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Chapter 8: Young Blood

Can't help myself but count the flaws
Claw my way out through these walls
One temporary escape
Feel it start to permeate

–The Naked and Famous

Blair grumbled to herself, having been awoken not by the gentle buzzing of her alarm clock, but rather the snoring of her hungover blonde bedmate.

"Serena." She poked her friend in the ribs. No response.

"Serena." She poked again, harder this time, provoking a groan and shift in position… and thankfully, a silencing of that ungodly racket.

Letting her head drop back against the pillow, Blair stared at the ceiling, trying to make some sense out of the previous evening's events. After accidentally catching Chuck mid-hookup with his nasty blonde bimbo- his judgment obviously having been impaired by the Scotch version of beer goggles - she had, to her utmost humiliation, reacted with the indignity of a scorned girlfriend.

She still couldn't explain it, but she'd realized afterwards that she hadn't actually seen Chuck so much as kiss anyone else since they'd slept together. And since he'd been her first, perhaps there was some sort of… weird possessiveness, deeply rooted in her subconscious.

Anyway, the disconcerting flurry of emotions had left her determined to prove her subconscious wrong, so she'd dragged Nate off for a little drought-ending rendezvous. Extricating him from his yachting conversation had taken only a few not-so-subtle innuendos, but then the issue of location arose. She certainly wasn't classless enough to just throw down behind some random shrub. Nate had then suggested Chuck's limo, which seemed inappropriate for… so many reasons, so she'd insisted on returning to the van der Bilt house.

Once they were finally alone in his room, they'd had sex for the first time in almost two weeks, and it had certainly been enjoyable- sweet, gentle, and, well… satisfying. She had no complaints about Nate's bedroom abilities, although he could afford to be a bit more… generous with the foreplay. But even lying cradled in his arms afterwards, which always made her feel content and protected, she couldn't prevent the unwelcome doubts that crept into her mind. She wondered why she always had to initiate the sex, why he never felt that overwhelming need to just take her, right then and there. And to be completely honest, she rarely felt that sort of urgency either- sometimes it felt more like she was trying to prove something to him, or to herself.

But their cuddling, and her internal monologue, was interrupted by a call from Serena, who was clearly distressed and more than a little bit drunk. So she'd gotten dressed and headed home, spending the remainder of the evening consoling her sad, intoxicated best friend.

"He thinks I'm a whore." Serena said mournfully, her words muffled by the pillow into which she'd face-planted.

"I'm sure he doesn't think that. You probably just… heard him wrong," Blair rubbed Serena's back, trying to pacify her.

"But he basically… said it. He said with my… 'track record.'" Another muffled sob. "He knows how hard I've tried to… change… and I thought… I thought he believed in me…"

Blair sighed. God, Humphrey was such an ass. Not to mention a hypocrite, if Serena's barely-coherent account was anything to go on.

"S, I'm sure he didn't mean it. Just talk to him tomorrow, I'm sure he'll apologize," she said soothingly, stroking her friend's hair. "And if he doesn't, well… he doesn't deserve you anyway."

Which was pretty much a foregone conclusion, she thought, but not the sort of thing drunk, morose Serena probably wanted to hear right now.

The only audible response was a hiccup.

"S?" More silence.

Sighing, she made sure Serena's head was turned to the side and dragged a trashcan over next to the bed.

It was going to be a long night.

And it had been, made even longer by the fact that she'd lain awake, staring at the ceiling and listening for Chuck to return home. It wasn't until well after midnight that she finally heard footsteps in the hallway, which she could've sworn paused briefly outside her room, before continuing to his. She'd tried to brush aside her feeling of relief at hearing only one set, because she certainly had no business caring about that.

"B?" A hoarse whisper emerged from beneath Serena's tangle of hair.

Returning to the present, Blair focused her attention on her hungover, possibly still drunk, and almost certainly about-to-be-sick best friend.

"Morning, S."

"My head hurts," she replied in a sad whimper.

Well, that was hardly surprising. Serena didn't have the tolerance of her former party-girl days, and she appeared to have drunk approximately half her body weight in martinis the night before.

"I'll go get you some Advil." Blair slid out of bed and put on her slippers, padding towards the door. "… and some Gatorade… and… a hair brush." She hadn't heard any noise from the hallway, so hopefully she could avoid another half-naked bathroom confrontation. That was the last thing she needed right now; the limo ride home was going to be awkward enough.

