The annual Cotillion Ball was the highlight of the Upper East Side's social calendar, an evening of glittering gowns, impeccable manners, and high-stakes drama. As I prepared for the night, I found myself tangled in a web of emotions and schemes that threatened to unravel the carefully constructed facade of our lives.
The day began with the usual flurry of activity as Blair and Serena walked together to the dance rehearsal. Blair was animated, her excitement barely contained as she chattered about her upcoming date with Prince Theodore.
"I'm actually glad i'm going weith prince theodre instead of nate.'blair smiled. 'The further we get from the breakup, the more self-invovled i see he was. Always so brooding, so tortured, ugh. A girl wants romeo, not hamlet.'
Derena looked up at me as i forced a nodded in agreement with blair, "romeo died," serena broodily commented.
'Yes, but he died for something exciting and i want my debutante ball to be aomthing to die for.' she declared, her eyes sparkling. She was relishing the distance from Nate, finding solace in the company of someone new or more mature in accordance with her words. Blair was convinced that the breakup had been the right choice, especially now that she was featured in an article by The New York Times about the Cotillion.
Serena, who had initially been disinterested in attending the Cotillion, was now swept up in the whirlwind of preparations, thanks to her grandmother CeCe's unexpected arrival. Serena had reluctantly agreed to attend after CeCe insisted on it, though her heart wasn't fully in it.
'All i got wiith nate was a rose in the back of a town car but with the prince,' blair paused as we smiled to let her continue, 'i get a security detail an high speed chase to the pierre after it's over.'
'Oooh i can see yu on the cover of Hello already.'
I laughed and turned to look at the store displays. Blair and Times magazine.
'Is your mum still mad your not going serena?' i asked.
'Well she does not really have a leg to stand on since i found out she used to be my boyfriends father's biggest fan.' serena paused her face in disgust, 'ew it sounds so gross when you say it out loud.'
'I'll tell you something, i would not trade positions with you at all.'
'Here i thought you actually wanted to go.' blair responded.
'I'm here with you guys arent i?'
'Well i dont even have a date.' i added
'And you're only here because your meeting with your grandmother.'
We walked through the doors of Prescott dance studio. At the rehearsal, I felt like an outsider. My own conflicted feelings about the Cotillion were mirrored in my hesitance to talk to Nate. since blair and nate broke up, i had not had the chance to talk with him, followed by his family's situations being lpaced all over the media. I was painfully aware of how this would affect the delicate balance of relationships, especially with Blair and Nate's recent breakup. I stood in a corner, engaged in conversations with Serena, Jenny, and Dan, all the while questioning my place in the evening's events.
Serena, with her usual charm, introduced Dan to CeCe, who had arrived with a commanding presence. CeCe, ever the grand dame, defended the Cotillion with fervor. "It's a tradition that teaches young women the importance of grace and manners," she asserted, much to Dan's dismay. I could see the strain of her expectations weighing on Serena, who seemed eager to avoid conflict.
Dan and Jenny joined the group, with Jenny eager for the event while Dan was decidedly less enthusiastic. "It's all so outdated and classist," Dan remarked, his disdain evident. "I'm only here for Serena." Jenny, on the other hand, was drawn to the Cotillion's glamour and tradition, an irony that I found amusing and somewhat poignant.
