Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! Keep it up!
Many thanks to the brilliant Hoshi Tamamushiirono for writing the Gossip Girl alert which I plagiarized. :)
-
Punishment
I almost love you
but would have cast, I know,
the stones of silence.
I am the artful voyeur
-
of your brain's exposed
and darkened combs,
your muscles' webbing
and all your numbered bones:
-
I who have stood dumb
when your betraying sisters,
cauled in tar,
wept by the railings,
-
who would connive
in civilized outrage
yet understand the exact
and tribal, intimate revenge.
-
Seamus Heaney
-
-
"Hey, Chuck."
Chuck turned around and saw Eric standing behind him, his hands in his pockets, shivering slightly with cold.
"Hello little brother." Chuck took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit up.
"Right." Eric rolled his eyes. "So I'm your brother again."
Chuck shrugged. "I've rather missed having a younger sibling to corrupt."
Eric didn't think he was serious, and chose to ignore him. "So what are you doing out here in the cold? Waiting to see if the girls will show up to the first day of school?"
"Hardly," Chuck took a long drag of his cigarette, "I know they will. The little princess would never miss a day of school. She wants to be a Yalie."
"You know," smiled Eric slyly, "These past few months, I have never heard you refer to Blair by her first name."
"Yes I have," said Chuck, annoyed. He turned back to look at the street, where he spied a familiar limousine approaching.
Eric raised his eyebrows. "You definitely haven't."
"Blair Blair Blair," said Chuck sarcastically. "Blair Blair Blair Blair. See, I can say it."
"Oh my," said another voice from behind him, "when Eric told me you'd been sulking and dwelling on Blair for months, I didn't know he meant it quite so literally."
Chuck spun around. Standing there next to Eric in her annoying, obviously homemade uniform was little Jenny, grinning impishly.
"Oh, both of you piss off," said Chuck irritably, turning back around. The limousine had stopped in front of the school.
"Is that Blair and Serena?" came Jenny's shrill voice from behind him. "Oh, look, my brother's with them too!" Chuck didn't even hear her.
Dan had exited first and was holding the door open; he stretched forth a hand to help out the girl who was still inside.
He saw Blair's legs first, stepping out of the car. They were long and slim as he remembered, clad in bright red tights and pointy black shoes. She smiled as she took his hand.
Blair smiling at Humphrey? Chuck thought, bewildered. What the hell?
She was standing on the pavement, now, her chocolate curls bouncing on her shoulders, straightening her little schoolgirl skirt. Her lips were red, her cheeks rosy, her eyes sparkled; she had gained weight, she looked healthy again. She was no longer the pale scarecrow she had been before she left. She was wearing one of her trademark headbands and she was perfectly groomed; it was the old Blair. She was unruffled, poised, even vivacious—apparently no longer heartbroken. Chuck's breath constricted in his chest.
Be happy, he thought. This is what you wanted.
Eric glanced at Chuck; he had paled, and he was taking deep breaths as if to calm himself. He sighed and turned back to look at the street.
Dan had stooped to help Serena out of the limousine, she had smiled at him; then Dan turned back to Blair and hooked his arm through hers. The two of them set off up the steps, on the long walk to the front door. The whole school was staring at them. A snowball hit Blair's shoulder—Chuck's fists clenched. He heard Penelope's ringing voice across the courtyard;
"Are you turning to Cabbage Patch now that Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass have both rejected you?"
Blair looked shocked. Dan wiped the snow off her coat and whispered something in her ear. She nodded. Then Dan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, all the while ignoring Penelope entirely.
The girls on the steps were tittering.
A huge, icy snowball suddenly exploded in Penelope's face—she let out a gasp, stuttered, her face turning red—Serena brushed the snow off her gloves with a satisfied smirk.
Penelope didn't appear to have anything to say to her. Serena took Blair's other arm, and the three of them entered the school without another word.
"Chuck?" said Jenny slowly. "Are you okay?"
Eric stared at him. He had tossed aside his unfinished cigarette—it smoldered against the snow on the ground. His fists were curled tight against his sides and he was shaking slightly. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were shooting sparks.
"Chuck?" began Eric cautiously, placing a tentative hand on his shoulder. Chuck waved him aside with a harsh gesture.
"Just go to class," he said in a very low voice. "I'm fine."
Jenny's eyes flickered back and forth from Eric to Chuck.
"It's ok," Eric said to her softly, taking her arm. "Let's go." A few minutes after they had gone Chuck was still standing in the snow staring out at the street, and he heard his phone buzz suddenly. He opened it with shaking fingers:
-
Spotted: Lonely Boy looking not so lonely as he valiantly defends our precious Queen B. Looks like B has a new guardian angel, S. Or could it possibly be that he wants to play knight in shining armor? Better watch out N and C, cause we know hard how all our favorite ladies fall for the brooding intelligent type. B and her new boy could even take on Yale together. We know that B belongs with you, C, but if you take a leaf out of N's book and don't treat her like the Queen she is, B will be moving on to someone who loves her even more. You should know better than any one, right C? You know what they say about love, C: Blair today, gone tomorrow.