The second she set foot outside the room, however, she ran almost straight into Lily, who looked like she was about to knock on the door.

"Oh, good morning Blair!" she smiled. "Is my daughter awake? I just wanted to say goodbye before Eric and I left for the city."

Trying to subtly shield the door with her body, Blair's mind raced to come up with an excuse.

"Oh, she's still sound asleep, I couldn't even wake her when I tried. We stayed up late watching a movie after we got home last night," she improvised quickly. "I can just tell her you'll see her at the penthouse tonight?"

"Of course, I wouldn't want to wake her if she's that tired." Lily acceded, apparently buying the flimsy explanation. "Well then, I'll just see you both back in the city!"

With that, she departed, and Blair breathed a sigh of relief. Well, attentive parenting had never been one of Lily's stronger points- she hadn't even noticed that Serena had been sleeping in Dan's room for the past week, or that her daughter had presumably been falling-down-drunk at a party where she was also in attendance.

Remembering her mission, Blair set about preparing Serena for what was likely to be a rather unpleasant morning.

Chuck settled into the back seat of the limo while Arthur loaded his bags into the trunk, glancing at his watch. He was right on time- and yet, no one else was here. He'd avoided breakfast because he still had no idea how to deal with Blair at the moment, and he didn't want to risk the potential awkwardness of a one-on-one situation.

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He could still picture the expression on Blair's face when she saw him and… Alyssa? Alana? She'd looked hurt, betrayed, and on the verge of tears. And in his twelve years of knowing Blair Waldorf, this was not a common occurrence- at least not in response to anything he did. He'd been tempted to go after her, but the absurdity of chasing down his best friend's girlfriend, for the sole purpose of determining whether she might be jealous, had not escaped him. And to be honest, he did take a certain vengeful satisfaction in her finally experiencing a little taste of what she'd put him through for so many months.

Regardless, he'd looked for her when he'd returned to the party, but both she and Nate were nowhere to be found. Based on that, he figured he'd probably rather not find her anyway. And what would he have even said if he did? She would almost certainly deny it, probably laugh at him, and tell him to get over himself. There was no way for that conversation to end anything but badly for him.

Roused from his brooding by the sound of the car door opening, he found himself face-to-face with the object of his thoughts. Their eyes met for one brief moment before she averted her gaze, taking a seat as far away from him as possible.

As upset as Blair had been the last time he'd seen her, she looked perfectly calm and in control of herself now. Her bright coral skirt contrasted beautifully with a cream-colored top, a loose bow draped across the neckline. Her chestnut curls were artfully arranged over one shoulder in a low ponytail, not a hair out of place, and her legs were crossed primly at the ankles.

And she seemed intent on pretending that he was not, in fact, in the car with her.

"Where's Serena?" Chuck asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I don't know, I thought she was already out here," Blair replied, clearly implying that she wouldn't have gotten in the car otherwise.

Chuck nodded in response. "And Dan?"

"I think Dan… might not be joining us. I stopped by his room and his stuff was already gone," Blair answered, still not meeting his gaze.

He chuckled softly. "Well, that's the best news I've heard all week."

"I know, right?" Blair smiled back at him for a brief moment, before she remembered to deliberately evade his gaze again.

Several minutes of silence passed, as Chuck stared pensively at Blair and she took pains to ignore him.

Okay, this is ridiculous, one of us has to say something, he thought.

"So how was… the rest of your evening?" he asked carefully, deciding to avoid specifics.

"Fabulous," she replied instantly. "I finally got Nate all to myself for the first time all week."

The slightly triumphant note in her voice wasn't lost on him- nor was her implication.

"Sounds fun," he responded, assuming a disaffected tone.

She nodded.

"And how was the rest of your evening?" This time, the bitchiness was unmistakable, although she appeared to regret the words as soon as they came out of her mouth.

"Fabulous," Chuck echoed back, smirking. "I certainly have missed… American girls."

A disdainful sniff and a slight narrowing of her eyes was her only response. For some reason, he couldn't help pushing just a bit further.

"Why… are you jealous?"

At his words, her head snapped up.

"Jealous?" she scoffed, as if the idea were too absurd to even consider. "I think you're confusing disgust with jealousy, Bass."

