gilded chapter twelve, a gossip girl fanfic

Guess who's back, back again. Shady's back, tell a friend... yikes, did I totally reveal how old I was with that one? *Moving on*, no one is more surprised than me that I actually got this thing updated... but here it is and it's *so* long (just how you like it ;))

In other news, new Gossip Girl content is dropping on the 8th, how excited are we?! Personally, a darker, edgier version of gg is all I have ever wanted it. That's why I write this story the way I do. So, I am very excited and nervous, but mostly excited. Will any of you be watching?

Moving back to the story (boy, I am all over the place), I have to sound like the most annoying, broken record by now but I appreciate everyone that shows this story (and in turn, me) support by keeping up through reading, favorites, and follows.

However, I do have to give a special shoutout to those of you that left reviews (because those are like crack to me!)

Guest Reviewers, momorocks101ful, Hearteyesmf, Rachem, tomeii, BrownEyes, nmoxracha and last, but never ever least, greyspaces - THANK YOU X 1,000,000.

I know it might not seem like much but each of you that takes the time to give me feedback make my whole day! Reading (and re-reading your reviews) fills me with such immense joy and I feel so unworthy of the beautiful compliments you pay me and this story. I care about these characters so much and to know there are people out there that have truly connected to them and also care about their story(s) means everything to me. I would still be here posting regardless but your reviews definitely inspire me to keep going and bring me so much happiness. So, thank you for taking the time to do that.

**Lastly, small and very shameless plug, PLEASE go check out the gilded insta page (gilded . ff) I worked ridiculously hard on making a promo video for these Cotillion chapters and it'll make you very nostalgic for the early days of GG ANDDD I would really love to know what some of you think about it.**

OK, that's all... thank you for clicking this story, now, please enjoy!

WARNING:

VULGAR LANGUAGE, TEENAGE ALCOHOL USE, REFERENCE TO SEXUAL ASSAULT, SEXUAL SITUATIONS, INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR

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 their infamy and status will be made, any mentions of them are purely fictional and none of the characters that comprise the family are based on the true-life family.

CHAPTER MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: Three wishes - The Pierces

"The heart dies a slow death, shedding each hope like leaves until one day there are none. No hopes. Nothing remains."

[Saturday, 8:00 P.M]

"There's something you should know."

Despite the overly jovial atmosphere, the air around them seemed to grow thick with tension.

The suspense that followed Jenny's words grew heavy as it hung over them in dead air.

Odette had no idea what it was that she needed to know and she certainly couldn't understand how little Jenny Humphrey was the one that needed to be delivering said news.

It's not that she minded Jenny but the two of them weren't exactly close. The younger blonde coming to her, and saying something like this, was weird and the fact she couldn't seem to get the words out of her mouth was weirder.

Jenny Humphrey always appeared rather timid but the way she stood before her now, so meek and almost visibly shaking with nerves put Odette on high alert, "Jenny?" As she calls her name, the two of them make direct eye contact, "What's wrong?"

Taking in a final, shuttering, breath, Jenny unleashes.

"You really went out of your way to help me that night at Kiss on the Lips. You didn't have to do that but you looked out for me."

As she talks, Jenny stares at Odette wide-eyed. Like a deer in headlights. Just as she had that day they talked in the library all that time ago, and just like then, blotches of red begin to stain Jenny's neck and chest as her nerves induce a breakout of hives.

"You looked out for me so I'm just trying to do the same because I think that's fair and more so, I think you not knowing about something that all your friends know about is really not cool. I mean, I am kind of freaked out over what the backlash of me telling you this will be, but I also think that doesn't matter. What does matter is the truth."

Jenny's mouth was moving a mile a minute and she was saying so much without actually saying much of anything, that made sense anyways, at all. Her nerves were apparent and the more she talked, the more on edge Odette felt.

"The truth? Okay...so..." Narrowing her eyes in obvious confusion, Odette does her best to relax her suddenly rigid posture but to no avail.

Jenny's behavior was really freaking her out.

Jenny's behavior was really freaking Jenny out too.

She had been so confident that this was the right thing to do but now that the time had come to actually say it, she couldn't. She was saying everything but the point and now she was regretting this whole thing. How was Odette going to react to this? What was she going to say and what was she going to do? Blair was no doubt going to find out it was Jenny that exposed her... not that Jenny and Blair were really friends but still, she was mostly on her good side. Who knew what kind of social destruction and emotional annihilation awaited her at the hands of Blair once she blabbed about this major secret.

The thought made her insides turn.

Ever since the Humphrey siblings were children their parents had worked really hard on developing good moral compasses for each of them. It was very important to them that even from an early age, Dan, Mackenzie, and Jenny knew right from wrong. She could hear her father's repetitive words in her head now, 'Having good character means doing the right thing even when it's hard.'

Surely, Rufus hadn't assumed that his message would be heeded in reaction to a teenage sex scandal, yet here they were.

Closing her eyes, briefly, Jenny takes in a calculated breath to steady her explosive nerves. She holds it for a five-count before releasing it even slower than she had taken it in. Locking eyes with Odette once more, she gives her a small nod as if to acknowledge this time she was serious. She was going to do this, even if it killed her. Which, considering this involved going against the likes of Blair Waldorf, it probably would.

Sure, Blair wouldn't actually kill Jenny or harm her in any physical way but social homicide was still brutal and she highly doubted that she'd be able to get out of this thing unscathed. But, she needed to do the right thing.

"Odette," She starts once more, "There's something you should know."

[Twenty-four hours prior - Friday, 8:00 P.M]

Once the sun began to set, and the night started to settle, the lights in Sparks dimmed as if on cue as more and more patrons sauntered in.

They drank, ate, and left, and then more would come in their place. Through all this turnover, however, Chuck and Odette remained almost exactly the same.

Their meal was over and their plates had long been cleared from the table, and yet still there they sat.

And as both of them became more and more transfixed on the other, every other person in the room seemed to melt away.

This is what scared her about Chuck - she lost herself in him and she enjoyed it.

She loved the feeling of losing track of time and got drunk off the way it felt to hold his attention. She cherished the parts of Chuck she got to see in these moments because she knew not everyone got to see him in this light. She couldn't lie and say that it didn't make her feel sort of special to be able to get to know him in a way that few others could, or would.

After finishing an anecdote about the latest antics of one of the more eccentric teachers at St. Judes, Chuck clears his throat before making the move to steer the conversation in another direction.

"So, I have something for you."

"Is it my Secret Santa gift? Because I never got to unwrap mine." Her eyes narrow slightly as she stares him down, mostly teasing.

"It's not my fault you ran off."

"Mmmm," Tapping her chin lightly, Odette purses her lips, "Kind of was. But anyway..."

With a gentle roll of his eyes, Chuck continues, "Anyway..." Reaching into the pocket on the inside of his blazer, he pulls out a crisp white envelope with a small red bow stuck to it, "For you."

The devious gleam in his eyes was telling.

"I don't know if I want to open it."

Hearing the caution in her tone, Chuck does his best to fight the urge to smirk in amusement.

"If this is one of those prank envelopes and a bunch of glitter and confetti fly out at me I will literally walk out of this restaurant and never talk to you again." Taking a deep breath she carefully breaks the seal of the envelope and flinches in anticipation as she waits for the big commotion.

But nothing came.

No glitter or confetti.

Instead, all that appeared to be in the white envelope was a paper of almost identical shade.

Glancing up at Chuck, she raises an eyebrow at him in bemusement but he says nothing to her. Gently pulling the paper out, she unfolds it and quickly begins to scan over the document. After only a short beat has passed, Odette shuts her eyes and begins to laugh to herself, "You did not seriously just package your test results and give it to me like a present?"

The two of them hadn't touched on the subject of sex since the night of the Captain's incident but this wasn't from lack of interest. In fact, whether either of them would admit it, they each had been thinking of being together, intimately, for quite some time now. However, Odette had made it perfectly clear that night that she wouldn't go any further with him until he got tested. Normally, such a request would offend him greatly. He'd decide that person wasn't worth the extra time, trouble, or the slight to his own ego.

After all, Chuck wasn't accustomed to putting any real effort into winning over potential partners. Manhattan was a big city and with so many men and women willing to sleep with him he hardly had a need to waste his time on those that proved to be a challenge.

Odette was a different story entirely though.

Within three days of her asking, he had been tested and had been waiting for the results since.

Now here it was and everything had come back just as he had hoped.

He was not only clean but now there was nothing standing in the way of them taking things to the next level.

Chuck shrugs, "I see it more like my golden ticket."

Odette can feel her insides begin to warm up as she watches him practically undress her with his eyes from across the table. She couldn't think of anything clever or witty to respond, which was rare for her, but the reality that she could and would be having sex with Chuck made her incredibly flustered.

This would hardly be her first time and so her nerves were not of the 'Dear GG, I'm a virgin, what do I do?' variety, however, it was certainly no secret Chuck was well experienced and therefore had to have a certain set of expectations when it came to his lovers and what they could offer and do. What if she didn't measure up?

Furthermore, what if all of this between them was just excellent foreplay and once the deed was done, he lost all interest? It certainly wouldn't be a first for him and the thought of being tossed to the side like Iz and so many others made her stomach sink.

Sensing a shift in Odette's mood, Chuck's brows furrow in concern, "I was only joking. These results don't mean - I don't want you to feel... like you're obligated..."

"I don't feel obligated." Shaking her head, her eyes fall to the table before looking back up at him, "You know where I stand here. I like you and," glancing around for a moment, she suddenly leans forward on her elbows to whisper, "I definitely want to have sex with you. I don't feel obligated to anything."

Even just hearing her say the word sex made him hard. He was a hormonal high school guy so pretty much the word sex in any context turned him on but this was especially true when it was rolling off Odette's tongue.

"Your dad is here?"

"What?"

Nothing could kill his mood faster than thinking about Bart though.

Watching her, he can see that Odette's eyes are locked on a couple across the restaurant from them.

"Yeah. I think he's on a date."

"We should leave."

"Wait!" her mouth drops as she gets a better look at Bart's company for the evening, "That's Lily Van Der Woodsen. Are they dating?"

Running his fingers through his hair nervously, Chuck does his best to remain nonchalant. Although, acting indifferent about his father's affairs hardly required much effort on his part. "I suppose she might be his latest flavor of the month. I wouldn't think too much of it, Bart doesn't do serious relationships."

"Like father, like son."

"Let's get out of here, seriously. I need to meet up with my dealer." He didn't but he needed a quick exit from this entire situation. After he had walked in on the older couple kissing in Bart's office a couple of months back, his father had warned him not to breathe a word of it to anyone. And he hadn't. But wasn't that just his luck to run into Bart here of all places? "Please stop staring or they'll see you."

"Oh!" Quickly diverting her eyes, Odette glances to Chuck nervously, "They already have." Looking back in the direction of the couple, both Bart and Lily are now staring directly at her with varying stages of shock clear on their face. Now feeling extremely embarrassed for being caught gawking over them, Odette tries her best to play it off and offers a small wave.

"Well, we have to go say hi now."

"No, we don't." The tone of Chuck's voice matched his annoyed expression.

Not that it did much to phase Odette.

"Yes, we do. It would be so much weirder if we didn't."

"Hm, I don't think things can get weirder than catching my father out on a date with Serena's mom."

"Well, who knows. The nights still young!" Standing up from her seat, Odette gives him a hard stare, "I'm going to say hi. You can sit here and look like a weirdo, or you can come with."

There was an abundance of things he would rather do right now than to have to walk over to Bart's table, but Odette was really leaving him no choice.

Feeling a mixture of frustration and nerves, he downs the remainder of his drink before pushing himself out of his chair and letting his feet carry him in the direction of the older couple's table.

"Good evening Ms. Van Der Woodsen, Mr. Bass." Odette smiles at both adults as sweetly as she can muster. In fact, her cheekbones almost felt sore from the force in which she was making herself beam.

Chuck arrives at the table only a few beats behind Odette but instead of repeating her greetings, he only offers a small nod.

"Hello, Odette, Charles," Lily offers them both a tight smile. As friendly as she pretended to be it was all too obvious how uncomfortable she felt being caught out like this, by the two of them. "I didn't know you two liked to eat here?" As she speaks, Lily's eyes flicker over to Bart.

"I had no idea." He clarifies under his breath to her. Clearing his throat, he looks over the two teenagers quizzically, "Enjoying yourselves?'

Everything about this interaction felt forced and painfully awkward and Chuck was seriously regretting ever bringing Odette to this restaurant in the first place.

Why had she put any of them in this situation?

Assessing everyone's mood, Odette delicately tries to find a way to maneuver the conversation in a more comfortable direction. "Yes, the food here is so good and the company is alright, I guess." she playfully nudges Chuck before directing her attention back to Bart and Lily, "How about you two?" Before either party can answer, she continues, "I feel like I have to address the elephant in the room..."

"You don't." Chuck practically hisses at her.

Glancing over at Chuck, then back to the adults, Odette carries on, "My grandmother was utterly devastated that The Astor House was unable to host the debutante ball this year. As I'm sure Ms. Van der Woodsen explained to you, Mr. Bass, it has been held there for decades now and considering the debutante ball is all about bestowing young women into high society and perfecting their good graces while teaching the history of Cotillion, well, there's a lot of tradition involved and you can imagine why those directly involved with planning it were so heartbroken to have to move the event out of the esteemed Astor House."

Standing beside where his father was seated, Chuck's eyes periodically flickered from Odette to Bart. Having no real clue as to where Odette was going with this story he wanted to make sure he could get a good read on his father that way he could craft the perfect escape.

Depending on how this went maybe he could use the caterer's entrance in the kitchen? That would spit him out on 45th and from there he could make his great escape.

"As beautiful and historically significant at The Astor House has been to the debutante ball, I think the Palace hosting the event is a fantastic change and will surely help usher in this new era to better fit the debs of today. The Palace is a Manhattan icon and quite frankly, it's much bigger and nicer." This comment earned her a rare chuckle from Bart Bass. Throwing her hands up, Odette continues to play aloof while also playing to Bart's own ego. "What is possibly being sacrificed in terms of tradition, you gain in ambiance. Astor House was so outdated, and since you've purchased the Palace you've done such an incredible job restoring it to its original beauty while still giving it a real sense of modernity, Mr. Bass." Looking around at Bart, Lily, and Chuck, she waits for each of them to offer some form of agreement.

