PREVIOUSLY
Rufus: You're one of my oldest friends.
Lily: That's certainly not how it felt when you kissed me at Eleanor's.
Lily: He proposed before we left, and I'm going to say yes.
Rufus: I'm sure you'll make a beautiful bride.
Vanessa, to Nate: Last night was strange, but very fun... Didn't we just say good-bye?
Nate: Somehow, you screwing Blair for sport is my fault!
Chuck: All right, I know how long you and I have been best friends, okay?
Nate: No, it's not okay. From now on, you stay away from me.
Serena: Georgina. What are you doing here?
Georgina: I told you I was coming.
Serena, to Chuck: Dan of all people cannot know Georgie.
Dan: How about, um, dinner tonight with Sarah instead?
Serena: Oh, Sarah again. What is she, your new girlfriend or something?
Dan: She's new in town, and she does want to meet you.
Georgina, to Serena: I'm Sarah.
Serena: What do you want from me?
Georgina: I want things to go back to how they were before that night, before things got so screwed up.
Chuck: What's Georgina got on you? What's so bad you can't even tell me?
Georgina, on video: "If you put the camera over there, she'll never know."
Blair: You can tell me anything.
Serena: I killed someone.
Gossip Girl: "And who am I? That's a secret I'll never tell. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl."
ACT ONE
(G walks through Manhattan, making call after call.)
Gossip Girl: "In our modern age, when you can call someone and can't find them, you can pretty much be sure they'll get the message."
Georgina: Hey S, it's Georgie. Listen, I know it's early, but I thought I'd ... So this is my third call. Where are you? ...It's me again. I've left you a couple messages, and you haven't called me back... I think we should hang out today. Friends hang out... Maybe you've lost your cell phone. Can't wait to see you...
Gossip Girl: "But if they don't call you back, it usually means they don't want to be found."
(Humphrey Loft: Rufus strums his guitar as Lonelyboy enters.)
Rufus: Hey, do you think "Track Me Down" should come before or after "Everytime"?
Dan: Is the Rolling Stone thing tonight?
Rufus: I guess I really am in one of the Top Ten Forgotten Bands of the '90s...
Dan: It's true. I forgot.
Rufus: Yeah, but a lot of people remember. There's a reason that issue was one of the highest selling of the year.
Dan: And I'm proud, Dad, I really am. You got your follow-up article and a concert, surely followed by an overpriced CD sold at corporate coffeehouses for Gen Xers without taste buds or taste.
Rufus: Hey, it's gonna be cool. I mean, they're even filming it for vh1.
Dan: vh1 Classics. The "classic" is kind of important.
Rufus: I'm classic! Uh-oh, no retort. Signs of a sleepless night. Disinterest in making your father feel old and irrelevant... That can only mean one thing. Girl trouble.
Dan: Yeah, Serena and I, we had a fight last night. This new kind we keep having where she says something, and I know it's not the whole truth.
Rufus: Well, have you asked her what's really on her mind?
Dan: Only about ten thousand times, yeah.
Rufus: Yeah, but did you really mean it? Most times, when people don't offer the truth, it's because they're afraid of what someone might think. And I don't know if you know this, but you can be a pretty judgmental guy.
Dan: So you're saying that I should learn to be someone else around her so she can be herself around me?
Rufus: Couldn't have said it better myself.
Dan: Thank you, Dad. I'm gonna go find her right now.
Rufus: See you tonight... Both of you.
(N surprises V outside the Coffeeshop)
Nate: And here I thought I had your schedule memorized.
Vanessa: I switched shifts and just got off. I'm Dan's Dad's roadie for the day, so I gotta bail in like five. Um, although I don't mind the stalking... When are you gonna ask me on a real date?
Nate, answering his phone: Uh... Hold that thought. Sorry. Hello? Yeah. Yeah, okay, I'll be right there. Look, I'm sorry. I gotta go...
