Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Remember the Kiss on the Lips party, when Blair, Nate and the gang took Chuck’s limo over? Spilling drinks, smoking, laughing, having fun? Well, that Wednesday night was basically a repeat. Only slightly different.
Blair and Chuck were sitting on one end of the seat, with Nate as far away as possible from them. Is and Kati sat together, with Jenny on their right, next to Becky, who was next to Serena.
Champagne splashed onto seats, and smoke clouded the limo cabin. Laughter exploded inside the cramped space every five seconds. Even Jenny Humphrey was getting in the party mood after her second glass.
By the time the limo rounded the curb and pulled up at the Palace bar, all 8 of them were giddy from the alcohol. All the girls tripped on their way out of the cab. They were all pretty comfortable with each other, except for Nate, who was the outsider. But he just hung out with Jenny.
Serena, Becky, and Blair linked arms as they stumbled into the bar. It was pretty noisy inside already, so they weren’t noticed that much. Chuck escorted Is and Kati in, who were probably the drunkest of them all. He set them down at one end of the bar, and went over to the other girls while Jenny and Nate laughed over at their own table.
“Check it out,” Chuck said in Blair’s ear, his eyes on Jenny and Nate. “Someone’s moving in on your ex.”
“Oh my god, s***!” Blair laughed, and added drunkenly, “And I’m not talking about Jenny.” She erupted into laughter, and almost fell off her stool. Becky chuckled, and patted the seat next to her, indicating for Chuck to sit.
“So, miss California yet?” Chuck ordered a round of drinks for the girls.
“Are you kidding? Coming back here was the best thing I ever did!” Becky grinned at him, but then lowered her voice a bit. “You know, when I first arrived, I was actually kind of nervous. I was worried people would get pissed at me because I just waltzed back into their lives, and expected it to be the same as when we were fourteen. Especially with Blair, I mean, you know how she gets. But it’s been surprisingly good.” Becky thanked the bartender for her martini, and took a sip.
“Well, just be careful,” Chuck warned. “I don’t want you tearing up this place too much with your partying. We’ve all been pretty low-key lately.”
Becky scoffed. “Oh, come on! Seriously? Wow, this place really has turned you guys into uptight little snobs. I bet y’all are even all pure and abstinent.” Becky raised her eyebrows at Chuck, as if daring him to defend his goody-two-shoes friends.
Chuck took a deep breath. “I don’t know about that,” he said slowly. “I mean, it really depends who you’re talking about.” He glanced at Blair and Serena. “But I’m pretty sure Serena hasn’t been laid since she came back from Connecticut or whatever.”
“What do you mean?” Becky asked, frowning. Chuck frowned back.
“You mean she hasn’t told you?”
Becky shook her head and shrugged.
“Well, Serena left New York for six months to go to boarding school. Right after she slept with Nate.”
“What?”
Chuck almost laughed. He forgot that Becky hadn’t been around for the last couple years. Maybe a lot really had happened. “It’s not that big a deal, we’ve all put it in the past. She has a new boyfriend now, some stupid Humphrey kid. But he’s done her well. She’s definitely not who she used to be.” Chuck took a sip of his drink. “Although, I think you’re having quite an impact on her.” He recalled last night, taking both of them to their rooms.
“Oh, well, yeah, she failed to mention any of that.” Becky thought for a moment. “But I guess it’s not exactly something you brag about. Anyway, is there anything I should know about you? Did you go through any scandalous phases?” Becky raised her eyebrows again, challenging him to spill.
“Story of my life,” he said blatantly. “Before Blair, I was pretty…”
“Loose?” Becky laughed. “Oh, that’s okay. I expected as much.”
“I guess you could say I was a real disappointment to my father,” Chuck sighed. “Date rape could be thrown into the equation as well.”
At this Becky laughed even harder. “As if!” she scoffed. Chuck glanced at Jenny and gave Becky a weary look. She didn’t say anything, just stared down at her drink as she stirred it.
“So, you think you’ll get back in the dating game?” Chuck asked, changing the subject.
“Oh, I had some ideas, but you were already taken.” She winked at him and laughed. Chuck couldn’t help but wonder if this was slightly true.
“You know, you look really good,” he said, eyeing her purple satin dress. Low-cut. Short skirt. Tight as hell.
Becky sighed. “I know,” she said, her voice sounding concerned. She grinned. “But it’s hard to find a guy who likes me for me, and not just for my amazing sexy-ness.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” Chuck finished his drink, and the bartender instantly fetched him another.
Suddenly, the light, faint music that had been playing in the bar changed drastically, to what Chuck could only identify as… Britney Spears.
“‘Gimme More’!” Becky screeched, and flung off her chair. She grabbed Serena’s hand, spilling the drink she was holding, and ran over to the long table on the other side of the bar. She climbed up on it, and pulled Serena up with her. The two began dancing, next to each other, with each other. The crowds of people began cheering them on. Serena and Becky sang along, their voices horribly off-key, but probably on purpose. They were laughing and stumbling and flipping their hair and dresses all around in a crazed frenzy.
Blair slid over to Chuck, and he picked her up and put her on his lap. His hands slid around her waist to keep her there.
“You know what that reminds me of?” he asked, watching the girls.
“Don’t say it,” Blair said dully.
“Victrola.”
Blair looked at him, a tired expression on her face.
“You. Dancing. Being all amazing and stunning and sexy.”
A slow smile slid across Blair’s lips.
“And without. Even. Trying.” With every word, Chuck leaned closer to her. When his lips finally met hers, Blair’s hands slipped around his neck. She felt totally at peace. The music began to fade away, getting more and more distant, as Blair held onto him. She felt such desire right then, such desire for Chuck to just slide his hands up and take off her dress, to kiss her and caress her and mumble sexy words as his hands explored her body. She just wanted it to be the two of them, alone, with nothing but each other, like that one night in the limo. The one night that changed B’s life forever.
But while Blair was running fantasies through her head, and Chuck was relishing in just being able to hold her and kiss her and love her, some eyes had landed upon them.
Nate couldn’t keep turning back to them, watching them. He wanted to punch Chuck, and pull Blair away, screaming that he loved her. But he didn’t. He just couldn’t bear watching his ex-girlfriend and his ex-best friend together. Even if he didn’t give a s*** about either one of them. All his anger was gone, but a sad loneliness still filled his heart. He turned back to Serena and Becky, watching every move Serena made. She was the one he wanted. She had always been the one. But then his mind drifted over to Vanessa.
Becky was laughing and dancing and singing and having fun, watching the people below her cheer her on. But her eyes kept darting away from the crowd, over across the bar to where two people were sitting on a bar stool, making out. Jealousy and longing stung at her heart. She kept dancing, but her thoughts floated away. It was so surreal; it was like her soul was out of her body. She remembered old memories from their early teen years, memories that stabbed at her heart while she continued to watch Chuck and Blair.
Chuck and Blair.
And Becky, up on a bar table, dancing the evening away, feeling alone, because she was. Drinking and partying to keep her mind off her happiness, off the sadness hidden deep in her heart. Off the love she knew she never had, but had always needed.
Becky Summers was lost, and vulnerable, and alone. And the only thing she could do about it was keep dancing, keep on dancing her woes away.