Can we take a moment to appreciate the resurgence in gossip girl fanfiction that's been happening lately? Being quarantined can really make you feel like you're going a bit crazy but how cool has it been to see so many writers updating their old stories and others posting new ones? I love it and I'm very here for it! While I generally prefer to read OC stories I'm always down to try other types so if any of you have some good story suggestions let me know :)
Once again I am completely blown away with the feedback I'm getting on this story! I know I sound like a broken record by now, but truly *truly* every follow, favorite, and review I get means so much to me. I work incredibly hard at trying to make this story enjoyable(and realistic) and making it new and original enough to be interesting while also trying to maintain the key aspects of the canon series/novels that we all love. So, feedback from you all is a great way for me to know that I'm doing something right, as well as inspiring me to keep going. So, I really do thank each and every one of you out there that continues to give this story(and in turn, me) a chance.
As always, I have to shoutout my dear friend 'greyspaces'. She is such a talented storyteller and you *will* get invested in her stories. I was not really a huge Nate Archibald fan but she made me completely fall for his character through her writing, she's *that* good. I have also incorporated her character into this story so I highly suggest you go find out more about Ms. Mackenzie Humphrey by reading 'The Chase' and then 'Ultraviolet'. Also, just in general, thank you S for supporting me through this month of no access to FF lol.
I want to give a special shoutout to 'Nille Brein' and 'lmsweetness' for being the 70th follow and 60th favorite of this story, respectively. I understand that's probably not a huge accomplishment to most but considering Gossip Girl has been off the air since 2012 and this is a story about an original character, this feels like a big achievement for me! So Nille Brein, lmsweetness, and everyone else that's following this journey thank you so much.
WARNING:
VULGAR LANGUAGE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS, TEENAGE ALCOHOL USE
WARNINGS WILL BE AT THE START OF ALL CHAPTERS.
All rights to 'Gossip Girl'; plots and characters belong to the author Cecily Von Ziegesar as well as TV Producers Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage. I only claim ownership of my original characters. And while they are part of the Rockefeller family, and mentions to the families infamy and status will be made, any and all mentions of them are purely fictional and none of the characters that comprise the family are based on the true family.
"But she wanted him there and there he was. A lamb ready for slaughter."
ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ 𝟷𝟻ᴛʜ ᴅᴀʏ ᴏғ ɴᴏᴠᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ɢᴏssɪᴘ ɢɪʀʟ ᴅᴇᴄʟᴀʀᴇᴅ,
"ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴇᴀᴛ ᴄᴀᴋᴇ."
ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ ᴄᴀᴋᴇ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs.
ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ? ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɢᴏssɪᴘ ɢɪʀʟ ʟᴏᴠᴇs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ. ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ʏᴇᴛ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴇᴠɪᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴇᴇᴍs ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ sᴄᴀɴᴅᴀʟ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ʙʀᴇᴡɪɴɢ ɪ'ᴍ ᴄᴏɴғɪᴅᴇɴᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɴᴏᴛᴇᴡᴏʀᴛʜʏ ᴡɪʟʟ sᴘɪʟʟ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ.
ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ᴜɴᴀᴡᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ/ᴏʀ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀ ʀᴏᴄᴋ, ᴀᴋᴀ ʙʀᴏᴏᴋʟʏɴ, ʙʟᴀɪʀ ᴡᴀʟᴅᴏʀғ ɪs ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ sᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴏʟᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴍɪᴅɴɪɢʜᴛ. ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴏᴜᴛᴅᴏɴᴇ sʜᴇ's ᴛʜʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀsᴇʟғ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄʜɪᴄ ᴄᴇʟᴇʙʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴅᴏᴜʙᴛ ʀɪᴠᴀʟ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʜᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴇs ᴘᴀsᴛ, ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ.
ʜᴇʀ ɢɪғᴛ ʀᴇɢɪsᴛʀʏ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ʟᴏɴɢ ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ ʟɪsᴛ ɪs ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏsɪᴛᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɪɴᴠɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴡᴀʟᴅᴏʀғ sᴏɪʀᴇᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋs ᴏғ ɪᴛ, sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ... ɪ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ sᴀʏ ɴᴀᴍᴇs. ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ᴀʀᴛ, ɪ'ʟʟ ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ғᴏʀ ɪᴛsᴇʟғ. sᴀᴅ𝟺ᴜ, ʟᴇᴀᴋᴇᴅ ᴜs ᴀ sɴᴀᴘsʜᴏᴛ ᴏғ ʙ's ᴍᴏsᴛ ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ ʟɪsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴠᴇʀʏ ɴᴏᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴇxᴄʟᴜsɪᴏɴ...
[+ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄʜᴍᴇɴᴛ]
ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴀ ɢɪʀʟ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴜsᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴏ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴇxɪʟᴇᴅ ʙʏ ǫᴜᴇᴇɴ ʙ? ɪ'ᴍ sᴜʀᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ɪs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴅʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ. ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴀʟʟ? ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄ sᴀᴅ𝟺ᴜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜᴇᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ ɢɪʀʟ! ɪ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ, ᴏʀ ᴡʜᴏ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʟ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ. ᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪsᴛ ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ.
xᴏxᴏ ɢᴏssɪᴘ ɢɪʀʟ
"What the hell?"
Nate had been aimlessly flipping through the tv channels but hadn't come across anything that really piqued his interest. Usually, Chuck's suite provided the perfect escape and distraction from most things, but not today. Maybe it's because he was dreading Blair's birthday party later that day, or maybe he was still feeling the lingering defeat from his failed attempt at breaking up with her. Either way, he wasn't in the mood for much but at the sound of Chuck's tone he directed his attention to him.
He hadn't given him any verbal cues to continue, but he didn't need to, "Gossip Girl leaked Blair's invite list and Odette's not on it?"
Chuck seemed surprised by the words coming out of his own mouth, but Nate was far from it. He had long stopped being surprised by Blair because he had grown to expect that when given the opportunity she would always, always, take it there. 'Slow down' wasn't a phrase in Blair Waldorf's dictionary, she only had two settings; fast and very fast and she was always several steps ahead of most of the people she surrounded herself with. Her strategic mind would be impressive if it wasn't almost always used in her own self-interest and at the expense of someone else.
In this case, Odette apparently.
Their talks obviously didn't do shit. Regardless of his denial and protests, Blair was still convinced him and Odette had hooked up. The worst part was that he was pretty sure Blair had never even addressed this concern with Odette and had instead knowingly written her off without another word.
Nate had put Blair through a lot over the course of their relationship and he would be the first to admit that he probably deserved a lot worse than what he got.
Odette, on the other hand, didn't deserve any of this. She had only ever been a good friend to him and Blair and yet she was the one being made to publically bear this cross for a sin she hadn't even committed.
"Maybe it's just an oversight."
Hearing Chuck speak up again Nate stares at him for a minute before shaking his head, "Yeah, maybe."
He didn't have it in him to admit the truth of the situation.
Chuck had been hearing Nate's many grievances with Blair and their relationship for years now. He had even knowingly helped him cheat, and cover it up, on more than one occasion. Yet for some reason, having to verbally say the words 'Blair thinks I slept with Odette' seemed ridiculous on a whole new level. Plus... "How are things with you two anyway?"
At the change of subject Chuck only shrugs, never one to really enjoy discussing women with Nate unless it was a play-by-play of some action either of them had scored. "You say things like anything is happening."
This wasn't a complete lie. Odette hadn't texted him back in two days so technically nothing was happening at the moment.
"Well isn't it?"
Chuck didn't need to say much for Nate to know what was going on.
It was easy to piece together stories when there was a blog dedicated to their friend group in which people sent in all the gritty details about them that they normally wouldn't share with each other. There was something about forced over-exposure that really brought a friend group together. When it came to Gossip Girl, you had zero privacy and you had absolutely no say, but at least you had each other.
From what he had gathered, Chuck and Odette had been hanging out since her birthday a few weeks before.
And pretty frequently.
This was all very unlike Chuck.
The Chuck he knew would get bored within the hour if he didn't feel confident the girl would end up putting out that night and he definitely didn't continue to hang out with the same girls, over and over again. At least not on a one-on-one basis. But, Nate had also learned not to pry when it came to Chuck. He'd tell him what he wanted him to know and the other stuff he wouldn't.
"I should probably get going. I've got that dinner." Nate gets up slowly, quite literally dragging his feet to the door.
As fate would have it the two most domineering people in his life shared the same birthday. This evening he was expected at a dinner for his grandfather and tonight he would have to be all smiles at Blair's party. Today was going to blow, all the way around, and there wasn't a thing he could do to make it better. "I'll drop by Blair's and see what's going on with the whole birthday list snub though."
