Chapter 21: Ivy in the block

"Is this it?" Blair asked as Chuck's van stopped in front of a red, old house in the Bronx. The frontyard was full of old chipped bricks, drying plants, and some trashbins.

"According to my GPS, Ivy's here," Chuck answered.

"Yeah, I...I actually know this place," Nate said.

"What?" They all said almost at the same time.

"I went here before, uhm, I followed Charlie here once."

"Natie," Serena muttered.

Nate took a deep breath, "I just didn't know what to do, I love her so much...Nothing happened, I know she saw me but it seems like she really doesn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"You'll be fine, man," Dan said.

"Yeah, Nathaniel, she'll come around," Chuck said, "Anyway, I think we should go out now."

"I think I can do this by myself, guys," Serena said, "I don't wanna shock Ivy off—"

"Sis," Chuck said, "When will you realize that we're in this together? All of us?"

"He's right," Dan said and held Serena's hand, "Come on, let's do this."

She took a deep breath, "Thanks," She said, "Let's go."

They got out of the car and walked up to the house. Serena and Dan went up the stairs first. Serena knocked on the door. "Ivy?" She said, "Are you there?"

No one was answering.

"Ivy? It's Serena."

She knocked three times and after a couple of seconds, someone opened the door. It was Ivy. No longer dressed to the nines, she looked as if she had seen better days. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail and she was wearing a T-Shirt that was a little too large for her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she placed the glass of wine she was holding down.

"Ivy, I wanted to see you," Serena said.

"What for?" Ivy asked, "The last time you saw me, you said I was nothing but a con artist, that you have nothing to say to me and you don't wanna see me again. You and your mom, Serena. You banished me. I asked for forgiveness but what? You mom offered me cash. Cash, Serena. All I ever wanted was a family. And you couldn't even forgive me."

"That's why I'm here," Serena said, "To make things right."

Ivy laughed, "You think you can make things right by just coming in here?" She went in and so did Serena and the rest of the group.

Serena noticed the house was dirty, and empty, except for a mat on the floor, and Ivy's laptop on a table.

"Ivy, I know things have been hard. Not just for you, for all of us. Georgina...she ruined everything."

"Yeah? Now you're playing the blame game again?"

"It's not that, Ivy. It's just...okay, we all made mistakes and we all ruined one another. And what Georgina did at Nate and Charlie's wedding, that was...It was too much. It made me realize how much I do not like this life. How much I want something else, how...how this imprisons us. It's not funny. It's not easy. At first it was fine, I mean, we were in High School and it was gossip and all, but...when we grew up, it became worse. It ruined us."

"And what do you wanna do? Georgina's not here." Ivy said, "And for the record, Serena, Georgina was my friend when none of you were."

"See that's the thing," Serena said, "Ivy, she was never your friend. You know that. She just used you."

"Just because you don't like me doesn't mean she didn't—"

"Georgina's crazy," Blair said, "You're smart enough to know that."

"How dare you—" Ivy said, about to attack Blair but Nate grabbed hold of her.

"Don't you dare touch me!"

"Ivy, enough!" Nate said, "Enough." He looked at her, "Ivy, listen, look at you. This isn't the you we know. You can't just...be like this. You can't stay as Gossip Girl. You have to fight, show them that you're not just this...puppet."

"I'm not a puppet! And who told you about me being Gossip Girl?"

"Ivy, please," Serena said.

"What?"

Serena took a deep breath, "Charlotte told me," She said, "And it made me realize that partly, this was my fault, too. Because I pushed you away."

"And it's too late now," Ivy said, walked a bit backwards and opened a drawer under the table.

"Ivy," Serena said.

Ivy took something out from the drawer. A gun.

"Sorry, Serena," Ivy said. "But you're right. This has to end." She pointed the gun at Serena, "Goodbye."