Chapter Three


This chapter loosely follows How To Succeed in Bassness (3x07)

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Jenny stood in her room, sorting out the mess that was her bed. There were boxes and boxes of clothes that she had to go through. Thankfully, Lily had offered to assist her.

"Jenny, please let me go through this closet," she practically begged. "There's no room for your new things."

She held up an old dress that Jenny hadn't worn in years and asked, "Does this even fit you anymore?"

"Yes," Jenny answered, taking the dress out of Lily's hands and hanging it back into her wardrobe. "Perfectly. All of it does."

Those dresses were all apart of her old life, one that she didn't ever want to forget. Just because she had moved into a penthouse in Manhattan didn't mean that she was going to leave her old life in Brooklyn without looking back. Even if that dress Lily had pointed out no longer fitted her, Jenny wanted to keep it as a reminder of her roots. After all, no matter how hard you tried, you simply couldn't erase your past.


"So, Rufus asked my size this morning. Does this mean I'm getting a flannel?" Eric joked.

Jenny shot him a grin as they wandered outside the Met. "No. He's just a costume enthusiast. He likes Halloween more than Christmas and his birthday."

"His own birthday?" Eric asked, feigning a gasp.

"I know right! He takes it way too seriously, if you ask me. So, we have to find a party, otherwise I swear he's gonna make us hand out candy dressed as the Octababies."

Eric diverted his attention elsewhere. "Uh, speaking of creepy social anomalies," he said, pointing at Jenny's social-climbing minions. Her eyes followed the direction of his finger and watched as the girls battled over a yogurt pot.

"The last time you handed her the yogurt, there was a spoonful missing," Carmen told Jane in a condescending tone. She snatched the pot out of the meek girl's hands. "I'll give it this time."

"Uh oh, I smell a cat-fight," Eric said, letting out a low whistle. Jenny nudged him in the ribs, amazed by his incessant need for sarcasm.

"This isn't funny," she moaned, "they're insane! How am I going to change that?"

"You'll find a way," Eric said, patting her shoulder. "You always do. I'm going to go find Jonathan, now. Your kingdom awaits."

"Ugh, don't leave me."

"You look queentastic." He gave her a final pat in reassurance and left.

Mentally bracing herself, Jenny straightened her shoulders and sauntered over to her minions, who upon her arrival dropped all conversation and ran over to her eagerly.

"Your yogurt with almonds," Carmen said, presenting the yogurt pot as if it were some prestige award. "It's all there this time, I checked."

Jenny was about to thank her but stopped herself. Instead, she glared down at the pot as if it had personally offended her and asked, "Are there skin on these almonds?"

She deftly handed it back to the girl and said, "Fix it, and in a timely fashion, otherwise you're all going as the Real Housewives of New Jersey for Halloween."

With a gulp, the girls retreated. Feeling ashamed of herself, Jenny walked up the Met steps, only to find Eric and Jonathan already there.

"Jenny," Jonathan happily called out, "you should come to the Village with us."

"Sure, I'd love to," she said, settling onto the step above them. "What are you guys doing sitting up here?"

The sun shone in Eric's face as he squinted at her. "The birds decided to use our usual place as a restroom."

"Oh, gross."

"You don't mind us being here, do you?" Jonathan asked. "I know about the whole no-one's-supposed-to-sit-above-the-queen rule that's followed religiously."

"No worries," Jenny said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Are you sure?" Eric asked. "What if the girls think us sitting with you is a sign of weakness?"

"I could care less. Honestly, Eric, you're my brother, of course I'd choose you. You guys are welcome to sit wherever you want, and technically I am sitting above you. And, since I'm queen, the others would just have to suck it up."

The concern didn't leave Eric's face though Jonathan appeared happy by her decision. When her minions eventually returned with a fresh yogurt pot, they threw sour glances at the boys but other than that, they didn't say anything. If they considered it a sign of weakness, they didn't let it on. Instead, they gushed over Jenny and her latest fashion creation, no doubt trying to secure their positions on the social ladder.


Chemistry was, in Jenny's opinion, a colossal waste of time. Why did she have to take a class which had nothing to do with her future aspirations? As usual, she zoned out while the teacher lectured the class. She was dragged back to reality, however, when she felt someone jab her arm.

"What?" she snapped at the offender, who in turn gave her a sheepish look.

"Sorry. We're supposed to be lab partners." The girl held out a hand, waiting for Jenny to shake it. Jenny studied the girl carefully, from her pink hair down to the doc martens she was wearing, and found that she admired the girl's style.

"I'm Anna," the pink-haired girl introduced herself as Jenny shook her hand.

"Jenny," she said with a nod.

"I know who you are."

"Alright then. What are we supposed to be doing?" Jenny asked, opening up her textbook. She snuck a peek at the board and turned it to the according page.

"We're meant to be performing the oxidase test," Anna said, scrunching her nose. "Honestly, I was barely paying attention."

Jenny snickered. "Same, and here I was hoping at least one of us did."

"Guess we'll have to improvise," Anna said, removing the stopper from the oxidase solution. She pushed the box of capillary tubes towards Jenny, who picked one up and observed it as if it were a foreign object.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Dip it into the bacteria plate and then dip it into the oxidase solution," Anna instructed, reading from the textbook.

Jenny complied and watched as the solution started bubbling.