Well, it's not like he'd expected her to actually admit it- but she didn't have to act like it was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

"I didn't realize disgust brought you to tears," he retorted.

Blair inhaled sharply, spearing him with a withering glare. "In case you don't recall, I turned down the opportunity to be that girl in favor of a better option."

Feeling the painful sting of rejection all over again, he assumed an expression of bored indifference.

"And how's that working out for you? Still desperate for the attention you're not getting from your boyfriend?" he asked disdainfully.

Blair glared back at him, fuming in anger. "What, do you want a blow-by-blow account of all the sex we had last night? Or are you actually delusional enough to imagine I was thinking about you during it?"

It took all of his self-control to not flinch at her words, which felt like a punch to the gut. In a moment of reckless anger, he retaliated with the one thing he knew would shut her up.

"Well, maybe you should. It'd give you something to do while Nate's thinking about Serena."

Startled into silence, Blair could only stare at him in disbelief, her angry indignation replaced by hurt. Swallowing tightly, she said nothing in response, turning to stare blindly out the window.

Fuck. It didn't matter what she'd said to provoke him- he still felt like he'd just kicked a goddamn puppy. He opened his mouth and closed it again, clenching his jaw in frustration.

Serena chose that exact moment to show up- but, fortunately, she was far too hungover to notice the emotionally fraught atmosphere. Leaving her sunglasses on even inside the limo, she slouched in the corner with a pitiful sigh.

After lowering the partition and instructing Arthur to head to the van der Bilt estate, Chuck leaned back in his seat, staring out the window and wondering how he'd managed to make this situation into more of a mess than it already was.

Blair felt a rush of relief when Nate finally joined them, his amiable presence diffusing the tension in the limo… and giving her something to focus on besides making sure Serena didn't drool on her shoulder.

"How's she doing?" he whispered, giving Blair a kiss on the cheek. Her smile tightened in response- but that had been the reason she'd left the night before, so it made sense for him to ask.

"I'm right here, you know," Serena grumbled, removing her sunglasses to reveal a tired and watery set of blue eyes.

"Okay then- how are you doing, Serena?" Nate shot back with a boyish grin. "You look a little… under the weather."

"Yeah, that's… about how I feel," she nodded and then winced, as if the movement pained her.

Nate took a brief glance around the limo. "So Dan's not here?" he asked.

Perceptive as usual, Blair thought to herself.

"I think he's taking the Jitney. I may have… suggested something to that effect last night," Serena admitted.

"Wait, last night?" Blair didn't recall that coming up during Serena's drunken ramblings. "What did you say to him last night?"

"Well, he came up to me later at the party and tried to apologize, and I may have told him… where he could shove his apology," Serena confessed, looking embarrassed. "And I may have also told him to take the bus home today because I didn't want to see or talk to him. And I may also… have thrown my drink at him."

Wow, rough night for Dan, Blair thought, trying not to laugh. She couldn't blame him for making a strategic retreat after having two separate girls douse him with cocktails.

"Not that I really needed that drink anyway, because I'd probably had… quite a few already," Serena continued, covering her face with her hands.

"So all it takes to make Humphrey go away is getting sloppy drunk and throwing a martini at him?" Chuck asked, with a wry smile.

Serena dropped her hands to glare at him. "Apparently, yes."

"If I'd known that, I would've tried it years ago," he said, feigning a regretful sigh.

Blair rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You're not helping, Chuck."

"Not trying to," he returned, grinning unapologetically. She suppressed a smirk in response, before remembering that she still hated him.

Ugh, how did he do that? How could he be a total dick, piss her off, and then do something to make her laugh five minutes later?

That is not how Blair Waldorf operates, she reminded herself. Blair Waldorf holds grudges.

"But seriously Serena, don't let whatever he said upset you," Nate interjected. "You're amazing, and you deserve a guy who appreciates you… not someone who makes you feel bad about yourself."

"Thanks Nate," Serena responded with a genuine smile.

It didn't matter that it was exactly the same thing Blair would've said- coming from her boyfriend, it still produced a despondent ache in the pit of her stomach. And all because of one spiteful comment, she thought, feeling her indignation return and once again resolving to hate Chuck indefinitely.

