Cotillion Chaos (dair)

#1

Blair knew this was a bad idea from the moment her mother asked to speak with her before eleven on a weekend. The beautiful brunch, a new dress and a smiling mother only spoke of abject humiliation.

"Guess who called this morning?"

"Santa?" Blair rolled her eyes.

"Cece Rhodes," her mother smiled, the kind that was all eagle eyed and had very little to do with her mother's actual mouth.

Blair stilled, "Serena's grandmother?"

Her mother hummed in confirmation.

"For?"

"For you."

"For me?"

The rest of the morning makes little sense as her mother tries to explain that the families have struck a deal in which Blair in her good fortune and generosity will train with Dan for the Cotillion.

"Why not have Serena do this with him? He's going to be her escort."

"Serena hasn't agreed to go yet and her grandma wants to surprise her with this development."

Typical. Blair's hard work becomes Serena's magic.

"And why would I do this?" she blinked, seeing no benefit for her in this exchange and she wasn't letting Cabbage Patch's stinky hands all over her for the sake of friendship. Serena's bad taste shouldn't be her punishment.

"Well, dear, since Nathaniel isn't your escort anymore..."

Of course her mother found a way to sprinkle that topic into the room. Like Nate's absence wasn't a huge gap between them. Nate had always known how to talk to her mother better than she could.

"Cece thought you may like to come in on Sir Lucas Pembleton's arm."

"Sir?"

"As in knighted."

"A knight?" Blair's attention was finally stirred. "As in knighted by the queen?"

"For saving his second cousin," her mother smirked, "The queen's son"

"He's directly related to the queen?"

"And a Duke in his own right..."

Oh well then.

"I wouldn't want to disappoint Serena."

"That's my girl. Your first lesson is this afternoon."

.

Nate Archibald has officially been removed as Blair Waldorf's plus one for the Cotillion. I wonder who Queen B will now be bringing??? Xoxo, Gossip Girl.

.

"I can't believe you agreed to this."

"I could say the same to you," Dan's voice echoed in the private dance studio Cece had rented for the occasion as well as a lucrative dance tutor for the two of them to learn in peace. They were waiting for the said teacher to return so they could get this learning session over with.

"And I can't convince you to leave now, can I?" Blair had hoped that Cece would fail to convince Humphrey so Blair could hopefully get the benefit without the work.

"Unfortunately for the both of us, I have already given Serena's grandma my word."

"And that means something to you?"

Dan gives her a funny look, "Yeah."

Twenty minutes later, they were instructed to finally dance. Humphrey lacked the years of dance training that most nepo babies attained after afternoons with high tea. Yet Humphrey moved with intention and the ability to follow verbal cues. Workable, though he hesitated too much.