Chapter 2 of This is Life
"Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life."— Leo Buscaglia
Author: Lily
Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl or any characters. Gossip Girl belongs to Cecily Ziegesar, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and the CW.
Summary: Post 1.10 — Takes place after Chuck sees Nate and Blair kissing. What would have happened, if Blair hadn't slept with Nate and Chuck would have apologized to her?
Rating: T / PG-15
Pairing: Chuck/Blair
A/N — A special thanks to Anki for her BETA. *hugs*
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"Things do not change, we change."
Henry David Thoreau
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Good morning, Upper East Siders. Gossip Girl here. And what do I spy with my eye? BFF's B and S power shopping at Bendel's. Now that B is with N, they'll surely go to the New Year's event together, but what about S? I don't think Lonely boy got an invitation to this event.
You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl
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Serena sighed in frustration.
"What's Gossip Girl saying now?" Blair asked her, while inspecting a navy blue dress.
"Nothing terribly interesting. She only made sure that the whole world was informed, that I might go to the New Year's event alone."
She tossed her cell into her bag annoyed.
"What, Cabbage Patch refused to go with you?" Blair asked indignantly.
"I wish you would stop calling him that. And, no, he didn't get an invitation," Serena responded.
"You know, Chuck's always available," Blair suggested carefully, ignoring her statement about Dan.
Serena snorted. "Hello, earth to Blair. This is Serena, your best friend. Not some slut from his strip club."
"Victrola is a burlesque, not a strip club," Blair corrected her. "And Chuck would never go to a social event with some slut on his arm."
"That's only because they would never get an invitation," Serena stated.
"Chuck isn't that bad, you know. Maybe if you would take your time to get to know him better-"
"Ew, B. Stop it, please. I'd rather go alone before even considering going with Chuck!"
"Fine. But you are going there, S. Just like you promised."
Serena rolled her eyes.
"Just because you get to go with your Prince Charming—B?" Serena turned around only to see her best friend chatting with Nate and Chuck.
"S, look who I found!" Blair exclaimed happily.
"Hey guys," Serena ignored Chuck and smiled at Nate.
"Hey Serena, I was wondering - are you really going to the event alone?" Nate asked her.
"Yes. No suiting escort." Serena shrugged her shoulders.
"Chuck still has no girl, if that is any help," Blair added innocently.
Chuck looked annoyed and glared at Blair.
Serena threw an angry look at Blair too, who fluttered with her eyelashes.
"No, thanks, Blair. I'm sure there'll be some boy-"
"I have to disappoint you, Serena. Everyone's taken. And I heard, they don't allow single's entrance."
"What?" Blair exclaimed resentfully, obvious insurrection written all over her face.
"Well, then-"
"Serena Van Der Woodsen, you promised me." Blair warned.
"I can't do anything about it, B." Serena justified.
Then she saw Nate and Blair exchange looks.
"Oh… no, B-"
"Deadline is today evening, S. We'll all be at the beloved party of your mom's and if you don't have a partner until then, you will go with Chuck." Without letting her the time to discuss this situation further, she went out of the shop.
Serena grunted. Nate just shrugged his shoulders and followed Blair.
Serena glanced at Chuck whose face showed obvious disgust, and something else. Could it be… longing?
Ugh. Serena rolled her eyes and followed Blair and Nate out of the shop.
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Blair and Serena sat at Nick and Tony's, debating, whether Blair should wear the blue Bendel's dress or the red one from Eleanor Waldorf Designs for the huge event, when Serena's phone rang. She excused herself, a wide smile forming on her face.
Blair rolled her eyes. Cabbage Patch, most likely. Her own phone buzzed and she picked up.
"Blair. Please tell me Serena has already found an escort," Chuck's frustrated voice sounded through the phone.
"I really have no idea. But if not, you'll go with her, right?" she could hear Chuck snorting.
"Please?" Her voice had slid into her sugar-sweet voice, she always used, when she needed a favor.
God, she could be cute when she wanted to be, he thought. Chuck sighed.
"Fine. For you. But tell her to behave." then he hung up.
For you. Blair smiled reflexively before noticing it and quickly wiping it off. What was wrong with her?
Finally Serena returned to the table.
"Looks like I have to go with Chuck," Serena said with a sigh.
"Don't worry, S. He'll be a gentleman." Blair encouraged her.
