A/N: Another Chapter Yay! I really like this chapter. Darcy and Nate's friendship has been really fun to write and I can't wait for you guys to read what comes next.

Disclaimer: I only own Darcy Ellis. Nothing else

I'm Just A Normal Girl Like You

The next morning Darcy woke up on the roof top. She looked over and spotted Chuck sound asleep. Great she thought. Just what she needed. She leaned over and shook him awake.

"What" he mumbled.

"Bass, wake up!" she shouted and she shot up.

"Where are we?"

"The roof top what does it look like?"

"I see that Ellis. Why?"

"Because we fell asleep up here"

"Or did we?"

"Ew! No! And never" she said standing up collecting her stuff into her pillowcase.

"So Ellis has a stash?"

"Its how I hid it from my parents"

"What about you being famous?"
"Exactly. You tell anyone and I'll tell Nate what you and Blair did." Darcy said and then headed off the roof. She got back to her room and collapsed on her bed totally exhausted. She had slept on roof tops before and in hard places. That's what happened when you partied a lot. She started to drift off to sleep when her phone rang.

"Hello" she said sleepy.

"You still sleeping?" she heard her dad ask.

"No I'm just tired. I feel like I slept on a concrete slab"

"The beds can't be that hard"

"They're not. I slept on a roof."

"Darcy Ce…"

"…Before you freak out, I was up there getting some fresh air, staring at the lack of stars and I fell asleep"

"Darc, we had your issues with rooftops in the past." Her dad said reminding her of when her mother was diagnosed again. All Darcy wanted to do was just be extreme and take risks and jumping off a rooftop was something she almost did.

"Dad that was in the past I'm fine now"

"Darc."

"Dad. I'm fine"

"Okay, okay I was just thinking because I'm worried with…"

"Dad really I'm okay" she said. "I'm gonna go grab coffee can we discuss this at another time."

"Yeah. Just remember that I worry. It's my job as your father"

"I know and I appreciate that"

"Love you"

"You too" she said then hung up. She stood up and looked at her clothes realizing that she was still wearing the clothes from last night. She quickly changed and headed downstairs to locate coffee. After last night she really needed it. On her way to a nearby coffee shop she spotted Nate walking up the street on the phone.

"Um…do you think we've been a little…a little hasty with the whole breakup…yeah look I totally understand. I'm sorry I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Blair?" Darcy mouthed and Nate nodded.

"Of course. Listen we'll just take it slow and she how it goes…I've got a present for you. Very special" Nate said then pulled the phone away and looked at it. "She just hung up"

"So let me get this straight. You two broke up? And now you're trying to get her back. Can I get that calendar on which girl you like this month."

"Very funny Darcy."

"So what's this special gift?"

Nate handed her a ring box. She looked at it. She had seen ring boxes. She opened it having a pretty good idea what was inside.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed looking up at him. "This is….wow"

"Yeah" he responded and she turned her attention back to it.

"This is the Van der Bilt ring. Correct."

"You're familiar with it?"

"I've seen it on your mom's finger." She said handing the box back. "Are you proposing?"

"No…well I don't know"

"What do you want to do? I see a boy that seems very conflicted."

"I want my parents to stop telling me how to handle this"

"So they want you to give the ring"

"Yeah"

"Why?"

"To seal a deal with her mother"

"So it's almost like an arranged marriage"

"What?"

"Kings and Queens arranged for their children to marry as like a peace offering. We won't attack your country if your child marries ours."

"Where in the world do you even think of this?"

"It's called reading Nate. Try it. Anyway I was headed for coffee. Care to join?"

"I'm actually headed to see Chuck. See what he has for advice"

"Well good luck Archibald."

Darcy grabbed her coffee and headed back to her room. She was thinking about that night. She really didn't want to go to Blair's birthday party but at the same time she knew she had too. She promised Serena that she would be there. She put on an outfit for the party and headed that direction. She got to the location of the party and climbed out of the car and spotted Nate pacing.

"I see you haven't figured out what you're doing yet" she said and he turned to her.

"No"

"So the chat with Bass wasn't great"

"He told me if I'm done then be done."

"Wow I think I agree with him for once."

