Blair and Dan were next door neighbors in a small suburban town. Blair was popular, troubled and miserable. Dan was smart, responsible and a dork. They didn't get along and they ran in different circles their entire lives. She thought he was a boring nerd and he thought she was a pretentious bitch. They've both watched each other's lives through their separate windows that faced each other. Blair saw Dan's heartbreak when his father Rufus passed away. He saw her cry herself to sleep after her parents' many fights. She watched him pretty much raise his little sister when he was a kid himself. They've seen each other at their worst and while they didn't involve themselves in one another's lives, they both knew it was comforting to have someone close by.
Blair sat at her desk doing her homework. It was hard to focus with her parent's screaming in the background. She just wanted it to end but it never did. Blair grabbed her airpods and popped them into her ears, playing music on her phone. She swore that she was going to go deaf from how long she has to blast the music to drown out the fighting. She counted the days til she was 18 and could get out of here. 487 days. It seemed like forever. She turned her head seeing movement from next door.
Dan entered his bedroom, holding hands with his girlfriend Serena. He sat on the bed pulling her into his arms, kissing her lips. Blair rolled her eyes. She was disgusted by the two of them. Serena was Blair's best friend since they were babies. Serena's mom Lily met Blair's mom Eleanor at the park and they had baby playdates. Last year Serena got drunk and slept with Blair's boyfriend, Nate when Blair was asleep in the next room. Blair found out a few months later when she was going to lose her virginity to Nate, he told her out of gluit. It broke Blair's heart into a million pieces. So it hurt seeing Dan with Serena. Blair didn't really know why it made her heart ache but she figured it was seeing Serena so happy when she was miserable.
Serena looked out of Dan's window and saw Blair staring at them. "Why do you keep the curtains open?" She bitched, walking over to the window and immediately shutting them. "You know it's weird she can watch us right? Don't you find that strange?" She folded her arms.
Dan scratched his head. "No?" He saw the angry look on Serena's face. "I mean yes but it's always been like this." He wondered how she could make him feel so intimidated over curtains.
"I don't like it. Keep it closed when she's home." Serena demanded. Dan nodded. "Good." She smiled, kissing him.
Dan and Serena fooled around for a while before Lily called for her to come home. After she left Dan went downstairs and made dinner for Jenny and himself. Dan's mother worked two jobs to support them. It was hard on Dan having to keep up with his grades and taking care of Jenny but he knew it was the right thing to do. It didn't mean he didn't wish that things were different. Dan wished for freedom more than anything. He wished not to have to have all of these responsibilities and got to do the things that made him happy. Serena wasn't interested in anything that Dan was. She was into having fun and partying. Dan reads books and writes in his spare time. He didn't like going to parties. Sometimes he felt like he was lost being with her but he liked having someone. Serena's way of life might be different than his but he hoped it would be for the better, that they could bring the best out in each other. It wasn't working out the way he thought it would but he wasn't ready to give up. It wasn't everyday someone that popular, beautiful and fun looked his way. He felt like it would be stupid to let that go.
Blair sat in her Chemistry class, twirling her hair staring at the whiteboard. She wasn't really paying attention to what her teacher was saying. It was really hard for Blair to focus. She looked over at Dan, who was across the room. He was clearly paying attention, taking notes, he even asked questions. She wondered how he was able to take on so much like he didn't even have to try. He might be annoying but she admired that about him.
Dan walked over to Blair and sat at her table. "Can I help you?" She looked at him confusingly, wondering what he wanted.
He snickered. "Are you serious?" She stared at him. "We're lab partners? Were you paying attention to a single word that was said?" Dan asked her, Blair shook her head no. "Of course not. Well that's just perfect." Dan said sarcastically, sitting down.
Blair sighed knowing this was going to be a drag. "So what do we have to do huh?" She asked. "Dissect something? Because I'm not touching any frogs." Blair shuddered at the thought.
Dan rolled his eyes. "We're supposed to make our own shampoo and see how it performs." He explains.
"Seriously?" She says surprised.
"Yeah, here is the list of materials and equipment that we need." Dan handed the paper to Blair. They're fingers touched and Blair looked away.
Blair eyes widen. "God this is a lot of stuff." She reads the list.