Clearing his throat, Bart finally speaks up, "You know, I caught a lot of flack for some of the renovations I did after purchasing that specific piece of property and I appreciate that others can see the vision I had."

"Well, how could they not. Ms. Van der Woodsen?" directing her attention to Lily now, she carries on, "Lord knows, I adore my grandmother but even I can't imagine how difficult it must be to be on the board with so many women like her. You're a saint." Lily Van der Woodsen was easily one of the youngest women on the Debutante committee. Being that outnumbered likely meant she had very little say in most of the planning. "And in this case, a savior. Striking up a business relationship with Mr. Bass was genius and without you pursuing him on this venture, who knows what kind of a bargain-barn the Cotillion might have been stuck with. As far as I'm concerned, all the women on that committee and every single deb and their parents should be kissing the ground you walk on."

Chuck was in awe watching Odette. She spoke with such confidence and eloquence, that it was easy to buy into what she was selling and by the pleased expressions on both his fathers and Lily's faces, it was clear they were eating up every word out of her mouth.

'Business relationship.'

A shallow breath escapes Lily before she manages a controlled chortle, "You are giving me entirely too much credit, dear, but thank you."

Reaching for her glass of Masseto, Lily takes several long gulps as the feeling of relief washes over every inch of her body. She had been so sure that she was caught red-handed and that Odette would run off and tell Serena every detail about seeing her out on a date with Bart Bass, but thankfully, no one would be the wiser.

'Business relationship!'

The thought causes her to laugh once more.

Bart was feeling the same sense of relief as Lily, knowing that their relationship could continue to stay a secret, but unsurprisingly, his mannerisms never relaxed in the way hers did. Even though he was out on a date with a woman whose company he enjoyed and regardless of the fact he was feeling good from the compliments Odette had given him, Bart's posture remained mostly rigid and his disposition, cold.

Satisfied with her performance, Odette now makes her move for a quick, painless, exit.

"I don't want to take up any more of your time but seeing you both here I felt the need to pay you the respects I believe you both are owed."

Looking across the table to Chuck, she beckons him with her eyes.

Everything about her presence right now was so commanding - the confidence in her voice and the authority in which she stared at him. Chuck prided himself in feeling in control of his interactions with women and he felt a real sense of power in always having the upper hand. However, watching Odette behave so dominantly was making him feel things. She was clearly the boss here. Controlling the narrative and calling the shots and everything about that was attracting him to her even more.

"Right, we were actually just heading out when Odette spotted you."

"Of course," Giving his son a short glance, Bart focuses back on Odette, "Considering you have such high appreciation and respect for the debutant ball, I take it we will be seeing you tomorrow night, Odette?"

Odette could explain that she had spent the last week lamenting over the fact that Chuck was escorting Raquel Fusilier and that it would be a cold day in Hell before she would miss the opportunity of getting to put her eyes on the virgin anal-queen, maybe she'd even get their thoughts on how someone could be both a virgin and an anal queen? But none of that was information that Bart Bass or Lily Van der Woodsen needed to be privy to, so instead, she kept it short and sweet, "Wouldn't miss it!"

As Chuck moves in Odette's direction, Lily speaks up once more, "Oh, I almost forgot! Charles, were you able to get those tickets for the Ballet?"

"The ballet?" Both Bart and Odette look to Chuck with varying degrees of confusion as they speak in near-perfect unison.

Bart knew the importance of networking and rubbing elbows with the right type of people. He was new money and therefore had to work extra hard at being accepted by the old money society on the Upper East Side. He was on various committees, a member of Manhattans most distinguished rotary club, and gave lots of money and support to the arts.

All, except Ballet.

He preferred to tell people that it 'just wasn't his thing' but Chuck knew the truth. Reminiscent of Chuck's own thoughts and feelings, he knew anything relating to ballet reminded Bart of Evelyn and those memories were all too painful for him to bear.

Chuck wasn't used to not having the exclusive in on big events happening in the city so when he was unsuccessful in procuring tickets to the ballet himself, he sought help from Lily who he had heard from Serena was a part of the committee for the New York City Ballet. His last name meant nothing and helped nothing in this situation, but Lily being who she was, managed to find him the perfect seats for an already booked and sold-out performance.

"Right, well I hadn't gotten around to telling you yet," Chuck's eyes focus on Odette, "but Lily, um, Ms. Van der Woodsen, assisted me with getting tickets to New York City Ballet. They're doing Swan Lake in the spring and that was your Secret Santa gift."

He was in no way ashamed of this gift. There was more significance behind this gesture than even Odette could fathom, however, at this moment, speaking on it in front of his father, felt extremely exposing if not, degrading.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Odette could feel her insides swimming. She always worked extra hard to remain cool and collected around him, to not ever seem like putty in his hands or foolishly charmed like so many of the other girls that came before her, but then he said things like that and it was game over. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and thank him in some over-the-top way. However, knowing him in the way she did, she knew she shouldn't. Furthermore, she could sense the discomfort he was feeling. So instead of making a big commotion about how much she loved this gift, she continued to play things just right. "That sounds like fun. Very cool gift." Her fingers instinctively trace the delicate swan-shaped diamonds of her bracelet as she offers him a gentle smile.

"I apologize for ruining the surprise, I'm so mortified." Lily rubs her temples before giving both teenagers a weak smile.

"Well, we ruined your dinner, so only fair I suppose."

Shaking her head, Lily reaches forward and gives Chuck's hand a small squeeze, "Nonsense, talking with the two of you has been lovely. I hope you both have a wonderful rest of your evening."

"You too."

With a final nod to both adults, Chuck and Odette turn away and head back in the direction of their table. Once they are a fair distance away Chuck mutters to her, "That was painful."

"I didn't think it was that bad. Plus, I think I totally saved it. No way do they suspect me of knowing anything. You're welcome."

Pulling out his wallet, Chuck throws a couple of hundreds down next to his empty scotch glass, "Definitely not. Now they just assume you are the biggest Cotillion enthusiast that ever was." Smirking to himself, he quickly replays the conversation in his head, "And I thought Blair was the master of manipulation and ass-kissing."

"Please, Blair has nothing on me." Odette rolls her eyes in humor as she collects Chuck's golden ticket from where she left it on the table.

"Nobody does, Swan."

He meant that.

Odette was certainly something special and in turn, he felt extremely unworthy and subpar in comparison.

"Thank you for saving it back there."

He could harp on the fact that he and his father had been somewhat getting along lately and explain that it would be unfortunate for that to end because he unintentionally exposed Bart and Lily's romance, but he didn't need to. He appreciated that about Odette. She never pushed for more in search of her own sense of validation. There were no ulterior motives to her gestures and she wouldn't expect anything from him in return. All of this was so rare in their circle and it had been a long time since someone had done something kind for Chuck without expecting something back from him in return.

"Hey, I'd save your ass anytime." Giving him a small wink, Odette walks ahead of him and towards the front door.

Before following her, Chuck looks over his shoulder back at Lily and Bart.

The two of them looked to be engaged in a deep conversation and Chuck was taken aback to see his father crack an almost warm smile. As a couple, they looked intimate and happy and it was strange for him to see Bart in that way but it also felt relieving. If Bart Bass could find someone to care for him and crack open his icy heart, there was obvious hope for Chuck as well.

Turning away from Bart and Lily, Chuck can see that Odette had stopped walking ahead and was waiting for him near the hostess stand. As she stood there, staring off absentmindedly, she continued to play with her bracelet.

The bracelet he had gifted her.

The gift and interaction that had kind of started all of this between them.

A sense of comfort washes through him as he makes his way in her direction. As he approaches her, her eyes light up and he can feel a twinge in his chest.

Perhaps it was the cracking open of his own icy heart.

[Friday, 8:35 P.M]

"That 1989-1990 season was unmatched, I'm telling you!"

"Yeah, that was also their last winning season, so..."

Howard Archibald's boisterous laughter could probably be heard down the wing, but he didn't care. He was so used to living his life toning himself down to better suit the world in which he resided, but he didn't need to do that in rehab. Everyone here was battling their own demons and had their own problems to deal with, they didn't care if he talked loud, or if he had the mouth of a sailor. They couldn't care less if he kept up with the latest on Wall Street or in Washington. No one here expected anything from him other than for him to be working on bettering himself and that brought a sense of comfort and relief to Howard that he hadn't known in years.

"You shouldn't make fun of your old man's alma mater like that. Besides, one day, that'll be your basketball team your trash talking."

Nate's smile falters as he watches his dad finish the remainder of his jello cup.

It was interesting that even after everything that had happened his father hadn't changed his opinion on Dartmouth. He was as steadfast and unwavering as ever.

Blair looks between the two men, briefly, as she rises from her seat, "You seemed to like that jello cup, Captain. How about I see if I can snag you another?"

"You know, I actually heard they give some of the better-behaved patients, brownies. Think you can track me down one of those?"

"Dad?" Nate almost wants to laugh at what a ridiculous proposition it was, but before he can say anything Blair agrees and is out the door in search of the decadent baked goods.

Shaking his head in dismay, Nate looks back to his father, "Well, you're in good hands, I'd say. Blair Waldorf rarely doesn't get what she wants."

Staying silent for a moment, Howard nods before speaking.

"I'd say you're solid proof of that." Glancing from the empty doorway back to Nate, he continues, "You two seem to be doing good."

Despite what Nate might have thought, Howard and Anne weren't completely unaware of his displeasure with his relationship in the last year or so. He had always assumed they didn't know since they always pushed Blair and the relationship on him, but in truth, they pushed Blair and the relationship so hard because they knew he was pulling back from it and her. Maybe that made them terrible parents but they did what they thought was best. Blair Waldorf came from a great family and on paper, she was the perfect girlfriend for Nate.

It was completely normal for a boy his age to grow bored and wonder about what else was out there, discreetly explore it even, but ultimately Blair was the one he needed to come back to. Blair was the one they wanted for him and so they pushed him back to her time and time again.

And clearly, their light meddling had paid off because, for the first time in a long time, Nate actually seemed happy to have the young brunette around.

"We are doing good. Great, even." Clearing his throat lightly, Nate attempts to discreetly gauge his father's reaction as he continues, "I'm escorting her to Cotillion tomorrow night, actually."

Howard was mainly focused on the muted tennis match playing on the hanging television, but he gives Nate an affirming nod, "Are you? That's great, son. I'm sure your mother is thrilled."

"Yeah, she is." Breathing out a small sigh of relief, Nate chews on the cap of his water bottle as he thinks over his next words, carefully, "How are you doing, Dad? Honestly?"

Caught off guard by this question from his son, who he usually didn't take for much of an in-depth thinker, Howard's eyes flicker from the screen to meet Nate's hard stare. He could recognize the way his almost identical green-toned eyes searched his own for answers, explanations for all of this. But he had none. Not yet, anyway. Besides, if he actually answered his question, Nate might not like the response he'd get.

How would his son feel if he knew he was doing great, but not for the reasons he thinks?

He wasn't doing great because he was enjoying the process of getting clean. He was doing great because he realized he preferred living in a place like this with no one around to really bother him. Sure, he talks to his groups and counselors, but that wasn't as bad as having to listen to Anne talk about the bullshit nonsense she usually went on about. It was a bit of a struggle to go cold turkey and be sober but it was easier when he wasn't forced to go to a job every day that made him want to blow his brains out.

How would it sound to Nate if he told him he was doing better than he had been in a really long time?

Maybe, ever?

"Oh, you know, taking it day by day."

As Nate opens his mouth to say something, Blair confidently strolls back through the door, "Look what I got for you." Lifting her left hand from behind her back she reveals a neatly, saran-wrapped, brownie.

"But, I've gotta admit it, the days that you bring Blair are probably the best."

Watching as his girlfriend walks the chocolate dessert over to his father and the two of them engage in their own conversation, Nate smiles to himself.

Clearly, he was an idiot for resisting such a good thing all this time but he wasn't going to make that mistake anymore. This entire situation with the Captain had shown him how much Blair truly cared and how lucky he was to have her. He would be an idiot to push her love aside any longer and at this point, he knew he owed her big time.

This is why he was determined to make Cotillion a night to remember.

[Saturday, 10:24 A.M]

As much as Serena detested Cotillion and all it stood for, she was also somewhat looking forward to the production of it all.

Not that she'd ever outright admit to it.

Being into these types of social events was much more on-brand for Blair, rather than herself, but she couldn't deny she loved an excuse to get done up and show out.

Leaning against the bar in her family's suite, she sips on her orange juice as she eyes the dress that is currently taking up most of the space in the already cramped living room.

White was the traditional color for any debutant but Serena was anything but traditional. Her one rule in agreeing to this whole thing, for her grandmother's sake, was that she had full control over what dress she wore. CeCe and Lily weren't keen on the idea but they eventually gave in, knowing it was the only way to get her to debut. No doubt they assumed the worst of her and figured she'd choose some garish or provocative number. Something that would make the point that although she was debuting, she didn't exemplify anything of what a debutant should. Old her would have loved the opportunity to cause a scene and create a buzz by wearing some truly scandalous number. However, the new her had learned that not all press was good press and she'd much rather have people looking at her with envy rather than contempt.

Serena had always been beautiful. She could play coy, as some girls do, but why bother? She knew she was gorgeous, she knew most guys lusted after her because of it and she knew that's also why most girls hated her as much as they did. She didn't care though, not really. If anything, her beauty and the effect it had on others made her feel powerful.

She could never be top of her class academically and she wasn't involved in really any sort of extracurricular, but she knew with absolute certainty, that she was one of, if not the most, beautiful and popular girls on the Upper East Side and that made her feel important and like she mattered.

Her dress for Cotillion needed to emulate the way she felt and the way she knew others saw her - once they looked past her sordid history. As one of the Palace Hotel staff members carefully steams her dress, she watches the way the aureate fabric shimmers when the light catches it just right. Her lips curl into a small smile against her glass as she imagines how she'll look tonight.

