chapter THIRTYFIVE.

Jenny ran a hand through her blonde hair and shoved the thick doors to Constance Billard open eagerly. It was already four-thirty and the school's students were technically supposed to get out at three, but the reason she was so late was because she'd been held up in art class - her last period of the day - as her teacher explained why she thought Jenny was the right student to do the hymnals for their school in that 'magnificent calligraphy of hers.'

And then Mrs. Braff had gone on for what seemed like a lifetime about how lacking the educational system seemed to be getting in this day and age and how enormously proud she was of Jenny for steering clear of the numerous amount of cliques among Constance's girls.

Obviously Mrs. Braff hadn't heard the latest, or she wouldn't have been proud of Jenny at all.

The young blonde sighed once her heels knocked against the cobblestone of the courtyard, merely because she was now realizing just how empty the school was. She hadn't seen it looking like this since her fight with Blair the day prior, so to do so in the middle of the afternoon was just plain creepy. With her shoulders drooped and her eyes flashing dissapointment, she began slowly making her way past the series of tables and benches outside, toward the gate.

Then she noticed her geomotry and biology textbooks laying atop one of the tables and curiously walked over to them, scooping them into her arms. That's when she saw the small scrap of paper that had been placed underneath the textbooks to keep it weighed down and to prevent it from being ravaged by the forceful January wind. She unfolded it and her crystal blue eyes swept over the page.

Hey bitch, we waited for you for like ten minutes and you never showed, so we decided to go to Bendel's without you. There's a sale there and B says she'll treat - I know, I know, that seems pretty low of us to go shopping with HER of all people, but she seems to be a little diff. now, so we'll see. We agreed to let Elise come along with us, given she keeps her mouth shut most of the time and carries all our bags. Anyway, TTYL. Tomorrow, hopefully! xoxo - Penny

Jenny groaned and crumpled the slip of paper up, tossing it aside absentmindedly and looking up at the cloudy sky above her. Why were things in her life going so terribly wrong all of a sudden? It's like her knotch in the social chain was slowly making its way back down to its original spot, which was located somewhere near the very bottom.

She shoved both heavy textbooks into her bag and hitched it up on her shoulder, stomping out of the courtyard and away from the dreadful school. She was fed up with the terrible memories and imaginary scenarios it brought her. What if Blair really was stealing all her friends back, two by two? And what if Jenny was bound to stay at the bottom of the social chain forever, a whole two knotches below Dan?

She swallowed with regret and shook her head furiously, as if trying to make the harmful thoughts go away forever. And then she hailed a cab, which immediately took her as close as the driver would go to Brooklyn, as she requested.

Then she walked the rest of the way home.

Once she got there, she slammed the door shut behind her, rushed dramatically to her room, and then slammed that door as well. When she came back out a few minutes later, she was wearing her Hello Kitty pajamas and a pair of bright yellow slippers. This was her 'in-front-of-the-father' look that seemed to say I've been a very good girl, so you should let me borrow your Discover card now.

And it worked almost every time.

She traipsed over to the living room couch, threw herself on it with force, and then picked up one of the home-made throw pillows that lay there, placing it over her face and screaming into it as loudly as possible. Her father was right in the kitchen cooking dinner, so he could no doubt hear her. . . And apparently so had Dan and Vanessa.

Jenny's older brother stepped out of his room and glanced at her collapsed figure warily. Then Vanessa yanked the bathroom door open wearing just a white towel and threw a bar of soap at the pillow Jenny had on her head. "Keep it down, will you? I'm on the phone!"

Jenny bolted upright at the sound of Vanessa's voice. "What's she doing here?" she asked her brother, who was now sitting beside her on the couch. When she tried to look at him directly to lock eyes and make sure he was paying attention, however, she saw that he was staring at Rufus in the kitchen, a suspicious sheen in his eyes.

Something was definitely going on here that she knew nothing about. . . And for once, she didn't want to. Her life with her real friends back at school was far more vital than all the family drama she'd no doubt face if she asked Dan what was wrong, so she decided to keep her mouth shut on the matter.

She snatched the television remote up and flicked it on. Since it was Fashion Week, that was of course the only thing she was remotely interested in watching. Onscreen, a fierce brunette model was walking the runway in a delicious black-and-red gown, giving the camera a flirtatious kiss before turning on her heels and walking back the other way.

