MANEATER - gossip girl

3: poison ivy

There's plenty of upside to being the spawn of the fabulously wealthy. But the downside? Super successful parents expect nothing less from their offspring. And when it comes to college, that means the ivies. It's more than just getting into college. It's setting a course for the rest of your life. And for those few who aren't legacies, the pressures are no less. When parents have sacrificed for their children's futures, what kid would want to let them down?

Diana was sitting next to Blair, slumped over in her chair. She had a terrible headache leftover from the weekend and was just waiting for this assembly to be over so she could sneak into the bathroom to get a bump. The freshman choir was singing a Fergie song and it was horribly grating on the girl's sensitive ears. Blair nudged her to start paying attention when they finished. Diana pulled off her sunglasses and blinked a few times to wake herself up.

"Thank you, ladies," said the teacher. "Good morning, students. I ask all of you to show a little sympathy for our junior class, they are almost through Ivy Week. As is our long-standing tradition, the Constance Billard girls will be in charge of Friday night's mixer, and the St. Jude's boys will provide the ushers for the visiting representatives.

"For those of you who dream of attending an Ivy League school, this mixer is the most important event of your life." she finished. "But no pressure," she added with a chuckle.

Diana heard Chuck and Nate whispering about going to smoke a J outside before the interviews. Chuck leaned over and got her attention.

"Want to come to join us? I've got a one-hitter," he enticed.

"Absolutely," she answered with a smirk. It quickly dropped when B rolled her eyes and grabbed her arm to drag her away from the boys.

"Booo!" Diana jokingly said to Blair as she was pulled from the conversation. Blair had always disapproved of her 'relationship' with Chuck.

The teacher decided to continue her little speech despite the lack of attention she was receiving from the junior class.

"At tomorrow night's mixer, Blair Waldorf will announce the charity her community outreach committee will honor this year."

Blair smirked, before scolding Kati and Iz for talking about Serena. Blair loved Ivy week, Diana hadn't heard her shut up about Yale since they were kids and their father gave her a sweatshirt. Diana, for one, had never had any real interest in any of the Ivies. She would honestly rather pull a Carter Baizen and run off to explore the greater continent of Eurasia for a year or two. She could always marry rich later and be a housewife. She just had to explore the world for a while beforehand.

Once the assembly was over, Diana, Blair, Kati, and Iz walked out to find Serena just arriving at the school.

"Aw," pouted Blair. "Too bad you missed the assembly. Not that it matters; Brown doesn't offer degrees in slut."

Serena just smiles as the girls walk past her.

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Diana was meant to be in P.E. playing field hockey with the rest of her class, but instead, she was on her knees under the bleachers. Chuck had just finished in her mouth and she swallowed before standing back up. They could hear Blair and Serena getting yelled at on the field a few feet away. Chuck had always loved having Di on her knees in a public place, it gave him a power rush. And who was Di to refuse her best friend?

"You're incredible," Chuck breathed with a smile as he slowly stuck his thumb in her mouth. She sucked on the digit before pulling away to reapply her lip gloss.

"I know," she grinned. After fixing her makeup, she adjusted her too-short school skirt and too-tight top. She finally stepped out from under the bleachers and rejoined the class just as Blair started fake whining about her leg. Diana turned to roll her eyes at Chuck, who just laughed, before turning back to play the doting sister.