Vanessa: So I heard.
Nate: No, no, no. It's not what you think. It's just... What are you doing tonight?
Vanessa: Uh, me, Lincoln Hawk, a dirty van and a lot of cables?
Nate: Can I meet you at the concert?
Vanessa: Can you be there at 7:30?
Nate: It's a date.
Vanessa: Finally!
Nate: Text me the address.
(Palace Hotel: Bass Suite)
Planner: The guests will be checked into their suites as soon as they arrive. The walk-through is at two, and the rehearsal dinner starts promptly at seven PM in the Reid salon. Oh, and don't forget. You have your interview with Rolling Stone in one hour.
Bart: The interview. How could we forget?
Dan: Hey, uh, excuse me, Mr. Bass, Ms. Van der Woodsen.
Lily: Not for long, thank you very much.
Bart: Morning, Daniel.
Dan: Morning. Good morning. Have either of you seen Serena? She's not upstairs.
Planner: Uh, ticktock, ticktock, ticktock, ticktock, ticktock.
Lily: No, Dan. Sorry.
Dan: Okay. ...And her bed hasn't been slept in...
Chuck, entering: Well, I knew housekeeping was hiring, but I had no idea their standards were so low.
Dan: I hate that I have to ask you this, but have you seen Serena?
Chuck: Oh, I've seen lots of Serena.
(B calls him.)
Chuck, shutting a door in Dan's face: Are you drunk dialing again? ...No, Serena didn't come home last night. I thought she was with you.
(N boards the elevator at B's house; C enters at the last second.)
Nate: Hey.
Chuck: Hey.
(Awkward. When they enter the residence, it's empty.)
Chuck: Maybe this is Blair's idea of a perverse double date.
Dorota: Miss Blair asks that you should wait there. She's on her way now.
Nate: She's not even here?
Chuck, sitting: Well, this oughta be good.
(G carries coffee toward the Palace.)
Georgina: You're not calling me back, and you're not picking up. I thought you understood me, but maybe I should make myself a little more clear and come to you. We can talk about it over coffee. I brought it just the way you like it...dark but sweet.
Georgina, spotting Dan in the courtyard: Oh, no...
Dan: Hey, Sarah!
Georgina, fake-laughing: Dan! Hey! Oh, my gosh! What a coincidence.
Dan: Yeah. What ... what are you doing here?
Georgina: Oh, um, I actually have an old friend from Portland staying here.
Dan: Oh, okay.
Georgina: What are you doing here?
Dan: Oh, I just... I came looking for Serena, but she, uh, apparently didn't come home last night, so I'm just... I don't know. I'm trying to figure out what to think. She's been... Well, let's just say she's not been herself lately. So I... I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what to do exactly.
Georgina: Why don't you try giving her a call again? And when she sees it's you calling, she'll immediately pick up and tell you all about it.
(Lonelyboy's phone rings.)
Dan, showing G and answering: Hey. Hey, I've been looking all over for you!
Drew: Hey, is this Dan?
Dan: Who's this?
Drew: My name's Drew. I'm the bartender at 1OAK. Some girl left this phone here last night, it's been ringing off the hook all morning. You were the first number on the speed dial...
Dan: "Some girl"? What... What girl?
Drew: Tall, blonde, left here around two with three guys. Skipped out on her tab, which was pretty substan...
(Lonelyboy hangs up.)
Georgina: Hey. What is it?
Gossip Girl:"Spotted: Lonelyboy on the Upper East Side, learning the lesson that nothing stays missing for long..."
Dan: It's nothing. Nothing.
(B enters the Waldorf residence.)
Gossip Girl: "...Things always turn up, for better..."
Nate: Well, is something actually wrong, or is this just some ploy to get us both here?
Blair: I meant what I said on the phone. I need your help. We need your help.
(B leads them back to the elevator: S is in a total shambles on the floor.)
Gossip Girl: "...Or for worse."
