A/N: Happy New Year, readers! I apologize for not being as consistent with my updates over these past couple of months as I intended to. I took on way too many projects in the last two months of 2018, which meant that I had to put this story aside to honour my other commitments. I'm going to try better this year to be more consistent with my scheduled updates.
Thank you to everyone who left reviews on the last chapter. It astounds me that with every new story favourite, follow, or review, the readership for this story keeps on growing. Without further ado, enjoy the next chapter in this series!
Chapter 41: The Outsiders
Wakey wakey, Upper East Siders. Welcome to the first day of senior year and the onset of a new social dynasty. We hear Catherine Baizen is single and on top of the Met steps. But who will be this year's projects and victims? Could we expect a phoenix rising from our Queen J? And where will rival E fall on draft day? The greatest question remains: will Constance become the House of Baizen?
Bart sipped his coffee as he leafed through The Financial Times. On the front page, Jack dominated the headlines with reports on the relaunch of Bass Industries. A large picture of his brother's smiling face took up half the front page. There was a mischievousness behind his smile, a smile he'd known since they were little. The article was glowing, a report of the bright future of Bass Industries leading the way in the future of real estate development.
Bart was still stunned that he was escorted out of the event. He didn't tell anyone that he was kicked out, he had far too much pride for that, but it was a maneuver that could be expected from his brother. Yet, he never imagined his brother would exclude him like that. More importantly, he couldn't believe no one noticed.
Had he become that irrelevant since he stepped out of the Bass Industries spotlight a few months ago? He knew most people had a short-term memory, but since when was it this short?
The chair beside him scraped against the floor. Evelyn sat down beside him in her Constance uniform.
"Good morning," Evelyn said with a yawn. She picked up a croissant and scooped a spoonful of scrambled eggs and fruit on her plate.
Bart set the paper face down on the table. He helped himself to scrambled eggs and toast.
Evelyn picked up the newspaper and read the front headline. "Uncle Jack made the front page, huh?"
"Mmhmm," Bart said as spooned eggs into his mouth.
Her eyes scanned the article. "I still don't understand why he's the CEO now. I mean, his vision is a bit niche isn't it?"
Bart kept his gaze on his plate. "It's a vision he thinks is the best for the future of the company."
"Do you think so?"
It occurred to him that his opinion no longer mattered. Whatever he said at the table meant no more than a sports commentator making a tournament prediction. "Not particularly. Not that he listens to my opinion."
Evelyn put the newspaper beside her plate. "Too much pride isn't very helpful."
"Too much pride runs in the family I'm afraid," Bart said. He was certainly guilty of it. Why would his brother be any different?
Chuck and Eric joined the kitchen table. Chuck's eyes lingered on the newspaper image and his brows furrowed as he sat down.
Serena joined the table next in a flurry of energy.
"Still packing?" Eric said.
"Just last-minute things," Serena said.
"Aren't you and Nate moving into your place today too?" Evelyn asked Chuck.
"Yes. We hired a service to do it, so all I have to do is inspect it after five this evening."
Serena rolled her eyes. "Is there anything you do that don't pay for?"
"Yes, and you know what that is," Chuck smirked.
"Gross," Serena mumbled under her breath.
"You did walk into that one," Eric said.
Serena shook her head. "First day of senior year is today. Are you excited?"
"It depends on how you define the term excited," Eric said.
Serena turned to Evelyn. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Evelyn sighed. "it means that there's a new Queen of Constance, and we aren't exactly friends with her."
"Who is it?"
"Catherine Bazien," Evelyn said.
"Why is it when I hear that last name, I want to throw up?" Chuck said.
"Charles. We're eating," Lily said, joining the table. "I just got off the phone with the movers Serena, and they should be here around ten."
"That's great." Serena turned her attention back to Evelyn. "I thought Jenny was Queen?"
"She was, until…" Eric began.
Serena looked between the two of them confused.
"It's a long story." Evelyn leaned to Serena and said, "and it isn't appropriate for the breakfast table. I'll tell you later."
Serena nodded and continued to eat her breakfast.
Bart's ears perked up. Long story? Without Bass Industries, his ears were now privy to hearing these conversations.
Evelyn finished the last pieces of fruit on her plate and checked her watch. "Eric, we should get going."
"Good luck with the move, Serena," Evelyn said. The pair hugged, said their goodbyes, and whispered plans to stay in touch while Serena was away.
"And good luck with your move," Evelyn said while clamping a hand on Chuck's shoulder. "Maybe Eric and I'll come see it after school?"
"By all means," Chuck said. "I text you the address."
"Have a good day everyone," Evelyn said. "Bye dad."
She smiled and waved her goodbye, and even though these past few months came with relentless waves of changes, moments like these where he had his family close, together, and peaceful, made it worth it.
"Did you see the most recent post on Gossip Girl?" Eric asked as they were stuck in stop and go traffic.
"I did," Evelyn said. "We are about to enter a Catherine Baizen zone."
"We did get a preview at the end of last school year. Wasn't pretty."
Evelyn didn't think too much about Catherine's reign. As Gossip Girl alluded to, she would either be a project or victim. Sure, that system was to sort freshman, but with Catherine as Queen, Evelyn suspected that adjustments needed to be made to reflect her new world order. Evelyn was certain she'd land on the victim list without even trying.
"The question we should be asking ourselves is what her signature accessory is going to be," Evelyn said. She'd known that with Blair it was headbands, ties for Jenny. What would it be for Catherine?
"These are the important questions that plague our generation," Eric said.
Evelyn chuckled. Overall, she was pretty excited to start school again. She enjoyed working with Dr. Crespo, but she was happy to not have to deal with urine samples for the foreseeable future.
The limo pulled up to the gates of Constance and St. Jude's where familiar faces mingled around the courtyard.
"Well," Eric said pushing the door open. "Here goes nothing."
Evelyn followed and looked for Dash in the crowds. She couldn't see Ozzy either.
Straight ahead, standing on the steps, surrounded by Lila, Sera, and Kate was Catherine. Wearing her Constance uniform with pride, a golden headband creating a halo on her head, was Catherine Baizen, new Queen of Constance. Evelyn looked to see if there was any obvious addition to Catherine's outfit, but she didn't notice anything.
As they walked up the steps, Evelyn began to think that she wouldn't be noticed at all by Catherine. The thought actually relieved Evelyn. It would be one less thing to contend with.
"Evelyn," Catherine's voice rang.
Evelyn closed her eyes momentarily and turned to face her. "Yes?"
"Can I have a word with you?"
Evelyn and Eric exchanged a look. "Do you want me to…" Eric whispered.
"No. I got this. I'll meet you inside," Evelyn said.
Evelyn followed Catherine away from the minions and stopped near the Constance entrance.
"I have a proposition of for you," Catherine said.
"If it's to become one of your minions, then I think we both know my answer to that."
"Of course, we do. I was thinking this proposition would be to grant you amnesty."
"For what?"
"I will grant you amnesty for the rest of the month. I won't come after you, Eric, or even Dash for that matter if you can do one small favor for me."
Evelyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she said the word favor. "Why would I want to do you a favor?"
"Because I'm Queen now and if you want to be in a place that is safe and out of the way, I can guarantee that for you if you follow through on a small favor."
