DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters and the universe this story is set in are from Gossip Girl.
"Are you sure?"
"Aren't I always?"
Blair side-eyes Chuck for a brief moment.
"Last New Year's party doesn't count," he adds as an afterthought, to Blair's amusement.
"I can think of at least a dozen other –"
"– Can we just agree that I couldn't be wrong about something as simple as this?" he sneers, gesturing to indicate a student sitting alone. "Unless he's a con artist interested solely in studying at St. Jude's, that's your Daniel Humphrey. I had to ask a teacher," he scoffs.
Blair doesn't miss the mockery when he says "your", but it's such a Chuck thing to do she chooses to ignore and remain silent, still observing Dan from the other side of an empty study hall. Jesus, what it is with boys these days and their battle with a simple hair comb?
"Well, this should be quick and painless," she declares. "Now, go. You can have Nate for the afternoon."
"We still have to renegotiate custody, Waldorf," he laughs, as she's already walking away from him.
He appears too busy with the notes he's taking to perceive the brunette's quick steps making a beeline towards his table. Only when the corner of Dan's left eye gets filled with her blurred frame he's properly startled, suddenly recognizing the girl from the competition a few days ago.
"Hey," he starts, setting his notes down, "you're –"
"– going to be brief." Her kind smile doesn't fully extend to her eyes. Blair doesn't even sit. "You're Daniel Humphrey, right?"
"… Yes?"
"I'm Blair Waldorf…"
"Yeah, I know, you –"
"… and I just wanted to let you know I'll take your place with Penelope Shafai's tutoring."
"– look like you're not going to let me finish a sentence," he laughs. She doesn't. Dan's silently wondering why Abernathy changed his mind so quickly, having only told Dan about Penelope's need of help a few hours earlier that day. "Okay, then, sure – wait, did he tell you why?"
"… Who told me what?"
"Professor Abernathy," Dan replies a little slower. "He told me about Penelope just this morning – did he get the names wrong? Does he want me to tutor someone else?"
Blair just stands there looking at him, and he's afraid the barrage of questions broke some invisible rule of conversations with people you don't exactly know.
The truth is that Blair never expected him to question her.
"I'm sure he had his reasons," she says simply. Dan stares a little too much then shrugs, looking back at his notes.
"Well, less work for me, I guess. I'll talk to him tomorrow. And thanks for letting me know," he adds, truly smiling. Bossy, but okay.
"Why would you talk to him? I just explained to you the change." Her tone is slightly more commanding now.
"I know – I just want to make sure that I'm not supposed to be tutoring someone else. And if we're getting technical here", he raises his pen absent-mindedly, aiming Blair, "you informed me of the change. There was zero explanation in there," he laughs again. "I was just kidding."
She's not amused, it seems. Sighing, Blair sits in front of him. "Look, I didn't really want to tell you this, but Penelope doesn't want you as her tutor."
"I don't think I've ever met her," he exclaims after a brief silence.
"Well, that's kind of the point. She doesn't want people to know she's in need of a little assistance," she waves her hand as if Dan knows what she's talking about.
"So she doesn't want people to know, but she told you?" he points at the girl, disbelief in his eyes. Blair's dignity doesn't let her answer; she knows some of her minions are hopeless.
She also tries not to think about letting Chuck in on the story.
"Well, she sure needs help writing her plots. Best of luck with that."
Against her better judgment, Blair laughs. "It's more of a trust issue, really. She doesn't know you, that's all."
"With the board you're painting of her social disposition, I'm sure it's my loss," he says with a snort. Blair almost smiles. Tough crowd.
They stare at each other briefly. "You haven't talked to Abernathy at all, have you?" he asks her.
Seconds go by and Dan starts to wonder if he made a terrible mistake with his choice of words. Blair leans back on her chair, arms crossed, studying him.
"No." One word and she manages to say it frankly, even defiantly.
"It would have been more practical, I think."
"How so?"
"Well, I'm sure if you carefully explained that you could help her yourself, he would understand."
"What if he assigned some other boy from St. Jude's? They've been really pushing this co-ed thing these last few months."
"I'm not sure he would."
"Why is that?"
"Trust me on this one." "He pauses again, closing his notebook and smiling. "But I suppose if you don't take the time to make awkward conversations with complete strangers, you're not living life the right way, so… again, thanks for letting me know."
He stands up, checking his phone's clock; Blair continues to look at him and Dan can't help thinking this is what a microorganism feels when under a microscope.
Blair allows him a small grin this time. "Humphrey, is it?"
He nods. "It was nice to meet you, Waldorf," Dan adds, amused by the girl's sternness.
She watches Dan's back until he disappears, with an approving smirk.
"It was nice to meet you too," she says quietly, once Dan is way out of hearing range.
AUTHOR NOTE: And they met, at last. Post a comment when you can to let me know how that went. Thanks again to everyone that reviewed or gave this a favorite/follow. Be seeing ya.