Nate: Oh my God. You okay? ... What's wrong with her?
Blair: Take her upstairs, get her upstairs. Dorota! Coffee. Fast.
ACT TWO
(B carries S to her bathroom.)
Blair: Come on, Serena. We have to get her in the shower.
Serena: No, I just want to sleep.
Blair: Here. No. Come on, come on.
Serena: Why won't you let me sleep?
Blair: We have to keep her talking and awake. Come on, come on. Let's go. Let's go. Dorota, will you please get her a fresh change of clothes and a bathrobe?
Dorota: Of course, Miss Blair.
Chuck, entering with shopping bags: So we have every hangover cure known to man, plus bagels. They should help soak up the alcohol and whatever else she took...
Blair: Thank you, I'll take it from here. Come on. Come on. Come on, Serena. Help me out.
(C watches B undress S; N closes the door on the girls.)
Serena: B, it's cold! It's cold!
Chuck: Just like old times.
Nate: You know, why do I get the feeling you're actually enjoying this?
(S barfs loudly inside the bathroom.)
Chuck: Call me sentimental?
Blair: Ugh. I may not need those bagels after all.
Nate: What's going on with her?
Blair: She was here last night, scared. She... She told me something totally crazy, but was too freaked out to find the words to explain it. I went upstairs to find my mom's Valium to calm her down, but when I got back, she was gone. It took me all night to find her.
Chuck: What exactly did she say to you?
Blair: That's ... beside the point. We're here to help Serena, no matter what the problem is.
(While V and Rufus unload the van, another guy is reading the Post, headline "BEAUTY BAGS BASS," with a picture of Lily.)
Rufus: Hey, could you maybe read that somewhere else? ...I don't like the Post.
Vanessa: Is that why you subscribe?
Rufus: Another thing I don't like... My son, depressed. I don't know if you've talked to him recently...
Vanessa: We've talked.
Rufus: He and Serena... Should I be worried?
Vanessa: It's been a little bumpy lately, sure. I think the most recent bump is our friend Sarah. Serena's a little jealous, but Sarah's cool, so as soon as Serena gets to know her, everything will be fine.
(A giant poster of Rufus unfurls down the building.)
Vanessa: I love that picture of you!
Rufus: Yeah. Me too...
(At the Palace, the Rolling Stone reporter takes out the same picture.)
RS: Tell me where you took this photograph, what undoubtedly could be called the band's most well-known image?
Lily: Uh, well, I wouldn't go that far.
RS: Well, I would. It's positively iconic. Were you and Rufus Humphrey already involved when you took it?
Lily: Excuse me?
RS: Rufus Humphrey, lead singer of Lincoln Hawk? Or... Was this before or after...?
Lily: Oh, well, I simply don't feel comfortable discussing anything other than my work.
RS: I was talking about your work. Why'd you give up photography? Was it too hard to continue shooting after you had broken his heart?
(There's a knock at the door.)
Lily: Um, just -- just a moment, please.
Dan, at the door: Oh. You know, I see I'm interrupting, so I'll ...
Lily: No, I have to say I have ... never been happier to see you, Dan.
Dan: Oh. Well, I've been waiting downstairs for Serena. I... I figured she has to come home... Sometime soon. So have you heard from her?
Lily: Have you tried calling?
Dan: Pretty sure she lost her phone.
Lily: Well, Charles said he was going over to Blair's to pick her up right after you left earlier. Maybe try there?
Dan: Ah, yes. "Charles." Charles, of course. Thank you so much.
Lily, returning to reporter: Listen, I really appreciate your coming all the way to the Palace to conduct this interview, but I'm simply going to have to ask you to leave, because I have a wedding to attend. My own.
RS: Do you think you were able to take such incredible photos of Rufus Humphrey because of how much you were in love with him?
Lily: Well, I wasn't in love with him. Um... That much.
RS: Thank you for your time.
Lily: Mm.
