Chapter Fourteen-Teenage Dream
[Dan's P.O.V.]
Chapter One Excerpt of My Uptown Girl:
In a room full of roses, she is the one that stands out the most to a simple minded boy such as myself. Once enthralled by all that glittered and shined, a string of heartbreaks had made him more susceptible to the rare kinds of beauty. In a routine that had become like second nature to the young man, her beauty disrupts all that has been set for him because for the first time in a long time he feels as if his breath has been taken away. There's no explanation as to why this tulip among roses has done such an effect on him seeing as he once frowned up the very flower she had bloomed into, but he can't help but wonder what his words should be if he so happened to approach her. What should his demeanor be? That of the same kind she had come to expect from him…what should he do when all that was suppose to be between them was utter loathing and disdain for the other. His mind tells him to run as far away…run into the sky if need be, but his feet lead him elsewhere, to the destination of where she has set up residence. He's in a losing battle with his mind as his half of him is screaming to retreat while the other is telling him to just say what it is you need to say until a wrench has been thrown into his plan as it be. She takes her determined stare from her novelty of the modern fashion to look on at the young man.
As you can see…I'm writing again. I know its rough but don't judge until I've come up with the final product. I haven't said to Waldorf what exactly I'm writing about, but she's happy that I'm writing. After all that has happened with her scheme go wrong I think she's taking this as a sign of me being done with all things Serena, who by the way I can say I'm over. These days I'm only focused on work, writing, and Waldorf…the W's of my life. Work is great, I feel like I'm putting an imprint on what I want, I feel like I'm actually doing something that matters. I've spent most of my days reading through manuscripts and giving notes on some of the writers that really that I thought were really talented. We had a total of five writers that would write series in the magazine, which was that each issue they would add another chapter to the story, that way they're writing would get the exposure that was necessary while we would feature other works along with the latest articles that had to do with all things writing. I know its not the most thrilling magazine but what Perry was putting together was something that an aspiring writer like myself was grateful for beyond belief. There was a total of four series writers, which did include myself after I had showed my work to Ross for the approval, but there was a spot to be filled. Ross hadn't quite felt confident on who he wanted in the fifth spot but for the life of me I couldn't get a certain writer out of my head. He spoke of things that I thought were significant in this era and for all era's to come, he wrote about the hell that was high school. I know its such a cliché approach to things but the way he…the way he wrote, it just made me feel like I could understand him…like I was reliving all those moments with him. I knew I had to get him. After work, I had made my way down to the bookstore where I was suppose to meet up with Waldorf. As I loosened up my tie, I felt like a kid on Christmas day just waiting to find my present that was her and when my eyes finally lay upon her…I felt like I could have nearly exploded like a firecracker.
"You been here long?" I asked as I took a seat beside her on the floor
"Long enough to realize that this assignment is kicking my ass" Blair replies as I lean in to give her a quick kiss before I begin to rummage through the piles of books she has spread out with the prompt as the main focus
"What do we have?….ooh, Gustave Flaubert. That's a very interesting choice" I smile as I begin to flip through the pages of a book while I could feel her glare try its best to burn through my skin if it could
"Character analysis?" Blair asked me as I looked her like she was joking on this one
"Emma, uses irony to criticize romanticism" I immediately answer her
"She's morally corrupts so of course she'd criticize romance in general" Blair replies "Flaubert states that Emma is me, but the approach is different amongst the author and the character. Flaubert points out its flaw but is still tempted by it" she said as she reached out towards her notebook to jot the answer down that I would dare brag say that I got her to
"Okay, that round goes to you. Round two" I declared as I looked on at the prompt
"Themes" Blair tells me so the round can begin
"Beyond easy, watch and learn sweetheart" I tell her knowing I have this in the bag as she just laughs at me "Failure of the bourgeoisie…" I say before she interrupts me
"Story of your life" Blair laughs to herself
"Inadequacy of language and Powerlessness of women" I smiled at her
"That was a gimme question. Round Three" Blair said as she took a sip of her coffee that were both sharing at this point amongst the piles of books that were surrounded by on the floor
"What role does eating play in the book?" I ask playing off my memory of the last time I read the book
"Eating showed character traits and when she attended the ball, what one ate or how they ate was an indicator of social class" Blair smiled proudly "Next time you throw a curveball you should make sure you can field you get that sweetheart?" she boasted as she knew that was hers. Was it wrong to get turned on by literature discussion and even a baseball metaphor because at this moment I swear she was the hottest thing on this planet…she was like the greatest form of porn in a bookstore.