Evelyn crossed her arms. "What could you possibly need from me?"
Catherine guided her off towards the bricks of the building and spoke in a hushed tone. "I need you to talk to Ozzy for me."
"Why?"
Catherine clamped her hand on Evelyn's arm. "Shhh! Listen, things didn't end on the best of terms at the end of the year, and I would like the opportunity to change that."
"You want me to set you two up?" Evelyn scoffed.
"It wouldn't hurt if you gave a couple words on encouragement."
"Now that's asking for too much."
Catherine's friendly demeanor dropped. "Fine. Just arrange a meetup. Today."
"Or what?"
"You'll pay the price. This is my kingdom now."
"You couldn't have made that any clearer," Evelyn said. "I have to ask though if I have to do this, why Ozzy? Out of all the guys at St. Jude's, why him? Shouldn't you be looking for someone who has higher status?"
"Please. Gone are the days where we needed the highest status man beside us once Jenny ruled from Brooklyn. Not that Ozzy is in bad status per say, he is a Taylor."
Evelyn thought back to what Ruby told her on that fateful night a few months ago. Sure, Ozzy was a legacy of the Taylor family, but he was unfortunately an illegitimate one. She was reminded of Ruby's wrought words: How do you tell your child that he wasn't wanted?
Evelyn's gaze dropped to the slate interlocking. Her vision became slightly blurry.
"Besides," Catherine's voice brought her back to the present moment. "He's different than all the other guys at St. Jude's." Catherine shrugged. "You should know that."
Catherine walked back to her minions who whispered, theorized, and wondered what their beloved leader would ever need to say to Evelyn Bass.
Evelyn left the courtyard and stormed to her homeroom class, completely forgetting about meeting back with Eric. Catherine was right about one thing. Ozzy was different than the boys at St. Jude's.
But so was she.
Spotted: C and E having a standoff in the courtyard. Will E take orders from Queen C? Or do we have another rebellion on our hands?
Chuck sauntered through the living area where he father sat on the couch with his phone in hand.
"Still haven't left yet?" Bart said.
'The movers are still doing their job," Chuck said. "Why, do you want me out of here already?"
"That's not it," Bart said. "I just thought you'd actually have work to do or you'd be with Blair."
"We broke up."
"Ah that's right. What a shame. She was a very good influence on you."
She wasn't exactly a trustworthy influence, but Chuck didn't bother correcting him. "Speaking of influences, I have to ask. Do you think Jack will be a good influence on Bass Industries?"
"My opinion holds little importance to Jack."
"So, I gathered. I ask because before I left on my trip with Nate, you told me to stay out of the way and that there would be a war. Have shots been fired?"
"It's a cold war at the moment," Bart set his phone face down on the arm rest. "And I still stand by what I said in May. Stay out of it. The less soldiers are involved, the fewer casualties will be incurred."
"I'll accept that for now, but what are you doing about it?"
"About what?"
"Bass Industries. You aren't seriously going to let him take over, are you?"
"We're in a war, Chuck. These things take time."
"So, you do nothing but wait?"
"Who says I'm waiting? I'm assessing my options. First rule of business, son. Always think through every decision you make. It could be the difference of being the CEO like Jack, or being unemployed like me."
"You know you could get a job if you tried."
"Perhaps, but it gets pretty chilly in the city."
He would know. He created a few ice storms himself.
"These things take time. You have nothing to worry about."
Chuck wasn't necessarily worried yet, but he was curious. So, his Uncle was roaming the streets of New York, unscathed? Without fear? Sure, his father said that he needed to think things through, but he should have also said there needed to research. And if his father wasn't going to do the work, someone should. He wasn't getting involved in the immediate action per say, but he would be…observing it.
Chuck got up from the couch.
"Where are you going?" his father asked.
"Out."
Bart just shook his head, knowing full well he was up to no good. And there was little he could do to stop it.
Ozzy's first few steps on school property were tentative. It was the first time, in what he could imagine was ever, that he started at the same school two years in a row. He saw familiar faces, freshmen who looked no older than sixth graders wearing oversized suit jackets. Juniors that had sprouted to the same heights of seniors. Ozzy himself grew out of last year's St. Jude's uniform and wore a new one after growing a couple inches over the summer.
As much as some things changed, most had stayed the same. The same people hung out together. The courtyard had wrought iron gates and steps up to the Constance Billard wing to the left and St. Jude's to the right. He still felt that he didn't quite belong at St. Jude's, and after his sessions with Dr. Albright, he was understanding why.
But some things were different. He didn't feel dread going to school. He and Dash were on good terms. He had already texted Evelyn that morning. After much nagging from his mom, he finally got a haircut. Now his hair was short on the sides and back of his head, while his curls were longer in loose waves on top. His mom said it reminded her of JFK minus the combover. He also carried his notebook in his backpack, his most loyal companion, along with his pen.
Another new thing he noticed was Catherine standing with what was Jenny's circle of friends at the top of the steps. They laughed and giggled, and when she spotted him, she smiled. Then, all of the girls around her turned and looked at him. They whispered and giggled at one another.
Huh. Ozzy supposed he was on good terms with Catherine now too.
"Who knew that it would only take one good haircut for everyone to finally notice you?" Dash said. "Maybe I should get a haircut. Change my look."
"Did you have a new look in mind?"
"Well…not yet. What do you think?"
Dash's straight brown hair fell over his forehead in a soft wave. The rest of his hair was neatly trimmed.
"How about a buzz cut? Shave it all off," Ozzy said.
"Are you kidding? Next thing you'll suggest is me joining the military," Dash said.
"Well, only if you wanted to serve your country," Ozzy said.
The St. Jude's hallway looked the same. Some faces were absent from last year, like Dusty. He wondered what happened to him recently when he started to write about swimming. He wondered if he'd screwed up his chances of getting into a top-tier sports school like he wanted.
"I'm going to look for Evelyn. See you in the chapel?" Dash said.
"Yeah. I was just going to go to the courtyard anyway."
He didn't need to see that reunion. Some things were better unnoticed.
Ozzy spotted one of the stone tables in the far corner of the courtyard was unoccupied. He nodded to a couple familiar faces, and sat by himself. He put his bag on the table and took out his notebook. Typically, he sat alone on the first day of classes because he didn't know anyone. For the first time, he sat alone on the first day of school by choice. He used to feel self-conscious of being alone, trying to fit in and all, but today, he found himself not caring. Sure, someone could snap a picture and post it on Gossip Girl. So what? He wouldn't be able to stop that. But he could stop how it made him feel.
Ozzy opened his notebook to a clean page. He clicked his pen and began writing. Over the past few days, Dr. Albright recommended that they continue working on his progress with joint counselling sessions. So far, he'd sat through two sessions with his mom. Each session danced around the truth that Ozzy finally admitted to Dr. Albright privately.
He wrote down the exchanges from both meetings, but he knew deep down that these exchanges were superfluous. No truth was uncovered, nothing shameful was barred. Regardless, Ozzy tried to incorporate as many details as he could so he wouldn't forget what those sessions were like. His thoughts began to drift on paper to the next joint counselling session he was scheduled to attend afterschool. He was nervous, uncomfortable at the thought of his mom being in the same room as Dr. Albright again. What if they fought? What if he said something to her that could break her? What if they couldn't forgive each other?