In a sea of white her dress was going to stand out and that's exactly what she wanted.

As much as she might like to pretend she didn't like the attention she'd been receiving all of her teenaged-life, she loved the celebrity that Gossip Girl had brought her. She loved attention in general. She was still learning that not all attention was good but this dress felt like a happy medium.

Sure, it would piss a lot of people off but only because they were jealous of how beautiful it was and in turn, how beautiful she was, and that was something she could live with.

She didn't even care to participate in the stupid Cotilion, she was only going to please her grandmother, so, why shouldn't she be allowed to be the belle of the ball while doing it?

Sitting her glass back down on the bar, she turns on her heels and heads in the direction of her room.

Variously sized boxes were still scattered across the space, filled to the brim with miscellaneous things.

Despite being here for months, she still hadn't gotten around to unpacking.

Being this unsettled, and disorganized, made getting ready sometimes unbearable but she didn't have it in her to unpack all the way because she knew the Palace wasn't going to be her forever home and she loathed settling in somewhere only for Lily to uproot them like she always had. To her, choosing to not unpack was a way for her to create a mental wall and not get attached to any one place.

Not that she could really see herself getting attached to the Palace hotel...

The suite they had been staying in was basically Chuck's suite with just two extra rooms and being here tended to give her war flashbacks to some of her less than admirable moments. Most of which seemed to go down in Chuck's Den of Depravity and Degradation.

The marble bar top where they'd eat most of their meals looked strikingly similar to the one she used to snort line after line off of. The couches her family would sit and watch tv together on were identical to the ones she used to sit bare naked on during games of strip poker - which she always lost, usually purposefully. And the beds and sheets that she slept in night after night were identical to the ones she had rolled around in with various guys over the years.

Everything about this suite was triggering in that it reminded her of all the parts of herself that she had wanted to escape and all that she didn't want to be anymore.

She steps over one of the larger cardboard boxes that block her path to the bed before plopping herself down on the cushioned surface. She tries to find the most comfortable position for a quick nap, but before she can fully settle in her phone begins to ring.

Looking over the unfamiliar number, twice, she recognizes it is a Connecticut area code.

She had attended boarding school there, for a very short time, and had been emailing them about faxing her transcripts since the start of the year. If she wasn't able to procure the transcript she couldn't prove that she had already received a credit in calculus and would be forced to retake the class again next year. She had been trying to get in contact with someone from that school for a while but she hadn't heard anything until just now.

Still, better late than never.

"Hi, this is Serena."

"Good Morning, Ms. Van der Woodsen. This is Felicity."

"Felicity?"

That name did not sound familiar and she certainly wasn't on a first-name basis with any of the staff at her old school.

"Yes. I'm with the Norwalk-Hope Agency."

As the name rings through her ears, Serena feels herself go numb as time seems to stand still.

"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number. Please don't contact me again." As she moves to hang up, she can feel her hands tremble. The woman on the other end of the line continued on, trying desperately to keep her from ending the call but she did it anyway.

She had to.

Had she stayed on that call for even a second longer she was sure she'd pass out.

Springing out of her bed she runs to the nearest bathroom and instantly begins splashing her face with cold water. She was clamming up as she replayed the short message in her head.

Why had they contacted her?

Before she can think about it much more she feels the juice from this morning quickly working its way back up. Kneeling down to the floor she holds her messy blonde hair back as she begins to throw up. However, having consumed very little over the past twenty-four hours, her body didn't have enough to dispel, and instead, she began to violently dry heave as Felicity's voice played over and over again in her head.

I'm with the Norwalk-Hope Agency.

With the Norwalk-Hope Agency.

The Norwalk-Hope Agency.

Norwalk-Hope Agency.

[Saturday, 7:50 P.M.]

Like most of the girls in attendance tonight, Is had been dreaming about Cotilion since she was young. Well, young-er. Although what Cotilion stood for was seen as a bit outdated, she personally loved the rich history that came with it.

Is had developed a deep love and appreciation for all things traditional. It was part of what had inspired her love for the piano. Her mother liked to brag that she was an old soul but in truth, knowing very little about her own personal history made her cling to the history of all other things, that much more.

Walt and Jacqueline Coates had devoted most of their life to their respective careers. Walt was a wealthy movie producer and Jacqueline had been something of a Hollywood star back in her day. The two of them lived their lives just this way for a long time - only having to worry about each other and growing their finances. However, once Jacqueline got to a certain age she stopped booking parts, parts she wanted, anyway, and so she decided to pour all of her attention into growing their family. However, this didn't come easy. Not only was it incredibly difficult for her to get pregnant, being well over the age of forty would make her an automatic high-risk pregnancy and therefore every doctor persuaded her from trying. Eventually, the couple looked to adoption and that is how they ended up with Isabel.

Is was only a baby when she was adopted and didn't remember anything about her life prior to that, which did bother her to a degree but overall she was grateful for the affluent lifestyle Walt and Jacqueline had granted her with.

They doted on her endlessly and gave her practically anything her heart desired, however, she still tended to feel like she didn't totally belong in their family or their world.

Being a person of color raised by white parents wasn't easy.

Being a person of color in a mostly white friend group wasn't easy either.

Everyone liked to poke fun at how close Kati and Is were but in a way, it felt like their shared experiences of being minorities in their group of friends had pushed them together.

Sure, Penelope loved to remind them both that she was in fact part Iranian, but for the most part, she was white-passing. She didn't have any features that really made her stand out to the point that people would question her, at least.

It wasn't the same and she couldn't possibly understand.

It was shocking to say the very least that New York could have such a wide range of cultures and ethnicities and yet Constance Billard was a predominantly white school with very few minorities.

St. Judes was also a predominantly white school filled with white boys who mostly sought after only the white girls.

It was incredibly disheartening to develop a crush or feelings for someone and them be willing to go out with you or hook up, but never date or take you seriously. Maybe it wasn't because of the color of her skin but that's how it always felt.

As moved on as she was from her situation with Chuck she certainly couldn't deny that it hurt to see him give everything she had wanted, and more, to Odette. Although, she certainly wasn't the first or last girl to feel used by Chuck Bass, nonetheless, seeing him be not even just affectionate, but kind, to the pretty blonde with blue eyes and fair skin, cut a little extra deep.

Isabel was not ashamed of her skin color but she did sometimes feel less than being the only black girl in her mostly white friend group. How was she supposed to compete with the Blair, Serena, and Odette's of the world? She couldn't.

At least, that's how she tended to feel.

The worst part of all of this was that even if she wanted to ditch this crew and start running with others, she never felt like she belonged with them either. She knew there were other girls that looked more like her and could relate to her everyday struggles. A few attended Constance and the other schools but they didn't fully accept Is either.

Being raised by white parents and only being friends with mostly white girls made her not black enough for other black people and yet she felt too black for her current friends.

Need she forget the time at Blair's annual sleepover when Hazel tried to do her hair and ended up turning it into a rats nest because of course, she couldn't understand the care that's needed when dealing with 3A hair. How could she?

Beyond her frustration with them, she was also angry with herself. She knew nothing about where she came from and therefore had no clue how to show appreciation or respect to it, which in turn made her almost feel like a race traitor.

As much as Kati might understand what it's like to be a minority she at least was raised and surrounded by her Asian-American family. She still had people that understood her and her culture and traditions.

Is was a person of color, raised by white parents and she didn't connect to her white or black side. She fell exactly in the middle of the two and in turn, fell nowhere with no one and it was a terribly lonely spot to be in life.

But no one would be the wiser.

Most people wrote Is off as being vapid and self-indulged, maybe even a bit of an airhead, but that wasn't true. Not really.

The truth was, Is went through life adjusting and toning herself down to fit the people she surrounded herself with. She was constantly putting on shows trying to prove to everyone, and herself, that she belonged regardless of how much she felt it wasn't true. She had been doing this for so long that it tended to feel almost second nature to her now. She preferred it that way though, it made everything easier. Unfortunately, just as easy as it was to forget her insecurities and struggles with her self-identity, she could also be just as easily reminded.

This was especially true when she saw Bobby making a pass at one of the girls from Dalton. Is didn't recognize the porcelain-skinned brunette but it was likely that the image of Bobby's hand trailing down her waist as he whispered in her ear would be burned in her brain moving forward. Just yet another example of someone she cared for so easily showing affection to someone who wasn't her and certainly wasn't her skin tone.

Maybe the color of her skin and their skin didn't matter but in these moments it always would feel like it did.

How could it not?

Approaching the two of them, Is tries to force a smile, "Hey, I've been looking for you." As she speaks, Bobby instantly retracts himself from the other girl and nervously runs his fingers through his hair, "My parents want to take pictures of us before they head out."

"Yeah? Let's do it." Despite previously looking so interested in the other girl, Bobby was now completely ignoring her as he offered his arm out to Is.

Looking between the two of them, Is's eyes settle on the other girl. She smirks to herself as the brunette refuses to keep eye contact. She couldn't deny that it made her feel slightly better. "Let's." Nodding in agreement, Is takes Bobby's arm and lets him lead her back to the main room.

She could address the obvious and let him know that she didn't appreciate his flirty behavior back there and tell him that he needed to take her more seriously and show her more respect.

But, she wouldn't.

There was no point.

She had been down this road too many times before. She knew how that story ended and as sad as it might be, she'd rather be dating someone that didn't fully respect her than to be single and lonely.

[Saturday, 8:05 P.M.]

Standing on one of the upper-level balconies gave both Mackenzie and Cortney a great view of the event happening down below. From there, they were both able to scan the area in search of the youngest Humphrey and despite how crowded the main ballroom of the Palace hotel was it surprisingly didn't take long for Cortney to spot Jenny.

Mackenzie stayed on Cortney's heels as she guided her past the hoards of well-dressed teenagers in the direction of her sister.

"Well, well, I spy with my little eye a little J..." Despite being the same age as Jenny, Cortney felt a vast sense of superiority to her and that was obvious in the condescending tone in her voice.

Ever since the Kiss on the Lips party at the beginning of the year, Cortney had felt she was in an unspoken competition with Jenny Humphrey. Maybe it was because they were both the younger ones of Blair's little posse. Or maybe it was just because she felt threatened by Jenny's general likability. Either way, the point was, she wasn't a fan of the youngest Humphrey..

However, now Jenny's big sister had serious ammunition against her and so she needed to play nice for a while. At least when Mackenzie was around.

"Crashing events really is your forte, huh?" Odette cracks a small smile as she offers Mackenzie a wave.

Taking a deep breath, Mackenzie's cheeks start to glow red as she attempts to hide her embarrassment, "I know, we have to stop meeting like this."

Looking between her sister and the older Humphrey girl, Cortney smiles, "Great, you all already know each other? Guess my job here is done." Turning to Mackenzie, Cortney gives her a knowing look, "It was nice to meet you."

"You too." Catching the look, Mack gives her a nod of reassurance, as if to reinforce that what she had witnessed in the bathroom would stay between them. Once Cortney moves to walk away, Mackenzie directs her attention back to Jenny.

"What are you doing here, Kenzie?"

"Oh no, that's my question for you."

As Cortney moves away from the trio, she almost instantly begins to search the crowd for Kati. She was no doubt on the verge of an emotional breakdown, most likely assuming the worst and that Mackenzie was going to rat them out to Jenny. As bad as she felt that Kati was likely so upset, she also reveled in the fact she'd be able to deliver the good news that their secret was in fact safe.

Being so focused on Kati and the situation at hand had left Cort completely unaware of anything outside of that small bubble. However, as she is roughly shoulder checked, she's instantly pulled from her thoughts and placed back into reality.

"Ouch! Watch i-" Rubbing her tender shoulder, Cortney isn't able to finish her thoughts as she comes face to face with Benji.

She had mostly avoided the St. Judes senior in all capacities and therefore hadn't been this close to him since her assault. Being within inches of him now made her feel instantly claustrophobic. No amount of distance between them was truly far enough for her, but being face to face with him felt her like her own version of a living Hell. She felt her head start to spin as her chest heaved in an attempt to take in rapid breaths.

Instant panic set in and wiped out any prior emotions or thoughts she might have had.

Her nerves and fear must have been easily recognizable because before she could think of anything to say, the girl standing next to Benji speaks up, "What's going on? Who is this?"

Cort's eyes flicker from him to her and back again. She can see a look of fear behind Benji's round eyes, but it's fleeting.

"How the fuck would I know?"

"Well, she clearly looks like she knows you."

"No, what's clear is that your jealousy is talking right now, babe. I've never met this girl in my life." Giving Coco a quick look over, he addresses her, "Rando, please tell my very insecure girlfriend that we've never met."

Looking at him felt like looking in the face of the Devil.

It made her insides turn to ice and yet simultaneously burn with rage.

She could punch him.

She should punch him.

He was a monster amongst men and he absolutely deserved to be punched. He deserved a lot of terrible things, really. Yet, none of it would likely be equivalent to how awful he made her feel during not only the assault but all this time after.

He had taken so much from her and yet had the gall to stand here before her and act like he never even met her.

He'd been inside her, forcefully, and had the nerve to stand there, look her in the eyes, and call her a random.

As her blood boiled beneath her skin, she felt her insides begin to shake. She felt pure rage coarse through her so strong that it made her teeth start to chatter.

Considering how much she hated him, she expected a string of profanities to come spilling from her lips but as she opens her mouth to speak, a soft tone that didn't even seem comparable to her regular voice spills out, "We've never met..."

Before anything else can be said or questioned, Cortney turns in the opposite direction and walks away as quickly as she can.

She needed to get far, far away from him.

Having witnessed the whole thing from where they were standing, Kati and Is quickly follow behind Cortney. Both girls rub circles into her back in an attempt to comfort her. Though they had no way of knowing what she was needing comfort for.

"He has a girlfriend." Cortney can barely get the words out as she tries to control her breathing pattern. The weight and pain she currently felt in her chest felt comparable to what she assumed a heart attack would feel like.

Everything inside her hurt.

"He's a jerk."