At Nate's last comment Chuck's brows knitted together slightly, "I mean, I just thought it was strange, but you do what you want."
"Mhm." Before Chuck can catch the hint of disbelief in his tone Nate daps him up, "I'll catch you later tonight at the party, man."
While his grandfather's dinner would no doubt be brutally boring, Blair's birthday was sure to be an unbearable hell if Chuck didn't stay long. Hence he really had to make sure Odette was still invited.
Whether Chuck chose to acknowledge it or not it was obvious he was at least a little worried she wasn't going to be there.
To: Odette, Iz
From: Kati
Have you seen gg?
-K
To: Odette, Kati
From: Iz
Yeah, what's the deal with that?
To: Odette
From: Hazel
wow, that's harsh... what'd you do?
To: Hazel, Kati, Iz, Coco, Odette
From: Penelope
Ok girls, everyone meet at my house at 7:30 and my driver will take us to B's party!
To: Penelope, Kati, Iz, Coco, Odette
From: Hazel
Wrong gm P...
To: Hazel, Kati, Iz, Coco, Odette
From: Penelope
Oh! Sorry Dette, force of habit :)
Looking down at the thread of messages that ran down her phone screen Odette fights the urge to throw her phone at the closest wall.
She hadn't seen gossip girls latest blast yet but apparently it had something to do with her and her lack of inclusion in tonight's festivities. Everyone else might be shocked, some of them smug even, but this revelation was by no means breaking news to her. She had known since the previous night that this was coming.
'All the girls had been pretty surprised when Blair never showed up for their usual morning meetup at the met steps on Friday.
Most of the girls had remained rather lost the rest of the day as Blair never ended up showing for the school day either.
Serena and Odette had both texted her and she gave some excuse about needing the day to perfect plans for her party the following day. Skipping out on school was not at all a Blair Waldorf move, but she also was a complete diva when it came to her birthday(especially) so maybe it made sense.
Towards the end of her morning classes, just before lunch, Odette received a text from Blair asking her to come by after school. Odette was surprised she was the only one included in the message but didn't think much of it before shooting Blair a confirmation text back.
That afternoon, as soon as the elevator doors opened revealing the Waldorf's expansive foyer, Odette was greeted by the family's housekeeper.
"Hey, Dorota."
Odette always made a point to be friendly with the Waldorfs house staff. Especially Dorota, because she felt a little bad for her. Blair could be a lot to handle and yet Dorota had been doing just that for years. She had the patience of a saint apparently.
Dorota could always be somewhat timid, she wasn't expected to really interact with houseguest that much, but today was different. She wouldn't even make eye contact with Odette as she gave a small, 'hi' back.
"Ms. Blair expecting you."
"Right... I'll just head up there then." Something felt off but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Instead of thinking too deeply into it Odette quickly hurried across the checkered marble floors and up the stairs towards Blair's room.
Once she pushed the bedroom door open she could see Blair sitting perfectly upright in her bed. She was in a pair of her monogrammed, silk, pajamas, and her waist was completely tucked under the covers, but she didn't look like she was fully committed to settling in for the night.
Because of her fair skin, Blair always seemed somewhat like a china doll to Odette but this was especially true in moments like this. When she posed herself in this way; so structured, so stiff.
"Hey B."
As she moved closer she could clearly see Blair was not wearing any sort of makeup, which was surprising since anytime she had company over she tended to want to present herself a 'certain way'. She had an image to uphold, after all. But today she looked very different than Odette had ever seen her. She had deep discoloration under her eyes, a tell-tale sign that she hadn't been sleeping. Maybe that's why she had skipped out on school and was in bed, in her sleepwear, at six o'clock on a Friday.
Odette had both visited, and slept-over at, Blair's numerous times and by this point felt comfortable enough to kick off her shoes and climb into the bed with her.
"It was weird not seeing you today. I swear those girls don't know how to breathe unless you tell them to do so. Can't. Function. Without. Superior." Odette mimics a robot, moving her hands in gesture with each word before breaking out into a small laugh.
Blair doesn't laugh, or even acknowledge this, as she stares almost blankly ahead at her Nova Scotia 796 blue walls. After several beats of complete silence passes between the two Blair finally turns and makes direct eye contact with Odette. This was her first time even acknowledging that Odette had come into the room at all.
"So, Nate is cheating on me."
'This again?'
It was taking everything in Odette to not roll her eyes at the sheer ridiculousness of this situation. They had literally just had this same conversation earlier in the week.
She couldn't keep going on this rollercoaster with Blair, it was too much.
Talking her down, only for her to put herself immediately back up on the ledge was becoming their new normal. She wasn't Dorota and she didn't have the patience for this. Especially when there were people with real problems in the world.
Like her. And the fact her little sister had hooked up with Chuck.
She wanted to say it, but Blair would probably not appreciate the change of topics and shift of center focus off of herself. Blair also didn't have a little sister so the sheer horror of the situation wouldn't resonate as deeply as it should.
And it should - it was completely fucked up and it had been messing with Odette's head since she had found out. It was literally never far from her mind, as much as she tried to push thoughts of it away she couldn't.
But, this conversation wasn't about her or her issues.
"We talked about this B. It's normal for you to be suspicious but,"
Blair doesn't even let her finish as she cuts her off, "No, I know for a fact he is. I even found out who with."
'Seriously Nate?'
Odette visibly shook her head in disappointment. She had always prided herself on not being as caught up by the Nate Archibald charm as so many of her peers seemed to be, but she did like Nate.
As a friend at least.
She expected him to be better and if he couldn't be, then she expected him to be man enough to walk away from the relationship instead of sleeping around on Blair. Again.
"I'm so sorry Blair."
"For what? Sleeping with my boyfriend behind my back, or playing dumb about it to my face?"
It takes Odette a moment to register what's just been said. She had heard it of course, but the words coming out of Blair's mouth didn't make sense. She quickly sits up, shaking her head rapidly, "What? Are you joking?" It wasn't her most eloquent argument, but she was also feeling extremely put on the spot.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
She did not.
Her eyes were colder than usual, and if looks could kill Odette would have been dead on arrival.
"I would never do that to you." She meant that. "You have to believe me."
But Blair wasn't having any of it. She had already long made up her mind about Odette. In the court of Blair Waldorf it was guilty until proven innocent and nothing about Odette's reaction or pleas were persuading her.
"I thought Serena sleeping with Nate was the worst thing a friend could do to me. But you," Blair looks her former friend up and down, disgust dripping from her tone, "You comforted me through it," and the others before that, "and then turned around and did the exact same thing. What are you, some 'American Pyscho' worthy sociopath?"
This wasn't the time to lose her voice but Odette couldn't help it. She could barely hear Blair over the sound of blood pounding in her ears. Her chest was growing tighter as her heart rate picked up. Her heart was beating so viciously that she was almost concerned it might at any moment spring forth out of her chest.
Like clockwork, her fingers fumble around the bed in search of her purse. If ever there was a moment when she needed her trusty pills, this was it.
She quickly curses herself as it dawns on her that she had in fact left them at home. She really shouldn't have gone cold turkey because now that she needed the pills, and didn't have them, she truly felt as though she might throw up from the increasing stress of the situation at hand.
Blair watched with contempt clear in her eyes as Odette started to crack under the pressure. It was beyond obvious by her reaction that she was guilty. "You are so pathetic. If it weren't for me, you'd be a nobody outside of your family name. I made you someone important! If it wasn't for me you'd still be doing hard drugs in Chuck's apartment, making a complete fool out of yourself. Remember those days?"
Of course she did.
"I saved you from social obscurity and made you someone to respect and this is how you repay me?"
As Blair continued to read her to filth Odette was left with the overwhelming sensation of being unable to catch her breath. She could barely breathe, let alone defend herself from this verbal attack.
Watching as tears pool in the corner of her wide eyes Blair cocks her head slightly, "You're not seriously going to cry are you?" If anyone deserved to cry it was her, but she would never show Odette how hurt she was.
All she ever wanted, craved even, was to be loved in the way her father had always assured her she deserved. He didn't show her by treating her mother as such, but he had built a sense of hopeless romanticism in Blair from a young age. She wanted nothing more than happily ever after with her perfect prince. From a young age she thought that her prince was Nate Archibald, but she was becoming further disillusioned by the day.
The entire fantasy with fairytales is that Prince Charming never fucked Cinderella's ugly stepsisters. He chose her and only her. Was it really so much for Blair to ask for that same kind of loyalty? Didn't she deserve it?