"Round four" I said moving in closer towards her making it nearly impossible for her to have such a clear mind because at this point we were having the same thoughts
"The bouquet?" Blair asked as if she were having trouble trying to keep her thoughts together
"Are you toying with me Waldorf?" I ask as I couldn't believe she'd ask such a question "Emma's burning of bouquet symbolizes that her desires will consume her youth and eventually her life" I said as the last part we were nearly inches away from each other. With my hand I tucked away the strand of hair that fell on her face and I swore I could have gotten scorched by the electricity between us…it was enough to burn this whole store down if we "Last question Waldorf" I said
"Oh, I really think we should stop because I've got a lot more to do….and us doing that will just throw me off completely" Blair smiled devilishly at me as if she thought by putting on the brakes that it meant she won, but I wouldn't dare admit to that "How was your day?" she then asked with her breath nearly caught in her throat
"It was good. Ross and I aren't exactly seeing eye to eye on the last series writers" I sighed as the hotness of the moment began to wane with thoughts of work
"He didn't like Elliot?" Blair asked
"He's head strong on Yeals. I'm almost have the belief that he's connected to Yeals, like it's a family friend or something and that's why he's going with him" I said
"Elliot's work was amazing. I mean the insight into torturous world of high school makes you almost feel like your back there" Blair sighed as if this were her battle as well with me
"I'd tell Perry but I don't want to cause a stir" I said
"Humphrey your always such the conservative, if you like the piece than you should tell Perry. That's what he's paying you for" Blair stated
"Ross is above me though" I replied
"In your mind. Ross can be removed" Blair smiled
"I don't like that…no mafia phrases or anything along the effects of it. That still scares me when you get all power hungry" I laughed
"It's the truth. I have a suggestion to liven up this Friday post afternoon" Blair tells me
"Somehow I knew you would come up with something for us to do. If Madame Bovary turns you on, I can only imagine the possibilities of Jules Verne…journey to the center of the earth" I smile knowing exactly what she has in mind
"First, science fiction doesn't exactly turn a girl on, not even in the literary sense. What I was going to suggest as to do with your troubles, but it will require you to leave Nancy Reagan approach out of you" Blair said
"What?" I turned to ask
"It's a mixture of a roadtrip and scheming, I call it a divine intervention" Blair said
"Let me translate that because I think I'm understanding you a little better. Divine intervention meaning we go to the so called suburbs and try to convince Eliot to be a series write, then I sneak it in to Perry that way Ross never has to know nor will take credit for it" I said "How'd I do?" I then asked
"Very well. Let me try your response" Blair said "But how are we?…I don't understand how we can get passed Ross?…" she teased with her impersonation of me
"Ha, ha, ha. Nice try. Were you plotting this all throughout the day?" I asked her
"Please, I'm a professional schemer…this was a mere seconds thought. I'm a scheme whore and you…well your still the virgin I remember you as….but your getting kinky though" Blair joked
"To the suburbs" I said as I got up from the floor to extend my hand out to her
"To the suburbs" Blair agreed as she grabbed my hand and allowed me to help her up
"You should have told me earlier…I would have got the car gassed up" I told her
"I always find it hilarious that you think I'm going to get back in that time machine" Blair laughed "Daddy's Range will have to suffice" she said as we put the books away before we made our way out of the bookstore
"Your suppose to humor me, I'm the boyfriend here" I said
"I'm sorry, in what mundane guide did you get that tid bit from?….guide to misogyny or how to get a girl to dump you in ten seconds after the statement is said" Blair said as I just simply laughed
[Blair's P.O.V.]
Yes, we're at another road trip. I guess the open road is getting to me so that I begin to miss it at times. I'd like to believe that my heart will always remain in the city but being out on the open road makes me feel like I can finally access my life. For the first time I feel like I'm in my own skin, like I'm doing things that I want to do without worrying about it all being taken away. Humphrey isn't such a bad boyfriend, okay…he's been a lot of fun being with him. It just feels like we're friends hanging out and having a great time, I love that we can nearly talk about anything and he doesn't get bored with it. I don't know its refreshing to be in a relationship where you can look at what you were and see the change, and now I'm beginning to see it. Earlier on in the week Serena had informed me that Chuck was in Brazil but no other word had gotten out about his whereabouts. She of course called it him trying to be off the grid, but the old Blair would have worried to death about him not at least making a guest appearance on Gossip Girl but…I just didn't care this time around. I mean don't get me wrong, I still care about him but not in that way anymore not like I used to. I would have given up my life to ensure that he would have another breath, but to realize that the person you would have done that for wouldn't do it in return…that's enough to make the reality sink in. When we reach Eliot's house the night time begins to set in, but thankfully this so called road trip was a mere two hours as opposed to the six hour road trip to Buffalo. It's pretty much the typical suburbia setting you'd come to expect at this point as we walk up the driveway towards the door.
