A/N: Happy 2016 everybody! Thank you to everyone who continues to leave me reviews, favorites, and follows for this story! As promised, here is the next chapter. Read on and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl. I only own the characters I've created.
Chapter 21: Prom Wars
"This is a disaster!"
Chuck pulled his phone away from his ear. "What happened?"
"My dress is ruined! Do you know how many months in advance I ordered that dress? This will be the LAST time I will ever wear that whore bag Dior wannabe Stella McCartney."
Chuck smirked. Blair had told him the dress she ordered at length, so he would know what color corsage to buy to compliment her dress. Not that he needed further instruction regarding his selection, but the description Blair told him in depth meant one thing.
It wasn't the dress in her scrapbook.
It was far from it actually. The dress she ordered was a navy blue, a colour Chuck thought that would completely understate her beauty. It would be too boring, too matronly, and too staunchy for Blair. Besides, Blair knew what dress she wanted since she started high school. It was regal, elegant, and playful. The way Chuck saw it, he thought that she deserved everything she dreamed of on this night, and he was determined to stick with every drawing, and every detail. He was sure everything would be perfect.
"McCartney is so 2007 anyway," Chuck said.
"Chuck. This is serious! Prom is tomorrow, and I don't have a dress. Clearly this is an act of sabotage."
Chuck stifled a chuckle. Leave it to Blair to automatically think someone was out to get her. She was partially true. He did sabotage the dress, but it was an act to ensure prom would exceed her every expectation. "It could be accidental."
Blair scoffed. "Please. It's probably one of my minions trying to pull a last joke on me. I bet it's that little bitch Penelope. She's always been a try hard—Dorota, not now. We need to…a package from Paris? Is it from Daddy?"
Chuck straightened up his back, mashing his phone to his ear.
"Oh my God!"
"What is it?" Chuck asked impatiently.
"It's a dress. The Dress! Daddy must have known—Serena must have told him about it, and had it shipped. Oh, this is amazing! Prom is back on the rails, I repeat prom is back on the rails—Dorota! Cancel the Penelope project now—Oh! It looks as if it's hand maid."
"Harold to the rescue," Chuck mumbled. He leaned back into his chair.
Blair took a deep breath. "It's okay. Everything is back on schedule. Be here tomorrow to pick me up at six. Then, we'll take your limo to prom. Don't forget the corsage."
Chuck smiled to himself. Blair was so oblivious sometimes. "Of course. Call me if you need anything else."
"And do not forget to actually show up Chuck Bass. If you so much as arrive ten seconds late, you will regret it. This is no Tuscany—"
"Blair, of course I will be there. I thought we were past this."
"We are past this, but consider this a test. If you show up, I can fully trust you again. If you don't, then I won't speak to you again. Don't screw it up this time, Bass."
Spotted: B receiving a mysterious package from an anonymous fairy godmother. Question is, did the package come from another knight in the kingdom? I'm sure C wants to know.
Senior skip day had to be Evelyn's favorite day at Constance so far. The halls were clear of any stressed seniors who were busy getting ready for prom. Gossip Girl reported that the senior girls of Constance were getting their nails done, their hair blown out, or getting a head start drinking. The early days of summer were approaching, and classes were focusing on exam review anyway. The best of all? The absence of Blair and her minions meant that the high school monarchy had a day off.
As she walked to the courtyard for lunch, Evelyn noticed a shift. People looked up more, and the underclassmen talked to whomever they wanted. Evelyn observed some friendships that wouldn't surface on a usual school day, while the bloom of new relationships went public. The usual battle lines were blended today, as everyone got to just be themselves and not be ashamed of it. An armistice had fallen over the courtyard where the usual battle lines were drawn.
Evelyn walked into the courtyard, her shoulders relaxed and chin up. She could sit wherever she wanted today without persecution. Her eyes scanned the courtyard until she spotted a familiar face.
"Hey, Nate!"
Nate looked up and waved her over to his table.
Evelyn placed her lunch bag on the table. "Don't you have the day off?"
Nate flipped a page in his binder. "An invalid day off, yes, but I have to write a make-up test that I missed because of our last lacrosse game of the season."
"Oh that sucks. Did you guys win the season at least?"
"No unfortunately. We came up short. But we did come in third overall."
"Well that's still pretty good right? You still had a really good season."
"Yeah, but it would've been nice to win it all. You know, being a senior, it was my last chance. It's okay though."
"Hey, it's good that you're not torturing yourself over these things. Seriously it's not worth it. Besides, you have other things happening like prom!"
Nate shut his binder. "You're right. I'm so excited to get dressed up, take lots of pictures, and dance the night away!" He mimicked a typical Blair minion voice.
Evelyn giggled. "Nate, your excitement is infectious."
Nate chuckled. "Thank you. Prom should be fun though. I dunno, it's whatever at this point. But you seem really happy today."
Evelyn smiled. "I've been having a great day. Look around, there are no minions, no tormenting, no more work in classes until exams, and summer is almost here. There is nothing that could make me unhappy right now."
Nate smiled. "That's good. "
"Which reminds me!" Evelyn reached into her backpack and pulled out the two Barcelona F.C. tickets Nate gave her for her birthday. "The game is scheduled a week after classes are over, and I have no friends, or family that would appreciate this game but you. Will you go with me?"
Nate took out his phone. "Oh I don't know, Evelyn. I'll have to check my calendar…"
Evelyn's smile dropped.
He put his hand on her arm. "I'm just kidding. Of course I'll go."
Evelyn punched him in the arm. "Nate!"
He threw his hands up. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Of course I would never say no to you."
Evelyn wrapped her arms around him without even thinking. "Thanks, Nate."
Nate hugged her bag with his free arm. "Anytime."
Evelyn opened her eyes to see Jenny standing at the door. Her eyes hardened before she turned away, and walked back into the hallway.
Nate's phone began to ring. "Ah, it's Serena. I've got to take this."
"No worries. Listen, have a great time tonight," Evelyn said. She put the tickets in her bag.
Nate stood, and called over his shoulder, "Thanks, I will."
Spotted: E and N getting cozy in the courtyard while J looks on. Is another storm brewing, or will the ice ever thaw between E and J?
"Let us take a picture of you both together," Lily said that evening. She held a camera in her hand, and waved Serena and Chuck in front of the fireplace.
Chuck sat in one of the armchairs and nursed a glass of scotch in his hand. Serena took forever to get ready, and Chuck counted down the minutes until he could leave to go to Blair's home to take more pictures. Chuck had a plan, and it needed to stick to schedule. Serena's tardiness was not accounted for.
"Mom, can we just wait? Nate will be here any minute," Serena sighed. She wore a floor length gold dress that cinched around her waist, and flowed to the floor. Her hair fell in loose waves down her open back.
"No Serena. I want both of my children in a picture together. Now come stand by the fire place."
"Yeah, come on sis," Chuck said. He took his place in front of the fireplace. He had nothing against Lily wanting to capture this moment. Someday, they'll be happy that they recorded this moment.
Serena stood beside Chuck, and smiled as though she were enjoying this moment.
"Stand a bit closer please and pretend you tolerate each other now," Lily said. She struggled to get the camera into focus. Lily's reading glasses were perched on the tip of her nose.
"Ugh. Mom just take the picture," Serena said.