Ozzy tried to stop thinking about the session, so he focused to write about something happy. Dr. Albright suggested that he try to focus his writing on something mundane that amused him, confused him, or captured his curiosity of some sort when he felt his thoughts were getting out of control. With the first assembly about to start, the last thing he needed was to sink into this spiral.
He began to sketch little spirals in the margins. What's something that captured his curiosity? He looked around at the courtyard. He saw everyone wearing their uniforms. The girl's uniforms, although tailored to look the same, differed in the ways they were accessorized. That didn't interest him. He looked at the crest above the doors of St. Jude's. The long, boring history of the school didn't interest him either.
What was there to write about?
He thought about the world he now lived in, this opulent, sparkling grander reeking with excess. It didn't necessarily interest him, rather it interested him when he looked around the room to see not one face that looked like him. In fact, there was not one face that wasn't pale. He thought of the portraits that lined the hallways of St. Jude's. Most had white hair, a receding hairline, but they all looked the same, as identical as the St. Jude's uniforms.
Ozzy started writing. He didn't know where he was going with this idea. He didn't really know if this would be relevant during today's session if ever. But there was something meaningful with every word he wrote, and that's all that mattered.
Spotted: O sitting alone before assembly this morning, writing. Is it us, or has he become the new Lonely Boy? Someone better do something before he becomes Boring Boy.
"I can't believe you're going back to Providence today," Blair said.
Serena sat across from her at one of their favorite restaurants Upland. After a whole summer of conquering the streets of Paris, Blair got used to being with her best friend again all day every day. Just like last year, her absence would be leave behind a dull ache of longing.
"I know, but you'll be so busy conquering Columbia, you won't even miss me that much."
Blair pushed her food around on her plate. "This summer was exactly what I needed. No Chuck. No drama. Just the Louvre, shopping, and eating every dessert imaginable with my best friend. I'm not going to eat shawarma with the rest of misguided Columbia student body."
"You won't be alone Blair," Serena said. "You have your roommate, Joy, classes, and the extracurriculars you're involved in. If anyone should be worrying, it should be me."
"You are the one who chose to room with five other people. Two boys, three girls? Sounds like the beginning of a porno."
"We're all just friends. There's nothing sexual between anyone."
Blair gave her a look. "That's what everyone says until they're a bottle of wine in and one thing leads to the next—"
"Okay, enough, Mom! I swear, I'll steer clear if things get weird."
"Which they will," Blair added.
Serena rolled her eyes. "You know, Joy was right."
"About what?"
"You are such a mom sometimes."
"Since when do you talk?"
"We text. Your version of a story is not always reliable, and I have Joy to give me some added context."
"Nice. You two gang up on me now?"
"Of course, we don't! B, you and I are best friends. Joy understands that, but she also really cares about you. We care about the same person and are open about it."
"Maybe I'll call up one of your four roommates to see if you actually are hooking up with them!"
Serena sat back in her chair. "Go right ahead. Gossip Girl will probably report before you find out."
"She does have a gift for doing that. But in all seriousness, S…don't forget to keep in touch."
Serena reached her hand across the table. "Always, B. You are unforgettable."
Blair squeezed Serena's hand. Being unforgettable wasn't a bad thing to be, was it?
Evelyn sped out of her English literature class when the first bell rang for lunch. The morning had been full of introductions of course syllabuses, book distributions, and casual chatter. In her English literature class, Ozzy had taken the seat in the row beside her, but her thoughts were still working through what Catherine requested.
Every once in a while, she'd sneak a peek at Ozzy and wonder, would he actually want to get together with Catherine? They did have a relationship last year, but the idea of them getting back together unsettled Evelyn. Ozzy could date whomever he wanted, but the only person she thought would be a horrible match for him was Catherine.
Each time she looked over at Ozzy, his hand moved back and forth across his notebook. Evelyn didn't want to disturb him, but she'd never noticed him write like this before. What was he writing about? Evelyn knew it was private, but whatever it was, Ozzy devoted a great focus to it. She hoped it was helping him.
"Couldn't get out of Mr. Lawrence's class fast enough?" Ozzy said.
"His monotone voice almost put me to sleep," Evelyn said. "I should have brought something else to do like you did."
Ozzy readjusted the strap of his bag. "Are you having lunch on the steps?"
"Now that Jenny isn't Queen, I have no reason to. I know Dash will probably be waiting at my locker, but maybe we could all have lunch together? I'll text Jenny and Eric too."
"There is strength in numbers," Ozzy said. "I'll meet you in the courtyard?"
Evelyn finished typing her message to Jenny and Eric and nodded. Evelyn continued down the Constance hallway and saw Dash leaning against her locker.
Dash put his hands on her hips, pulling her in his embrace. He kissed her, and Evelyn found herself losing herself in the kiss, in his warm embrace, until she realized they were very much in the public hallway. She playfully slapped Dash's hands away when he tried to reel her back in.
"How was your morning?" Dash asked.
"Not too bad. Mr. Lawrence bored me to sleep, but that's nothing new. How about you?"
"I got paired with Kate as lab partners for the whole semester. Chemistry will not be the same without my partner this year."
Evelyn picked up her lunch bag and snapped her lock shut. "I'm sure you'll survive."
Evelyn took his hand and they continued to chat until they reached the courtyard. Eric and Ozzy were waiting at one of the tables. Jenny was nowhere to be found.
"Lunch?" Evelyn said.
"On the steps? It's a nice day," Dash suggested.
"Do we really want to encroach on Catherine's territory so soon?" Eric said. "I just, you know, wouldn't want yogurt in my hair on the first day."
Evelyn saw Catherine through the windows heading off campus. Her gaze then fell to Ozzy. "It's a free country. We can sit where we want. Let's go."
At the Met, Catherine sat on the top step flanked with Lila, Sera, and Kate, while a couple fresh faces sat at their feet.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Eric said.
"Of course. We just can't sit on the top step, right? So, we won't. We're not staging a revolt…just yet."
Evelyn led the way to an area not overrun with seagulls that was a safe enough distance away from Catherine, but close enough so that Catherine would see that she was there. They ate as if this was a normal thing they did, a casual group of friends that always got together, where Dash recalled stories from his summer in South Korea, and Eric spoke about his summer in the Hamptons. It was a peaceful lunch that Evelyn never thought would be possible last fall.
Evelyn reached in her bag and checked her phone. There was one message from Jenny.
Sorry! Can't. Raincheck?
"Who is it?" Dash asked.
"It's Jenny. I also invited her to join us, but she couldn't make it."
Evelyn looked over her shoulder and saw Catherine starring at her, waiting. Evelyn turned back around and said, "You know what would be good right now?"
"Let me guess," Ozzy said. "Ice cream?"
"Accurate, but no. I was thinking about the macarons from Ladurée?."
"Oh my God those are deadly," Eric said.
Evelyn nodded. "We should have some. It's our first day of senior year. Actually, our last first day of high school. We should honor that."
"With macaron?" Ozzy said.
"Yes, but more broadly, a New York delicacy. In this area at least." Evelyn then turned to Dash and took his free hand in both of hers. She battered her eyelashes and put on her sweetest voice. "Dash?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind getting some for us?"
"Why don't we go together so you can pick what you like?"
