Chapter XX
I'm not Inclined to Resign to Maturity
Chuck grabbed the remote and pressed the plus button on the volume, turning up the music so it pounded through the limo speakers. He shoved the controls back in their holder and lent back, a full glass of champagne in his hand, gazing at his domain. Nate was sitting next to him, a champagne glass in his own hand, relaxed. He'd borrowed a tie from Chuck and merely untucked his shirt, and he still looked fresh. Sometimes Chuck envied his friends casual style.
Serena and Dan were sitting on one of the side seats, whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears no doubt. Serena had brought down a rare plain black jacket of Chuck's for Dan, practically forcing it upon him. Dan had conceded grumpily, and Chuck hadn't bothered to protest over much, it was a jacket his father had bought him. Serena wore a pert black dress, the hem just at the right length for teasing, not that Chuck noticed.
Vanessa and Blair were sitting opposite the flirting couple. Vanessa had actually taken Chuck's advice and brought her video camera, a fresh tape inside. She had borrowed one of Serena's more conservative dark blue dresses, not that you would notice as she was holding up the camera concentrating on fixing the brightness so she could film in the dim limo. Chuck wondered wryly if she noticed that her camera was pointed steadily at Dan. Blair on the other hand had borrowed a stylish designer, of course. It accented her curves perfectly; her hair in its usual immaculate curls. Chuck's eyes rested on her, smirking slightly in amusement as he noticed she sat at the edge of her seat, looking annoyed that she had ended up next to Brooklyn.
"So where are we going?" Nate asked Chuck, glancing at him.
"I thought we could hit some of New York's finest, you know the usual clubs," Chuck turned his head lazily to him, sipping on his wine.
"I think those places have a no video camera policy," Blair said, pointedly looking at Vanessa. Maybe she hoped Vanessa would be so outraged she'd take her camera and get out of the limo. Instead Vanessa turned the camera around, focusing on Blair and smiling too widely.
"You better not be zooming in," Blair said, glaring at Vanessa icily. "Otherwise I will break that cheap camera of yours."
"Blair Waldorf, at her finest," Vanessa said, putting on a deep voice in a documentary style.
Before Blair could launch herself at Vanessa Chuck shoved the bottle in her hand, she immediately threw it on the seat like it was something disgusting, suitably distracted. "Drink up Blair and relax," he said, "And I'll get the camera in Brooklyn, if you promise to keep all the footage of us private, and no more zoom shots."
"What's the point then?" Vanessa asked.
"You can keep the footage of anyone else you shoot…" Chuck shrugged. He hoped that would be incentive enough for her not to plaster the bad acting she had already filmed over a low grade film festival.
Vanessa hesitated, warring with herself. But she finally decided that having the exclusive ability to film Upper East Sider's in their natural habitats, at their most depraved and hopefully drunk, was too good to pass up. Conceding she moved the camera off Blair, turning it to Nate instead. "So Nate Archibald, what rules are you planning on breaking tonight?"
Nate grinned at her, he was fine with camera's when there weren't any stupid lines to recite.
"I know one thing Nate wants to do right now," Chuck muttered, Blair, catching what he said, actually giggled, maybe she'd had too many glasses of champagne on an empty stomach.
"I thought the great Chuck Bass didn't allow rules?" Dan noted, tearing himself from Serena's navy blue eyes to glance at the others.
"Tonight there is only one rule," Chuck proclaimed, sitting up and settling his waistcoat. He was aware of Vanessa focusing her camera on him, he loved putting on a good show. He grabbed the wine bottle from the holder it was in, filling up his glass. "What happens between the six…seven," he amended at Vanessa and Dan's unimpressed look, "What happens between the seven of us, stays between the seven of us. Agreed?" He held up his champagne glass, looking at the others.
"Agreed," Nate said immediately, grinning. He chinked his glass with Chuck. The others then followed, even Dan. Vanessa hesitated, but at Blair's superior smile which suggested Vanessa couldn't take the heat, she raised her own full glass.
Serena took a sip of the champagne, enjoying the bubbling sensation as she sat back on the plush leather seat.
"It's just like old times," she commented.
"Except none of us are drunk yet," Chuck pointed out. "Something we desperately need to rectify."
"Please," Blair said, grabbing a fresh glass he was holding up as an offering to anyone and taking a sip. "What?" she asked as the others looked at her. "I need something to get me through tomorrow morning."
