wild promises // nate archibald

1.12

On the Upper East side, it's easy to think that the world is exactly as it appears... refined, elegant, imposing. But sometimes, all it takes is a little key to open the door to the wild side.

It's a Saturday night so where else would Blair, Serena and I be but school. We may have somehow started a party at the school's pool. I'm not complaining, things were getting a little dull around here.

Everyone is drinking, some people are smoking weed. It's just like any other party except this time we're in a pool.

I watch as Nate tries to talk to Blair. From where I'm standing it doesn't look like it went so great.

"Trouble in paradise?" I tease.

Nate shakes his head. "I don't get it. Blair's been avoiding me since I got home from Monaco."

I shrug my shoulders. "I can't explain why Blair does anything Blair does."

Nate chuckles. "She is one of a kind."

"You might want to wipe your mouth." Nate looks at me confused. "I think you've got a little drool."

Nate laughs. "Real funny."

"Come on, you're obviously head over heels for her. Now you just have to figure out if she feels the same way," I tell him.

As I get out of the pool Chuck walks past me. "Why don't I turn that, uh, one-piece into a no-piece?"

"Find a floatie to talk to, Bass," I tell him.

"I'd rather talk to you," Chuck states.

I move closer to him and whisper into his ear, "No. I think it's Blair you want to talk to. Or maybe do a little more." I slap him on the back before walking away.

Serena and I find Blair again and continue on with the night we were having. We all drink martinis in the pool. It looks like most of the junior class is here.

Serena squeals happily when Dan arrives. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time. It almost makes me jealous. I want a relationship like that. I guess I want a relationship of any kind. It's just my friends and I. I don't have parents who care. I don't have an extended family that shows up every once and awhile. It's just me most of the time.

Everything is going great until two guys get into a fight. One pushes the other and makes him hit his head into a pole before falling into the pool. Nate jumps in and saves him. Dan and another guy help him pull the guy out of the pool. He is covered in blood and it looks like he is barely breathing.

"Help! Call the ambulance!" Nate shouts.

"Call an ambulance. Someone call 9-1-1," Dan says.

I grab my phone. "We... we need... we need an ambulance." I watch as Nate does chest compressions. "Yeah, a... a kid... he... he hit his head, and... and he fell in the pool." I look around. "It... it's 719, uh, east 82nd street."

As the sirens get closer people start to leave. No one wants to get in trouble for this. But that doesn't really work out.

First thing Monday morning everyone who was at the party is called in for a meeting. Pictures from the party are up on a screen.

"Thanks to the cell phone that somebody left behind, we've got plenty of evidence of who was at the party. Lucky for you, Andrew Collins is going to be fine. Unlucky for you, we need to hold someone responsible. Ms. Queller?"

Ms. Queller stands up. "Hello. I'm Ms. Queller, the new headmistress at Constance. It's unfortunate that we meet under these circumstances. But I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you. I've already talked to your parents... At least, those I could reach, and look forward to reading your personal essays 10,000 words describing how you came to be on school property after hours, using alcohol and drugs, where a fellow student almost died. In other words, what the hell is wrong with you? I'll also be conducting one-on-one interviews until I discover who broke into the pool and initiated the party. That person will be expelled. If that person is not identified, then you'll all face expulsion."