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"I thought we were going to keep the discrepancies in our marriage between the two of us."

From behind the closed door of Harold's study, Eleanor's voice reached Blair's eager ears. The young girl paused, leaning towards the door as though the extra half inch of distance would give her an advantage. Technically, what Blair was doing wasn't exactly considered eavesdropping; she was simply walking, back and forth, down the hallway multiple times.

Harold exhaled noisily. "She was going to find out sooner or later. I'd rather she hear it from me"

"And I'd rather not have my daughter come home in tears" Eleanor snapped.

"Like you actually care" Blair thought. And by her father's delayed response, she knew that he was probably thinking the exact same thing.

"Did you want me to lie to her?" Harold questioned. When he didn't get a reply, he softened his tone. "Blair is just a little upset right now. Even if I had withheld a few details from her, she would still feel the same way. I'm sure she'll come around once the shock wears off"

Eleanor let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't have to patience to finish this conversation right now"

In her mind, Blair imagined her mother holding her hand up as she turned around, preparing to walk away - this was Eleanor's universal signal which meant that she was not only shutting Harold out but she wouldn't be continuing their talk anytime soon.

"Please do me and Blair a favor and be gone by the end of the week"

"I can't" Harold objected. "I promised Blair that I would stay until the divorce was finalized"

"Then tell her that there was a change of plans" Eleanor hissed. "I think you leaving sooner than planned will be best. After all, why prolong the inevitable?"

Blair quickly backed away, heading for the staircase. It wasn't fair, her mother controlled every aspect of Blair's life and she was never allowed to have any input. She wished that just once Eleanor would see that she was capable of making her own decisions and stop being so damn overbearing.

"That's never going to happen," Blair shut her eyes, willing away the tears, as she shoved a finger down her throat and leaned over the toilet.

...

Daddy, if you had stayed, I don't know how my life could have been different. It could have been better, it could have been worse. I just know that because of your decisions this next person ended up on the list. I'm not blaming you for the mistakes that someone else made. I just saying that maybe it could have been prevented.

There was a short pause.

Or maybe not. We'll never know. Either way, I love you daddy. I'm sorry that I wasn't enough to make you stay.

Chuck wiped the sweat off his palms by brushing his hands against the legs of his pants. He repeated the actions a few more times but they still felt damp. "I'm next" He whispered, his heart beginning to race. "If Blair's father hadn't left, she would have never needed me"

He tried to remember how to breathe. Oxygen was supposed to go in, right?

On the podcast, Blair mumbled what sounded like another apology to her father before inhaling a deep breath.

Next on the list is the darling Nate Archibald. Honey, you were my first love- my first hand to hold, my first kiss. But it was just puppy love, it didn't mean anything. I'm not saying that to be cruel, it's just the truth. Even though it once seemed as though our relationship was something special- it wasn't real. And it's highly unlikely that anything would have come of it. But back then, when we were kids, you thought differently, didn't you? That's the only reason that I can come up with that could possibly explain your actions.

...

"I'm breaking up with you" Blair Waldorf announced the second Nate Archibald answered the telephone. No greeting or small talk, just straight to the point.

"Wh-what?" Nate stuttered, taken by surprise. As far as he knew, him and Blair had the perfect relationship- they never fought, she didn't make ridiculous demands and his parents loved her. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, I just need some time alone" And that was the truth. With her life going downhill so suddenly, she needed some time to sort herself out- something she couldn't do with a puppy dog of a boyfriend following her around constantly.

"Why?" He questioned.

As the seconds ticked by, Blair felt increasingly defensive. She rolled her eyes, glad that Nate couldn't see her. "Whiny is not a good look on you" She commented lightly.

"You don't have to be such a bitch" Nate grumbled, promptly hanging up afterwards.

Blair brought her pinky to her lips, nervously chewing on her fingernail as she wondered if she could have handled the situation better. Perhaps she was a little too straightforward, maybe she should have softened the blow somehow. It was the first breakup she would ever have in her short life, no one could expect her to do it perfectly.

...

Two weeks went by before Blair spoke to Nate again. Like the perfect Archibald gentleman that he was expected to be, Nate called a few times and dropped by once or twice, but he was always ignored. In fact, Blair ignored everyone except Serena, who was so abrasive that it was nearly impossible to block her out. She would have liked to continue living life in such a meek existence but of course all good things must come to an end. Her re-entrance into the world was the latest high society luncheon that Blair was forced to attend. Eleanor usually didn't care if her daughter skipped out on a few events every now and then but in order to show the world that Harold's disappearance didn't affect the Waldorf girls in the slightest bit, attendance was necessary.

