2. Playing Catch Up is Better with Alcohol (1/1)

mrs. van der woodsen smiled as if she were pleased with herself. "well, i'll leave you two girls alone to catch up." she turned on her heel and walked back to her room.oriana arched her perfectly tweezed eye

ow. "are you gonna just stand there or give me a hug?"serena smiled and stretched her arms out and em

aced oriana with a giggle. when she pulled away, oriana's sweet scent remained in her nose."you still wear ysl paris?" serena asked."awww, you memorized the way i smell." oriana touched her hand over her heart and gave serena a mock touched face. "if only you were a dog, then you could follow my trail if i was kidnapped of something."serena laughed and slightly slapped oriana's arm. "shut up." serena closed the door behind oriana. "so, what

ings you back?""well, you can only travel the world for so long before you get homesick and new york has always been home." oriana looked around the penthouse. "it's like nothing ever changed.""we should go out! i know this place by the plaza that's amazing!" serena said."i wasn't really planning on going out with you or anyone today but i won't mind playing catch up," oriana said.serena couldn't hide her smile any longer. she was just glad that oriana was back. "cool." serena led oriana back to her room and was thankful that patricia, the maid, had cleaned up behind her.oriana slipped off her donna karan trench coat and set it on serena's desk chair. "i love your room, mine's pathetic in compare."serena sat on her bed. "no, it can't be." serena secretly loved that she had something better than oriana."well, considering that i haven't been in the city for years, it's kind of terrible. i mean, hello kitty is everywhere." oriana dropped her glasses in her orange prada tote and sat across from serena on the bed."that is pretty awful."oriana grabbed serena's notebook. "oh my gosh, you were studying, i'm shocked."serena rolled her eyes. "i was never that bad."oriana arched her eye

ow. "please, you used to forge your mom's signature to get out of class because you didn't study for tests and then you'd flirt with some nerd to get him to take it for you.""well, i'm a new woman but i can take a

eak for an old friend.""i'm glad i have that honor and to make it even better." oriana fished a bottle of jack from her tote.serena's eyes bugged out playfully. her parents never cared that serena would drink but she couldn't get too drunk to the point where she wouldn't even know who poe was.oriana smiled and handed serena the lid and poured some in. "bottoms up."serena titled her head back and took the shot, enjoying how the warm liquid left a slight burn in her throat."so, how did you do school if you were traveling twenty-four seven?" serena asked."that's the first question you have for me?" oriana said mockingly. then, she crossed one slender leg over the other. "my parents hired a gorgeous tutor to teach me everything so that i can keep up.""tell me about him.""he was about six three, in shape,

own eyes to die for. plus, he was a super genius or something but everything he said made so much sense that i got straight a's.""no way!"oriana nodded. "it's too bad that he thought that i was too young for him. i could teach him a thing or two."serena laughed and oriana smiled. "you would go after the teacher!""the hot twenty something ones!" oriana took a swig of the bottle. "so, who's heart have you

oken lately?"serena's expression faltered as she thought about nate. he was absolutely heart

oken over the fact that serena was refusing to speak with him-bows before

os, right?-to keep her friendship with blair."no one's; i actually have a boyfriend," serena said."share." oriana refilled serena's "cup"."his name's dan humphrey and he goes to st. jude's. he lives in

ooklyn and he wants to be a writer."serena cringed, waiting for oriana to say something about crude about dan being from

ooklyn and not manhattan, like everyone else in her circle."

ooklyn boys are so artsy. i wish i had one." oriana twiddled with the bottle. "all we have here are a bunch of trust fund babies who'll probably kill themselves if the market crashes."serena

eathed a sigh of relief. of course oriana wouldn't really care about dan's background, even though her parents probably would. serena could really let loose around oriana because oriana didn't truly care. it was great to have her back."did you get a boyfriend at any time you were gone?"oriana snorted but it was still kind of alluring. "i was with so many guys i can't remember all of their names."oriana probably left

oken hearts all over the eastern seaboard, promising to write or call but never doing either."do you think you'll ever just settle down with one guy?" serena sipped from the cap.oriana shook her head and gazed out serena's window, her blue eyes suddenly dreamy. "how could i when there are so many fish in the sea?" she turned back to serena. "now let me tell you about all the wild parties i went to."serena allowed oriana to enchant her with tales of incredibly good-looking boys and parties that usually ended up in several arrests that oriana had managed to slip away from.by the time oriana left, both girls were buzzed and giggly."it was great seeing you again, oriana," serena said."you too," oriana agreed. "but i will take you up on that offer about your place saturday."oriana flipped her sunglasses down, ignoring the fact that it was now ten thirty at night."where are you going to school now?"oriana shrugged. "some place called consistent or something. all i know is that it's an all-girls school." oriana gagged playfully.serena raised her eye

ows. "you mean constance?"oriana nodded. "yeah, that's it.""i go there," serena said.oriana smiled mysteriously. "well today is just getting better and better. i'll definitely see you tomorrow.""cool."serena watched oriana disappear down the hallway and once she got on the elevator, serena closed the door.she and oriana would be attending the same school. she could introduce oriana to blair and they could become friends too. the three of them could go shopping together and make st. jude's boys fall head over heels in love with them. serena smiled.everything was going to be perfect.