Chuck surveyed himself in the mirror, god he was one handsome son of a bitch he thought to himself. He grinned broadly as he picked out yet another combination of pastels with his signature bow tie, obviously Chuck Bass always made an effort to look his best but today was a special day, a very special day indeed. It was the final weekend of summer vacation, in a few days time he and his fellow Upper East Side billionaire offsprings would be returning to the respective schools for the senior year of high school. Summer was almost over, now was the time for thinking about college, jobs, their futures. And for Chuck Bass all this amounted to only one logical conclusion; party. Chuck was hosting a huge end of summer rager, which being the eternal optimist he had christened the 'start of senior year…end of your lives party!' Chuck had thrown numerous gatherings over the summer each one more extravagant and wild than the previous, but tonight was a one off, one big final night of pure summer excess and debauchery at the Bass beach mansion. Obviously Bass senior and his new bride would be absent from the nights festivities, Chuck being a loving and dutiful son had purchased two VIP tickets for the ballet knowing of his new step-mothers love with the flouncing and flapping men in tights.

Chuck began fixing his hair and grinned at his own brilliance, everything was perfect for tonight, well almost everything. He was missing something important, essential one might say…the same thing that had been absent from his entire summer but never gone from his thoughts; Blair Waldorf. They had not spoken all summer, not since Chuck had abandoned her on their trip to Tuscany. Blair had sent countless postcards to Serena, with each one she wished love to Lily, Eric even Bart but there was not one single mention of Chuck. Chuck would have preferred it had Blair sent him a letter of abuse or called him to argue over it, her silence was terrifying. Chuck knew better than anyone the levels Blair Waldorf could go to get her revenge, he kept expecting to wake up with a horses head in his bed or worse. However a small part of Chuck took Blair's lack of reaction as a positive, perhaps after everything that had happened between them last year Blair had finally come to understand Chuck and knew that his failure to show up was not a rejection but a momentary lapse.

Either way Chuck was not going on his hopes alone, he looked to the square leather box on his dresser. He had purchased Blair matching diamond earrings to the necklace he had brought her for her birthday. A sentimental yet expensive gesture Chuck was sure would help his case. Besides no woman could resist diamonds, and Blair was no exception. Chuck glanced at the clock one more time.

"The Jitney doesn't get in for another half hour." Called a voice from the doorway.

Chuck turned to see standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"The what?" he asked acting cool.

"The Jitney. The bus that brings people to the Hamptons and today is bringing a very special guest." Serena said. "…Blair."

Chuck laughed, "Blair on a bus? She will be disappointed when she discovers theres no first class section."

"Are you really going to pretend you're not dying to see her?"

"My dear sister, in case you have forgotten I'm throwing the party of the year tonight weeks of planning have gone into this…Blair's been the last thing on my mind." He said cooling.

Serena snorted, "Sure, that's why you practically threw yourself across the breakfast table every time one of her postcards arrived." She laughed, "I swear I thought you were going to cry after the fifteenth one she ignored you in."

"Look is there something you actually want or did you just come up here to PMS all over me?" he asked returning to his extensive grooming session.

"Yes, look despite whatever you say I know you're still into B but you stay away from her okay?" Serena said seriously.

Chuck grinned, "

"Look is there something you actually want or did you just come up here to PMS all over me?" he asked returning to his extensive grooming session.

"Yes, look despite whatever you say I know you're still into B but you stay away from her okay?" Serena said seriously.

Chuck grinned, "You're not the boss of me!" he said in a child-like voice.

"Chuck I'm serious, you've messed her around too much. Just stay away!"

"See I could have stayed away no problem but now you've told me to Blair's like forbidden fruit, and we all know I want what I'm not supposed to have." He said snidely.

"Chuck this isn't a joke, you hurt and humiliated Blair when you abandoned her for a summer of beach skanks." Serena snapped. "And no matter how many diamonds you buy," she said eyeing up Chuck's insurance policy. "Nothing will change that."

Chuck didn't know what to say.

"You'll be lucky if Blair even talks to you again." Serena continued.

"Are you done?" Chuck snapped back at her.

"Yes."

"Anything else?" He asked.

"Yes." She said. "you'd better hurry up and get ready we're leaving for brunch in ten minutes."

Serena turned and left. Chuck stared at himself in the mirror before grabbing the earrings and throwing them against the door. He took a deep breath and straightened his bow tie before following Serena out of the doorway, pocketing the small jewellery box as he did so. Better safe than sorry he thought.