(B barely spares Lonelyboy a glance as he enters the Waldorf house.)
Blair: Dorota, can you bring the towels upstairs?
Nate, coming downstairs: What's taking so long?
Dan: Huh. Guess I missed a chapter...
(C enters, with a platter of bagels.)
Dan: Or ... four. Don't, ah, don't all of you hate each other?
Blair: Yes.
Nate: Absolutely.
Chuck: No.
Dan: Well, that's fascinating and ripe for a psychiatrist's case study somewhere but, um, I am looking for Serena.
Chuck: She's not here.
Dan: I think she is.
Blair: No, she just left. You must've crossed paths.
Dan: I... I don't believe you.
Blair, worried: Fine. I... I didn't want to have to tell you this, but...she doesn't want to see you.
Dan: Come on. Really?
Blair: Yes. Really.
Dan, heading for the stairs: Serena!
Nate: She's telling the truth.
Dan: Are you really gonna stop me from seeing my girlfriend?
(Dan tries to get past them.)
Chuck: Whoa, man.
Dan: Come on.
Serena, on the stairs: What are you doing?
Blair: S?
Serena: It's okay.
(S leads him aside.)
Dan, nearly crying: What's happening?
Serena: Dan...
Dan: Something is going on, and I just want to be let in on what it is.
Serena: It's hard to explain...
Dan: Well... Why don't I make it easy for you? I know you're keeping something from me, and I'm sick of being the only one you don't talk to about it.
Serena: I'm not talking to anyone.
Dan: Then what are they doing here, while... While I get a call from a bartender who says you left a bar at two in morning with a bunch of guys? What guys, Serena? Who... Who were they?
Serena, mumbling: I don't know.
Dan: Did something happen last night?
Serena: Please don't...
Dan: Is that... Is that what you're so afraid to tell me? That you cheated on me? Did you cheat on me last night? All I need is a yes or a no, did you sleep with someone else?
Serena, without looking at him: Yes. Yeah.
Dan: I'm done. I'm done.
(Lonelyboy gets on the elevator, and "Sarah" calls.)
Dan: ...Hey.
Georgina: Hey! Did you find Serena?
Dan: Yeah, but I ... I, uh, kinda wish I hadn't.
Georgina: That doesn't sound so good. I'm just in the park. Wanna meet me? Maybe talk about it. I'm a pretty good listener. Dan?
Dan: Yeah. Yeah, I'd, uh... I'd like that.
(Lily leaves the Palace with Bart and the wedding planner.)
Lily: ...Well I wanted cymbidiums, not hyacinth, and why did we choose fish? It's unseasonably warm. You know, I knew we should've gone with the Limoges instead of the Lenox...
Bart: What's the matter? You were fine this morning. Now you're finding fault with everything.
Lily: Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm just... I've had three perfect weddings, and I want this one to be more perfect than perfect, that's all.
(Lily's phone rings, from the Waldorf house.)
Lily: Oh, finally. So why are you still at Blair's? You're supposed to be here.
Dorota: Ms. van der Woodsen, it is Dorota. Miss Waldorf's...
Lily: -- I know who you are, Dorota, but this is not a very good time.
Dorota: Oh, the wedding, I know. Miss Serena is here.
Lily: Oh yes, I know. I've heard several times today.
Dorota: I know it's not my place, but... Miss Serena is... Like the old days.
Lily: What are you trying to say?
Dorota: I think you should have worry about your daughter. Worry like before she went away.
Lily: Well, um... Thank you, Dorota. I'll take care of it.
(She hangs up.)
Lily: I am so sorry, but I'm gonna have to go.
Bart: Where do you have to go?
Lily: To do something I've done too many times before.
Bart: Can I help you?
Lily: No. Thank you. I'll have to do it alone. Mwah.
(Lily searches S's room; she finds the USB drive and G's note.)
(S sits on the stairs at B's house.)
Serena: ...I can't believe I just did that.