"That's actually scary but it does help."

"I'm glad."

"So you headed in?" he asked and directed toward the party.

Darcy looks that direction then back at Nate.

"I was going to, but I don't really want to"
"Then don't"

"I promised Serena that…"

"Serena is Blair's friend you're not. So why put yourself through that torture" he said and she smiled at him.

"Did we just switch roles?" she joked.

"I guess so" he laughed as a cab pulled up next to them. Jenny got out and looked at them.

"Jenny" Nate said.

"Hi Nate, um uh Darcy Ellis"

"Hi" Darcy replied.

"I uh told Blair and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry" Jenny said looking at Nate.

"That wasn't your fault"

"How are you guys?"

"Uh strange but that's not your fault"

"If it's anyone's fault it's mine" Darcy said.

"No Darcy, not true" Nate said then looked at Jenny "So you going inside?"

"I was planning on it"

"Same here" Darcy replied.

"Blair invited me before the whole fight and I was gonna give her a card. Maybe you can give it to her." Jenny said

Darcy looked at the card in her hand and then looked at Nate who she could tell was playing with the ring box in his pocket.

"Hey Jenny, you wanna walk with us?"

"Uh you and Nate?"

"Yeah"

"You? Darcy Ellis? Only one of my favorites"

"Hey, don't think of me like that. Just think of me as a new friend or a classmate. I'm just a normal girl like you"

"Alright" she said really excited then looked at Nate "What would Blair think though?"

"Well" Nate started then looked at Darcy "Blair is up there" he looked back at Jenny.

"Then a walk sounds great"

They walked around not having an exact destination. After a while they found a small food venue and got food, then found some steps to sit on to enjoy it.

"I heard about your dad. I'm sorry" Jenny said to Nate. "If it makes you feel better my family isn't doing great either"

"What's up with your family?" Darcy asked.

"I really didn't want to come to Blair's party. I just wanted out of the house."
"Yeah I know the feeling" Nate said then handed his mother's ring to Jenny. She opened it.

"Your mother's ring. It's beautiful. Blair told me about it" Jenny said handing it back.

"Wait. Blair knows about the ring?" Darcy asked.

"Last night my dad kept going on and on about it."

"Oh."

"I'm supposed to give it to her tonight." Nate said

"I'm guessing that you don't?"

"He hasn't decided" Darcy replied.

"Actually I have. Blair and I broke up and it was the right thing to do." Nate said. "As much I want to help my parents I just can't"

"Then don't" Darcy said then saw that Nate didn't really want to talk about it anymore she turned to Jenny "So J, you never explained you parents"

"My mom is back and she cheated on my dad but I thought that…"

"If you brought her home you could be a happy family and everything would get better?"

"Yeah"

"I know the feeling. My parents didn't get married till I was 14 and when my mom got sick again before that. That's all I wanted so I went looking for my dad and did everything possible to get his attention. When I got it we got to be this family until a few months ago"

"I'm sorry"

"Well shit happens and you just have to remember the good times and not live in the past. Your parents will figure out what's best for them."

"You're pretty awesome Darcy Ellis"

"Yeah she's pretty cool" Nate replied. "Which probably why it's easy to tell her things"

"Everything?" Jenny said looking a little embarrassed which made Darcy smile.

"Is Nate a good Kisser?" she asked Jenny. The poor girl's face turned red.

"Uh…"

'You don't have to answer her" Nate replied. They talked a little longer mostly Jenny asking Darcy about Hollywood and Darcy taking an interest in Jenny's designs. After a while they hailed a few cabs to take them home.

"Hey J, if you ever want to talk family issues call me or text. Both works" Darcy said then handed Jenny a little business card.

"Darcy Ellis just gave me a business card. This is better than an autograph."

"Her as a friend is even better" Nate said.

Jenny got into the cab and they waved goodbye. Nate walked her over to her cab. He gave her a hug and then pulled away.

"Thank you" He said.

"For?"

"Coming into my life, for tonight."

"No problem Archibald"

"Sweet dreams Darcy Ellis"

Darcy got back to her room and collapsed onto her bed. Things were looking up for her in New York.