Pictures in magazines, movie screens
Mirrors and cameras, so many beauty queens
It's so good to be
Fabulous and glamourous,
We love ourselves and no one else
Vanity.

Chapter 5 - Animosity

Chuck grunted as he awoke from slumber, frowning as he took in his surroundings. He wasn't in his suite, or his room in the family apartment, or in Serena's room. He sat up and looked around warily; ah, he was at Nate's place.

"Archibald?"

A laugh sounded from the other room. "So you're alive then?"

Chuck smirked. "I had a rough night."

"I know," The blonde replied, grinning as he entered the living area of his bedroom. "So... Who was she, man?"

Chuck's brow furrowed. "What?"

"The girl. Who was she?"

"Uh, there was no girl. I came here alone." He scratched his chin. Then, as an afterthought, "Was there a girl?"

"There was when you called me, but you were alone when you ended up here. You know that you can't handle vodka, Chuck. Stick to the scotch."

Chuck considered this. "I remember Blair, the stars, a yacht and then a bar," He yawned loudly. "I know that there were copious amounts of alcohol. There may have been a redhead at one point."

The two laughed, and then Chuck stood up, groaning as the muscles in his back screamed in protest. It wasn't fair that he was this sore and hadn't even had any sex in eight days. Then again, how could he possibly have sex with anyone who wasn't her? Not anymore, anyway. Everything had changed now that Blair was back, whom he loved.

He thought back to the night before in silence as Nate handed him the "miracle cure" for his hangover. Blair on the stairs, Blair on the yacht, Blair on the deck, Blair on the-

Shit.

Why had he done that? He could've been with Blair, right this moment, tangled up in her hair and her curves and her luscious red lips, but no. Chuck Bass had to play the scorned woman.

Blair hadn't seemed too affected by him telling her to leave, if he was honest. She'd pulled herself together at a lightning speed and brought her inner vixen to the surface. He'd missed Blair's inner vixen. But as he began to think back to their conversation, he found himself growing annoyed again.

Then he spied the red jacket in the corner, the jacket that Blair had been wearing on the yacht. Why would she have left it? He mulled it over in silence whilst Nate showered, before coming to the conclusion that Blair had wanted him to find it. Of course she had wanted him to find it. Blair didn't do things by accident. Everything she did and said was planned down to the last detail. And Chuck knew that despite the image of a carefree, flighty version of Blair that she was pretending to be, his Blair must be in there somewhere. That had been proved by the coat being left on the back of the chair. Blair wanted him to find it because she wanted to give him an opportunity to come to her sometime in the future. She knew that at one point, Chuck would want to be with her, and her leaving the coat on the back of the chair was her way of telling her that, despite what he had said, she would be willing to accept the coat and therefore his feelings, but only when he was ready to give it back to her.

Chuck loved that he was able to unwind one of Blair's plots. He loved that she knew that he would figure it out. If he was honest, he just loved her. And it fucking terrified him.

For the past three years, Blair had managed to effortlessly carry off the "I-wear-skinny-jeans-and-leather-jackets" look, the "I-wear-designer-heels-and-carry-designer-bags" look, and the "I'm-above-you-but-you-still-want-to-be-me" look, all at the same time. And she knew it.

But she also knew that after this weekend, this person that she was would be no more. She'd have to change, somehow. Go back to being the girl that Chuck had fallen in love with three years ago. At school, she couldn't be West-Coast Blair anymore. She needed to be powerful, a tyrant, even, and to do that she needed to be in control. First, she would take Serena's place. Then she would mould the girls into an army she could wield to do her every bidding. She'd become a person worth cowering before (because what was high school without hierarchy, if not boring and lax of standards?), and then and only then would she worry about Chuck Bass. If Blair had a to-do list, Chuck Bass was currently holding the bottom spot.

She had no intention of 'doing' the heartless Basstard anytime soon.

At least not until he came crawling back with his above-average sized tail between his legs.

"So, here's the plan."

"Why is there always a 'plan', Blair?"

