【 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ━━ 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 】

𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 : i'm a brunch-a-holic
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HALF AN HOUR HAS passed since the outfall with Nate and Chuck. Now both Dan and I are waiting for Serena to come back from wherever the hell she is. Mean while Dan keeps telling me how happy he is that I didn't take his first over to go home.

"Dan, Adaline, hey." Serena says starting at us with an amused smile.

"I-, I was in the neighborhood? Uhm, give or take seventy blocks. Uhm, I just wanted to tell you in peeson that. Eh, the end of last night may not have been my finest moment. It was eh, a, wave." Dan says mimicking his wave from last night.

"I- I saw that." Serena say to him still smiling while I watch the scene unfold.

"Yeah, yeah. Since then I've just been wondering." he trails off looking nervous, "Are you hunger?" he asks.

"Yes. Actually, I have had the worst morning." Serena says.

Making me pat Dan on the shoulder, "Nice save, Lonely boy. Food always works." I tell him with a smile.

"Do you want to talk? And eat? Not necessarily in that order." Dan nervously suggests. It's highly amusing seeing Dan in this state.

"Yes, I would love to do both, but food first because I'm starving." Serena says. I take that as my cue to at it. Giving Dan a hug, "Okay, well, I'm going to leave you you two." I say about to walk away.

"No, please, Adaline. Join us. It will be fun and give me a chance to get to know you and Dan." Serena urges me.

Making me look at Dan for premission, who nods eagerly, "Sure, why not. Only if you want to Dells." Dan says hopeful.

"Great just in time for brunch." someone says from behind me. Tuning around it turns out to be Serenas mom, misses van der Woodsen.

"Mom." Serena sighs. Obviously not expecting her mom, "Miss van der Woodsen." both Dan I say at the same time.

"Daniel, Adaline. Your both still here." she says with a fake smile. Somehow I have the feeling she doesn't like us. I tought to myself.

"Look, mom. I really don't think it's a good idea for me to go to brunch." Serena tells her mom in the hopes she will let us go.

"You promised." her mother reminds her, "Yeah, but that was before.. Before I knew Dan and Della were hungry too. I can't let them starve." Serena tells her mom.

"You gotta let a girl eat." I add which earns me a smile from Serena.

"And not to mention inhumane." Dan adds.

Which almost makes her roll her eyes, "They're not invited." her mom tells her. Dan points at me, "Della is invited." Dan say interrupting the mother-daughter stare off.

Miss van der Woodsen turn to me with a raised eyebrow, "Are you now?" she asks a little to shocked for my taste, but I let it slide. Nodding instead with a smile.

"By who?" she asks. Like it's really hard to belief that I know anyone at this type of event, "Nate." I say with a smile.

Making bow both of her eyebrows raise, "Nataniel Archibald?" she asks. Making me nod yet again, "Yeah. We go to school together." I tell her making her nod.

"Well. Dan isn't invited." she restores, "That's why I'n going with them." Serena says.

"Because I can't go with them." Dan adds on making both Serena and I nod, "And we had plans to go brunch together." Serena continues.

"Yep, all of us. Together." I say, "We had those plans." Dan adds on.

"Serena, your home now. Living under my roof. What is it going to take for you to get dressed and through that door?" her mom asks and Serena looks at Dan and I.

Thats how we end up here. In the Palace hotel's ball room for Bart Bass' brunch standing beside Dan and Serena.

We stood in the door way and both Dan and I were completely overwhelmed.

There are models painted white to post as statues, there were so many older high class people surrounding the place all dressed and speaking elegantly.

I have never felt more out of place than I do know. Seeing how Dan is shifting his weight from left to right. When I look around my eyes find those of a dirty blond goldon boy. He looks at me, but breaks it when Blair says something to him. Making me sigh.

"You know, maybe.. Maybe this was a bad idea." Serena says as she saw how uncomfortable Dan and I look. When I look at her I see that she looks maybe even more uncomfortable then we.

"You can say that again." I say agreeing with her. Dan steps inside the room and looks at us, "Yeah, this was.. This is definitely a bad idea." Dan says.

"Let's get some food." Serena suggested with a small smile. Leading us to the decadent buffet.

"Well, can't say much for his child bearing skills, but Bart Bass knows how to do brunch." Dan say staring at the food. Making me laugh, "He definitely does." I agree with Dan.

We soon have out food and start eating together. We talk about the future, Dan talks about Dartmouth and the upcoming Ivy week. Serena tells us about her wanting to go to Brown. While I talk obsessively about Emily King, who is my hero.

"Hey, are you to feeling okay?" Serena asks concurned. Making me smile and Dan response, "Yeah, come on. Me and some Bulga caviar? Can't get enough of his stuff. Plus I have you." he says with a smile.

"Yeah." Serena says getting closer to Dan. Taking that as my cue to leave I walk out.

Walking out of the food area to the hallway for some fresh air. When I actually just wanted away from the third wheeling I hear someone call my name.

"Della." Nate says making me turn around.

"What goldon boy? You asked me to come here, but you completely ignored me the entire week, and now again." I tell him, slightly annoyed but mostly hurt.