"Blair," As Odette started to talk she wasn't completely sure where she was going with the conversation but she knew she couldn't stay silent, "I would never do anything with Nate, I promise. Not only out of respect to you but also because I...I," she could feel bile start to rise in her throat, "I have real feelings for Chuck. Or, had. I don't know, that's all kind of a mess right now but-"
"Yeah, sleeping with his best friend can really complicate things."
She fully ignored this jab as she continued, "My point is that Chuck is the one I like, I don't have any interest in Nate in that way."
"You're really going to sit here and continue to lie to me?" Before she can respond to this, Blair holds up her hand to silence her, "I'm done with this conversation and beyond this, done with you. I think it goes without saying that you are obviously no longer welcomed at my party." '
Odette didn't consider herself much of a crier but after Blair's verbal smackdown she had gone home and cried in the shower for over an hour.
The talk had been brutal.
She had never had anyone talk to her with so much venom and disgust, and she didn't really know how to move forward from it.
She hadn't slept with Nate yet for whatever reason Blair chose to believe that she had, and there was nothing she could say to convince her otherwise.
To: Odette
From: Chuck
are you okay?
Seeing Chuck's latest, out of a string of messages, made Odette's hand instantly recoil from grabbing her phone.
She had nothing to say to him and wished he would catch the hint already.
For someone that had surely blown off his fair share of girls, in his case post-coital, she couldn't believe how unaware he seemed to be that she was attempting to do the same to him.
He had slept with her sister.
She knew he did because she had found the proof.
She had been avoiding him at all costs since. Every text, every call, and whenever she spotted him headed in her direction at school she quickly took off in the opposite direction. She knew she couldn't avoid him, or this issue, forever but for now she wanted to.
How had things gotten so screwed up?
She was sixteen, she should be enjoying all that her adolescence has to offer her but instead, she had her heart broken twice in one week. First by her sister, and now by her best friend.
She was hurt by Chuck of course, but that seemed insignificant in comparison to the way the two girls had shattered her heart into pieces. She was just barely starting to develop feelings for Chuck, but she loved Coco and Blair. The heartbreak from them was far worse.
Worst of all, she had no one to talk to about it. Her mother was too drunk and wrapped up in her own world. Her dad was too busy. She was pissed at her sister, and all her other friends were also friends with Blair and would take her side(if they knew what was good for them).
She had never felt so alone in the world.
As tears start to roll down her cheeks once again she feels her phone vibrate against the mattress. Grabbing for it she rolls her eyes, fully expecting it to be Chuck calling. Again. But reading the caller ID she's pleasantly surprised, wiping her eyes as she answers, "Hey, Pops?"
The Vanderbilt name carried a great amount of prestige amongst not only the Upper East Side but Manhattan as a whole. They were a political family with old money, long family lines, and big family houses.
The five-story recovered family brownstone on East 79th was not only an impressive piece of real estate but it was as immaculate as the family that resided in it.
Nate loved his family, but he didn't always love being around them.
Maybe he was just dreading the usual, and expected, ongoing competition with his older cousin Tripp for their grandfather's approval.
Tripp would win this one in a landslide. Mainly because Nate didn't have a whole lot going for him at the moment.
He was barely passing religion, which was a nearly impossible class to fail. His relationship was terrible, and his coach had ripped him a new one for gaining several minutes in his running time. His life was pretty much shit right now and he wished he could be off somewhere smoking a fat joint instead of sitting here, feigning interest in his aunt's conversation with his mother about an upcoming charity event they were all involved with.
Taking a quick glance around the room he sees that tonight's crowd is comprised of the usuals. His cousins, and great aunts and uncles, even his great grandmother had been brought home for the occasion.
She had been living in a highly sought after nursing care facility in Queens for the past six years. After her eightieth birthday, she had never really been the same.
She was a sweet woman, but she was constantly forgetting who she was, and in turn, who they all were.
The family had grown so accustomed to these moments of hers that they stopped acknowledging it, or her when it happened. The whole thing was kind of sad, really.
Nate watches at the elderly woman sits in a lavish armchair in the corner staring blankly ahead. He should go say hello, but he also didn't see the point when she wouldn't even know who he was.
The one person Nate didn't spot around the room was his dad. This only seemed weird because usually, he couldn't resist trying to show up Nate's uncle William(the second).
Getting up from his spot on the sofa he moves across the room towards his grandmother. He didn't want to draw too much attention to Howard's absence and his grandmother tended to be the only one in this family to not act in her own self-interest, and try to embarrass them.
"Grandma?"
"Awe, Nate the great." Cherry speaks in almost a sing-song voice as she smiles enthusiastically to her grandson, "I'm so glad you could join us tonight, sweetheart. It means the world to your grandfather."
"Of course." Nate smiles softly, nodding his head slightly in a way to show to respect to her, "I was wondering if you've seen my dad, possibly?"
Cherry's eyes subtly shift around the room before settling back on Nate, "He said he needed to take an important call and stepped upstairs into the study." She lifts her wrist, studying the shifting hand of her diamond-encrusted Dior watch before continuing, "But that was at least twenty minutes ago."
Before Nate can respond to her the sound of the doorbell echos through the room, signaling all of them to another arrival.
"I should get that." Giving Nate's arms a small squeeze, Cherry moves around him and towards the front of the home.
As everyone's focus shifts to the entryway, to see who has just arrived, Nate makes a hasty escape out of the large room, into the hallway, and up the stairs in search of his dad.
Howard had grown up in an upper-middle-class family in Alexandria, Virginia. He had gotten into Dartmouth partly on scholarship where he had studied finance and after graduation he had moved to New York and met Anne, purely out of luck. Thanks to a lot of help from William, Howard had climbed up the ladder in his career field and in turn made lots of money to afford Anne and Nate the privileged life in which they lived. But it was all at a cost.
If it wasn't for William, Howard wouldn't be in the position he was and he never let him forget it either.
Howard was, by all accounts, the outsider of the family. Unlike the other spouses that had been married in, for whatever reason the Vanderbilts stuck their noses up at him. Maybe not directly to his face, but everyone knew they did nonetheless. No matter how hard he worked and how much he achieved, the Vanderbilts had never fully accepted Howard into their family and they likely never would.
Howard had been dreading tonight almost more than Nate had and even though his dad could ride his ass sometimes, he still had a lot of respect and admiration for him, and overall just wanted to make sure he was okay.
Blair's party was already in relatively full swing.
They had just started letting people in but space was already quickly filling up.
"This is incredible B! Kati really hooked it up." Serena looks around the upscale apartment in awe. Anytime she was in nice apartments, like this, she liked to imagine what her own swanky place might look like one day.
A girl could, and would, dream of days where she wasn't stuck in the same household as her mother.
"She did alright."
She did a wonderful job but Blair was never one to give compliments easily. Her eyes suddenly drop to her phone as she feels an alert come through, hoping it was Nate texting her to apologize for fighting with her on her birthday, and over Odette of all people.
It wasn't.
She had been elated to see him waltzing through her foyer earlier that day, but the feeling was fleeting. He quickly made it clear he was there to speak on Odette's part and laid it out for Blair how 'ridiculous' she was behaving; "She's your friend." "Nothing happened."
All things she had heard before.
Blair hadn't changed her mind about disinviting Odette, and now Nate was upset with her. Which, in turn, made her angrier with him and therefore resent Odette more. It was a vicious, toxic, cycle that had been building all day.
The disappointment was clear on Blair's face but Serena was having a difficult time understanding what the cause could be. "Hey," she searches her best friend's doe eyes for some sort of indication, offering a sheepish smile, "It's your birthday B, why the long face?"
"Technically my birthday isn't for a few more hours." Blair offers with a small sigh, "I guess I just have the birthday blues."
"Is that a thing?"
Serena had never known Blair to not be completely obsessed with her own birthday. A day where everyone was forced to celebrate her completely? It was kind of Blair's dream in life. But the solemn look on her best friend's face didn't match the excitement Serena had expected from her.
"Do you need to talk B?"
Blair's lips momentarily drop into a small pout before she quickly regains her composure. She should be able to discuss her issues with her best friend but considering Nate had cheated with Serena too, Blair didn't particularly feel like being comforted by her over this particular situation.
The betrayal she felt by those closest to her was taking a true toll on her soul.
Blair Waldorf was by no stretch of the imagination a perfect person. But, she tried to be. She tried to look perfect, be the perfect daughter, be the perfect partner and friend. In the end, it never mattered because no one seemed to actually care enough to value her and her wellbeing. Not her father when he ran off with another man abandoning her, not her boyfriend who cheated and made a fool of her constantly, and certainly not her best friends who she should be able to trust wholeheartedly but couldn't because they both betrayed her in one of the worst ways.