And so, for the second time that month, Blair was at the Palace hotel, hoping to avoid another uncomfortable conversation. She stood next to her best friend, Serena Van der Woodsen, and the girl that she seldom tolerated, Georgina Sparks , looking every bit out of place as she felt. Occasionally Blair would mutter some input but for the most part she remained silent. Whenever her companions were distracted, Blair would scan the room with her eyes in nervous anticipation. At a table, a few feet away, her parents divorce was being discussed by gossiping older woman, and it seemed as though every time Blair looked up, Eleanor moved closer to the group. It was unlikely that a confrontation would occur but it was possible that Eleanor would be in a bad mood for days on end and that meant Blair would have to suffer.

"Blair, did you even hear a word of what I just said?" Georgina questioned.

Blair turned to the dark haired girl although her eyes were still on her mother. "Of course I did"

"Then what did I just say?"

Without even looking at Georgina, Blair knew that the obnoxious girl was raising her brow in her usual superior manner. Serena, the un-loyal traitor, raised a hand to muffle a giggle. Blair narrowed her eyes at the blonde before turning to the third girl.

"The same thing you always ramble on and on about - Carter Baizen" Blair rolled her eyes in disgust. Carter Baizen was an older boy who Georgina had recently hooked up with at a party. His bad judgement was his least undesirable trait, it paled in comparison to his mistakenable impression that he was god's gift to women. Recently, Blair had become the aspiring womanizer's favorite challenge since she made it common knowledge that she found him repulsive.

Georgina's lips formed into a thin, rigid line. "No, actually I was discussing your little boy toy Nate"

"Georgie" Serena whispered the nickname as a warning. The tension between the two brunettes was quickly becoming a little too thick and as usual Serena was trying to stop an argument before it even started.

Blair shrugged nonchalantly, purposely ignoring the wary look that Serena was now giving her. "I'm sorry to disappoint you but Nate is no longer any concern of mine"

"So you don't care that Penelope Shafai is hanging all over him?" Georgina asked, her green eyes twinkled with mischief. As the self-appointed troublemaker of the trio, she was a notorious instigator and never missed an opportunity to stir up a little drama.

Blair didn't even have to turn towards her ex-boyfriend to know that Georgina was speaking the truth. Penelope was obsessed with Nate and followed him everywhere as though her constant presence would somehow make the coveted boy love her. Blair would never admit it out loud, but she felt like marching right over to her former minion and letting Penelope know, in a very cruel way, that Nate still belonged to her.

The only problem was that he didn't actually belong to Blair, at least not anymore. So, the young brunette kept her head held high and lied. "Nope" She replied, a fake smile tugging on her lips. "I broke up with him, not the other way around. Frankly, I don't care what or who he does-"

Blair was going to continue her little rant about how she no longer cared for Nate when Serena let out a loud and obviously fake cough, interrupting her.

"What?" Blair asked.

Before Serena could even open her mouth, Georgina quickly answered for her. "Turn around" The devil incarnate said, a smirk gracing her face.

Blair did as Georgina had directed, she turned to see Nate standing directly within earshot. The frown marring his handsome face was a dead giveaway that he had heard everything Blair had said about him.

"Blair, can we talk?" He asked.

From over Nate's shoulder, Blair could see Penelope shooting daggers at the couple with her eyes. She then looked over at Georgina and Serena who were leaning slightly towards her, listening intently. "No" she whispered, shaking her head. "At least not right now"

Wrinkles appeared in Nate's forehead as he scrunched his eyebrows. "Why? Because you no longer care about me?"

Blair couldn't lie to Nate's face, nor could she tell him the truth. "I have to go" She said quickly before pushing past him. She walked out of the dining room, ignoring the sharp look Eleanor was giving her.

It wasn't until she was standing directly in front of Chuck's favorite fern, that she even realized that she had been searching for him. However, the mischievous teen wasn't in his usual hiding place. Blair even peeked behind the bushes to make sure she hadn't overlooked him.

"Looking for me?" Someone called for behind her.

Blair was caught off guard, she let out a soft gasp and became rigid for a second. "You shouldn't sneak up on people" She scolded Chuck as she turned around to face him.