Blair propped her chin on her hand and stared out at the passing scenery, only half-listening as Nate tried to cheer Serena up. She'd been the one holding Serena's hair back while she puked for the last few hours, so if Nate thought a Youtube video of funny cat bloopers was all it took to cure her hangover, he could have at it. She could still feel Chuck's eyes on her, but she had no idea if his expression was apologetic or mocking- she kept her gaze fixed firmly out the window.

Over the din of Nate and Serena's giggling, she heard Chuck take a phone call, her attention suddenly caught by his tense, evasive tone.

"I can't really talk right now," he said abruptly. "I'll give you a call back when I get home." He hung up his phone, staring pensively at it for a moment before glancing at Nate.

Probably just his dealer, she thought scornfully, returning her attention to the window. She was officially done thinking about Chuck Bass for the rest of the day.

"So exactly how long are you planning on being pissy about this?" Dan grumbled, dropping his duffel bag by the sofa. Jenny had barely spoken to him for most of the ride home, and since he'd been in a terrible mood already, this was not helping matters.

"Well gee, Dan, something about having to sneak out of the house this morning and take a bus back to the city, just because you had to go and fuck things up with Serena, left me in a pretty pissy mood," Jenny replied, slamming the door behind them.

"Yeah, I get it, your life is hard, Jen," Dan rolled his eyes. "Thanks for showing some concern for me, by the way, since I'm the one who actually had a huge fight with my girlfriend."

"Given that it was entirely your own fault, I'm having a little trouble mustering up sympathy," Jenny shot back.

She went to the kitchen, yanking open the refrigerator and retrieving a carton of orange juice. "And I think you're underestimating the effect of your relationship drama on my life, Dan. I can't afford to have Serena and her friends hate me," she added sharply.

"Oh my God, are you actually making this all about you and your… social-climbing agenda?" Dan replied in astonishment. "Are you seriously that self-absorbed?"

"Or maybe I'm just not content with everyone at school thinking I'm a hopeless loser," she retorted, closing the refrigerator with more force than necessary.

Dan gritted his teeth in frustration. "Even if that were the most important issue at hand here, I don't see how you have anything to worry about. You're already friends with Blair and Serena, they won't turn on you just because of me."

Jenny let out a humorless laugh.

"Is that what you really think, Dan?" she shook her head, as if he were being hopelessly naïve. "Blair hates me. The only reason she tolerates having me around is because I know about her and Chuck."

"Wait, you- what? How do you know about that?" Dan stammered. He'd thought it was a closely-guarded secret- how on earth had Jenny found out?

"Umm, because Serena told you, and we live in a loft apartment without any walls?"

Dan's mouth dropped open in shock. He knew Jenny had gotten a little more… well, superficial and manipulative over the last six months, but he couldn't believe it had gone this far.

"So you… spied on my private conversation with Serena, and now you're using that information to blackmail your way into some… mean girl clique?"

"Oh, don't get all self-righteous on me, Dan." Jenny rolled her eyes. "Your precious Serena is part of that 'mean girl clique' too. Besides, I'm just playing Blair at her own game."

Dan sighed in frustration. Her condescending tone was really starting to work his last nerve. "Why do you have to play any games, Jen? You're… better than this petty high school crap."

"No, you are the one who thinks he's too good for petty high school crap like popularity and having friends," she replied scathingly, taking a sip of her juice. "It suits me just fine. But the point is, if this comes out, I have no more leverage- and Blair will do everything in her power to ruin me. So I need you to keep your damn mouth shut about it, and in the meantime, not screw things up for me by making yourself more enemies."

Dan bit his lip to keep from saying something he'd likely regret- if nothing else, he'd learned his lesson the previous night. Inhaling deeply, he paused to consider his next words.

"I'm not going to say a word about your… blackmail material, because it's not any of my business, and because I actually have no desire to hurt Blair, or Nate, or certainly Serena." Chuck, well... that's a different story. "But I'm keeping quiet because it's the right thing to do, not to maintain your precious social status. When it comes to that bullshit, you're on your own."

And with that, he strode into his room and shut the door, leaning back against it as he sighed in frustration. When the hell had Jenny crossed over to the dark side? What had happened to the sweet little sister who actually used to respect and look up to him? That naive, innocent young girl who was willing to carry books, fetch dry-cleaning, basically perform servant duties in the hopes that she might get a party invitation… now she'd transformed into a full-on backstabbing, life-ruining bitch, and God help anyone who got in her way.

