Chapter 9
It didn't take Blair Waldorf long to fall back into her queen bee status at Columbia. After all, she had already won over the hairband girls from her mother's fashion show so many months ago. It didn't take her long to develop true, respectable minions apart from these two either. Mostly though, it didn't take her long to realize that Chuck Bass wouldn't mysteriously show up in her Family Law course or be waiting for her out in the quad after class, letting her know he was home. Letting her know that he had come back to his family after all...that he'd come back to her. She couldn't pretend the thought hadn't crossed her mind a zillion times in the first couple of weeks back in the city, but somewhere between planning social functions for the elite at Columbia or worrying about Serena's choice between Nate or God-forbid...Dan Humphrey, she pushed all thoughts of Chuck aside.
Of course, the fact that Sam Worthington hit on Blair daily in their Economics class didn't hurt either. Sam Worthington was a southerner-from Birmingham, Alabama, and the buzz around campus was that his family came from old, southern money. "Hmm...there is something about that southern drawl," Blair thought to herself pleased by the fact that the most eligible bachelor at Columbia had sought after her. "So, Blair...when are you ever going to make a happy man? I've been sheepishly, ridiculously flirting with you ever since Dr. Floyd went over the syllabus with us on Day 1. Humor me already. Go out with me." Blair smiled up at him as the two of them walked down the steps toward the quad. She shook her head playfully. It wasn't that Sam Worthington wasn't a total hotty...because he was. You could ask any girl on campus, and she'd tell you instantly that she'd die to go out with him. Double-edged sword. Blair loved the way his wavy, dark brown hair fell imperfectly around his masculine jawline. She loved the way his dark, blue eyes danced as he talked, and she loved the way his eyelashes were so long they seemed to reach out and tug at her heart with every blink of his eye. The problem: She had this guy before. Not once, but twice. She had Nate Archibald once long ago...beautiful Nate. Beautiful Nate that ripped her heart out one stare Serena's way at a time. Later, she had Chuck Bass. Sexy Chuck Bass. Sexy Chuck that ripped her heart out one raccoon-eyed slut at a time. She wanted something different. Deep down in her soul, she knew she needed something different. Someone wholesome, someone good, someone true. Any ole' country bumpkin just wouldn't do...no matter how cute the southerner might be.
"Mr. Worthington, have you ever been able to take a simple "no" for an answer in your entire life?" Blair questioned with a spark in her eye. "I've told you-you're not what I'm looking for. I've dated your kind before, and although the Blair Waldorf of the past would have looooved to have let you take me out on the town, flaunt you to all my friends, and coax you into buying me all kinds of expensive jewelry and gifts, the present-day Blair Waldorf needs something more...lasting. Do you know what I mean?" she begged for him to understand that she wasn't just playing hard to get. If he didn't stop asking her out already, she'd end up saying yes eventually, and then that would lead up to heartbreak number one thousand for Blair Waldorf. "Humph. Not in this lifetime." Blair thought to herself. She wouldn't succumb to that again. She'd choose her next suitor wisely. "Alright, Waldorf." She smiled nervously. No other guy had ever called her Waldorf before...except him. "I don't know what you've heard about me, but obviously you've been misinformed." Sam offered with a wink. "Oh really?" Blair urged him on. "Yeah, for instance. I bet your minions felled to report that I have a nephew who had me at, "Uncle Sam. You're the best uncle ever!" My sister, Andy, had a baby eight months ago, and his name is Ollie. Basically, he can't actually talk yet, but I know that's what he's always thinking anyway." He laughed at his own joke. Usually Blair hated that, but the way he did it wasn't conceited or even corny. "When I'm not playing rugby or volunteering for committees around campus, I spend every second I can with him. I never knew that I would be a "baby" kind of guy, but now that he's in my life, I can't get enough of him. You know, I even do that annoying, over-the-top baby voice. It's actually quite ridiculous." He admitted smiling to himself just thinking about his nephew's chunky cheeks. Blair giggled...not able to push aside thoughts that he was describing exactly how she acted with Anastasia. "Oh, but that's not all. Besides from the fact that all babies adore me, I also volunteer at the pet adoption clinic in Brooklyn too. If I could, I'd take them all home myself, to our ranch in Alabama, but despite the fact that my parents' ranch home is in the country surrounded by acres and acres of land, my mom would probably kill me...which brings me to my next point. My mom is my hero, and besides that, I also..." Blair interjected. "tend to be a pain in the ass?" Blair jokingly added. She had to admit. There was something there. Despite his rugged good looks, there was something he exhibited that none of her exes in the past had-normalcy. If there was something Blair Waldorf needed in her life-it was a sense of normalcy. "Ouch!" Sam faked being wounded by Blair's banter. As he doubled over in pretend pain, Blair playfully pushed his arm, but before she could even react, he pulled her closer to him. "Go out with me." He urged her intently. "No." She argued. "Go out with me." he said it once more...this time his blue eyes never leaving hers...his long eyelashes never batting. "Fine." she acted annoyed, but deep down, something was fluttering. These butterflies felt different though. These were playful, sweet butterflies. These weren't deadly like ones she'd experienced in her past. These were the kind that might...just might...flutter for a very happily ever after.