"Hello" A teenage boy answers the door and at this point I'm going to take the guess that this boy is Eliot. At first glance I would think he was normal but his appearances causes me to look on much longer than anticipated as if something was familiar to me
"Hi, is Eliot here?" Dan asks as he doesn't seem to catch the hint
"I'm Eliot" Eliot replies
"Hi, I'm Dan Humphrey. I work with Perry Mason on The Writer" Dan says as I begin to realize the originality of the name of the magazine is lacking "I just wanted to talk to you about your story and possibly having you submit your story from a month to month basis" he went on to say
"Yeah, I actually…I don't really want my story to be put in anything. So I'm sorry for wasting your time" Eliot said
"Your story was amazing though. I mean I've read it and I think it has real potential" Dan said
"My story is about the struggles of high school, its pretty cliché don't you think?" Eliot shrugged
"Sometimes the cliché things can lead to a deeper look" Dan said
"High school sucks, that's about as deep as it gets" Eliot replied as I couldn't help but notice his hands and the scars he had on it
"Did you get in a fight?" I asked "Is that amongst the many reasons why high school sucks?" I went on to say
"As you can tell by the shirt, I'm amongst the popular" Eliot replied with much sarcasm in tact as his shirt read Dragon Ball-Z, he could have popular amongst…okay, he's not popular "I get my ass kicked on a regular basis, which fueled the writing that I made a mistake to send out" he said
"I'm sorry to hear that" Dan replies "But writing is a good way to cope, it helps get out of yourself. I can tell you from my own experience that I wasn't popular" he said
"That's refreshing to here, is that all?" Eliot asked "Because I have to get dinner ready for my mom" he said
"Do you mind if we stay?" I then blurt out as they both look at me unexpectedly
"What?" Eliot asked "I don't even know you" he replied
"Which is all true, but I would love a good home cooked meal and Humphrey here can't find a good place to eat for the life of him" I tried to reason with him "Look we just got off the road to come see you and convince you to publish your works, the way I see it…you owe us a meal" I told him almost coming across as demanding towards the end
"Waldorf ?" Dan said as he turned to look at me but I just gave him this look like let me handle this "Excuse my girlfriend, she likes having her way" he grinned like an idiot
"For an outsider you made out well…got the girl" Eliot said
"Thank you" I smiled "I mean I'm taking that as a compliment" I then said just as a car pulled up in the driveway. We all turned our attention towards the woman getting out of the car as she seemed a bit happy to see us. This woman had no idea who we were and she was happy to see us…the suburbs are quite odd I begin to think
"Who are these people Eliot?" The woman asked
"Mom, this is Humphrey and…Waldorf. They want food" Eliot said
"Uh, we're from…" Dan began to say before Eliot interrupted him
"They're friends from the college, you know how I always go up to the library" Eliot lied as Humphrey and I turned our attention towards him in confusion
"I know, I figured they would be from the college library" Eliot's mom smiled "Eliot spends most of his time at the library, he reads and reads…so much so that I think the college thinks he's enrolled there as a student. I'm just glad he's met some friends….if you guys would like to stay for dinner, we have more than enough. We have enough food to feed a country, Eliot always frequents the grocery stores" she said
"I think that they have to get going…" Eliot tried to say before I knew this was my opportunity
"Eliot was just inviting us for a nice home cooked meal" I said as Eliot gave me a wicked glare, which I only knew meant that I had won while Dan just smirked
"Great. I will takeover in the kitchen…Eliot show your friends around" Eliot's mom said before she happily made her way inside leaving the three of us outside
"Just who the hell are you guys?" Eliot asked
"I'm someone who is good at getting what she wants, and I will get you" I threatened him before I made my way past him into the house "Where is the restroom?" I said turning to ask him in the sweetest of voices
"And here I thought when a girl would tell me that I would be turned on" Eliot said as he looked towards Dan
"She's not your typical girl" Dan smiled
"Clearly" Eliot replied
"I'm enjoying this bonding experience, but my bladder is saying otherwise…restroom?" I asked again
"Upstairs, on the right" Eliot said before I headed upstairs to the restroom.
Yeah, I know. Blair Waldorf is going into a strangers restroom, that sounds a bit off seeing as I was the Queen Bee of the upper eastside. Have no fear though because I'm always looking for the motives and this one…well this wasn't about making Eliot go along with becoming a series writer, this was something else that I was in search of. Opening the bathroom door I could see how spotless everything was, how it just gave off the feeling like you could eat on the floor…if it were sanitary. Closing the door behind me I just stood there looking at how clean everything was and just for a moment thought. Realizing that this was all I needed to see, I quickly turned around and made my way out of the restroom. Closing the door behind me, I just leaned up against the door.
[Dan's P.O.V.]
To say Waldorf was valuable to me in my personal life and professional was beyond a true statement, it was becoming a fact. At first when she proposed this last minute trip I just thought it was her try at helping me out with my career because I had done so with hers, but now I realized that it was through her determination is what made me feel like I could actually convince Eliot to do this. Eliot by any means wasn't what I expected but he appeared to be a kid on the outs and just needed something to help him cope with the terrors of high school. Something inside of me felt for him because I remember feeling like high school was just a popularity contest that I hadn't even got to enter into. I believe in his work because I believe he has a voice that can reach the youth of high school and junior high if need be because we all have those days where nothing seems to go right and we just to appear the way we want ourselves to. At dinner, Eliot's mother had pretty much made all the conversations while Eliot just grumbled to himself and picked at his food. On occasion when we had all engaged in conversation he would eat, even grab some more food…I guess he was trying to busy himself so that he wouldn't have to talk but his mom made it hard. I was a bit puzzled as to why Eliot would lie about who we were but if it got us the chance to talk then I didn't care.
