Chapter 4: A new version of me
Dan got home and he was in an even greater mood, he had run into Serena a little later and they had spent quite a bit of time talking. She laughed at his corny jokes and generally made him feel good about himself. But, she eventually had to go home since she couldn't find her friend. He found Brad in the corner flirting with some girl and motioned for him to go. The two of them got in cab and Brad was smirking at him the entire time.
"What are you staring at?"Dan asked.
"Nothing."
"Then stop smirking at me."
"I'm not smirking," Brad said even though that was exactly what he was doing. He loved harassing his brother, but it was all in good fun. He was just impressed that Dan had managed to snag himself such a hot number. They had spent the better part of the night huddled in a corner talking and laughing like no one else existed. He was glad that he was finally happy. He'd never seen him this relaxed or content. Dan always seemed so down or broody that it was nice to see him come out of his shell. He usually only got this way when he was listening to some song that he loved, but lately all he'd been playing was moody rock that made Brad want to cry.
"Why are you so quiet and would you stop looking at me like I'm your science project?"Dan insisted. Brad's inquisitive gaze was really starting to unnerve him. The cab pulled up to their building before he could berate Brad for creeping him out even more. They made their way up, but Brad was staggering more than he was walking. Dan put an arm around his brother and dragged him into the loft. He half-carried him to his room as he tried to get him to be quiet.
"I met your girlfriend,"he slurred as Dan placed him on his bed.
"what girlfriend?"
"The tall,"he said as he pointed his arm upward, "blonde."
Dan blushed slightly and tugged off his brothers shoes. "You're drunk."
"You're blushing, little brother, "he slurred. Brad was getting sleepy, he really had way too much too drink. He couldn't think very clearly and he was beginning to see three of Dan. He buried his head in his pillow and shut his eyes. He was woken up a few minutes later with a shove. Brad reluctantly opened his eyes and muttered, "What?"
Dan handed him a green concoction and said, "Drink this."
"What the fuck is that? It looks gross"
"Its green tea and honey and it's going to prevent a massive hangover in the morning."
He looked at his brother quizzically and took the drink. He was right. It tasted pretty good. "When did you learn so much about hangovers."
"I've been sobering you up since we were 14, Brad. It's called the internet. Try using it sometime."
Dan made his way to his room and he was sitting in bed with his laptop open when he got a text on his phone.
"you up?"
"Yep. Writing."
"what's your email."
Dan smiled to himself and texted back,
"humps? Someone is conceited. Lol"
"haha not really."
A few minutes late her got a message from her on msn. Dan smiled to himself as he responded.
"hey Serena."
"Hey humps."
"Don't call me that."
"its in ur email. I just left out the ."
"ur right its my fault. So whats up?"
"nothing. I'm bored!"
"that's not good."
"I met brad. The real one!"
"yeah he told me just before he passed out."
"haha. He's that drunk! I'm a little buzzed."
Dan stayed on msn with her nearly all night. They didn't really talk about much, but he felt a little more confident every time he spoke to her. He didn't think she would speak to him so soon after the party. By the time they got off, he had gotten no writing done and it was nearly five am. He slept almost the entire day. By the time he dragged himself out of bed, he found his brother sitting at the island eating some cereal. He poured himself some and sat down beside him. The two of them quietly shoveled food in their mouths before Dan broke the silence and said, "how's your head?"
"It's fine. That shit you gave me worked wonders."
"I told you."
"So, why are you getting up so late."
"I was up late."
"Sexting with your girlfriend."
Dan rolled his eyes and said, "I don't have a girlfriend and I wasn't sexting."
"I thought I heard typing."
"I was writing."
"Do you always laugh like a school girl when you write? So have you asked her out yet?"
Dan shoveled some cereal into his mouth in response. Brad got up and put his dishes in the sink and said, "don't wait too long. She's hot and for some reason she's hot for you Dan."
Serena spent most of the day in bed lounging around. Nobody was in the hotel suite. Her mother had left pretty early on and her brother was still at the Ostroff center. She had stayed up pretty late talking to Dan on msn. He was so cute and funny that she just had to contact him right away. It might have broken all of those unspoken dating rules. Not that they were dating, but she really liked him. She'd only seen him twice, but she couldn't wait to see him again. He made her feel good and she had never liked a boy like him before. He was smart and witty and he didn't treat her like a sex object. He made her feel special and that was something that she wanted to hold on to. Serena loved that he wanted to know what she was thinking and that was something she wasn't used to. Usually the first thing on a guys mind was sex, but Dan seemed to really want to know who she was rather than how to get into her pants. Serena quickly got dressed and decided to go over to Blair's again, maybe this time she could actually get through to her. She wasn't surprised that Blair had pulled that stunt; it was just something she did. But, she had to give it another try before giving up altogether. She hopped into the town car and headed towards her penthouse. Blair was worried. Serena had barely bothered to seek her out the night before. She had managed to find her inside the party, but she seemed to spend most of her time flirting with Brad's insufferable twin. So many girls were infatuated with the mysterious Humphrey, but she thought he was a pathetic loser with no friends. She really did not understand what it was about him that had the female populations gaze upon him. The sound of Dorota answering the door dragged her from her thoughts. She got up and made her way down the long staircase. She was standing there looking aloof and beautiful as usual. Sometimes she hated Serena for her complete inability to look gorgeous even when she was falling down drunk outside of a seedy bar.
