A/N: Another chapter like I promised.

Disclaimer: I only own Darcy

A Familiar Face

Darcy sat at the breakfast table across from her uncle. Since her moment at the fashion show her uncle and dad agreed to be around more. She also hadn't been to school in a week. She and her dad went to Columbia for a tour and to NYU. Two schools that Darcy was looking into.

"So you're going to Yale today with your friends why?" Her Uncle asked.

"The school is giving us the option to visit three different schools. Yale, Brown or Harvard"

"Why not Harvard?"
"I have no interest in going there." She said.

"So you decided Yale."

"My friends are going and since I haven't see them in a week I thought why not."
"It's a good school" her uncle replied.

"I've already decided what school I want to apply for."

"Already?"

"During my week of hanging out with Dad we visited a couple of schools. Columbia being one of them."

"You'll make your dad proud. Have you told him?"
"Admission letter sends out the week before his birthday"

"Sneaky one you are"

"Oh yes. Now I better go" she said grabbing her bag and headed out the door.

"Wait" her uncle shouted and she turned back around,

"Yes?"

"You're staying the night right"

"Yes I am"

"Do we need…?"

"Keith I'm a virgin"

"Let's keep it that way"

"Keith!"
"I'll see you tomorrow Darc" he said. "Love you"

"You too" she said walking out the door. She got to the school and spots Nate and Chuck talking to Dan.

"Darc" she hears Nate yell. She walks over and gives him a hug as Dan walks away.

"Hey" she says to them both.

"We haven't seen you in like a week"

"Yeah Ellis where have you been?"

"Miss me Bass?" she joked.

"Just a little" he replied hugging her.

She smiled at them both.

"Don't keep us hanging" Nate joked.

"My dad took a week off so he checked me out of school for the week." She lied getting a curious look from Chuck.

"Serena said you ditched the fashion show" Nate said and she watched Chuck figure it all out.

"Oh that yeah" she lied "It's nothing."

Serena headed there way as her and Chuck looked at each other.

"Darcy!" Serena shouted.

"Hey" she replied turning her attention to her friend.

"We'll see you there Ellis" Chuck said and him and Nate went their separate way.

"You okay?" Serena asked.

"Yeah I'm good" she said.

"Darc? You ran out on a fashion show"

"It was something personal"

"Your mom"

"Yeah. My dad got home and saw me crying. Checked me out of school for the week"

"I'm sorry D, if I would have known."

"But you didn't know S, it's not your fault. I thought I could do it"

"I'll see you tomorrow sometime when we both get back"

"Yeah. See you then" she said hugging Serena and then headed to her car to go up to Yale. She got up to the school and spotted the boys sitting in the grass. She walked over and took a seat.

"I thought we were gonna do something?" Nate asked. "Nate's right" Darcy said standing up "Bye Losers"

She began to walk around campus looking at all the departments. Her mind was already set on Columbia but it didn't hurt to look. She wasn't looking and ran right into someone falling to the ground. She got back up and brushed herself off.

"You okay" she heard someone say behind her and she turned around. "Darcy?"

Mason Drake. She couldn't believe it. She hadn't seen him in years.

"Mason!" she said excited and hugged him.

"Yale? I thought UCLA was the dream"

"It was:"
"So Yale?"

"No my friends are interested so I came with"

"Brooke and Austin?"

She gave him a weird look. What was he talking about then it clicked? He didn't know she had moved.

"I moved this way"
"Oh"

"Manhattan Island. Upper East Side"

"New Jersey"

"Right. I can't believe I had forgotten that you moved this way."

"It happens"

"Indeed"

"So those boys you were sitting with. Those you're new friends then"
"Yeah. Um one of them wants to get into some group and the other one's family practically owns the place."

"So you said UCLA was the dream. What's the dream now? Harvard like your dad"

"Columbia"

"Good school"

"My dad and I visited the campus last week."