"So how did you all meet?" Eliot's mom asked as we all looked at each other nervously
"We met at the college, I told you all ready" Eliot replied
"What he meant to say is that we met in the library, but he occasionally comes to the school and we all grab lunch during our breaks" Blair said
"Yeah, that's what I meant to say" Eliot replied sarcastically to himself
"I always knew Eliot would do better with the older kids, the younger kids his age tend to be a bit mean and not understanding to him" Eliot's mom said
"Eliot surpasses the average high schooler, his knowledge is surprising…he's actually quite the writer" I said as Eliot just looked at me
"I see him jot down stuff but I never thought he'd be interested in it. Is that what you guys bond over?….the writing stuff?" Eliot's mom asked
"Among other things" Blair replied "College does tend to open the mind to new experiences" she said
"Yes, it does" Eliot's mom laughed "Eliot's probably going to hate me for saying this, but have you guys encouraged him to go to his prom?" she asked as Eliot quickly turned to his mother in surprise
"Mom?" Eliot said in disbelief that she would even say that to complete strangers that he was pretending to be friends with
"Prom? No, he hasn't mentioned that" I said
"And I never will. I don't want to go" Eliot said "As I've told you a million times" he said
"I think it's a great event to go to. My prom wasn't exactly the greatest but I had a lot of fun with friends" Blair said
"That's wonderful, maybe you should go back" Eliot replied
"Eliot! You don't talk that way to your friends" Eliot's mom scolded him as the table got silent
"You shouldn't have said anything" Eliot griped at his mother
"I just…I want you to enjoy being a teenager. Not sitting in your room alone all the time. He hardly sleeps because he's always walking the floor at night…" Eliot's mom said
"Mom? Really!" Eliot yelled
"I'm a mother, I'm suppose to worry about you!" Eliot's mom replied trying to get it through to him that she was just trying to figure him out while Blair and I just sat there feeling as if we entered into something that we couldn't get out of
"Could you guys please go, clearly my mother has lost her mind…so you should go" Eliot asked as his mother just looked at us as if she didn't want us to go
"There the only friends you've got Eliot, you shouldn't be so rude" Eliot's mother said trying not to cry before Eliot quickly rose to his feet in frustration
"Can I talk to you?" Blair asked looking over at Eliot
"Oh, God no!" Eliot griped as I was wondering what Blair was up to because it seemed like she was really trying to make this happen for me, but at this point I didn't think it was the best time to push him to do something when he was just trying to push away from everyone else. Grabbing her hand she gave me a look before she just looked back over at Eliot
"I just want to talk to you, then we'll be gone" Blair said
"You don't have to leave" Eliot's mother said as she began to wipe away her tears
"Please" Blair said as Eliot seemed to calm down
"Fine, but you leave afterwards" Eliot said
[Blair's P.O.V.]
It was becoming all too much. I mean Eliot was clearly upset with all things that his mother was bringing up. I don't even know this kid and I'm pacing the floor like he's my kid or something, damn you Humphrey! I immediately think to myself as blaming Humphrey is the easiest route…its something I can focus on and seriously narrow down the reasons as to why I'm pissed. Eliot walks over towards the fireplace and just waits for me to say something as he just looks on at me. What the hell am I suppose to say?…okay, I really have to say something now because I'm starting to look like an idiot. Before I can even attempt to say anything, I glance over to see pictures of Eliot through out the years and my eyes zero in on the fact…his cheeks. I swear I know I sound like an insane person but I can't help but notice his cheeks have gotten fuller like he has a chipmunk face or something. In that moment as I looked on I knew that I had to say something because it was clear that no one else could see it but me.
