Here's chapter three! This is an unnecessary personal note, but I'm dying to say it: I really despised how the season finale ended. We could have seen Chuck kissing Blair while at the same time carrying her onto the plane to Tuscany, but NOOOOOOOO!! Bart had to get involved all of a sudden! I'm sure that they'll get back together, but still…ug! LOL. Now that my rant is over, I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter!
My Saving Grace: Chapter III
Chuck stood up simultaneously with the other students surrounding him, tucking his cheat sheets into his back pocket. He walked to the front of the classroom and placed his SAT answer key on the instructor's podium. Blair sat on an unoccupied desk in the front, her crossed legs swinging over the side. She shook her head at Chuck and clicked her tongue against her teeth.
"Task tsk, Bass. Cheaters never prosper," Blair said tauntingly. Chuck turned to her and smirked, his eyes glued to her in fascination.
"Funny. We've always done pretty well," Chuck replied.
Blair opened her eyes, coming out of her momentary daydream. Chuck hadn't actually answered her back, though she wished with all of her might that he had. Instead, Chuck turned around and walked out of the classroom. Blair lifted herself off of the desk and followed him. Chuck paced down the halls of the public high school casually, content with what he had done. Blair eyed the strange walls and lockers as though they were museum exhibits.
A week had passed since Blair discovered that she could pick up things. She thought many times about getting a pen and notebook and writing to Chuck, except that she did not just want to hear him talk to her; she wanted to talk to him back. Writing would be too impersonal after everything she had witnessed. She was hoping that she would eventually be able to speak to him since everything else that she wanted had come with time--for some reason. Blair continued playing some pranks on people for fun. She spooked Isabel by removing books out of her locker and dumping them on the floor. Isabel's frenzied screams could be heard throughout Constance that day, and people wondered if she had snapped. The thought still made Blair crack up. She also threw one French fry at Nate every day from different directions. His arm-flailing, bewildered responses never ceased to make Blair laugh.
When all of her friends or ex-friends were in class, Blair often took walks around New York. She went to the shops and enjoyed the salespeople's reactions when they witnessed a floating Prada bag. Blair walked to Central Park on sunny days. Sometimes she sat on a bench and observed the different people that passed by. She was used to the barking dogs and the stray cats that would look at her with suspicious eyes. Blair felt that she had adjusted to her situation, and she loved that powerful feeling.
She still tagged alongside Chuck during the day and slept next to him every night. One time she followed him to Victrola because he was going to show the place to one of Bart's business associates. Chuck and Blair sat on the same couch that they had sat on together before they had sex in the limo. Chuck talked to the businessman a lot, but Blair saw him look over forlornly at where she was sitting on the couch--or where she had sat when she was alive--quite a few times.
Chuck had a routine set for the evening. He would head down to the Palace bar to have a drink and the occasional cigarette before going upstairs to the Bass-Van Der Woodsen suite. Then he'd either watch TV for awhile or slip into his pinstriped pajamas and go to bed. Blair never thought she would see the day when Chuck Bass wasn't partying at night; however, she knew better than anyone that he still wasn't himself. Chuck did not act like he was upset about her everlasting absence during the day, but his eyes did not possess the vivacious glint that they had before. He hadn't said a prayer since the day of her funeral, but Blair found herself wishing that he would pray again. Prayer revealed intimate thoughts, and Blair yearned to hear Chuck's again.
Another bundle of questions entered Blair's mind, as if she could afford any more. She noticed that every single night, Chuck would wake up once and only once. Most of the time his eyes would shoot open. He'd stay awake for a few moments, then he would shake it off and fall back asleep. There were occasions, though, where Chuck would be startled awake as if something had frightened him. He would react either by pulling the quilt closer to his chest or sitting up in bed and taking a few deep breaths before lying back down. Blair immediately tried to console him whenever it happened. It pained her to see Chuck so agitated, and not knowing what the cause was made it worse. She usually rubbed his shoulder or softly patted his back. She told him that it was okay, even though he couldn't hear her. She pushed some sweat-matted hair out of his face when he lied back down and closed his tired eyes. Many times when he would fall back asleep, her hand found its way over to his and their fingers would remain intertwined throughout the night. Blair eventually started holding Chuck's hand even before he woke up. If the window shade was left open, Blair gazed outside at the city lights while wondering if she was trying to soothe Chuck or herself every time she touched him. She admitted that feeling him next to her filled her with comfort and bliss, as though she was alive and made the right decision about who she loved earlier.
