𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 | gossip girl

FIVE,

GOLD RUSH
FIVE.

" DID YOU KNOW YOU'RE BODY MAKE UP IS EIGHTY PERCENT WATER?" I look to my left, meeting the gaze of the nameless boy who has managed to spring up multiple occasions since I've been back.

I nod my head as he stands beside me, " pretty sure I'm seventy five percent coffee at this point." I tell him and hear the small laugh he makes.

I look at him, " I'm Estella by the way." I gesture a hand which he furrows his brows at.

" oh yeah- we go to the same school." he says bashfully, before looking at me with a dismissive shake of his head " I'm Dan, Dan Humphrey."

My smile widens " as in the guy who gave Chuck a black eye last night?" Dan slightly recoils as he nods his head.

" I had my reasons." he simplifies as I lift the coffee cup up to my lips " I wouldn't even blame you if you didn't, someone needs to knock some sense into that boy."

I look at Dan as his brows furrow " isn't he your best friend's brother?"

I shrug " so what? she would agree with me."

I hear his soft laugh as I turn to look around — my eyes catching on to Blair who is making a B-line towards us. A curving on her lips that I know couldn't mean anything good at all.

" Estella, Dan." she positions herself close to us, putting out a hand for Dan " Hi, I'm Blair Waldorf, Serena's friend."

My brows furrow, last I heard they weren't talking. Nevermind playing nice with each other's dates.

" oh hey," Dan hums, " do you happen to know where she is?" he asks.

My eyes skim over to Nate and Serena who appea in the doorway — their footsteps fast as their panicked faces look over to us three, Nate not able to even look me in the eye as they walk over.

Which I know it's intentional, but one of his superpowers is being able to find me in crowds. Even when he doesn't want to. And yet here we are mere metres away from each other and he won't look at me.

" as a matter of fact I do-" Blair hums, shortly intercut by Serena " Blair." her best friends name come out in a semi plead.

" Serena, there you are. Where were you?" Dan asks, my eyes still trying to find Nate's who remains set on not looking back at me.

" she was waiting in a hotel room, for my boyfriend." I can't help that my brows furrow deeply, I have no control over the confused expression that paints my face.

" to talk." Serena tells Blair mostly, although wavers her gaze to Dan.

" about why we weren't talking." Nate looks at Dan but still won't make eye contact with me. what the hell is going on?

" that doesn't sound any smarter the second time." Blair quips back, and I shake my head looking to Serena.

" why weren't you two talking?" I ask, and she looks at me with none of the remorse she does when she looks to Blair. Nate looking to Serena with an odd expression.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Serena is seemingly back in Blair's bad books, but what does Nate have anything to do with it? yes he's Blair's boyfriend but he's not lapdog loyal to her. Never has been.

" does this have anything to do with why you were waiting for Serena this morning?" Dan asks Nate.

I lose slight grasp on the situation, feeling a hand take mine. Noticing Olivia try and pull me away from the situation