"Hello?"
"Serena?! Where did you go?" he questions, sounding rushed and worried.
And Serena wonders why he sounds so worried, why he sounds like he cares.
"Nate, I—I went home. I needed to get home, my mom was gonna worry." The lie slipping off her tongue like water.
"Can I come over?" he requests. When he says it like that, Serena can barely put up the effort to say no.
"I'm not sure that's a great idea, Nate. I think I'm gonna stay home with my mom and Erik." Her refusal sounds weak, even to her own ears.
"I'll be over in a minute."
He hangs up before she can say another word.
Nate POV
He arrives 10 minutes later.
He's sitting on the couch in the living room, right where the maid had sat him before she scurried off to get Serena, when she comes into the room.
She's wearing her pajamas, similar to Blair's, practically lingerie. She's covering up with a silk, pale blue robe, that brings out her eyes to the point that they are almost devastatingly blue.
And all this makes him question why he said those things to Blair, why he told her that he was on her side. Serena had always taken his side when there was a fight between him and Blair, and he should have been there for her.
Her eyes immediately scan the room and land on him. He feels over-dressed, but feels foolish for that thought, because if he had come in his pajamas that would have just been awkward.
"Nate, I told you I wanted to sta--"
"Did you hear me on the phone? Is that why you left?" he interrupts her, trying to make his point before she can make hers.
"Look Nate, it doesn't matter if I heard you or not. The point is that I did and that there is no reason for you to be here." He can tell she's angry, she's digging her nails into her palm, almost as if to keep her from just screaming.
"Serena, I was just saying those things, I didn't mean any of them!" he's pleading now, he can hear it in his voice.
"Then why would you say them! I know you Nate, you never just say something because it's what the person want to hear, because it's Blair. And I'm tired of this Nate, I'm tired." And her voice is cracking, fragile and sharp to his ears.
"I don't know what you want me to say! I don't know what I can say to make this better!"
"I just want you to tell me that you choose her, that she's the one you want, and then I want you to leave." Her voice is stronger now, and he's reminded that, even worn and broken, that she still has power, that she's Serena Van der Woodsen.
He doesn't respond quick enough, and she turns to leave the room.
"Serena! We've been best friends since we were in kindergarten—"
Her reaction is not what he expected.
"Leave."
"I'll come visit you tomorrow." He says, his voice sounding weak and tired.
"Don't."
"Don't be like that, I want to talk."
She looks away, and he knows what that means. It's her non-verbal way of saying, We're done here.
She turns back around, and stalks up the stairs. Leaving him only with the clack-clack of her heels on the hard marble floor.
She's at school the next day.
She walks right past him, her Queen face perfectly in place.
Her eyes skim him, and he feels as if she's ripped his insides to shreds, with just one look.