The day of the SAT's finally arrived. Chuck had prepared by acquiring answers from a previous St. Jude's student whose friend worked for SAT. Chuck strode out of the public school and breathed in the fresh air. Blair walked through the door and spotted Serena and Dan standing a few inches away from the concrete steps, talking to one another. Chuck approached them in his usual debonair manner, Blair trailing behind.
"Chuck, did you think it was hard?" Serena asked. Chuck smiled knowingly.
"It wasn't bad," he stated convincingly. Blair felt a small laugh escape from her throat.
"Chuck Bass, you sly dog you," Blair said.
"It wasn't my finest hour," Dan quipped. Chuck shrugged, then looked at Serena.
"I'm heading back to the Palace. I'm having a meeting with my father today. See you later?" Chuck asked.
"Yeah. Tell mom that Dan and I went to lunch if you see her."
"I will." Chuck nodded to Dan before walking past them both.
"Well, he's been courteously out-of-character lately," Dan said once Chuck was out of an audible range.
"I know. It's almost creepy," Serena said. They did not need to say aloud what the reason was; they both knew. Blair was about to follow Chuck when suddenly Serena's cell phone rang. Serena reached into her purse and checked the caller's name.
"Is it her again?" Dan asked. Blair looked at them both questioningly.
"Yeah. I'm not answering," Serena said. She put her phone back in her purse. "Come on, let's go." She grabbed Dan's hand and they leisurely began to walk away.
Blair's curious nature began to take over her mind. She hadn't thought about what was happening between Serena and the person that she was telling Dan about that one day. Blair hadn't considered the matter important, but Dan's tone of voice implied that the person's calls were often and unwanted occurrences. Blair smirked, deciding it was about time to do some ghostly snooping.
She ran to Serena and swiftly reached into her purse. Feeling the plastic top under her fingertips, Blair grabbed and pulled her arm out of the purse. The second she had a hold of the cell phone, she imagined herself in the deserted courtyard of Constance Billard. She didn't want anyone to see a cell phone lingering in the air. She especially did not want anyone to try to take it from her if they were gutsy enough. Once she arrived at Constance, Blair flipped open the phone and went to Serena's message inbox. She did not find a single text message, but there were two voicemails. Blair went to the voicemail and put the phone to her ear. She pressed the number one to access the first message.
"Hey Serena, it's me for the one millionth time. I am seriously going to kill you for not picking up. You better have lost your phone. Where were you when I asked you to meet me at the bar Saturday night? You know that ignoring me won't make me go away."
Blair immediately recognized the grating voice. She pressed the number one to listen to the second message, the one that was left only a few seconds before.
"Guess who?! Just to let you know that this is your final warning. If you don't answer any of these calls from now on, there will be consequences. You can call me back to save yourself or keep on ignoring me. It's your funeral."
Blair flipped the phone's top down, her head spinning.
"Georgina the Great Slut is back in town? Since when?" Georgina Sparks used to be one of Serena's closest friends, not to mention the girl who Chuck lost his virginity to. Blair wondered if Chuck knew that Georgina had returned. Georgina had to be who Serena mentioned to Dan both times. It made the most sense; it sounded like Georgina wanted to party the way she did before Serena went away. Blair leaned up against the brick wall, her one arm lying on top of the other. Her lips pursed as she continued to think. "What exactly were those things that S was talking about at breakfast that one morning? Did Georgina send them? And what consequences is she talking about?" Blair abruptly realized that Serena had to hear the last message. She did not know what consequences Georgina referred to, but her annoying voice sounded very threatening. Blair imagined herself at wherever Serena and Dan were. In an instant she was standing in front of a restaurant patio table. The couple was sitting at the table and discussing Rufus's band and other musicians. Blair quickly dropped the cell phone before either of them noticed it hovering. The phone made a noise as it hit the ground, which was what Blair intended. Serena looked down.
"Oh my gosh! My cell phone!" Serena picked it up and examined it. Then she looked at Dan. "Did I lie it down on the table?"
"I don't remember what happened three minutes ago let alone when we first sat down," Dan joked. Blair felt anxiety building up in her stomach.
"Come on S, check the message!" Blair exclaimed. She knew from the past how much trouble Georgina was capable of causing. Serena glanced at the phone once again.