"Perhaps we should take the reminiscing further, skinny dipping anyone?" Chuck leered.
"So you four like to skinny dip together?" Vanessa teased.
"We have never skinny dipped," Blair said shrilly as she saw Vanessa had trained her camera on Chuck as he opened his mouth to reply. "We don't even have pool parties…"
"Well not since last year," Nate amended.
"Ah yes, the famous school pool debacle," Dan noted, "A story I was actually involved in."
"Oh my gosh, that reminds me, do you guys remember hair debacle of fifth grade," Serena exclaimed, laughing at the sudden memory.
"A hair debacle?" Dan asked, blinking, confused.
"I had almost forgotten about that," Blair said, actually smiling now.
"The spit ball incident?" Nate asked.
"Ah yes, little Spitty Vicky," Chuck drawled as he remembered, smirking.
"But I don't know anything about balls," Serena and Blair both exclaimed with British accents, in unison, then burst out laughing
"Right," Dan muttered, smiling slightly despite himself as he watched Serena giggle like a five year old, he took another sip of the champagne. Vanessa panned the camera to take in the two girls in stitches, quizzical but not wanting to ask further.
"Didn't you tap that in ninth grade man?" Nate muttered to Chuck, glancing over. Chuck ran his finger across his throat but it was too late, Blair's smile immediately disappeared.
"You what?" she exclaimed in shock, glaring at Chuck.
"Nothing," Chuck said quickly, "More champagne everyone!"
"You slept with Spitty Vicky? That's low even for you Chuck," Serena declared, scrunching up her nose, partly amused partly disgusted.
"It was before I discovered how easy the L'Ecole girls were," Chuck said defensively.
"It's disgusting," Blair snapped.
"It was ninth grade," Chuck defended. "I slept with everything that moved in ninth grade."
"Is there a difference now?" Dan couldn't help commenting wryly.
"Har, har Humphrey," Chuck said, looking at Blair anxiously, though he tried to hide it.
"Sir, we've arrived," Arthur's voice came over the limo's intercom. Chuck felt relieved, quickly pressing the button to respond.
"We'll get out ourselves Arthur, bring the car around in…"
He glanced at the others, Blair was refusing to look at him, Nate shrugged while yawning, and Vanessa was busy fiddling with her camera, as in front of her Serena and Dan were doing some very close talking. Chuck rolled his eyes at the sorry lot.
"Bring the car around in an hour," he decided for them, better to leave early then be stuck with this bunch for too long. Obviously this night wasn't going to be as fun as he had hoped.
"Very good sir," Arthur responded.
Chuck quickly swung the limo door open, escaping onto the cool New York side walk gratefully, and away from Blair's angry look. He didn't know what she was getting so upset over, she knew he'd slept with a lot of girls in the past, and Spitty Vicky wasn't the worst by a long shot. Besides, whatever they had now was supposed to be a secret, that included Blair not reacting when she found out who he'd slept with, especially someone he had slept with four years ago.
"So ready for a night out man?" Nate asked, exiting behind Chuck and clapping him on his back.
"Aren't I always Nathaniel," Chuck smirked, pushing aside his confusing thoughts of Blair and plastering on his usual mask. Tonight was a night for fun, and he was going to make sure of that.
Spotted: C, B, S, N, D and surprisingly enough V, skipping the line and getting into one of our favourite clubs. Having a wild night out boys and gals? I hope you don't party too hard, we have school tomorrow. Who am I kidding, I love when you party hard, especially when I get sent the pics the morning after. xoxo Gossip Girl.
"Okay, so how did you do that?" Vanessa asked Chuck as they filed into the club. They somehow managed to find their way to the front of the long line, and after Chuck had murmured something to the bouncer and slipped green into his hand, they were let in without a second glance, even Vanessa's camera.
"I'm…"
"Chuck Bass," Dan, Serena and Nate finished for him in a chorus.
Chuck narrowed his eyes at them, but didn't comment, instead turning he headed towards the doors that entered into the actual club.
"Follow me," he commanded, without a second glance back. Nate shrugged and did so, the others trailed behind after a second hesitation.