"I trust your judgement. I'm not picky."
Dash leaned in so she could be the only one to hear him whisper. "It'll cost a high price."
"Consider it paid," Evelyn said.
"Alright," Dash said, getting to his feet.
Evelyn turned to Eric and said, "Eric…"
Eric, perplexed, looked behind her and noticed Catherine's intent stare. "Yeah. I'll come with. I'm…kinda picky with these things" Eric jumped to his feet.
"There's a good pretzel stand on the way—" Ozzy began.
Evelyn's eyes widened and she said, "Many hands make light work. I think Dash and Eric can get us all some, yes?"
"Of course. Four hands are better than two," Eric said lifting up his palms and then quickly putting them to his sides.
Dash, looking at Evelyn with a puzzled expression on his face, said, "Let's go."
Once they had descended down the steps, Ozzy said, "Let me guess. You want to talk to me about something."
"Great observation."
"You could be a bit subtler next time."
"I would, but I don't have any time to waste. I don't want this to get weird, but I figured I should just tell you what happened and then formally ask what I was supposed to ask or coerce you into doing."
"That's a nice courtesy. I appreciate that."
Evelyn gave him a light shove. "I'm serious! I don't know if you checked Gossip Girl, but Catherine asked me for a favor this morning."
"You?"
"I know." Evelyn turned her attention to her snapping her empty containers shut.
"What did she want?"
"You."
"Me?" Ozzy said. "Wait, why would she be talking to you about this?"
"I think it's because we're friends and she probably saw that we were hanging out in the city this summer on Gossip Girl. I think she wants to get back together with you."
"Why didn't she talk to me herself?"
"That's where the coercion comes in. She wanted me to influence you into thinking it would be a good idea to get back together with her."
"But you can't lie," Ozzy said.
"You and I both know that, but she doesn't. Anyway, before I go on any further, I have to ask. Would you be interested in her offer? Like, do you…like her?"
Ozzy paused. He shifted his position so his forearms balanced on his knees. "Not enough to date her. Wait, that's not what I meant. Well it is, but that's not the best way to put it." His gaze dropped and he sighed. "I have to tell you something that might be important in all of this."
"I'm not going to like this am I?"
"Probably not, but just…don't judge me."
Evelyn's features softened. "I won't."
"Remember when you asked me if Catherine and I hooked up? I can't remember what party we were at, but she was saying we did when we didn't?"
"Yes."
"That's not true anymore. We did…you know."
It took all of her restraint to not make a face of disappointment. Evelyn rubbed her lips together with hopes to hide any trace of what she felt in that moment. She shouldn't care. It's Ozzy's life, he can do what he wanted. She was with Dash, and Ozzy probably assumed that they had been intimate. But of all people, he had to sleep with Catherine? It made her stomach turn.
"Your judging," Ozzy said.
"I'm…listening attentively," Evelyn said.
"You're making a face. Look, she isn't the worst person in the world. We did bond, and I think we hooked up that night you asked me that."
"Valentine's Day," Evelyn said. Evelyn put her head in her hands when she recalled the image of Ozzy face down on the staircase with only his boxers on and one sock. Catherine was the result of that. "Why, Ozzy?"
"Does it help if I were to say I was high during it?"
"No."
"Or that she may have enabled my access to drugs by offering them before we would—"
"She did what?"
"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have said any of this."
"No. Ozzy, I'm glad you told me. I just had no idea she had this influence that probably made things progress in the way that they did—"
"It's not Catherine's fault, Evelyn. I made my own choices."
"Still. Ozzy, do you know how much you scared me on Valentine's Day when you were unconscious? I thought you wouldn't wake up. You scared me."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. You're here, you're better, and now we know what we're going to do with this whole situation."
"We?"
"Yes. We aren't going to take her offer. Well, I'm not, which means you stay away from her."
"I already have," Ozzy said. "At the end of last year. I'll be honest, it wasn't easy. The temptation was strong, you know, for the drugs, but I did it. You don't have to worry, Evelyn."
"I'll always worry," Evelyn said. "Can't help it."
"You don't need to. I dunno. The more I think about it, the more I realize that she probably sees me as a project. Something she can mold you know?"
Evelyn grinned. "Well, she picked the wrong person for that."
"And she'll learn that the hard way," Ozzy said.
"You do realize she's been watching us all of lunch, right?"
Ozzy looked over his shoulder where Catherine seemed preoccupied listening to Sera. "You think?"
"Ozzy, I'm a girl. I know. She'll ask for a full report after school. I'll tell her the truth and suffer the consequences."
"Consequences?"
"She is Queen. She has a projects and victims list. It'll move me to the victims list, but it'll take a while before she has something to humiliate me with. I can handle it."
Dash and Eric returned with a dark blue box in their hands.
"That was the longest line in history," Eric said.
"Not going to lie, we did consider leaving, but we didn't want to come back empty handed," Dash said.
Evelyn accepted the box and kissed Dash on the cheek. "Thank you for your sacrifice."
Spotted: Total harmony in the kingdom? While Queen C reigns supreme, it looks like E has made her own stake on the steps with knights instead of handmaidens. And where's J you may ask? She's hiding surely, but she'll have to show her face eventually.
Bart checked his watch. It was lunchtime at one of his favorite restaurants, Patsy's, and one of his best business associates, James Rothburn, had still yet to show. Rothburn worked for a smaller real estate competitor, who specialized in condominiums. It had been a few months since he last saw James. Bart hoped he was still a friend, but an even better business partner. In the real estate world, everyone knew anyone who had a stake in the market, and it was time for Bart to work his angles.
James followed the maitre D to the table. Bart stood with his hand outstretched.
"Bart. Good to see ya. It's been a few months."
"Thanks for meeting with me James," Bart said. "It's been a busy few months."
"I bet. From spearheading some of the biggest projects in the city to stepping down from CEO, which can be a long and messy process, there've been a lot of changes for you. Your brother was telling me all about it."
"He was?"
"Oh yeah. He has big shoes to fill, and he certainly knows it."
Bart took a sip of his water. From what he knew of Jack, he was probably giving James lip service. Bart never thought of comparing himself to his brother. That would be comparing an apple to a blueberry. They were very different fruits with properties that wouldn't make for a fair comparison.
"But I gotta ask," James said. "Why?"
"I've been in the game for over twenty years now. It's been a long haul, and I was starting to re-evaluate what's important in my life. I'm not getting any younger you know."
James chuckled. "Aren't we all! What were you re-evaluating?"
"Well, for one, spending more time with my family is important. Charles is starting his second year of school at Columbia, and I want to ensure that he's on his way with that, and Evelyn has one more year before she's off to college, so I want to make the most of it I suppose."
"I get that. Work-life balance is tough to find." James swirled his drink. "Forgive me, but I had no idea how you could let go like that. You built the company yourself, and you just let it go, without selling it?"
"It's still in the family isn't it?"
"Of course. I was just thinking about it from my own perspective. I'm in it on my own you know? It just took many of us by surprise. I mean, what are you going to do now then?"
"Well, after the summer off, I realized I wasn't ready for an early retirement, and I was hoping to get something, you know just for the day, and I was wondering if you had any leads?"
"Why don't you work with your brother?"