The camera flashed, and Lily looked at the finished product. "One more," she said.
As soon as the second flash went off, Serena flung Chuck's hand off her waist. "Is that good?"
"Yes, that's perfect. Now we'll just get a couple shots with you and Nate when he gets here."
Serena sat in one of the chairs, and flipped open her phone.
"Don't be too happy about that sis," Chuck smirked.
Serena looked up from her phone. "Don't you have to be at Blair's soon?"
Chuck checked his watch. He wanted to be out of the apartment before Nate arrived if possible. The less contact Chuck had with his former best friend the better. He'd also prefer not to witness any interaction between Nate and Evelyn.
He took a sip of his scotch. "We both know that Blair is nowhere near finished getting ready. I've still got plenty of time to sit here and pester you."
Serena sighed. "Of course you do."
"It is one of my favorite past times," he admitted.
"Hey Chuck, what time do you have to be at Blair's?"
Chuck turned, as Evelyn was walking to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice.
He walked toward her. "I'm picking up Blair at six."
Evelyn poured herself a glass of orange juice. "Are you excited?"
"Excitement is not the word I'd use."
Evelyn poured herself a glass of juice. "So you're nervous?"
Chuck scoffed. "Don't insult me."
"Uh huh." Evelyn raised her brows and took a sip of her juice.
"Don't listen to him Evelyn," Serena said from the couch. "The only person who makes Chuck nervous is Blair."
"Who asked for your opinion, sis?" Chuck snarled.
The elevator door dinged, and Nate rounded the corner. Chuck looked away, while Nate walked toward Serena. Nate nodded curtly at Chuck, while Evelyn's back faced him.
"Nate! It's so good that you're here," Lily said. "Let's take a picture of you and Serena."
Nate held a box in his hand. He opened it, and put the corsage on Serena's wrist. "For you," Nate said as he slipped it on. Serena thanked him, and they took their place to pose in front of the fireplace.
Bart walked in, his briefcase in hand. "Sorry I'm late."
"Not to worry darling. We were just about to take a family photo. Where's Eric?"
"I'll get him," Evelyn said disappearing up the staircase.
Bart set his briefcase on the counter and poured himself a drink. He stood beside Chuck. "Chuck. All set for tonight."
"Yes. I'll be picking up Blair at six."
Bard nodded. "Good. I hope you have a good time tonight, son. "
Chuck thought of his evening planned with Blair. "I will."
"I can't believe four years have gone by so fast. This will be your last high school dance you know."
Chuck never really thought about it like that before. He's attended so many high society events, that a high school dance was miniscule. He'd go to so many more events after tonight that he didn't consider how much it could mean to him. Tonight would be the last night together with his peers. Sure, he hated all of them, but they did share a few good memories together. For Chuck, most of those memories were hazed from alcohol.
"Just remember to enjoy tonight for what it is," Bart said. "I know you might not see it now, but you'll miss these days when you get older."
"You mean one day I'll be waxing on days gone by?" Chuck smirked.
"You make fun of it now, but yes you will." Bart raised his glass to Chuck. The both took a drink.
Evelyn and Eric bounded down the steps. Lily turned to Nate and asked, "Nate do you think it would be possible for you to take a photo of all of us together?"
"Yeah of course."
The Van der Bass family gathered around the fireplace. Serena and Chuck stood in the middle with the others flanked around them. They all smiled, their arms wrapped around each other like a piece of twine holding up a young sunflower.
"Alright. In three, two, one…"
When Chuck arrived at the Waldorf Penthouse, he was surprised to find Cyrus and Eleanor arguing in the living room. Chuck stepped around the pillar and saw them arguing over how to use a new digital camera. Cyrus held the chunk of metal and turned it around to observe every crease and button. Eleanor opened the instruction manual, desperately looking for any guidance on how to use the stupid thing.
"Cyrus please. Just give it to me," Eleanor sighed.
Cyrus handed her the camera, and looked up to see Chuck. "Charles! Good to see you—and early I might add!"
"Good evening Cyrus. Eleanor."
"Good evening Charles. Blair is still getting ready, but if you would happen to know how to work this camera, that would be extremely helpful…"
"Let me see." Chuck pushed the on button and made sure the settings were set to taking photo instead of videos. Blair would freak out if all the 'photos' Cyrus took on her prom night ended up as unusable videos.
Chuck took a couple test shots of Eleanor and Cyrus. He explained how to point and shoot the camera, while Eleanor called Blair.
Chuck's jaw dropped. Blair descended the staircase, her hand grazing the railing. She wore the strapless peacock dress that fawned to the floor. Her hair was wrapped in a loose bun, with curls framing the sides of her face. Blair's eyes found Chucks, and her pink lips turned into a smile.
She took a step down slowly, one by one, with the poise and grace that would make Audrey Hepburn proud.
"I'm sorry to keep you all waiting," Blair said. She took her last step, and Chuck offered his hand.
"You could take as long as you need," Chuck whispered. He kissed the back of her hand.
Blair smiled. "And you're here early."
He bowed his head slightly. "As requested."
Blair's lips curled. "Noted. Where's my corsage?"
Chuck cleared his throat. "Oh, didn't I tell you? It got lost in the mail."
Blair's eyes became saucers. "Chuck—"
"Blair, before you say anything there is nothing that can be done about it now. Besides, the dress looks better without it anyway."
Blair looked down at her black and gold peacock dress. "I suppose so…but you just lost points for that one Bass."
"I think I'll find a way to earn them back," he said.
"Let's take a couple photos of you two lovebirds," Cyrus interrupted.
Chuck turned to face Cyrus, with Eleanor smiling behind him. Chuck wrapped his arm around Blair's waist, and they smiled, as the camera flashed.
Just when they thought they were done Cyrus said, "Not enough!"
They took more pictures. Some with just Blair and her mother, some with Blair, her mother and Cyrus, and Dorota took a picture of all four of them together.
"Darling, you look stunning," Eleanor said. She kissed her daughter's head.
In that moment, a genuine smile spread across Blair's lips. She looked up at her mom with awe, like she would capture this moment, as proof that her mother loved her forever. Chuck looked away, wanting to give the two a bit of privacy.
"We should get going. We'll be late!" Blair announced after releasing her mom from a bear hug.
Chuck offered his elbow to her once again, and she threaded her arm through his. Chuck and Blair holding hands. Chuck and Blair going to Prom. This would normally terrify Chuck, but this time he felt proud. He felt a fullness he never sensed before. He didn't know how it was possible to feel so full yet so light at the same time. It didn't really make sense, but in that moment it finally did for the first time.
"Have fun you two!" Cyrus called.
When the doors shut, Blair turned to him. "So Bass? Between you and me, what do you think?" She twirled in the elevator.
"I couldn't agree more with Eleanor. You look…" He paused to pick the right word. "Ravishing."
Blair beamed, but for some reason the answer didn't seem like enough to Chuck. Sure, he could have told her she's beautiful, but so many people have said that to her that it didn't have much of a meaning anymore. He couldn't describe what kind of beauty he saw in Blair in that moment. It took away every breath, every thought he ever had about her.
Love was weird.
"Where's the limo?" Blair asked when they emerged from the building.
"Although a Bass loves a limo, I thought we should try something a little more…vintage."