"Meet me upstairs." he says shoving a keycard in my hand.

"No." I say shaking my hand pushing it back to him, "Please, I will explain everything." he says with hopeful eyes.

"Ten minutes otherwise i'm gone." I tell him with a sigh.

"Ten minutes is all I ask." he says walking away.

Now I'm waiting in the room of the key card when I hear someone open the door. Thinking it is Nate I just keep sitting on the bed waiting for him while playing on my phone.

"What are you doing here?" I hear Blairs voice says. Making my head shot up.

"Nate asked me to come." I say casually, "Only to talk." Nate addes. Making me confused intill it clicks, "You told her."

"Yes he did." B says looking mad as hell, "I'm out. Letting you two get back to your quickkie." I say standing up.

"It wasn't a quickie. For some people sex actually means something." she tells me.

"On Chucks bed. Really classy." I responde back.

"Yeah, just like having sex with people there boyfriends." she snaps at me.

Raising my hands on surrender, "I didn't know he had a girlfriend when we did. He never mentioned you. Plus I don't do highschool drama." I tell her

"Your in highschool." she says like it's a fact. Which it is.

"So?" I say with a raise eyebrow.

"It's in your job discribtion." she says with a raised eyebrow.

"Not mine. I'm out." I tell her walking to the door which she blocks.

"No, your not. What do you think your new friend Serena would think of you if she found out. Would she still think you were the cute innoncent twin from Brooklyn." she asks me with a fake pout.

"You wouldn't." I tell her, but before she response she bolts downstairs.

Turning to Nate I sigh, "Would she?" I ask him. Making him rub his face, "She's blair." he says making me run to the stairs.

"You could have given me a heads up." I say while running down the stairs.

"You never gave me your number." he says while running next to me.

"And this is why. I didn't want to be sucked in to highschool drama." I say while looking back at him, "Well you are now." he says running to the circle they are all stand in.

"Is it true?" Serena asks me hopefull, "Of course it's true. What did you expect." Blair says.

"I didn't know he had a girlfriend. You know that I don't read Gossip Girl." I tell hoping she beliefs me.

She dismisses what I say and looks at Dan, "Dan did you know." she asks my bother. Who nods before responding, "Yeah."

"Great, everyone knew except me." she huffs. "You were gone for a year serena." Blair says, was she defending me?

"Are you helping her now? She took your boyfriends virginity." S asks flabbergasted. Making me look down.

"She didn't take anything. I gave it to her." Nate butts in.

"Don't defend her." Blair spats to Nate. Before turning to me, "That's what sluts do." Blair says to me. What actually hurts. I'm not a slut, am I? I thought to myself.

"Thanks." I say with a fake smile looking at Chuck, "Thanks for brunch. The food was great." he nods.

"Sorry again." I say to the rest, "If you ever want to fuck your way up the UES-side call me." Chuck says making Dan punch him in the face, again.

Taking Dan's arm I pull him away from Chuck. While all eyes are now on us because of the commotion we have caused, "It's fine. He is fine. We were just leaving." Dan says. While taking my hand.

"Della." Nate softly says. Making me look at him disappointed.

"Don't." I say before makig my away out of the building with Dan.

When we get home Dan immediately goes to his room. While I take place at the bar eating some chocolate covered strawberries.

"Mind if I join you?" Dan asks me. Making me shake my head, "Your lucky I'm not mad at you." I say giving him a small smile.

While he sits down next to me and I move the box of strawberries in the middle so we can both eat.

"So, what about you? How do you feel?" I ask him. He shrugs before sighing.

"It's okay." he says after a while. Shoving a berry in his mouth, "Maybe it's for the best, that we don't fit in their world. Feel guilt." he says. Making me give him a sad smile.

Dan was about to answer when dad and Jenny walk in.

Jenny is holding a pot with flowers, "Hey." she says with a bright smile. Making me instantly feel better.

"Hey, Jen said you both went to look for Serena. Did you find her?" dad asks while putting groseries away.

"Yeah, yeah, we found her. Then I lost her." Dan says. Dad looks really confused and looks at me, while I mouth later. Making him nod, "Oh, eh, that's.. eh." dad says not really knowning what to say.

"It's fine. It's fine, really. It's all for the best." Dan reassured.

It seemed like he was reassuring himself more then us, "Serena, her friends and family.. Her whole world. Turns out it wasn't for me." Dan says sadly.

Dan walks in the kitchen followed by Jenny and help dad cleaning up the groseries. My phone buzzes again making me roll my eyes.

When I look at the screen I see fourthy-three missed calls, fifteen voicmails and text saying I should call back labeld with N from an unkown number. Whom I'm guessing is Nate.

Sighing I delete them all and move on to help my family with cleaning up.

When I get off the bar stool my dad gives me a kiss on the head and Dan gives me a reassuring smile.

authors note     hi... i'm so sorry it took this long BUT we are finally here. honest life has been crazy, i also started tumblr then my tumblr got taken down and now it's back ( yay! ). so... i write on there too. i'm slowly publishing on ao3 as well ( i'm cinnamonruts on ao3 & tumblr ( shameless self-promo, i know ))

also am in college and started an etsy store... so lots of things!