"You're so much prettier than her."

Closing her eyes, Cortney fights the urge to break down in tears.

Of course, her friends assumed her statement about him having a girlfriend stemmed from jealousy or sadness over Benji's unrequited feelings but in fact, she was horrified that someone like him could have a girlfriend. If he was twisted enough to do what he had to her, a stranger, no telling what kind of depraved behavior he unleashed on his poor girlfriend.

Although, she did consider that he could be great to his girlfriend and saved his depravity for stupid girls like herself but that thought almost made her angrier.

Which felt wrong and selfish on every level. She shouldn't wish his terrible behavior on anyone else but she also desperately didn't want to feel as alone in all this as she had been lately.

She'd like to think Benji was terrible to everyone but if he wasn't then why had he done what he did?

Why her?

Why did he choose to hurt her?

What had she done to deserve this?

It was the same questions she'd been tirelessly asking herself since it happened and she still couldn't understand.

As it all begins to sink in, flashbacks of that night play out in her head and a small, pained, whine escapes her lips as the tears she'd been fighting to hold back begin to spill down her cheeks.

Why her?

[Saturday, 8:10 P.M.]

Crossing her arms firmly over her chest, Mackenzie debates tapping her foot for dramatic effect, "Well? I'm waiting."

"Look, I know you're upset but it's not fair that Dan was allowed to come when he thinks Cotillion is stupid. I'm the one that actually appreciates the art of it and wants to be able to participate in any way that I can. So, when Ms. Van Der Woodsen offered to let me be a junior assistant, I couldn't turn it down. It's such a great opportunity!"

"A great opportunity, for what? To social climb?" Mackenzie stares at her younger sister pointedly, "I'd respect you so much more if you were just honest."

Looking between the two sisters, Odette sucks in a deep breath, "Right... so I should probably go, guys."

"No, Odette, stay." Jenny's tone goes up an octave as her annoyance grows. "How am I not being honest, Kenzie?"

"You want to be like the girls you go to school with so bad that you're willing to abandon your morals."

"My morals? Are you joking? God, you sound just like mom."

The disgust in Jenny's tone was palpable.

"I agree with you that it's unfair for them to have let Dan come and given you such a hard time about it but you've gone about this in the entirely wrong way. Your choice to be blatantly defiant cancels out any leeway you might have earned, don't you see that?"

"Stop talking to me like mom! You are not mom. Just act like you're my sister!"

"Well, as your sister, I think you're being extremely selfish and immature."

"Well, as your sister, I think you're being a huge bitch."

Mackenzie's face falters as Jenny's words land. As much as the two of them had fought over the years, Jenny had never called her a name like that.

The disappointment was clear in her tone, "I know you're better than what you're behaving like right now, Jen. We're leaving, now."

"Can you just let me finish? I was in the middle of trying to tell Odette something."

As her name is mentioned, Odette looks between the two sisters once again, "Oh, it's okay Jenny. You should probably listen to your sister."

"No, you should probably listen to me if you know what's good for you!"

"Jen!" Mackenzie's eyes grow wide in horror over her sister's terrible manners. "Odette, I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into her."

Shrugging, Odette smiles to Mackenzie, "No biggie. Little sister drama, right?" She tosses her a small wink at the callback to their first conversation.

Having not been present for Odette and Mackenzie's first meeting at the Rockefeller Christmas party, Jenny wasn't privy to this inside joke between the two older girls and watching Odette seemingly mock her after she was belittled by Mackenzie, pushed her over the edge. "You're making fun of me?"

Hearing the anger and frustration in Jenny's normally timid voice, shocked Odette.

"What? No, I didn't mean it like th-"

Cutting her off, Jenny stares at Odette coldly, "I'm here trying to be a good person and tell you what's been going on behind your back and you're mocking me? I thought you were supposed to be the nice one? I was willing to put my neck on the line to tell you about Blair and Chuck because I felt bad for you. Maybe I shouldn't have?"

"What?" Odette shakes her head in slight dismay. Jenny had been apparently trying to get these words out for a while and for her to reveal it out of anger, and almost in passing, felt extremely jarring, "Blair and Chuck? What are you talking about?"

Seeing the concern in Odette's eyes, brought Jenny back down a level or two. Regardless of her feelings, that wasn't how she had planned to give her the news.

"Nothing, let's just forget I said anything."

"Jenny." Mackenzie doesn't say anything more than her name, but the look in her eyes was telling. She wasn't going to let Jenny run away from this. She started this and she was going to finish it.

"That wasn't how I wanted to say it, I'm sorry. But, I overheard Blair talking to Serena in the bathroom and they were both openly talking about how Blair had...like, slept with Chuck..." Jenny looks around cautiously. Almost scared that Blair would suddenly appear - sensing that Jenny was revealing her deepest, darkest, secrets. "I don't want to betray Blair but I did feel like I owed you for the situation at Kiss on the Lips. So, I guess we're even now."

Mackenzie didn't know these people at all. Some of the names sounded familiar, others not so much. Trying to keep up with whatever drama was currently going on was pointless for her. However, hearing Jenny's last point did pique her interest, "Wait, what is Kiss on the Lips and what happened there?"

Odette wasn't listening to Mackenzie or Jenny anymore. Her head was rapidly spinning as she attempted to let her brain process this influx of information.

Chuck...?

And Blair?

Blair and Chuck.

She truly couldn't wrap her brain around the thought of them together.

They hated one another so fervently. It didn't make any sense for this to have happened?

As her head continues to spin, her eyes and mind drift away from Jenny Humphrey. She looks around at the various passersby before her eyes settle upon Chuck. He was still standing across the room, in deep conversation with his friends, and didn't have the slightest clue what was being said about him to Odette. However, he must've felt her eyes on him because, after a few moments pass, he looks over in her direction and offers her a sly wink.

Her stomach sinks, instantly.

This feeling of betrayal was all too familiar to her.

They had just recovered from the incident with Coco and that hadn't even been real. There was no way for them to come back from this type of blow.

As she is reminded of the Coco situation a small sense of relief washes through her. She had been so confidently certain that Chuck slept with Cortney that she had written him off without even giving him a chance to defend himself. Perhaps this incident with Blair was a total misunderstanding. Was Jenny Humphrey a truly reliable source? At the very least didn't she owe it to him, after what they had gone through with the last incident, to give him the chance to deny it?

Taking several deep breaths, Odette attempts to steady her nerves and moves in Chuck's direction just as the band starts up a new song.

"Hey..." Her words come out almost breathlessly, "Wanna dance?"

Instantly turning away from his friends, he seemed to give her his full attention so easily.

It was small details like this that had in turn allowed her to feel so different from the other girls she had seen him with. Not that in the past he wasn't eager to give any female that caught his eyes attention but with her, it had felt so much more sincere. She wasn't sleeping with him and yet he was sticking around, still giving her that attention.

Chuck Bass was very much a 'one and done' type of guy.

He might be nice or charming to get what he wants out of someone but she had seen on more than one occasion how his attitude towards the girls he was involved with would change once he got that.

It sounded ridiculous, which is why she had never vocalized it, but there was something somewhat appealing about being with someone that wasn't all that nice and yet was always sweet, mostly, to her.

However, she felt pretty naive for feeling such a way now. Because, if Chuck did in fact sleep with Blair not only was he not nice or sweet, he was downright pathological.

"With you? Always."

The devilish glimmer behind his eyes as he spoke to her was there - it was always there. She usually found it tempting or charming but right now, it felt unnerving. Was it really possible she had allowed herself to get so swept up in Chuck and her burgeoning feelings for him that she had become completely blind to the happenings around her? How could she have completely missed this level of betrayal happening right under her nose?

As they danced, Chuck brought their bodies closer by pulling her in by her waist. The ballroom was rather boisterous from a mixture of the social atmosphere and the live music, so for Odette to be able to hear him, Chuck had to speak directly into her ear.

"It's too bad you aren't making your debut yet."

"We'd be so less fragile
If we're made from metal"

"Oh?" It was taking everything in Odette not to explode with questions but she knew she needed to remain calm and not lose her cool. What if it wasn't true? She'd look like an idiot for overreacting, again.

But, what if it is true? Then what?

Her inner thoughts tended to be her biggest adversary. As hard as she was working to remain poised and collected, there was always that little voice in her head and it always sounded so smug.

"And our hearts from iron
And our minds from steel"

"Yeah," Chuck's lips twitch as he noticeably fights the urge to smirk, "because then I could have been your escort, and well, selfishly, I'd love to say I played a critical part in escorting you into womanhood."

His suggestive innuendos were part of his charm, or lack thereof, depending on if you enjoyed being on the receiving end of them, but at this moment it almost made her skin crawl.

Instantly she felt a mixture of sadness and guilt over feeling this way. What if he didn't deserve her judgment?

But, what if he does?

There was that little voice again.

She couldn't possibly carry on with things like this. She was doing her best to get through the night but she was losing her edge and needed answers, now.

"And if we built an army
Full of tender bodies"

"I need to ask you something."

Caught off guard by the sudden change in conversation, Chuck slightly narrows his eyes as he scans her face for some sign as to what this question could be pertaining to.

"Okay? Go ahead."

"Could we love each other?
Would we stop to feel?"

"I heard this..." As the words begin to spill from her lips she feels the knots in her stomach tighten, "sort of silly rumor about you and... Blair, um..." None of this was coming out quite as eloquently as she had hoped but she could chalk that up to nerves.

As hard as it was to keep eye contact with him when she was this anxious she knew she needed to be able to look him in the eyes. Someone as well-spoken and smooth as Chuck could lie, easily, but the eyes were truly the windows to everyone's soul.

His lips could lie but his eyes wouldn't.

His posture didn't stiffen and he did not stutter but as he looked at her, the warmth and care that was previously there and that she had become so accustomed to, was no longer present. Chuck's eyes were dark and he infused as little emotion into his voice as he could manage as he responded, "I think the Humphrey's loft is made out of lead and it's poisoning their brains or something."

"And you want three wishes
One to fly the heavens, one to swim like fishes"

In response to this, Odette released a shallow breath. One that she hadn't even realized she was holding.

So, he knew exactly what she was talking about.

She found some, small, sense of relief in that.

Chuck scoffs condescendingly as he continues, "Because I don't know what other explanation there is for Dan to be spreading such complete bullshit."

"And then one you're saving for a rainy day
If your lover ever takes her love away"

As soon as she hears Dan's name roll off his tongue, everything in her sinks.

"Dan?" Her voice sounds so defeated and meek now.

She watches as Chuck scoffs once more and breaks eye contact with her to look across the room. The anger and annoyance behind his eyes were all too obvious and that, plus his choice to pin this on Dan, told her everything she needed to know.

"Oh my God. You did it." Her voice almost cracks as she struggles to get the words out, "You actually slept with Blair."

It wasn't a question.

Everything about how this interaction had played out told her this was true.

As he looks back at her a look of what almost resembled remorse flashes across his face before his expression turns emotionless once more, "Here we go again with these ridiculous stories. First Coco, now Blair?"

Odette's lips tremble as she speaks, "How could you do this? Why would you..." she can't even get the words out as she feels the tears begin to swell.

Don't do it.

Everything in her was fighting the urge to cry right now. She should be angry, she should be yelling at him, screaming at him, why was she turning into a puddle in his arms? He slept with her best friend, hadn't she suffered enough embarrassment at his hands?

"You say you want to know her like a lover
And undo her damage, she'll be new again"

As Odette begins to tear up, Chuck does his best to remain expressionless.

He couldn't admit to anything.

He had to deny everything.

Immediately, he begins to search the crowd surrounding the dance floor for Blair. Somehow, someway, Odette had become privy to the knowledge that he and Blair had promised each other would be kept secret. Whether he refused to answer her or not, Odette clearly knew which meant it was only a matter of time before Nate would too.

Carefully scanning the crowd, Chuck's eyes finally land on Blair just as she happens to look in his direction. He couldn't say anything and had to hope the look on his face was explanation enough.

They were fucked. They were fucked. They were so, catastrophically, fucked.

[Saturday, 8:20]

Panic.

Blair had never seen this look on Chuck before and yet it was so easy for her to pick up on. Even from across the room.

Serena and Dan had been talking to her about something but at this moment she couldn't even remember what it was. Their voices had trailed away as she watched in horror as Chuck tried to hold Odette close to him as she squirmed away from his touch.

"B?"

Perhaps the look on her face matched Chuck's because Serena was now standing in front of her, blocking her view, as she looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong?"

"Odette knows." Blair Waldorf certainly didn't want Dan Humphrey to know her business but she had no time to try to pretend to be indifferent to what was transpiring before her eyes. She immediately begins to do her own scan of the room as she tries to spot Nate.

"What do you mean she knows? How would she know? Are you sure you aren't being paranoid?"

Ignoring Serena's line of questioning, Blair continues, "I need to find Nate."

Have to was probably the more appropriate phrase. She had to find him before Odette did and figure out how to do damage control.

She didn't have time to worry about how Odette knew or worry about what that meant in terms of who else might possibly know, all she could think about right now was Nate.

Watching Blair disappear into the crowd, Serena chews on her thumb nervously before looking to Dan, "I guess we'll split up and you can call me if you find him?"

"Find who?"

"Nate!"

Dan stares at Serena incredulously, "You're kidding, right?"

"No?" Serena matches Dan's look of disbelief, "This can get really bad for Blair if we don't find Nate, quickly."

"Maybe Blair deserves for this to get really bad." Dan felt slightly guilty saying this. Not because he didn't believe it, wholeheartedly, but the betrayed look in Serena's eyes when he said it pulled at his heart. However, regardless of his extreme feelings for Serena Van der Woodsen he couldn't betray his convictions. "I understand things could get ugly for Blair but..." his eyes trail to the dance floor where he can see Odette and Chuck arguing amongst themselves. By the looks of it, no one else noticed, but he did. "Things have already gotten ugly for someone else, clearly. What about Odette? Where does she fall in all this? She's your friend, you don't care about her?"

