"My Evening Star" Chapter 5

Rating: T, just to be safe

Word Count: 4,458

TV Spoilers?: Not, not really. Just basically around episodes 4,5, and I think 6 when Blair really has no friends

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Gossip Girl or really anything affiliated with it.

Other: Sorry this took a little longer than usual for me to get out, but at least its my longest chapter yet. Haha. Oh, and thanks again everyone for reviews! 3

--

Nearly a week had passed since Hazel's party, and Chuck noticed a few gradual changes had occurred. Blair was no longer a social pariah, having pulled her way up from rock bottom yet she had a long way to go if she wanted to win back her crown.

Her former minions were still following Serena around dutifully, but they were no longer doing so with the fervent loyalty they had displayed before. Often, Penelope or Is would approach Blair in the hallways, complimenting her hair style or her new Cole Haan satchel, clearly wanting to be on her good side.

Chuck found it amusing the way these girls could smell power the way a rottweiler smells red meat, and it seemed obvious the balance was slowly shifting back towards Blair. To be honest, he couldn't say he was surprised.

Serena was a beautiful girl, and had a light to her that effortlessly drew people… but she was a lover, not a fighter. Controlling people just didn't come naturally to her.

Blair, on the other hand, was born to dominate. And even when she had been beaten down and stomped on, Chuck knew she'd find a way rise again. She was the Queen B, after all, and the closest thing to true royalty anyone on the Upper East Side would ever see.

Except, for him, of course.

Unfortunately, Blair's suddenly rising status was not her doing, alone. As much as Chuck hated admitting it, having Little Billy as arm candy had certainly given her a boost. The two of them were still nearly inseparable at school, which Gossip Girl reminded him of nearly everyday.

It still made him sick to think of.

Perhaps the one good thing about it all was the fact that the two of them didn't partake in any PDA, at least that he knew of. Chuck had seen Blair lock lips with another man far too many times in his life and it never got easier. In fact, it just twisted that constant knife he felt in a little deeper.

He didn't need anymore reminders of everything he wanted and everything he was never going to have.

Fortunately, he hadn't had to suffer through seeing Blair hold Will's pale, creepy hand or see him wrap his stringy arms around her intimately. Though he had seen Will touch her a few times, he had never once seen Blair initiate physical contact in return. And Chuck could not help but to wonder why.

Why weren't they in a relationship yet? Blair was not the type to do flings..with him being the only exception there.. And Will clearly wanted them to be romantic. So why didn't Blair just give into all the rumors and grant Gossip Girl the field day she'd been waiting for. What was holding her back?

Though Chuck liked to believe he was the person who understood Blair Waldorf better than anyone else, he couldn't figure her out now. What was she thinking? What was simmering underneath the particularly chilling façade she had been keeping up lately?

Chuck's quick mind was whirling through possibilities so fast he didn't even notice his best friend trying to get attention while he zoned out during their Western History class until he felt a pentip poke his shoulder.

"Chuck… Chuck…" Nate's said in the loudest whisper he dare attempt as long as they were in class. "Hey man, snap out of it."

Chuck blinked before his eyebrows creased in annoyance and he leaned a little bit closer to his best friend. "What is it Nathaniel?'

"I was wondering if you'd have any interest in skipping next period with me." Chuck turned his head and saw Nate grinning. "I'm in the mood for some fresh air."

Chuck stared at him in disbelief. "You want to get high again? We just took a hit this morning."

"Yeah, but that was then." Nate responded as though that was perfect logic.

Truth be told, Chuck really wasn't all that shocked. Ever since his Dad's case had become particularly stressful, Nate had been turning to a herbal remedies more and more. He wasn't out of control by any means, but Chuck knew that he was under more pressure than usual lately and needed an outlet for his stress.

So, of course, Chuck… not really sure exactly how to be their for his oldest friend, did the only thing he could: he smoked up with him. But right now that wasn't an option. He was expecting a certain phone call and wanted to be at his absolute sharpest when he received it.

"So you want to go?" Nate asked again, and Chuck just shook his head.

"No, I still haven't come down from our last hit." He lied before he added with a smirk. "But ask me again after school and I might just change my mind."

