Sorry for the long wait in between updates. I am finding it harder than I initially thought to do a rewrite of my Gossip Girl books. No worries I will continue to update this book but it won't be at the same frequency of my other books.
Nate's POV
"I guess I'll just take the check." I hear Vanessa say to her waitress Cora.
"Hey, hold that, will ya?" I call out stopping Cora, as I take my seat in the booth with Vanessa.
"Daylight savings moved to March. Maybe no one told you." Vanessa jokes with me.
"I know I'm late." I state to her.
"Coffee Nate?" Cora asks me which surprises Vanessa.
"Yeah, thanks, Cora." I reply.
"You two know each other?" She asks me shocked.
"I've been here before." I answer.
"Are you telling me you come all the way to Brooklyn for Greek food?"
"Well, when I'm in Brooklyn, I like to come here, yes." I explain to her.
"Cause you're in Brooklyn all the time." I can tell Vanessa doesn't believe me.
"Well, my father's in rehab a couple of blocks away. And which by the way, is why I'm late. I was...visiting hours." I finally get everything out in the open.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"No, I mean, it's not like it's some big secret. It was on the front page of every newspaper in the city." I state to Vanessa and her face softens.
"I guess it was. Yeah." Vanessa admits.
"Sometimes after I'm done seeing him, I'm not ready to go back and see my mom just yet. So I come here and I just sit, uh..."
"Think about how hard it is to get your dad to notice you. See you for more than just something to boast about in meetings. Just a shiny trophy that seems shallow to everyone else. " I look at Vanessa confused. "Confession I read one of your practice essays. And that's why I called you...to apologize.
"Uh, that was actually Ella's." I state.
"What?"
"Yeah, I guess Ella must have used one of the books at some point and...that's her essay."
"Are you sure?" Vanessa asks me still with a puzzled look on her face. "Because I thought..."
"Ella is not what she portrays herself to be."
"Some shallow model who has all the money in the world."
"Yeah she is partially those things but there is so much more to her." I try to explain to Vanessa.
"I don't understand."
"I know I shouldn't be...Ella and her brother Chuck lost their mother on the day of their birth. Their father has never been the most nurturing type. They were raised shipped off to different nanny's who barely paid them attention. They did what they had to do to survive. Chuck is...he found his own dubious ways but Ella is an amazing writer."
"The essay was really good. I...it read like a novel that I wished never stopped." Vanessa exclaims.
"Ella's dad expects a lot from her and Chuck. He sets the bar high and any falter in that he lets them know how disappointed he is."
"Don't all parents do that?"
"Do all parents blame their children for being born and ruining their lives?" I blurt out.
"I uh..."
"When Bart gets worked up and has a couple of drinks in him. His words can really hurt. Ella nor Chuck will ever say much about it but...I never knew until I bared witness to it myself." I explain.
"What brought it on?"
"Ella wanted to take charge of her life and was begging Bart to sign off on her going on casting calls for modeling agencies. She is underage and she needs parental consent to travel. He refused."
"Isn't she a rising supermodel now?" Vanessa asks.
"Yeah she is doing amazing but that's all Ella. Bart said no and...he was wasted and yelled at Ella saying she is a disgrace."
"For wanting to go into modeling? I mean I know it's a shallow industry but...disgrace seems a little harsh."
"One minute he was telling about Ella will fail before she even starts. No one will think she is more than a pretty face. She has nothing to offer the world. That she and Chuck should have died and he could have been happy."
"He really said those things?" I nod my head.
"For as long as I've known Ella and Chuck they have always had a difficult relationship with Bart. He is their only parent and he has financially provided so much for them they feel like they owe him."
"Owing someone and loving them are very different." Vanessa points out.
"For Bart, they are one and the same. Ella forged his signature and went on those casting calls and signed with the biggest modeling agency in the world. And now just at seventeen, she's doing more than those who have been in the industry for years."
"She forged his signature?"
"Ella knew what she wanted and was not going to let anyone keep her from achieving it."
"How did Bart take it?"
"When her career took off he demanded rights to her brand and any project she was paid for."
"Can he do that?"
"He's Bart Bass. There isn't anything he can't do."
"I don't know how...how does she live with that?" Vanessa asks me.
"Well, Bart isn't that involved with his children until he wants to be. Ella lives with it by protecting herself. There are very few people she lets in because she's afraid of getting close. When your own parent...the only parent you have doesn't show you love it's hard to accept it from others."