Blair smiled condescendingly. "Because it makes things more interesting."

"Sure it does."

"It makes things more organised?"

"B."

"Ugh, fine. It makes me feel more in control."

"I knew it." Serena grinned triumphantly.

Blair coolly dismissed this. "Whatever. Anyway, we're going shopping."

"Why?" Serena looked confused.

"When things get tough, the tough go shopping."

"Ah." The blonde nodded in understanding. "I'm guessing that the tough also go to clubs to find guys?"

Blair smirked. "You got it. Come on. I need a new wardrobe." She stepped towards Serena. "S..."

"B?" Serena looked concerned, both at Blair's uncanny ability to duplicate Chuck's signature smirk and Blair's tone. Sighing heavily, Blair sat a clueless Serena down on her bed and stood in front of her, hands on her shoulders.

At least Chuck always knew what she had planned, but then again, she and Chuck were always five moves ahead of everybody else. It was like a gigantic game of chess; she was the White Queen, he was the Black King, and he made a languid escape anytime anybody got too close to home whilst she simultaneously tried to beat him at his own game. If you were Chuck and Blair, the game was life, loosing meant death, or worse; social oblivion. The games with the highest stakes tasted the sweetest once you won. If you won, that was.

Blair went on, "It's about Constance..."

Serena held a hand up and smiled. "Don't even finish that sentence. It's yours, B. Really. I need more time to spend with Nate, and I promised Eric we'd start doing more things together, and-"

Grinning in response, Blair threw her arms around her best friend. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. I knew it was only a matter of time. Just don't make me sit a step below you on the MET steps, 'kay?"

The two laughed. "Sure. I'd never do that to you anyway."

"Of course you wouldn't." Serena mock rolled her eyes and the girls laughed again, until Blair pulled Serena to her feet.

"Come on. I hear a pair of Manolos and a new Chanel calling my name."

"Ooh, B, how could I possibly say no to that?"

A coffee and an hour later, Serena and Blair were waltzing around Barneys, lattes in hand, singing along to the Lady Gaga song that just happened to be playing.

"Cool song," commented Serena.

"Uh huh," Blair murmured in agreement. Damn convenient song for playing whist she was thinking about Chuck. Figures. "Caught in a Bad Romance," she sang softly along, despite herself.

"B? What about this?" Serena asked, holding up a blue wrap dress.

Blair smiled in compliment. "Blue's always been your colour, S."

"Just like black has always been yours. That dress would look amazing on you, B!"

The brunette turned to where her blonde best friend was wildly pointing too with a half-chagrined smile on her face. Serena was right; the dress would look amazing on her. Black, simple, and completely classic; it was the pinnacle of "Little Black Dresses". And it was Dolce, which was always a bonus.

Later that day, Blair and Serena stopped off at a liquor store, laden with their shopping, for a the good stuff.

"A bottle of Jose and your most aged scotch, please." Blair paid for the two bottles, before joining Serena outside.

"Tequila and scotch, B? I thought you wanted a quiet night in?"

"No, I said 'night in', not 'quiet night in'. I've got the treats, you've got the movies. I'm thinking a night of Audrey and alcohol will do us both some good."

The two laughed, and ambled their way back to Blair's penthouse.

"So, B; how exactly do you plan on 'taking over' Constance?" Serena drunkenly wondered, before she laughed heartily at the television screen.

Blair considered this. "I guess I'll just do what I did before."

"Which is?

"People who don't do as I say will suffer. Simple."

Serena snorted again. "You used to terrify some of the professors, do you remember?"

"Only because they hated having somebody who was so young that could outwit them in their classes."

Serena's cell rang. "Hello? Uh, yeah, I'm with her right now. Hold on a second," Serena held her hand over the mouthpiece and held the phone out towards Blair. "It's Chuck. He wants to talk to you."

Blair smirked and took the cell from her. "Hello?"

"I suppose you think you're clever."

"Excuse me?"

"You left your jacket on the yacht."

"Yes, and?"

