With the Archibald twins helping to close up the family yacht for the season, Blair is free to focus on the most important event of the fall: her annual sleepover. A tradition since the year 2000, each one more decadent than the last. No expense-or reputation- is spared. With everything from trundle beds to truffles in place, all that's missing is sleepover star and Waldorf BFF, Serena van der Woodsen.
Jenny and I were walking together to our respective classes when the voice of Serena began to follow us. "Hey jus the sisters I was looking for. I need answers and I need them now. Your brother is being very mysterious about our date tonight." Serena said when she caught up to us, wanting to know what Dan told us about our upcoming date."Well, apparently, he's a mysterious guy." Jenny said, and we all laughed at that.
"He won't even tell me where we're going. Can you guys just give me a hint? Are we going to some secret club to see the best unsigned band in Brooklyn? Or-or a guerrilla art exhibit in Dumbo? Or, hey, isn't the New York Film Festival still going on?" Serena asked us, and I made a mental note to never attempt tot plan her a surprise party. "You don't like surprise much, do you?" I asked her. "I don't know how to dress for a surprise. Not everything goes with it, you know."
"Well, I'd say jeans and a T-shirt is a safe bet." Jenny told her. "She's right." I said in agreement "For the Humphrey men, casual Friday is everyday of the week." Right after I said that, Serena's phone started to ring. "Oh, it's my brother." She told us. "We say hi." Jenny and I said together. "Hey, Eric. Jenny and Cat say hi." Serena told him. "No, not a drop." She said as she looked pointedly at Jenny and I, most likely about her date with Dan tonight. "You all packed? Hey speaking of which is Mom still there?" Serena said, probably about Eric visiting from the Ostroff Center. Jenny and Dan filled me in on what happened after I left the Ivy week mixer, with Serena and Eric's blessing. "Seven, can't wait to see you." It must have made Serena feel so good to be able to see her brother outside of a mental hospital. I couldn't begin to imagine what that must have felt like. "Okay, I love you Eric. Bye" Serena said as she hung up the phone.
"What was that I heard? Eric's coming home?" Blair asked, the only other person to know the truth behind the Van der Woodsens and the Ostroff Center. "It's perfect timing." Blair said. "How so?" Serena asked. "Well, it gives our mother and brother time to bond alone tonight while you get drunk on Schnapps and moon the NYU dorms from the limo." Blair said, as if any of the sentence made any sense.
"Blair, what are are you talking about?" Serena asked with a chuckle. "S, it's only the most important night of the fall." Blair said, and that's when the realization hits Serena. "Oh the sleepover." She said, looking like she wanted to kick herself for forgetting. "I prefer soiree. Sleepover is so sophomore year" Blair said.
"Look, you know I can't go to that. I have that plan." Serena said, referring to her date with my brother. "Serena, when there's a Waldorf soiree there's nothing else on the social calendar." Blair said. "Blair the plan is Dan." I told her, jumping to Serena's defense. "Remember, the guy you realized is actually a human being and worthy of your time and attention?" Serena added on, then turned to Jenny and I. "No offense." "None taken." Jenny and I said. "Look, I'm really sorry but this date is unbreakable. Maybe we can sing by later or something." Serena said trying to appease her best friend. "I'm not a stop along the way. I'm a destination. And if you refuse to attend I'm going to have to find a replacement. Girls, the waiting list." Blair said. The one thing that can always be said about Blair Waldorf is that she knows her worth and value.
"Ok. Well, uh, I should get going." Serena said, getting ready to go to class. And I decided to go with her seeing as I hated being late for class. But first I had to take care of something. "Jenny might be a good replacement for your soiree tonight. Just saying." I whispered to Blair before heading to my next class.
Spotted on the steps of the Palace, Cinderella stepping onto a pumpkin instead of her carriage. Lucky for Lonely Boy, there's more than one fable filling our inbox.
Here's an inside tip, Little J. The faster you rise, the harder you fall. Hope the Hello Kitty sleeping bag doubles as a parachute.
Since Dan was on his date with Serena, Jenny was at Blair's sleepover, excuse me soiree, and Dad decided to spend his night at the art gallery, I basically had the loft to myself for the night.
I felt bad for Dad because, he tried to call Allison, my mother, to tell her that one of her paintings sold, only to find a guy answering her phone. I wanted so bad to come down there and be with him. But he told me that he needed time to himself to think. While all I could think was that I needed to tell him the truth about Allison and soon.