"Is she really that smart? Because I looked at the question she corrected me on and it was one of the toughest practice questions." I laugh at Vanessa's comment.
"She's actually even smarter."
"Seriously?" I nod my head.
"Ella isn't one to brag about what she has over others. She's one of the humblest, sweetest, and..."
"How long have you been in love with her?" I stop not sure why Vanessa is asking me this.
"I..."
"Because anyone can see how you look at her. And I've known Dan all my life but I doubt he would ever speak of me the way you just spoke about Ella."
"I...uh...I've always loved her." I respond.
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Ella's POV
"You are very chipper for SAT day." I joke with Blair.
"I think I just sealed my fate at Yale." She is beaming like a Cheshire cat.
"I don't want to know how you did that." I state to her. "Dan." I call out waving to him.
"Hey, Ella."
"Where's Serena?" Blair asks him all worried we don't see our blond goddess friend.
"Uh, I don't know but I bet Chuck does." Dan responds.
"Probably." I mutter.
"Ugh, well I'll try to save a seat for her." Blair assures him and heads inside.
"Yeah, I'll...I'll keep calling." Dan dials Serena's number and I wait with him. "Hey, Serena it's me...a very worried me concerned with a very missing you."
"Hi, I'm Serena van der Woodsen." Dan and I stop hearing a girl who is clearly not Serena check-in for her. I quickly text Chuck.
"Does your brother know something?" Dan asks me.
"We're twins, not the same person Dan. I don't always know what Chuck is up to."
"I...if he is..."
"I'll stop you right there Dan. My brother can be a dick and he has some questionable morals but...he's not a horrible person. At least not how you make him out to be." I defend my brother again.
__________________________________
"It's a snub from one party, B. plus what's the big deal anyway? You don't even like Asher." Serena tries to reason with Blair over Jenny now dating someone mildly important and throwing her first big party.
"I didn't like last season's Louis Vuitton patchwork bag either, but that doesn't mean I want to see it all over town on Jenny Humphrey's arm." Blair argues right back.
"I modeled that bag and you said you liked it." I state to Blair.
"Well, I lied."
"Bitch."
"And I know it." She fires right back at me with a smile to match.
"Touche." Serena states.
"What do you say the three of us have a girl night out tonight?" Blair suggests.
"I would love that." I answer.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't. I have dinner with the family. And E your dad is hosting the dinner." Serena reminds me.
"Yeah and I'm choosing not to go." I reply.
"Let me remind you of a little promise you made." Blair directs her comment to Serena. "Don't go to France. I'll be there for you."
"I'm really sorry I've been distant. But things will be better soon, I promise." Serena assures us.
"Obviously starting tomorrow." Blair mutters seeing Dan come up the steps.
"Hey." Dan leans down and places a kiss on Serena's lips.
"Hey." She greets him. "What's wrong? You look stressed, even for you."
"I'm still worried about Jenny." Dan explains to us.
"You mean because she's self-obsessed, self-serving and self-centered, self..."
"That's enough B." I cut her off from making Dan feel worse.
"No, no. I wish it was about her and herself, but it's more about who she's with. I can't get through to her. I tried and she just completely blew me off. And she disses my pants."
"And for good reason. That color is not a good shade." I comment on Dan's choice in style.
"Ella!"
"You could have gone for one that didn't make people want to throw up." I fire back and he scowls at me.
"Maybe I underestimated her." Blair is analyzing all of this.
"She's just going through a phase. We all went through it. And apparently, some of us still are in it." Serena makes jabs at Blair.
"Do you think you've grown out of it?" I ask Serena. "Because you're still very much in it."
"All that matters to someone like Jenny right now are the four G's...guys, girlfriends, and Gossip Girl." Blair explains to Dan who still seems lost.
"It's true. Don't feel bad. Unless it's coming from one of them, she's not going to hear it." Serena elaborates.
"Come on Ella there...you and Chuck worked through things about..."
"Oh no we did not." I interrupt Dan.
"You two are talking again." Dan argues.
"He's my brother. We go through not talking but we are always there for each other. But he still hates Carter. Probably always will."
"How are you able to live with that?" Dan asks.
"Well you probably don't want to hear it but...I have a good relationship with my brother and a hot older boyfriend on the side. And I hate to break it to you this isn't a phase."
"I'm screwed." Dan groans in annoyance.
"Very much so."
Does this mean Nate will try and make a move on Ella?