Chapter Text
Chapter 34
Dally’s POV
The next day, the sky over Manhattan looked like steel. The kind of gray that promised nothing but cold wind and bad decisions.
We were up early, Darry had us cleaning around the VanderWoodsen penthouse again. He’d landed a temp maintenance gig there while the regular staff was out, and, of course, we were his “volunteers.” Soda said it was good money, but I think Darry just liked keepin’ us busy.
I was halfway through replacing a busted lightbulb when the elevator dinged. When the doors slid open, Lily VanderWoodsen stepped out, crisp white coat, heels clicking like she owned the marble floor, because she did. She looked surprised to see us there, but she smiled anyway.
“Dallas,” Lily greeted, voice smooth as silk. “Still avoiding uniforms, I see.”
“Ma’am,” I said, smirking. “Never been my style.”
Lily gave that polite, Upper East Side laugh that didn’t reach her eyes and disappeared into the hallway. Didn’t think much of it until the doorbell rang a few minutes later.
Lily answered it herself. The second the door swung open, her face changed. Soft. Caught.
Rufus Humphrey stood there, hands in his coat pockets, that Brooklyn look on his face that didn’t belong in a place with marble floors. I froze, the bulb still in my hand. The whole air in the room shifted, tight, electric.
“Rufus,” Lily said carefully. “What are you doing here?”
Rufus stepped inside, ignoring the way the doorman hovered uncertainly.
“I’m not leaving another message in the courtyard this time,” Rufus said.
“Clearly,” Lily replied, her chin lifting. “But five minutes ago my kids…”
“Why did you come to see me yesterday?” Rufus cut in. His voice wasn’t angry, just raw.
Lily’s eyes darted toward us, me, Soda, and Pony frozen near the ladder like statues. Darry gave me that don’t even breathe look, but it was too late. The tension was too thick to ignore.
“I told you,” Lily said quietly. “It was out of respect.”
“Respect or regret?” Rufus asked. “You wanted me to give you a reason not to spend the rest of your life with Bart Bass.”
“Rufus…” Lily said.
Rufus stepped closer.
“I’m still in love with you, Lily,” Rufus said.
That landed like a punch. Even Soda’s jaw went slack. Johnny blinked as he’d wandered into the middle of a movie.
Lily folded her arms, trying to steady herself.
“And what exactly are you offering me, Rufus?” Lily asked. Her voice trembled just enough to give her away. “Some… retrospective? A chance to relive the road trips we took twenty years ago? We’re not twenty, and we’re not on the road.”
“Thank God,” Rufus said. “Back then, your mother made this decision for you. Don’t let her, or Bart, make it again.”
Pony was watching like it was a scene out of a novel, eyes wide, notebook half-open. Two-Bit mouthed, dang, under his breath. Steve elbowed him before Darry could.
“I remember,” Lily said softly.
“Then you remember what it felt like to have a choice,” Rufus said. “I don’t know what it means for us to be together now. But aren’t you even curious?”
Silence. The kind that makes your chest hurt. Outside, you could hear the wind whistle against the glass.
“Lily,” Rufus said, voice breaking a little. “You’re standing at the same crossroads you were years ago. Claim your life this time. Live the way you want.”
And then, he kissed her.
Not some movie kiss, but real. Years of history kind of kiss. It was messy, it was quiet, it was everything. Then Rufus stepped back, hands shaking, and left without another word.
The elevator doors slid shut behind him, the silence swallowing the whole penthouse. Lily stood there, eyes closed, breathing like she’d just run a mile.
Nobody moved until Soda coughed.
“Uh… you want us to finish the lightbulbs, Mrs. VanderWoodsen?” Soda asked weakly.
Lily blinked, snapping back.
“Yes. Please,” Lily said. She straightened, smoothing her hair like nothing had happened. “Not a word, boys.”
We all nodded fast. Even Two-Bit.
But by the time we hit the elevator, phones buzzed in unison. Every Upper East Side kid’s worst nightmare lit up on the screen.
[GOSSIP GIRL BLAST - 11:37 A.M.]
Spotted: Brooklyn Boy R back at the Palace, this time at S’s mom’s penthouse. A kiss, a confession, and maybe a scandal big enough to shake the marble floors. L, careful, one more step and you’re playing with fire. And who else witnessed the smooch? Seven boys from Tulsa who apparently fix lightbulbs and catch gossip. Welcome to the big leagues, greasers. XOXO, Gossip Girl.