"I've figured it out. You won't be seeing it any time soon."

"I was almost hoping you'd say that."

Chuck paused. "What?"

"You keep the jacket for as long as you like, Chuck." When he didn't reply, a slightly drunk Blair took advantage of the silence. "You see, for the past three years, I haven't dated anybody out of loyalty to you, because regardless of what you were doing with the girls you were doing it with, I wanted to be yours and only yours when I came back here," Serena just stared at her. Drunk Blair was braver than sober Blair. "But considering that you don't want me, I fully intend to take advantage of my newly found single status, like you did whilst I was away. So, how about this? You go back to being a manwhore, and I'll go back to being the controlling bitch that you knew and loved."

"Blair-"

"Good catching up." And with that, she ended the phonecall with a smirk on her face. "Come on, S. We're going out."

Serena looked confused. "Where?"

"Anywhere."

Somehow, they'd ended up outside of the very same bar that Blair had been the previous Saturday.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Blair."

Blair rolled her eyes and smirked. "Whatever. I've been with one guy my whole entire life. Chuck's practically a walking STI. I think I'm allowed a little fun."

Serena raised her eyebrows. "What, with a random guy that you think will be here? Of all places? Where are we, anyway?" She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Blair ignored her and pulled her into the bar. The door slammed behind them loudly and the men within turned to look at them greedily. "Come on, S."

She sat where she'd sat the previous week, but ordered a scotch this time. Serena looked at her questioningly, but Blair smiled and shrugged. "I like a change."

"Right."

Carter watched them from the same booth that he always sat at. He knew she'd come back eventually. The blonde was different to the brunette; the blonde was more free, less bound somehow. He recognised the her almost instantly after that; her name was Serena Van der Woodsen.

They'd had a thing forever ago. A guy never forgot one like Serena. He'd bragged about her for weeks.

The brunette, Blair, he corrected himself, looked almost exactly the same as before, but something had changed. She was more confident; he could see it in the way her eyes swung around the small bar, taking in its unusual detailing. Her eyes settled on him, and her lips slowly twisted up into a delicious half smirk. Carter felt himself stand, a little worried that he couldn't control his own movements.

"Blair?"

The girl looked him up and down then licked her lips. "Carter."

"What brings you back here?"

"I don't know," Blair replied honestly, sipping carefully on her scotch. Carter's eyes widened at her choice of drink. Girls like Blair did not drink scotch; they drank champagne and martinis and other fruity crap that had little to no effect on them. Damn weak drinks.

Carter smirked to himself as Blair gestured to the vacant seat to her left. "I'll have what she's having." The bartender nodded in agreement.

Serena's eyes widened at Carter's approach. At least now she knew why Blair had wanted to come here, of all places. It was suddenly clear to Serena exactly where they were. This had been one of her old haunts forever ago, before Nate had captured her heart with his blue eyes and man-bangs.

"I'm sure you know Serena, Carter?" He nodded disinterestedly, as he gazed at Blair. "Something bothering you, S?" Blair's attention was stolen by Serena, and Carter inwardly cursed the blonde on her other side. The two girls had a whispered argument, before Serena smiled sweetly.

"I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me. I have an, uh, appointment that I forgot about. I'll leave you to it."

Blair scowled as her best friend shot her a final glare, then stood up and left. She sighed and took a deep swig of her drink. "Boring."

Carter laughed, amused despite himself. "So, Blair. What really brings you back here?"

Blair opened her mouth to reply as she had before, but stopped herself. "Curiosity," she finally answered, a smirk making its way across her face.

"May I buy you a drink?" He asked, his own smirk threatening to take away the current seriousness of his features.

Blair considered this. "Only if you promise to take me home once I am drunk."

Carter laughed again. "Deal." They both smiled, then Carter gestured again at the bartender. He turned his eyes back to Blair, and was surprised to see her gazing at him. He cleared his throat before smirking at her. "Since when does a girl like you drink scotch? Don't most girls drink pathetic little drinks with almost no alcohol content whatsoever? Like virgin martinis and cosmopolitans?"