Bart took another sip of his water. "As you said, he's got big shoes to fill. I don't want to go stomping on him."
James nodded. "Of course. It's only fair." James rested his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together, and pressed his lips to his entangled hands. His brows furrowed, and Bart could tell he was thinking hard of how he was about to answer him.
"It's going to be tough to find a lead."
"Why?"
"Well, in light of the recession, most of us have been laying people off. Buildings won't be going up as fast as they used to, and this summer, all of us got together and started an association to make sure we are well protected and won't need to be bailed out like Goldman Sachs or any other financial institution. One of the terms in the competition section is that we can't poach our competitors' best workers, and well, you are the best."
Bart made a mental note to look up the legal documents of the association. He trusted James, but he needed to check for himself that this rule was true. If it was, then it would mean that he would be blackballed and unable to work for any real estate company in Manhattan.
"You know what? I think it was Jack that really pushed for that rule. Maybe he was looking out for you and Bass Industries?" James said.
Jack wasn't looking out for him. He was doing whatever it took to erase his legacy on the Manhattan skyline.
At Chuck's new apartment, he discovered that not one packing box touched the floor. Everything was put away, and the place looked like one of those home and garden magazine spreads. Chuck took a tour of the place from the front door, into the main living area with a widescreen TV, couches, and dining room table. Behind that, the galley kitchen gleaned, and then onto his room, the master bedroom, and bathroom. Nothing personalized any room. There was no photograph or memento from his travels.
Chuck crossed the hall to Nate's smaller room where boxes were everywhere. Shirt sleeves hung over the edges of a few boxes on his bed. Books were cracked at the spine, face down on the floor, and his lacrosse gear was piled in the corner, blocking his closet.
"I still can't believe you declined participating in the moving service," Chuck sighed.
"Hey, I like it this way. I get to put things away where I want them to be." Nate shoved his baseball glove in the top drawer of his desk.
"Effective, but a bore. When do you think you'll be done this so we can commemorate our new place?"
Nate surveyed the mess around him. "I dunno. Maybe a couple hours?"
"You and I both know you need longer than that."
"Fine. After dinner. That a fair estimate?"
"Better."
Chuck's phone rang. The name ANDREW TYLER flashed on the screen.
"Excuse me."
Chuck ducked to the hall and held the phone to his ear.
"Mr. Bass? I have Jack Bass's itinerary for the day like you asked. I will send it to you by email or if you'd like—"
"Email's great," Chuck said. "Thank you, Andrew."
Nate's head poked out from his doorway. "Hey, do you think I can put my lacrosse gear in the hall closet? I don't think I'll have enough space in here."
Chuck kept his head bent, hovering over his phone. He refreshed his email box a couple times before Andrew's email appeared.
"Chuck?"
"Yes?"
"Lacrosse gear. It's going in this closet."
Chuck wrinkled his nose. "If you must. But for God's sake, Nathaniel, put an air freshener in the closet. Your lacrosse materials reek."
"Hey! Where are you going?"
"Out. I'll be back after dinner."
"Dorota! Bring the box of shoes in my room please!"
Blair held a clipboard and checked off every box as the movers pushed their dollies through the front door. So far, she had all of her clothes, shoes, bedding and office supplies stacked in her room. Blair furnished the apartment a couple days before Joy arrived when she got the keys, and all that was left were toiletries and towels.
Joy looked all around the apartment as she wandered into the living area. "I can't believe we're living here." She sank into the grey couch and looked out the floor to ceiling windows.
Another worker rolled in his dolly and it got snagged on the front rug. The boxes shook, and the plates clanged inside.
"Watch it! Those are breakable," Blair said, striking it off the list.
"Can I help you with anything, Blair?" Joy asked.
"Not right now, but once they movers are gone, we'll set up the kitchen. How's your room coming along?"
"It's all done. Want to see?"
Blair followed Joy through the kitchen and into the second bedroom. Inside, a double bed was pushed against the right wall. Gone were the pink and green striped comforter from their dorm days, but instead, a more muted mauve with grey sheets covered the bed. Her desk was just as Blair remembered it, lined with a rainbow of binders, pens organized by color, and her bible was now tucked away beside her pens. Her desk, now facing the only window in the room meant that Joy moved her collage of pictures above her bed. They were strung like string lights, clipped on a string with laundry pins. Blair took a closer look and noticed she was in a few of the pictures.
"So what do you think?"
"It's…not bad."
It didn't match Blair's color scheme in all the other rooms, but she knew all she had to do was close Joy's door to find continuity.
"Ms. Blair?" Dorota called. "Movers have finished brining boxes."
Blair checked to make sure every box was in the apartment and signed off for the movers to leave.
"Dorota, you can start with organizing my closet. Joy, you and I will tackle the kitchen."
Dorota bowed. "Yes, Miss Blair. Miss Joy."
"Dorota, you don't have to call me that. Just Joy will do."
Dorota smiled, bowed again, and disappeared to Blair's room.
Joy started opening some of the boxes. "Wow, Blair. These are all very nice." She pulled out a stack of white plates."
"Oh those? They aren't even the gold collection."
"Gold collection?"
"But of course. What did you bring?"
"Well, I brought my specialty mugs, and I got some plastic plates, silverware, and bowls from the dollar store."
Blair sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "We will just leave those behind, or trash them, your choice."
"I'll just keep them in my room in case we need them?"
"Do as you like."
Joy reached into her pocked and smiled at her phone.
"Is that Simon?" Blair asked.
Joy nodded. "He just finished unpacking at St. Anthony's. He asked if we needed help here?"
It did sting a little because Blair knew she had no one to help her unpack. No Chuck, no one. She shook the thought away. This was a new era. She was single Blair. She would learn to be okay with that. Happy about it.
"Many hands make light work."
Joy watched her closely. "Are you sure?"
Blair blinked back at her. "Of course."
"Miss Blair!" Dorota called from her room.
"If you'll excuse me, Dorota has a question which I hope isn't related to Poland or my new Stella McCartney peep toes."
Evelyn waited by Jenny's locker after school. She hadn't seen her friend all day, and she was starting to worry. Was she sick? Did Catherine do something to her? Evelyn figured the best thing she could do was track her down to see what was really going on. Evelyn looked at her watch as she waited for the rest of the students started to disappear from the hallways.
Evelyn felt her phone buzz. It was Eric who was probably waiting in the limo.
Are we still going to Chuck's?
Yup. Just waiting for someone. Will be there in five.
Evelyn pocketed her phone just as Jenny approached. She lifted her gaze and was startled to see Evelyn waiting for her.
"Evelyn…hi."
"Hey. I didn't see you all day, and I was starting to worry."
"Why? Nothing's wrong. Unless there's something wrong with you?" Jenny said.
"No. Of course not."
Jenny faced her locker and threw her books on the shelves. She shoved a couple notebooks in her bag and slammed her locker door shut.
"Are you sure everything is okay?"
Jenny let out a shaky breath. "I'm fine."
"Did Catherine do something?"
Jenny slung her bag over her shoulder and sighed. "No. I told you I'm fine."
"Okay," Evelyn said, her voice soft. "I'll see you later then."
Jenny blinked her eyes quickly and sniffled. "Yeah. Bye."