The club was full, lights flashing and the music pulsating, seeming to pound in their very bones. Dan held tight to Serena's hand as she took the lead, pushing through bodies to follow Nate and Chuck. Blair followed close behind, making faces as she had to push through sweaty men. Vanessa tried desperately to catch everything on camera, analysing everything with a film critics eye.
Chuck reached the bar before the others. He grabbed the attention of the busy bar tender with a twenty, and shouted his order over the music. The others reached the bar shortly after, he smirked at Humphrey's wide eyes, glancing around the club, and Blair's slightly rumpled hair.
"What did you order?" Nate asked, having to shout over the music.
Chuck didn't need to answer as the bar tender came with a tray burdened with salt, lemon slices and seven shot glasses full of…
"Tequila?" Serena cried out.
"Don't you have to be carded to buy that stuff?" Dan asked, Chuck rolled his eyes at the Brooklynites naivety.
"You also have to be carded to get into this place, welcome to the Upper East Side" he smirked, waving his hand to include the number of privileged underage people all over the floor, clearly drunk. "Now everyone drink up." He grabbed two of the shot glasses, shoving one into Dan's hand, and one into a surprised Blair's.
"No way Bass," Blair snapped.
"What Waldorf, too chicken?" Chuck challenged, looking at Blair. Blair was about to retort, when she noticed Vanessa's camera was trained on her.
"Of course not," she snapped. "Tequila is just disgusting!"
"I think I'm with Blair on this one," Dan spoke up, "I don't really think we should…"
"Who would have thought, Blair and Dan our moral compass," Chuck noted dryly. "But one can't help wondering if perhaps you two are just a little bit scared?"
"I didn't say we shouldn't" Blair quickly said, distancing herself from Dan. "And I'm not scared of anything. Give me the lemon Bass hole!" she grabbed the yellow slice and Chuck resisted the urge to smirk triumphantly.
"I mean not that…but isn't this stuff expensive?" Dan asked, still not sold.
"Humphrey, relax, they're on me," Chuck drawled, slightly amused. "Besides tequila is a pre requisite for a good time, all you have to do is swallow and let it work its magic." He picked up the tray, shoving it at the rest. Serena and Nate shrugged, sharing amused looks and picked up a shot glass and a slice of lemon each.
Chuck looked at Vanessa, hidden behind her camera. "Having some?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No thanks, I think I prefer my view to be less blurry," Vanessa commented dryly.
"More for me then," Chuck shrugged, putting the tray down he grabbed the salt shaker, distributing it liberally to each of his friends on the back of their hands, between their thumb and forefinger. Putting some for himself in the same place, he then grabbed one of the shot glasses and the lemon, making sure the other shot glass was available on the edge of the tray.
"To the best night of our lives, so far," he pronounced, holding up his shot glass to Vanessa's camera and grinning.
He licked the salt off the back of his hand and quickly tipped back his head and swallowed, the others followed suit. Slamming down the first shot glass he blindly grabbed the other one and tipped it down in quick succession, the liquid burning as it travelled down his throat. He brought the lemon up to his lips, sucking out the juice and allowing it to relieve the familiar yet still disgusting taste of the tequila. He felt the giddy buzz that followed the shots, just what the doctor ordered.
He looked up and saw Dan spluttering while Serena and Nate tried to pat him on the back and Blair laughed at his ineptitude. And all the while Vanessa caught it all on camera. He couldn't help laughing at the sight. Maybe this night was going to be fun.
"Dan, we have to dance," Serena cried out impulsively, grabbing her boyfriend's hand. They had taken a few seats scattered on the edge of the dance floor, watching the gyrating mess that was the club. There were several glasses and bottles littering the table, Chuck had only been able to convince Nate and Serena to do another shot, but he had been able to co-erce the others to enjoy more drinks. Even Vanessa was nursing a beer with one hand, though she was more preoccupied with getting as much as she could on film. Right then her camera was focused on Dan's stunned face, even paler then it had gone after the tequila.
"Uh…dance?" he repeated dumbly at Serena's wide smile.
"Yes, dance, which we are going to do right now," Serena insisted, standing now and dragging Dan up with her.
"Serena I don't really think…" Dan began, but Serena was focused on her goal, the middle of the dance floor, and paid no heed to his protests. Instead she managed to drag the helpless Dan with her through the bodies, his desperate face lost quickly in the crowd.
