The Morning After

Jenny awoke that morning without a clue as to where she was. She was in a large bed, in a room she had never seen before. She was still in Blair's dress from the night before. She closed her eyes and realized she couldn't remember the night before. She began panicking as she got to her feet and headed to the door. She opened it and gasped as she saw Blair standing before her.

"Finally," Blair mumbled grouchily, "I was beginning to think you were going to sleep right through brunch."

"Brunch?"

"The Palace in two hours. The Basses are holding a brunch. Chuck wants you to go."

"I can't today, I have plans-"

"That's funny. I don't remember asking you if you wanted to go," Blair commented.

The look in Blair's eyes told Jenny that this was not a request.

"Look, Blair, thanks for everything, but I don't want to be your friend-"

"Like I want to be yours," Blair laughed incredulously, "You don't understand. You don't have a choice in the matter."

"What do you mean?"

Blair pulled out her phone and started playing a video for Jenny. In it, she was naked with Chuck on a bed and he was touching her. He fondled her breasts and let his hands roam. He took advantage of Jenny and made her perform sexual acts on him. She let out a startled cry and tears began to flow.

"What is this?"

"This is the price for being one of us," she commented.

"But I didn't want to be one of you!" she insisted, her voice cracking.

"Keep it down!" Blair hissed.

Jenny sobbed silently.

"You may not have wanted to be one of us, but you are now. For whatever reason, you've piqued Chuck's interest. He wants you to show up at brunch in two hours, or else..."

Blair looked at her phone. Jenny sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"Okay," she answered in a near whisper, "What do I wear?"

"Duh. Something nice."

"Fine. Let's go to your closet-"

"Yeah, right," Blair laughed again, "I'm not letting you in my closet again. You threw up all over the dress I leant you last night. Which, by the way, you're paying to get cleaned. It's dry clean only."

Jenny looked away.

"I don't have anything nice-"

"Well, you better find something. You can't show up for brunch looking like an urchin."

Jenny nodded.

"I'll see you in two hours," Blair commented as she pointed at the elevator.

Jenny left and headed home right away. She cried in the cab, alarming the driver. She insisted she was fine and he kept driving.

Jenny arrived at the loft twenty minutes later and as she entered, she prayed Dan was still asleep. She opened the door and heard him shouting.

"Nate? Nate!"

He spun around and looked at her.

"Dan-"

"Jenny! Where the hell have you been?" he demanded as he came toward her.

She ducked out of the way and headed toward her bedroom.

"I was at Blair's," she answered hastily, "We had a late night and-"

"Why didn't you call?" he continued, "Why did Blair have to call for you?"

"Blair?" she echoed as she stopped just outside her bedroom door and faced him.

"That's right! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"I'm sorry, Dan, I just fell asleep early and-"

Dan grabbed her door handle and slammed it shut on her.

"No, Jenny, it's not okay this time. You have gone too far-"

"Dan, chill out!" she begged, tears welling up again, "I'm sorry, okay?"

Dan sighed and looked away bitterly. She took her chance, opened the door, entered her room, slammed it and locked it. Dan began pounding furiously on it.

"Jenny! Jenny, let me in now!"

"Go away, Dan!" she yelled back.

She looked at herself in the mirror and wiped away a tear as Dan continued banging on her door. How did this happen? She didn't even remember drinking. She looked out of it in the video Blair had shown her. What did they do to her? Why did they do it?

"Do you hear what's going on out here?" Dan bellowed at Rufus as he entered his room.

Jenny looked at herself again and realized that other than a touch of makeup and maybe something different to wear, she actually looked ready to go. She searched her closet quickly, found the dress that she wore to her aunt's wedding last summer and put it on. She grabbed her makeup bag and purse and quietly opened the door.

Dan was still yelling at Rufus. As guilty as Jenny felt, she knew this was her chance to get out. She hated sneaking around, she hated not being able to tell Dan the truth, but it would kill him. She cringed at the look of disappointment Dan would give her. She quietly crept across the floor of the loft and headed back out. The taxi was still waiting. She climbed in.

"The Palace," she instructed.

The cab began driving and Jenny cast one last glance back to make sure Dan hadn't followed her.