A nagging voice in his head reminded him of his own brief foray into the world of blackmail, but he quickly dismissed it. That was a totally different situation, he thought. That was a… defensive tactic.

But never mind that- figuring out what to do about Serena was his main concern at the moment. She'd laid into him like nobody's business the night before, but he was still holding out some hope that she'd just been drunk and hadn't really meant it. Maybe he should text her? Later, when she had time to recover… or maybe that was too impersonal. A phone call would really be better… but he'd have to plan out exactly what he was going to say… or he could stop by, but would that be too… presumptuous?

Laying down across the width of his bed, Dan stared at the ceiling and contemplated his next move.

The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-between
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Later that evening, Blair was relaxing in her tub, relishing the soothing effects of the warm water and the sweet aroma of her favorite bath oil. Most of all, she was enjoying the opportunity to finally have some time to herself. Summer vacation had been wonderful, of course, but she'd rarely had a Serena- or Nate-free moment. And as much as she loved both of them, trying to keep pace with their cheerful dispositions and mindless chatter was… exhausting, quite frankly.

And with Eleanor still out of the country for the rest of the week, she basically had the whole penthouse to herself, and no one around to hassle her for having a glass of champagne and three macarons for dinner. Well, except for Dorota, whom she'd placated with an excuse about a "full lunch".

Hearing the jingle of her phone, she wiped the bubbles off her hand and picked it up. Seeing "Nate" flash across the screen, she sighed in annoyance- she was really in no mood to deal with him right now. After Chuck's nasty insinuation, for Nate to spend the majority of the ride home talking to Serena had been downright humiliating, and his kiss goodbye had been indifferent at best.

"Hi sweetie," she greeted him, with more enthusiasm than she actually felt.

"Hey Blair," he responded. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, not much…" she let her voice trail off. When she was met with silence, she realized that this was one of those times when Nate called for a reason, but didn't want to come out and say what it was, so she'd have to drag it out of him. Ugh, men. "How are you? Did you have a nice dinner with Tripp?"

"Yeah, it was fun. Sounds like he and Maureen are getting pretty serious."

"Oh, that's wonderful news." Blair played idly with the bubbles on top of her bath water. "We should set up a lunch date with them."

"Yeah, definitely," Nate agreed. Then came more silence.

"So… anything on your mind?" She was rapidly losing patience for this game.

"Well, uh… good news, I guess. My mom told me that we're going to be all set financially for awhile," he responded casually, as if it were no big deal.

The water sloshed around her as she sat straight up in the tub, momentarily forgetting her irritation. "Oh Nate, that's great news! What happened? Did they unfreeze some of your accounts?"

"No, well… that situation hasn't changed at all. But I guess my mom got a loan from a family friend, and it's enough to tide us over for the rest of the year. Hopefully by then, the whole investigation will be over and done with." He sounded more optimistic than he had in weeks, and she couldn't help smiling in response.

"Well, that's wonderful, sweetie. I'm so glad you don't have to worry about this anymore."

"Yeah, I mean… it's a little embarrassing to have to borrow money, I guess, she wouldn't even tell me who loaned it to us," he admitted. "But it's definitely a relief."

"There's nothing embarrassing about it- I'm sure you'll be able to pay them back in no time," Blair said, trying to sound reassuring. "Well, we should do something to celebrate. Dinner tomorrow, Gramercy Tavern?"

"Sounds great. I'll talk to you tomorrow, then." He paused for just a moment. "Love you."

"Love you too."

She couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as she hung up the phone. She was thankful that Nate's family wasn't going to end up in the poorhouse, obviously, but also that he was free from the stress of worrying about it, which had made him even more broody and inattentive than usual. With his financial situation squared away, hopefully their relationship could finally get back on track.

Returning to her relaxation, she picked up the paperback she'd left lying next to the tub. It was a standard historical romance novel, the cover art depicting some long-haired lothario on a horse, one arm clutching his amply-endowed maiden. It was the sort of book she'd be far too embarrassed to actually read in public, of course, but sometimes fiction of the mindless bodice-ripping variety was exactly what she needed.