He pointed to the horse drawn carriage parked at the curb. The white carriage was lined with red roses.
"Chuck…how'd you know?"
"Don't you remember? You did show me your little scrapbook once upon a time."
Blair smiled. She looked at the carriage then to Chuck and then back to the carriage. "I don't know what to say."
"There's nothing to say. Enjoy the ride." He offered his hand to help her into the carriage. The driver whipped his reigns, and the horse marched down the modern streets, the pink sun setting, the stars illuminating, and the street lights sprinkling down on them like glitter.
For the first time since she moved to New York, Evelyn had nothing to do. Her room was constantly clean thanks to Ina, she had submitted her final assignments, studied for her final tests, and her involvement with her takedown of Dan Humphrey was over.
What was one to do in New York on a Friday night… alone?
It was a quarter past seven, and the house was quiet. Chuck and Serena had already left for prom, while Bart and Lily were out for a dinner party. They claimed it was a small gathering, but with the way Lily was dressed, she wasn't convinced. Apparently, Philip and Ruby were going were in attendance much to Lily's dismay. She gave Lily her sympathies.
Evelyn sat on a kitchen stool, scrolling through her Facebook newsfeed. Evelyn investigated (or as Eric says 'creeped') people's profiles from Connecticut, curious as to what everyone was up to. She looked at Katie's profile, then Dean's, and before she knew it she wasted an hour on Facebook. She then searched Ozzy's profile. She hadn't done this since she was living in Connecticut, but once she wondered what he posted on his profile flitted through her mind, she couldn't resist.
His profile was restricted since they were no longer friends. Right. She forgot how she deleted him as soon as she returned from Vermont. She was able to view his profile pictures, so she clicked through them. His profile picture was a simple shot of himself from January. Before that, there were pictures of them. Together. Well, there were other people in the frame, arms draped around shoulders, but they were always beside each other, smiling. They've been to misery and back. Evelyn recalled how she felt when that picture was taken. She was happy sure, but she remembered a comfort that she normally didn't feel around people in general. She smiled, her eyes lingering on the image where his hand rested above her hip. Her eyes found his dimples, then his warm brown eyes. She forgave him, sure, but could she ever trust him like she did then?
Her mouse hovered over the "add friend" button. It was time to take a first step. She wanted her friend back, and she wasn't going to be afraid to make the first move this time. Even if it's a Friday night, and she was alone. Her finger retracted, about to click until something stopped her.
The elevator dinged.
Evelyn leaned into the back of her stool, peaking out of the cutout from the kitchen. "Hello?"
Eric rounded the corner, and strode toward the kitchen. "Where is everyone?"
She closed her laptop. "Bart and Lily are at a dinner party. Serena and Chuck are at Prom…so it's just been me here tonight."
"Oh." Eric turned to retreat to his bedroom.
"Have you eaten dinner yet?"
"No. I had a late lunch."
Evelyn stood up. "I was thinking of ordering a pizza. Would you like to share?"
"Sure."
"Should I order a large Hawaiian?"
"But you don't like pineapple."
"I'll pick them off."
"Sure."
Eric retreated to his room. Evelyn sighed. She missed Eric. He was her one reliable and stable friend she'd made in New York, but he'd become so distant lately. Although they lived in the same house, they barely spoke more than ten words to each other.
From what she knew, he wasn't speaking to Jenny either, which was the completely fair and levelheaded maneuver she expected from Eric. He didn't want to get involved in their business, so until the two girls worked out their issues, he put himself on probation.
But still. There was nothing she could do to receive Jenny's forgiveness, and no way to get Eric back.
Forty minutes later, the pizza arrived. She took the steaming box from the delivery girl's bag, and paid with the emergency credit card Bart gave her. Nothing seemed like more of an emergency than starvation even though there was a fridge full of food. But that was a minor detail.
Evelyn called Eric to the kitchen. While she waited for the pizza, she set up two seats at their family table, hoping he wouldn't just take a plate up to his room.
Eric came into the room and placed two wide slices on his plate. He nodded curtly, and moved to go upstairs again.
"Eric, wait," Evelyn said. "Would you at least eat down here with me?"
Eric's eyes found the floor. He sighed and put his plate back on the table.
"So how's Jonathan?"
"Fine."
"That's good…. I'm surprised that you're not with him tonight. You've been hanging out a lot lately."
Eric swallowed the last piece of crust. "I probably would've been, but Jonathan is away this weekend for a family wedding."
"Oh. Where is the wedding?"
"Boston. His first cousin is getting married."
Their voices silenced. All that could be heard in the penthouse was the clacking of jaws chewing fluffy pizza crust. Evelyn never noticed how quiet the penthouse was until that moment. They were so high up in the air, that the pounding rage of the city felt so distant.
Eric pushed his chair back. "Well, if you'll excuse me—"
"Eric. Please. Are we really going to continue with this?"
He paused. "What are you talking about?"
"You keep avoiding me. Look, I know that what happened between Jenny and I puts you in an awkward position, but I really miss hanging out with you."
"Evelyn, I don't fully know all the details about what happened between the two of you, but I know that what's best for me is to stay out of it."
"I get that, but you never even talk to me. Not even here when no one's around. Are you mad at me too, Eric?"
"Of course I'm not mad at you, Evelyn. I'm just disappointed in you. I'm not taking sides or anything but try to put yourself in Jenny's shoes. In her mind, here are the facts. She's hurt that you lied about your feelings for Nate. It's like you strung her along, gave her hope, and then snatched it away from her nose. That was a maneuver the girls at our school do all the time. She's also hurt that Nate chose her friend over her again, but if I were honest, I think she was more hurt that you chose Nate over her."
"That's not at all how it was for me!"
"I know. But think about it from her point of view. She didn't see who kissed who, she just saw a kiss. It was worse when it became a public moment so soon after. She's probably still embarrassed."
"I know, but how's that my fault? I didn't mean for Nate to kiss me. I didn't mean for that whole situation to happen. I purposefully avoided Nate. I didn't want to be anywhere near him like that….ever. I just wanted her to be happy."
"See, that's where you're wrong. Jenny doesn't need a guy to make her happy, and neither do you. Supportive friends and family make a person happy. She thought she had a good friend in you, and I'm sorry to say this, but you kinda failed her."
A cheesy bite of pizza stuck in her throat. "I still want to be that friend for her, Eric. I really just want all of us to be friends again. I just don't know how to fix this."
"Well right now, you don't fix it because there's nothing for you to fix. She still needs time to patch up her wounds."
"But there will always be scars."
Eric turned his right arm over revealing the scar on his thin wrist. "Scars aren't all bad you know. They are a reminder of what happened, but also how we became stronger after enduring pain."
Evelyn reached over and ran her fingers across Eric's red, and shinny flesh wound. "I hope you're right, Eric."
Eric turned his arm back over, and placed his hand over hers. "Of course I am. I've already been through it."
Evelyn smiled up at him. "I'm sorry for putting you in this position, Eric."
"It's okay. You two will work it out eventually."
"But in the meantime, can we at least hang out? I might be leaving soon, so…" Evelyn pulled her arms away.
Eric sat up. "Leaving?"
"Now that my term at Constance is ending, I have to decide whether or not I stay here. Permanently."