Serena had followed Dan's stare but she was only able to watch the interaction between Chuck and Odette, briefly. Of course, she felt bad for Odette but she couldn't think about that now. Blair was her best friend and she had hurt her and was still making up for it. She owed the loyalty she hadn't shown Blair when she slept with Nate, to her now. She didn't expect Dan to understand but she also didn't expect this much push back from him.

"I don't have time for this, right now! We can discuss the moralities of it all later. Right now I need to help Blair find Nate."

"Soon you'll find that if you try to save her
It will lose her anger, you will never win"

"Serena, I think I've made it abundantly clear how much I care for you." Dan takes hold of both her hands in his and squeezes them gently as he speaks, "I'm attracted to your beauty, of course, but also your child-like laughter, your humor, and most importantly your heart. You're a good person so please make the right choice here. Don't help Blair save herself from the damage of her own doing, be there for someone that deserves your kindness. Please, do the right thing?"

Tears begin to well up in Serena's eyes as she listens to Dan beg her to do what's right, but this was grey area. What was the right thing in her eyes was to help Blair. She couldn't expect him to understand but it did hurt her to see him hurting over the choices she was making. "I care about you too, Dan but I have to do this." Pulling her hands out of his grasp, Serena's lips tremble, "I'm sorry."

Watching her walk away from him, Dan makes a last-ditch call for her attention, "Serena!"

But she never turns around.

Just as he was strong in his convictions so was she, clearly. He just hadn't expected her to be so willing to help the most undeserving side in all this mess, but maybe that was naive of him.

He knew Blair was awful so nothing she did surprised him, really. He also knew Serena was best friends with Blair but he had always seen them so separate from one another. He saw Serena separate from everyone - he put her on a pedestal. Maybe he shouldn't have. Maybe then he wouldn't feel as crushingly disappointed by her as he did at this moment.

"And you want three wishes
You want never bitter and all delicious"

Shaking his head in dismay, he turns to walk towards one of the exits.

Cotillion had been a complete and total bust, not that he was really all that surprised. Glancing down at his watch he considers that he might be able to make it back to Brooklyn in time to catch the closing of his mom's show.

Before he can get very far, he looks back to the dance floor and can see Odette trying to pull herself out of Chuck's hold on her. Looking around, it's obvious that no one is aware of the struggle going on between them. Or if they are, they don't care.

That was the problem. No one cared.

No one, except him, evidently.

"And then one you're saving for a rainy day
If your lover ever takes her love away"

Closing his eyes, Dan briefly questions his next move. Getting himself directly involved probably wasn't smart or in his best interest but he desperately needed someone to not act in their own best interest and do right by Odette.

And apparently, he was the only one willing to do it.

With his head held up high, Dan moved in towards the dance floor.

More specifically, in the direction of Odette and Chuck.

[Saturday, 8:20]

"Soon you'll find that if you try to save her
It will lose her anger, you will never win"

"Let go of me!" Odette practically hissed at Chuck as she continued to struggle to get loose from his grip on her.

But, regardless of how much she fought him, he didn't budge.

He wasn't letting go of her.

She needed to calm down and then they could talk and he could fix all of this.

He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to do that but he knew he needed to.

There were so many times he had thought about how he'd tell her or what he'd say if she found out, but now that it was happening - now that she knew what he had done, he was lost. He didn't know what to say to make any of this better. All he could think to do right now was hold her and hope something would come to him. Chuck wasn't a religious man but in this moment he was praying for some serious divine intervention.

Something, anything, that could help him.

"Please don't make a scene."

"Don't make a scene? Are you joking? After what you've done, I think I'm more than justified to make a scene."

As the two of them argue back and forth, their faces are very close together. Normally, Odette would enjoy this closeness but right now it felt suffocating. "You were trying to get me to sleep with you. Even after you knew what you had done. You're so gross."

Her breathing in between her words is labored. She was processing so many different thoughts and feelings at once that she was struggling to string her sentences together.

Hearing the disgust in her voice put Chuck even more on the defense, "Oh, please don't act like I was coercing you to do something you didn't want to. What was it you said last night? I definitely want to have sex with you. I don't feel obligated to anything, remember that?"

As Chuck's tone turns mocking, it takes everything in Odette to refrain from slapping him across his smug face. "Yeah, that was before I knew you had sex with my best friend. You're pathetic."

A dark chuckle emits his lips, "I've been called worse things by far better people, Swan. The only thing pathetic here is you still claiming Blair as your best friend after knowing what she did. She's just as guilty as me, you know? Where's the hostility to her?"

"You're not allowed to call me that anymore. Don't ever call me that." For the first time, Odette manages to shove Chuck back a step. It wasn't much, but it caught him off guard nonetheless, "Blair's not holding me captive here on this dancefloor, you are! Maybe if you let me go, like I asked, I could unleash some of this hostility on her. Because you both deserve it. You're both terrible, terrible people. No wonder Bart doesn't like you."

The sadness within Chuck's own heart was quickly being replaced by anger as she continued to hurl insults his way. The last one felt especially cruel after he had allowed her around his father, and to witness their dynamic in person, more than he had any other girl. However, he isn't able to fire anything back at her before they're interrupted.

"Can I cut in?"

Both Odette and Chuck turn to stare at Dan with varying degrees of surprise and annoyance.

"Fuck off, Humphrey."

Chuck had never cared for Dan but in this moment, he hated him. This whole mess was because of him and his big mouth and now he had the nerve to come interrupt them?

Ignoring Chuck, and his overt hostility, completely, Dan turns his attention to Odette, "Would you like to dance?"

"No, she wouldn't."

"I'm positive that I asked her, and not you."

"And I'm positive that I will fuck up your night if you don't get out of here, now."

The anger and hatred Chuck had for Dan dripped from his tongue with every word but despite his best efforts, Chuck Bass was all bark and no bite and he wasn't scaring anyone, least of all Dan. As if to prove how unthreatened he felt, Dan never broke eye contact with Chuck as he stuck his hand out to Odette.

For a brief moment, he considered how embarrassing this would be if Odette didn't take him up on his offer and stuck by Chuck but any concern he may have had quickly vanished as he felt her hand grab onto his.

Chuck's eyes flicker down to watch Odette take hold of Dan's hand. His face twist into a pained expression as all former anger and sense of bravado is wiped away. The realization of what was happening fully setting in.

"Swan, please don't do this."

As their eyes locked in on one another she could see the plea behind his dark, brown eyes. He looked less like the Chuck Bass she knew, or thought she knew, and instead looked like a scared and hurt child. She'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt her to see him look so upset. But, he hurt her too and she didn't owe him anything anymore. Least of all her concern.

"Don't make a scene." She reminds him, "And I told you, don't ever call me that again."

This time, she's able to pull herself away from him so easily. There's no struggle and he doesn't fight her on it. Without saying anything, he surrendered and let her go.

Immediately, Dan pulls her a good distance away from Chuck before beginning to dance.

As they move, they stay mostly in place and Dan comments offhandedly, "The song is almost over and then you can get out of here."

Odette doesn't say anything though. Her eyes are still on Chuck, who hasn't moved from where they previously were as he watches her in defeat.

His expression is no longer angry or sad.

It's now gone flat and is unreadable to her.

As she feels the sensation of tears building, once more, she lays her head on Dan's shoulder to block the view of her face.

"Thank you."

Her tone is weak and so he barely heard it.

She didn't need to say it, he was only doing what he thought was right but he appreciated her saying it nonetheless.

"You don't need to thank me. What are friends for if not to buy each other really expensive suits and help each other out of bad situations?"

"This isn't just bad Dan, it's terrible." Her voice cracks on the last word and he can feel her tears roll down the collar of his shirt and down his neck.

He wanted to say something to make her feel better but what could be said?

It was a terrible situation.

Nothing was going to change that fact.

So, instead of saying anything he stayed quiet and let her softly and inconspicuously cry to herself against the fabric of the Armani suit jacket she had given him.

After all, it was the very least he could do.

[Saturday, 8:45 P.M.]

As with most things, Nate was completely oblivious to the drama unfolding around him.

While everyone else was busy creating, and attempting to extinguish, fires, he was in a world of his own and feeling real good.

He tended to get bored at big social events like this, especially ones as stuffy as Cotillion. However, Blair had been dreaming about making her debut since she was still in diapers and after all that she had done for him recently, he felt good about doing his part to make tonight special for her.

He had arranged a private dinner at one of the local Tea Rooms for them and a few of their friends that were also debutantes or escorts. Arthur had escorted them in Chuck's limo to dinner and from there to the Palace and Nate had gotten Blair's favorite champagne and proposed a toast just for her on the drive over.

He was doing all he could to be the perfect escort that she deserved and he was checking every box on the running list of expectations for tonight that he knew she had.

He was respectful to every adult they encountered, social with all of Blair's various friends and frienemies, danced with her to every song she liked and had basically remained fixed by her side the entire evening.

Well, up until now.

He had momentarily stepped out into the back alley for a quick smoke break but considering how good he had been all night, he didn't feel that guilty about it. He had earned this toke and when he was cutting out, he saw Blair standing with Serena and Dan and knew she'd be preoccupied long enough for him to take this moment for himself.

Sure, Blair didn't really like Dan but she could tolerate him and she loved Serena so surely that would keep her entertained till he finished.

At this thought, Nate reaches out to take the joint back from the thirty-year-old dishwasher who he had befriended out here and was sharing his stash with. Just as he makes this move, the older guy, whose name he had briefly caught as being Ian, breaks into a coughing fit and Nate can't help but laugh to himself.

Amateur.

Once his hearty coughing settles, Ian shakes his head in dismay, "You rich boys got access to that gas, huh?"

Nate can't help but laugh once more, "I guess, man. Here take another hit."

"Excuse me?"

Hearing this voice come from behind them, Ian's eyes grow wide with fear as he quickly throws the joint into a puddle a few inches away, extinguishing it on impact.

"Damn." Nate watches in disappointment as the joint loses its spark as the water engulfs it.

Unlike Ian, Nate wasn't concerned about who had caught them. He had the privilege of being unbothered about these types of things. It was definitely subconscious, but deep down Nate knew his money and status could buy him out of most troubling situations.

Ian, who was supposed to be working right now to likely provide for his family, didn't have that same luxury.

"Uh, relax? I'm not here to narc. I'm just looking for my sister and wanted to know if either of you had seen a tiny blonde come back here, possibly?"

"Nah, I wish." Ian shrugs.

Finally tearing his eyes away from his drowned joint, Nate looks up at the girl that had joined them in this mostly desolate back alley. She looked to be his age, or maybe a little younger.

She was cute and he definitely knew that he hadn't seen her at one of these events before.

"No, no one has come back here except a couple of cater waiters. Is your sister a cater waiter?"

It was a dumb question but Nate was pretty stoned.

"No," Mackenzie fights the urge to roll her eyes. This was just her luck. Jenny was missing and now she was stuck talking to Beavis and Butt-Head. After the huge fight she had with her sister she really didn't have the energy to deal with brainless stoners right now. "My sister is fourteen," she threw that in mainly in reaction to the one guy's 'I wish' comment.

Picking up on the fact that the age comment was directed at him, Ian throws his hands up in surrender and looks between Nate and the girl nervously.

"Anyway, I really should get back to looking for her, but thanks."

Raising his eyebrows, Nate sighs, "That didn't sound very sincere."

Mackenzie stops as she reaches the door and turns back to look at him, "Ah, so he can detect sarcasm?"

"He can." Chuckling to himself, Nate pushes himself off the wall he was leaning against and moves towards the apparent queen of sarcasm, "What's your sister's name, maybe I know her?"

A stoner?

Knowing Jenny?

Mackenzie truly hoped not but regardless it didn't hurt to check.

"Her name is-" her voice gets caught in her throat as the back-alley-stoner steps closer in her direction, and into the light. Immediately Mackenzie recognizes him as the gorgeous and somber-looking guy she had seen at the Christmas party that she had snuck into with Dan. Although he didn't look so sad anymore, he definitely was still very easy on the eyes. "Um, her name is Jennifer. Jenny. Humphrey. Jenny Humphrey."

If she could bury herself in a hole, she would.

Way to play it cool.

"Whoa, I actually do know Jenny." His eyebrows pull together as he looks her over in confusion, "What's your name though?"

"Jackie."

Shutting her eyes tightly, Mackenzie lets out an exasperated sigh, "I have no idea why that just came out of my mouth. My name is definitely not Jackie, it's Mackenzie. Humphrey, obviously. I'm sorry, I think I'm just a bit flustered because I'm worried about my sister." It wasn't the whole truth but it wasn't entirely a lie either.

"And I thought I was high." Nate's eyes light up as he watches her in bemusement. She was kind of weird, but he liked it. She was funny, at least. Whether intentional or not. "I get it, no worries. I was mainly asking because I didn't know Dan and Jenny had a sister?"

Watching the way his eyes looked her over made Mackenzie feel over-exposed. His question was innocent enough but in her own mind, what she assumed he meant was 'how could Dan and Jenny have a sister that looks like you?'

It was obvious Jenny and Mackenzie had really different body types and whether or not that's what this guy was noticing or not, her insecurity would always convince her that's the first thing anyone saw when they looked at her or compared the two sisters.

"Yup, well, you're looking at her." And I wish you'd stop. Shifting nervously in place, Mackenzie pulls her jacket tighter around herself as if to obstruct his view of her body - as if he hadn't already seen it. "So, have you seen Jenny?"

"I haven't but I can ask around. We have mutual friends, kind of." Nate laughs a little again, although he knew no one else would understand why this was funny, "I'll make sure she knows that you're looking for her." Sensing Mackenzie's obvious stress, Nate lowers his head so he's more on her level and able to look her directly in the eyes, "Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine."

"Nate!"

A shrill voice rings through Mackenzie's ears before a brunette shoves past her and stands directly between her and the gorgeous stoner boy.

Whose name was evidently Nate...

"I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Caught off guard by the sudden change in conversation, Nate stays quiet for a moment.

"Nate! Do you think it's okay to stress out your girlfriend like this? Because I don't. This is a big night for me."

As far gone as Nate felt, the critical tone in Blair's voice could bring anyone back to reality, "No, I don't. I'm sorry, Blair."