"You two must be close now. I heard about your mom."
"It's been hard but we are doing it" she replied.

They continued to walk and talk when it started to get a little dark. They were walking along when they ran into Nate.

"Archibald" she said.

"Shh" he said

"What?"

"People here know my family. They don't like me"

"Oh"

"Hi I'm Mason Drake"

"Nate…"
"Archibald. Yeah I heard her say it"

"Nice to meet you"

"You too"

"Where did you find this guy?"
"We went to elementary school together"

"An old friend"

"Oh so does Austin know this guy or I don't know my favorite person Carter"
"You're dating Cooper?" he asked.

"Um no we…its…"

"Complicated." Nate said.

"Yeah. I don't really want to get into."

"And Carter? Who is that?" Mason asked.

"My adoptive sort of brother"

"Oh" Mason replied. They talked a little longer and then went their separate ways. She and Nate began to walk away.

"You wanna call Bass and skip this joint" Nate said.

"Let's go" she said. Nate stepped away and called Chuck. After he got off the phone they headed over to a bar and sat waiting for Chuck.

"So" Nate said.

"So what?" she asked.

"Mason?"

"What about him?"

"I feel like he is more than just an old friend"

"My first crush"

"Lucky guy"

"Just a crush Nate nothing more"

"So Austin was you're first kiss and time?"
"Kiss yes. I'm a virgin" she said and Nate looked at her in shock. "What?"

"I'm just….wow impressed"

"I haven't met the one yet"

"The one?"
"The one I trust and care enough about to give it too."

"Weirdo" he joked as a bunch of guys came in cheering that they had gotten Nate Archibald. He and Darcy looked at each other confused. Nate then explained that he was Nate Archibald and that starts a fight. They run out and go looking for the poor guy. They get out into the school yard and find Dan tied to a pole.

"Poor guy" Darcy said.

"Would you be so kind to untie me" Dan said

"I hope you at least bought the statue a drink first" Nate joke

"Nate help the guy out"

"Maybe I actually don't want you're help"

"You might when you figure out that you're up there because they think you're him"

"How is that possible I didn't lie about my name?"

"You didn't but I think I know who did" Nate said looking over at Darcy who had the same thought. Chuck Bass was responsible.

Nate kept trying but couldn't get it.

"Here let me see" Darcy said walking closer.

"Darcy Ellis" Dan said "Uh not entirely comfortable with you uh…"

"You two again?" a girl said.

"Again" Darcy commented turning to the girl.

"Long story" Dan said.

"I'm sure it is"

"Let me see this," the girl said, "my mom was in the Navy."

"Go at it" Darcy said stepping away and standing by Nate.

The next morning Darcy stood by her Car as her driver put the bags in the back.

"Headed back to the City" she heard Mason say and she turned around.

"Yeah. You?"

"Jersey"

"Not far from me. We will have to catch up sometime."

"It's a date"

"It's a date" she smiled and hugged him. She spotted Blair and Serena over his shoulder, "Serena."

"Who's Serena" Mason asked as they pulled away

"A friend of mine. She was supposed to be at Brown"

"D!" Serena said walking over.

"S hey"

"And…" Serena asked looking at Mason.

"Mason Drake" Mason said.

"I thought you were going to Brown."

"Change of Plans"

"You and Blair good?" she asked now figuring what was going on.

"Yeah we're going to ride to the city together. You?"

"My Dad ordered me a car when he found out I would be coming up here"

"See you in the city then"

"See you there" She replied they hugged and Serena walked away.

"Look at you Miss Popular" Mason said.

"I just have four friends. Her, Nate, Chuck and Jenny."

"And me and Austin. Don't forget Broo…"

"No. She's not my friend."

"Darcy she was…"

"Key word was. She's dead to me" Darcy said and Mason walked away.

"Room for one more?" she heard Nate say.

"For you always" she smiled grabbing his arm and they got into the car and headed back to the city.