Nate shook his head and grinned . The two of them were then quiet until the end of class.

Once it was through, they walked out side by side and parted ways after Nate clapped his best friend on the back. "Alright, well, I'll see you soon, Man." He told Chuck before he left to sneak off the school grounds.

Though Chuck had just smirked in response, he couldn't help but to be a little concern. Nate was clearly stressed and he had never been all that good at handling pressure. And Chuck didn't like the idea of him off smoking alone….

Feeling frustration welling up, Chuck yanked his phone out of him pocket and stared at the empty screen. Still nothing. After taking a moment to look after the place his best friend had just disappeared off to, he snapped his phone shut with a scowl. He better get that damn phone call soon.

--

An hour later and still call-less, Chuck was on his way to lunch only to find that Nate was not at there usual place. Annoyed, Chuck rolled his eyes. That must have been one fat joint… or else there was the possibility Nate had decided to ditch school altogether to properly smoke up.

Chuck was busy frowning at that thought when he suddenly heard a rather familiar voice behind him.

"If you're looking for Nate, he's not coming." It was Blair, standing there with her arms crossed, looking pissed. Much to his annoyance, Will was right behind her, looking particularly pleased with himself at the moment.

"Oh really?" Chuck asked, as he flashed her a smirk. "Do you know this because you keep tabs on all your exes?" Blair glared.

"I bet you like you to keep a particularly steady eye on me." He added deviously.

"Hardly." She snapped back. "I prefer to pretend you don't exist. That makes it a lot easier to forget about my past mistakes."

Chuck went silent for a moment, while Blair looked slightly uncomfortable, like she knew she may have gone to far. But she quickly hide it as she smoothed out her hair and added.

"The only reason I know Nate's not coming was because I saw him being lead to Ms. Queller's office. I was there last period going over my recommendations when they sent him in." Chuck paled slightly.

"Nate's at the Headmistress'?" He asked, his eyes dark. He knew this could not be good. "What the hell for?"

Blair looked angry once again. "What do you think?"

"Was he caught leaving the grounds?" Chuck knew his friend wasn't the sneakiest person in the world. The only reason he had never been caught before was because he had Chuck there to plot their escape.

At that thought, he felt his stomach churn. He should have been there today.

Blair crossed her arms again, looking even more furious. "No, the idiot was caught with pot. Apparently he had a huge supply in his backpack that fell out right in front of Mr. Edinberg's face." For a moment, Blair's angry façade slipped away and he could see genuine concern. They both knew Nate was in no position to buy his way out of this one.

"He'll be alright." Chuck responded instantly, unsure himself it out to comfort her or to convince himself.

"I don't see how." Blair snipped, and he watched her struggle to hide her emotions and put her mask back in place. He had to admire her strength.

"I'll just go to talk to Ms. Queller." He declared, sounding as confident as he could.

She rolled her eyes and stared at him, disbelieving. "And say what? The only chance Nate's got is if…" Realization flickered into her dark eyes and she shook her head. "Chuck, no."

He flashed her a small smirk. "Is that concern I see in your eye, Waldorf?" She didn't say anything, and Chuck tried to ignore the familiar fluttering that suddenly pooled in his stomach.

"Don't worry, I promise not to do anything that will keep you up worrying all night." He teased. He then gave an already angry Will a particularly wicked smirk before he turned to leave. To his surprise, he could feel a small hand wrap around his wrist, holding him in place.

"Chuck, no." Blair said, looking up at him with her beautiful doe eyes, her mask gone completely as she looked genuinely worried for him. "This is Nate's fault! Seriously don't do it…"

It was as close to a plead as he had ever heard from her and Chuck faltered, unable to look away as he leaned in closer to her. Time seemed to stop for a moment as their gazes locked together, but ultimately he was unable to forget his friend.

"I at least have to try." He told her quietly as he reached up and gently stroked her chin with his thumb and pointer finger like she was the Ingrid to his Humphrey.

Before she could tempt him to stay any longer, he turned away from her quickly and began to walk away, smirking as he heard her call out "Chuck! You're an idiot!" from behind him.