"I'm not most girls."

He looked her up and down. "So I can see."

Blair scoffed in mock disbelief. "Then why did you compare me to 'most girls'?"

Carter shrugged. "I hoped that you would prove me wrong."

Blair's eyes sparkled. "And did I?"

"Most definitely."

The two fell into an easy, flirtatious conversation, blissfully unaware that they were being watched.

Spotted: Blair Waldorf having drinks with the other CB, Carter Baizen. What's this? B moving on from C already? And here we thought we'd have revolution in the kingdom. Careful B; hell hath no fury like a Chuck Bass scorned, but something tells me that in this little game, it's C who should be watching his back. And his heart.

You know you love me,

XOXO

Gossip Girl.

Serena stood up from her bar stool, gave Blair a final look and left the bar. No sooner had the door slammed behind her than she was pulling out her cell from her oversized clutch. She hit number six on her speed-dial (ugh, Chuck Bass was on her speed dial. The thought alone was enough to make her cringe), and waited rather impatiently for him to pick up, which, of course, he didn't.

"Hey, this is Chuck Bass. Leave a message."

"Chuck," She hissed into the machine, "I don't know what you did, or what you said, but you better f-ing fix it. Fast. You won't believe who she's having drinks with right now. Call me please," Then, thinking that she'd been too nice, "Sooner rather than later, Chuck. If she gets hurt because of you, so help me, I will neuter you myself. Ugh. Jackass."

After telling Nate about the Blair fiasco, the two had spent the remainder of the day together, playing video games that involved guns and violence, talking about the mysterious female mind, smoking pot and eating pizza; just doing general guy things. At six thirty, he and Blair had argued. Well no, Blair had basically told him that she was going to do whatever the hell she liked whether he liked it or not.

It was around nine when Chuck finally turned his phone back on, fearing the worst after his argument from Blair. So he'd been a coward and turned it off, big deal.

He listened to the voicemail from Serena.

He read the email from Gossip Girl.

And then he swore. "Shit!"

Nate looked over at him in alarm. "What? What's up?"

Chuck handed his phone (and the Gossip Girl blast) to his best friend, beginning to pace in the small room. "Carter Baizen. Carter fucking Baizen. Shit."

Nate grimaced and whistled. "She had drinks with him, huh? That can't be a good sign."

"As always, Nathaniel, you're the very epitome of a genius. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?"

Scratching his chin, Nate mulled this over. "I don't know, man. I guess you gotta win her back. Blair likes romance. Give her flowers, chocolates, grand public gestures-"

"Were you not listening to the story about the yacht and the stars and the broken heart that I may or may not have given her? It's a little too late for grand public gestures." Chuck looked at Nate desperately for a moment, before things suddenly made sense, and he stilled his pacing. "You know what, fine."

Nate spluttered. "Fine?"

Chuck smirked calmly, holding his hands up in mock-dismissal. "Nathaniel, I know Blair. She's doing this to get back at me."

Nate looked at Chuck incredulously. "Are you sure, man?"

"It's Blair. Of course I'm sure. This is for attention." Chuck knew Blair well enough to know that.

"Which you're not going to give to her?"

"In response to this? Absolutely not. If she wants to wave a mediocre adversary in my face, let her. Using Carter Baizen as bait? She clearly hasn't done her research," Chuck drawled, smirking as he began to 'figure it all out'. However, Chuck Bass had not counted on Blair's ingenious expectations of male jealousy. Especially since Blair knew Chuck well enough to know that if she planted a tiny little seed of envy it would only take a matter of minutes for Chuck's macho defensive crap to crumble and for that tiny little seed of envy to grow into a fully fledged tree of jealous, wounded ego.

"But you love her?"

Chuck held back a sigh. "Of course I love her." The seed began to sprout roots.

"And you're know that she loves you?"

"Yes," Chuck replied shortly, beginning to realise Nate's point. The seed and the roots grew a stem.

"And you're comfortable with her dating another guy?"