Spotted fleeing dessert, S and Lonely boy lighter than air and heading downtown.
Spotlight on little J. Now put to the test by one queen bee. Will J take the bait and go from Brady to Britney? Or will her goody two-shoes mind-set turn into the night biggest Buzz kill?
Just as I destined myself to spend the night in internal turmoil, I heard the phone ringing. "Hello, Humphrey residence." I said, "Catherine, it's Mrs. Van der Woodsen" he said. "Hi Mr.s Wan der Woodsen, what can I do for you?" I asked her, wondering what would cause her to call my home. "Eric's missing." she told me. "Oh my god. Well, did you try calling him or Serena." I asked her, worried for Eric's safety. "I did. But Eric's not answering his phone. I think he's with Serena, but she left her phone here." Mrs. Van der Woodsen told me.
"I could call Dan for you if you'd like, get some information and then call you back with an update." I offered. "Thank you so much, I'd really appreciate that." She said and then hung up the phone.
I immediately called Dan, hoping he'd pick up his phone. "Hello." He said as he answered the phone. "Thank go you picked up. Is Eric with you and Serena?" I asked him, cutting right to the point. "What? No, no, no, he's not?" "Well, he's missing and Mrs. Van der Woodsen thinks he's with you guys, and she tried to call Serena but she left her phone at the hotel." I told him, cashing him up to speed. "Serena left her phone at the hotel?" he asked me. "I just told you that Serena's little brother, our sister's friend, is missing, and that surprises you is the location of Serena's phone?!" I screamed at him, wondering where his head goes sometimes. "Don't worry, we'll take care of it." and then he hung up. Just when he did, I saw an update from Gossip Girl.
Every girl's gotta start somewhere. Maybe Little J isn't so little anymore.
Of course, if anyone else would know where Eric is, it would be Jenny. I wasted no time in texting her and she immediately told me where they were. I sent a text to Dan to go to Visconti, and he should be able to find Eric there.
Just as I was about to relay this information to Mrs. Van der Woodsen, I heard a knock at the door, and was surprised to see her on the other side of the door when I opened it. "So I made some calls, but either Dan Humphrey is and alias, or your bother is not very popular. No offense." She said as she walked into the loft. "None taken." I said as I closed the door. "I was just about to call you and let you know that Eric's not with Dan and Serena." "He's not?" Mrs. Van der Woodsen said, looking frightened to her core. "But thankfully, I was able to find out where he is and told Dan and Serena where to find him. Dan assured me he'll call when they're all together."
"They should be calling soon, why don't you stay here and wait. I was just about to make some dinner if you're hungry." I offered her. "Thank you. And I'm starving." She said as she went to sit down. And I went to work on making my Dad's specialty , spaghetti bolognese.
Spotted. Big Brother to the not-quite rescue. Too bad no one told him you can't save a damsel if she loves her distress.
After a few minutes, Mrs. Van der Woodsen got up decided she wanted to help out a bit. And I couldn't help myself and decided to ask her, "Did you ever help my Dad cook when you guys were together?" I swear her eyes got so big they could've busted out of the windows. "He told you about that?" she asked me. "Not really, I sort of just put two and two together, and he didn't deny it. If it makes you feel any better, I'm the only one who knows." I told her. "It does, and I'm sure you can understand why I'd like to keep it that way." she said to me. "I think the feelings mutual." I assured her.
"I haven't had moments like this in a while." She said out of nowhere. "In your defense, I'm sure your suite doesn't come equipped with a kitchen." I said, assuming she meant the home-cooked meal. "No I meant, having a conversation without walls being put up. Serena always judges my parenting abilities, and I don't even know what Eric wants anymore." Mrs. Van der Woodsen said as we continue to make dinner. "If this is about Eric's suicide attempt, he and Serena filled Dan, Jenny and I in on the details." I told her.
"I just don't, know why. I don't know... what I did or didn't do, but..." Mrs. Van der Woodsen started, her frustrations and feelings of helplessness pouring out. "You just want to know what to do so it doesn't happen again." I finished for her. "Exactly." She said, and it must have felt good for her to able to say all of this out loud to someone. "Speaking as a teenager myself, all we ever want from our parents is for them to listen to what we need or want, and to just be there for us." I told her, sort of food for thought if you will.