Darry groaned as soon as he saw it.
“Great,” Darry said. “Now we’re in it.”
Two-Bit grinned.
“At least we made headlines,” Two-Bit said.
Johnny frowned.
“Isn’t this… private?” Johnny asked. “Like, personal stuff?”
Steve shrugged.
“Guess privacy’s a myth here, kid,” Steve said.
I leaned against the wall, smirking despite myself.
“Can’t say Manhattan’s boring,” I said.
But when the elevator doors opened to the lobby, I caught Lily’s reflection in the glass, alone at the window, hand pressed to the pane, eyes lost somewhere far below the skyline.
For once, I didn’t have a smart remark. Just that gut feeling that no matter what she decided, Bart, Rufus, or whatever plan came next, none of it was gonna end clean.
Not in this city. Not under Gossip Girl’s watch.
And sure enough, by the time we hit the street, another blast hit the feed:
[GOSSIP GIRL UPDATE]
Two men, one Lily, and a love triangle fifteen years in the making. While the Upper East Side braces for heartbreak, our Tulsa transplants are learning that in Manhattan, secrets don’t stay secret. Who needs soap operas when you’ve got Gossip Girl?
You know you love me.
XOXO - Gossip Girl.
Later at school…
You could feel the tension before you even walked into the building. The air around St. Jude’s was colder, sharper, like the city itself knew everyone was about to go down for that pool party mess.
We’d all shown up early, hanging by the lockers while teachers and security guards swarmed like vultures. Darry was on duty, standing by the office doors in that “responsible adult” stance that made every kid straighten their posture.
“Word is, they’re callin’ people in one by one,” Two-Bit muttered, biting into a chocolate bar he’d probably stolen from the vending machine. “Feels like we’re in some kinda lineup.”
Steve smirked.
“Ain’t that familiar?” Steve said.
Darry shot us a look.
“Don’t start,” Darry said. “I’m already walkin’ a fine line letting you kids hang out here after that stunt.”
“Wasn’t it us who threw the pool party?” I said, leaning back against a locker. “We were just bystanders.”
“Bystanders with beer,” Pony reminded me.
“Semantics,” I said.
The office door opened, and the new headmistress, Miss Queller, walked out like she was made of glass and authority. Every inch of her screamed control. She was polite, crisp, and terrifying.
“Nathaniel Archibald,” Ms. Queller called.
Nate got up, looking like he was walking into a funeral. Blair tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it looked more like she was scared of what he’d say.
We drifted closer to the office door. No one said we could listen in, but no one said we couldn’t either.
Inside, through the slightly open door, Miss Queller’s voice was clear.
“After all your family has endured this year, Mr. Archibald, I’m surprised to learn you were behind something like this,” Ms. Queller said.
“I know,” Nate said quietly. “I’m sorry.”
Ms. Queller folded her hands, calm but cutting.
“From what I can see, you seem to be toeing the line of mediocrity,” Ms. Queller said. “Your grades are average at best, almost as though you aren’t committed to school or your future.”
“Can we just move to the punishment part?” Nate asked, his voice tight.
“Certainly,” Ms. Queller said. “But I am curious, can you describe how you broke into the pool?”
Nate hesitated.
“I can do better,” Nate said. “I can show you.”
Nate pulled the key from his pocket.
Johnny blinked beside me.
“That’s Blair’s key,” Johnny whispered.
Miss Queller’s tone sharpened.
“And how exactly did you come by this key, Mr. Archibald?” Ms Queller asked. “You aren’t on the swim team or employed by the janitorial staff.”
“I… I just found it,” Nate stammered.
Ms. Queller leaned forward.
“Where’s the keychain?” Ms. Queller asked.
Nate blinked.
“The keychain?” Nate asked.
“Yes,” Ms. Queller said. “Do you remember the color? The size? What is it made of?”
She held up a printed photo of the key, gold, with a bright red fob dangling from it. The one Chuck had been holding in Vanessa’s video.
Nate swallowed hard.
“Who are you trying to protect?” Ms. Queller asked softly.
Nate didn’t answer.
We all froze outside. Soda let out a quiet whistle.