"I can do it myself if you can't be bothered." He says annoyed, knowing he will have to do all of the work.
Blair scoffed. "I think I'm capable of making fucking shampoo cut the martyr act Humphrey." She was offended that he didn't think she was capable of anything. Blair didn't think she was capable of much herself but hearing him think the same things she was hurt.
"There's always going to be excuses with you." He says assuming Blair will flake on the project.
She glared at him. "You know what? If you're going to act like a jackass then we can work separately." Blair said angrily, grabbing her bag and walking out of the room.
Dan exhaled feeling bad for acting that way.
Serena bumped into Blair as she walked out of Chemistry. "What do you want Serena?" Blair rolled her eyes.
"There she is my former best friend or should I say the convicts daughter." Serena smirked.
Blair looked at Serena, confused. "What are you talking about?" Thoughts flooded Blair's head. A bunch of people in the hallway were staring at them.
Serena raised her eyebrow. "You didn't hear?" She laughed in disbelief. I froze. "Your father got arrested last night. It was on the news." She was shocked to find out Blair had no idea about her father's arrest.
Blair choked up. "I-I have to go." She stuttered.
Blair walked into the bathroom, breathing heavily she un-tightened her collar. She splashed water on her face. Blair crouched down and put her head between her legs. She had been having panic attacks for a while now but never at school.
Serena walked outside to the courtyard lunchroom and over to Dan who had been waiting for her. "Hi baby. How was your day?" She smiled, popping a grape into her mouth.
Dan grinned. "Nothing special." He didn't want to admit to having a project with Blair, knowing Serena would be irritated.
Nate came up to Serena and Dan. "Serena, can we talk?" He asked her, hearing about what happened with her and Blair.
Dan looked at Serena, he was uncomfortable with the tenison he was feeling between them. "Anything you say to me you can say in front of my boyfriend." Serena grabs Dan's hand and stares at Nate.
"Uh okay. Well I heard about you and Blair's fight. Don't you think you were a little hard on her?" Nate questions her. He was pissed off.
She laughs. "Why are you so concerned about Blair? Do you want her back?" Serena asked, curious.
Dan was confused but also wondering why Serena was acting jealous.
"No I don't but after what we did to her for you to treat her badly after everything she's going through it's pretty heartless." Nate paused, seeing the lack of care in Serena's face. "I can't believe I thought you were worth so much. You disgust me." Serena turned her head trying to not make any more eye contact. He turned to Dan. "Good luck man."
Dan looks at his girlfriend after Nate walks away. "What the fuck is he talking about?" He asked knowing that Nate wouldn't be mad unless it was serious.
"It's nothing. A big misunderstanding." Serena caresses Dan's hair. "I found out something about Blair's family and I asked her about it but I didn't know she would freak out. I was concerned about her and she made a big scene out of it." Serena lied, she teared up. "I just wanted to be there for her after everything I put her through."
Dan shakes his head. "It's okay." He hugged her. "You did what you thought was best and it's not your fault.
Blair got home from school early and saw her mother on the couch crying. "Mother?" She asked, concerned knowing that something very bad was going on.
Eleanor looks up from her fashion magazine and piles of tissues. "What are you doing home this early?" She answers through her sniffles.
"Were you not going to tell me Daddy got arrested last night?" Blair was shaking from all of her fear and anxiety.
Eleanor sat up. "I'm sorry I've had more important worries than dealing with your bratty remarks." She looked at her daughter standing in front of her, tears in her eyes. "Sit down and we'll talk." She sighed.
She sat down, her hands were shaking. "What is it?" Blair had no idea. She knew her mother was upset but she didn't look surprised.
"Your father is gay." Eleanor informed her. Blair's eyes widened in pure shock. "He's been seeing men for over a decade." She explained to Blair, Blair looked at her mother with disbelief. "I've known for awhile now but he's been arrested because one of the men he's been seeing is underage and his mother pressed charges." Blair was speechless. "He's going to be gone for a very long time."
They talked about this relationship Blair's father had with a minor for over an hour. Blair couldn't wrap her head around it. She didn't get along with her mother but her father was always so present when she was growing up. She never saw anything coming.
Blair walked into her room, crying she went through her desk and found a xanax. She popped into her mouth, praying for relief.
