Chapter Six
Spotted: Blair, Chuck, Serena and Nate were all spotted having dinner at The Empire where Serena and her boyfriend Oliver are staying, but it's not a dinner without some drama; Juliet Sharp was seen leaving the building in distress… looks like Nate is going to have some trouble trying to get his girlfriend to fit in with the Upper East Side. It's never easy to fit in, not when Queen B still runs the city.
"So, when I was at the pub having a couple beers with some friends, this guy walks over towards us and tried to flirt with me, but what he didn't know was that his friend came up from behind and pulls his pants down and we saw his full frontal." Serena giggled.
"S! You see what I mean?! Australia is full of disgusting pigs… you should not even be in a pub drinking beer." Blair said.
"Darling, leave it. So what did you and your friends do?" Chuck smiled.
"We all just laughed, got up and left the pub. After seeing a stranger's manhood, we couldn't stay and eat. So we went to an Italian restaurant nearby where it was classier." Honestly, Nate was enjoying himself with his best friends. It was just like old times where they would get together and eat and gossip away.
"Nate, tell Serena how you ended up with an excuse of a woman," Blair grumbled and Nate snapped out of his thoughts.
"Well, Juliet came back two years ago after she heard that you had left. She wanted to start new with all of us, I forgave her but we only began dating less than a year ago." Nate said quickly. Serena knew there was more to the story than what Nate was telling her. She was counting on Blair to reveal the whole actual story.
"Nate, that's not the story. Tell her…" Serena raised her eyebrow at Chuck – she knew something was up.
*Flashback*
Blair, Chuck, Henry and Nate were all having lunch in one of the local French Cafés along Madison Avenue.
"It's been so long since we last caught up." Blair gushed while she was feeding her son.
"How was Los Angeles, Nate?" Chuck asked as he was sipping his coffee.
"It was good. We finally got the advertising deals that we wanted and I hired a new campaign manager to take over Daniel." Nate smiled. Daniel was Nate's long-time friend and campaign manager but he decided it was time to retire at the age of 60.
"Don't tell me you picked a young, college graduate who you had a one night stand with." Blair groaned.
"No. In fact, HE is a married thirty-five year old looking for new work after being a stay at home father for five years. He has ten years of experience in advertising and five years in politics. I like him and his family. They're moving to New York next week."
"Well done Nate. You have finally matured." Blair patted his head playfully. Chuck felt his phone buzz in his breast pocket of his blazer. He took it out and opened the message with a big smile.
"Look what Serena just sent me." Chuck turned his phone to show Blair and Nate a photo of Erik and Serena in a sporting team's supporters clothing with beers in their hands.
"Why is she STILL drinking beer? That girl never listens to me about anything. She's becoming you, Nate!" Blair huffed.
"Come on Blair, you can't expect her not to change. It's been three years since she has been living on the other side of the world. Let her enjoy her life." Chuck scolded.
"What's Erik doing there? I thought you said he was in Chicago working on some deal?" Nate looked at the beautiful smiling blonde – the one that he poured his heart out to only for her to AGAIN leaving him a shattered man.
"He did go to Chicago. He then called me before boarding his flight on my private jet that he decided at that moment that he was going to visit his sister for a few weeks…which is leading into almost two months."
"Darling, don't be mad at him for using your jet – he is your brother and he works for you. It was for family. Oh, Nate, we're going to visit Serena next week on an actual plane with other passengers to surprise her for her birthday, so we won't be able to do our monthly tailoring appointment." Nate was baffled. He didn't know what to say – he wasn't invited by his best friends to go and visit her.
"Wait, why did you ask me to come with you guys?"
"We did – you said you were busy and it would be better for both her and you if you stay apart…God knows why." Blair scowled.
"It is better for them to stay apart. You don't want her to break Nate's heart all over again." Everyone turned their heads up and looked at the person standing right behind their table. It was
"Juliet Sharp." Blair said in a clipped voice.
"What the hell do you want?" Chuck snapped. Juliet smiled innocently. Blair's eyes narrowed at the sight of Juliet – she was pretending to be innocent when really she was evil.
"Don't be like that. We should be much friendlier to each other since I'm going to be around a lot more." Juliet grinned.
"What?" All three of them exclaimed.
"Oh, I thought you knew." Juliet played dumb. Blair gritted her teeth. Chuck's face was emotionless. Nate was confused.
"Spit it out already. You're wasting valuable time." Chuck snapped.
"I'm now your new neighbours. I moved into the apartment below your penthouse, Blair."
Blair quickly coved Henry's ears, "Oh my effing God."
"Why are you back after all this time?" Nate asked curiously.
"Aren't you going to welcome me into your group? After all, Serena is no longer here. Time for a new breakfast club I think?" Juliet smirked. Blair was about to stand and go over to that woman and slap sense into her but Chuck placed his hand on hers as a way to stop her, instead, she uses her best weapon – her words.