"Wow."
Evelyn took another slice of pizza. She didn't even bother picking off the pineapple. "I know. I haven't even begun to think about it. I have no idea what to do. I haven't even talked to my aunt and uncle about it."
"Why haven't you?"
Evelyn waited to finish swallowing. "They weren't exactly happy when I left them at New Years. I haven't told anyone this, but my aunt said to me, "Don't let them change you." Bizarre, right? I didn't know what she meant by that. But now I do. I'm not sure if I'm okay with it. I'm not sure if I'm okay with going back either….Its just if I call my aunt and tell her that, she'll be destroyed. She loves me, and I love her. She raised me and all, but I don't know what I want to do. I can't think of a reason to go back…."
Eric didn't say anything.
"Does that make me a bad person?"
"No. You know what they say, once you move up, it's hard moving back down."
"Exactly."
"You'll figure it out though."
Evelyn scoffed. "Yeah. Two weeks. No pressure."
"Well whatever you do, don't listen to your heart. Listen to your gut. It knows where you belong."
"Even if it's full of cheese and dough?"
Eric chuckled.
Evelyn dropped her half eaten piece of pizza on her plate. "How do you even like pineapples? Seriously!"
She began to pick each pineapple slice off one by one.
"It's an acquired taste."
Evelyn scrunched her nose. She pushed her plate full of pineapples toward him. "Here. You can have them."
Eric stacked the plate on top of his, and dug in.
"So are we good, Eric?"
"Evelyn, we were always good. No hard feelings here."
"Let me rephrase that. Can I talk to you again?"
"Of course."
Evelyn reached forward and hugged him. "Good. Because I wasn't going to let you ignore me for much longer. It was torture not being able to talk to you about the weirdest things that have been happening to me."
"Weird is one way to put it. I've seen what's been happening on Gossip Girl. Speaking of weird, are you and Blair friends?"
Evelyn threw her hands up. "I have no idea. She's mean to me, we scheme together, then she thanks me, and then she asks me to pick out an outfit for her. Who does that?"
"Blair," Eric said automatically. "Wait, did you say pick an outfit out for her?"
"I know right? Me, of all people! She gave me five minutes to find her something to wear that night at Bendels."
"Well then," Eric leaned back on his stool. "She's already started."
"Started what?"
Eric wiped his hands on his napkin and discarded it onto his now empty plate. "Since Blair is graduating, she's scouting for a girl that will succeed her as Queen for next year. She was testing you."
"Me? Seriously? How am I even qualified?"
"The way most of us here are qualified. We're born into it."
Evelyn nibbled on the crust. "Great. Another privilege."
"It's better to be in control at Constance, than being controlled. She's considering you. This is a huge deal."
"But what if I don't want it?"
"Have you even thought about what being Queen would be like? What doors it would open up to you?"
"Well, not exactly…I try to avoid thinking about those people as much as I can."
"Then I wouldn't count it out just yet. It's a position of power. It's not to be taken lightly."
Evelyn popped the last piece of crust in her mouth. She slouched back in her chair and chewed. Her as Queen? Who would ever think that would be a good idea? She was the least girly, least social climbing girl at Constance. She barely paid attention to the school hierarchy, she never wore headbands, and she'd been officially outcasted especially when Blair tried to sabotage her perceived 'date' with Chuck.
"Just don't be surprised if they try to rope you into the competition."
"I'll keep my eyes peeled for any headbands that come my way. Thanks for the heads up."
Evelyn closed the pizza box, and carried it over to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and found space on the shelf. She heard something ringing, but she wasn't sure what.
"Do you hear that?" Evelyn asked Eric.
"Hear what?"
Evelyn followed the sound. It came from the living room. "It sounds like its coming from here." Evelyn looked at the table, and couches. She threw the pillows to the ground until she heard the ringing much clearer.
Wedged in the sofa was a cellphone. Serena's cellphone. She picked up the phone, and flipped it open. There were two missed calls and fourteen messages.
"So, Eric. What are you doing tonight?"
"Other than not avoiding you, nothing. Why?"
Evelyn held up his sister's phone. "How do you feel about crashing prom?"
Against all odds, Chuck and Blair arrived at prom late.
It started when they turned the corner onto fifth. Some jerk on a bicycle was riding against the flow of traffic. This sudden motion caused the horse to panic, and skidded off the road and onto the sidewalk. The carriage collided with a lamppost, breaking two of the wheels. Thankfully, no pedestrians got hurt, and Blair was merely shaken up a bit, but they did have to wait to fill out a police report.
So much for that grand romantic gesture.
Chuck ended up calling Arthur. When it was all said and done, they were an hour late to prom, and missed the first course of their meal.
"Stupid biker…" Blair growled under her breath when they finally got to the hall.
They found their table and took their seats alongside Nate and Serena. The table was set up in one long table. They were naturally seated in the middle section of the table. Blair took a seat beside Nate with Chuck on her other side.
"Where've you been?" Nate asked Blair. He still avoided Chuck's eyes. As far as Chuck was concerned, he still should.
Blair huffed. "Just being apart of an accident." She dropped her clutch on her plate charger.
"What?"
"We're fine, Nathaniel," Chuck snarled. He pulled the chair back for Blair to take a seat.
"What happened?" Nate asked. Serena continued to engage in a very serious conversation with Nelly. She clung onto ever word that was said, nodding her head so much that her neck threatened to snap.
Blair took a sip of water. "Oh just a sandal wearing biker who clearly didn't understand that you should never be biking on sidewalks in the opposite direction caused our horse to freak out, and crash the carriage!"
Serena looked over fighting over her concern over Blair's wellbeing and retaining her grudge against her.
"Everyone's fine. No one got hurt," Chuck said.
Serena turned back around. Nate stared ahead, clearly at a loss for whom he could talk to. Thankfully, the servers appeared with the preordered plates of filet mignon, steamed vegetables and roasted sweet potatoes.
Chuck picked up his knife and fork and started into his steak. After the stress of the carriage fiasco, he was famished. It was also a welcome distraction from having to speak with Nate, or any other loser that he was seated around.
"Is it me, or did it just get chilly in here?" Nate said. He chewed his piece of steak thoughtfully.
"Don't blame me. I'm not responsible for the arctic wind," Blair said.
Serena's head snapped. "But you're responsible for every storm that tears through my life."
"For the last time S, I was protecting you. You should know the difference by now."
"Guys—"
"Nate, stay out of this. You've barely talked to Chuck in two months. You are so not one to talk right now," Blair said.
Nate sighed, throwing his head back. "But it's prom. Can we all just not fight during a major milestone in our lives for once?"
Serena folded her arms across her chest. Blair didn't touch her filet mignon.
"What could possibly be so bad that you two aren't talking on the biggest night of your high school careers?" Nate sighed.
"Nate, shut up," Chuck said. It was for his ex-best friend's good.
He glared at Chuck. "Dude. Don't tell me what to do, man."
Chuck could think of a lot of other things to tell Nate to do—or rather who not to do. But he wasn't very good at following instructions now was he?
Chuck pushed his chair back. "Would you like a drink, Waldorf?"
"I would, but it's a strictly sober event."
Chuck pulled out a flask from his breast pocket. "What if I could offer a little surprise in your punch?"