"I thought I put it in my purse…" She paused. Blair was becoming more overwrought by the second. Dan slurped the bottom of his once-filled Pepsi glass, making a sucking noise with the straw. Blair scowled at him, wanting to tear the straw out of his mouth. Finally Serena spoke again, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "My brain is so fried from that SAT that I can't even remember what I did with my phone. I feel so silly." Serena reached for her purse and placed the phone inside it as Blair shrieked.
"No, open it up and check it!" Blair shouted. She marched to Serena's purse and whipped the phone out. Then she slowly brought it up onto the table as Dan and Serena laughed loudly about something, oblivious as to what she was doing. Blair pushed the phone over to Serena's plate, and when her friend looked down again she nearly had a heart attack.
"Dan…the phone just appeared on the table!" Serena yelled. Dan glimpsed at it, then laughed a little.
"Good one, Serena," Dan said.
"I'm not joking! I put the phone in my purse and now it's up here!" Blair knew the moment was intense, but she couldn't help laughing at Serena's freaked-out expression.
"Yeah right, and I'm Hugh Heffner," Dan said randomly.
"Dan!" Serena exclaimed. Dan raised an eyebrow, surprised at how serious she looked.
"Are you sure you put it back in your purse?" he asked.
"Positive!" Serena grabbed her purse, tossed the phone in it, and zipped up the top pocket. "I put it in there now, right?"
"Yeah," Dan said, feeling weird himself. Blair shook her head in disappointment.
"Mission not accomplished." She was about to go to Chuck when an impulsive idea entered her head. Another smirk spread across her face as she bent down to get Serena's purse.
"I think the Rolling Stones were cool and their songs were great, but--" Dan stopped in mid-sentence, his eyes popping out of their sockets. "Serena, is that your cell phone?" Serena looked down and saw the phone lying across the top of her drink glass. For the next minute the combined noise of horns, voices, and sirens ringing throughout the Upper East Side was drowned out by an ear-piercing, horrified screech. Blair's hooting laughter would have sounded just as shrill could it be heard by living, human ears. Once Blair calmed down, she figured that she tried her best and decided to try to solve the mystery behind the threats. She wasn't going to let Georgina mess with any her friends. She may have been dead, but she was still Blair Waldorf.
Blair imagined herself with Chuck at the Palace. If she had waited a few seconds longer to leave, she would have seen Serena answer her bleeping phone and scream again once she viewed the message inside.
Blair arrived in the Palace's main hall, which had an entryway to the bar and restaurant attached to it. She stood at the foot of a wooden staircase that could be taken instead of the elevator. Blair looked from left to right for Chuck. Not seeing him, she dissatisfiedly turned and faced the staircase, the gleaming sunlight from some upper windows casting down upon the area. Blair peered at the bar entryway as she wondered if Chuck was in there. When she heard footsteps from the level of stairs above her, Blair twisted back to the staircase inquiringly. Chuck appeared at the top step, dressed in a freshly-pressed navy blue suit. He placed one hand on the handrail and seemed to walk elegantly down the steps in slow motion. Blair tried to bring a hand to her chin to push her jaw back together, but her body wasn't responding to her commands. Chuck turned his gaze towards the opening that led to the Palace's dining room, which was overflowing with people. He cracked a little smile, thinking about how well everything had worked out for his father. Blair took a mental picture, hoping that she would dream for the first time later that night. When Chuck reached the bottom of the staircase and unknowingly stood directly in front of Blair, he straightened out the lapel of his suit coat and walked towards the bar. Blair finally breathed, and upon doing so her nostrils were filled with the combined, intoxicating aroma of Chuck's cologne and Old Spice shampoo.
"He must have taken a quick shower," Blair thought. Her lips curved upward and she suppressed a giggle before she took off after Chuck. They passed the people in the dining area of the restaurant and walked to the bar. The bartender smiled as he saw the young Bass drawing near.
"Your father again, Charles?" he asked. Chuck sat on one of the stools and placed his arms on the bar counter. He smiled, not seeming the least bit nervous. Blair knew better.
"He and I are going to discuss the progress of Victrola today," Chuck said. "He's meeting me here."
"Evaluations. They're always the worst." The bartender pulled out a scotch glass as Blair took a seat next to Chuck. "The usual?" he asked.
