Royalty // Chuck Bass

Chapter 14

Desperately Seeking Serena

There are three things we do alone: we are born, we die, and if we're a high school junior headed for college, we take the SATs. And while the test is said to measure our best traits, preparing for it inevitably brings out the worst. Humility becomes self doubt, striving becomes obsession. Some are driven to self medication, while others cling to the security of being part of a group. And anyone who's used to bending the rules will find themselves breaking them.

Anna walked through the large halls of Constance and watched as students around her were stressing over the upcoming SATs and practicing with the little hand held devices that the students had been issued with in order to practice, curtsey of both their Headmaster and Headmistress.

Lucky for Anna, she had already taken her SATs prior to her junior year, meaning that unlike her fellow juniors she, along with Nate Archibald; who also had taken the SATs already, were free to relax while the others were stressing out about the upcoming exam.

"I'm so envious of you, A." Blair spoke as they walked down the hall of Constance together with their arms linked together.

"Just because I'm not taking them now doesn't mean I didn't stress out as much as all of you are right now." Anna replied as they turned the corner into another part of the hallway. Blair stopped when she spotted her minions and Jenny Humphrey. Anna looked at Blair and she could see the thought on her face.

"I've a plan." Blair said quietly as she smiled. A smile like that on the face of Blair Waldorf meant something bad, especially for the person who was on the receiving end.

"Then I'll leave you to it." Anna answered back before leaving Blair to her plan to get her minions back and take down Jenny Humphrey once and for all.

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Anna walked down the marble steps of her home into the empty living room as she picked up her phone from the table that sat at the bottom of the staircase.

"Hey A, it's me. I know you're already relaxed enough with not having to take the SATs but there is a massage table calling your name here if you want to join us." Anna listened to Blair's voicemail as she headed into the kitchen and opened the grey fridge to grab a bowl of grapes. Once the beep went off signalling that Blair's message had come to an end, she sat up on one of the kitchen island stools and ate the mixed grapes in front of her.

"Anna, sweetie, can you come here for a moment?" Her mother's soft voice called from down the hall in her art studio that she had at home for finishing of deadlines and dealing wit paperwork.

Anna took the bowl of grapes with her as she walked down the hall and in to the room to see her mother.

"Hey mom." Anna spoke as she entered the room closing the door behind her. Diana placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek and grabbed a grape from the bowl in her hand before turning back around to the canvas behind her.

"What do you think?" Diana asked as she stepped back as she examined at the painting on the canvas. It was of a dark figure standing with a cloud of thoughts above them and surrounded by sunlight and stars. It was absolutely breathtaking. Anna's mother was truly talented and had an eye for a good piece of art when she seen it.

"Mom it's amazing." Anna said as she observed her mother's painting.

"Thank you, hunny. Hey, aren't the girls taking the SATs tomorrow?" Diana questioned as he began to tidy up her paints and placed them back where they belong in the large cabinet behind her desk.

"Yeh. Blair is pretty freaked out about not getting into Yale." The young brunette replied to her mother as she leaned against the wall.

"And have you heard from Charles?" Anna froze at the mention of the young Bass's name. "Is he nervous?"

"Eh, actually I haven't been talking to Chuck lately. But I'm sure he's nervous too." Anna said simply, even though she knew right well that Chuck was planning on paying someone to take the SATs for him.

"Hey Anna. Have you heard from Noah lately? I tried calling but I didn't get any response." Diana asked as she dipped her brushes in the water in order to clean them.

"I called last week to see how he was but I haven't gotten the chance to do it this week. I'll give him a call tomorrow and see what's up." The brunette teenager made up on the spot. She had no idea if no had even left the Upper East Side yet but if Georgina Sparks was back, she had hoped he had. "I'm gonna head to my room mom. Night."

"Night sweetie." Diana replied to her daughter without looking up from the paint drawer that she was currently filing through.

Anna headed upstairs and decided to call Serena, who she hadn't heard from in a while besides the fact she had heard rumours that Georgina Sparks was back in New York.

"Hey Serena. It's me, again. I've tried calling you all evening and I keep getting your voicemail. Listen if I don't see you before it, best of luck with your SATs. I know you'll do great. I love you, S." Anna spoke as the beep went off signalling for the brunette to speak as her messages was being recorded. Once she finished talking she pressed the button to hang up and put her phone back down and sighed.

Deep down there was something telling Anna that the reason Serena wasn't answering her cell wasn't because she was studying hard for her SATs. She hoped that her best friend hasn't fallen back into her old habits or worse, into the company of the one person who always seemed to bring out that side of the van der Woodsen girl.

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Hi everyone. I hope you enjoyed that. I know it was pretty short compared to some of the other ones and I'm sorry about that. It was mainly because most of the video is to do with Serena and the return of Georgina Sparks. And then the SATs which, obviously, Anna didn't take.

Please comment and let me know what ya think. Thank you all.

Until next time

~ky❤️