AN: Your reviews are really keeping me encouraged so thanks so much! I promise the next chapter will have a lot more Chuck/Lita fluff in it! Enjoy!
Unsurprisingly, the library was deserted when Lita got there. She knew exactly where Serena would be waiting- in the back, through the long dark stacks, on the window seats by the bay windows. It had always been their private meeting spot at school.
"Hey, L." Serena stood up when Lita walked over. "I didn't see you on the steps with Blair today."
Lita gave Serena a very quick and very awkward hug. "Yeah, we rode to school together but I had some stuff I needed to take care of this morning. I heard she was a little rough on you…"
"Who told you?" Serena wasn't surprised though. News travels fast on the Upper East Side.
"I ran into Isobel." Lita glanced down at her phone, Blair was calling. She sent it to voicemail and turned her full attention to Serena. "Look, I already told Blair that I refuse to be in the middle of things."
"I'm not asking too… I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, I know I hurt both of you by leaving and not explaining anything and then coming back so suddenly with no warning." Serena explained.
"But why did you leave in the first place?" Lita asked.
"I can't say, but I need you to trust me, L. I really had to get away from everything. I know things can't just go back to the way they were before but I really hope we can still be friends." Serena told her earnestly. "I'm kind of low on friends right now."
Lita was quiet for a moment and stared at her YSL boots. "I'm always going to be your friend S. I just wish I understood better."
"Trust me, the last thing you want is to be dragged into my mess." Serena said sadly.
Chuck found Lita at her locker after school. "Where were you at lunch? Everyone was looking for you."
Lita was happy to see him and greeted Chuck with a kiss on the cheek. Although Chuck was almost always dressed up, Lita really liked to see him in his school uniform. She thought he looked sexy and pulled him closer for a proper kiss. "I was with Serena. She wanted to talk about some things."
Chuck's eyes widened upon hearing Lita's response; he and Nate had spent half of lunch trying to convince Blair that Lita hadn't been with Serena. "Was her excuse for running off one of those things? Tell me, the rumor about her joining Paris Hilton's entourage true?"
"Don't you mean Jay-Z?" Lita giggled and grabbed the last of her books. "She didn't explain anything but I guess when she's ready to talk about it, she will."
"Hmm." Chuck shrugged in disinterest; he wasn't terribly interested in the Serena mystery. Like everything in the Upper East Side, it would all come out eventually."So what are you doing tonight?"
"I'm volunteering for a couple of hours and I have to try to finish my summer reading but that's about it." They walked, hand in hand, toward the entrance of the school. Neither of them was particularly aware of the stir that they were causing amongst some of the other students. "Why? Do you want to do something later?"
"I have to have dinner with Bart but do you want to come over to The Palace after? We can do our homework together."
"Chuck Bass does homework?" Lita gave him a questioning look. "Well that's a new development."
Chuck laughed a little. "You know, I'm not dumb Lita."
"I know," she smiled up at her almost-boyfriend. "how could I ever forget who was the spelling bee champ in 3rd, 4th, and almost in 5th grade if it hadn't been for Nelly transferring into our class."
"Exactly." Chuck pretended to be relieved. "Wow, Lita, you get me, you really get me."
They were both laughing when Nate caught up with them near the gates. "Hey guys."
"Hi Nate, how was the first day?" Lita asked.
Nate made note of the hand holding but didn't say anything about it. "Same as always, I sat in the back of every class and tried not to fall asleep."
"I think junior year is going to be the death of me." Lita told them. "I think I'm in too many clubs."
"And you're in all of the hardest classes." Chuck shook his head.
"Yeah, my parents would love to have you as their child. My mother is always going on and on about how perfect you are. She can't wait for you to join that stupid women's society thing."
Lita affected a look of disgust. "Can you imagine? That's much more Blair's style. I don't think I'm going to go through that whole debutante thing."
"You don't want to wear a 20,000 dress and get your picture in the paper?" Chuck smirked. "It's every girl's dream."
"I'll probably trip and go toppling down those spiral stairs into a pit of social ruin." Lita said dramatically. She hailed a cab just as it was passing down the block. "And Gossip Girl would somehow get a video of it. Then it would get onto youtube and next thing you know kids in Russia are laughing at me. No thanks."
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Nate asked as the cab slowed down. "Don't you want to hang out?"
"She's dutifully off to the convent to help serve those in need." Chuck interjected.
Lita rolled her eyes. "Bye boys, have fun getting stoned in the park." She waved as she got into the back of the yellow taxi.
"Good-bye Saint Lita!" Nate waved dramatically and the two boys laughed at her decidedly disgruntled face. When the car was gone, Nate turned to Chuck expectantly.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Nathaniel?" Chuck asked in amusement.
"I didn't know Chuck Bass was into hand holding." Nate jabbed Chuck in the arm. "Are you getting soft on me?"
"Says the most whipped man, I know."Chuck retorted. "Where's Blair? I'm surprised she let you off the leash."
"Just until 8, then we're supposed to have dinner at some new swanky place that all the fabulous people are going to." Nate said sarcastically. "Let's smoke." He added a moment later.
"Not to be a square…"Chuck eyed his friend warily. "But do you think you might be overdoing it? We smoked a fat one at lunch."
"Chuck, I don't need a lecture." Nate said defensively.
"I'm not lecturing." Chuck started walking in the direction of the park. "I just think my head is still buzzed. I guess your tolerance is much higher than mine." He wasn't in the mood to argue with Nate over his drug habit; those conversations never ended well.
"I'm just stressed, I guess." Nate explained. "Things with Blair are weird and my parents are already on my case about school and it just started. Pretty soon I'm going to be too busy to smoke."
Chuck simply nodded his head and changed the subject.
Blair paced her bedroom floor anxiously. She couldn't get in touch with any of the people she actually wanted to speak to but her phone was constantly ringing with calls from those she was avoiding. Nate and Lita weren't answering her calls. In fact, Blair hadn't even seen Lita all day. This was the first semester that they hadn't had any classes together and on top of that Lita was completely absent at lunch, even Chuck hadn't know where she was.
Which could only mean one thing- Lita had to have spent lunch with Serena. The thought made Blair nervous. She didn't like to be left out... not that she was ready to forgive Serena or anything. But on principal, she didn't like to be left out. There was only one thing that could set the social order right again and that was a party. She would throw the first and most fabulous party of the year and Serena would not be invited.
SPOTTED: B & S having a showdown before school even started. It's hard to say who won. A witness says B was quick with the insults but S's confidence never wavered. It looks like we'll just have to wait and see which one of these girls comes out as the reigning queen. Still no word on the official cause of S's departure or her return. S should just come clean or hasn't she heard, secrets secrets are no fun unless gossip girl is a part of 'em. N & C in a cloud of suspicious smoke in the park- those boys never change. Or do they? C & L were spotted holding hands in the junior girls' hallway. Watch out freshman girls, I don't think this romance will last all that long. And speaking of freshmen, this year's class has stepped up their game. Those girls are dressed to impress and ready to play. B, S, and L better watch their fabulously dressed backs, this is shaping up to be one hell of a year.
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