Yet she was the one expected to just 'move on' and 'get over it'. That's what she always did, after all. Except not really. She never did get over any of it, all of it lingered in her mind and slowly ate away at her heart. Why was she always expected to be the bigger and better person when none of them ever were?
The audacity of Nate showing up at her place and picking a fight with her on her birthday because she chose to make a stand against Odette and her betrayal.
And now, he was so upset with her about Odette that he was ignoring her? On her birthday?
She was beginning to think Nate reveled in making an absolute fool out of her.
The more she's in her own head, the angrier she gets. But her party certainly wasn't the time or place to lose her cool. So, like all the times before she tucked all her feelings away and forced herself to smile through it.
"I'm fine, really! Let's get a drink or some sushi."
Serena bites down gently on her lower lip, a playful look flashing across her face, "Well, you know I can never turn down good nigiri. Come on, birthday girl!" Throwing an arm over her friend's petite frame, she pulls her in closer and guides her in the direction of the sushi bar.
It hadn't been terribly long that Dan, Jenny, and Rufus had become a Humphrey-party of three. But it had been long enough that having Alison and Mackenzie back felt...weird.
Jenny and Mack hadn't shared a room in what felt like a long time. And they hadn't shared a bed since they were really young. Sharing Jenny's bed was sort of fun the first night. But by the second, it was inconvenient to say the very least.
Jenny's bed was barely a step up from a twin size mattress so with the two girls sharing it really felt like a tight squeeze. Add to that how uncomfortable the feeling was of each of their body heats radiating off each other all night long. Both girls had woken up that morning drenched in sticky sweat, but neither chose to comment on it.
A small argument did ensue over who had first dibs on the shower though.
Considering Rufus and Alison were extremely estranged, it was inappropriate for them to share a bed and the loft only offered so many. Rufus was a gentleman, at least enough so to never consider making the mother of his children, adulterer or not, sleep on the couch. So, Alison got Rufus's bed and Rufus got the couch. This felt all too familiar to them both. This had been the exact sleeping arrangement for months before Alison had left.
Rufus had been wide awake that previous night and he thought back on how much effort they put into acting like everything was normal for their kids. He and Alison hadn't been intimate for close to a year before she left. But when the kids were around there were small kisses here and there. He slept on the couch every night but woke up early enough to hide all the evidence. As far as the children were concerned, things were completely normal. Which is probably why they felt so blindsided when Alison decided to move out.
Alison appreciated Rufus's gesture of letting her have the bed, but it felt pretty surreal for her to be back in her marital bed. She spent most of her nights thinking about the fights they had gotten into over their years in this very apartment. With such a small living space they had to make do with what they had. It was almost funny to think back on the times they would come into this tiny, cramped, room and whisper and hiss at each other their grievances in an attempt to keep the kids out of it. She missed being around Dan and Jenny every day, she even missed Rufus a little. But she didn't miss the life they were living here towards the end of it all.
A fake life. A charade for her children where she wore a smile but was truly miserable.
Things were quite the opposite in Hudson.
She was happy.
The happiest she had been in a long time.
But then Jenny showed up at her door, begging her to come home and fix their family. She had been off living in her fantasy world for too long, Jenny had quickly brought her back to reality. She was a mother to three children, not just one, and she owed it to them to try and fix things with their father. Even if she didn't know where to start, or if she even really wanted to.
Dan was the only Humphrey who didn't need to sacrifice his sleeping space but he still wasn't getting much rest either. He mainly stayed up most of the night thinking through the many, many, issues of his broken family.
Currently, no one in the Humphrey home felt very at ease. Nighttime was sleepless, and the days were filled with awkward small talk, and everyone tip-toeing on eggshells.
Rufus and Alison had a lot they needed to discuss, but with their three teenagers in a small loft there wasn't a ton of privacy.
However, the siblings didn't want to be present for this big talk they knew was coming any more than the adults wanted them there.
Needless to say, when the opportunity came to get away from the loft Dan, Jenny, and Mackenzie had all jumped at the opportunity.
"I feel kinda weird just showing up to some girl's birthday party that I don't know? Won't she mind?"
Dan and Jenny exchange a small look. They both knew that Blair probably wouldn't be thrilled to see that they brought a plus one to her 'ultra-exclusive' party. But, considering what gossip girl had posted earlier today there seemed to be a new opening on the guest list at least.
"It's fine Mack. Unless, of course, you'd rather stay at the loft alone with mom and dad?"
Mackenzie quickly brings a finger up to Dan, shooting him a warning look, "Okay, the heavy passive-aggressiveness is not needed Daniel." As her hands drop back to her sides she instinctively begins to turn her ring around her finger.
She didn't want to admit it, but she was kind of nervous. Mainly because she had no clue what she was walking into.
Living in Hudson with their mom had created a real disconnect between her and her siblings. She knew relatively nothing about their lives here anymore except for the fact that they went to school with next level mean girls, date rapists, and trust fund babies. Nothing about the way either Dan or Jenny talked about their schoolmates made Mackenzie want to meet, or be around them. But, being stuck at home with her parents as they finally discussed their broken marriage was easily a worse scenario.
"They're not all bad, Kenzie." Jenny finally spoke up, nudging her older sister as they walked down the sidewalk in the direction of the party address.
Dan tried incredibly hard to not pull a face at Jenny's comment, but he did strongly disagree.
Despite Dan's attempt to not show his feeling so clearly, Mackenzie knew her brother too well and could see that familiar look of judgment plain on his face.
"At least I'll be able to finally meet the illustrious Serena..." Mack offers, shifting her focus directly on Jenny, "She's literally all he talks to mom about when he calls."
"Well, then you aren't missing much. She's pretty much all he talks about in general."
Dan grimaces as his two sisters laugh at his expense, "I've missed this. You know, you guys talking about me like I'm not here."
He was getting annoyed.
Usually, Jenny would back down once she noticed Dan getting worked up but something about having Mackenzie here and the girls to Dan ratio being higher than normal made her feel much more empowered. Lately, it almost always felt like Rufus and Dan versus her. But having Mackenzie back restored balance to her universe.
Truthfully, Mackenzie did miss this. She missed her sister and more importantly she missed her and her sister teasing their brother mercilessly.
"Jen, do you hear something?"
"Nope, not a thing."
Dan abruptly stops walking, almost tempted to turn the opposite way, and head back home. But before he can say anything both sisters wrap an arm around either shoulder and pull him further along with them.
"Oh, you relax."
"Always so grumpy."
In a time when things felt so different, it was comforting to know some things with them never really changed.
There were moments in one's life that completely changed their outlook on the life they once knew.
Death.
Divorce.
Heartbreak.
All of these could make one bitter to the world.
For Nate, this moment was watching his dad rail a line of cocaine off his grandfather's cherrywood desk.
While he preferred herbal drugs, the harder stuff had never phased Nate much. That was to be expected when you were best friends with Chuck Bass after all.
But, there was a distinct difference between doing lines with your friends and walking in on your father doing them.
Howard was by no means the perfect father. He was demanding and tended to live vicariously through his son, but Nate still looked up to him nonetheless. The crushing feeling of being so greatly disappointed by someone you admire was overwhelming.
The horrified look in The Captain's eyes once he realized he was caught would likely haunt Nate for a long time. Before anything could be said he quickly turned back around, closing the study door behind him. He could hear Howard call his name but it did nothing to stop him.
He would deal with this as he dealt with most things that made him uncomfortable; he'd avoid talking about it.
"There you are Nathanial, come say hello."
Nate was in a daze and walking across the room felt more like a glide.
Several more dinner guests had arrived in the short amount of time he was away and it was expected of all the grandkids to take the time to go around and acknowledge each one.
But as he greeted vaguely familiar faces, and was introduced to new ones, they all seemed to blend together. Within seconds of moving from one person to the next, he couldn't possibly remember who he had just been talking to prior. He went through the motions like clockwork, but in his mind, the scene he walked in on with his father played on repeat.
It was strange to see an adult behaving in a way that was so unbecoming of a parent and he really wasn't sure how they would move forward from this. Nate didn't want to talk about it with him, but he also didn't know how he was ever going to look his father in the eyes again.
"Hey, Stranger."
Looking in the direction of this sound of this voice, his eyes land on a very familiar face and an instant feeling of relief washes over him, "Hey, what are you doing here?"
With a small shrug, Odette pushes herself up from the loveseat and moves closer to Nate, "Nonnie wasn't feeling well and Pops didn't want to come alone." Her eyes drift to the side, watching David interact with William and some of the other men, "I don't know why he was so worried though, he seems to be doing just fine."
Following her eyes, Nate stares at the men for a moment before cracking a smile, "I don't blame him. You never know what you're going to get when you stick the two of them in a room together."