Nate: Then why did you? I mean, did you cheat on Dan?
Serena: No. I remember last night. I didn't do anything.
Blair: Then why would you say that to him?
Serena: Because I would rather Dan think I cheated on him than know what I really did.
Nate: What you really did?
Serena: Dan puts me on a pedestal. If he knew the truth, he would never look at me again.
Chuck: You're starting to scare even me. What did you do?
Nate: Come on. You can tell us.
Blair: We've seen you with vomit in your hair, making out with investment bankers in the men's room at PJ Clarke's. You don't have to hide anything from us.
Nate: She's right, Serena. I mean, none of us are saints.
Blair: Yeah, I had s*x with him in the back of a limo.
Chuck: Several times.
Nate: I had s*x with you at a wedding while I was her date. Once.
Chuck: I'm Chuck Bass.
Blair: You can tell us anything. We don't judge. We're the non-judging Breakfast Club. We're your best friends. Anything you do is something we did, too.
Serena: If I tell you, it can never leave this room.
ACT THREE
(Later, in B's sitting room.)
Serena: You all know Georgina Sparks.
Blair: Some of us better than others. (To Chuck) It's not like you didn't lose your virginity to her in seventh grade.
Chuck: Sixth, actually, and I've been avoiding her ever since. The bitch is a psycho.
Nate: What about her?
Serena: Well, something happened the night of the Shepherd wedding.
Blair: I think we're all aware of what happened that night.
Serena: No, something else, something I've tried to escape, but Georgina won't let me. And now she's blackmailing me.
Nate: Blackmailing you?
Chuck: With what exactly?
Serena: Well... It started when Blair thought you and I had too much to drink. She told us to go outside, get some air, sober up.
(Serena, dancing on the bar in a flashback: "Oh, if the happy couple didn't want to put up the cash for the premium bar, they should've made their wedding BYOB...")
Serena, over their hookup: Instead, we went into the empty bar, I opened the bottle of champagne, and we... Well...
Blair, cutting into the flashback: We can skip that part, okay?
Chuck: Go ahead. I'll fill her in later.
Serena: I left in a hurry. I felt so terrible, so guilty for what I had just done. I just... I had to get out of there.
(Serena catches a cab in Nate's tuxedo shirt: "Eastview Hotel, please.")
Serena: Georgina and I had plans to meet up after, so I headed straight to her. Little did I know she had a surprise waiting for me...
(Lily watches the tape on S's laptop.)
Georgina, on the tape: "She's gonna lose her mind. A genuine Serena van der Woodsen s*x tape..."
Pete: "How are we gonna do this, exactly?"
Georgina: "Well, if you put the camera over there, she'll never know."
Pete: "Are you sure she's gonna be down for this?"
Georgina: "It's Serena, she goes down for anything."
(They make out, S enters.)
Georgina: "Hey, baby. How are the new Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd?"
Serena: I didn't know it at the time, but she was taping me. Lucky for me, I was... I was too stuck on what had just happened to be much fun for anyone.
Serena, in video/flashback: "I can't believe I just did that. Blair's my best friend. What... What sort of person does that to her best friend?"
Pete: "All right, this is a therapy session, G. You promised a party."
Georgina: "So break out the favors!"
Pete: "Jing!"
Georgina: "Thank you."
Serena, running to the bathroom: "Oh. I don't... I don't feel so good..."
Georgina: "She always gets frisky after she hurls."
(Lily fast-forwards the tape. Pete is mauling Serena.)
Serena: "No, Pete. I'm not in the mood, okay?"
Pete: "Come on..."
Serena: "I'm hot, okay? I'm... I'm too hot."
Pete: "Oh, you are too hot."
Serena: "No, it's... It's hot. Why is it so hot in here?"
(She tugs on the tuxedo shirt and he helps her off with it; she's wearing a camisole underneath. He kisses her neck, and she eventually kisses back. Lily slams the computer closed.)