"Yeah, and I'll probably have to shout out to Alfonzo for a sandwich," Chuck said.
"Can't face Bart on an empty stomach," the bartender said. Chuck blew some air out through his mouth and drummed his fingers on the counter. Blair didn't know that Bart conversed with Chuck about Victrola, but it seemed logical since it was Chuck's idea to invest in the burlesque house. She laid her head down on the counter and watched Chuck take a sip of his drink and smoothen his damp hair with one hand. She jerked upright as she saw an unwanted someone strutting towards him.
"Well well, if it isn't the devil himself." Georgina Sparks stared down at Chuck through half-closed eyes. "How have you been since I left, Bass junior?" Chuck put his glass down and gazed at her as though he had something sour in his mouth.
"Much better," Chuck commented snidely.
"You haven't changed," Georgina said. She bounced over to the stool on Chuck's opposite side. Blair glared at her fiercely. "From the scotch to the shoes, you're still the same."
"Cut to the chase, Sparks," Chuck said, obviously annoyed with her. "What do you want? I heard you were back in town." Georgina grinned slimily.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Why did you send those things to Serena, anyway?" Chuck inquired.
"So that was something with her!" Blair thought, feeling proud of her powers of deduction. "Serena must have thought Chuck sent them."
Georgina leaned over, grabbed Chuck's scotch glass, and downed the entire remaining liquid. Blair gaped as if it were the most grotesque sight that she had ever seen. Chuck acted like he was unbothered by her action. Once she finished, Georgina placed the glass back on the counter and sighed in satisfaction.
"You do know that you're going to pay me for that," Chuck stated.
"I have no money, Chuckiekins." Blair frowned at hearing that Georgina had a name for him. She gripped the edge of the bar counter with such pressure that her nails eventually went through it. Chuck grimaced at his irksome visitor.
"Alright then, answer me instead. Why are you back and why did you send those things?" Chuck asked. Blair observed when she was alive that Chuck wouldn't back down until he got the information he wanted. It was a trait that she admired, and somehow reminded her of herself. Georgina bent down close to Chuck and prepared to whisper her next words. Blair felt her chest heaving as she remembered the one night that they shared together back in sixth grade. She felt her face turning fire-engine red. Georgina breathed hotly near Chuck's neck before bringing her lips to his ears. She brought her arm up and put it around the back of Chuck's neck with a cocky, close-mouthed laugh. Terrible visions of Chuck with Georgina in bed popped into Blair's mind, and instantaneously her limbs begin to shake violently.
"Check your phone, Charlie dear. It will all be explained," Georgina murmured. Chuck did not look affected by her at all, a fact that Blair kept telling herself in an attempt to calm down. Georgina removed her arm, smiled alluringly at Chuck one last time, and began to walk toward the staircase.
"If you're going to go look for Serena in our suite, she's not there," Chuck called out, not even looking at her. Georgina stopped in her tracks and turned back to him.
"Why would I believe you?" she asked. "Besides, it's not necessary that I see her, but I would prefer if I did." Chuck kept staring into his empty scotch glass as Blair furiously faced Georgina. Georgina cocked her head to the side and noticed a familiar face sauntering towards the bar. "It looks like you're going to be pretty occupied. I'll see you later." Georgina turned and walked away. Blair stood up off of the stool aggressively, wishing that she had tripped Georgina or dumped something on her head while she had the chance.
"No you won't!" Blair yelled viciously.
"No you won't," Chuck said resentfully to himself. Blair gazed at him and felt her face soften. Her breathing became normal as she sat down on the stool again. Chuck checked to make sure that Georgina was gone before reaching for his cell phone in his pants. Blair placed her throbbing head in her hand. She never felt such extreme jealousy before in her life. Not even when Serena got a lot of attention or when Nate talked to another girl while they were going out. Blair was so lost in self-assessment that she did not even notice the person that Georgina referred to approaching.
"I knew that I would find you here," Nate said. Blair's head shot up. She could not believe that Nate had the audacity to try to speak to Chuck again. She thought about how funny it would be if she overturned a strawberry daiquiri in Nate's hair. Chuck's head spun to the side slowly. He stared at his old best friend with revulsion in his eyes. He let out a small, sarcastic laugh as he turned away from Nate and placed his phone back into his pocket.
