to shame me in front of the school just so that Blair Waldorf could become president of the student council? I know I called her a bitch, but I don't think that warrants social destruction!" Taylor exclaimed, raising her voice at him. "These so-called popular girls like your girlfriend – they come from nowhere without making the slightest effort, thinking that they can just use their looks and money and popularity to buy their way through life. She has no idea what it feels like to have to work for something! And she'll do anything in order to get what she wants – even to you. Just wait and see. There'll come a day when you'll be the one who's being sacrificed for her sake."
Blair thought about coming out of hiding and confronting her herself, but held back to wait for Seth's reply, in spite of herself. She bit her lip in anticipation as Seth finally spoke up. "You know nothing about Blair and what she's been through. You think you get to look down on her just because she's one of the popular kids, but that just goes to show how wrong you are about her. Look, you're right that this wasn't my idea, and normally, I would hate to be caught up in one of her schemes that involve hurting others," he paused, looking up at Taylor. "But what you're saying about Blair isn't fair, either. She's spent many sleepless nights working on her campaign, and she's come up with some really great ideas on how to improve the school. She's one of the smartest, most capable people I know, and she truly cares about the wellbeing of others, and not just herself. She really does have what it takes to be an awesome president, and I think it would be Harbor's loss not to have her. And I'm sorry about hurting you Taylor, really, I am." Seth placed his hand on his heart as a sign of his sincerity. "But if it's between you and Blair, yeah – I would choose her. In a heartbeat."
Blair took a few steps back, retreating from their vicinity. She was confused as to what she was feeling. On one hand she was offended by Taylor's remark – though granted, they were well-deserved, considering what she had pulled. The truth of some of the comments resonated in her. On the other hand, she was taken aback by the way Seth had defended her. She wasn't really sure herself whether she fit Seth's description – the Blair Waldorf she knew was selfish, self-absorbed, and well, slightly diabolical. It's not that she didn't try to be a good person, it's just that she's had herself convinced for so long that she was simply a damaged good – too messed up to be put back together. Her heart swelled with emotion as she realized just how perfect she was in Seth's eyes. She reacted quickly as she saw Seth walking towards her direction, clearly having ended his conversation with Taylor.
"Ah, Seth. Just the person I wanted to see," she said lightly, trying to mask the wave of emotions that had washed over her. It was everything she could do not to grab him right then and there and kiss him, hard on the lips.
"Hey Blair…listen. About that poster - "
Blair put a finger on his lips to silence him. "Say no more." She took the paper swiftly from his hands, then crumpled it into a ball, tossing it into the nearest garbage. "I don't think we'll be needing this, considering I've effectively decided to withdraw from the election," she announced, dusting off her hands.
"What – Blair!" Seth stood in shock with his arms wide open. "But why? Your ideas were great! You had a plan that would put bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots at Harbor, remember?" He jogged a little to catch up to Blair, who had already walked ahead of him, a coy smile on her face.
"Look, it's not a big deal," she said, stopping to look appreciatively at her boyfriend, fixing his collar and brushing his hair away from his eyes lightly. "I've just decided that I had bigger aspirations, afterall. I mean, come on, Harbor? Not even worth my time." She rolled her eyes. "We'll leave it to people like Taylor Townsend to clean up this mess."
Seth nodded slowly in understanding, observing his girlfriend. "Uh-hm. And this wouldn't have anything to do with a certain conversation that you happened to have overheard by the library just now, would it?" he questioned, swinging his arm around her shoulder as they walked side-by-side down the school halls.
"Maybe a tiny bit. I guess it would be a little – how should I put it – unkind for me to air out her dirty laundry for the whole school to see, wouldn't it?" Blair asked softly. She felt the familiar wave of guilt wash over her again as she spoke. She seemed to be feeling it more and more often now that she was with Seth.
"Blair Waldorf? Unkind? Never!" Seth joked sarcastically, ruffling her hair. Blair held on to her headband in protest, then turned around to face him, her expression serious.
"Seth, I mean it. I know I may not be the best person at times, and that I may sometimes make you do things that you don't really like." She tiptoed to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. "But thank you, Seth, for always seeing the best in me, and for believing in me at times where I don't even believe in myself. You make me want to be a better person."
Seth smiled at her gently, and kissed her forehead in return. He stared at her for a few minutes, trying to capture the moment so that he would always remember it. "Anytime, Blair," he promised her sincerely. His face broke into a silly grin. "So, does that mean I no longer get to be vice president? Because I was so looking forward to installing a mandatory membership system for the comic book club."
Blair groaned and rolled her eyes, taking his hand. They laughed and talked as they strolled down the halls together, happy that they both found in each other, a better half.