Blair.

Mackenzie felt a pit in her stomach grow as she realized the brunette before her was the same Blair she had met a while back. She was as unpleasant as she remembered and it was disappointing that the supposed 'top mean girl' at Jenny's school got the gorgeous boyfriend. But, that's also how it always seemed to work out. Having been so in awe of Nate that night at the Rockefeller party she hadn't even realized the girl he was dancing with was Blair Waldorf. Perhaps that explained the sadness that hung over him that night like a grey cloud.

And maybe it even explained his little smoke session tonight. She would probably have to get high all the time to date Blair, too.

"Have you seen Jenny?"

"Jenny Humphrey, what? No. Why are you talking to me about irrelevant people right now? I have something very important I need to discuss with you." Looking around at their surroundings, Blair grimaces, "But not here, this alley is disgusting and smells like poor people."

Nate's eyes widen at the outrageousness of Blair's last statement. Was she drunk? Why was she talking like that?

No one could deny that Blair had a mean streak but those that knew her well knew that there was a real sense of warmth and vulnerability hiding under her icy exterior. Those that knew her well enough also knew that in general, her claws and venomous words only came out when she was feeling threatened. If he knew any better, he'd see her behavior at this moment as a major red flag and realize something was going on.

Unfortunately, whether it be from his high or his general oblivion, Nate was none the wiser.

"I can't wait to hear it but first, I was trying to help Jenny's sister here."

"Ah, I didn't notice there was a Humphrey out here. That explains the smell..."

"Blair." Nate's tone loses its boyish charm as he becomes stern and gives her a disappointing stare.

"I'm joking! It was a total joke." Glancing back at the girl behind her, Blair sighs, "I didn't know Dan and Jenny had a sister?"

Mackenzie stares blankly back at the brunette, "We've met, actually? At your birthday party?"

"Did we?" Blair sounds bored as she responds and she doesn't bother to give eye contact to Mackenzie before looking back over to Nate. The point was crystal clear. Mackenzie didn't matter enough for her to remember back then, and she certainly didn't matter enough to talk to Blair, now.

"I'm going inside Nate, please follow me so we can talk." Casting a final, telling, look at her boyfriend, Blair turns and heads back inside.

Without a word, Ian, who had stayed so completely silent during the entire interaction that they almost forgot he was there, dipped back through the service entry door. Likely feeling as awkward as the rest of them did.

At this point, Nate and Mackenzie were the only ones left in the alley and they stood in silence for a few beats before he spoke up, "I'm sorry about her, she means well."

"Does she?" Mackenzie's eyebrows knit together as she pushes her hair back with her fingers, "I should get going but if you or anyone else see Jenny, please have her give me a call?"

"I will definitely do that. It was nice to meet you, Jackie." As the name leaves his lips, he winks at her. It wasn't directly flirtatious in manner but it did slightly stir something up within Mackenzie.

She knew he was only joking and obviously teasing her about giving him the wrong name. However, Mackenzie couldn't help but think that she didn't care if he called her Jackie. Hell, a guy that looked like that, could call her whatever he wanted.

Instantly, she regrets thinking this and can feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment. After all, he had a girlfriend and was way out of her league. She didn't even need to entertain thoughts like that because they'd only ever end in disappointment.

In this world or any other one for that matter, guys like Nate didn't go for or end up with girls like her. They were far too busy with the Blair Waldorfs of the world.

"You too, Nate."

[Saturday, 9:00 P.M.]

Serena had done a grand sweep of the ballroom at least two times and still hadn't managed to find anyone.

She couldn't find Nate.

She hadn't seen Blair since she took off.

Chuck was completely MIA.

And she had lost track of Odette once she left the dancefloor.

How could she possibly do any form of damage control if she couldn't find anyone?

Walking down a mostly empty corridor off the upper left wing of the ballroom, she starts to head back down the grand staircase to start another sweep of the property. Before she gets even halfway down, she recognizes Odette going up the opposite set of stairs. Turning back around, Serena quickly reaches the upper-level once more and hurries down the corridor to the side Odette would be rounding in 3...2..1...

"Hey!"

Serena intercepts her, easily having the element of surprise on her side.

Odette was completely caught off guard as her body lurches in terror as Serena steps in front of her. Once her panicked nerves settle, she looks up at the tall blonde, "Oh, so now you want to talk to me?"

"I do, actually."

Odette had always admired Serena's confidence, but perhaps what she took as confidence was actually a serious lack of humility and grace. She had absolutely no shame standing here in front of Odette, a friendly smile plastered across her face as if nothing had happened.

There was no way that she wasn't aware that everything had changed but rather, she was indifferent to it. Or that's how it came across anyway.

"Well, I don't actually." Having mimicked Serena's evermore cool-girl tone to a tee, Odette moves around the statuesque blonde and continues on her way down the corridor.

Not feeling deterred in the slightest, Serena follows shortly behind her. "I think you do want to talk or you would have been out of here already."

"Not that I think I owe any of you an explanation, but I'm actually looking for Nate."

Nate.

Serena can practically hear the pounding of her heart grow louder and louder as her nerves grow but she doesn't show it in the slightest, "Why are you looking for Nate?"

It was a stupid question and the look on Odette's face said as much, "I'm not even going to attempt to humor that question with a serious response. Go away, Serena."

Everything about Odette was ice cold - her eyes, her tone.

She looked at Serena like she hated her guts and at this point in time, she probably did.

"We all get our feelings hurt sometimes, Dette. I mean, don't you think it bothered me to see you and Dan dancing tonight?"

It was true.

During her first sweep through the large ballroom, she had noticed Odette and Dan right away. Serena wasn't one to really get jealous, but it did make her feel weird to see the two of them together.

Odette's head resting on his shoulder as Dan held her close...

It was enough to bug anyone, even Serena. Especially after how her last conversation with Dan had played out.

Turning sharply on her heels, Odette is in Serena's face within seconds. Serena was almost a full foot taller than Odette in heels but in her anger, Odette still managed to stare her down, "You are not seriously trying to compare Chuck and Blair sleeping together behind my back to me dancing with Dan to get away from Chuck? It's not even in the same league so don't you dare go there."

Hearing the anger and pain in her voice made Serena's lips twist into a pout.

Serena was well known for her sunny disposition. She liked being fun and positive and conversely hated confrontation and negativeness. Odette had every right to feel the way she did but knowing that didn't make it any easier or more pleasant to be around.

"You're right, that's not comparable. What about what happened with me and Nate? That's more on this level, yeah?"

Serena was obviously retiring whatever act of indifference or cluelessness that she had been initially putting on. Her expression was now very somber and the look in her eyes was all too clear - guilt.

It was no secret she still felt immense guilt for what she had done and the effect it had on all parties involved, especially Blair. It was the whole reason she felt she owed her such unwavering loyalty even in a situation as bad as the one currently at hand.

"I slept with Nate behind her back and that really hurt her but we figured out a way to move past it. All three of us. Because we're all such good friends and love each other."

That situation was more comparable to her own, but Odette still refused to see things so black and white. Right now, all she could see was red. "I don't care, this is different." Turning back around, she continues to move down the corridor in search of Nate.

"It's not." Serena, once again, follows only a few steps behind. Odette was refusing to direct her attention to her anymore but that didn't stop Serena from speaking her mind, "Betrayal is betrayal. Hurt is hurt. What happened with Nate and me was wrong. What happened with Chuck and Blair was wrong. I felt terrible for what I did and I know she does too."

"I don't think Blair has it in her to feel terrible for anyone but herself."

"We all make mistakes. I mean, " Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Serena shrugs, "None of us are perfect."

She was running out of things to say and Odette was clearly a woman on the verge and she didn't know how to talk her down from this one much longer.

"I'm not asking for perfection. I don't expect that from any of you but I do expect a level of respect? And I do expect the people I consider my friends to have the common decency to not screw the guy I like!" Odette scoffs, astonished that this even needed to be explained. "Serena, I get what you're trying to do and honestly I applaud your efforts. You're being a great friend and all, not to me but to Blair, definitely. But every word that has come out of your mouth has just upset me more so please, leave me alone."

For the first time during this entire interaction, Serena stops following Odette and appears almost stuck in place, "You don't think I'm a great friend to you?"

Serena's sad eyes resembled that of puppy dog and the softness of them would normally pull at Odette's heartstrings but right now, she didn't have it in her to care. She was too hurt by all of them.

"I don't think great friends knowingly keep secrets of this level from one another, Serena. I don't think great friends then blab about said secret in a public restroom for anyone to hear! Not very discreet of either of you. Your loyalty is obviously to Blair, I get that and it's fine. We were only ever friends because of her so I can't really be mad at you for choosing to protect her over me but I do still think it was really unfair for no one to even warn me."

"You think we're only friends because of Blair?"

"Honestly? All things considered, I don't think we ever really were friends at all."

Serena visibly flinches at this statement, "I can't believe you'd say that?"

It was true that Blair had brought the two of them together initially but Serena had really taken to Odette right away and she felt like the two of them connected and created their own separate relationship.

Blair and Serena had always prided themselves on being a fierce two-some surrounded by a group of girls they considered friends but never on the same level in which they regarded each other. Odette had been the only exception to this, so far. Due to their history, Serena would always feel closer to Blair but she had really come to recognize the three of them as equals. Or, so she thought. But even she couldn't deny that her actions in handling this whole Chuck and Blair mess showed that Odette was not in fact regarded an equal. If she was, Serena would have tried to protect her too.

"Odette, I'm sorry. This has put me in a really difficult situation and I'm so sorry that this happened and that you had to find out in the way that you did."

Strangely enough, something in her had hoped that hearing an apology would help. But, it didn't. In fact, she felt completely indifferent to it. She couldn't trust any of these people anymore and because of that, their apologies would all fall flat.

"I don't need your apologies, I need answers. And at this point, I obviously know the big fact of it all so I think at the very least I'm owed some of the smaller details."

Serena remains silent for a while as she carefully considers her options. Looking down the empty corridor and then back to Odette, she gives in, "What do you want to know?"

[Saturday, 9:32 P.M.]

TO: Blair

FROM: Chuck

What does he know?

Tearing her eyes from her phone screen, Blair studies Nate for a moment before typing up a quick response.

TO: Chuck

FROM: Blair

I'm pretty sure, nothing.

Looking up, frustration clear in his eyes, Chuck scowls at her from where he stands.

Pretty much their entire friend group had congregated in a small circle off to the side of the dancefloor. Currently, there were about four different conversations taking place within the relatively small circle and therefore no one had managed to catch on to the fact that Chuck and Blair were caught up in a texting frenzy, together.

TO: Blair

FROM: Chuck

You're pretty sure or you're sure?

TO: Chuck

FROM: Blair

I said pretty sure, didn't I? Relax, or the serial killer glare you're giving me is going to get us caught.

Chuck was in the middle of replying to the latest response he had gotten from Blair when Hazel spoke up.

"Oh, there's Odette."

Finding Hazel to be especially desperate and irksome, he tended to ignore almost everything that came out of her mouth, but in this instance, he couldn't. Looking up from his phone, Chuck swallows hard as he watches Odette walk towards their group.

Turning to look at Chuck, a flash of panic spreads across Blair's face. They both knew what Odette was coming over here to do.

She hoped and expected he would do something to stop it but instead he just stood there, head hung and avoiding eye contact.

Coward.

"Dette! I've been looking everywhere for you, I need to talk to you." Pushing her way through the small group, Blair is able to catch Odette before she's close enough to start spilling secrets.

"I'm sure you do."

There was a cruel smugness about Odette that made her unrecognizable. It was obvious that the damage had been done and Blair wasn't sure if she could do anything to subdue it but she had to at least try.

Forcing a tight smile, Blair manages to whisper, "You're going to do what you're going to do, but please at least talk to me first?"

Odette didn't feel like she owed Blair a conversation but she had her own questions for her and she knew the only way she would get them would be during a one on one conversation.

"Fine, after you." Gesturing with her hands to the stairs, Odette waits for Blair to move in that direction before following.

Nate hadn't caught on to the drama happening right in front of him but watching Odette and Blair take off upstairs for a private conversation did strike him as something out of the ordinary. Leaning over to Chuck, he quietly asks, "Is everything okay?"

Hearing Nate ask that made Chuck nervous but he knew he needed to continue to play it cool. Patting his friend gently on the back, he replies nonchalantly, "Yeah. I'm sure Blair's just filling her in on the news."

"Right. That makes sense."

Chuck could still see the gears in Nate's head shifting but he continued to play it cool. If he acted unbothered, Nate eventually would too.

"Of course it does, Nathanial."

[Saturday, 9:40 P.M.]

As soon as the girls reached the upper level and found a mostly private area, Blair immediately broke into sobs.

Odette quickly noted that even though Blair's cries sounded inconsolable, no actual tears were falling from her eyes.

Over the course of their friendship, she had seen Blair cry on several occasions and this was not like any of those times.

Her tears, or lack thereof, were fake and likely so was whatever remorse she was claiming to feel. This entire show was clear as day manipulation on Blair's part.

So focused on picking out the flaws in Blair's performance, Odette had hardly picked up on what she was even saying. Certain words were coming up frequently though - Chuck, Nate, mistake, love, I'm sorry. The repetition of these words specifically, made it obvious what she was attempting to apologize for.

However, knowing Blair as well as she did also made it obvious that this apology was far from genuine and was really only an attempt by Blair to save face and placate Odette.

"Blair, stop." Despite Odette saying this in a perfectly calm and regular tone, Blair ignored her and continued on. Covering her eyes, Odette finally exclaims, "Shut up!"

Silence ensues before Blair's mouth drops in dismay, "What?"

"I need you to just shut up, for once. I am so tired of hearing you whine and moan and bitch. Whether it be about school or your mother, or Nate cheating on you for the hundredth fucking time, it's all you do and I've always put up with it and been there for you but I refuse to stand here and listen to you grovel and play the victim and-"

Shocked by this outburst, Blair scoffs and immediately cuts her off, "I was not groveling."