"I cannot miss this," Vanessa exclaimed, quickly getting up, a wide smile in anticipation of her best friends humiliation, plastered on her face. "Come on Nate," she called, glancing back as she started through the crowd with her camera held high. Nate grinned and followed after her, not wanting to miss the opportunity to see Serena force Dan to dance, like she had forced him to so many times before.
Blair watched them go, a cosmopolitan in her hand and a bemused look on her face. Who would want to see Humphrey dancing?
"So what say you to us finding a corner of our own to do some dancing Waldorf?" Chuck drawled into her ear. He had smoothly slid along the lounge to occupy the empty space where Serena had been sitting next to her, moving in close so his lips were practically touching her ear, invading Blair's personal space.
"I'm sorry, but I think you're looking for Spitty Vicky," Blair said venomously sweet, quickly putting her glass down on the table she rose, planning to follow the others.
"Blair, are you seriously angry about me sleeping with Spitty Vicky four years ago?" Chuck demanded, rising and grabbing her arm before she could escape. Blair turned to face him, raising her eyebrows.
"Angry, of course not. Sickened, completely," she said.
"I was fourteen years old," Chuck said, exasperated. "Besides it was your fault."
"My fault?" Blair demanded.
"Yes, if I recall correctly it was about the time you were monopolizing Nate with your movie dates and couple lunches. I was bored and drunk, and I didn't have you or Nate to advise me otherwise," he shrugged, as if that explained it all.
"Still sickening," Blair pointed out, taking back her arm from his grip.
"She had a boob job," Chuck countered.
"You're heinous," Blair retorted.
"I was fourteen," Chuck countered.
"It still doesn't excuse your lack of judgment," she noted. "Will you really just sleep with anything?" And right then, when her voice rose in pitch at the word anything, Chuck thought he understood what the real problem was. Blair was afraid, afraid she was just one of Chuck's many conquests, just one in a list that included Georgina Sparks and now Spitty Vicky. Of course she didn't realise that Chuck would never even think of her in the same sentence as those two. No, Blair Waldorf was in a league of her own, sometimes she just temporarily forgot that.
"I admit, I wasn't at my smartest," Chuck said carefully, trying to think of the right words. "But to be fair, I didn't have many options, the one girl I respect was already taken," with that smooth line he smirked, taking her hand and raising it to his lips, he took it as a good sign she didn't pull back. "And without you there how was I to know any better?"
"Laying it on a bit thick, don't you think Bass? But I suppose you're right," she finally conceded.
He looked up at her, she was watching him now with a different type of feeling.
"I know a dark corner we can discuss lack of judgment further," he said hopefully.
Blair hesitated for a second, Chuck smirked mischievously, raising his eyebrows suggestively and Blair scowled.
"Fine," she conceded, "But this corner better be extremely dark."
Chuck didn't need to beg permission twice; he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd.
"Come on Dan," Serena laughed, dragging Dan deeper into the middle of the dancing crowd. Dan turned red as he saw Nate and Vanessa standing nearby, the camera firmly planted on him while they laughed.
"Serena I don't really…" Dan began.
"Come on, let go a bit," Serena chided, the tequila shot had clearly gotten rid of any of her inhibitions. She was smiling widely, her eyes twinkling. She grabbed Dan's hands impulsively. "Just move to the beat."
Dan was quite certain that if he did he would most likely step on Serena's feet, and he certainly wouldn't look as good as the tall blonde, who was garnering attention from everyone nearby.
"This is classic," Vanessa shouted to Nate over the music, the camera focused on Dan as he attempted to sway with Serena to the wild beat.
"If it's one thing I've learnt over the years, it's that when Serena wants you to dance, it's best to just do it," Nate commented.
"So you danced with Serena a lot?" Vanessa asked, turning the camera to him, trying to feign a film makers interest, though she couldn't help a slight twinge of jealousy at the thought of the history between the two blondes.
"Uh…you know just when she was drunk," Nate said dismissively, looking slightly awkward. "So what do you think of this place?"
"In one word? Pretentious," Vanessa declared, perhaps more critical then she would otherwise have been.
"How do you mean?" Nate asked, confused.
"Well, you need a list to get in, the entrance price costs an arm and a leg, not to mention the drinks are ridiculously over priced." She ticked the things off with her free hand. "And all for what? An experience that you could get just in Brooklyn for half the cost, and with people with better taste in music and better judgment on the amount of money they should spend on clothes."