Blair grinned. "Then it would only be polite to say yes."
Chuck smirked, and went to the refreshments table. Although the carriage didn't work out as planned, Chuck was relieved that Blair's mood had somewhat restored to normal. Maybe it helped that she had Serena to aim her anger and frustration at. As long as she didn't aim it at him (unless in a sexual way), Chuck was going to take it. He was going to make sure this night was perfect. He already was following the scrapbook as closely as possible. Nothing else could go wrong. He figured a drink would take the edge of for them both too. A little loosening up did a lot of good for Blair.
"Chuck." Nate appeared beside him.
"Look, if you want some of my stash, then you should've thought to bring your own."
"That's not why I'm here. Look I just want to apologize."
Chuck turned. "For trying to fuck my sister after I told you to stay away from her?"
"I wouldn't go that far. We just kissed."
And he was supposed to be grateful for that? "Kissed, huh? How tame."
"Oh lay off, Chuck. You're not one to talk. You had sex with my girlfriend pretty much twenty minutes after we broke up. And how about all of those under aged girls you've done—"
Chuck's jaw clenched. "Your point Nathanial?"
"My point is that whether it's me, or some other guy that likes your sister…you can't shield her from all the guys that are interested in her. Especially if she's interested back. I didn't make it one huge secret that I liked her. I tried to fight it—"
"This is an apology?" Chuck said dully.
"I'm getting to it if you'd just shut up and listen."
Chuck's shoulders relaxed. "Go on."
"Right. So I'm sorry I upset you by making a move on Evelyn. We've talked about it, and we're just friends. I was hoping we could be too."
Chuck set both cups of punch on the table. "We always were Nathaniel. Remember the three things that are important to me? Money, the pleasures money brings me, and you."
Nate chuckled. "I think your priorities have changed a bit since then."
"They have, but you're still on the list Archibald. Consider yourself honored."
"Thanks, man. Likewise."
They walked back to the table, each carrying a cup of punch in each hand. The girls still didn't face each other, either texting or talking to the other couples at their table.
"Hold on, Nate." Chuck clutched both cups in one hand, and reached for his flask. "We're going to need this."
Nate looked at their table, and chuckled. "You know too well."
They sat at the table, offering their drinks to their dates.
"What took you so long?" Blair said.
"Nate and I were catching up. Making amends."
They high fived each other like old times.
"You're not high are you?" Blair asked them seriously.
"Not yet," Nate said. "But maybe later…"
Chuck nodded his head and high fived Nate again.
"Boys." Blair rolled her eyes.
"Excuse me?" The table looked up to see Blair's minions. Hazel carried a deck of cards in her hand, while Iz held pens.
"Vote for Prom Queen and King," Penelope said.
Hazel distributed the ballots to each person at the table.
Blair wrinkled her nose. "We don't do prom queen. That's for suburban schools and the lame teen comedies that are set at them."
"We're doing it this year," Hazel said flatly.
"There's a tiara and everything," Nelly added.
"A tiara?" Blair reached up to her head, and restrained it from moving up any further.
"But if you all don't want to vote for yourselves…" Iz said. She held out the pen to Blair. She smiled bitchily, and snatched the pen out of her hand.
They all looked at the ballots. Blair turned to Chuck. "We were nominated!"
"Yeah, and so were we," Serena said. Chuck looked at the ballot. Sure enough Nate and Serena were another couple listed. Below that, Nelly Yuki was nominated, which surprised Chuck.
"Oh please, who would vote for you?" Blair scoffed.
"The same people whom you've destroyed their lives. I think that's about the whole school now, no?"
"Ladies, please. We haven't even had dessert yet," Chuck said, as the waiters cleared their dinner plates away.
"Chuck's right. It's just a stupid tiara," Nate said.
"Shut up, Nate," Both girls said in unison.
Blair chugged the rest of the spiked punch.
Serena pushed her chair back. "You know what, I can't do this anymore. Nate, let's see if we can switch seats with someone else."
"Finally we agree on something," Blair said.
Serena stood up. "Let's go switch with Andy Clark and Emily Thomas," she said to Nate.
Nate stood up too. "Okay. We'll try."
Blair waved them off. "Enjoy your dessert!"
"We will, B," Serena smiled bitchily. "As for the crown, may the best woman win."
"I can't believe we're doing this," Eric sighed. "The teachers probably won't let us in, and we're not even dressed for this!"
"Eric, live a little. There's always a back door, and who cares how we're dressed? Everyone's probably too hammered to notice anyway."
A guy dressed in a tux stumbled out of the front doors to the rented prom hall. "See? Nobody will notice."
They walked up to the front doors. Headmistress Queller stood at the front doors holding a clipboard. She chatted with one of the guidance counselors Evelyn noticed walking the halls a few times.
"Hello, headmistress."
"Miss Ainsley, this is a bit of a surprise to see you here tonight."
"I know, I didn't intend to be here, really. I have Serena Van der Woodsen's phone. You see, I was with her brother Eric, here, and it kept going off. I swear there are fifteen messages! So we figured we'd come drop it off to her, so she could contact us-I mean her family- if she needed anything tonight. Could I quickly drop this off to her? I'll only be a couple minutes."
The headmistress looked around to make sure nobody was looking. "No more than five minutes."
Evelyn bowed her head. "Thank you so much, Headmistress."
"I'll be here waiting. Don't dawdle."
Evelyn yanked Eric's arm inside.
"That was almost…professional."
"It was actually a lot easier the second time around. I think she likes me, actually."
"Second time?"
Evelyn waved her hand flippantly. "I'll tell you that story later. Let's look for your sister now."
The rumble of jazz music wafted in the air. The tables were abandoned, as the dance floor was crowded with couples twirling and dipping. It was so crowded it was impossible to see anyone.
"I think we should split up," Eric said.
"Meet up at that table with the box on it in two minutes?"
Eric nodded.
Evelyn marched to the dance floor, squeezing past couples. She weaved and turned until she spotted her. It was quite easy really. She was the only leggy blonde with perfect wavy hair. There was no mistaking her.
"Serena!"
No answer. The music blared far too loudly for Serena to hear her.
Evelyn got closer and closer and finally was within arms reach. She tapped her shoulder. Serena turned around, started.
"Evelyn?"
"Hey!" Nate's eyes brightened.
Evelyn leaned close to Serena's ear and said, "Hey. You left this at home!" She forced the phone into Serena's hand.
Serena looked down and back up at her. "Thank you so much! You didn't have to do this!"
"I came with Eric. We figured you'd need it wherever you end up tonight."
Serena gave her a hug. "Where's Eric?"
"He's looking for you too. We're supposed to meet at the table over there, the one with the box on top? That one in like a minute."
"I'm going to go look for him," Serena said.
"Okay. He should be circling the dance floor."
Serena disappeared leaving Evelyn trying to think of a way to excuse herself from talking with Nate. She turned to watch Serena leave, and pretended to look for Eric.
"I have to say I didn't take you for a party crasher," Nate said from behind her.
Evelyn turned to face him. "Neither did I. It's like I didn't mean to show up or something. Can't you tell by how hideously underdressed I am?"
Nate chuckled. A slow song began to play. Great. Her timing could not have been worse.
"Well, now that you're here, would you care for a dance?"