His grin eventually turned into a look of determination as he sauntered into Constance's main office and through his Headmistress' doors. There was Nate, slumped over in a chair, looking defeated…and still a bit high. Chuck took one look at him before turning to the stern looking women in the desk, who's eyes widened when she saw him.

"Charles Bass, what are you doing…"

"It was mine." He cut her off, before he looked her straight in the eye with his dark, piercing gaze. "The marijuana in Nate's bag was mine. I slipped it in there before school today when he wasn't looking."

"No, Chuck…." Nate instantly sat up in his seat but Chuck shot him a look and turned his attention back to the principle.

"It was mine." He said again sternly, in his most commanding tone. Ms. Queller sat back in her chair, eyeing him for a moment carefully.

"Tell me Charles, why would you ever put a half pound of marijuana in your friends bag?" Chuck had to work not to show his surprise. Half of a pound? Where did Nate get so much weed? Or better yet, where did he get the money for it?

"Because my bag was full." He responded emotionlessly, not giving away a thing. The Headmistress rolled her eyes.

"Your bag was full?" She repeated mockingly. "Did you even consider the consequences of what would happen if your friend was caught?"

Chuck nodded his head in Nate's direction. "Obviously not."

Ms. Queller paused, before she stood up to stare him straight in the eye. "Do you swear, Mr. Bass, that the bag was truly your's and this is not just a ploy to save your friend?" She asked him.

Chuck did not hesitate even for a moment. "Yes."

She went silent again, eyeing him carefully while Nate looked on, clearly unsure of what to do.

Finally, she spoke once more.

"As much as I admire loyalty in a friend, Mr. Bass, I do not appreciate being lied too." Chuck looked away with a disappointed scowl.

"I know that bag of illegal substance was, indeed, Mr. Archibald for several reasons. The first being the fact that his calculus teacher reported him absent in his class, the second being that I can actually smell the marijuana on him now, and the third being the fact that his eyes are so glazed over at the moment he can barley look at me!" Ms. Queller's voice raised at the very end and that's Chuck knew there was nothing he could do.

Nate was screwed.

"So do not bother telling me, Charles, that he is perfectly innocent because I am not a fool, nor am I going to tolerate such behavior." She then turned sharply to Nate who was once again slumped in his seat.

"As we discussed, Mr. Archibald, before your comrade's interruption..." She eyes Chuck menacingly for a moment. "You are hereby suspended from Constance indefinitely. While I have pushed for a no tolerance policy since then day I was hired here, this is a case that will have to be decided by the board."

She eyed him coldly before adding. "And you should be warned now that bringing a half of pound of illegal substance into the halls of Constance's is not going to be considered a minor offense."

She then coldly crossed her arms and seat back in her chair once more.

"Nathaniel, I ask now you leave the grounds immediately and Charles, I'm sure you have class to attend." Hanging his head, Nate rose from his chair and the two boys began to walk out, knowing there was nothing more to say.

"Oh, and Charles." Ms. Queller suddenly called out. "If you lie to my face ever again you will be joining your friend in his suspension."

Resisting the urge to make a snide comment in return, Chuck strutted out of her office with Nate close behind.

--

"Indefinitely suspended." Nate mused outloud bitterly as he and Chuck strolled through Central Park.

Naturally, Chuck had skipped out on the rest of his classes and had left with his best friend, so they truly could get a breath of fresh air, this time without a cloud of smoke around their heads. Neither were exactly in the mood.

"Indefinitely suspended." Nate repeated again. "God, damn. What am I going to do if they kick me out? No college will accept me, and it's not like anyone on the Upper East Side would be willing to offer me a job. I am so screwed."

"They won't kick you out, Nathaniel." Chuck replied confidently, sounding far more assured than he really felt.

He knew that money meant everything to Constance's school board, and the Archibalds no longer had the means to buy Nate out of trouble like they would have just a year ago. Not only that, but the school was already incensed at Nate's family since his father had promised to donate a new scoreboard for the lacrosse field. Needless to say, he hadn't exactly followed through with his promise.

"Did you hear the way she talked about me?" Nate asked, shaking his head. "There's no way I'm getting out of this."