Chuck considered this, his original argument beginning to falter. The stem grew an inch taller. "Well-"

"The Gossip Girl post was at 7:25. That was an hour ago. She could be drunk and making out with Baizen right now. Doesn't that bother you?"

Chuck gulped, his weakened resolve now wavering. The stem grew thicker and taller. "Not really."

"But it's Carter, Chuck. What if she sleeps with him?" Nate added an excel growth fertiliser to the little plant.

"..." The thought of Blair, his Blair having sex with any guy was enough to turn Chuck's stomach, but to think that it would be Carter Baizen made his eyes cloud red with an intense jealous rage. There was a minute of silence, then, as the little plant blossomed into a tree, "Like hell she will! Get your coat."

"We don't even know where they are, man!"

Chuck considered this, then pulled out his phone.

Serena answered on the first ring. "Took you long enough!"

"Where are they?"

"I have no idea. When I left Blair with Carter they-"

"You left her with him?"

"Well-"

"Is it your mission in life to screw me over?" Chuck asked sarcastically. Nate sent him a glare for talking to Serena like that, which Chuck brushed off. "Where were you when you left them?"

"I don't know, some hole in the wall downtown."

"Was she drunk?"

"I'm not sure, Blair hides it well..."

"Fanfuckingtastic." He hung up on her, then sat back down on the couch. "I'm fucked."

Chuck stumbled as he exited the elevator, laughing as he realised that his shoes were on the wrong feet. "Stupid shoes," he muttered, leaning too far to the right and almost overbalancing, before he was pushed back to standing straight.

"Charles."

Chuck's eyes snapped to his right, and he gulped. "Father."

Bart's eyes narrowed in disappointment and the older man shook his head. "Go to bed."

"But-"

"Go to bed."

Chuck did not dare dispute him, and managed to walk the three metres to his room. He closed the door behind him and the silence in the room consumed him. He walked to his bed and fell onto it, lying heavily on top of the covers face down. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, Serena burst in.

"Chuck!"

He grunted tiredly in response, not bothering to peel himself away from his bed.

"Chuck?"

"Blair's fine," he mumbled into the duvet.

"What? Chuck, for God's sake, sit up!" Without giving him the chance to respond, Serena lurched forwards and pulled him up. She rolled him over so that he was on his back, and Chuck could not resist smirking at her and cocking an eyebrow. "Ugh, gross."

"Blair's fine. I stopped by at her penthouse about an hour ago and Dorota said she was in bed."

Serena's mouth opened then closed again. Then opened, then closed again, as if she was disputing on whether or not to air what was on her mind. "Sis, as much I love the goldfish look, it does not become you," Chuck drawled.

"Was Blair in bed... alone?" She questioned meekly, her fingers pulling at the hem of her shirt as Chuck's eyes widened.

He shot up off of the bed and swayed as he got to his feet. "She better have been. If he was there, in her bed, whilst I was in the apartment, I'll fucking kill him," he rambled, glaring at Serena as if it was her fault.

"Should I call her?"

Chuck just continued to glare at her, until she pulled out her phone and hit number 2 on her speed-dial.

"Hey, you've reached Blair Waldorf. Leave a message. Unless it's Chuck Bass, in which case, don't bother."

Stifling a smirk at the message, Serena began to speak. "Blair? It's me. Call me as soon as you can. Love you."

It took exactly four minutes for Blair to call Serena back. She didn't even give her the chance to say 'hello'.

"S? What's wrong?"

Serena laughed. "Are you alone?"

"Who else would I be with? It's one thirty!"

"We thought- I thought that you and Car-"

Serena was interuppted by Blair's disbelieving laughter. "God, S. I talked to the guy for like two hours, and then I came home."

"So you two didn't, uh, hook up?"

"'Hook up', Serena, really? Are we in middle school?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Whatever, B. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

As Serena hung up the phone call, Chuck looked at her expectantly. "She's alone."

His eyebrows knitted together. "Did she say she was alone?"