C - ur going with S. Ok? C u 2nite at the party? —xo, B
She waited anxiously for him to reply. Finally her phone buzzed with a new text message.
U owe me, Waldorf. I'll be there. —CB
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The party was already in high spirits, when Blair arrived. She saw Nate sitting on one table and quickly took a seat next to him. He smiled brightly and kissed her. She wanted to ask him where Chuck was, but got interrupted.
"I can't believe it." "They really proposed!" "Oh my god."
Blair looked around confused. "What-"
"To the Van Der Bass family!"
Then she saw Chuck and Serena standing uncomfortably beside each other, Eric in the middle.
Blair's eyes grew wide. "Oh my god."
--
Blair didn't get the chance to talk to Serena until nearly all the guests were gone.
"Serena! This is horrible, do you know-"
"B, I'm so glad to see you-"
"How do you think, are you going to get to the event now, if you can't go with Chuck?" she pressed forward, without listening what Serena had said.
"Uhm…" Serena was astonished. The event hadn't even crossed her mind, but now that she thought about it… she sure couldn't go to it with her stepbrother-to-be.
"Please, S. My mom is going to hate me forever, if you're not showing up there in her new dress. She made me promise this," Blair begged her.
Just in this moment Nate made his way through the crowd.
"What's wrong?" he asked Blair confused, when he saw her distressed face.
"Do you have any idea how to get S into the New Year's event, now that Chuck can't go with her?" Blair snapped at him, annoyed at his careless attitude. She couldn't help thinking, that Nate really was brainless. Sometimes.
Nate and Serena looked at each other.
--
Chuck stood behind his bar, pouring himself a scotch.
He had actually decided to not go to the event on New Year's, seeing as Blair would most likely go with Nate, because he still couldn't stand the sight of them being the perfect couple all over again. But Blair had to asked him to go with Serena, and he couldn't disappoint her.
He had fought hard to pull himself together, when Nate and he had bumped into her and Serena this morning, and when he had seen her with Nate. And now he had to endure a whole event, watching the two of them holding hands, kissing and hugging. Normal couple-like stuff, he wished, he could do with her.
Sighing, he filled himself another glass.
He didn't want to rush Blair to be with him again, but he already longed to kiss her again, hold her and just be with her. But he had to give her time. She would see how perfect they matched. Or so he hoped.
Hearing a knock on the door, Chuck strolled over and looked through the hole, before opening the door.
"Blair, what are you doing here so late?" Chuck asked, a little worried.
"What, I'm not allowed to visit a friend?" she made her way to the bar and hopped on the stool, waiting for him to pour her a drink.
"I actually wanted to ask you for a favor," she began hesitantly, after taking a sip.
"I figured that much," Chuck scanned her.
"Would you like to… uhm… would it be okay for you if you would go to the New Year's event with me instead of Serena?" she asked, blushing a little.
There was a stunned silence between them. Had she really asked him to go with her? Of course he would like to go with her! But what about Nate? He didn't understand. He was enthralled, but fought hard to mask that, after all, he didn't want to look pathetic in front of Blair.
"If you don't want to, it's okay," Blair said hastily, when he didn't answer, misinterpreting the silence. She hopped of the barstool, trying to hide her disappointment. There was a knot forming in the pit of her stomach and she didn't understand, why her heart was hurting and it was hard to swallow.
"Bye." she went to the door, still trying to swallow the lump, when his hand sneaked around her wrist.
"I'll pick you up at seven?"
Oh my god. She felt shivers run up and down her spine and goosebumps forming all over her arms. She didn't even feel this way when Nate touched her, so how was it possible that she felt like this, when Chuck did? It seemed like her entire body was focused on the spot that connected her with him.
Inwardly cursing her treacherous body, she finally managed to nod.
"I'll tell the driver to take you home" Chuck said, not wanting her walking alone in the dark.
She nodded again and turned to leave, wondering, if Chuck had witnessed anything.
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Spotted: B leaving C's suite late at night. I wonder if N knows about this? Hm… Does it just seem to me, or are B and C spending a lot of time together lately? I have a feeling, that a big scandal is about to make its way towards the Upper East Side.
And you know who loves scandals?
Gossip Girl
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To be continued
A/N: Okay, sorry to Nate-lovers, but I had so much fun writing B's thought about N. Well, actually my thought, but still. Haha. Nate is just funnier to write this way. I hope you like this chapter. Feedback is very much appreciated, as always :)