Blair: What is it?
Serena: I can't.
Blair: Yes. Yes, you can.
Serena, crying: I'm scared.
Blair: We're right here.
Serena, in flashback: "No. You know, I can't. I can't. I can't do this, Pete. Okay? I can't. Um... Yeah, how about, um...how about we do a couple lines first, okay?"
Pete: "Whatever, baby."
Serena: "Here. Go ahead."
(Pete snorts a line, then starts moaning and convulsing.)
Serena: "Pete? Pete, are you okay? Pete, what's happening? Are you okay? ...Georgie. Georgie! Georgina!"
Georgina, entering: "What? Why are you screaming? What are you doing?"
Serena: "I'm calling 911!"
Georgina: "You -- You can't! There's drugs everywhere, we could get in so much trouble. We can get arrested. We have to go."
Serena: "No! We can't leave him!"
Georgina: "We have to. Get everything out that has you on it. Go."
Serena: "Oh my God, oh my God. Oh, my God. Where's his phone? Where's his phone?"
Georgina: "What are you doing?"
Serena: "I'm calling!"
911: "Hello, 911 emergency."
Serena: "Hi, uh, we have an emergency, can you send someone right away to the Eastview Hotel? Room, uh, 1411. Please. There's a guy, he's having seizures. I don't know what's wrong."
Georgina: "Get off the phone! We have to go!"
911: "Ma'am, I'm gonna need your name and... Hello? Hello, ma'am? Are you there?
Serena: So Georgina told me we had to split up. Then she said that people might be looking for us, but I... I couldn't go, I just couldn't. So I waited near the hotel, across the street. All I wanted was to see the paramedics helping Pete. But that's not what I saw.
(They carry Pete out on a gurney, in a body bag.)
Serena: I didn't know what to do. I... I just knew I had to leave right away. I took a train heading north, and I got a room and convinced my mom that boarding school was a good idea, and...
Blair: Never said good-bye. It makes sense now.
Nate: But what does she even want from you?
Serena: Well, when she came back, I... I told her that I moved on from the lifestyle that she was still in, but she didn't like that. So somehow, she became friends with Dan and ... and Vanessa and called herself "Sarah."
Blair: Why don't you just tell Dan about her?
Serena: Because she has that tape of me, and she'll use it. It's practically a snuff film.
Chuck: We need to find her.
Serena: No. Please. Promise me, please. Promise me you won't do anything. Because if you do, then she'll show Dan. ...If he even ever speaks to me again.
Gossip Girl: "Watch out, S. Just because you finally tell the truth doesn't mean there won't be consequences."
Serena: God, what have I done?
ACT FOUR
(At the rehearsal dinner for Bart and Lily's wedding. Bart greets guests while Lily discusses things with the wedding planner.)
Bart, kissing a guest: Sylvia. How are you?
Sylvia: I'm wonderful.
Bart: Good to see you again.
Sylvia: So good to see you, too.
(S enters, with C and B.)
Serena: Thanks for coming with me, B. I'm really not feeling up to being social.
Blair: Of course.
Lily, spotting her: Oh. Excuse me.
Chuck: Incoming...
Lily, taking her aside: You were supposed to be home hours ago. Come with me.
Serena: I'm ... I'm sorry, Mom. And you look beautiful. I hope you don't mind I asked Blair to come tonight...
Lily: What happened to you last night? Why didn't you come home? Why was Dan looking for you all morning? And why did I get a call informing me that you were on drugs?
Serena: I wasn't on drugs...
Lily: Don't lie to me. I saw that little home movie that you and your friends made.
Serena: You... You watched that?
Lily: Well, only part of it. I stopped when that guy had his tongue down your throat. But I can pretty much guess how it ends.
Serena: No, it... It was just a joke! We were kidding, it's not what it looked like...