Odette nods, a small, involuntarily laugh escaping her. The Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers were old, old, money, which in turn made William and David very old friends. But the term friends somewhat depended on the day. As much as they got along in some aspects, there were others in which they completely butted heads. Both were domineering, alpha males, and both were the heads of their respective families and therefore didn't like to back down to the other on anything. In many ways, their friendship was an ongoing game of chess, each one trying to outwit and therefore outplay the other.
"Classic frienemies. They're basically the old man version of Blair and Serena."
At this comparison, Nate briefly closes his eyes as he stifles a laugh, "Actually, yeah."
After a beat has passed, and their humored expressions fade, Nate notices a familiar look of melancholy behind Odette's eyes. "You okay?"
"Yeah!" her features quickly become animated once more, "I'm just so hungry."
He knew exactly where her sadness stemmed from but that was yet another uncomfortable conversation he wasn't prepared to have at the moment. Possibly ever.
"Dinner should be starting soon enough, wanna go find our seats?" He offers her his elbow, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Well, well, I didn't realize you were such gentlemen." With a small smirk, Odette takes hold of his arm and allows him to escort her into the massive formal dining room.
"I have my moments."
The room itself was huge, but the table size was even more impressive. It was custom made to seat forty people and was always decorated exceptionally well.
Cherry Vanderbilt had quite an eye for presentation. She didn't stage anything herself of course, but she knew exactly how to express her vision to the staff and coach them through the setup.
The two teens walk slowly around the massive table, reading each name card carefully.
"Balous Yutzy?" Odette's face scrunches up as she reads this name off to Nate, "Bleh. His parents must have hated him."
Nate watches as she mimics gagging herself.
"I'll raise you one Balous, for a Ms. Bronwyn Tilly." He adopts an over-the-top, west Sussex accent, despite the fact that no one in attendance tonight was in fact British.
Clearing her throat, Odette attempts to match his choice of dialect, "Presenting, Mr. Ludlow Grey."
Where Nate sounded properly posh, Odette's was quite the opposite. She spoke with a cockney accent à la Eliza Doolittle in 'My Fair Lady'.
Her faux-accent was ridiculous, and she likely knew it, but that didn't deter her any. This was something Nate had always liked about Odette. She wasn't afraid to cut loose with him, regardless of how she may look. Most of the girls they knew, his own girlfriend included, felt they had an image to preserve and therefore never did anything that swayed from that and could be considered potentially embarrassing. But Odette, at least with him, never seemed to have these concerns. It felt nice to be able to laugh and be silly with someone, and it was serving as the perfect distraction from his previous encounter with his father.
"That's actually Ms. Ludlow Grey to you." Nate points his finger as if to reprimand her for this blunder.
"You're joking?" Covering her mouth with both hands Odette bursts into a fit of giggles, "Yuck! All these names are so pretentious."
"Says the girl named after a Russian ballet character." As Odette's mouth drops at this read, Nate sticks his hands up in defense, "I'm just saying."
"That's actually an iconic Russian ballet character to you." As Odette points her finger back at Nate in imitation he softly swats her hand away, shaking his head in bemusement.
As the laughter between the two dies down they're left in comfortable silence, smiling at each other.
After realizing he's been looking at her, and not saying anything, for far too long Nate quickly moves to the next place setting, "Ah, here we go. One, Odette Rockefeller." Nate lifts the name card up as if to toast her with it.
Biting down on the corner of her lower lip in concentration, Odette's eyes scan the length of the table in search of Nate's name. Finally, she spots it and raises it up with a grin, "I'll be damned, it's the one and only, Nathaniel Archibald."
Still holding her name card in his hand Nate moves to where she is standing, "Not entirely true. There's also the basketball player." Nate feigns disappointment, "Easily more impressive than me. You know he-"
Odette quickly waves her hands in objection, "Wait, I don't want this athlete biography I know you're about to embark on." She knew him too well. She also knew he was joking, mostly, but that didn't stop her from going along with it, "Did your grandfather invite this impressive namesake of yours? No? Well then, it looks like you are the one and only Nathanial Archibald here, and more importantly, you're the one and only Nathaniel Archibald that I know, and I think you're pretty impressive." Their eyes settle on each other once again, "At least your posh accent is anyway. That has to count for something."
"It does." Nate doesn't break eye contact with her as he nods slowly to what she's saying. It was strange, but her words really lifted his mood. He was so used to being told everything he did wrong or could be doing better, and it felt good to be complimented. Even if it was just about some silly accent. Though, as they looked at one another he couldn't help but wonder if she maybe meant it in more than just that context
Odette notes that the moments of silence that passed between her and Nate felt very different from her and Chuck. Nate didn't make her at all nervous and there was a feeling of comfortability that washed over her anytime she was around him. Probably because she had known him forever. There was something to be said for those life-long relationships. They had grown up together and had so many memories over the years. Their families were close, most of the time. In a lot of ways, Nate kind of felt like home.
Looking away from him she reads yet another name card, "Looks like you'll be seated next to..." She paused for a moment, rereading the name carefully as she tries to maintain her breathing pattern, "Um.. Anderson Cooper. Cool, cool." Odette did her best to remain collected but her best wasn't nearly convincing at all.
As a fan of investigative journalism, Odette had always held Anderson Cooper in high regard. Not to mention his mother Gloria was a New York society icon.
She had always known they were related to Nate but she had never had the privilege of meeting them. Mostly because of the fact that Gloria and William were constantly switching from loving one another to not being able to stand the other. Each time they got in a fight it lasted longer than the one before and truthfully, Gloria nor Anderson had attended a Vanderbilt family function since Nate was ten. But, the siblings had very recently made up and everyone was looking forward to having the famous mother and son duo at the dinner tonight.
"Well isn't that just great! You get Anderson Cooper and I get Ms. Ludlow Grey. What a cruel world this is."
"Anderson is cool, but..." Nate flicks Anderson's name card and sets Odette's in its place, "I'd really rather sit next to you." Most of the conversations of the evening would be terribly boring but at least if Odette was there they could make things more bearable by slyly making fun of everyone.
"Aren't you the sweetest." Odette looks between Nate and the name cards for a moment, "But don't you think I could switch seats with you instead?"
Nate grips his heart, shaking his head in dismay, "Ouch, I thought you said I was impressive?"
"You are, but come on...he's Anderson freakin' Cooper!" Odette keeps a straight face before cracking a smile as she dips in towards Nate, nudging him with a shoulder, "I'm kidding. Mostly. I'd be honored to sit next to you Nate. Besides, I'm sure Lady Ludlow won't complain about having to sit next to Anderson instead."
"Whoa, Lady Ludlow? You're getting a little too crazy with it now."
"Sorry not sorry, I think Lady Ludlow sounds much posher." As she talks she breaks out into the cockney accent once again.
"You're so anything but posh Odette," Nate chuckles to himself, rubbing his chin as he continues to speak, "But that's okay, I like that about you."
"Wanna know what I like about you?" Before he can answer Odette leans into Nate, wrapping her arms around him in the form of a side hug. She brings her lips as close to his ear as she can before whispering, "I like that you can introduce me to Anderson Cooper tonight."
"Hmm. I should've known, you're just a user, Lady Rockefeller." As he finishes speaking his hands find their place on her waist where he jabs her lightly in an effort to tickle her.
"Hey!" Odette squirms under his touch. Once she breaks free she jabs a finger at him, "Hands to yourself Archibald."
Her tone is playful but firm.
As much fun as she was having joking around with Nate, a small feeling of guilt was creeping its way in. Blair already thought they were sleeping together so they really shouldn't be teasing each other this way. It could easily be construed as flirting.
'Yeah, but that wasn't flirting. You're friends and you were just playing around.'
Despite the voice in her head trying to justify it she couldn't help but feel that maybe they were being a little too friendly.
After all, he was dating her best friend, and she had her own situation-ship with his best friend. And none of those relationships needed to become further complicated by Odette and Nate unintentionally crossing some already very blurry lines.
To say Blair was drunk was an understatement.
She was never one to allow herself to get trashed in front of her peers, that was definitely more Serena's look. But, it was her birthday and she felt like her world was coming to an end. She wasn't exactly sure how to cope with such devastation but she figured she might find the answers at the bottom of several drinks.
Hearing the elevator ding in the distance, signaling a new arrival to the party, Blair eagerly watches the doors slide open. She hoped Nate would be on the other side of the large metal doors, but he wasn't. Not this time, just as he wasn't the time before that or the time before that.
She was slowly giving up hope he'd show at all.