"Well, not in so many words, but-"

Chuck flopped back against the bed and covered his eyes with his left arm. With his right, he pointed to the door. "Get out of my room. You're an amateur."

Serena glared at him. "Fine!"

"Fine."

"Fine," she retorted, flouncing out of the room and leaving the door wide open behind her.

Blair's hands were shaking as she hung up the phone. His mocking laugh sounded in her ear.

"Why didn't you tell Serena I was here?" He put his hand on her shoulder and made to brush away her hair, but she caught it and pushed it roughly off of her.

She stood up and walked to the window, glaring down into the street below. "Go home, Carter." Blair grimaced when she heard him stalk towards her. "Go home," she insisted, stepping away from his advances.

"Come on, Blair, don't be like that." She whirled around and stared at him, directly in the eye. The intensity of it made him flinch, and it was he that looked away after a long, silent pause. "Fine, I'll go."

Blair raised an eyebrow. "But?"

Carter laughed in surprise. "How did you know that there was a but?"

"You're a guy. There's always a but." She continued to stare at him, the depths of her brown eyes twinkling as they stared into his own.

He relented after a moment. "Okay, okay. But you can't run away from what happened." His breath tickled the back of her neck as his hand reached up to trace a circle on her shoulder, and Blair felt herself grow anxious. She didn't want him to touch her.

"Don't touch me," she told him, and the movements stilled. He stepped away from her, and, after a moment of staring wistfully at her, made to leave. "Carter..." she said, and he stopped immediately. He turned back to face her, and saw that she was glaring at him coldly. "If you tell anybody about what happened tonight, I swear that you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Do you understand me?"

He made to raise an eyebrow, but when he saw that she was deadly serious, held up a hand in submission. "I understand you."

"Good." She turned back to face the window and stood like that for a good five minutes, until she heard the elevator arrive downstairs. Once she was sure that Carter had finally gone, Blair stepped into the bathroom.

She knelt down in front of the porcelain bowl and pulled her hair away from her face. "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned," she whispered, a single tear trailing down her cheek. She had lost too much control tonight, too much control that could never be earned back. She leaned over the bowl, and offered the only thing she could in exchange for forgiveness.

Sunday was morose to say the least. Nate and Serena had argued, Blair and Chuck had hangovers. It was how the world worked.

Monday rolled around, and this time it was Blair who picked Serena up for school. It was Blair who walked in front. It was Blair who was clearly in charge.

The two sat on the MET Steps side by side, their lattes between them, handbags by their sides. Blair wore a gold headband, a georgette ruffle blouse, a highwaisted gable gazing tube skirt, suede Louboutins and her mother's ruby ring. Serena wore her uniform in the way she usually did, but in her hair she wore a silver headband. It'd be the first and last time that she'd wear it, but today it was to be made clear that Blair was the one at the top.

It wasn't long before the rest of the girls joined them. Kati and Is were the first to arrive, accepting Blair's place at the top of the steps without question, taking their places on either side of Blair and Serena but a step below. The two grinned up at her, and showered her with compliments. Shortly after, Jenny and Elise appeared, and when Jenny made to do as Kati and Is had done, Blair scoffed.

"No." Blair's eyes lowered to the step belowwhere the other three were sat, and nodded. Jenny sat down ungracefully, horrified at being at the bottom.

Hazel took her place beside Is on the steps, whilst Penelope had no choice but to sit on the bottom step with Jenny. "So, S, where are we going tonight?" Penelope questioned eagerly, putting her hair behind her ears so that she should turn to see her.

Serena narrowed her eyes. "Ask Blair."

Penelope suddenly realised what had happened. Her eyes flickered between Blair and Serena, then settled on Blairs smirking face. "We aren't doing anything. It's Monday," Blair replied importantly.

Blair and Serena began to talk about Bendels' fall line. Elise, Kati, Is and Hazel seemed content to gossip amongst themselves. Penelope and Jenny just stared at the floor.

Blair shot Penelope a smirk. "Nice headband, P, but I dont really think black is your colour."

