chapter THIRTYTWO.

Blair walked with a new bounce in her step as she left her mother's penthouse halfway through the party. She thought it would seem so much more mysterious and wistful of her to just disappear halfway through the benefit, leaving Kati and Isabel and Jenny wondering where on earth she'd gone off to. . . And besides, that's what Eleanor Waldorf got for trying to embarass her daughter so terribly in front of a room full of close friends.

Blair tossed her wavy brown hair over her shoulder and pushed through the beautifully-crafted front gate of their building, her sleek red pair of Marc Jacobs clonking against the pavement rather loudly in the dead of night. Most people were indoors hiding from the slight drizzle that hailed from the sky while others were probably busy having sex with their lovers to burn off extra calories, holed up in internet cafes sipping warm cups of coffee, or attending Eleanor's boring little soiree.

The young brunette had far more important things to do however, like revel over her newfound victory over Jenny Humphrey yet again by strolling through the city and gasping its fresh air. Later on she'd stop by the Three Guys Cafe and reward herself with an all-natural bagel and tall latte, but for now she decided to walk through Central Park since it was on her way. She turned the corner to the gate off Fifth Avenue and her heels stopped making hollow clicks against the pavement, because she was now walking along the soft path of the Park, a thick January gust blowing through the area.

A woman who looked about fourty was walking through the park as well. Normally Blair would be a bit terrified, since it was almost two in the morning and seemed more than a little creepy to be strolling through Central Park in pitch blackness, but when she noticed the innocent little poodle the woman was walking, a wave of relief washed over her. The poodle was wearing a tiny red sweater with a matching miniature scarf, telling Blair immediately that the old woman certainly wasn't some psycho killer out for fresh seventeen-year-old blood.

Blair rolled her eyes as the dog stopped to pee and she decided to stray off the dedicated path of the park. She climbed up one of its small grassy hills instead - which turned out to be more difficult than she'd anticipated, given that she hadn't factored her Marc Jacobs into the equation at first. She ran a hand through her hair and then slowly walked through the trimmed grass until she stood at the center of the hill.

The view was breathtaking.

Sure, the city lights of Manhattan were as gorgeous as ever, but that was more of an attraction for the tourists - Blair Waldorf was certainly no tourist and was far more interested in the clear night sky with its starry twinkles streaked throughout. She tipped her head back to get a closer look but then she heard nearby footsteps coming towards her. . . And damn, she'd forgotten her mase in her Gucci bag. This was her Louis Vuitton, which contained just her AmEx, lip gloss, and eye shadow.

She turned to see who it was and to her surprise, Chuck popped into view. She had to squint a bit to make him out in the darkness of the night, but his twinkling eyes and rustled dark hair and defined chin were all dead giveaways - Chuck Bass indeed. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was hoarse and defeated, despite the fact she'd just emerged victorious from her party.

He looked her up and down quickly, as if hoping she wouldn't notice him doing so. "I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"Well if you must know, I just came from my mom's lame benefit party. You're girlfriend Georgie Slut was there. And I'm afraid to report she may be cheating on you."

Chuck scoffed. "Georgie's the biggest whore in town. Everyone knows that. The only thing shorter than the list of men in Manhattan she hasn't done it with is the amount of time each of her relationships last."

Blair cracked a glossy smile, but immediately regretted it. She wasn't supposed to be smiling in Chuck's arrogant presence, she was supposed to be screaming at him until her face turned blue for hurting her so badly and almost making her run away. . . and then making it like she'd been the one in the wrong. "Well each one does seem to last shorter than the last," she admitted lamely.

Chuck nodded and then knelt down towards the grass, sitting down at first and then laying back so that his head was resting on the Park's damp greenery. The view of the sky was absolutely flawless from where he lay. . . And the fact that Blair was standing in his view even the slightest bit just made the scenery all the prettier.

Blair stared down at him as if he were crazy to be laying on the damp grass of Central Park - probably in the same spot where a freshman couple from Riverside Prep lost their virginites or something - but he looked so goddamn adorable and mysterious and irresistable that Blair couldn't help sitting beside him. She winced slightly when she felt the bottom part of her shirtdress coming into constact with the grass and she decided to simply sit next to him rather than lay - no way was she ruining her hair as well.

Blair propped herself up on her arms and looked down at Chuck. "So what are you doing here, seriously? Buying a cheap dime bag from some random dealer or just waiting in the bushes for a vulnerable fourteen-year-old to walk by so you can take advantage of her?"

She'd meant it more as a joke, but the tone of voice she'd used had made her sound more mean than she'd meant to sound. Chuck just flashed her a wary glance and then went back to looking at the starry sky. . . "I'm here for the same reason you are," he finally replied.

Blair rolled her eyes. "And what reason would that be?"

"To clear my thoughts." He wasn't looking at her anymore; rather, his dark brown eyes were focused on the clear sky above them. For some reason this made Blair feel like she wanted his love and attention even more, so she reluctantly brought herself to laying position on the grass, feeling the prickly greenery rub against her outfit. The view was prettier, though, from this angle.

They lay there in silence for several minutes, unblinking as if hypnotized by the view. Neither of them said so, but their bodies were humming with ecstacy from being so close and since Chuck was wearing only a crisp, long-sleeved shirt and a sweater vest and Blair was clad in just a thigh-high shirtdress, they were only kept warm by eachother's body heat.

Blair parted her thoroughly-glossed lips but held back from speaking. She was still reeling from their last conversation in the courtyard and she didn't want to say anything that would drive their relationship further into the ruins. Finally, she brought herself to speak: "For the record, Chuck. . . I am sorry." Neither of them looked at eachother as a shooting star streaked across the dark sky.

"Me, too."

And they stayed there for the rest of the night, neither of them saying anything more as they drifted off into a comforting slumber.


As if a scene out of a movie, B and C's almost-reunion turned out to be almost magical. An obviously starry sky, an irresistably gorgeous charmer, and the perplexing comfort that comes from knowing they really had only eachother. . . What more could a girl want?

you know you love me.
xoxo; gossip girl