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Look, its not like you slaughter the Alumni committee. So you were caught with a little pot. It's not a big deal." He paused before he added with a smirk. "Actually, that was quite a bit of weed you had there. A half pound, Nathanial? When did you get that?"

Nate suddenly stopped walking, forcing Chuck to stop as well, his eyes instantly narrowed in confusion. "It wasn't mine." He confessed, after a long pause.

Chuck blinked, and walked back over to him before questioning sharply. "What?"

"It wasn't mine." Nate repeated, shaking his head. "I mean, where would I get the money to drop nearly 1,500 on a bag of pot?"

"Are you saying someone else put it there?" Chuck asked in a quiet, intense tone. Nate just shrugged nonchantly, but Chuck could see that he was disturbed. "They must have."

"Nathaniel, listen to me. Are you sure?" He said, grabbing his friend's shoulder so that Nate would look him in the eye. "You're positive that that wasn't your weed? That you didn't buy it when you were stoned and happened to forget about it?"

Nate shook his head, certain. "No, man. I know I didn't"

Chuck's eyes darkened as he remembered the smug look on Will's face when he had seen him looking for Nate. His fists clenched.

"I'm going to murder him." He gritted out, his whole body nearly shaking with rage. And Chuck was very serious at the moment. Visions of him actually killing Little Billy instantly flashed in his mind.

He realized to his fury that he had underestimated Kensington completely. Chuck had thought he was just a standard creeper, perhaps someone Blair would need to slap a restraining order on. Clearly not. Chuck had to fight the urge at that moment to march back to school and approach Will, but he couldn't. If he even tried, he knew he might actually snap his neck.

This kid really was deranged, and what's more, he was dangerous. Chuck should have realized he would start lashing out at people. He had told him so himself when he said was going to annihilate them all. Chuck just hadn't known he had meant Nate.

A sudden lurch of guilt twisted in his stomach. He knew he should have kept his best friend out of this. If he had, maybe then his best friend's entire future wouldn't be in severe jeopardy.

"Wait, what? Who are you going to murder?" Nate asked, clearly confused.

"Little Billy Kensington." Chuck spat out, with such hatred even Nate seemed a little disturbed. "He did this. I know he did."

Nate's pretty blue eyes widened. "You think Kensington did this?"

"Who else?" Chuck snapped while Nate shrugged.

"I figured someone who's parents were in business with my dad decided to get a little revenge for what he did, and just took it out on me."

Chuck shook his head. "No, it's Kensington, I know it. He had this smug look on his face at lunch that I know too well…the look of someone's who's had their scheme all go according to play…"

Of course Chuck knew that look. He, along with Blair, had perfected it long ago. Back when they had been partners in crimes…scheming buddies…friends.

"But why would he do that to me?" Nate asked, unconvinced. "It's not like a has a reason to hate me." Chuck, already in a rage, was tempted to slap his friend on the back of his head for his naivety.

"There are many reasons why he'd go after you, Nathanial. The kid is obsessed with Blair. Maybe he sees you as a threat, or maybe he feels a need to punish you for everything that happened between the two of you. Who knows?"

Nate raised his brows, but Chuck could see realization slowly filling his eyes.

"I just want to know how he did it. Did you see him anytime between history class and lunch?" Chuck asked while Nate shook his head.

"Did you leave your bag anywhere?" Nate shook his head once again until he suddenly stopped. "Does going to the bathroom count?"

Chuck lowered his head in fury, now able to picture it all. While Nate had gone into the bathroom, which all had private stalls (since this was the UES after all. There were no filthy urinals), Will must have followed after him. All he had to do then was stick the pot in Nate's bag when he had left it against the wall and cut it slightly so that it would rip open on its own.

It was shockingly simple, yet obviously effective. The best laid plans usually were.

Feeling frustrated, angry, and even accountable since he should have protected his friend better, his hands once again clenched into fists.

"So it really was Kensington?" Nate asked and Chuck just gave him a sharp look. That was enough to convince him.