Blair didn't understand much about Nate. She didn't understand his thought processes, she didn't understand his humor, and she certainly didn't understand why she loved him.
Sometimes she even wondered if she actually was in love with him, or if she just loved the idea of being in love with someone like Nate.
He came from a wonderful family.
He was sweet, mostly.
And, he was gorgeous.
Every girl in this room at one point or another had wanted Nate. Looking around the crowded loft, Blair smirks confidently. But, it's very short-lived as she begins to consider that a percentage of the girls in this room have also potentially had Nate at one point or another. As sweet as he was, it was no secret that he wasn't a saint. She might not be aware of the specifics of every indiscretion, but she knew they happened nonetheless.
Nate had cheated so much that his infidelity began to feel like a third person in their relationship. Forgiving him after he was caught in some cases, or looking the other way, even though she knew what he was doing, in others became a perfectly normal part of what made them, them.
She had in some ways become numb to it. She had grown accustomed to the fact he would cheat, she expected it even. His betrayal wasn't even what upset her most anymore. It was the fact that he embarrassed her, constantly. She projected herself so above everyone else, her relationship included. If people found out that not only did Nate cheat on her, but that she ignored it... she would be ruined. No one could respect her if they didn't think she respected herself.
"Look, there's Chuck. Maybe he knows if Nate's on his way?"
Hearing Serena, Blair looks over her shoulder to see Chuck exit the elevator and immediately begin to greet people.
In her book, Chuck Bass was as vile as they come. She had only ever put up with him because he was Nate's best friend.
'Nate's best friend that helps him cheat on you.'
Chuck makes eye contact with her for only a second but it's enough to have Blair fuming as he gives her a subtle nod. She truly loathed him.
In a way, it was easier for her to blame Chuck for Nate's wrong-doings instead of having to admit Nate did what he did because he wanted to.
Drugs, alcohol, and sex were Chuck's holy trinity and he had corrupted Nate over the years to the point of no return. But, while Chuck might encourage some true wrongdoings he didn't make Nate blow off her birthday party. Nate was making this blatant choice to slight her all on his own.
At the reminder, Blair makes a point to regain her composure and finally answer Serena, "Nate had to go to his grandfather's birthday dinner. I told him to swing by if he could, but no pressure. He always gets a bit worked up when he has to be around Tripp, I didn't want to stress him out more than necessary."
"You're such a good girlfriend, B."
As Serena reaches out to give her hand a gentle squeeze Blair instantly feels somewhat guilty for being so blatantly dishonest. She shouldn't have to lie to her best friend. Of anyone, she should be able to tell her all the truly fucked up details of her relationship. But she couldn't because at her core she still didn't trust Serena.
She also apparently couldn't trust Odette now.
And she had no trust left to give to Nate either.
This left her with no one, and that feeling was suffocating. Despite there being a room full of people, all there to celebrate her, she had truly never felt more completely alone.
"Speaking of being a good girlfriend," Blair quickly scrambles for a quick change of subject, "How was your date night in Brooklyn?"
"It wasn't a date, I was there to support his dad's show!"
"Right, and sneaking away to some dark, gallery, corner was just an added bonus?" Blair rolls her eyes, slightly humored at Serena's attempt to play coy and modest.
Serena doesn't say a word but her giggles are all the confirmation Blair needs, or wants for that matter. After so many years of friendship, she knew all Serena's moves too well.
"Speaking of date nights in Brooklyn, you'll never guess who showed up the other night?"
"Well, I'm not going to guess." Blair waves her hand for Serena to continue before signaling to the bartender for another drink. She was losing interest in this conversation quick and she needed the extra booze if she was expected to talk about Brooklyn some more.
"Get this. Chuck?" Serena had a strange look on her face, the faintest hint of a smile beginning to show. Despite witnessing it for herself, the entire thing still left her rather dumbfounded.
"Okay, why was Chuck at Dan's dad's art gallery?" Blair didn't like the look in Serena's eyes. It was very telling that Serena clearly knew something she didn't and if there's one thing Blair hated more than anything, it was being out of the loop on some good gossip.
"Apparently, Odette invited him." Serena covers her laugh, shaking her head in bewilderment, "And so he came. To Brooklyn. For her. Weird, right?" Serena emphasizes each point for full effect.
"Very." Blair keeps a very straight face as she speaks.
Without being too obvious she scans the crowd over in search of the stupid bass-tard in question.
"I think he likes her?" Serena pulls a face, knowing perfectly well how ridiculous she sounded. But, the way Chuck interacted with Odette the other night seemed very different than what she had ever really seen him.
"He does not like her, Serena. He's Chuck, he's trying to nail her." Just as she finishes speaking Blair's eyes land on Chuck, cautiously watching him through narrowed eyes.
"I guess. Just seems out of character for him to be putting in so much effort is all."
"Hm."
Feeling someone's eyes on him Chuck looks up and is instantly met with a cold stare from Blair. Unsure what he's done now to piss her off he shoots her a look of confusion before they both quickly direct their attention back to their friends.
"You know what seems really out of character? Me, allowing you to drone on and on about people that bore me on my birthday. Can we go back to focusing on me now?" Lifting her drink to Serena first, Blair then treats the cocktail as if it were a shot and quickly knocks it back.
Chills roll across her body as the liquor burns it's way down her throat, "Whoo! Let's do another!"
Honestly, Mackenzie wasn't sure what she was walking into.
She did attend a private school, with rich, stuck-up, kids too. But none of the stories of her peers seemed to even remotely measure up to the class-A entitled assholes her siblings went to school with. Jenny was still completely absorbed in the glitz and glam of all of it. She hadn't yet figured out that all that glittered was not in fact gold. But, Dan, on the other hand, hadn't stopped bitching about how much all these kids sucked since his first day at St. Judes. His disdain for his classmates ran deeper than what Mackenzie could even really understand, which made it all the more surprising to her that he had fallen so completely into all this proclaimed 'bullshit' via his new girlfriend.
She was in no way an expert on the human psyche. But, growing up so close in age to Dan allowed her to feel like somewhat of an expert when it came to understanding him.
He liked to pretend he was so disillusioned with these people and their gilded world, but in reality, he was as hungry for all that is had to offer as Jenny. Mackenzie didn't understand the appeal but she wondered if she lived here is she would be the same way. Would she be desperate to be in with the Upper East Side princesses? Would she lust after some asshole who had been handed everything his whole life and therefore had no appreciation for anything, least of all her? The thought was horrifying. But more so, was the scene that was currently playing out before her.
Dan had always described the Upper East Side as a world within a world, but this wasn't at all what she had been expecting. She felt like she had just been transplanted into a cliche teen movie. And if she had to pick a specific one this moment would be the scene from Mean Girls, when Cady shows up to the Halloween party and is instantly the odd-man-out.
Mackenzie wasn't nearly as insecure as Jenny, but she was still amazed at how quickly she felt her confidence crumble upon exiting the elevator and walking into the party. All the girls in the room looked like they were off the cover of magazines; their hair, their makeup, their clothes, were all perfect. And they either looked at her with disgust or looked through her like she wasn't there. Neither was a great feeling.
"Who's the cow with Dan?"
Following Penelope's sharp gaze to the front of the room, Coco's eyes settle on the three Humphreys that had just walked in. They all stand, almost sheepishly, right by the elevator. They never fully looked like they belonged, but they looked especially out of place at this moment.
Coco didn't have the guts to speak up against the older girl, but she didn't agree with Penelope's harsh assessment. Sure, this girl was thicker than most of the girls they knew, but that wasn't saying much considering most were either on a strict diet of dick, cigarettes, and cocaine or they had a serious eating disorder. In some cases, both.
This girl also had a curvier frame than most of the other girls, which is mostly where their sneers of judgment came from. She was the shiny new toy, with huge tits and an ass to match and the girls in the room hated the way every boy in the room's attention drifted to her.
Most of the teens had known each other since at least middle school, if not primary. Rarely was anything, or anyone, new and exciting. But this girl, despite the fact she was apparently associated with the Humphreys, was very new and therefore very exciting.
Mackenzie was completely unaware and unmoved by whatever male gazes she was receiving. As someone that had developed at a rather young age, she had grown accustomed to ignoring those types of looks. She couldn't as easily ignore the judgemental stares of most of the girls in the room though.
"Dan, I could have been home, eating Thai Kitchen right now."
Sensing his sister's discomfort Dan nods his head in understanding, "I know, but you're not. You're here and you're going to have a great time."
"Am I?"
"Yes. Now look, there's Serena."
Serena had her back to them, but she was easily recognizable with her messy blonde hair, and long legs only further accentuated by her barely-there short dress.