"Whoa, that's awesome!" she said, amazed. "Anna, you should really have a go at this, it's so fun!"

She glanced up and noticed Anna watching her studiously. Once the girl realised Jenny had caught her, she quickly shook her head and focused back onto the experiment. Jenny frowned, wondering what that was about.

Working at a fast pace, the duo finished ten minutes earlier than expected. Since they had nothing to do before the bell rang, Jenny decided to get to know the girl. After all, she would be her lab partner for the remainder of the year.

"I really like your hairstyle," Jenny complimented. "I would never be brave enough to go for a shocking pink."

"Thanks," Anna said, running her hand through a couple strands. She seemed hesitant, as if she couldn't believe she was actually talking to Jenny. "I was initially going to go as a redhead, but I'm glad I settled for pink."

"It really suits you."

Anna smiled. "You know, you're different than how I expected you'd be."

"Oh?" Jenny quirked a brow. "How so?"

"Not so stuck up," Anna said, shrugging her shoulders. "I heard rumors that you had a stick up your ass, but you seem quite down to earth to me."

Jenny blinked, unsure if she should take that as a compliment or not.

"Um, thanks?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean that in a rude way! I apologise if it came across like that," Anna babbled. "What I meant is that as queen, I expected you to be more like what's-her-face from last year. Now she was a real piece of work. But you're much nicer."

Now that was a compliment. Laughter escaped Jenny's mouth, and just like that, she had made a new friend.


"I'm telling you, Eric. They're driving me crazy. I cannot wait for this all to be over," Jenny said, adding the finishing touches to her costume.

"Tell me about it," Eric muttered. "Since Jonathan and I sat with you this morning, they've been glaring at me since. I think they wanna crucify us or something."

Looking in the mirror, Jenny sighed. It felt as though something was missing from her outfit, but she couldn't think of what.

"Here." Eric handed her a black fedora. She put it on, and the effect was instant. Her costume no longer looked like a prison jumpsuit but now a chic 1920's gangster. She absolutely loved it.

"At least we're free from them tonight," she assured him. Although she was allowed to invite anyone she wanted, she wasn't stupid enough to go through with it. If she had, she'd be stuck on queen duty all night and would miss out on all the fun. Besides, she needed some quality time with Eric and Jonathan, especially since she barely hung out with them at school.

In the living room, Jenny spotted her father dressed as one of the Ramones. He was holding a bucket of candy and was grinning from ear-to-ear in excitement. Jenny suspected he might have had some candy himself and was currently experiencing a sugar rush.

"I still think you would make a great Joey," he told her. "The gangster costume is so 1920's."

"Ha-ha," she deadpanned. "How much sugar have you had?"

Rufus grinned, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Nice try, Dad. We both know about the intense sugar rush you get every Halloween." She scanned the room for her stepmother. "Lily!"


The party was in full swing by the time they arrived. The band played some fiery tunes, bubbles were in the air and the flappers danced like there was no tomorrow. The atmosphere was absolutely buzzing with life. Chuck had done an amazing job, it really did feel like a speakeasy.

Jenny walked around looking for someone to talk to since Eric and Jonathan were otherwise preoccupied. With no one around, she picked up a champagne flute and took a sip.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" asked the familiar baritone voice.

Jenny froze mid-sip, but was quick to regain her composure. "Nope," she said, glaring at the boy. "Don't have one."

Her answer seemed to have amused him, the corners of his lips twitched upwards. "Either way, you really shouldn't be drinking."

"Oh, come on, Chuck. We both know you were practically the poster child for underage drinking," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, it's a speakeasy. What's the point, otherwise?"

"Fair enough," he said before checking his wristwatch. "Enjoy the party, although it won't last much longer."

Frowning, she didn't even have time to decipher what he had meant. As soon as Chuck left, he was soon replaced by Nate, who asked her if she wanted to dance. With a grin, she agreed.

"It's been a while, Jenny," he said, twirling her around. She giggled as she fell back onto him. Nate was fun to be around, she always had a good time. Ever since her silly crush on him last year, Jenny had swiftly moved on and found that they were better off as friends. No longer was she so tense around him and was now able to enjoy herself.

"Well, things have been hectic lately, with you in college and me as queen."

Nate chuckled as he spun her around the dance floor. "And how's your queen duties going?"

"Terrible," she admitted. "It's hard following Blair's legacy when it's not the kind I want."

"Bummer. But you and I both know that you'd make a great queen with the way you want to rule. Just follow your instinct and don't try to live up to other people's expectations." At the last part, Jenny knew he was referring to his own experiences. In the past, Nate had continually tried to maintain the image as the golden boy. Up until it burnt him out, that is.

"Thanks, Nate. I'll keep that in mind."


"Hey, kids. How was the party?" Lily asked as they entered the penthouse. Jenny and Eric exchanged amused glances.

"It was fun," Jenny started.

"Up until it got busted," Eric finished.

Lily's eyes widened before she scrambled for her phone. "Oh, Charles," she muttered, dialling his number. Jenny was so glad she wasn't in his shoes right now, he was about to receive the lecture of a lifetime.

Back in her room, Jenny stared at her reflection once more. Taking off her costume pearls and fedora, she smiled. She may be living in Manhattan, but she was still the girl from Brooklyn.

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