"Well good, because it would be a waste of everyone's time." Odette stares at her, doing her best to imitate the cold stare Blair was so infamous for, "You live in a constant state of delusion Blair and honestly I feel bad for you. Your life and your relationships have no substance. You have no substance. I don't know how I got so caught up in your bullshit but I'm over it... I'm done."

Despite feeling like her legs would buckle underneath her at any moment, Odette held her head up as she made the first move to walk away from Blair.

Realizing what was happening, Blair quickly scrambles forward and latched onto her wrist.

"Dette, wait!"

Staring at the tight grip she had on her arm, Odette waits to hear Blair give some sort of explanation or desperate apology. She wasn't sure there was anything that could be said to fix this but she couldn't deny that a part of her at least wanted to see her try. Sincerely try.

Neither girl says anything, both of them staring at one another. Odette can see the anguish behind Blair's doe eyes and despite knowing that she deserved it, she still felt a small sense of guilt for making Blair feel bad.

Growing up Odette didn't have a lot of friends, and the ones she did have weren't all that great, but Blair had taken her under her wing and the two of them had nurtured a friendship that had changed Odette's life. She wouldn't have the experiences, friends, or status that she did if it weren't for Blair. She would just be another girl going to school with them. However, all things considered, she might have been better off that way.

A part of her knew that was true but a bigger part couldn't imagine things any other way.

As she stared at Blair, waiting to hear what she so desperately needed to say, flashbacks of their friendship played out in her mind.

So many movie nights, sleepovers, shopping trips, late-night swims, nights out where they both drank too much, and nights out where they judged everyone else for drinking too much. So many laughs and secrets shared, and apparently, so many secrets kept from each other.

All of that, every laugh, secret, and memory, had led them to this exact moment and Odette was once again left in a state of overwhelming shock at how things had turned out.

Never in a million years would she have expected this kind of betrayal from her best friend.

"Please don't tell Nate."

And the blows kept being dealt.

"W-what?"

"I know you hate me but please don't do that to me."

"You are unbelievable." Odette's eyes grow wide. She knew how Blair was and how self-involved and callous she could be, but she had hardly ever been on the receiving end of it. It was naive on her part, evidently, but she had expected Blair to care a bit more. "That's all you care about? Saving your shitty relationship, seriously? I don't know why I'm even surprised. That's all you've ever cared about! How could I expect that you would stop for one second and try to consider me and my feelings in all this?"

Odette can feel her tears building up once more but she does everything to fight them, refusing to give Blair that sort of satisfaction. "I don't get it. You were so angry at Serena for sleeping with Nate and yet you just completely undermine how I'm now you in this situation?"

"That's not a very fair comparison. Serena has been my best friend for years, and I know you're upset but you can't seriously put you and Chuck on the same level as me and Nate?

It was like a knife to the heart.

Blair's words were so telling.

Odette had truly believed Blair was her best friend but it was obvious that Blair didn't share her sentiments. Clearly, she didn't value her as much as Odette had thought. However, being aware of this fact didn't make the news any easier to process or stomach.

"No, you're right Blair. Chuck and I are nowhere near your and Nate's level because we existed in reality and the reality of the situation is he can't be trusted and obviously neither can you. And that hurts, it really does." Despite her best efforts, a single tear escapes and rolls down her cheek."But I'd rather feel every ounce of the pain that comes with being able to acknowledge that than to live even a second in your sad and delusional world where you know your relationship is terrible and you just keep pretending it's not. As much as you act like you're living a fairytale dream with Nate, all of us, everyone, knows you're full of shit. And in any relationship, with Chuck or anyone else, I would never want to be on your and Nate's level." She is sure to emphasize this point with air quotes, "Because it's not real. Nothing with you is." The last part came out sounding more defeated than she had hoped but it was an honest reflection on her entire friendship with Blair.

Blair stared in silence, doing her best to not show the effect that Odette's words had on her.

"You're clearly going through a lot right now so I'm going to let this go but don't forget who you're talking to."

Hearing this, Odette's hands ball into a tight fist.

So tight that she can feel the sting of her nails threatening to break the skin of her palm.

As Blair turns her back to her, Odette calls after her, "No, Blair. Don't you forget who you're talking to."

This stops Blair in her tracks, but only momentarily. She doesn't say anything else and she never turns back to acknowledge Odette.

Watching Blair walk away from her filled Odette with a range of emotions - anger, sadness, and relief, mostly. She had expected that getting the opportunity to tell Blair off would make her feel better, but it didn't. She still felt awful.

The mix of anguish and frustration was overwhelming and she couldn't remember the last time she had felt this low.

Well, that wasn't completely true. She absolutely could and at the time she remembered hoping she'd never feel that bad again and yet here she was. Although, this situation felt like that time, times two.

The reality was that this time her heart had been completely broken by not just one person, but two and she honestly wasn't sure which one she was most upset about.

Before she can consider her answer, Odette is startled by the sudden interruption of someone clapping.

"Well, well. That was quite the performance."

Carter Baizen sported a Cheshire-cat-like grin as he moved out of one of the dimly lit side rooms and into the open corridor.

"'No, Blair. Don't you forget who you're talking to.' That was some good stuff, Dee. Although, you should probably leave the threats to the big dogs. They're not all bark and no bite like, well, you."

It was obvious Carter was egging her on and anticipating some type of retaliation on her behalf but she didn't have it in her to banter with him right now.

"Carter, I really don't have the time or energy for this so why don't you say whatever rude or inappropriate thing it is your going to say, and get out of here?"

Tucking his hands in his pockets, Carter narrows his eyes at her suspiciously.

Odette was never one to give up so easily. She'd always give him some type of fight back, that's why he enjoyed verbally sparring with her so much. But the girl that stood before him tonight looked almost unrecognizable.

In this moment, everything about her exuded complete and utter defeat and although he tended to mask it better, this was a feeling that he was all too familiar with.

"Well, I only caught the tail-end of your cat-fight with Blair but, if she's the reason you're upset you should really have thicker skin."

In his own way, this was Carter's attempt at comforting her but it only agitated Odette further.

"You just said you only caught the tail-end so you actually have no clue why I'm upset so don't patronize me by saying I should have thicker skin. My skin is plenty thick."

Carter does his best to suppress a laugh. There was nothing humorous about what she said, but the intensity behind her eyes reminded him a lot of her brother. The internal rage she was trying to swallow was identical to Theo's except he wore his like a badge of honor while she did everything she could to try to keep hers at bay. For a brief moment, he considered how exhausting it must be for her to hide such volatile emotions and he also had to assume that eventually said emotions would break through whatever emotional dam she had built for herself and spill out in the ugliest of ways.

Most people would never think to compare the two Rockefeller siblings, but knowing Theo as well as Carter does made it easy for him to recognize the similarities. No one else might be able to see it but brewing underneath the surface, Odette possessed the same destructive nature that Theo was so well known for. She did a much better job at hiding it but it was there and he could see it. Especially in times like this.

Although Carter was typically one to always remain playful, he drops this act and decides to offer her a distraction with a change of topic.

"How's Theo doing?"

Despite not having it in her to talk much, since Carter was obviously not going to leave her alone, Odette at least appreciated and welcomed the obvious change of subject.

"Truthfully?"

She doesn't say anything more than this.

She didn't need to.

Carter lets this sink in before responding, "That bad, huh?"

She could tell him that she'd caught her brother shooting up in the powder room on Thanksgiving, but she didn't really need to. Carter had been friends with Theo long enough to know and understand him, especially at his worst.

"Yeah."

Neither of them says anything, several beats of silence passing until Carter nudges her shoulder, "I think I'll go by and see him while I'm in town."

So he wasn't staying.

He never did though.

"He'd like that."

"Will I be seeing you at his place?" He wiggles his eyebrows at her teasingly.

"Dream on." Rolling her eyes she shoves him away slightly, "Theo and I didn't exactly leave on the best of terms last time I saw him."

"I forget that all you Rockefellers are in a perpetual cycle of loathing and tolerating one another." Carter chuckles to himself, "Your family dynamic is so strange."

"You're one to talk? This coming from the guy who disowned his parents and moved halfway across the world all over some fight... and you even pulled your brother along for the added drama. That was so not cool."

Shaking his head in dismay, Carter gives her a snide look before responding, "You can't keep playing the spurned girlfriend card, not with me at least. You forget I know your secrets."

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten."

It was true. How could she forget that Carter was holding her most private secret hostage?

"I act upset with you for taking him but really I'm mad at him. I was at least owed an explanation. The postcard I got from him just raved about how beautiful Greece was. He was my friend and I was owed more than that." At the mention of this, she can feel the tears in her eyes start to build once more and she silently curses herself. She was certain she had never cried this much in one night before.

"I'm sorry." She turns away from him as she feels the tears start to fall, "I'm not crying because of Isaac, I'm just very emotional and I can't believe all my friends are so selfish."

Carter stares at the back of her head in silence for several beats. The part of him that felt discomfort when it came to raw emotions desperately wanted to sneak away from this encounter while her back was turned but a bigger part of him wanted to provide some sense of comfort to the girl who he had known almost her entire life.

He's careful in the way he grabs and turns her back to face him. He's gentle in the way he wipes her tears from her cheeks and he is thoughtful with his words as he does his best to give her the answers he can.

"I can't speak on whatever is going down with your friends but as far as the stuff with Isaac goes, you did a really nice thing by playing the role of the hot fake girlfriend for him to bring home to our father. And the little charade you had going worked until it didn't. The truth is, my father caught Isaac and another boy together. I won't name the other kid because it's not my place to out someone. As I'm sure you can guess, my father lost it and chaos ensued. Had I not gotten home when I did I'm not totally convinced that my father wouldn't have beat him to death." Carter's eyes gloss over as he reflects back on that horrific night. After a moment, he shakes his head in an attempt to shake the memory and continues, "My parents immediately started the preparations to send Issac to some camp in Virginia run by right-wing, religious freaks who fully believe in praying the gay away and if that doesn't work, they'll find other means to make it happen. I wasn't going to let that happen but I also knew he couldn't stay here with my father. So, we drained our trust funds and hopped on the first plane out of here. Do I think he owed you an explanation, yes because you were a good friend to him. Do I understand, after all that, why he wanted to leave everything here behind? I do and hopefully, now that you have some answers, over time, you will understand it too."

Odette covers her mouth in horror, almost in a state of disbelief. She knew Isaac was desperate to not let his father know he was gay but she didn't realize it was such a matter of life or death. The thought of Isaac, or anyone, being beat and tortured for being who they are and loving who they love made her sick to her stomach. Here she was, upset over the betrayal of her friends when there were people with much bigger problems. She wasn't sure that was Carter's intent in telling her this but it did give her some much-needed perspective.

"You really suck at making people feel better."

"To be fair, I'm not really used to trying to make people feel better."

"I can't believe I was upset with Isaac, for selfish reasons, when he was going through something like that? I can't believe I'm saying this but you're a really good guy for doing that."

It was strange. She had always been convinced she was one of the few to see through Carter's charms and charades. She had always seen him as some degenerate and a selfish one at that, but after hearing this story, in which he acted completely un-selfishly, she couldn't help seeing him in a new, more admirable, light.

Although he was always one to appreciate compliments, this one didn't feel rightfully earned. "No, I'm not. He's my brother. It's what anyone should do."

"But not everyone would." Staring up at him, Odette realized in this moment her life had been completely turned upside down and she was seeing everyone's true colors. First Chuck, Blair and Serena, and now Carter...

"Don't look at me like that." Taking a step back, Carter gives her a knowing look.

"Like what?"

"Like you've suddenly cracked me and 'seen through to the real me'. What I did wasn't a big deal. I was planning to go on an extended vacation anyway it wasn't that hard to add an extra one-way ticket." He shrugs nonchalantly.

"Mhm."

For the first time since all the Blair and Chuck drama had blown up in her face, Odette cracks a small smile.

Carter Baizen could pretend all he wanted but just as he knew her deepest, darkest secret, she now knew his.

He had a heart.

"Don't repeat this story to anyone, okay? If you do, I'll know it was you and I'll have no problem revealing your own secrets, Dee-Dee."

"Wow, nothing makes a girl feel better like the threat of being blackmailed."

Yeah, he had a heart. He just rarely used it.

[Saturday, 11:07 P.M]

Hoards of attendees poured out the main doors of the massive ballroom as the event winded down. Most of the teenagers had various after-parties spread across the Upper East and West side to choose from and attend.

Odette on the other hand was ready to go home.

As if the night hadn't been emotionally draining and exhausting enough, she had spent the last hour looking for and calling Cortney, while also doing her best to avoid everyone else in their mutual friend group. She had done a pretty decent job of avoiding everyone else considering she hadn't run into anyone during this entire last hour. Not even the secondary group members, like Kati or Is.

However, not running into anyone truly meant not running into anyone - not even her sister who was pretty much the only person she did want to be around right now.

Normally she wouldn't think much of leaving Coco behind but now that she saw so many of their friends for who they truly were, she didn't trust them at all. Especially when it came to her young and impressionable sister.

On the fourth ring of her seventh call, Cortney finally picks up.

"Hey! Sorry, sorry."

"Cort! I've been trying to get ahold of you."

"Wait, what?"

"I've been trying to get ahold of you."

"I can't hear anything you're saying."

"Okay, hold on."

Holding her phone firmly to her ear, Odette pushes her way in the opposite direction of the crowd that's leaving in an attempt to escape the noise. Even so, once she's back in the main ballroom, the voices of everyone leaving seem to still bounce and echo off the walls.

Glancing up at the upper level where she had pretty much hidden for the remainder of the night she decides going up there once more is probably her best bet.

As she moves up the marble stairs, and further away from all other people, she can finally hear Cortney's end of the line.

"Ugh, Cort! This has been the night from hell. Where are you? I could really go for some greasy fries and some of Mom's cheap vodka."

"Why do you always crave the cheap stuff? It's awful."

Hearing her sister's voice and being able to talk to her, even just a little bit, brought her comfort that she was in dire need of.

However, as she opens her mouth to respond she overhears different voices in the background.

"Pop it."

"Watch the leather."