"If you were just going to be on mute than you could have just left" Eliot told me
"How long?" I asked after I took a couple glances around to see that we were truly along
"How long what?" Eliot asked confused as to what I was talking about. Noticing how he was looking at me I began to notice that maybe that wasn't the best approach
"I'm sorry. I…your bathroom is really clean" I then said
"Okay, you've officially hit the weird button" Eliot said as he motioned to walk over to the door
"I know" I told him
"You know what?" Eliot asked me with anger weighing heavily in his voice
"I know your little secret" I said as I approached him. For a moment Eliot just stood motionless as if he were trying to challenge me but once he saw that I wasn't backing down he just panicked
"You should really go" Eliot replied
"You know what your doing is only going to cause more harm than good. You'll do it so much that you try to convince yourself it's the only way…but I'm pretty sure your at that point since your lying is down to perfection with your mother" I told him
"Enlighten me as to what your talking about because…" Eliot said trying to act like he had no idea
"All right, I'll enlighten you. The remarkably clean bathroom…" I said
"We tend to be clean around here, I don't know if that's foreign to you" Eliot said sarcastically
"The scars on your knuckles" I then said
"I was in a fight, I get my ass kicked regularly…good times all the way around" Eliot replied
"How you were at the dinner table when you thought no one was looking, and your cheeks…just admit it" I told him as he clenched his fist tight as he tried to hold back the tears wondering how in the hell a stranger could figure him out "Your bulimic" I said feeling as if when I said it that I was admitting it to myself as well. Moving closer towards me, Eliot looked around to make sure that we were still alone before he motioned to speak
"Please…please don't tell" Eliot struggled to say
"I'm not going to, its not my secret to tell…but you really need to get some help because your killing yourself by doing this" I said
"No! no, no. I don't…I don't want to get help or even talk about this because…" Eliot said as he gasped for air until he just couldn't stop the tears that were falling
"It's okay" I comforted him as I put my hand on his shoulder and in that moment he just trembled at the feel of a touch
"I'm really manly now, huh? I'm a fat ass that throws up his food" Eliot joked about himself as he tried to laugh away the tears "I'm the loser that gets his ass kicked just for fun, and lies to his mom about complete strangers" he said
"It's understandable" I replied
"What is understandable about that? I mean really? What makes that understandable?" Eliot asked in disbelief as he had to control his anger so that Dan or his mother wouldn't hear
"Because" I said trying to find the words as I didn't want to reveal
"Like you'd even know what I'm going through" Eliot said "Look at yourself, I bet you were one of the popular kids who picked on the fat asses of the school like me" he said as I didn't want to confirm nor deny the statement just yet "Yeah, its understandable all right. Give me a break! Nothing is understandable about that" he glared at me as if he were upset with me for making him admit his secret. Before I could even respond, Dan and his mother had come in to join us while Eliot did all he could to conceal his tears
"Are you two done talking?" Eliot's mom asked
"Yeah, we're done" Eliot replied as he turned his back towards everyone so they wouldn't see his face
"Yeah, we're just about done" I said making sure that a tear hadn't fallen from my eyes as well before turning to face a concerned Dan. If he were to be paid by how concerned he was at this moment, Humphrey would have been a millionaire right now
"What were you two talking about?" Eliot's mother asked
"We were talking about school mom" Eliot quickly replied
"Oh, about the prom?" Eliot's mother asked happily as she totally misunderstood the response but then it dawned on me
"No, we weren't talking about the stupid prom" Eliot replied
"Yeah, we were" I quickly said as Eliot just laughed in disbelief at me
"What is with you people" Eliot said
"We haven't been honest with you. The reason why me and Humphrey came over was because…because I'm Eliot's date to the prom" I told her as Dan just looked at me with all the confusion in the world in his face while Eliot just stood shocked "I just wanted to make sure that Eliot was serious, and we talked…so I really want to go with him now" I smiled as his mother just smiled from ear to ear
"What? Your going to your prom…Eliot, that's great. That's just wonderful. It's a little last minute but we have so much to do" Eliot's mother said as she walked around the room so excitedly
"You mind telling me what's going on?" Dan whispered to me
"I'll explain" I whispered back before I turned towards Eliot, who just looked at his mother
[Dan's P.O.V]
After leaving Eliot's house, we had been pretty tired since leaving so we ended up getting a hotel for the night to avoid the drive back to the loft. While in the car, Waldorf hadn't said much as if she were thinking heavily about what she had just committed herself to and frankly at this point I didn't know what she was committing herself to. Waldorf was complicated beyond belief to me but this…this just swept me by surprise, I never took her as one that so willing to close a deal that she would go to another high school prom. Sitting up in the bed flipping through the channels on the television, I couldn't help notice Blair diligently sit in front of the mirror brushing her hair. It was such a graceful action that seemed to have so much care behind it when most would have probably rushed through it. There she sat just brushing away at her hair and I couldn't tear my eyes off of her. Usually we would be sitting up watching movies or talking about any thought that popped into the others mind but I could tell something else was wrong with her.