"Right," Nate muttered. She knew she was being over critical, but sometimes she couldn't help herself. Especially when she couldn't help wondering how many times Nate and Serena used to frequent places like this and dance together.
"I'm a bit thirsty, do you want anything?" Nate suddenly asked, jerking his thumb towards the bar.
"Lemon lime and bitters?" Vanessa proposed. "I'll wait here though, I wouldn't want to miss Dan stepping on Serena's feet." She turned the camera back to Serena and Dan.
"I'll be back," Nate muttered, than soon disappeared among the bodies in the crowd.
Serena whispered something in Dan's ear, and then she too disappeared in the crowd, heading in the opposite direction of Nate. Vanessa moved to stand beside Dan, focusing the camera on Dan's uncomfortable face.
"So Danny, ready to bust out some Grease moves when your Sandy gets back? Where did she go by the way, to get some shin pads?"
"Hardy har," Dan said, looking unamused. "She went to the bathroom. And will you get that camera out of my face."
"And miss this? I don't think so," Vanessa laughed.
"Seriously, not funny Vanessa," Dan said, frowning and looking harassed.
"All right, all right," Vanessa relented, "I'll go find someone else to torment."
"Actually, could you find Serena and tell her…" Dan began.
"I tried ordering lemon lime and bitters, but the guy gave me vodka sodas instead," Nate unintentionally interrupted loudly, slicing through the crowd to stand beside Vanessa, two drinks in hand.
"I don't really like vodka," Vanessa said, scrunching her nose as she turned the camera to take in Nate and the two unappealing drinks.
"I'll have it then," Dan said, quickly grabbing the drink he practically drowned half of it in one gulp.
"Humphrey I am impressed," Vanessa said, having caught it all on camera. "So what did you want me to tell Serena?"
"Tell her I'll be at the bar," Dan decided, heading towards the direction, the drink still in his hand.
Vanessa turned the camera on Nate, admiring his carelessly perfect hair and crooked grin.
"What?" he asked, eyes shining.
"Just wondering if you wanted to dance?" Vanessa teased, unable to help herself. Obviously her tone was too subtle for Nate, his eyes immediately shifted, his grin disappearing.
"Uh…actually I should probably make sure Dan is okay," Nate said, quickly going after the other boy. Vanessa followed them with the camera until they were out of shot.
"Two boys on a mission," she commented wryly. "Now if I was a girl's bathroom, where would I be?" she glanced around the dance floor, trying to see over heads for the familiar bathroom sign.
"Excuse me," Vanessa said loudly, pushing through the crowd, not too afraid to elbow a few people out of the way. She snapped her camera lens shut for fear of dropping it, not bothering to record but holding it close to her body as she made her way through the crowd.
"Finally," she muttered as she reached the outskirts of the dance floor, "Now where's that bathroom." She started skirting around the crowd, heading towards a promising niche in the wall with an exit sign over it. In her experience the toilets were usually located near the exit. She shook her head as she noticed two dark figures were leaning against the door, in a very heated exchange. She rolled her eyes, about to turn, when a strobe light suddenly illuminated the niche, and she realised the people were two very familiar brunettes.
A/N: Just to let people know I don't support underage drinking, it is merely a plot device, and if you see it on the show then you can read it here lol. Their wild night out was meant to be one chapter, but the NJBC and Dan didn't think that was good enough. So now I've had to split it up over two chapters, maybe three. The Gossip Girl characters just want to have fun lol.
I have never been to New York though I'd love to, I don't know much about the place besides what I see on Gossip Girl. So, please forgive me if I send them to places that aren't even remotely realistic. I have no idea lol.
Inspiring songs for this chapter and the next: 'Glad You Came'-The Wanted, 'Moves like Jagger'-Maroon 5, 'Jumpstart'-These Kids Wear Crowns.
INSPIRING CHAPTER PIC (this one and the next): Google "gossip girl cast black and white" (It's the first two pics of the gang in the elevator, and leaving the elevator. Those pictures inspired this whole fic. I saw the first one in a magazine and I thought about how much I missed the days when they had group fun, and did stupid things, and so I decided to write this = ).)
Please R&R. Thank you to all those people who have reviewed, you are awesome = D! Sorry it took so long, I have been swamped.