She couldn't quite make out who the first voice belonged to but the second one was Chuck. She knew this for certain.

As soon as she recognized the sound of his voice, her heart sank.

"Cort, where are you?"

When she asks this time, her voice is filled with panic.

"I should have called you sooner but I just assumed you were on your way and that we could talk when you got here? I didn't know you weren't coming at all."

"Coming where Cortney?"

[Saturday, 11:13 P.M]

Cortney had moved to the back of the plane in an attempt to better hear what Odette was saying without having to ask everyone else to quiet down. With as good as a mood as they all seemed to be in, she didn't want to be the one to ruin it.

"Blair and Serena were talking about how cold it is right now and that it would be nice to go on vacation somewhere hot for the Christmas holiday and within seconds Chuck had a trip booked for us all."

"Of course he did."

"So we were all scrambling to get things packed as quickly as we can so we could fly out tonight. We're all loading onto the jet right now."

"Whose we?"

"I mean, you know, the whole gang. Everyone."

Chewing on her thumbnail, Cortney nervously continues, "I really did think you were coming. I was shocked when Blair said you declined."

"You need to get off that plane, right now."

Odette's voice was frantic and while it did concern Cortney somewhat, it also made her angry.

"No, I'm not going to get off. I'm excited to go on this trip with our friends. It's not my fault you didn't want to come. Blair said you acted weird when she invited you."

"I was never invited! How are you this clueless? You really don't see what's going on here, Cort? No, what am I saying? Why would you? You're too focused on yourself to be able to notice or care if anyone else needs you. I can't believe you're being this selfish. Looks like you're right back to your old self. Don't you see that those people bring this out of you?"

As Odette begins to rip into her, Cortney's anger and stubbornness are fueled further, "Let's not talk about people being too focused on themselves to notice or care that someone needs them, okay? Seriously, you don't want to go there with me Dee. Also, those people are our friends?"

"I don't know what you mean by that and they are not my friends."

"Yeah, of course, you don't! That just proves my point! And well, I guess it's a good thing you aren't coming then!"

At this point, almost everyone on the plane is watching Cortney as she yells into her phone back at Odette.

Rising from her seat, glass of champagne in hand, Blair strolls to where Cortney is standing. Putting her dimples on full display, she offers the youngest Rockefeller an innocent smile as she holds out her hand for the phone.

Her subconscious was telling her not to do it but she was also beyond frustrated with her sister and didn't want her to bring down her mood even more. So without much more thought, she hands the phone off to Blair and rejoins Kati and Is.

"Dette?"

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening but Blair waited.

"I don't think you can go any lower and then you do. I'm going to tell Nate, Blair. You can try to keep me away all you want but I can promise you I'll get through to him, somehow, someway."

"Nate, sweetie?" Pulling the phone away from her ear, she waits for Nate to look in her direction, "Odette said that she just checked with guest services and no one has found your phone yet."

"You stole his phone and 'lost' it? The lengths your willing to go to? This is bordering on psychotic."

"I know you're bummed about missing out. FOMO is a very real thing but we'll be back soon. In the meantime, don't fight with your sister. We're going on vacation and no one wants the stress or drama of sisterly fighting, okay?"

"Blai-"

"We're actually taking off so I'm going to hang up now. You have a merry Christmas and we'll catch you in the new year, O. Everyone," extending her arm, she holds the phone out for them all, "Say bye to Odette."

Everyone sings and cheers their fair wells.

Everyone, except Chuck.

Hanging up the phone, Blair opens Odette's contact sheet and activates the block contact feature. With a satisfied grin, she walks the phone back over to Coco, "I've gone ahead and blocked her for you. Everyone else should probably do the same." Blair is careful to whisper this part, not wanting Nate to hear. If he did, he would not only have an issue with her tactic but he would also immediately know something was up.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Is shakes her head in dismay as she scrolls through her contacts in search of Odette's, "And…done."

"It's probably for the best, just while we're gone, you know? Wouldn't want her ruining your vacation." Blair had been playing these games for too long. She was a master at her craft and she knew all the right things to do and say.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Despite saying this, Cortney still sounded uncertain.

"She's definitely right! You deserve this break, Co. Don't let Odette bother you. By the time we get back, she'll already be over it." Kati offers, making the point to give Cortney the most subtle hand squeeze.

While the guilt was already eating away at Cortney, the prospects of getting alone time with Kati helped to push those feelings away.

Besides, it was really hurtful that Odette had attacked her character in the way she did when she had no clue what all she had been through. She deserved this escape and furthermore, maybe the sisters needed this break.

Forcing a bright smile, Cortney lifts her champagne glass to both Kati and Iz, "Cheers to an awesome vacation, ladies!"

Proud of her work and somewhat impressed by how easy this scheme was to pull off, Blair moves back to her seat and downs the rest of her champagne as a reward for her job well done.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, B? There's no coming back from this once you've done it."

Serena looked unusually guilty but this wasn't something Blair could concern herself with right now. This night had been exhausting and she needed some rest if she was going to hit the ground running tomorrow on working through damage control with Nate.

"That's kind of the point, S."

"I guess." Serena's gaze floats around the plane, landing on each person's face before settling back on Blair. "I need to call Dan."

As the lengthy blonde stands up and attempts to maneuver past Blair, she stops her, "I thought he wasn't taking your calls?"

"He's not but I should keep trying while I have service at least."

Rolling her eyes, Blair shoos Serena away. She was not interested in hearing anything about Dan Humphrey. Especially when she had far bigger problems at hand.

Mostly ones that involved a certain Bass-tard.

As if on cue, Chuck plops himself down in Serena's now vacant seat.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Am I in the Twilight Zone, right now? Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

Her annoyance at being questioned on this stemmed from her own guilty conscience. It wasn't her best or cleanest scheme to date but considering how quickly things blew up at Cotillion she had to run with what very little time she was granted.

For once, she was at least grateful that Chuck was her partner in all this chaos. He was her only fair match when it came to a good scheme and in this case, he provided them all with the perfect escape out of town.

"Yeah but total social isolation? Taking her sister away? It all feels pretty fucked up. Even for us."

"I don't know what other choice we had. We're you interested in confessing to Nate tonight? No? Then I don't want to hear it."

Exasperated, Blair sinks further back into her seat and neither of them says anything.

After a moment, her eyes flicker back to him, "You should be happy, Bass."

He stares pointedly at her as he waits for her to elaborate. At this moment in time, he couldn't think of anything that he should be happy about. It felt like his whole life was about to go up in flames and the unsettling feeling that accompanied that was slowly pushing the boundaries of his own sanity.

"Happy about what?" He finally asks.

"I hear Croatian locals aren't at all particular and tend to be extremely sex-positive."

In response to her, Chuck's lips twist into a deep frown.

Blair was surprised to not see him be his usual over-sexual, heinous self in response to that type of prospect.

Chuck Bass not being interested in sexual prospects? This was a first.

Unless…

"Oh my god. You don't seriously think Odette will get back with you, do you? Because that ship has not just sailed but it caught fire and sunk to the depths of the ocean."

"Okay. I get it. And for the record, we were never together."

"Then what are you so upset about?" Lifting an eyebrow at him quizzically, her tone is challenging him.

Offended by what Blair is clearly trying to imply, Chuck stiffens up, "Who's upset?"

Satisfied that they're both back on the same page, at least for now, Blair holds her empty flute glass out to him, "Me! Because my glass is empty. Be a doll?"

[Saturday, 11:18 P.M]

Despite Blair hanging up on her, Odette continued to hold the phone to her ear in a state of shock.

She still wasn't allowing herself to fully process what was happening.

'You have a Merry Christmas and we'll catch you in the New Year, O'

Everyone she was even remotely close to was on a plane headed to a location that was unknown to her and she wouldn't see any of them again until the New Year?

The more she thought about it, the more it sunk in and in turn, twisted her stomach into knots.

Besides Cortney, she wasn't even sure she wanted to be around or talk to any of those people but now she was being left with no choice.

Chuck and Blair had whisked everyone away and left her completely alone to deal with the emotional fallout of their betrayal against her.

As more tears streak her face, she can't help but wonder how many more tears she can waste on this situation and these people.

"What's going on?"

So caught up in her own emotional daze, Odette hadn't noticed anyone follow her up the stairs. She didn't need to turn around to see who it was. She recognized the voice immediately.

"Back to stalking me, I see."

As she turns around to face him, Jordan nervously fidgets with his bow tie, "I hate when you say that. It's my job to keep an eye on you. I'm just doing my job."

"Your job, right. I forget that you're constantly gunning for employee of the month or something." Taking several steps towards him, Odette continues, "Was it your job to kiss and screw me too?"

This particulate subject hadn't been boughten up in a long time and the mixture of shock and horror that flashed across Jordan's face demonstrated how taken aback he was.

"Wh-why are you bringing that up now?"

She didn't have a real answer for him.

All she did know was that she was feeling low and anytime she felt like this, she sought comfort in the worst places.

Opting to not answer his question, she instead puts him in the hot seat.

"Why do you keep such close tabs on me?"

"I told you, it's my jo-"

"No." Her face remains expressionless as she continues to close the remaining distance between them. "I've heard that answer before but I want the truth. Why do you keep such close tabs on me? Why do you concern yourself with who I'm dating? Why me, Jordan?"

His heart was pounding so rapidly that he was almost convinced it would tear its way through his chest cavity at any given moment.

"Because… I care about you. You know this, already."

At this point, Odette is standing mere inches away from him. Her body is so close to his now that she is almost certain she can feel his heartbeat against her own chest.

"If you care about me, then make me feel better."

Everything in him was screaming at him to turn around, walk away and go home to Aly. He needed to but he couldn't command his feet to move. Odette's typically captivating blue eyes were bloodshot and swollen from crying so much and seeing her look so defeated made him want nothing more than to make her feel better.

"How?"

Caressing his cheek, she leans into him close enough that she can now whisper, "Make it go away. Make it all go away."

"I can't."

It's not that he didn't want to but he really couldn't do this. "I'm married." He reminds not only her, but himself.

Leaning further in, she whispers against his ear, "Then tell me to stop," before trailing her lips down his neck.

Even though it had been awhile since the two of them had been in a heated situation like this, she still remembered all the most sensitive spots of his neck and she made the point to linger on each of them.

It was now or never.

This was his last chance to get out of here but as Odette's lips start to graze against his neck he knows he's not going anywhere.

"I don't want you to stop."

With all good sense now thrown out the window, Jordan cups Odette's face in his large hands and brings their lips crashing together.

They move in perfect sync and harmony just as they always had and the feeling of her lips pressed against his ignited the type of fiery passion deep within him that he had only ever felt with her.

However, as passionate as the kiss was she didn't feel the sparks she once had with Jordan. Which was strange considering there was a time she thought she'd never get over him.

To really think there was a time, not very long ago, when she was so heartbroken over him that she practically stayed in bed all summer. She didn't think she'd survive that heartache, but she did. So maybe the same could be said for her devastation over Chuck.

Chuck.

She'd really much rather be kissing him...

It was an awful thought and she hated herself for thinking it but she hated herself for a lot of reasons right now, so what was one more?

As the two continue to kiss, Jordan is too caught up in the passion, while Odette is only focused on the distraction, making neither of them aware of the person lurking in the shadows, snapping picture after picture of their salacious tryst.

Are we all side-eyeing each other right now? That last scene might not have come as a surprise to some of you but I'm hoping for most of you it did! While I have always written Odette and Jordan's scenes with the knowledge of their pre-existing history, I tried to hint at it *just enough* so that once you know the truth you can look at all their previous scenes very differently. While also trying to not *totally* go there as to catch you all by surprise! So, I don't know if it was successful or not but hopefully it was. Now, let me very clearly state I am in no way trying to romanticize their relationship. It's highly illegal, it's predatory, it's gross and it's supposed to make you feel weird and gross. My intention from the beginning was to present Jordan as someone the Rockefeller family holds in high regards so that it makes his relationship with Odette all the more disturbing. Now that the secret is out, to you guys anyway, I'll do my best to address trigger warnings when it comes to their interactions and as always, I can assure you all that there is a point to this storyline. It's not frivolous. None of the serious points I cover in this story are meant to be 'just for dramas-sake'.

I also want to address the small dive into Isobel because I'm super nervous about how that will go over. When I first started this story, I really came into it with the intention of breathing new life into these characters and this world. I've tried to give more depth and background to all the characters and I've been excited to get an Is excerpt in there. I don't think it's some big secret that the original series was lacking diversity and instead of acting like that wasn't the case, I thought it would be more interesting to tap into the concept of being one of the only POC in a mostly white-dominated friend group and school. Because that's what we saw on the show and that's something I can somewhat relate to my own high school experiences as a POC. I think that gives Is way more layers to her character. It's not something I'm going to overly harp on, because it is a sensitive subject but it's not something I wanted to ignore or eliminate either.

Well, I think that's the only two controversial subjects I wanted to cover but how did we feel about the chapter as a whole? This one was a doozy. It took a lot out of me to get it written but ultimately, I'm proud of how it turned out (mostly) and I hope you all enjoyed it. I say it so much, but I greatly and deeply appreciate all of you that keep up with this story. Gossip Girl has been one of my greatest loves/obsessions and it feels so good to be able to put something into this little community that other fans seem to really enjoy.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone that has supported me and this story up until this point. I promise you all, I still have so much of this story and these characters to give to you and I hope you stick along for the continued ride!

P.S, if you read greyspaces gossip girl series I hope you're dying over that mini-interaction as much as I am? I honestly had no plans for a Nate-enzie interaction to happen in Gilded but while editing I got struck with the idea and decided to run with it and I love it? Parts of it are a bit cheesy but anytime Mackenzie pops up in this story it's like a small love letter to my dear friend, so I think it's cute and that it works. It's an added bonus that a few of you have actually mentioned that you enjoy seeing Mackenzie pop up in this story! DISCLAIMER: Since I didn't do one at the start because *spoilers*, I do not own the original character of Mackenzie Humphrey. She is the sole property of greyspaces, I am just fortunate enough that my wonderful, talented, friend allows me to include her in this beautiful, crazy, messed up world :)