"And just when I thought that I already saw the most horrible person in the world," Chuck said. He pushed himself off of the stool, thinking about telling his father that he would meet him elsewhere.
"Chuck, please!" Nate beseeched. He stood close to Chuck, becoming a desperate barrier to escape. "I need to talk to you!" Chuck faced Nate again, his dark eyes seething. For a split second Nate's blood ran cold.
"I think you've used up all of the words you could ever say to me," Chuck said viciously. Blair got up off the stool and ran close to where Nate stood to get a better view of them both.
"I came to tell you that I'm sorry," Nate said with a gulp. Chuck's countenance of detest formed into one of amusement.
"Nathaniel, you're so naïve." Chuck slyly looked down at the counter and noticed that the bartender had refilled his glass. Chuck picked it up with one hand and wiped Georgina's bright pink lipstick off with the other. His long fingers continued to swirl the glass around in his hand when he looked back at Nate belittlingly. "Saying that you're sorry doesn't change a thing. I learned that firsthand when I tried apologizing to you. You meant what you said that day; otherwise it wouldn't have come out of your mouth. I don't know how Blair accepted all of your apologies over the years, but you're delusional if you expect me to do the same." Blair's eyes wandered to the floor as she remembered all of the forgiving that she had done and how Nate would not forgive her for sleeping with Chuck. Nate began to stutter, still affected by Chuck's tone and mannerisms.
"I know…I know that I took her for granted." Blair's eyes darted back up again, shocked that he actually said it. Chuck put both of his hands on the glass as he eyed Nate disbelievingly. The blonde boy's shoulders moved up and down as if he was gathering up courage to go into battle. "What I said was completely uncalled for. I've felt terrible ever since I said it. It's literally been killing me, and I knew that unless I came to you and apologized that I would never get over it." Chuck closed his slightly parted mouth and continued looking at Nate skeptically. He sat down again and Nate sat on the stool next to him. Blair's eyes remained focused on the both of them, not knowing how to respond to what was happening in front of her. "You know," Nate spoke again, "that hurt my pride to admit."
"As it should. Even more degrading to your pride is hearing that a girl is better off dead than with you." Chuck took a sip of his scotch and placed the glass back on the counter.
"I really am sorry, Chuck. I was angry and stupid and…everything else…" Nate lost his words. Chuck faced him again dispiritedly.
"Why did you even say it, Nathaniel?" Chuck's face gave the impression that it was paining him to ask the question. Nate fumbled to find an answer. Chuck sighed heavily, his next words spoken in a hushed, cracked voice. "I didn't think you hated me that much." Blair couldn't remember a time when Chuck had sounded so dismal in front of anyone besides her, and she only heard because she was a nosy and caring ghost. It made her heart bleed.
"I know that I said I hated you, but I don't," Nate said. "I was just upset and you were talking so nastily and--"
"I only said what I thought was true," Chuck stated. He looked at his watch, away from Nate's piteous gaze.
"I don't hate you Chuck. I never did. I was mad beyond belief but I could never hate you. I mean, come on man, you're my best friend." Chuck's eyes focused on his shoes. Blair watched the two men in captivation, the entire world around her drifting away. She felt almost malicious, for she wanted Nate to be sorry but she didn't want him to be forgiven. She just could not bring herself to let it go. Nate hurting her repeatedly she could take; Nate hurting Chuck was another story. All she could think about was when Chuck ran to the bar after Nate said what he did. She clearly remembered his distraught face as he filled his glass over and over again. She remembered how sick her stomach had felt as she watched him.
"Chuck!" His name fell desperately from her lips as if it was the last word she'd ever speak. In her mind he turned and looked at her pleadingly, but she didn't know what to say.
Chuck's eyes finally looked up at Nate, though his head remained tilted slightly downward. Once intimidating, his eyes now looked like those of a rebuffed puppy. He shook his head slowly.
"Best friends don't say those kinds of things to each other. Not even when they're mad." Nate gaped at him for a few minutes, his face drawn out sadly. Chuck grabbed his drink again and took back a slug. He wiped his mouth before speaking again. "I know I shouldn't have slept with Blair, and I know I shouldn't have kept seeing her. But I couldn't help the way I felt about her or how I still feel about her." Blair became ecstatic, as if it were the first time that Chuck had said that he cared about her. She felt as light as a feather and wouldn't be surprised if she discovered herself floating in the air. Chuck dragged one finger along the shiny counter, his eyes sorrowfully holding Nate's. "I know you want everything that happened to just go away, Nathaniel. But the truth is it's not going to. I did what I did and you said what you said. No matter how hard we both wish, nothing can reverse that." It was Nate's turn to look away. Blair didn't blink as she waited for one of them to talk again. On other side of the bar, a glass fell to the floor and shattered.