Opening the well-worn novel to a dog-eared page, she returned to one of her favorite scenes. Tristan had just come upon the young queen Isolde bathing in the woods- and even though she was betrothed to another man and he was sworn to protect her innocence, he found himself unable to resist her. Suffice to say, she didn't remain innocent for long.

Lost in her reading, Blair almost didn't hear Dorota call up from downstairs.

"Miss Blair, Mister Chuck for you."

Startled into dropping her book in the water, she cursed, quickly drying it off with a towel and scrambling out of the tub. Knowing him, he wasn't going to just wait downstairs, and the last thing she needed was to be found in a… compromising position. She toweled off quickly, throwing on a silk robe and hurrying back into her bedroom- only to find Chuck lounging against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, his appreciative gaze taking in her flimsy attire.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember inviting you upstairs," Blair said haughtily, tightening the belt of her robe for good measure. "Perhaps you could wait in the foyer?"

"But then I would miss out on all this," he responded with a smirk, his eyes raking over her figure.

Blair swallowed uncomfortably. "So did you just drop by to make pervy comments, or is there an actual reason for this visit?"

Stepping forward, he closed the bedroom door behind him, and her heart began to thump in her ears. Unwittingly she took a step back, before realizing he was just going to sit on the edge of the bed. He sat there for a moment, saying nothing, looking down at his own interlaced fingers.

He finally looked up at her, his previously smarmy expression replaced by something… unreadable.

"Blair…" he began, and then paused.

Fascinated by the sight of Chuck Bass at an apparent loss for words, she could do nothing but stare back at him.

"Look, I… I'm sorry for what I said earlier," he finally finished, again looking down at his hands.

A prolonged silence stretched between them, as Blair was both stunned by his words and rather enjoying his obvious unease. Eventually she took a seat on the bed next to him- she'd read in Cosmo that men were more comfortable having serious conversations side-by-side… something about being intimidated by direct eye contact.

"An apology? What did I do to warrant such a monumental concession?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual.

"I was just pissed and said something I shouldn't have. That's all." His tone made it clear that apology time was now over, and he started to rise from the bed- she made a move to stop him, not really thinking the gesture through until she found her hand pressed against his thigh. She pulled it back hastily, but not before feeling the heat of his body through his trousers.

She swallowed, intertwining her fingers in her lap.

"I shouldn't have said what I did either," she admitted. "I was… upset too."

She could feel Chuck's eyes on her, but she kept her gaze directed downwards. She didn't know how she would react if she looked at him right now, and she wasn't willing to take the chance.

For several minutes, they sat next to each other in quiet contemplation, neither knowing what to say next. There was no disputing the accuracy of their earlier barbs, of course; it was always the truth that hurt the most. But she couldn't help feeling like something had changed between them, although she had no idea what that was.

"I guess being friends is a little more complicated than we thought," she said wryly, finally breaking the silence.

"I guess so," he replied impassively.

But when Blair finally looked up to meet his gaze, the intensity of repressed emotion she saw in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. For just a moment, she allowed herself to savor the warmth of those deep brown irises- and, suddenly, the air between the two of them grew tense, heavy with things left unsaid.

Feeling her disobedient thoughts start to wander in a direction they shouldn't, she quickly cleared her throat and stood up, averting her gaze.

"Well, I should be getting back to my bath …" She demurred, fidgeting with the tie of her robe.

Normally he would've offered to join her, with some suggestive comment about washing whatever she couldn't reach. She could tell from the slight quirk of his lips that the thought had occurred to him.

But it seemed that they both recognized the precariousness of their current situation.

"So I'll see you at school." He rose from the bed, pausing for just a moment. "Goodnight, Blair."

"Goodnight Chuck," she echoed, watching him leave.

Sitting back on her bed, she wrapped her robe tighter around her body- as if by doing so, she could conceal the surge of contradictory emotions flooding through her.

We lie beneath the stars at night
Our hands gripping each other tight
You keep my secrets hope to die
Promises, swear them to the sky

A/N: As always, thanks to Terrabeth for her fantastic beta work, especially her tireless attempts to rein in my love affair with commas.

So… how long until Nate officially becomes a third wheel in his own relationship? What should Dan do to win Serena back (besides not accidentally call her a tramp again)? Who's going to win this round of Queen B vs. Little J?

As usual, I love to hear your thoughts :)