Starting Over: rewrite

Goodbye Ms. Carr and Hello van der Bilts

"How d..."

"You were wrong for spreading that rumor. You were wrong to do it just to get back at Ms. Carr. You were wrong, but you are my sister, my person, and I love you. So I tried to ask for a lesser punishment."

"You did what?"

"I had a meeting with Ms. Carr to discuss something, and I tried to get her to see that expulsion is too harsh."

"And?"

"She can't change the punishment, only the headmistress. But the bottom line is I give a damn about you, and I know you're mad because your pride is on the line, but I care about you, Blair. I love you, and I will love you no matter what you do, but I don't have to like the person you are becoming."

"Excuse me? I always have..."

"You need to stop and realize that you can't always get back at people. You can't have the last word or always win."

"I..." She lets out a sigh. "Thank you for speaking up for me. Trying to help and...thank you."

"I hear they are having a parents meeting."

"Yep, to discuss me, but my dad is the...he is going to try and defend me."

"Does he know everything you did?"

"He knows what is important."

"You're lying to him, Blair, and that's not good."

"I can't be expelled, E. I have to be at Constance and...I need to get into Yale." The elevator dings, and we turn to see Serena stride in.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I ask her, shocked.

"Are you here to reprimand me too? E is doing a good enough job on her own." Blair says.

"Which you need more of. People let you get away with your shit way too much." I say, which makes Blair chuckle.

"What's with the face, Serena?"

"You were right about Dan and Rachel." Serena blurts out.

"What?" I ask.

"Seriously?" Serena just looks at her hands. How could this be? I just had a meeting with Ms. Carr the other day, and this was nothing I thought was possible. "I must've picked up on something. We need proof." Blair says, and Serena squirms in her seat. "You have proof. Give it to me!" Blair demands.

"Dan said that nothing was going on, so I should probably just talk to him first." Serena says.

"Yes, you need to do that." I suggest.

"And give him another opportunity to lie to you?" Blair argues. She holds out her hand. Serena looks at me and hands over her phone. I look at the photo that shows Dan with his hand on Rachel's cheek in a restaurant. "How awful. I'm so sorry, S."

"What does this show?" I ask Serena.

"How can you not see it?" Blair asks me.

"I see him with his hand on her cheek. But that does not prove they are in a relationship." I argue.

"They were meeting after hours in a restaurant looking very much like a couple." Blair argues. "This is the smoking gun I've been waiting for."

"S, you need to get Dan here and ask him to explain. This is all...this is going to be a bigger mess than it needs to be." I urge her.

"No, we need to get to this meeting now." Blair challenges.

"With evidence that you don't know what it means. You are just using it to keep yourself from being expelled."