An Inevitable Past

Chapter 6: The Game

October 06, 1800

"Oh, Charles, I've missed you!"

Chuck was right. His mother was indeed Lily in this lifetime. Who else would it be anyway. He gives her a smile, and a hug before taking his seat at the breakfast table.

"Tell me all about the lucky girl, Charles." The blonde picked her utensils up, starting to pick the food up from her plate.

"Girl?" Chuck asks in a confused tone. Before Lily could say more, a blonde his age appears.

"Serena."

"Good morning to you too, my brother." She says and kisses her mother 'good morning'. "I've reached out to my friends about the engagement party. It is still on for tonight." She continues.

Lily claps her hands, smiling. "Aren't you excited, Charles? I heard you two had your first meeting yesterday?" Chuck was still confused.

"Y-Yes, Lily, we did. Wonderful girl." He was an idiot. A fool. But he could not risk getting caught.

"That's great to hear. You've certainly become a man. Fit to inherit whatever your father can give you." His face falls into a frown at the mention of his father.

Bart?

Although they'd been having a bit of improvement with their relationship, he still didn't quite like Bart. Sure, he was trying to make him proud. But it doesn't mean that he's going to forget all that he had done to him, all that he'd said.

"Anyway, where are you taking me? Serena will be joining us." The older blonde asked.

Chuck hasn't been thinking about that. He doesn't even know what kind of place he was at as they speak. Were they in a city? A town? A village? He had no idea.

"You'll see," was all he could say.

The lady wasn't satisfied, although she loved a surprise. Serena was just focused on her food. That girl loves her food.

"Shall we?" Chuck lent his arms to the two blondes before him. Lily was delighted to take it, while Serena disrespectfully rolled her eyes at the smug look on his face.

"Don't be such a baby, Serena." He whispers, loud enough for her to hear but low enough for Lily not to hear.

"Me? A baby?" She says in disbelief.

Chuck lets out a chuckle and doesn't reply. He escorts the two ladies into the chariot. They stop when they reach the villager's market. Chuck looked around, fascinated at his surroundings.

"Arthur, what is the date today?" He asks his loyal companion.

"It's the 6th of October 1800, Sir." Chuck held back his jaw from dropping. He couldn't believe he was two hundred and nine years away from where he was originally from- the future. Just yesterday, he was in the year 2009.

"Have you heard, dear brother? There is a game today happening in the big field." Serena hooks her arm with his.

"I'm not that into sports, sis." Chuck says as he still wanders around, completely leaving his stepmother who was now talking with a bunch of women her age.

"Whatever do you mean? Vanya tells me you had plans on going." She says in an annoying tone. Chuck figured Vanya was also a doorman. Although it looked like he was not a doorman at all when he saw the loyal guard guiding the horse of their chariot on their way to the market.

"He's mistaken. I plan on exploring today." He was truly curious. He needed to know a lot of stuff, needed to fill his mind with information.

"Don't be ridiculous, Chuck. You hate exploring. You're going to the game." Serena pats his shoulder twice before leaving him in his spot.

He groaned at her even though she was out of his sight now. Serena and him were close but not this close. As if she knows his likes and dislikes.

"Mr. Bass! I assume you're here to pick out the canvas? I have them all ready." An unfamiliar man calls him. Nonetheless, he steps closer in his stall.

"Canvas?"

"Yes, Sir. You asked me to reserve some for you in the size, 18 x 24." The man says. The brown-haired boy finds it odd but he buys it anyway, leaving the stall with 2 canvases in hand.

"Charles, I'm afraid I have to go. Some friends of mine have invited me for lunch but I'll expect to see you in the afternoon." Lily doesn't wait for him to give his reply, instead she kisses her son goodbye and joins her friends.

He looks at the object in his hand. It looked like Chuck Bass in the 1800s had a passion for painting.

Painting.

He'd heard the word countless times but still has no idea why. He thought that if he was going to paint, he might as well buy the complete materials needed to construct a portrait.

The size of the canvas was average. Maybe he'll hold a brush and see if he'll mess it up. Or maybe he'll create an artwork Lily or Serena will love.

At that point in his life everything was possible.

"I was not informed you were cancelling plans." His heart ached when he heard the voice behind him. He took a few seconds to try and recover but the pain in his chest was unbearable he almost dropped to his knees.

Chuck slowly turned around, still grasping at the canvas tightly as the ache in his heart worsened.

His eyes catch brown hair first, just like his. Almost the same shade of brown. Her hair was wavy and long. She held an umbrella over her head in her hand, while the other held a fan she positioned over her chest, covering her neck and mouth.

Her eyes caught his and locked their gazes. Brown eyes, brown hair, golden brown skin. This girl was something else.

"I'm afraid I'll melt with your stare, Sir." Blair mocks, knowing that that was what he said the day of their first interaction.

"I. . . I'm sorry, I. . do I know you?" Chuck stutters. Her eyebrows furrow and she scoffs.

"Seriously? I knew you were a jokester but that joke isn't even funny." Chuck raises his eyebrow and tilts his head, making Blair tilt hers too.

"Mr. Bass, if you're going to play it that way then, okay. I shall. . . play along." Blair drops her hand (the one holding the fan) and glares at him. Unintentionally, he smirks.

"Miss Blair! Do you want me to accompany you to the field?" He hears an old man call her.

Miss Blair.

His heart, once again, hurt. She looked back at him again, with a glare evident on her face.

"Yes, Mr. Brown. I'm afraid my fiancé is suffering from memory loss."

Fiancé?
——————————————————-