Then Jenny heard the phone beep as Vanessa set it back on its base, entering the living room. Now she was wearing clothes, thank God. A pair of tattered blue jeans hugged her hips accompied by a long-sleeved Medic Droid shirt she'd bought online. "Hey, V," Jenny greeted the girl, trying to hide the fact that all she really wanted to do right now was scream at the top of her lungs due to Blair and Elise and all of her other annoyingly backstabbing 'frenemies.' "What are you doing here?"

Vanessa sat on the couch between the two siblings and then grabbed the remote from out of Jenny's hands. "Since when do you watch Bailey Winter's Fashion Week?" She eyed Jenny with something resembling suspicion and then changed the channel. Sesame Street came on. "Now there. That's something more age-appropriate for you, J," Vanessa said with a satisfied little titter.

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up." Then she stole the remote back and put the channel on Fashion Week once more.

"Oh and since you insist on knowing," continued Vanessa: "Ruby and I got into this huge fight at home, so I came here for a couple hours to cool off. She can be a drama queen sometimes."

"Hey Jenny, where were you after school?" Rufus bellowed from the kitchen. "I tried calling your cell but it wouldn't go through; I wanted to see if you were up to going to the Flea Market with me."

Jenny scoffed and rolled her eyes but Dan scolded her with a sharp tap on the knee, flashing her a 'be nice' glance. "My phone was turned off and I was staying after school with my art teacher. She wants me to do the hymnals for Constance."

Rufus stepped into the living room, holding a black spatula as something sizzled in the kitchen. "That's where you were? So. . . You weren't at Bloomingdale's with those horrid gossips you call your friends?"

Jenny sneered. "First of all, no, I wasn't. Second of all, they are my friends. . . And since when do you not trust me anymore?!"

"I do trust you, but you're hardly ever home anymore. I don't really know what to think. You stay out after hours, you barely speak a word to me all day, and you've been acting different." He crossed his arms. "I do have the right to ask you one simple question, you know. I am your father."

Dan shook his head from the sidelines. "Right. And you're such a saint," he commiserated, clenching his fists. He couldn't help being a little upset at his father for going after Lily behind his children's backs. The least he could have done was tell Dan the truth so that when he found out he didn't feel like putting his fist through a wall.

Jenny stood up from the couch and threw the remote aside. "Shut up, Dan. This isn't your fight." She shoved past all three of them and stormed into the kitchen, just wanting something to do that would distract her from all the fighting. "And dad, if you hate me so much then why don't I just move out! Sound good?!" She slammed the refrigerator door and bit furiously into an apple.

"I never said I hated you, Jenny. You're my daughter."

"Oh please! You're pretending like you actually care about where I am or who I'm with, when all you're really doing is fishing for a reason to ground me. . . I was at the school!! Give them a call if you don't believe me!!" Jenny slammed the apple into the trashcan nearby with just two bites in it, and when she stepped back into the living room she saw that Dan had already left - presumably to brood alone in his room - and Rufus was storming out as well.

Jenny's dad slammed the door and suddenly the house fell very quiet.

Only Vanessa still sat on the couch.

Jenny swallowed hard and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Sorry you had to hear that. They can be pretty freaking stupid sometimes." She chuckled nervously and suddenly wished she still had the apple to bite into. Vanessa was gazing at her with judgemental eyes and she seemed to be ignoring everything Jenny was saying.

"Can I ask you a question, J?" Vanessa turned the television set off and stood up, walking a little closer to her. Jenny simply nodded, getting the feeling she wouldn't like what was about to leave her friend's mouth.

"Do you honestly like the person you've become?"

The question was asked rhetorically, which is why it made sense for her words to be met with only silence, but by the sad, devasted, and contemplative look on Jenny's face, Vanessa knew she'd gotten through to her. So she turned on her heels and walked towards the front door, pulling the knob and leaning against it for a second, taking one last, long look at Jenny. "I should probably get back home. Ruby will be waiting."


Hmm. Why so quiet, Little J? You may have wrecked your relationship with your family - for now - but if there's one thing I've learned in this business, it's NEVER too late to apologize.

you know you love me.
xoxo; gossip girl