"I wasn't expecting immediate forgiveness," Nate finally said. He rubbed his head. "I know what I said was awful." Chuck faced the bar but he glanced at Nate from the corners of his eyes. After another few silent minutes, Nate began to stand up shakily. "I just wanted to let you know that I regret it. I'm sorry, Chuck."
"So am I."
Nate looked at his old best friend once more before turning around and dejectedly walking away. Blair saw Nate's lower lip quiver as though he was about to cry. His footsteps hitting the floor seemed to echo until he was gone, and then the noise of the surrounding world took over once again. Chuck put his folded arms on the counter and buried his head in them. Blair ran to him, her mind still lost in the conversation that had taken place. Both of the men felt guilty and hurt for different reasons revolving around the same subject: her. Flashbacks of Chuck and Nate laughing and hanging out since preschool appeared in Blair's mind, and she felt like crying herself. It was obvious that the two wanted to be friends again but there was too much damage done. Blair slid next to Chuck melancholically, wishing more than ever that she could go back.
"I can't help but feel responsible," Blair said. She looked at Chuck. "We should have told Nate about us. I should have told him how I felt." She leaned her head on his shoulder. Chuck lifted his head up slowly and Blair firmly brought her arm around him. She closed her eyes and listened to him breathe in and out softly. She smiled, relaxing as she smelt his cologne and fought the urge to flirtatiously play with his navy blue tie. "We'd be together, he'd get over it after awhile, and we'd all have fun before I was sentenced to Upper East Side afterlife. I'd be gone and you'd be sad, but at least you'd have your friend."
"Charles."
Both Blair and Chuck jumped at the loud, low voice. Chuck swiveled around on the stool to greet his father as Blair let go of him and caught her breath.
"Good afternoon, father," Chuck said. Bart walked over to the stool that Blair was sitting on.
"Aw crud." Blair immediately jumped off the stool and ran through Bart so that he wouldn't sit on her. She stood next to Chuck and watched as Bart shook.
"Do we have working furnaces in this hotel?" Bart asked.
"Last I heard, yes," Chuck replied, eyeing his father confoundedly.
"I've been getting random cold spells lately," Bart said. Chuck looked like he wanted to laugh, mostly to get his mind off of the exchange he had with Nate moments before.
"You're getting up there," Chuck joked. Bart put his hand on Chuck's shoulder.
"And I've still got my charisma."
"You're in a good mood today," Chuck commented. Blair agreed. It was peculiar and out of character for Chuck's father to act so happily.
"I made a good business deal, that's why. How are you doing?" Bart asked. Blair noticed that he didn't ask about the SAT. Chuck's cover-up smile appeared on his face.
"Never felt better."
Blair listened to Chuck and Bart discuss business for a little while before she found herself falling asleep from boredom. She went to the Bass Van Der Woodsen suite to see if Serena was there, but she wasn't back yet. Blair started to get anxious. Serena and Dan's dates never lasted for many hours--at least, not that she knew of. Unless S and lonelyboy were getting it on, she could think of nothing else that would keep her best friend for so long. Blair went back to the bar to return to the one person that calmed her when she was feeling unsettled.
"I'll be right back, Charles. I need to use the restroom," Bart said, standing up.
"Take your time," Chuck replied. As soon as his father was gone, Chuck reached for his cell phone. Blair stood behind him and examined the phone's bright screen from over his shoulder. She laughed slightly.
"Just like old times," Blair said. Chuck pressed a button and opened an unread message. That was when he felt like throwing up. Blair stared at the text that he had received:
Hey Upper East Siders! Gossip Girl here with some serious dirt to dish. Just when we thought that S had reformed her old ways, we could not have been more wrong. A reliable source tells me that she did not run off to boarding school a year ago to escape the recently deceased Queen B; she was running from the ghost of Pete Smith. You all remember Pete. He was the drug addict who G hung around with for a while before she left, and by 'hung around' I mean rocked his bed at night. Anyways, it turns out that S slipped him the drugs that caused the epileptic reaction that led to his death. Ouch, S! How long did you think you could keep this one from me? Shame, shame, shame; you know I'm everywhere. And you know you love me. XOXO.