"You know you don't have to go to prom tomorrow if you don't want to" I told her as she still brushed her hair
"I want to" Blair replied
"Yeah, but why? I mean I know you were all gung ho on getting Eliot for me, but this is a bit much" I said as I crawled down to the foot of the bed to look on at her more clearly
"Eliot is a sweet kid, who has a mother than so desperately wants him to be normal. I figured if I went with him to prom that she would be happy and leave him alone, in return he'd be opened to working with you" Blair said
"That's great, but I don't want my girlfriend to offer herself up on behalf of me….that's not how I do business" I told her "He may do that to you, but I'm not going to… so if your going to prom is because of me then I don't want you" I said
"Your ego is not becoming of you" Blair sighed as she got up from her chair and made her way over to the bed "You should be proud that I'm being so nice to Eliot, the old me wouldn't have" she said as she took a seat at the head of the bed while I looked over at her
"The old you wouldn't have even gotten in the car with me, but is this really about you being nice? I mean I feel like there is something more. Like what happened when you two talked in the living room" I asked her
"I told you, we talked about prom" Blair said which I knew was a complete lie even before she opened her mouth
"The prom? Blair, you barely knew Eliot and your all of sudden planning what your going to be wearing to prom due to his mother" I replied trying to get her to open up
"Is this something we really have to talk about? I mean you've made it clear…you don't want me going to prom with Eliot if its because of you, point made. I'm still going, so its over with" Blair replied
"This argument?" I asked
"No, this is not an argument because an argument takes two people. This person is tired and has to get up early because she's going to prom" Blair told me as she pulled the covers on herself while I still lay at the foot of the bed
"So we're just done discussing this?" I asked again
"Yes, Humphrey. We're done discussing this" Blair sighed
"You know this really upsets me that your not even allowing me to argue…" I said before she immediately shoved me out of the bed as all I could do was laugh
"There, we argued. You lost. Sleep on the floor" Blair said as she got comfortable in the bed once again
"Fine. Go to prom, but I'm getting a dance" I told her as I attempted to get off the floor
"Don't even think about getting in the bed, I meant what I said" Blair threatened once again as I just laid back on the floor realizing that I really had been kicked out of the bed
"Can I at least have a pillow?" I asked as I leaned forward slightly only to be knocked back down by the pillow she hit me with
[Blair's P.O.V]
I never really knew what the big deal about prom was, I mean my prom was all right but it wasn't the biggest event of my life like I thought it would be. Of course my biggest memory of prom was winning the crown, but I'm sure there was some girl out there who truly would have loved to win and thought of that moment as the greatest thing that ever happened to her. I guess that's what I'm starting to realize is that the things that I feel are nothing was someone's something. It was a bit weird getting ready for prom all over again with Humphrey, but strangely enough it was fun to do this with him…it was like we were sort of going together. When we had finally made it to Eliot's house, I thought Eliot's mother would have been dressed and ready to go because her happiness couldn't be denied. Seeing her son do something that every normal kid his age should have been doing seemed like a relief to her, like she wasn't failing as a mother since the biggest secret he was keeping from her could be the very one she'd blame herself for…at times it was hard to look her in the eyes because I knew the secret, hell I knew it better than anyone it seemed. As the usual tradition, Eliot and I had taken pictures together as I couldn't help but smile at his suit that he managed to put together at last minute…along with the tickets his mom managed to get from a PTA member…yeah, she was overly excited. Eliot seemed to have protest at first when we first arrived at the prom but once everyone saw that he was actually with a girl, it was like he had become the man. I'll never understand a boys mind to think another is the man due to the fact that they bring an older woman, it's a bit odd to me on that front but I was happy to oblige his wish. On the occasion when I was dancing, I was glad to see that Dan was participating rather than sulky that he was here. He didn't have to say much but I could tell by the ways Dan was looking at me that he was truly proud of me and knew that this wasn't about getting Eliot to become a series writer…this was just about doing something for someone else, and that was always up his alley. Oh, God…I think Humphrey is truly rubbing off on me. I do have to admit that I'm looking forward to our dance though, our dance at prom. Stepping out on the balcony for some fresh air, Eliot couldn't manage to shake the smile he had plastered on his face.
"Some of the guys in there are honestly buying the fact that your like…my girlfriend or something" Eliot told me as I just smiled
"You could meet someone…well I can't say someone like me because there is only one me" I replied "But I think you're a great guy who any girl would be lucky to have" I then said
"That's such a cliché line" Eliot replied
"That's all I have" I told him
"Figures" Eliot shrugged "Why'd you do this? I mean you barely know me and its clearly made my mom's day…but why me? After what you know?" he asked
"Because I, Eliot probably would have been one of those people picking on you" I replied
"That's nothing shocking, look at you" Eliot said
"Yeah, and sometimes looking at me was a problem as well…just like you" I said as Eliot looked at me as if he finally started to catch on "We're more alike than you realize" I said trying not to cry
"So is this you trying to save me or something? because if you do the same thing than you have no room to judge me" Eliot asked
"No, this is me trying to show you that there are good people out there that will like you for you. It took a girl like me to learn that lesson and when I finally did I was able to see that my problem was the only thing wrong with me, not the other way around. It's not a solution to anything as much as we'd like to think" I told him as a moment of silence came between us making it more clear to me that I was starting to sound like a public service announcement
"And you? Do you still?" Eliot asked me
"Not anymore. I had a slip up almost a year ago, but…I don't anymore. I'm not perfect and I don't want to be all preachy about it" I told him
"And the clean restroom? How was that a sign?" Eliot asked
"When I would…I would always clean up so that it looked normal. I felt like if my restroom was spotless that I in return did something normal…it was all about making myself believe that what I was doing was okay even if it was a simple thing as being a neat freak when it came to my restroom" I replied "Besides, what boy keeps a clean restroom…it was either that or you were batting for another team, which is fine by me" I then said
"You don't do the pep talks that often, do you?" Eliot asked
"I didn't do the whole warm and fuzzy part so well, so excuse the subtle jabs" I warned him
"Just as long as you don't mind the sarcasm" Eliot said
"I welcome the sarcasm, it makes this less awkward…you know, talking about our little problem" I replied
"What made you stop?" Eliot asked as he was becoming more intrigued with my story
"Me" I simply replied "The more confident I became with myself, and realized what I was doing…I stopped me" I then said
"Really, I thought you were going to give me that cliché answer of Humphrey helped me stop" Eliot joked
"Yeah, well being in a stable secretive relationship helps" I said as Eliot looked at me with confusion written all over his face "Don't even ask, just go with it" I then said
"You think me projecting my rebellious anger in story about this hell we call high school will help?" Eliot turned to ask me
"You had a better outlet than I did, so yes, I do think it will help" I replied as he contemplated for a moment
"All right, I'll give it a shot" Eliot agreed
"Good, that's really good. Humphrey will be glad to hear that" I said "And if you ever want talk to someone about it, I know someone you can go to" I told him
"Can I come to you?" Eliot asked as if he were a little boy desperate for some sort of comfort. Although I never proclaimed myself to be the caring and generous person like Humphrey or even Serena for that matter, I knew that in my heart if I could help one person with the same thing I was dealing with then maybe it'll help me realize that my mistakes could turn into something positive for someone.