"I'm sorry" Chuck's snicker made his apology seem insincere. "I saw you leave and thought that I should follow you to see if you wanted to talk" He nodded his head in the direction of the plant. "I suppose you had a similar idea"

"Yeah" Blair nodded. "I thought you would be out here"

His face contorted into a look of confusion. "Why? It's not like me skipping the luncheon was really an option"

She mentally whacked her forehead. "That's right" Blair murmured. "I forgot it was your father's party"

Chuck smiled. "Getting forgetful in your old age, huh?" He teased.

Blair rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up, I'm only a few months older than you"

"Soon those extra months are going to become offensive and you'll have to stop toting them out as though they're some kind of asset"

Blair cocked her head to the side and smirked. "Unfortunately for you, that won't be for a very long time"

Chuck shrugged. "Time goes by fast"

Their playful banter felt so natural, Blair soon became immersed in it. As the time passed by, her trouble began to slip away. Or at least they were before Chuck decided to bring them up.

"So how are you parents?" He questioned, probably thinking that getting her to talk about the divorce would make her feel better.

Blair groaned but couldn't find the right words to explain the situation. Her best option was to remain silent, so she did just that.

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

"Yes," Blair sighed."My father is upset because my mother is acting like her usual self, which means she's being a vindictive bitch. And mother is upset that after so many years of marriage, he decided to announce that he's gay" She paused for half of second, surprised that she somehow blurted out the dreadful secret. She studied Chuck's face, it was obvious that he wasn't expecting her to say that but he managed to control his facial expression. That gave Blair the courage to continue. "But of course mother isn't actually upset about that, she's just pissed because it's going to humiliate her when everyone finds out"

Chuck struggled to find the right words. "That sounds harsh," He said slowly.

Blair nodded. "You have no idea" She mumbled, finally glad to let it all out. "And on top of that I have an ex-boyfriend who just doesn't realize that even though I want to be with him, I just can't be in a relationship right now"

"Why? Because you don't think you deserve to be happy when you're parents have so much drama going on?"

Blair stared at Chuck, wishing that he wasn't so insightful and could be dense like most other boys. "No" she said softly, not sure if she was lying or not. "I just have a lot of things to deal with right now"

"No" Chuck corrected her. "You're parents have a lot of shit to deal with, you just have to be you. It's really quite simple."

Blair shook her head. "It's really not"

"Yes" Chuck took her by surprise by grabbing Blair by her wrists and pulling her towards him. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a completely platonic hug. "You're just a kid" He said, sounding as though he was much older than her. "It's your parent's mess, not yours. You shouldn't have to obsess over it"

Blair sighed, racking her mind for a counter argument. She almost had it when she heard someone behind her cough. The two brunette heads turned to where Nate stood, just down the hall. There was a scowl on the young blonde's face but underneath the anger there was plenty of hurt.

"I guess now I know why you broke up with me without any explanation"

"No" Blair said quickly, stepping away from Chuck. Before she could say anything else Nate stormed off, leaving her standing there as a dreadful feeling overcame here. The day could only get worse.

"I'm guessing that was the ex-boyfriend you were talking about" Chuck commented.

Blair turned to give him her best glare. "You're so observant" She said, her voice full of sarcasm.

...

Pause

Chuck heard the ding of the elevator and turned around just in time to see Nate stroll through the apartment. The blonde saw his friend and lifted his hand as a greeting. For the past week, it had been wrapped in a bandage but now his knuckles were finally bare.

"I got my stitches taken out" Nate said, his voice raspy with possible sorrow. His eyes were purposely pointed down at the floor as though he couldn't look at his best friend.

Chuck didn't say a word, he just watched as Nate walked off to his room with his shoulders slumped. He finally knew why his friend had been so depressed lately, it wasn't just because Blair was gone. Nate had listened to the tapes and knew that he was somehow responsible for her death. Chuck wondered what Nate's past mistakes were. Whatever they were, it was enough to make the usually easy going blonde break Carter Baizen's nose at the funeral. Maybe that was Nate's way of earning redemption. His curiosity gave him the strength to push the familiar sideways triangle button.

Play

Honey, it's been years so it's likely that you don't even remember what you did. Or perhaps you made yourself forget. Because how could Nate Archibald, the perfect gentleman, possibly be the spark which ignited the flame of troubled Blair Waldorf's messy downfall?