"Why don't you just leave us all alone? You don't belong here and you never will. As for Serena not being here, you could never replace her. We don't need some woman to come into our group because we leave it for Serena for when she comes back. You'll never be part of our breakfast club. Believe me when I say this when Serena comes back – and she will, I suggest you run. Cross us, and we will hunt you down." Blair spat. Blair hated the sight of Juliet.
"Blair, she has a point. Serena is no longer part of our lives and she's not coming back anymore. We might as well let Juliet be around us – she doesn't know anyone in New York." Nate said. Blair and Chuck looked at Nate with baffled looks. Blair was about to open her mouth but Chuck managed to beat her to it.
"After what she did to Serena and all of us, you're willing to let her back into our lives. Do you not realise how cunning and manipulative she is?"
"I'm right here you know."
"Shut it tramp. You know what Nate; she's your responsibility now. If she even comes to our weekly lunches or dinners, you won't be seeing us and she is not allowed anywhere near Henry. Come on Chuck…let's go."
Serena looked at Nate with an extremely disappointed look. Blair and Chuck saw Serena's face and knew that she was surprised that one of their best friends had lost hope in her returning.
Serena was extremely disappointed and upset with Nate replacing Serena with Juliet. Serena hated Juliet so much after all that happened several years ago – although Juliet helped Serena find out some truths, Serena still hated her for the suffering that she suffered emotionally and mentally. She thought Nate understood what she had been through and would stay far away from her enemies like he had done previously. She was wrong. Times have changed.
"Wow Nate, the fact that you already made up your mind that I wouldn't come back and to say I'm no longer part of your lives is just…wow." Serena was speechless.
"Serena, I didn't mean –"
"What?! You don't mean what you said? Of course, you did – no one says things that they don't mean. I'm still a part of your lives as much as you guys are part of my lives. What? Do over 20 years of friendship mean nothing to you?" Serena ranted. Blair was sitting in her seat proud of her best friend speaking her mind. Serves Nate right.
"No! Of course, it does! How was I to know you were going to come back!? You hadn't come to visit for years. Don't you understand how hard it was for me to contact you when I needed you?" Chuck could see that Nate was getting emotionally attached to Serena.
"The sad thing about this whole thing is that you didn't think I was coming back is what hurts. Also the idea of YOU letting Juliet replace me hurts. After all, she used you to get to me. Hell, she used and manipulated all of us." Serena said sadly.
"You want to know what hurts. Every time I have told you I love you, you always leave me. I'm left alone with a broken heart. That what hurts?"
"Oh and you don't think you hurt me? Every time I see you with a different woman it hurts! Blair keeps me update with the women you date for the last five years and goddammit it hurts! Now you have been dating Juliet, it hurts even more. I can't believe you would date her after everything." Blair and Chuck felt like they were watching a tennis match. Nate could feel his temper rising.
"I don't believe this. You know how selfish you sound! You've always been a selfish, spoilt and desperate woman." Nate burst out. Serena was shocked. The one person who would never doubt her said those words. Serena looked down and started gathering her things.
"Serena…" Blair whispered. Tears were threatening in Serena's eyes and she took a deep breath.
"It takes one to know one. I've had enough. Thanks for lunch Blair and Chuck. I'll call you later." Serena got up, grabbed her coat and walked towards the elevator - she needed to go anywhere away from Nate.
"Serena! Come back!" Blair shouted.
"Runaway again! Like you always do! You've always been too afraid to know the truth." Nate shouted after her.
"Nate!" Chuck and Blair shouted simultaneously.
"Enough Nate. You've done enough. Go back to Juliet." Chuck said coldly. Nate looked taken back by Chuck's coldness towards him.
"Fine. You know I'm right." Nate sighed. He picked up his things and left the building. Blair and Chuck started cleaning up.
"Do you think she's told anyone yet?" Blair asked Chuck.
"No, she hasn't even told Erik or Lily yet. We are the only two people who know."
"We have to tell Nate! I can't keep a secret this big!"
"It's not our secret to tell. You know we can't tell him especially."
"He has the right to know!"
"So does Lily and Erik. When Serena is ready, she will tell them."
"I suppose you're right. The only thing we can do is be there for her." Blair went over to the couch and started sobbing for her best friend. Chuck sighed and walked over and embraced his broken wife.
"Sweetheart, it's going to be fine."
"How can you say that!? Serena was sick! She had cancer! What if it comes back?"
"I know and we will do everything to make sure she gets the best treatment, doctors and support. We will help her beat it again like she did the first time." Chuck said reassuringly.
Dramaaa! Warning ahead of time, I googled information about Serena's cancer and just did the basics because I have never experienced the illness, or known anyone to have gone through it - so please don't start attacking me for misinformation. I did the best I could with the knowledge.