Lily: You know what? You are out of control. I always knew you had a wild side, but how can you look at yourself? What have you become? I thought we were past all of this, Serena. I thought you were doing so well. I have nothing left but to send you to reformatory school. What do you think about that?
Blair, as Lily storms off: What's wrong? What happened?
(S cries on her shoulder.)
(Vanessa gets everything ready for Rufus's show in Queens while he chats with Lisa Loeb.)
Vanessa, handing him a guitar: Hey, guys. Sorry to interrupt. Tuned to F#m, and Lisa, Sheckman told me to tell you you're almost up.
Lisa Loeb: Okay. Thanks.
Rufus: Thanks, Vanessa.
Dan, entering: Hey.
Rufus: Hey!
Dan: This is incredible, Dad! I hope you're sufficiently nervous, because there's like a hundred people out there. Which is 80 more than the last time you played, I think...
Rufus: Lisa, this is my sarcastic son Dan and his friend Sarah.
Lisa Loeb: Hey. Nice to meet you.
Dan: Pleasure.
Georgina: Nice to meet you.
Lisa Loeb,bouncing: I'll see y'all later.
Rufus: Okay. (Turning to Dan) Yeah. Ah, no Serena?
Georgina: I'll take good care of him, Mr. Humphrey. Promise.
Dan: Jenny's already called me about fifteen times from Mom's to make sure that I call her during "Something Like That" so she can hear you mess up the bridge. So break a leg. I'll be in the front row.
Rufus: Okay, okay.
(Random girl in the audience spots G, scaring her.)
Girl: Hey, Georgina! Georgina...
Dan: Uh, I think she thinks she knows you.
Georgina: I've never seen her before in my life. Um, let's go get a drink.
(B interrupts Lily's conversation at the rehearsal dinner.)
Blair: -- Don't send her away.
Lily: Blair, it's... It's, uh, not polite to interrupt.
Blair: I don't care who hears. Just don't send her away.
Lily, taking her aside: Excuse me. Thank you, Blair, but it's not exactly your business what I do with my daughter. If anything, you're one of the reasons I'm having to take such strong actions.
Blair: I say this with all due respect, Lily, but you have no idea what your daughter's been going through. She's in a lot of pain, and I don't think the pain's gonna go away if she goes away.
Lily: I don't understand what you're trying to tell me.
Blair: Serena has a secret, and she's been holding on to it for a long, long time. And now it's finally catching up with her. I... I'm out of my league here. I can't do any more than I've done, and it's not enough. She needs you.
Lily: I saw the video. She doesn't need me. She needs boundaries.
Blair: What you saw isn't the whole story.
(N calls V at the show.)
Nate: Hey V, it's me.
Vanessa: You're not calling to cancel, are you? Because waiting twenty minutes before the concert maybe isn't the best way to let a girl down.
Nate: No, I'm calling to let you know I may be ten minutes late because -- drumroll, please -- I'm actually gonna take the subway to the show.
Vanessa: Subway, huh? Nate Archibald, man of the people!
Nate: Oh, well, thank you.
Vanessa: Uh, and your name's on the list, but if you don't see me, just look for Dan and our friend Sarah. They'll know where I am.
Nate: Wait, Sarah's there? With Dan?
Vanessa: As strange as it may seem, Dan is here. It is his dad's gig.
Nate: No, no, no. I'm not talking about Dan. I'm talking about Sarah.
Vanessa: Okay, now you're totally weirding me out.
Nate: Sarah is not her real name. It's Georgina. Serena just told us this really messed up story about her. Just do not trust anything she says, please.
Vanessa: Wh... What are you talking about?
Nate: Listen, I'll tell you what I can when I get there, okay?
Vanessa: Okay?
Nate: Okay. I'll see you soon.
(Chuck discreetly hands Lily a slip of paper.)
Chuck: Excuse me. Here's the address you asked for.
Lily: Thank you, Charles. Um, excuse us...
Blair, answering her phone: Hello?