"Yeah, we can e-mail" I smiled at him as I took his hand "You should consider yourself lucky, there's only few people I e-mail" I then stated with my usual snark knowing that we were very much alike in the wit department
"I'll be sure to send you a Hallmark card" Eliot replied sarcastically "Should I write a heartfelt message or co-sign what they put?" he asked with a bit of laughter towards the end and I had to say that over the course of a day…that was the first time I heard him laugh
[Dan's P.O.V.]
I'm on cloud nine right now. Eliot agreed to keep submitting his work, making him my official series writer. I feel like I could jump up to the heavens with happiness because this is just unbelievable. There is no way I could go without thanking Waldorf in all of this, without her constant belief that she was going to get Eliot, I don't think he would have even given me the time of day. Deep down I was just so ecstatic that she believed in me this much, but I knew it was something else that was going on with her…something more than her support of my job, but just something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. After the prom we hung out a little with Eliot before taking him back home so we could hit the highway, but the whole ride back she would just occasionally look over at my direction as if she wanted to tell me something…something that seemed to bothering her deeply. I wanted so bad to just say come out with all ready because I just wanted to fix whatever it was that was bothering her but I knew that if I forced her to talk then it would have been harder for her to open up to me. When we finally made it back to Brooklyn, we were both in desperate need of a nice hot shower and just rest because it was just a day full of non-stop activity. She hopped in the shower first because I just wanted her to relax and get her mind right, while I just cleaned up a bit so if she did decide to go to bed it wouldn't be a complete mess. Putting away my clothes in the drawer I could hear her coming down the hall and entering into the doorway before I turned to look at her. Usually she would have made an sexual advance at me but something just felt so different about this moment that when I focused on her long enough, she just eventually broke down into tears. Rushing over to her side, I helped her over to the bed and swore that I was going to make her talk because I had to know at this point what was going on with her.
"Hey. Hey, what's going on with you?" I soothingly asked as I wiped away the tears
"I'm such a mess. I feel like a mess right now" Blair cried
"Why? You look beautiful to me" I laughed finding it a bit odd that a beauty like her thought so low of herself "Waldorf, tell me what's going on? I know something has been bothering you" I then said again
"I'm just worried about Eliot. I'm afraid he's going to say a smartass comment that's going to get him pummeled" Blair cried
"He's got a lot of wit, I'm sure its bound to happen…but I think he's also a very smart kid that has a lot to offer" I told her "But it has to be more than Eliot that's got you so upset" I said
"Humphrey, I'm not some cold hearted person! I capable of caring about others" Blair snapped at me
"I know that, and I didn't mean it like that…" I said before she cut me off
"Yes, you did. You think I'm just some cold hearted ice queen from the Upper Eastside…that's what you always thought of me" Blair yelled as she was really starting to scare me "I'm sick of people thinking I'm just some spoiled princess" she snarled at me
"The only one who thinks that is you" I replied "Did I think that way about you at one point, yes…but I was an idiot and I didn't know you. Now…well now, I'm crazy about you. Waldorf you're the best part of my day and the part I look forward to" I told her
"Spare me Humphrey" Blair said as she tried to push past me but I just grabbed onto her so she couldn't move while she just began to kick and scream "Let go of me!….Let go of me!….I don't need this, let go of me you asshole!" she screamed putting up a good protest, which was getting harder to hold by the minute
"No. Your going to talk to me" I grunted as I had to tighten my grip "So call me every name in the book but I'm not letting you go because this is just you trying to push me away" I said
"Did this crap work on Serena because its not working!" Blair said as she began to kick back at me while I did all I could to endure the pain that she was directing to my leg "I'm not Serena, and I never will be!" she screamed
"And I don't want you to be. I've told you this Waldorf" I replied as I pulled us back on to the bed so that her kicks would lose direction as she just needed to vent out the frustration she apparently had pent up in her "I'm not going anywhere" I whispered to her as she slowly began to calm down through the anger
"Shut up! Don't say that to me because it's a lie" Blair yelled through the tears
"Believe what you want but I'm not going. So you can bitch at me all you want but I'm gonna still be here" I replied to remark as she finally just stopped but the tears flooded. Rocking her back and forth, I just held her for what felt like hours to let her know that getting rid of me wouldn't be that easy "I'm here. I'm right here" I whispered to her
