Gossip Girl sees everything. Secrets and scandals are exposed by a mysterious blogger capturing the filthy rich lives and lovers of teens at a prestigious Manhattan school. XOXO.
Ella Walker was considered family to the Van der Wooden's and Lily was...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Thanksgiving began when the Pilgrims and Indians came together to share the bountiful harvest.On the upper east side, that tradition is upheld with a bountiful harvest of secrets, lies and scandal.
***
"Good afternoon, congressman. I have the press schedule you asked for." Ella said. "So did you talk to Maureen yet?"
"Last night. She wasn't too happy about it, but she agreed to the divorce. Maureen's coming into town so our people can write a joint statement explaining the split. Of course, the public won't get the real reason." Tripp told her.
"And the real reason which is? I'm sorry. I just need to hear that you're not leaving this woman because of me." Ella said.
"Maureen orchestrated a fraud to win the election. If you walked away right now, my decision wouldn't change. But... I hope you won't."
"But I have to. You're married and, as long as you are, we can't be doing this." Ella went to walk out.
"Ella, could our self imposed exile start after tomorrow? I can't bear the thought of spending Thanksgiving alone." Tripp said.
"I had a feeling you would say that, so I already told my mom that you're making me work at the soup kitchen all day." Ella said and he started to get closer. "But this means pay per view movies and room service at my hotel, and that's it. I'll behave." She told him and then left.
***
Ella got out the elevator at Nate's.
"Hey. Wanna go for a walk?" She asked him.
They went to the park and sat on a bench.
"Come on, Ella. You go off with Tripp after leaving me in a bar, and then I hear through the Van Der Bilt grapevine that... Tripp's asking Maureen for a divorce. You expect me to believe that nothing happened?"
"It was one kiss, and it was a huge mistake that I don't intend on repeating. I promise." Ella said.
"Fine." Nate said and she smiled when her phone rang.
"Can I call you back?"
"I have to cancel on tomorrow. Maureen was a mess when she got here. She kept asking if something else was going on. She wants to have Thanksgiving together." Tripp informed her over the phone.
"I have to go." Ella put the phone down. "Sorry. Hey, do you have plans for Thanksgiving? I know it's last minute."
"No, I don't, actually." Nate replied.
"Well, how about three o'clock at my mom's? And please bring something stronger than Rufus' cider." Ella said and they laughed.
***
It was the next day and it was Thanksgiving.
"How can you two sit there, smiling? Don't you have any sense of decency?" Maureen asked.
"Maureen..."
"No, not one second more. Tripp and I are going to grow old together, without you. Or I make my own statement." She said and put the phone on the table with the picture of Ella and Tripp kissing.
"Where did you get that?" Chuck asked Nate.
"He'll be a political joke, and you'll be a punch line. Your affair ends now." Maureen said.
"Ella." Lily said and walked off and Ella went after her.
"Mom, I can explain everything. It's not what it looks like."
"So you're not having an affair with a married man?" Lily asked.
"No, I'm not having an affair.
"I saw you kissing him, Ella."
"A kiss that we didn't even have until after he decided to leave his wife."
"Do you know what it feels like to be left? Because I do." Lily said.
"It isn't like it was with you. Tripp actually cares about me."
"Oh, you think so? Why don't you take a look at what he's doing? Leaving someone who, up until today, thought the exact same thing. Walk away, Ella. Until you do, you're not welcome in this home." Lily said and walked out the room.
Ella came back down the stairs to everyone staring at her.
"I'm sorry. I can only imagine what you're feeling. What we did... what I did was wrong. I never meant to hurt anyone, and I hurt you. I promise I'll never see Tripp again." Ella said to Maureen before going to her room.
Later Tripp said for Ella to meet her downstairs and that's what she did.
Ella was going to towards the car.
"Ella!" Nate ran after her.
"Pardon me if I didn't say goodbye but after what you did-"
"Don't go." He told her.
"What?"
"Don't go with Tripp."
"Nate."
"Okay, I know what I did was wrong, and I'm sorry. I just... did it because... cos ever since last week... ever since three years, when you left... Please don't get in the car. Just stay here with me. Just give me a chance."
"Ella. You coming?" Tripp asked with the window rolled down and Ella looked back at Nate.
Ella decided she wanted to get in the limo with Tripp.
Some truths may not be heard the way we hoped they would. But they linger long after they've been said. But the kind of truth I'm most thankful for, the one you never see coming that falls right into your lap. XOXO, Gossip Girl.