Evelyn's cheeks flushed. "I should really be getting back to Eric…"
"He'll wait. Besides, this is my prom and all. It's my last high school dance…"
He would try to guilt her into it. She thought about what Eric said. No matter if she said yes or no, that wouldn't affect her situation with Jenny. There's not much more she could do about their current estrangement. One dance out of kindness couldn't hurt.
"Okay, but I can't guarantee a whole song."
Nate's arm wrapped around waist, reeling her closer to him. "That's good enough for me," he said.
Evelyn's heart stopped. She didn't even know why, but it just did. She locked her hands around his neck. He pulled her hips closer, pushing her arms further behind his head, enough that her forearms rested on his shoulders.
"Nate…" Her breath mingled with his.
His blue eyes pierced her. "Yeah?"
"We're friends."
He didn't let go of her. "Of course we are."
"Okay."
Her heart was hammering like the pianist's fingers tapping each key in the jazz band. They swayed to the music, having barely moved a foot from where they started. They simply looked at each other. No words. No distraction. No guilt.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," she said. She couldn't think. She couldn't hear the music. She couldn't see anybody else but Nate. But she felt. She felt as if she were in an attic; where the air was musty, and light dim. Each step she took caused the floorboards to creak. But she kept moving, She kept moving toward a window, for a dustless breath of air.
"Well that's a first," Nate said. Her elbows now rested on his shoulders.
Her lips parted. "Well there is nothing I should be thinking about right now."
"There's one thing I've been thinking about," he said.
She felt her breasts graze against his chest. "What's that?"
"It's something we agreed we wouldn't do."
"Right. Because we're friends," Evelyn said. They were. She was completely content with that classification, but here they were dancing at prom.
"I should go," Evelyn said.
"Okay," Nate said. His arms didn't move.
Evelyn removed her arms from his neck and took a step back. She turned to leave, the heat leaving her. She still felt in the dark of the attic, tripping on heavy boxes. Evelyn needed to find a window to stop wandering through the darkness.
She turned back to face him. "Nate, wait…"
He still stood in his spot because he was watching her leave. She marched up to him, put her hands on his cheeks, and brought his lips down on hers. This time she didn't immediately push him away. She wasn't afraid. She was curious.
So she kissed him. Just this once.
His lips were soft, and he didn't taste like beer. Instead, Evelyn tasted almonds.
She found a window in the attic, one of many, and took her first dustless breath of air. She wanted another, but Nate pulled back.
"So what did that mean, friend?"
Evelyn's eyes widened. Her flushed cheeks burned. "I…I don't know."
Nate smiled. "Well, when you figure it out, let me know."
The song finally ended. The silence reminded Evelyn why she was here. Serena's phone…Eric...Queller…it was all coming back to her.
Evelyn untangled herself from Nate. "I have to go."
"Thanks for the dance," Nate smiled.
"Yeah. You're welcome….friend." She patted him on the arm. "Have a good night."
She practically ran across the dance floor, and back to where Eric was waiting.
"Serena's looking for you," Evelyn panted.
"Serena already found me. Looks like someone got sidetracked—"
"Shut up! Let's just go—"
"Don't forget to vote!"
Evelyn turned to see Blair holding two ballots.
"We're not seniors. Our votes don't count," Evelyn said.
"Yeah, we're not even supposed to be here," Eric said.
"I don't care. You both are going to check off Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass—got it?"
"Fine," Evelyn huffed. She and Eric checked their ballots and put them in the box.
"We voted, okay? Have a good night!" Evelyn said, turning to leave. She took a step forward until she noticed her shoelace was undone.
"Eric—hold up, I need to tie my shoe."
She bent down, hunching over her shoe when four girls huddled around the voting table. She didn't need to look around to see who they are. She heard them.
Blair's minions.
"Oh, guys, I think I'm getting sentimental," Iz said.
"It's true. This is probably our last huddle," Hazel said.
"Yeah. If you do this stuff in college, people will think you're pathological," Nelly said.
"Come on ladies. Let's commit election fraud," Penelope snickered. "I can't wait to see Blair's and Serena's face when they lose prom queen to Nelly."
They all giggled and shut the ballot box.
Evelyn stood up. "Did you hear them?"
"Of course I heard them," Eric said. "Anyone in this room could've heard them gloat."
"I can't believe they'd do this," Evelyn said.
Eric scratched the back of his head. "I can actually."
"Well we're not going to let that happen. Eric, we're not done here just yet."
Spotted: Two underclassmen-crashing Prom. I spy with my little lie, E and N as 'friends'. Could they be the surprise front-runners for Prom King and Queen?
"Vote for prom queen!" Blair thrust two ballets to a dancing couple.
"We already voted," the girl said.
Blair plastered a smile on her face. "Good. Carry on."
She turned ready to interrupt another couple on the dance floor. Chuck approached her, and grabbed her arm.
"Blair, care for a dance?"
Blair looked away from him. She scanned the dance floor for other couples she hadn't asked if they had voted yet. "Not now, Chuck. I'm campaigning."
Chuck let go of her arm. "I think its actually borderline harassment."
"You would know," Blair said.
"Blair. You should be enjoying your evening. Who cares if you don't win prom queen—"
"I care. I'm the Queen of Constance, not Serena. This is my prom. I've been dreaming of this for so long, Chuck. It would be ruined if Serena won."
"Don't you think you're being dramatic? If Serena wins so what? We're here right now together. This is real. It's happening. There's nothing you can do to persuade people to vote for you right now."
"There is plenty that I can do, Chuck. Dreams take work Chuck."
If anyone were to know that statement so intimately, it would be Blair. Chuck had never met anyone so driven and hardworking as her. When she put her mind to something, she did whatever it takes to get it. Maybe he should take her advice.
"You haven't even danced yet. The night's almost over."
"I know, and I'm sorry. We'll dance after I'm done my rounds."
This was ridiculous. After all this effort he put in for her already, and she can't even spend a moment of it with him? "No. Now."
Blair sighed. "Fine. But first let me just put my clutch on the table."
They walked back to their table and Blair noticed a pile of ballots checked off with Nelly Yuki's name. They lay atop of Serena's plate.
"Oh my God. I can't believe this."
Blair picked up the ballots and stormed back to the dance floor. Chuck hurried behind her.
"Serena!" Blair stomped across the dance floor. She spotted the familiar blonde dancing with Nate. The blonde's arms waved in the air, a carefree smile graced her lips.
"Serena!" Blair clawed her shoulder.
"Blair? What the—"
"This is low, even for you," Blair spat.
"Blair, what are you talking about—"
"I can't believe you did this, Serena! You know how important Prom is to me!"
Nate came up to the scene. "Blair, what's wrong?"
"I saw these on Serena's plate. They are all marked with Nelly Yuki's name. She's sabotaging me! My missing corsage, my dress, the limo and hotel…"
"Students? Can I have your attention please?" Penelope's voice echoed from the stage. "For the first time ever at Constance our prom queen is… I'm sorry just one moment…"
Serena's eyes narrowed at Blair. "Blair, I didn't rig any of those things! I'm not sabotaging your prom. If anything you've been doing a good job of that yourself—"
"I haven't done anything—"
Penelope's voice cracked. "Our prom queen is… Blair Waldorf!"
Both girls looked up at the stage.