The phone began to ring, and I wen to pick it up. It was Dan telling me that he and Serena found Eric. I relayed the information back to Mrs. Van der Woodsen. "I should go and meet them." She said as she was about to leave. "You know, this food won't travel well," I told her, not wanting her to go just yet. "Why don't you just stay here and eat it quickly?" "It would be a shame to let it go to waste." She said as she went to go sit down and eat.
The whole time we got to know each other. I told her about my hopes to one day make it on Broadway, and she told me all about her relationship with Dad. "I can't believe you took this photo, this is one my of my favorites of him." I told her as I held a photo of Dad back when his band days. "I remember that show like it was yesterday. The first song was about me. The second song was about his motorcycle. And then there was the one about that surf town. What was it?" She said. "Sayulita?" I asked her. "That's the one. God, I must have taken eight rolls of film that night." I could tell she missed that life, and not jus because of Dad.
"Do you still take pictures?" I asked her, based on the one she took of Dad she was really good. "I guess I figured social climbing was more fulfilling." she told me, more or less as a joke. It felt nice talking to her. Even before all the stuff that happened with Alison, we were never close. I always felt like she saw me as a pebble in her shoe.
Suddenly our nice moment was interrupted by the phone ringing. "I'll get it," Mrs. Van der Woodsen said. "If that's Dan or my dad, be nice to them." I jokingly told her. "Hello, Humphrey residence." She said as she answered the phone. And just as quickly as the smile came to her face it went away. "Hi, Alison. Yeah, it's, um, Lily." She looked at me wanting me to take the phone. And I did, just not the way she expected. "Hi Alison, bye Alison." I said as I hung up the phone, not even giving her a chance to say anything.
"And I thought my kids were hard on me." Mrs. Van der Woodsen said, the tension permeating the kitchen. "It's hard to have respect for that woman after what she did to Dad." I told her, feeling myself about to break. "What did she do?" she asked me as she put a hand on my shoulder. "She's been seeing another guy. And it started long before she moved to Hudson." I said as I broke down in tears. I could feel her pull me in for a hug, and I just let her. "I found out before summer started, and when I confronted her about it she tried to deny it at first, but then she told me that even if I did tell anyone, it'd be my word and hers, and that I should just keep my mouth shut. So when I left, I decided I was done with her." It hurt so much to say all of that, but at the same time it also felt good to not keep all of that bottled up.
"Did you ever try telling anyone about all of this?" She asked me, still holding on to me. "My godmother Jo knows, but I'm scared to tell my dad. What if he doesn't believe me?" I told her, and that was always my biggest fear about telling my dad. "Knowing Rufus, and seeing the kind of daughter that he raised, I don't think he won't believe you." She told me reassuringly. "Thanks mrs. Van der Woodsen." I said as I tried to pull myself together. She pulled away from me enough to start wiping the tears off of my face. "You can just call me Lily." she told me. "Thanks Lily." I said with a sniffle.
Just then I heard the door open. It was Dad. "Lily, what are you doing here. And Kitty have you been crying?" he said, concern pouring from his voice. "Everything's fine Rufus. We were just having a little girls night in." Lily said giving me a wink and a smile. "I should get going, it's late." she said as she put on her jacket. As she reached Dad, she put her hand on his shoulder and said, "You've raised a wonderful young lady." "Thank you," he said, both touched and confused. "Goodnight Catherine." She said as she left. "Goodnight Lily." I yelled back.
"Do I want to know what you two were talking about?" He asked, "We didn't exchange embarrassing stories about you if that's what you're worried about." I said as I went to my room, but then I couldn't help myself. "By the way, exactly how many of your songs were about Lily when you guys went out." The look on his face was totally priceless.
Word is Jenny Humphrey killed at Blair Waldorf's sleepover. It was a debut the likes of which haven't been seen since Blair herself. If Blair's gotta watch her back, Serena needs to keep an eye on her heart. We hear it may be stolen by Lonely Boy. Putting out an APB. Gossip Girl.
(A/N: Hey guys. So I finally got to do Dare Devil. I thought this would be a defining moment in Cat and Lily's forming a bond with each other, some what similar to the bond Lily has with Chuck. Up next is "The Handmaiden's Tale", and get ready for some relationship drama. TTFN, ta-ta for now!)