Blair no longer needed to solve anything; Georgina's plot had unfolded itself. Blair could not believe the revealing words in front of her eyes. She didn't care about Serena handing Pete the drugs, since she didn't directly cause him to die.
"But how could she keep that from me for so long?" Blair wondered. Chuck snapped his phone shut and frowned at the empty bar as if it had just insulted him. Blair stared at him, beginning to get tremendously excited. She knew the look on his face; she recognized the fury in his eyes. The unyielding, uncontrollable fury that could only be satisfied by vengeance…
"Oh my God Chuck, you're back!" Blair exclaimed. She laughed cheerily and threw her arms around him as he continued to stare intensely at absolutely nothing in front of him. The scene would look comical to any hotel passerby if they were able to view Blair.
"I'm back," Bart said, beaming as he flounced to his son. Chuck looked at him, his eyes conveying a sense of urgency.
"Father, I have to go," Chuck said. Just as he suspected, Bart's atypical, good-humored manner became bitter and firm.
"Why?" Bart asked sharply. "We're almost done."
"I'm sorry, and I'll explain later, but right now I have to take care of something," Chuck explained hurriedly. "Someone needs my help." His father scoffed.
"If by that you mean assisting a woman in unhooking her bra, then I'm extremely disappointed in you," Bart snapped. His comment took Blair's breath away and it didn't return for a matter of minutes. Whenever she started to suspect that Bart could not speak any more rudely, he managed to prove her exceptionally wrong. Chuck rose from his seat, as casual as could be.
"I'm used to hearing you say that," Chuck said. "Even when you're only assuming what I'm about to do."
"Well, that's saying something sad, isn't it?" Bart asked. Blair saw Chuck's hands tighten as though he were squeezing two stress balls.
"I don't have time for this." Chuck spun on his heels and walked toward the staircase, leaving his frustrated father with nothing except alcohol and shame. Once Blair knocked a filled glass onto Bart's lap while he wasn't looking, he only had shame. Chuck rapidly walked past the wooden staircase and down the narrow hallway. Blair caught up and strolled with him until they reached the Palace doors. Chuck stopped and grabbed his cell phone. He began texting a message to Serena. Blair leaned forward and peered at what he was writing:
You'll be fine, sis. I'll take care of her. C.
He pressed send and then threw open one of the large doors with one hand. Chuck vigorously walked down the steps and over to the center of the Palace's front terrace. After calling his limo driver he dialed a number that he had memorized in sixth grade. Blair watched him the entire time with enthrallment. She was beginning to recognize the self-confident Chuck who she used to know. As Chuck brought the phone to his ear, Blair heard the other line ring twice. She was already smiling at the thought of what he would say or do.
"I knew you would call," Blair heard Georgina say. The sound of her aggravating voice made Blair wince.
"You know nothing," Chuck said assuredly. Blair heard Georgina laugh mockingly.
"I do. I know everything about everyone before you do, Chuck my dear. Including that your almost-stepsister killed someone. That didn't settle too well with big daddy, did it?"
"He doesn't know," Chuck said, "and Serena didn't kill that guy."
"She gave him the drugs, Chuck!" Georgina laughed maniacally as if Chuck was stupid. "Of course she killed him!"
"He didn't have to take it."
"Is that what you really called about? You actually took time out of your day to try to defend Serena's honor which is already publically destroyed?" Georgina asked. Blair could tell that Chuck wanted to say something smart-alecky but he held his tongue.
"No, there's more. Where are you?" Chuck asked.
"I'm at my hotel," Georgina said. "You can come here. You know how much I love rendezvousing with you."
"Loved," Chuck corrected gruffly. He glowered before writing down her hotel's address. Blair internally cheered, thrilled that he was going to tell her off in person. "I'll see you in a few," Chuck said, and then he hung up.
Blair leaned against the elevator wall and looked at Chuck, who did not seem uneasy at all. His nonchalant attitude made her even more excited. She loved when he insulted people who deserved it and acted like he could care less while they fumed. The elevator dinged and the silver doors opened. After a few steps down the darkened hallway, Chuck and Blair were standing in front of Georgina's hotel room. Chuck rapped on the wooden door with his knuckles. Georgina's witchy face greeted them milliseconds later.