"Oh my God…I won," Blair said genuinely surprised. She turned to face Serena. "This is my moment. I own prom!"
"…And our king, Chuck Bass," Penelope practically spit.
Blair, already halfway toward the stage, turned to look for Chuck. She saw him, still standing beside Serena. She waved for him to come with her at once.
He was still too stunned. Chuck Bass…as prom king? This is something that was reserved for the Nate's of the world, not him. Clearly whoever voted for him did it as a joke. Serena pushed him forward, and he found himself walking, following Blair to the stage. He stood behind her as she snatched the tiara, and then the microphone. Blair then began delivering a completely unnecessary speech, but Chuck didn't hear any of it. He just stared at the crowd of people who looked up at him. Some took pictures, no doubt for Gossip Girl, but it all felt strange to him. He looked back at Blair, who beamed in sparkling gold tiara, and he felt eased. This was all for her. So long as she was happy, than this was worth it. He would put up with it.
The moment passed, and down the stairs he went.
Blair linked her arm around his. "Are you ready for that dance, Bass?"
"Now that I have your full attention…then yes."
Chuck pulled her toward him, and rested his hand on her hip. Blair's tiara sparkled, and for the first time that evening, she looked at him. "Chuck and Blair as the first Prom King and Queen, who knew?"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the results were tampered with," Chuck said.
"I don't think so," Blair said.
"How do you know that?"
"Because this is exactly how things are supposed to be," she said.
Who would've thought that this was how things were supposed to be? Blair dated Nate for over a decade. That's who's supposed to be dancing with her, not him. That's what felt off about tonight. No matter how hard he tried to make tonight perfect, he was not the perfect man for Blair. Someone like Nate was.
Blair smiled at him and they swayed to the music. Chuck looked around to see people watching them, and talking about them.
"Chuck? Is something wrong?"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"I tried to make everything like how you wanted it in your scrapbook. Tonight was supposed to be perfect for you, but you're not happy."
"What are you talking about? The dress—"
"I had someone custom design it from Paris."
Blair blinked back at him. "A-and the corsage—"
"The dress looks better without it."
"B-but the carriage—"
"An unfortunate accident, really. I thought we'd make it to prom in it."
Blair stared at him, her mouth agape. "You did all of that for me?"
He looked into her chocolate eyes. "Serena wasn't the only one who saw your scrapbook, remember?"
"Chuck…I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything."
"Yes, I do."
Chuck stopped dancing. "No you don't."
"Chuck, why did you do all this then?"
He could say it then. He knew the words. He felt them everyday. But when he looked around the room, he knew this wasn't the time or place. Chuck Bass liked his romantic gestures, but he liked them done on his own terms. Prom was the last place he would spring those words on her. "It doesn't matter why because no matter what I do, I'll never make you happy. You deserve better than that Blair. You deserved a perfect night, and I couldn't even manage to do that without screwing it up." Chuck turned to walk away.
Blair grabbed his arm. "Chuck, wait!" She turned him to face her. Her breath lapped his face. "What happened tonight, it's not your fault. It's mine."
"Blair, stop making excuses for me."
"I'm not making excuses for you. Just listen to me." She grabbed his face, and forced him to look her in the eye. "I don't want something perfect, Chuck. Sure, when I put together that scrapbook, I thought that would make me happy, but I was fourteen years old. I've changed a lot since then. That scrapbook was a dream, and dreams aren't real. This? This between us is real, and I want it like I've never wanted something before. I just want you Chuck.
"Tonight all I could focus on is not letting Serena win. I mean, I can't believe she was mad at me for helping her. I destroyed Dan's future for her, and I'd do it again. And tonight, I was scared that she was going to win Prom Queen without even trying because she has never had to work for anything. Everything just happens for Serena. I didn't want her to win the last dance. This is the last time we'll all be in the same room. We all won't be in the same room like this again. We we won't see each other every day again. We won't share any classes. We'll drift apart. It scares me. It scares me that I might lose you after high school. I don't want to lose you to that, Chuck. I'm worried that if we both don't do something right now, if we both aren't honest about how we feel about each other, then we might miss out on something that we both deserve."
This was why he loved her. He loved how she loved so fiercely, and how she cared so deeply about loving someone. Her devotion was what he craved. Her soft caressing hands. Her open heart. Her ability to fight for what she believed and held dear.
"Waldorf, you will never lose me," Chuck said. "Ever." His arms tightened around her waist.
She smiled at him. "You sure?"
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. The butterflies he first felt a year ago fluttered in his stomach. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other caressed her cheek. Their kisses ran deeper, and hearts beat faster.
Chuck couldn't remember whom pulled away first, but he was gasping for breath. Blair fixed his hair, tucking a lock of it behind his ear. Her cheeks were flushed, lips swollen, but her smile reached her eyes. She looked at him with such adoration in that moment, that Chuck wanted to take a picture of it, and live in it forever.
Suddenly, a loud upbeat tempo blasted through the speakers. Blair leaned forward and said in his ear, "Thank you Chuck for everything." She pecked his lips again, and said, "I have to go find Serena."
"Are you going to kiss and make up with her too?"
Blair smiled. "Hopefully. I thought tonight was supposed to be an ending, so I'm going to end this stupid fight we're in."
But Chuck knew that in some ways Prom night did represent the end of school. It represented the end of adolescence. But it came to mean something else. It represented the `beginning. The beginning of Chuck and Blair.
Spotted: B & her Dark Knight crowned as Prom King and Queen. Could it be? Could this finally mean the end for C & B?
"I just wish we could be there to see the looks on their faces when their pathetic plan failed," Evelyn said.
"It would have been priceless," Eric said. "I'm sure we'll catch the highlights on Gossip Girl."
"Even though we couldn't see it, let's toast to our victory!" Evelyn held up her mint chocolate chip ice cream cone and knocked it lightly against Eric's rocky road.
Evelyn opened the door, and let Eric pass first. "All in all, this turned out to be a pretty interesting evening."
"Let's see: We've made up, crashed prom, you kissed my sister's date, and we got ice cream. Seems pretty ordinary to me."
"I suppose… but for the record, Nate kissed me."
"Um I'm pretty sure I saw you grab his face and kiss him," Eric said.
Evelyn was silent for a moment. "I wasn't thinking. It just…happened." Evelyn groaned. "This is going to be on Gossip Girl isn't it?"
"Probably."
"How many people do you think saw it?"
"At least one if it's already headlining on her website."
Eric showed her the blast from his phone.
"Great. This is not helping my case with Jenny is it?"
"You know, it's okay to admit you like him."
"I don't like him like that."
Eric didn't argue.
"I mean, I didn't like him like that before that moment. I don't know. I was curious. Before I used to be scared of these things, but I didn't feel scared this time. I didn't think. I just don't know what I feel…"
"That's okay. Nate's starting the next phase in his life anyway, so I'm sure one kiss won't ruin it for either of you."
"You know what Eric? You're right. It was just a kiss. Nate's going to Columbia next year, and I'll be going to Constance. We'll be in two different life phases really."
"You'll be going to Constance then?" Eric said.
Evelyn bit back a smile.
"So you want to stay? Why?"