What was that about? There was something wrong with Jenny. She could tell by her body language, the way she spoke, her inability to look at her. Was she in trouble again? She'd have to ask Eric in the car.
Once in the courtyard, Evelyn was stopped by none other than the Queen of Constance.
"I had a feeling I'd be hearing from you soon," Evelyn said.
"You will learn that I am prompt. I saw that you spoke with Ozzy. I'm ready for my full report."
"He wasn't interested."
"Excuse me?" Catherine said. "Did you try to make him see otherwise?"
"Believe it or not, I did. It didn't change his mind."
"Well, you didn't try hard enough," Catherine said. "For a Bass, I thought you could do better than this."
Evelyn shrugged. "You caught the wrong Bass I guess."
"Well then. Amnesty is not granted for you after all."
"I'm so surprised."
"You shouldn't be. You failed. You will face the consequences."
"And how are you going to do that?"
"With great patience," Catherine said. "You will get your punishment."
Evelyn held back a laugh. How would she do that? It's not like there was a bit of gossip about her that was waiting to destroy her. "I'd love to see you try."
Catherine's eyes narrowed. "Be careful what you wish for Evelyn."
Catherine marched down the steps where her minions waited at the gates. Evelyn folded her arms and watched the group disappear from the top step. Catherine may have threatened her, but Evelyn was sure her threats were idle. She couldn't think of any conceivable way that Catherine could get revenge on her. Evelyn was an open book. She had nothing to hide. She would even tell Gossip Girl herself.
Little did Evelyn know that the rest of the kingdom didn't play by the same rules.
Spotted: E and Queen C having another heart to heart. Is this the start to a beautiful friendship or the start of a beautiful disaster?
Jane's counselling room felt crowded that afternoon. His mom sat beside him on the couch making small talk, but all she was doing was sucking more air out of the room. Did they really have to do this? Ozzy wished they didn't. He knew it wouldn't end well.
Jane opened the door and grinned at the sight of both of them.
"Hello Dr. Albright," His mother said, sitting up.
"Hello Ruby. Ozzy, it's good to see you again. Frankly, it's good to see you both here together."
Ozzy clenched the strap of his book bag tighter. It slung over his shoulder while he sat on the couch.
"I know I've only been to a couple of these, so forgive me if I speak out of turn or not follow the rules," His mom said. "I'm still learning."
"That won't be a problem at all, Ruby. I'll remind you that whatever is said in this room doesn't leave this room. It's completely confidential. Our time together is very valuable, and we view this room to be a safe space. It's safe to say whatever feels right no matter what. Ozzy and I have agreed to live by a certain motto. What it is Ozzy?"
"Feeling better is a practice," Ozzy mumbled.
"Alright," His mother said, nodding her head continuously. "So where do we begin today?"
"Wherever we want? I'll ask questions to help focus our conversation, but whatever is said is up to you. Ozzy, why don't you tell us about your first day back at St. Jude's?"
Ozzy felt his mother's gaze on him. He crossed his arms. "It was alright."
"Did anything interesting happen today?"
Ozzy thought back to his lunch conversation with Evelyn. Catherine was interested in getting back together with him. That was interesting, but it wasn't something he wanted to talk about with mom in the room. Who knows what tangent that could lead to?
"Not really. Went to class. Ate lunch on the met step with Dash, Eric, and Evelyn. Then we came here."
"What about swim team?" His mom asked. "Isn't that starting soon?"
Ozzy turned to Jane. "Should we just get to it? I think I know what we need to talk about today."
He didn't want to, but he was sick of wasting time with bullshit questions. Swim team didn't matter in this moment. What mattered was why he needed to have this conversation with his mother in the first place.
"By all means."
"Mom, I need to tell you something."
Her voice suddenly became small, nervous. "What is it?"
"Something happened with Pat Buchanan when we were living with him. I think, no I know, that incident is a reason as to what was happening the past few months."
Ruby looked to Jane for assistance. Jane's face was as unreadable as ever.
Ozzy took a deep breath. "I know you didn't know this, but he always made comments. I think he was intimidated that I did better in school than Logan. But it became more than that. One night, you were working late, I went out with Logan to this party. I tried a few things, and we got back way past curfew. He…he wasn't happy. He was drunk…and…"
Ozzy looked up at Jane for support. He couldn't say it. Not to his mother who looked equally bemused and horrified.
Her voice became steely. "What did he do to you?"
"He hit me," Ozzy said, his voice quiet.
His mom shot up. "He did what?" She looked between Jane and Ozzy. "I'm going to kill him. Where's my phone? I'm going to kill him. I can't believe it." She started pacing until she remembered that Ozzy was sitting on the couch, face red and hiding in his hands. "Ozzy? Why didn't you tell me?"
Ozzy couldn't find the words to answer. Why didn't he? He could have. He should have.
"He was scared," Jane offered. "Pat was imposing, and Ozzy believed his relationship with you was serious, immovable."
His mom pinched the bridge of her nose. "It wouldn't have been if you just told me. How long was this going on?"
"He only hit me once," Ozzy said. "But when I said I was hanging out with Tyler, playing video games? I made that up. I didn't have a friend named Tyler. I was out with Logan and his crew because I was afraid to be along with Pat."
His mom shook his head. "This is my fault. I can't…" Her eyes became glassy.
"It's not your fault," Jane reminded her. "It was Pat's actions, not yours. Ozzy, why didn't you feel like you could tell your mom?"
"I dunno…" His eyes found the floor.
"Why Ozzy?" His mom was now half sitting, half kneeling in front of him. "I thought I was doing the right thing."
"You weren't really around."
"Yes, I was!"
"No you weren't. You loved him. You thought you were going to marry him. You were blind to see that he was an alcoholic and a bigot. I didn't realize that then. Then, I thought you were blinded by the money."
"Is that what you think of me?"
"It's what I thought at the time."
His mom swallowed the lump in her throat and sat on the couch in silence. She rested her elbow on the couch, and help her fist up to her lips.
"From what I'm understanding, Ozzy feels like you weren't emotionally available for him."
"Yes," Ozzy said quietly.
His mom nodded while tears dripped down her face.
"Ozzy, I'm so—"
"Mom." Ozzy took her fist away from his mom's mouth. He held it with both hands. "I forgive you."
She started to cry harder, but he felt better for saying that. He did forgive her. He now knew she did the best she could. It was far from perfect, but he began to realize this summer that he couldn't ask anything more from her. She wasn't perfect; she was human.
She began shaking her head, not wanting to accept it. "I'm sorry I didn't notice. I'm sorry I –"
"You don't need to apologize. Not today," Ozzy said. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew it would upset you."
"Upset me? This is more than that," His mom said. "Here I thought I was protecting you from the evils of the world, my family, but they were living with us all along. I was wrong."
"It's okay."
"it's not okay," His mom insisted.
"One day it will be. This is all fresh for you, so don't expect it to happen anytime soon."
His mom let go of his hands and cupped his cheeks. She then pulled him into a fierce hug. While he hugged her back, he felt her arms trembling around him.
"I love you, Ozzy," she said.
"I love you too," Ozzy replied.
"I love you more," she said.
He smiled. She used to tell him that all the time when he was growing up. She may have had different ways of showing it, but in their embrace, he didn't doubt it. Not one bit.