"I must say, I didn't expect you to be this upfront so quickly," Georgina said, an irritating smirk playing across her lips. Chuck pushed her out of the way and gained admittance to the hotel room. Blair walked through Georgina purposely with her nose in the air, and Georgina shivered.
"I figured that bluntness was the best way to get the bitch out," Chuck said. Georgina closed the door, rubbing her upper arms quickly for warmth.
"Chuck Bass titles me a bitch? I'm flattered," Georgina said, smug even though she was freezing. Blair wanted to slap the irritating smirk still plastered on Georgina's face. Chuck glowered at her.
"You basically have two options, Sparks. You can go back to wherever you came from and stay there, or you can remain in New York and deal with the things that I intend to do to you." Georgina cackled piercingly, sending chills down Blair's spine. She suddenly felt the urge to jump behind Chuck.
"Why Charles, I didn't think you'd be dreaming of this day for so long! Will we be using toys or not?" Georgina asked. Blair wrathfully walked halfway over to Georgina, her fists raised and ready, before she stopped herself. Blair sighed and grabbed her hair with her hands just to put them anywhere but in Georgina's face.
"Calm down. She's just saying these things to psyche Chuck out. You're letting her have too much power over you," Blair thought.
"You're such a useless whore," Chuck said. Blair's eyes widened. She had never before heard him use such a term. Georgina's arrogant face fell; the cocky smile completely vanished.
"Look who's talking," she said back bitterly.
"At least I didn't start when I was three," Chuck said. Blair tried to assuage herself with mild laughter at his remark.
"No, you started when you were two," Georgina said. Chuck snorted at the lame comeback; she knew when he had started. Georgina wandered over to the window and exhaled loudly. "I'm not going anywhere. I've been locked away at boarding school for years, and all the while I died to be here again. You're not getting rid of me that easily."
"I knew you would say that," Chuck stated.
"What's with the warning?" Georgina asked, turning her head slightly towards him. "You never caution anyone and offer them an out before you do your dirty work."
"Let's just say that I care about a certain almost-sibling of mine that came to my aid one day, and the sooner that I would get you out of here the better it is for her," Chuck said coolly. He drummed his fingers on his thigh. "I know that you won't stop sending things to Gossip Girl and doing other lousy things until she becomes your friend again, which is highly unlikely. You are a crazy freak, after all." Blair was again shocked by Chuck's blatant insult. His comments were usually very clever and well-planned, not just a slur. Then again, Blair knew that with Georgina, no ingenuity was needed to slander. She flew off the handle a lot in the past, which was part of why Blair didn't like her. Georgina ignored Chuck's remark.
"I have a lot of things that I can say about her." Georgina stroked the silk red curtain of the window. "Things that not even the great Blair Waldorf knew." Blair frowned, her eyebrows lowering. Chuck flinched at her sarcastic tone when mentioning Blair, trying to control his rage. Georgina gasped in delight. Her face took the form of a young child's on Christmas morning. "Oh my God, I hit a soft spot!" She cackled again. "That's right…I looked at Gossip Girl's old posts. You had a thing with her, didn't you?" Blair felt ill. Chuck pretended like Georgina hadn't seen him react to her words.
"I guess the challenge is on, then. If you won't leave, I'll make you leave," Chuck said menacingly. He began to turn around. Blair sighed out of relief and began to follow him out. She was more than glad to be getting out of there.
"Chuck."
Chuck faced his nemesis again.
"What?" he asked. Georgina looked at him with large, glistening eyes. She seemed insecure about something. Blair raised an eyebrow.
"I'll leave New York. I'll leave and neither you nor Serena nor anyone else will ever hear from me again. I'll go, but I'll need something in return."
"What? Money for your drugs?" Chuck asked.
"No," Georgina replied. Thinking about what she said before, Chuck became defensive.
"If you want me to tell you anything about Blair, I'll--!"
"No, I don't want information either." Georgina crossed her arms. She turned and fully faced him. "It's going to sound crazy…" She looked down as though she felt silly. When she looked back up again, Blair saw that she felt the exact opposite.
"I want you, Chuck."
Blair nearly fainted. Georgina swaggered forward with a devilish grin. Chuck saw his appalled reflection in her gigantic, desire-filled eyes.
"I want you."
End of Chapter III.