"But-" Penelope made to protest, but Blair cut her off.

"I said, black isn't your colour. Remember that."

Penelope simply nodded in response, too bewildered at this turn in events to even think about what Blair was saying to her.

"I think we should revisit the rules of the Girls of the Steps." Blair didn't wait for an answer. "We all have a colour. Anybody who wishes to wear black, red or purple will consult me first," She instructed. "We do not share guys." She gave Kati and Is a smile, "Well, you two can." They beamed at her. "Ex-boyfriends are strictly off limits. Any indescretions will be dealt with by me. Any questions?"

"Well, actually, Blair, if ex-boyfriends are off limits, you can't date Chuck or Carter, because Penelope-"

"Be honest, Hazel. Would you really call a drunken fumble in the back of 1OAK ex-boyfriend material?" Blair scoffed.

"Well, no, but-"

"And I don't think making out with somebody who is barely conscious is classed as an ex-boyfriend, either, do you?"

"No," Hazel replied in defeat. Penelope shot her a glare for giving Blair amunition.

"Exactly. However, Chuck and Carter are strictly off limits to anybody who knows what is good for them. Am I understood?" The girls nodded. "Come on, ladies. It's time for school." Blair didn't wait for a reply, just stood haughtily and walked through the girls down the steps. "Don't make disagreeing with me a habit, Hazel," She called over her shoulder.

The short walk to school was reasonably uneventful. Blair smirked as the girls walked quickly behind her, Kati and Is by her sides since Serena had wandered off with Nate. Blair was in control now. It was high time people learned that.

Chuck leaned against the wall at the bottom of the steps. He smirked as Blair came around the corner, six girls trailing along behind her. He gulped at the sight. Blair was queen? When did that happen? Things like that should not happen without the express permission and approval of Chuck Bass.

"Good morning, your majesty," he drawled as they walked by. Blair paused and looked at him.

"Ah, if it isn't my favourite King's fool." Her minions snorted at the covered insult.

"Well you look lovely." Chuck looked her up and down and leered at her in a way that usually made most girls either blush or cringe. Blair did neither. She simply smirked and stepped towards him.

She leaned upwards to whisper in his ear. "You wanted a bitch, I'll give you a bitch. Stay out of my way." She smiled at him calmly, before ascending the stairs. Penelope looked wistfully back at him, but he sneered at her and she turned away.

After a week of school with Blair as the queen, Chuck Bass was sure of three things.

The first? Blair Waldorf was a bitch. Not that she hadn't been a bitch before, mind, but now she was even more dangerous. She was untouchable. Even Gossip Girl refused to go against her, as Blair had displayed three times her ruthlessness whilst disciplining her minions. Penelope had been on the recieving end of her temper twice, Jenny once.

The second? He was absoloutely terrified of her. He, Chuck fucking Bass, was terrified of a girl.

It wasn't so much that he was scared of Blair (at least that's what he was telling himself), but of what she could do.

She could make it so that he never got laid again (at least not by people from the UES). She had displayed her ability, more than once, to control the entire staffing and student body of Constance Billiard. Blair had always been sensible when it came to choosing her battles, but now, she refused to allow herself to outwardly rise to anything anybody said to her. Her face was mostly an expressionless mask, save for the smirk that seemed to constantly dance on her lips and the mischief that plainly danced in her dangerous dark eyes.

This new Blair watched and waited for the perfect moment to throw a spanner in the works that would cause the most damage to whoever was on the receiving end, making her that little bit more deadly. This new Blair seemed to be everywhere, all at once. Chuck could not escape her eyes, her touch, her words. He was swimming in Blair, and he just could't get away from her.*

The third? If there had ever been any doubt before, he knew for sure now that he was in love with her. Bitch.

*Sort of recycled sections of this passage from one of my other stories. Sorry.

Love it? Hate it? Tell me! :)

Oooooh! What happened between Blair and Carter? Can anybody guess?

Do we like 'school Blair' or 'weekend Blair' more? Headband or leather jacket? Its a toughie!