When they broke apart, his mom turned to Jane while dabbing her eyes and said, "Is every session like this?"
"Only the productive ones."
His mom sighed and held his hand throughout the rest of the session.
It was during those moments when Ozzy witnessed first-hand that parents needed their child just as much or even more than a child needed them. He wouldn't forget the way his mom gripped his hand like a lifeline during the rest of their counselling session. They were forever linked, and Ozzy felt a closeness to his mother that he hadn't felt in some time. He squeezed her hand back, reassuringly, but with just as much need. He wasn't alone anymore. He never was.
Chuck leaned against the cool brick building, as he waited for Jack to arrive for dinner. He was having a business meeting with two associates that he knew from his father. They were investors, high profile, but Chuck wondered why Jack was meeting with them. Surely, he wasn't leading them down the garden path to sell them on a scheme like he fell for, but he wondered what the specifics were for the relaunch of the Bass Brand.
So far, he'd only seen Jack go from one building to the next with no illicit activity. He had no leads.
He thought he saw a black limo about to pull up, but it merely stopped before moving with the traffic.
"Chuck!"
Chuck slunk along the brick wall, and tried to locate the voice. Evelyn's wave caught his attention along with Eric beside her.
"Thank God we found you," Evelyn said. "We went to your place like we said at breakfast this morning, and Nate said you left. We've been looking for you for almost two hours now!"
Eric looked up at the skyscraper. "Why are you outside the Oak Room?"
"I went for a walk," Chuck said.
"While watching pedestrians?" Evelyn said.
"Are you looking for Blair or something?" Eric asked.
"No."
Over his sister's shoulder, he saw a black limo pulled up to the curb.
"Did we just walk into a scheme?" Eric said.
"More like stomped," Chuck growled.
"Hey, is that Uncle Jack?" Evelyn said.
"Shhh," Chuck said.
They watched Jack walk into the Oak Room by himself. Once inside, Evelyn said, "Why are you spying on Uncle Jack?"
Chuck ignored her question and made his way to the front door.
"Chuck. What's going on?" Evelyn said once Chuck found a place at the end of the bar, a safe distance away where Jack's back faced him.
"Nothing."
"Is something wrong?" Evelyn said. "Ever since Dad stepped down as CEO, I've been wondering if something bad happened that led to that."
'Nothing's wrong," Chuck said. "I'm just…verifying that Jack's date is who she says she is. Wouldn't want him to be deceived."
"Dad told me to stay away from Jack. Why do you care who he sees?"
"Are familial bonds not enough?" Chuck said.
Evelyn's blue eyes studied him. "Maybe. Maybe not."
Chuck looked over at Jack who still waited along. It was a lost cause. He had to abort his mission. Now that Evelyn refused to leave, he wasn't going to get any information while she asked incessant questions.
"Come on. Let's go," Chuck said.
"Don't you want to make sure Jack's okay?" Eric said.
"He'll be fine. She may not even show up at all."
Evelyn and Eric followed Chuck around the corner of the building where his car was parked. Evelyn's questioning eyes followed his every move, but he knew as little as she did. If only there was a way to find out how Jack really got the company from Bart. His father would never tell, Evelyn was meant to stay out of it, and Chuck found himself in the middle. It was a place he loved to stir up havoc, but this time he was unarmed, uninformed, and stuck feeling defenseless between two titans.
"Don't you think it's weird that Jack has been here for so long and has not once made the effort to see us? Like as a family?" Evelyn said.
Evelyn, used to the warmth and comfort of Aunt Kim's world had no idea. She had no idea how Jack had used him as leverage to procure Bass Industries last spring. Their family never made the effort to see one another out of love. They only sought to destroy.
"In our family?" Chuck said. "Not at all."
Bart walked into the Bass Penthouse with the Manhattan Real Estate Association's bylaws and standing rules. Sure enough, there was a clause that prohibited executives from working for any other competitors in Manhattan.
"Bart!" Lily stood from the couch, her feet surrounded by shopping bags. "How was your afternoon?"
Bart's eyes were glued to the pages. "Informative."
"What are you reading?"
"An agreement." He handed the stapled bundle to Lily knowing full well he couldn't keep her prying eyes away from it.
Bart poured himself a scotch and sat down beside her.
Lily leafed through the pages. "What's this for?"
"In light of the recession, this is a document that explains all the new procedures to protect all of the major real estate companies in Manhattan."
"Well they were very quiet about this. It didn't even make the news."
"Progress rarely does. Especially when it's legal." Bart swirled his drink. "What's the most important clause is on the page I was looking at when I came in."
Lily returned to that page and began reading. After a couple minutes, she said, "So this means you can't work for anyone else since you left Bass Industries."
"Correct."
"Wait. I don't understand. Do you want to go back to work?"
"I was thinking about it. I had lunch with James Rothburn to see what was out there, maybe try out a different aspect of real estate, one that's less demanding of a role."
"But now, you can't even if you wanted to."
Bart took a sip. "That's correct."
"Well, that's a bit unfair, isn't it?"
"Not really. It's good to keep good employees, but it also is good to keep good employees from becoming competition."
"Did someone do this intentionally to keep you out?"
Bart took another sip of his drink. "You could infer that my brother may have been involved."
"Jack? But I thought everything went well between the two of you."
"That's very earnest of you to think Lily, but it's usually best if we're on opposite poles of the Earth. Anyway, it's rendered me obsolete here."
"What do you want to do?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"I can ask around my circles to see if there's anything."
"No thank you. I can handle this on my own."
"I know that, but it doesn't hurt to ask."
Bart covered her hand with his. "I don't want you worrying about this, or the kids for that matter. I'll continue to work some other angles and see if there are any loopholes in this, but let's keep this between you and me for now."
"Of course."
Bart drained his glass and poured himself another. His situation was more serious than he thought. Here he thought he could waltz back into the market with a competitor, but he couldn't even work in Manhattan.
Bart felt as though he were twenty-six years old again. He had few options, few friends to lean on, and a family who depended on him. What was he to do?
The only answer was simple. Get Bass Industries back. But with Jack's ultimatum and proof hanging over his head, it made everything far more complicated. He couldn't just walk back into his office and demand it back from Jack. He was going to have to resort to trickery, new and old. He wouldn't be pushed out of Manhattan any longer. It was time for the games to really begin.
When Chuck returned to his apartment with Evelyn and Eric, they all immediately noticed that Nate's things were shoved in any nook and cranny of his room, which meant that he was done unpacking. He had forgotten that they had made plans to hang out at his new place. Once he started following Jack, he forgot most of his plans for the day.
"This place is really nice, Chuck," Evelyn said.
"Thanks. I picked it out myself."
"You can give us the tour again if you want," Eric said. "We wouldn't mind more…details."
Chuck guided them through each room noting not so much the design details, but the history of the building, its structure, number of units, value and worth.
"You really know a lot about this kind of stuff," Evelyn said.
"I guess I do," Chuck said.
Nate appeared with his arms spread why. "Hey! You found him."
"We did, but it wasn't easy," Evelyn said.
"It was like looking for Waldo, but with purple hues instead of red and white stripes," Eric said.
"Can we offer you something to drink?" Chuck asked.
"Whatever the bartender recommends," Evelyn said.