"You won't be when I tell you" Blair cried
"Tell me what? Waldorf you have to tell me because at this point your just making up the rules for me, I can handle whatever you have to tell me" I replied as I just tried to prepare myself for whatever she had to say in hopes that it wouldn't be bad
"I'm so ashamed" Blair said muffled through tears "And you'll be to" she cried
"No, I won't but you have to tell me" I said as I just held her even closer
"The reason why Eliot and I bonded was because…." Blair said gasping for air as all the crying had taken its toll on her breathing "Because we both had eating disorders…bulimia, to be exact" she said as I just rocked her back and forth while I just tried to process what she had just told me. Giving her a light kiss against the back of her neck to let her know that I wasn't freaked out during the silence…I just wondered what I should say because I had never been in this situation before. I've never dated someone who had a eating disorder or use to…does she still have it, I then thought to myself.
"Look, I don't know what to say about this" I said before she tried to pull away thinking that I couldn't deal
"I shouldn't have said anything" Blair cried as I pulled her towards me once again
"But nothing changes. Nothing changes because I still care about you, I still want to be with you" I told her "I never asked for perfection, and I don't want perfect. I just want you. If your still dealing with this or just had a flashback to it then we'll deal but we're doing this together" I said as I let my grip go before I slowly got up from the bed to look back at her
"This isn't…this isn't something we can both do, this is my problem" Blair said
"Your problems are my problems" I quickly replied "So you can't use that excuse on me" I said before I turned towards my bag and pulled out a plastic ring that I got out of a vending machine. Pulling it out of the wrapper, I quickly grabbed her hand and slid the ring on halfway
"Your not proposing are you?" Blair asked as she began to freak out even more
"No, I'm not proposing….well, technically no" I said realizing what the purpose of the ring was
"Then what are you doing?" Blair asked as she looked at me
"Will you let me explain, I'm trying to tell you what the purpose of the ring…will you just shut up for a minute Waldorf…" I told her before I all ready knew what she was going to tell me after that "I know I shouldn't say that to you but I want you to hear me out" I said as I looked her dead in the eyes "We've both got our demons and our hang ups but this ring is not me trying to propose marriage. This ring is me trying to propose the idea or a promise that I will protect your heart. It's a promise that I will fight for you, believe in you, be there through the good and the bad, confide in you, be honest with you, laugh when you tell the punch line wrong, make your coffee the way you like, watch Breakfast at Tiffany's with you, annoy you, bicker with you, to have literary sex with you, hold you when you just want to cry, listen to you, and at this rate…fall and stay in love with you. So Waldorf, I promise to do all those things because nothing you tell me will make me think less of you" I told her
"That's a lot of stuff to live up to…Humphrey you barely even remember to set the alarm clock" Blair told me
"Yeah, well…your worth remembering" I smiled "So will you accept?" I asked her
"Does it have to be this ring? I mean could we possibly take a trip to Tiffany's and find something…" Blair said trying to embrace my gesture but the Waldorf in her couldn't help but come out, and at this point I was just glad to hear it
"Waldorf!" I said
"Yes. I will accept this ring from Bubba's toy factory" Blair commented as she looked on at the ring and I just couldn't help but laugh
"Oh my God, your so damn difficult" I laughed
"Hey, this is the bickering part your suppose to be here for" Blair laughed as the tears were slowly fading away at the laughter was shining like the sun in the rain
"Yes, this would be the bickering part" I acknowledged "And I look forward to it" I replied
"Good because I'm wearing this ring if you don't plan to stick by your promises" Blair teased before I just leaned forward to pull her into a kiss
"I wouldn't dream of it" I laughed as I broke the kiss "I didn't really get to scheme that much" I then said as she laughed
"It appears your v-card is still in tact. Your such a late bloomer Humphrey" Blair teased
"Late bloomer? I was good my first time" I reasoned "You even said I did a good job" I pointed out
"I was faking...would you like to hear a good job after sex?" Blair asked as I took a moment to think
"Okay, maybe your right...but I rocked your world the first time" I smiled
"And then you woke up from your fantasy" Blair laughed as we both just laid back on the bed bickering back and forth until we eventually just fell asleep in each others arms.
Author's Note: Sorry that it took so long, tests got in the way :( Thank you for reading and the great reviews :)