Following Dan in the direction of the leggy blonde Mack can feel her nerves steadily growing. She didn't want to judge this girl based on looks alone but Serena really didn't look like someone that would be all that kind to someone that looked the way Mack did.
"Jen-" Turning her head to look at her sister she's met with an empty space where Jenny had just been walking, "Jen?"
Out of the corner of her eye she can see Jenny's petite figure retreat into the crowd, towards a group of superbly bitchy-looking girls. Mackenzie shakes her head in dismay, both disappointed and in shock that Jenny had ditched her within not even a full five minutes of arriving.
"Serena,"
"Dan!" As the tall blonde twirls around to greet him, she pulls Dan's body close to hers in a tight, intimate, hug. "I was wondering when you'd show." Nudging him, Serena bites softly down on her lower lip before directing her attention to Mackenzie, "You're Mackenzie, right? It's so nice to meet you. Dan has told me so much about you."
"It's nice to meet you too." Mackenzie looked at her brother then at Serena, "Yeah, Dan has told me so much about you too. You're pretty much his favorite point of conversation. I swear, he could have an entire blog dedicated to you if someone was willing to give him the platform."
Serena looked confused and Dan was clearly mortified.
It was meant to be a playful tease at her brother's obsessive talking about Serena, but Mackenzie was obviously more nervous than she realized because the joke didn't land at all.
"That was my attempt at a joke..." Feeling her cheeks warming with embarrassment Mackenzie quickly looks down at the ground, twiddling with her ring once more, "I obviously won't be quitting my day job anytime soon though." She focuses on studying each person's shoes, hoping maybe this will calm her down enough that her face won't look like a giant tomato.
"No, it was funny." Serena lies, forcing a small laugh as she quickly grabs hold of the girl next to her, "This is my best friend, Blair. This is her party. Blair, this is Mackenzie. Dan's sister."
"Another Humphrey? Gee, just what I wanted for my birthday." Blair's tone cuts through the air like ice, but her cold demeanor is only made worse by the perfect smile she flashes at them. So insincere. Mackenzie knew instantly that this was the leader of that mean girl posse Jenny was always going on about.
As nervous as she had been, all those feelings quickly disappeared as she was left with only a familiar feeling of protective-anger rising up within her. So, this was the girl that bossed her baby sister around all day long and had, on more than one occasion, made her feel like she was nothing, "Blair, was it? Yeah well, I guess we Humphreys are just the gift that keeps on giving."
Williams's birthday dinner went as well as could be expected.
The primary talking points revolved around politics and wall street, and surprisingly Gloria and William only got into a heated argument once when the discussion of gay marriage came up.
The Vanderbilts were considered blue-blooded democrats, but if anyone paid enough attention it was plain to see that not all of the ideals of the left were in line with William's own. He boasted about giving money to Clinton's campaign, but he also had voted for John McCain and Mitt Romney.
It was safe to assume that William was in fact a semi-closeted republican and only pretended to support the democratic party because New York was a blue state.
This point was further proven by William's own admittance that while he believes 'everyone has the right to love who they love', he does not agree that gay marriage should be legal. 'Marriage is between a man and a woman.' His tone was so absolute. Like all things, he believed his opinion should be the law of the land. At least in regards to influencing his large family.
Overhearing this point of contention, Odette moves to watch her grandfather's reaction, carefully, from across the table. She half expected him to say something, his youngest daughter was a gay woman after all. But, she also wasn't terribly surprised that he said nothing at all. It was disappointing that David wouldn't defend this issue on behalf of her aunt, but Odette also knew to expect that. It was no secret amongst the Rockefeller family that some of Adrienne's lifestyle choices, more specifically who she chose to live her life with, were not exactly her grandfather's proudest talking points. It was strange to think that David could support gay rights in all public aspects but not in regards to his own family.
While David made no point to call out William, Gloria, whose son had faced his own struggles with his sexuality and now lived his life as an openly gay man, was understandably disgusted. Especially considering said son was in attendance at this dinner and had to listen to every, ignorant, word. Anderson took it all in stride though and handled the situation with the utmost grace and class, for which he was so well known for, and quickly mediated the situation between the siblings.
Watching the argument settle between Gloria and William, Odette can't help but wonder if this is what she has to look forward to. Was she going to be a grandmother and still fighting with Coco? The thought of it was exhausting.
Nate spent most of the dinner ignoring the mild arguments amongst his family members and avoiding any and all eye contact with his father. If it weren't for Odette he wasn't sure he would have made it through the evening. She had provided him with the perfect distraction from everything.
Throughout the five-course meal, Nate and Odette had taken it upon themselves to designate backstories to some of the dinner guests. The more ridiculous the story, the bigger the kick they got out of it.
Nate was never one to blatantly ignore everyone but getting caught up in the moment, making jokes with Odette, truly made it feel like everyone else in the room had disappeared.
Once dinner was over, and as everyone drifted off into the adjacent parlor for drinks, Nate knew it was time for him to do his round of goodbyes. He couldn't avoid his boyfriend duties forever and despite how annoyed he was with Blair, he knew he needed to be there for her birthday.
"...and that's when I told him-" Seeing Nate approach William stands up, offering his hand to his grandson, "Leaving us so soon, Nathanial?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry. Blair's birthday party is tonight as well and I'm already very late." In truth, Nate had originally been planning to skip out between the second and third courses but he had gotten a bit too caught up in his conversations with Odette and had lost all track of time.
"Blair is his girlfriend." William looks over to the gentlemen surrounding him as he explains, "Very well, thank you for coming by Nate. Maybe we can have dinner soon? I'd really like to discuss your plans for University as well as talk to you about some potential summer internships I have lined up for you."
"Of course, grandfather." Despite feeling like his head might implode at the thought of either of those talking points, Nate offers a charming smile to William and the other men before walking away in the direction of the front of the house.
As he sifts through the different articles of clothing hanging in the expansive closet he can feel someone standing behind him. For a moment he feared it might be his dad cornering him to talk. But, as he takes a deep breath to settle his nerves he recognizes the familiar scent of honey and eucalyptus filling the air around him.
"You're heading out to the party?"
Odette's smile doesn't fully reach her eyes and Nate can see a look of hurt flash across her face.
"Yeah."
"I guess you've left me no choice but to go befriend Bronwyn then." She sighs, noticeably overdramatic, before offering a small shrug, "This is probably lame, but could you take my gift for me?"
Nate was completely taken aback by this request.
After everything Blair had done and said to her in the last twenty-four hours Odette still had a gift for her?
"Blair's been dying to get into The Blue Box Cafe at Tiffany's since it opened, but it's always booked so I had Pops pull a few strings and we arranged to have it rented it out for her. She just needs to set up the time." Odette reaches into her own coat pocket, as it remains hanging in the spacious closet, and pulls out an iconic looking Tiffany Blue Box. "Her reservation code is sewn into the box, and the jewelry is just a little bonus. I don't know, it's probably silly."
"No, that's like... a really thoughtful gift, Odette." Nate stared down at the robin's egg blue-toned box for a moment before shaking his head, "She's gonna love it." Blair didn't love surprises because she hated being disappointed. Hence, she sent out a detailed birthday list to everyone months in advance. Nate couldn't even recall the last time he had picked out a gift, from the heart, for Blair. She always told him exactly what she wanted and he got it for her. He never put any additional thought into her gifts because she didn't make him.
All things considered, Odette didn't owe Blair anything. Least of all an extremely thoughtful, and expensive, gift. And yet, she still did it. That was a stark difference between Nate and Odette. Odette loved and still cared for Blair and therefore she wanted to do sweet things for her. Nate didn't and that showed with his own gift. Yes, the Erikson Beamon necklace he was giving her was stunning. But there was no thought or substance behind it. She picked it out, put it on hold, and set up the time for him to go and pick it up.
"Do you wanna walk with me maybe?"
Odette is slightly taken aback by his question, "You're walking to the party?"
"It's only a few blocks away." It wasn't. "With all the traffic we can probably get there faster than the car would."
Staring between Nate and the group of adults in the next room Odette reaches for her coat, "I suppose I could go for some fresh air. Just let me tell Pops."
Nate's grin grows tenfold as she agrees to accompany him, for the walk at least.
Despite looking like nothing more than a pretty face, Nate had his own ways of trying to pull strings and manipulate situations. Maybe he could convince Odette to give her gift to Blair herself and from there Blair would see how thoughtful Odette was and maybe then they could all move forward from this bullshit they had recently found themselves in.
"Hey, we need to talk son."
Howard had been trying to get Nate's attention all night, to no avail. He was unable to focus on any of the conversations happening around him, he couldn't even remember what had been for dinner. All he could think about was what Nate had seen, and more importantly, what he could do with that information.