The kitchen was stocked with his favorite scotch, hard liquors, and mixes. Chuck mixed a cosmo for Evelyn, a gin and tonic for Eric, and poured a scotch for himself and Nate.
Chuck handed everyone their drinks when Nate asked, "How was the first day back at Constance?"
"Eventful, I'd say, Right Eric?"
"That's one way of putting it," Eric said.
"What happened?"
"With a Baizen in power now, she decided to make her authority known."
"She tried to coerce Evelyn into doing something and failed."
"What was it?"
"Nothing important," Evelyn said. "But it does put a target on me."
"So why not take her title?" Chuck said.
"Me? Yeah right."
"Come on. Last year was too soon, but don't be too quick to rule it out this year," Chuck said. 'You never know what'll happen."
"I guess,' Evelyn said, taking a sip of her drink. "I don't know. It took such a toll on Jenny last year that I wonder how it'll mess me up."
"It won't," Chuck said. "You're inside. She wasn't. There was a difference."
"That may not be enough. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Catherine got what she wanted. She's queen now."
"Hey Eric? I was going through my things and found something that's Serena's. Can you give it to her?"
"Sure. Where is it?"
"It's in my room. Come on."
While Eric followed Nate to his room, Evelyn turned to Chuck.
"Now that we're alone, I have to ask. What happened with Jack earlier?"
"I told you. I was just looking out for him."
"But dad said we should stay away from him. I got the impression that he was bad news."
"Well here's some news for you," Chuck said. "I don't always listen to Bart, so I have a relationship with Jack."
"What's he like?"
"He's driven. Some might say sharp too. Clinical."
"You make it sound like he's a murder," Evelyn said.
"I know a lot about his ambitions and goals. That's why those traits stand out to me the most."
"Do you think he was part of the reason dad stepped down as CEO in the spring? The timing seems way to coincidental."
"Your guess is as good as mine. Why don't you talk to Bart about it?"
Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe I will."
Even if Evelyn did try, Chuck knew she wouldn't get anywhere with Bart. If Chuck couldn't crack him, what makes Evelyn think she could? If she knew how long Jack was lurking in the shadows, maybe she would take the matter more seriously. All Chuck could do was say nothing, be patient, and wait for Andrew Tyler to give him the information that he would need to make his first move.
Joy flopped on the couch. "Finally! We're all moved in!"
Simon put his arm around her, and she leaned into him more. Blair got it. They loved each other. They held hands. They went to the movies. They cuddled on her newly purchased couch. They were conventional, typical, boring.
Deep down, Blair was very happy for them. But if she was going to have to third wheel their sexually frustrated PG romance for the entire year in her apartment, she would have to set some ground rules first.
"After all that moving, I'm starved," Joy said. "Is anyone else hungry?"
"I could eat," Simon said.
"Blair? I know we haven't stocked the fridge yet, so why don't we order a pizza?"
Blair wrinkled her nose.
"Or Chinese food?" Joy offered.
"I think I'll pass," Blair said.
"You're going to have to eat something Blair because we have our first meeting tonight," Simon said.
"We do?"
"Yeah, didn't you check your emails this morning?"
With all the moving, she didn't. Blair pulled out her phone and sure enough, an email from Julian was waiting in her inbox.
Julian. She hadn't heard from him all summer. She didn't think to reach out, but she felt a sense of renewed purpose when she thought of him. He was the President of the Locke and Key Society. That's what she needed to focus her energy on. He would be graduating this year. And after that, who would be his successor? Surely, he picked her to be his protegee for that reason.
After Simon excused himself to use the bathroom, Joy gave her a pointed look.
"Blair? Is something bothering you?"
"Me? No. Why?"
"I just…it feels off once Simon got here. I can assure you we won't be hanging out here all the time if that's too much for you. Do you have a problem with us?"
The word 'us' punched Blair in the gut. She kept her gaze at the landscape outside her window.
"No."
"Blair, you can be honest."
"I don't have a problem. I'm just…adjusting to not having what you have with him right now. I would appreciate it if it's not in my face all the time. But I am happy for you both."
"I understand. Also," Joy tucked her legs under her, "We'll need to sit down tomorrow and discuss who will be in charge of what."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, with cleaning dishes, taking out the trash—"
"Not to worry, Dorota will do all of those things."
"Oh. Okay. But we also need to talk about other stuff. Like what the protocol if someone stays over will be."
Blair nodded. "That's an excellent point. I think I can pencil you in tomorrow morning."
Simon returned from the bathroom and stuffed his hands in his jeans. "Have we decided on what we're doing for dinner?"
"Yes actually," Blair said. "We'll go out before meeting. Let's go to Bilboas."
Joy and Simon knew better than to argue.
"Sounds good to me," Simon said. He reached for Joy's hand, but Joy shrugged out of it. She linked arms with Blair instead.
"Lead the way, Blair."
When Ozzy opened the front gate to the Montgomery house, he felt lighter than he had in a long time. He didn't hold out for the remainder of their session. Ozzy answered every question honestly, no matter how much it hurt him to do it. He needed to.
"So what did you think?" Ozzy said.
His mom sighed. "I finally understand why you felt so tired this whole summer."
She reached into her purse for the keys to the front door. She clenched the keys in her hand. "Ozzy, it's going to take some time to process what was said today, but I just want to let you know that I'm very proud of you."
He shrugged. He still had a long way to go, and even then feeling good would be a practice for the rest of his life.
She grabbed his arm. "I mean it. Not just anyone could do what you've been doing these past few months."
Ozzy's eyes focused on the welcome mat under their feet. "Thanks."
Ruby unlocked the door and Ozzy followed her inside. He doubted that Philip would be home yet, since he usually didn't finish work until six, but even then, he heard voices from the kitchen.
"I guess Dash may be here with Evelyn," His mom said.
The voices were loud, clipped.
"You shouldn't even be here. Someone could walk in at any moment," he heard Dash say as he neared the kitchen. The other voice hissed, a voice that didn't sound like Evelyn at all.
"What else was I supposed to do? You won't respond to my calls or texts. Dash, I can't live like this anymore. Don't you feel trapped?"
Once Ozzy arrived at the kitchen archway, he discovered the voice belonged to Jenny. Her eyes looked crazed, frantic, with black streaks down her cheeks.
"Of course, I do! I—"
Dash's eyes widened when he saw Ozzy.
"Ozzy! Hey, um, did you just get home?" Dash asked.
His mom breezed through the kitchen, waving a brief hello. She kept her head down to conceal her puffy eyes. Meanwhile, Ozzy looked between Dash and Jenny. Since when did they talk, or better yet, argue?
"Yeah, we just got back," Ozzy began. "What's going on here?"
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there would be no gossip without secrets. You might be brave enough to reveal your secret only to have it used against you. Or someone else's secret might affect you in unexpected ways. There are some secrets you are only too happy to keep. Others surface only to be buried away deeper than they were before. But the most powerful secrets are the truths you thought you could never reveal. That once spoken, it changes everything.
You know you love me,
XOXO Gossip Girl
A/N: And there you have it! Another chapter, another cliffhanger, and more intrigue underway for the Bass family. The next chapter will be titled: "Their Eyes Were Watching Screens". What could that mean? Let me know what you thought of this chapter in a review. As always, thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day!
Till next time,
XOXO EZ11