The sun was finally starting to set, the air still warm. They walked down fifth, where cars honked, and so many different people passed. Every person that passed her had a different look, a different story. Evelyn had never been somewhere so alive. Hartford was nice and quaint, but it was always asleep to Evelyn. People slept walk through their usual routines; the same people had the same life. New York offered so much more. There was always something to do, and something new to see. Evelyn had barely seen one borough of it. There was so much more exploring left to do.
"Eric, I want to stay because I think I'm falling in love with New York."
Eric licked his melting cone. "It's truly wonderful isn't it?"
"I didn't think I would like it here, but…I can't imagine leaving it."
Her ice cream dripped on the sidewalk. She rushed to lick the melting parts.
"So you're gong to stay. Permanently?"
Evelyn stopped in her tracks. "I think…I think I will…"
Eric stared at her. "This is a huge decision. Are you sure?"
Evelyn found her voice again. It was stronger and more definite. "Yes. I've found where I belong, Eric, and it's here. Not in Hartford, but here. With you. With Chuck. With my dad. My family."
The last song ended, and all the students rushed to get their coats and purses to go to the after party. Some kid named Tom was hosting a party at the Ritz. Chuck hung back with Nate, as Serena and Blair disappeared almost an hour before. Neither knew where their dates went.
"I wonder where Serena and Blair are," Nate said.
"I would think they didn't leave without us." Chuck pulled out a joint from his coat pocket. "Smoke?"
Nate smiled. "Absolutely."
They walked through the front doors, and they found Blair and Serena sitting on the front steps, huddled together with the their coats on. Chuck took his spot beside Blair, and Nate beside Serena.
"Did you two kiss and make up?" Chuck asked.
Serena rolled her eyes. "Yes we did."
"Good," Nate said. "I was beginning to worry you would carry this grudge till graduation."
"Relax, Nate. Serena and I always work through our fights," Blair said.
"Well it's about time. Tom's party at the Ritz is about to start," Nate said.
Chuck looked at the four of them sitting together, and remembered the first time they sat together in first grade. Chuck and Nate entered the classroom after saying goodbye to their nannies, and during the first carpet time, Blair turned and saw Nate. She walked up to him, asked for his name and demanded that he sat with her (thus starting their relationship). Serena appeared at Blair's side, and Nate only said he'd sit with Blair if Chuck could too. Chuck will always remember Blair's unimpressed look on her face when she saw him for the first time and begrudgingly agreed just so Nate would sit with them. Since then, they always found their way to sit with each other again.
Chuck wasn't in any hurry to make it to Tom's party. If anything, he was content to just hang out the four of them. Like old times.
Then, Chuck remembered something.
"We should go then, shouldn't we?" Serena said looking at everyone.
Nate, Serena, and Blair began to gather their things. Chuck reached into his pocket and felt for a key.
"I have a better idea," Chuck said. He held up the key to the penthouse of the Plaza Hotel.
They all exchanged looks.
"For old time's sake?" Nate asked.
They all smiled and ran down the steps to Chuck's limo. Chuck stood aside, so Blair could get in the limo first. Once inside, Blair reached inside Chuck's jacket pocket, and found a flask. She twisted the lid off and took a swig before passing it to Serena. Blair shifted her body so her legs draped over Chuck's and reached inside his jacket pocket again. She pinched the joint he'd been holding earlier, and stuck it between her lips.
"Waldorf!" Chuck exclaimed with shock and awe.
"B!" Serena's hand covered her mouth.
Nate blinked and said, "Oh my God. Blair..."
She plucked the joint from her heart shaped mouth. "What? A girl can't have a little fun on Prom night? I've always wondered why you and Nate like to do this so much anyway…"
"Well, we're excited to find out," Chuck replied.
They spend the night in the penthouse drinking and smoking, and reminiscing. Once they got off the elevator to the penthouse, they ran into the room where Chuck became the bartender, and Serena the Deejay. Nate rolled enough joints for everyone, and for the first time Blair sat around and just enjoyed being there. She was always the one planning and doing the work for the rest of them. Now it was her time to relax.
Hours lap over them like waves with every drink, puff, and laugh. At four in the morning, they pushed the chaise chairs together on the balcony, and lied back with towels wrapped around them like blankets. Blair and Serena were in the middle, with Nate on one side, and Chuck on the other. Chuck had his arm wrapped around Blair, and the other cradling the back of his neck. He hadn't been able to keep his hands or lips off Blair all night.
"Guys, I can't believe high school is almost over," Serena said.
"I know. Where did the time go?" Nate said, his one arm hanging off the chaise, and touching the marble floor.
"I can't believe it took twelve years to get Blair baked," Chuck said.
They all chuckled. "I never thought I'd see the day," Nate said. He rubbed his tired eyes. "How was it Blair?"
Blair lifted her head from Chuck's shoulder, and nuzzled her face into Chuck's neck. No one could remember how his shirt came off, but his pants and socks were still on. "I'm just so happy. Happy, happy, happy! You all make me so happy."
Chuck kissed her forehead, and his hands wandered beneath Blair's underwear. He cupped her round backside.
Serena giggled. "Blair, you're so funny high!"
"And you're always hungry, Serena," Nate said. He passed her an open tin of Pringles.
Serena chomped on a chip. "Guys, we need to do this again before we go off to college."
"Definitely," Nate said.
"Guys?" Serena turned to see Chuck kissing Blair. "EW! STOP IT! We get it, you're in love, but can't you have the common decency to not do that in front of us? Chuck! Please take your hand out of Blair's pants!"
Chuck sighed. His sisters always had a habit of ruining a great moment for him.
For the last time, the Non-Judging Breakfast Club watched the sky change from shades of grey to pink, and to eventual blue. They dozed on the chaises with the fresh summer air mingling with the blooming flowerpots. With his arm around Blair, Chuck thought of what Bart said earlier. He looked over at his three childhood friends, and for the first time he appreciated them. He wondered where he would be without Saint Nate, without his bantering with his stepsister Serena, and most importantly Blair. Friends make a person, and Chuck didn't understand until that moment how much he lucked out. Would they always stay this close? Without a shared community could they realistically stayed friends?
Chuck pushed that thought away. For the first time, he took his father's advice and smiled. His grip around Blair's waist tightened, and he watched Nate doze off first, then Serena, and he felt Blair's breath evening out. He held onto the moment the longest until his tired eyes betrayed him and fluttered shut.
While the sparkles, sequins and glittery prom dresses come and go out of style, it's hard to know what style is a fad or a trend. But if life is a wardrobe, there comes a time when you realize what clothes are trendy, which clothes are short-lived fads, and which trends become classic. Like you and me. Your wardrobe would never be complete without me.
You Know You Love Me,
XOXO Gossip Girl
A/N: And there you have it! Chuck and Blair going to prom. I wondered what it would have been like to see Chuck and Blair going to prom, and this was my interpretation. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Next chapter preview: The next chapter is titled "The Graduates", and it will evidently focus on the NJBC's graduation. Meanwhile, Evelyn will face the consequences of her decision to stay in New York, and is also pulled into "throwing her hat in the ring" for Queen.
I sincerely hope the wait won't be as long for that chapter. Any motivation does help! To the anonymous reviewers who left reviews almost everyday this February, that means you. Thank you for that, it really helped me get on track with writing this story again.
Till next time!
XOXO EZ11