“Man’s about to take the fall for somethin’ that ain’t his,” Soda said.
Darry crossed his arms.
“He’s loyal,” Darry said. “But he’s being stupid.”
“Guess loyalty’s a liability around here,” I muttered.
Pony frowned.
“It’s not loyalty if it gets everyone else expelled,” Pony said.
“Tell that to Nate,” I said, watching as Miss Queller’s voice carried out, calm, deliberate, like a hammer wrapped in silk.
[GOSSIP GIRL BLAST - 10:32 A.M.]
Spotted: Golden Boy N taking one for the team. Rumor has it our favorite Archibald just confessed to a crime he didn’t commit. Who’s he protecting? Word is, it involves a queen, a Bass, and one very incriminating key. Oh, and our Tulsa transplants caught every word. Keep your lips sealed, boys, or the Upper East Side might chew you up. XOXO - Gossip Girl.
By the time Nate came out, he looked like he’d just done a lap through hell. Chuck was waiting down the hall, unreadable as ever. Blair hovered like she wanted to run but couldn’t.
Nate passed us without a word. Soda almost said something, but Darry’s warning glare shut him up fast.
Outside, Vanessa was setting up her camera by the front steps, fiddling with the lens when Blair walked up, heels sharp on the pavement.
“Can I have a word, off-camera?” Blair asked.
Vanessa arched an eyebrow.
“Sure,” Vanessa said. “But I think I know what you’re going to say. You can save yourself the indignity of groveling; there’s no way you’re getting that tape.”
Blair blinked, unimpressed.
“I wasn’t going to grovel,” Blair said. “The fact that you thought I would shows how little you understand who you’re dealing with.”
I couldn’t help but grin. The girl had fire, I’ll give her that.
Vanessa folded her arms.
“What are you going to do?” Vanessa asked. “Blackball me from yogurt on the Met steps? You’ve got nothing I need.”
Blair tilted her head, all ice and precision.
“If you put the footage in your film, you won’t be able to show it anywhere,” Blair said. “I won’t sign a release. That’s the law, sweetie.”
Vanessa shrugged.
“I’m not looking for a distribution deal,” Vanessa said. “Just a local arts grant. Helps pay rent. Now, if you don’t mind, you’re in my shot.”
Blair huffed and spun on her heel, storming off.
Two-Bit snorted from the bench nearby.
“Guess Queen B met her match,” Two-Bit said.
Then Chuck slid up to Vanessa like a shadow in a suit, holding out a thick wad of cash.
Vanessa blinked.
“What is that?” Vanessa asked. “Stripper money?”
Chuck smirked.
“Ten thousand dollars,” Chuck said. “For the tape.”
Vanessa scoffed.
“You think I’d take your money?” Vanessa asked.
“Yes,” Chuck said simply. “I know girls like you. You act like money doesn’t matter, but everyone has a price.”
Vanessa’s jaw tightened.
“And I thought Blair was manipulative,” Vanessa said.
Chuck’s smile turned cold.
“Blair’s an amateur,” Chuck said. “She thinks you’re like her. To her, money is a few pairs of Manolos and a Chanel bag. But this,” Chuck said, shaking the envelope slightly, “this changes your life. You could make rent for a year.”
For a second, Vanessa froze. You could see the weight of the offer hit her. Then she exhaled and handed him the tape.
“You’re sick,” Vanessa said.
Chuck smirked.
“You’re welcome,” Chuck said.
Chuck pocketed the tape and walked off.
We all sat there, stunned.
“Ten grand for silence,” Steve muttered. “Guess that’s one way to keep your secrets safe.”
Darry sighed.
“And one way to learn what kind of people we’re surrounded by,” Darry said.
Johnny looked down, thoughtful.
“Back home, people did crazy stuff for twenty bucks,” Johnny said.
Two-Bit grinned weakly.
“Guess Manhattan just raises the stakes,” Two-Bit said.
And as Chuck disappeared into the crowd, phones buzzed again.
[GOSSIP GIRL BLAST - 11:03 A.M.]
Spotted: C buying silence with a stack of cash. The camera doesn’t lie, but money can make it disappear. Looks like the Greasers got front-row seats to blackmail, bribery, and betrayal. Welcome to the Upper East Side, boys. You’re playing in a new league now.
You know you love me.
XOXO - Gossip Girl.