You know you love me,
XOXO
Gossip Girl
-
Chuck snorted. Gossip Girl was ridiculous; Blair and Humphrey? Blair had better taste than that. No, Humphrey wasn't what was bothering him. He closed his phone and fastened his eyes on a thin, stocking-clad figure still standing on the steps—she sported a pretentiously oversized Balenciaga bag on one arm and a headband (an almost exact copy of Blair's) held back her dark hair. Penelope.
The look of anger eventually faded in his eyes as he observed her frantically wiping the snow from her face—he smirked, and then turned and walked back towards the building. He always felt better when he had a plan.
Eric and Jenny were still loitering outside near the doors; the first class of the morning wasn't due to start for another ten minutes.
"Eric," Chuck called.
Eric and Jenny looked up at him, surprised.
"I'm aware that you are in possession of some damaging information regarding Penelope."
"How does he know that?" asked Jenny to Eric.
"Eric was boasting about it just the other day when he came to my office," Chuck drawled, "He thought it was so clever of you, Little J, protecting that bespectacled Asian girl by blackmailing the new Queen Bee."
"Why were you at his office?" asked Jenny rather irrelevantly.
"My mom asked me to go check on him," Eric muttered.
"I want you two to tell me everything you know," said Chuck firmly.
"Why?" asked Jenny.
"Did you not see what she just did?" Chuck's eyes lit up. "I'm taking that bitch down."
**
"Just ignore them, B, they'll be worshiping you again soon enough," said Serena encouragingly as Blair pulled her books out of her locker.
"It's fine," said Blair shortly, swinging the door shut so that it let out a metallic clang. "Honestly, I don't really care."
"Really?" Serena could not keep the surprise out of her voice.
"You don't give me much credit, Serena," replied Blair grimly, stuffing her books into her bag. "After everything I've been through, this is not particularly devastating. Relatively. I've matured."
"Okay," Serena said, trying not to look at Dan, whom she was sure was gloating.
"I'm going to class," Blair glanced at her watch. "Humphrey, you coming?"
"You two are going to class together?" asked Serena, somewhat puzzled.
"Yeah, we're both in AP French," said Dan, taking Blair's bag from her. "See you at lunch." And without further ado, the pair set off—leaving Serena gazing rather confusedly after them. She knew they had become more friendly since going to France together, but the sight of Dan carrying Blair's books and walking her to class was still one she had thought she'd never live to see.
Her phone buzzed. She checked it and saw the same gossip girl alert Chuck had just read outside in the courtyard. Her eyes widened. Gossip Girl thought Dan and Blair--? She looked up from her phone at Dan and Blair's receding figures in consternation and dawning fear.
"Hey," said a familiar voice from behind her. She turned around slowly and saw Nate.
"I just got back from doing that thing we agreed that I would do," he said mysteriously.
"You don't have to be so cryptic, Nate."
"What?" he protested. "We agreed that no one should find out yet…"
"Yeah, you're right," agreed Serena absently. "Sorry. Do you have it with you?"
Nate patted his coat pocket. "Right here."
Serena nodded slowly. "Okay."
"Everything alright?" asked Nate. "You look a little…worried or something."
"No, I'm fine," said Serena. "It's just…" she paused awkwardly, not knowing how to proceed. "Do you think Dan has developed…feelings for Blair?"
"What?" Nate looked utterly shocked.
"He seems very…protective of her. It's strange."
Nate shook his head vehemently. "No, no way." The very idea seemed to anger him. "That's absolutely crazy."
"They've gotten really close. These days I think he understands her better than I do."
"No he doesn't," Nate said sharply, "you're her best friend. Have been practically since birth. You're totally imagining this."
"It wouldn't be so crazy," said Serena faintly, "after all, they have loads in common—they're both really bookish, intelligent, ambitious—they're both probably headed to Yale—Blair's much smarter than I am, everyone knows that—"
"Shut up," said Nate. "You're being ridiculous. And I always thought Blair was the insecure one."
Serena shook her head mentally. "I won't leap to any conclusions until I've talked to one of them," she decided. "Gossip Girl is usually full of crap anyway."
"You're getting this from Gossip Girl?" Nate raised his eyebrows incredulously. "And you're taking it seriously?"
"Fine." Serena laughed a little in spite of herself. "I'm probably being silly."
"It's at times like these that I realize how well your blonde hair suits you," sniggered Nate. She poked him with her elbow.
"Ow!" He said resentfully.
"Let's go to class before I strangle you," smiled Serena.