i want it all - gg

𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪

Hadley had heard pretty much everything there was to tell about Gossip Girl, the anonymous online blogger that had tormented her mother and her friends at school for years, but somehow that wasn't the first thing on her mind as she read the article. G at JFK.

Gabriel. It had to be.

After nine months, Hadley was feeling a sickeningly potent combination of blood-boiling anger and gut-wrenching butterflies. The worst part was, the only person she wanted to call and talk about it was the only person who would understand and also the only person she couldn't talk to. Scarlett.

It was totally stupid how much things had changed between them in nine months. They'd always had a rocky, love to hate sort of relationship, since they were always pitted against each other. And of course, they both liked the same boy.

Hmmm... the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

Hadley didn't even like that boy anymore, but it still wouldn't change things between them. Scarlett had gone off traveling all summer becoming a groupie for several second rate European bands.

Hadley shook the image of Scarlett dancing backstage with German boy-band members and replaced it with another one. Gabriel was back, he was really coming home. Hadley felt like she was going to throw up with excitement.

But she hated him. She'd lost her virginity to him and then he'd flown halfway across the world the next day without even saying goodbye.

But she loved him. She always had, ever since they were kids.

xoxo

Salinger Humphrey peered over his sister's shoulder at the website on her phone as he sipped black coffee.

"G, who's G supposed to be then?" He asked his sister, grabbing her phone and squinting at the text.

It was so clear to her. Gabriel. Scarlett felt a pit in her stomach and immediately thought of Hadley. She must be absolutely shitting herself.

"Do you think we should tell mom and dad?" Scarlett asked, nervously biting her navy painted nails.

"What? Why?" Sal asked. "I don't think they really wanna read about some chick getting her highlights done."

"No, stupid," Scarlett said. "Its Gossip Girl. Dad used to be Gossip Girl. I think we should tell them."

"What's the point?" Sal pondered. "It's just a stupid website, nobody's gonna get hurt knowing Hadley got into a limo this morning with some girl."

Scarlett smacked the back of her brother's head. Sometimes he could be so dense.

"People will start sending in tips and spying on each other," Scarlett said. "This is dangerous, can't you see?"

"You're such a hypocrite," the boy challenged. "You're always gossiping."

"That's different, that's just mindless chat," Scarlett spoke firmly. "If we start sending in secrets then nobody will have a private life."

Sal smiled and shook his head, putting an arm around his worrying sister. She really needed to chill.

Wise stoner words, Salinger.

"Look on the bright side, sis," he said. "At least we didn't come up in this little article. Probably means that chick will leave us alone."

"We did come up you doofus!" Scarlett laughed, pointing at her screen. "She called us boring, too."

"What?" Sal exclaimed. "We're not boring!"

I beg to differ.

xoxo

Gabriel Archibald was nervous, which didn't happen a lot. He was finally back in Manhattan and wasn't sure how everyone would take it.

By everyone he means Hadley.

It had been over a year, though, and he hadn't seen her at all, so maybe the magic would be gone. There were so many hot girls in France, girls that made Hadley seem like nothing special.

He should just get over her, or he might wind up pining for someone who didn't like him back.

I thought he was over her.

St. Jude's looked exactly like it always had, and walking through the gates Gabriel wondered if he would be fine after all.

And then the staring and whispering started. He kept his eyes fixed on the boys' corridor, and quickly entered the building.

xoxo

"Oh my god," Agnes Swanson squealed a couple of lockers down from Hadley.

"What is it?" Azaria Muniz pestered.

"Freddie just texted me," she said. "Apparently Gabriel Archibald is in the boys' hallway! Gossip Girl wasn't lying about him being back."

Hadley's ears pricked up at the mention of Gabriel's name. He was really here. In the building, right now. The butterflies returned to her stomach.

"Shut up," Azaria gasped.

"So you really believe this Gossip Girl thing is legit?" Hadley closed her locker and turned to the girls.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Agnes said. "My mom told me there was one when she was going to this school, but she was never mentioned in it."

"Isn't your mom the Blair Waldorf?" Azaria said, knowing full well she was. "She was like one of the main people Gossip Girl targeted."

Hadley nodded. She knew the stories, and it was kinda scary thinking that was about to happen all over again.

"Come on," Agnes said, locking up her locker. "We need to get a look at Gabriel before class."

Azaria nodded, and the two turned to Hadley.

"You coming?" They asked.

The girl shrugged and walked a few yards behind the other two (who were almost running at the prospect of getting a good look at Gabriel).

Wondering where Delilah had gotten off to when she said she was going to the bathrooms, Hadley looked down at her phone and began to send her a text.

Agnes and Azaria's gasped in front of her, and Hadley looked up from her phone. They were standing in the courtyard doorway, so Hadley couldn't see what they were looking at.

Oh, but she knew, alright.

The girl pushed past Agnes and stepped out into the courtyard. And there he was, looking down at his phone.

All five foot eleven inches of the perfect boy, standing just across the courtyard. His light brown hair was longer, scruffier, and his glittering eyes were just as bluey-green as they'd always been. Then he looked up at her.

Gabriel felt his lips part and draw a sharp intake of breath when he saw her. Hadley looked so much older than when he'd last seen her, and her skin was tan. Her hair was the same shiny, chestnut as it had always been, but instead, it hung a lot longer and wavier than usual. Her turquoise blue eyes looked sad.

She was more beautiful than he remembered. But she hated him, and that much was obvious.

Hadley wanted to run over and kiss him and tell him she loved him and how much she'd missed him. She wanted to skip first period go over to the park with him and Scarlett like they used to in tenth grade, but nothing was the same as it used to be and it made her want to cry. How could her life already be this pathetic?