"So what do we do? I can't be expelled because of this jackass." Nate began before concern suddenly flashed into his eye. "Wait, do you think he's going to go after you, too?" Chuck didn't want to tell him that he was absolutely positive he could expect an attack soon. But at least he could protect himself.

"I think the greater concern is for Blair right now." He admitted, looking away from Nate so that his best friend wouldn't be able to see how completely shaken up he was at the idea of Blair being in danger. It was easily one of his greatest vulnerabilities and he did not want it exposed to anyone.

"You think so?" Nate asked in confusion. "But if he loves her and is obsessed with her, what harm would he do?"

"Maybe she's safe for now but what would happen, Nathanial, if our fickle Queen B loses interest? Or if she decides she's better off without him? How will Little Billy respond to that." Chuck replied darkly, before ducked his head once more, and added. "Tomorrow, I'm going to try talking to her again."

He was determined to get through to her. Though Blair was stubborn, he was Chuck Bass. And she would damn well have to listen to him this time.

"Just be careful, Chuck." Nate told him seriously. "Obviously Kensington is more brutal and conniving than we thought." He paused, and shook his head, looking rather gloomy and Chuck knew he was being reminded of what just happened to him. "And his obsession with Blair is disturbing. When do you think it started?"

Chuck stiffened, and hesitated before he told him. "About 6 or 7 years ago."

Nate stopped in his tracks. "What?"

Chuck just nodded and looked away. "This creep has been infatuated with her some time, long before he was even expelled. That's why I know he's a bigger threat than one might initially think."

"Tell me everything you know." Nate told him, eying his friend carefully. "You obviously know things I don't. I want to hear them."

Chuck studied Nate for a long moment, deliberating if he should tell his best friend stories he had never told anyone. In the end, he decided it was time. After all, Kensington had in all likelihood already managed to destroy Nathanial's future…it was only right if Nate now knew exactly what they were dealing with.

"Alright fine. But this stays between us, Nathanial. Or at least until I can figure out what I want to do with this information…." He began before he finally told his best friend the whole story.

--

Two hours later, Chuck was at home, sitting at the suite's bar, holding a glass of Scotch. He had told Nate everything, and as predicted, his friend had become completely disturbed and distressed…not to mention a bit angry that Chuck hadn't told him all this five years ago.

He also told Chuck that Blair deserved to hear the whole story, which Chuck wasn't sure he wanted to do. He had his reasons why, and many of them were selfish.

He wanted Blair to rid herself of Will not because of what he did in the seventh grade, but because she trusted Chuck's word enough to do it if he asked. Yes, it was selfish but when it came to Blair, she always made sure he hardly ever got his way. Since Chuck was used to getting everything he wanted, it was hard to stomach.

So couldn't he have this?

After laying his empty glass back down on the bar, he stood up only to hear his cell ringing. Judging by the specialized buzzing noise, it was his P.I. Just the man he had been waiting for….for almost 10 hours.

With a scowl etched deeply on his handsome features, he ripped out his phone and pulled it open.

"Whatever you have better be good. This call is late and I'm not paying you an enormous amount of money to waste my time." He snapped impatiently, but just a few moments later, he visibly relaxed as his private investigator gave him some very useful information.

Pleased, Chuck told him to continue in his inquiry, and that he'd receive a handsome reward if he came up with anything else.

After he hung up, he smirked, finally feeling like he had something on Little Billy. It was a relief, after he had spent the day in a fit of rage, angry at having been bested and concerned for his best friend and the girl he cared for more than anyone…when he wasn't hating her, of course.

With that evil half smile still in place, he began to punch a text into his phone and victoriously sent it off to Gossip Girl.

Though he doubted this would be enough to destroy Kensington, hopefully Blair now would think twice before she spent all her time with him. Chuck knew she would angry at him for uncovering that sort of information on her newfound friend, but it would be worth it if succeeded in separating the two.

Yes, Chuck decided, this was definitively a step towards victory.

--

Ok…so Will finally committed his first act of revenge, likely ruining Nate's future and next chapter will focus on Chuck's conversation with Blair which should be pretty emotional.

I hope you guys, at least, enjoyed this chapter and please review if you can! Thanks for reading!