The New Queen in Manhattan [Based on Gossip Girl - Nate Archibald]

Chapter 8- Boxing Day

The four teens arrived at Blair's apartment after a little while, and made their to grab a drink. Carter grabbed two cups of rum and coke and handed one to Astrid.

" I don't drink anymore!" She called to Carter, over the loud music. He set aside the cup and brought a glass of fruit punch for her instead. She watched him and then the glass and raised her eyebrow.
"It's so you wouldn't feel left out. It's fruit punch," he said, motioning over to everyone else with cups in their hands.
She smiled and together they walked further into Blair's apartment. It was huge. In fact, huge was an understatement. It was so well designed and decorated, that even though there were over 70 people there, it still looked spacious.

Carter and Astrid, walked over to the couch and sat down, just as another couple got up. They engaged in conversation, occasionally sipping the fruit punch and rum and coke. Carter stopped talking and his eyes drifted towards the elevator. Astrid, whose back was facing it, noticed his expression and turned around to take a look.

Nate and Lola walked through the elevator doors. Her blonde hair was brighter than ever and she was wearing an oversized leather jacket that was obviously Nate's. Astrid looked at them, noticing that their hands were intertwined. She lowered her gaze and then looked back at Carter who was now glancing back and forth between Astrid and Nate and Lola.

Oh A. You may look away, but everyone's eyes are still on this power couple. Looks like Nate's friends approves of them...something you'll never get.

Carter's expression fell and he looked over as Astrid, who was now avoiding everyone's gaze and staring at her cup of fruit punch. Carter placer his hand over hers and she looked up at him.

"I'm going to get us more to drink. Please stay here," he said, getting up. As soon as he left, Anjali walked over to the huge glass window and stared out at the sun setting. She sighed and then heard laughter coming closer to her. She looked slightly out of the corner of her eye and noticed Nate and Lola, a few metres away from her, laughing and talking.
She turned to return to her chair, but now Lola walked towards her and Nate followed. She stopped and stared at them, Lola doing the same to her.

"Oh! She is here! And you said that she wouldn't be invited!" Lola said, placing her head on Nate's shoulders. Nate just barely glanced at Astrid and stayed quiet.
Anjali suppressed a vengeful smile and replied, talking to Nate, " it's okay for your ex to be in town but when Carter was here, it was a problem?" laughing at that bizarre idea. Nate looked at her and went to reply but decided against it.
" I guess she only got invited because of him. He seems like the type of guy to get invited to these upper class parties," Lola said, motioning over to Carter who was now returning to Astrid with two cups in his hands. He handed her her fruit punch and stood next to her, wrapping his free arm around Astrid's waist. Nate noticed this and clenched his jaw.

"Actually, I got invited because I'm one of the models for Eleanor Waldorf's New Years fashion show," Astrid replied, pleased that she might finally have a chance of winning this argument.
"You're one of the models? That's gre-" Nate smiled and replied but Lola elbowed him in the stomach and he stopped talking, rubbing the spot.
"That's great that Eleanor is finally working on her pity projects... which is the only way that you got in," Lola replied, smirking.

Astrid rolled her eyes and her sighing got heavy. Carter noticed and he interrupted this lovely conversation between these girls.
"Oh I forgot to say, Eleanor was looking for you. She wants you to be one of the opening models for the show," Carter said to Astrid but loud enough for the other couples nearby to hear.
"Really? Where?" Astrid replied, only loud enough for Carter to hear.
"I'll show you," he replied, holding her hand and leading her off, with a smirk on his face, leaving a shocked expression on Lola's.

Carter and Astrid walked over into the next room and met with Maia and Alex, who were talking to Eleanor. Alex and Carter left, leaving the girls to do their modelling business.

"I would like for one of you to open the show and for the other one to close it," Eleanor said, taking off her glasses, looking exhausted.
" I think Maia should open and I can close," Astrid replied at once.
"I'd love to open! That's literally one of my dreams," Maia replied.
Eleanor smiled. " I'm glad that's settled. You can go enjoy the party now."

The girls walked out and looked for Carter and Alex among the crowd. Astrid walked first, until someone suddenly cut in front of her.
"You're a model for Eleanor Waldorf?" Nate said quickly, looking amazed.
Astrid tried to walk past him, but he blocked her by moving in front.
"I didn't know that you could speak on your own. I thought your girlfriend Lola would've done it all for you," Astrid replied sarcastically.
Nate looked at the ground and then back at Astrid. "Is Carter staying in Manhattan forever? I thought he would've left by now."
" Yet that changes nothing between us, so what's the purpose of this conversation?" Astrid said, narrowing her eyes.
"Uh nothing," Nate said quickly, and walked off.

Old lovers reunited, except they're both here with dates. Looks like there may be bad blood after all.

"What was that all about? He's being weird," Maia said, walking up to Astrid.
"He's here with his new girlfriend, and obviously he wasn't planning on seeing me."
"Didn't you guys break up like a week ago? And he already has a girlfriend? " Maia said suspiciously.
"A week and a half, but it doesn't matter now. I was stupid to think that things would work out."
" I didn't think that things would work out between Alex and I. Yet here we are and it's amazing."
"But in my case, we're two completely different people from different places. Losing him as my boyfriend hurt but I also lost my best friend."
Maia nodded her head slightly and then hugged Astrid. "Then maybe let him know that. Let him know that being friends is what you want."
"I'm still new here and he's the only friend I made since I came here. So now to just ignore that and go back to being the new girl with no friends is difficult. After LA, I just never wanted things to repeat itself."

Maia nodded quietly and the pair walked off to find their respective dates and then enjoyed a great night of dancing and partying, returning to their apartment at early hours of the morning. Carter dropped Astrid off and left to his own home. They headed inside, walking in on their dad, Austin and a blonde woman, around his age, sitting on the couch enjoying some wine.

The pair looked at them and they returned the shocked glances and walked further in. Maia looked over at Alex, but he held her hand even tighter and the three of them sat on the couch opposite Austin.