"Hey, Blair."
"Hello," Blair said as she leaned over to hug her, but Serena held up her hand and said, "Don't bother. Let's get down to it B. You set me up and I get it, I really do. I disappointed you. I know it was my fault, but lets cut the games. I'm sorry and I want your friendship back. Now you can choose to forgive me or you can keep playing the same old games. The ball is in your court." Serena walked away, leaving a stunned Blair standing there with her mouth agape.
"She didn't just do that," Blair said to herself. She could hardly believe what she had just witnessed. Who was she to do that to her. She was the one that held the power. She was the friend that had been dropped without a single communication as to where she was and why she had left. Blair stormed out the door and started chasing after Serena.
"Who do you think you are?"Blair hollered
Serena turned around, her blonde hair whipping across her face, and looked at Blair angrily.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me? Who the fuck do you think you are? You left! Not a word, not a peep for almost a year. My dad leaves my mom and runs off with her gay bestfriend and I don't even get a text from you? And you have the never to come in here being all high and mighty."
"You're right. I was a shitty friend, but I tried to make amends, start over and you started playing games again. I am tired of the games B. Tired. That's not who I am anymore."
"Well, too bad cause I'm still the same girl you left behind," Blair said as she stormed back towards her penthouse. "That was more like it," she thought to herself. There was no way she was going to allow Serena to have the last word.
Dan went to pick up his favorite Cuban sandwiches for his family. It was something the humphreys' loved, well that and morning waffles. He was heading towards the subway when he spotted her across the way. She was beautiful, a true vision. A part of them could hardly believe he had spent all of last night talking to her online. It was like a dream. She waved him over and said, "Dan! Over here."
He crossed the road and made his way over to her. "Hey, there."
"What are you doing here?"
Dan held up the soggy bag and said, "Picking up some sandwiches. It's a Humphrey-thing."
"Smelly pork sandwhiches are humprey thing?"Serena said in between giggles. Dan simply smiled at her and shrugged. Even her laugh was gorgeous. It was playful and childlike. She just had this way of spreading joy. She made him feel good.
"So, wanna join us?"he asked.
"Really? I'd love too."
"Come on, we need to get you an extra sandwhich."
Dan and Serena made their way into the Cuban deli across the street and she ordered the biggest, greasiest sandwhich they had on offering. Once it was wrapped up, they made their way along the street, and Serena looked like she was about to flag down a cab.
"We can't take a cab to Brooklyn?"
"Why not?"
"Well its sort of expensive and it takes forever."
"So how are we going to get there?"
"The subway of course."
Serena giggled and said, "Of course." She grabbed his hand and ran down to the station. She loved the adventure of it all. Riding subways was not something Serena Van Der Woodsen did, but she was a new girl and this boy made her feel alive. She was enjoying the new her; relishing her. She kept hold of his hand while they sat in the subway car heading towards what he called home. She loved the feel of his slightly roughened hands.
"Your skin is so rough?"
"I blame my dad?"
"For?"
"He has a thing about carpentry and he makes Brad and I help him out on his little projects, so my hands are a little rough from the wear. Not really a writers hands, "he said as he laughed huskily. She liked the idea that he worked with his hands. Serena laughed at the idea of any of the boys she had grown up with doing any sort of manual labor.
"What's so funny?"Dan asked.
"I was just imagining the boys at St. Judes doing manual labor."
"No wonder you were laughing, those idiots have probably never seen a hammer in their life or a nail." Dan looked over at her and paused a beat. "What is this?Why are you here with me?"
"We're going to eat sandwhiches with your family,"Serena quipped even though she knew exactly what he meant.
"I'm being serious. What is a girl like you doing with a guy like me?"
She looked up at him with utter bewilderment. "You really don't get it do you?"
"Get what?"
"How great you are and I don't even know you that well, but I want to. Isn't that enough?"
Dan smiled shyly and said, "its plenty."