"Okay, okay stop begging me, Waldorf. I'll go out with you. Geez." he continued to tease her. "I'll pick you up tonight. Now, don't forget to come out looking perty now, you hear?" he was already walking away clearly happy with his triumph as he faked an over-the-top southern drawl, turned, and gave her a wink with his last remark.
As soon as she turned from him heading for her favorite oak tree in the quad, she fished her cell phone out of her hobo bag hoping to call S with this newfound excitement, as a familiar voice caught her off guard. "Blair." he simply stated. She didn't have to turn to know who would be standing behind her. It was him. It was Chuck. As she spun around, she couldn't help but notice a familiar look on his face. The same look he had the night of that awful Brooklyn art party. She shook this thought from her head though thinking she was simply losing it. He couldn't have seen the flirting between she and Sam, and even if he did, he wouldn't...he couldn't be jealous after all this time...could he? She didn't know how she felt about either possibility.
"Chuck. The city looks good on you." she silently took in his appearance. It didn't take him long to fall back into the Chuck Bass look. He was fully clothed from head to toe in a dashing charcoal suit. He stood there, saying nothing. His facial expression was a mixture of emotions. "Soooo, you're home, now?" she asked wondering if he'd be back for good. She hoped he would be. Home wasn't the same without him regardless of what they were-friends, lovers, destined, ruined, and back to...friends? Honestly, who knew anymore? It was hard to keep up...even for her.
He nodded finally after what seemed like minutes passed by. "You'll be seeing more of me around, Waldorf." She smiled, but she didn't know if it was from replaying Sam's earlier attempt at calling her Waldorf or the fact that Chuck wanted her to know he'd be near. "Who's the boy toy? I'm glad to see you're moving on from Tristan. Despite his authentic French accent and culture, the guy had nothing to offer." Chuck scoffed at the thought. "Ugh. Bass, there was never anything between Tristan and me. How many times do I have to say that?" She thought back to her tryst with Tristan. "Well, aside from the occasional drunk kissing and groping, anyway." she admitted...unashamed of her behaviors. Chuck shook his head in disgust. "Oh, get over yourself, Bass. At least I didn't have to pay him for intimacy, and we barely went past first base...well make that second." she giggled at the memory. "So this new guy you were with on the steps? Is he just another Tristan? Someone to make out with? This isn't you, Blair." he tried to reason with her. The Blair he used to know would never have random hook ups with French strangers...or country hicks. Disgusting.
"Actually, Bass. I think there may be something there. You see, aside from the fact that Sam Worthington just happens to be the most gorgeous guy here at Columbia, he also loves babies, dogs, and his mom!" She almost screamed at him. Who did he think he was anyway? She was fuming. Suddenly, her anger diminished because she saw the way he cringed when she said the last part-loves his mom. She knew that Chuck Bass never had the opportunity to do so-one of the many reasons he'd been broken. He never had the chance to be wholesome-to be normal. Before she could apologize for being so unthoughtful, his look of pain faltered into a look of pure rage. She'd seen that look before, and she didn't like what was coming next. "Well, while the two of you seem so obvious for each other, then maybe it won't bother you at all that Eva came back to the city with me. Not only did she return with me but she's also moving into the suite with me." he all but spit the words out at her. She knew her eyes were giving her away. She couldn't deny that it hurt to hear that another woman would be living with him...sleeping in what used to be her bed. Angry tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "Of course, before she got a tour of the suite, I did have to have some of my men throw some of your old belongings away-lingerie, pictures of the two of us, notes you left me before heading to NYU for classes-you know...nothing really that important." he shrugged as if her things meant nothing to him anymore...as if she meant nothing. He smirked his signature Chuck Bass smirk, knowing that his words pained her.
"Why'd you even come back?" Blair asked before turning away from her favorite spot in the quad...before her turning away from her past. That's all he was to her now, a part of her past that she wished she could forget.
Looks like B and C are up to their old ways again. Neither waving a white flag of surrender yet. Although the two ex lovers have seemed to have forgotten, I know I sure haven't. What happens when you add B + C + intentional jabs at the heart = intentional removal of clothes. Wonder if this is an economics equation Sam Worthington can solve? Will he be up to the challenge? My vote is on the southerner. He looks like he can add...and subtract whatever might get in the way of his potential with B.