"I don't have anything to say to you, dad." This wasn't Nate's way of being difficult. He really didn't have anything to say because he didn't know where to even begin or what to think of the situation with Howard at all.
As Odette walks back in Nate's direction she can see and feel the tension radiating between the two Archibald men. She hesitates for a moment, not wanting to interrupt them but when Nate sees her he looks grateful for the escape, "Ready?"
"Y-yeah." Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear Odette turns to Howard, nodding her head in a sign of respect, "Have a great night, Mr. Archibald."
"Yeah, you kids have fun." Howard shifts his weight from one foot to the other as he gives Odette a tight grin, "Nate, reminder that we're going running in the morning. Don't forget."
Ignoring his father completely Nate moves to hold the front door open for Odette, like the proper gentlemen he is, "After you, Lady Rockefeller."
Things might be awkward when they first arrive at the party but hopefully soon enough things between Odette and Blair would be fixed, and Nate could have a slightly less guilty conscious about it all.
It might not be the most well thought out plan, but he also couldn't see how anything could really go wrong.
Kati's brother's loft was spacious but his one stipulation for letting his little sister's friends use it was that the party was to be confined to the front of the home and the large, wrap-around balcony, only. This was easy enough to manage but the loft was growing increasingly hotter the more people drank and danced amongst each other. Chuck, in desperate need of fresh air and smoke, stepped out onto the balcony and was instantly grateful for how much quieter it was out there. Well, as quiet as having downtown Manhattan as your background noise can be.
But for kids that were born and raised in New York, the sound of bustling streets, taxi horns, and bus brakes were almost sort of comforting in a way. It's what they knew.
Pulling a fresh pack of Parliament Lights out of his jacket pocket, he packs the cigarettes before pulling one out and lighting it.
"Ah, just the Bass I was looking for."
Chuck takes a deep inhale, holding the smoke before finally exhaling just as Blair reaches him. He doesn't say anything to her, watching as she leans back against the stone wall of the balcony, clearing his smoke away with her hands.
"Can I bum one?"
"Since when do you smoke?" Chuck's eyes were full of doubt, always seeing through Blair's bullshit. She liked to pretend she was very complex but he never believed that. Blair Waldorf was as try hard as they came but he gives her the cigarette nonetheless. As he lights it he waits and watches to see how she does.
As if the way she held the cigarette between her thumb and index finger didn't immediately give her away, she also sucked her cheeks in and inhaled far too quickly. The coughs that immediately followed told Chuck everything he already knew. Blair Waldorf was not a smoker.
"Surely you didn't come out here just to ask me for a smoke?"
"Guilty." Blair tosses her barely burned cigarette to the ground and stubs it out with her shoe, "I guess, I just wanted to check on you."
"Awe, I appreciate the concern." Chuck doesn't bother trying to hide his sarcasm, "But in what regard, exactly?"
"In regards to Odette." Blair says her name like nothing.
As if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
His boys and even Nate had made the point to always sort of dance around the subject of directly bringing her up, mainly because they knew Chuck didn't like to talk about girls outside of what he did with them in bed. But, leave it to Blair to overlook this completely. She was never one to not go directly for the kill.
Normally he would deny, deny, deny. But her tone of voice made it obvious that she knew, at least somewhat, that something had been going on.
"Look, Blair, I know you well enough to know that you don't give a shit about me and would never check in on me out of the kindness of your heart. That's assuming you do in fact have one, of course." Chuck takes another long drag from his cigarette before continuing, "But, what the hell? It's you're birthday, so I'll play along."
Blair stares at Chuck for a moment, the wheels in her head spinning as she contemplates how to go about this. "I admire that you've managed to retain your humor through all this."
"Through all of what?" He was assuming she knew why Odette was upset and avoiding him and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't somewhat desperate for some insight, but he was getting annoyed that Blair wouldn't get to the point.
"Nate and Odette."
Blair's dark eyes settle on Chuck's, watching as her words cause a shift in his demeanor, "You do know they've started hooking up, right?"
"Are you high?" Chuck scoffs, turning away from her and looking over the balcony once more.
"It's true. I just found out a couple of days ago. They've been hooking up, probably still are." Blair lets out a mellow-dramatic sigh as she moves closer to Chuck, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Just thought you should know before you make any more trips to Brooklyn for her."
He didn't understand why Blair was saying this, but he also didn't believe it. "Nate couldn't, wouldn't -"
"Do that?" She cuts him off, finishing his sentence, "Sure he would. Nate knows nothing about loyalty, Chuck. I'm a pretty perfect example of that."
He could feel Blair's seeds of doubt beginning to sprout in his head as his brain raced with questions. "No. No." The first 'no' was for her, but the second was an attempt to command his brain to stop going there, "Nate might not have any loyalty to you, but I know for a fact he wouldn't do that to me. I know misery loves company Blair, but I'm not buying what you're selling here. You'll have to find someone else to join your pathetic pity party."
Blair remains completely unphased by his words, regardless of how cruel they may be, "Fine, believe what you want. But don't come to me when their true colors are revealed."
"As if I would ever seek comfort in you, Blair." Looking the petite brunette over in disgust Chuck flicks his cigarette off in her direction before moving to head back into the party.
But just as he reaches the door a series of familiar 'ping' rings through the party. It starts with just one phone until suddenly fifty are simultaneously signaling everyone of a crucial notification. Turning to look back at Blair he waits to see her pull out her phone, watching as she reads and processes the newest blast. Her previous smugness is completely removed as she stares blankly at the screen.
"What is it? A throwback to your top seventeen most infamous blasts in honor of your big day?" Chuck tilts his head to the side, "No, that can't be it. You're too dull to of had seventeen scandals. So, what is it?"
Blair stomps in his direction with a purpose, shoving her phone against his chest once she reaches him.
"You are such a..." Despite muttering this to himself, he doesn't bother finishing the thought. They both know it was true, but in this instance, there was a much higher, bitchier, power at play than even Blair Waldorf.
Chuck's eyes scan over the blast quickly once, and then slowly again, and again before finally looking up at Blair.
Studying the range of emotions flashing across Chuck's face she can recognize they're very similar to her own feelings. Equal parts devastated and pissed. But, as upset as she was, she also never passed up on the chance to say, "Told you so."
ʜᴇʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ,
ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴜɪɴ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ɢᴏssɪᴘ ɪs ᴛᴏᴏ ʜᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ɪᴛ sɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏsᴇ sᴛᴇᴀᴍ.
sᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇᴅ: ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʀɴᴇʀ ᴏғ ʀᴏʏᴀʟʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴜᴄᴋᴇᴅ
ᴏɴᴇ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʙᴏʏ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ sᴇᴇᴍs ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀ's ᴇᴍʙʀᴀᴄᴇ. ᴏɴʟʏ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ? ᴛʜɪs ʟᴏᴠᴇʀ-ɢɪʀʟ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ʙʟᴀɪʀ ᴡᴀʟᴅᴏʀғ.
[+ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄʜᴍᴇɴᴛ ]
ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴇ ᴡʜʏ ᴏ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇᴀʙʟʏ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴏғғ ʙ's ɢᴜᴇsᴛ ʟɪsᴛ?
ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ᴀғғᴀɪʀ...
ʟᴏᴏᴋs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴏ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʙᴇ ᴇxɪʟᴇᴅ ғʀᴏᴍ ʙᴜᴛ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴇxᴇᴄᴜᴛᴇᴅ. ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴏᴜʀ ǫᴜᴇᴇɴ ᴏғ (ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ) ʜᴇᴀʀᴛs sᴇᴇs ᴛʜɪs ɪᴛ's sᴜʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ 'ᴏғғ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ sɪᴅᴇ ᴄʜɪᴄᴋ ʜᴇᴀᴅ!'
sᴏʀʀʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ's ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ ʙʟᴀɪʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ᴄʀʏ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ.
xᴏxᴏ ɢᴏssɪᴘ ɢɪʀʟ
I told you guys that drama was coming, and there's no end in sight.
Last we saw Nate and Odette they were going for a walk so just how did they end up in such a compromising position? Let's just say with social media things aren't always what they seem but I think we know enough to realize that intentions don't always matter. Especially when other people react on impulse.
The next chapter will be our first holiday-themed chapter and I'm really excited to introduce you all to more of the Rockefeller clan. They're messy, let me tell ya! Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful but it's also the holiday in GG-universe that drama is always sure to go down. With so many secrets, at least one is bound to be revealed. Gobble Gobble ;)
I'll be posting some new content on the stories insta page ( gilded . ff ) so please go check it out!
Thank you all, once again, for your support.