Nate: Hey, I only have a second. I'm on my way to Queens.
Blair: Ugh. Gross. Why?
Nate: To meet Vanessa at a concert.
Blair: It got grosser.
Nate: We've been hanging out. Not that I owe you any explanation, but I do feel like I should tell you Apparently, Georgina's with her and Dan.
Blair: She -- She's there?
Nate: Yeah. And you know Serena doesn't want us to do anything, but I just thought you might want to know.
Blair: Where are you right now?
Nate: Uh ... 74th and Lex.
Blair: Don't move. Pick you up in ten.
Lily: I have to go handle this thing with Serena.
Bart: Now?
Lily: Yes, now.
Bart: It's our rehearsal dinner. And you're the bride.
Lily: I know, but I'm also a mother, and ... that's more important.
Blair: So your problems are my problems, let me come and help.
Lily: I can't. I, uh... I wish I could explain.
Blair: There seems to be a lot lately that you can't explain.
Lily, kissing his cheek: I'm sorry. But this is between me and my daughter.
(As Lily leaves, C notices B grinning evilly.)
Chuck: What's gotten into you?
Blair: What if I told you I knew where Georgina Sparks was right now?
Chuck: I'd say let's get the bitch.
Gossip Girl:"Spotted: Blair and Chuck, reunited to defend Serena's honor. With friends like these, who needs armies?"
[SCENE_BREAK]
ACT FIVE
(Lily and S pull up outside a strange house.)
Serena: So where are we?
Lily: It's the Fairman's house. This is where the boy who died grew up, and his parents are expecting you.
Serena: Mom, I can't go in there.
Lily: Sweetie... If I've learned anything in life, it is that sometimes things get in your path, and you have a choice. You can either smash right into them, or you can adjust and move around, but you have to do one or the other in order to move forward.
Serena: How can I do this?
Lily: I'm gonna be right by your side.
(G runs into V as Lisa Loeb takes the stage.)
MC: Ladies and gentlemen, how about a round of applause for Lisa Loeb?
Lisa Loeb: Hey, everyone. How you doing? I'm Lisa Loeb, and I'm your host for tonight, and I am so happy you're all here. Thanks so much for coming.
Georgina: Hey, V. I didn't realize you'd be able to hang during the concert.
Vanessa: Do you have something you want to say to me?
Georgina: Not that I know of...
Vanessa: You sure about that, Georgina? My friend says Serena told him some story about you, and he's on his way to fill me in. Unless you want to do that first?
Georgina: I don't know what you're talking about.
Vanessa: I'm not a big fan of liars, and neither is Dan. I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself here.
Dan, as G stomps off: Where's Sarah going?
Vanessa: I don't know who she is. Nate just called me and said her name is Georgina.
Dan: That's what that girl... That's what that girl back there called her. Why would she lie about her name?
Vanessa: I think there's some other stuff, too...
Roadie: Vanessa, Rufus can't find the set list. Do you know where it is?
Vanessa: I taped it into the top of his Gibson case, uh... I'll get it. This will just take two minutes, just don't go anywhere. Stay right here. I'll be right back.
(Dan immediately wanders away.)
(Lily and S leave the Fairman house.)
Lily: You okay?
Serena: No. No, I feel terrible, Mom.
Lily: Oh, you heard what they said. Look, Peter was an addict for ten years. His own parents couldn't get him to stop using, there's no way that a sixteen-year-old girl could have. They don't hold you responsible. You don't need to blame yourself...
Serena: -- But I am responsible, Mom. I'm the one that gave him the line that killed him.
Lily: Serena, those were his drugs, okay? If you hadn't given them to him, he would have taken them himself.
Serena: Then why do I still feel like this?
Lily: Because contrary to what I might have said earlier, you are a good person who, since that night, has been living your life with care and compassion and respect for yourself and for others. I'm sorry I doubted you.
Serena, hugging her: Thank you. There's something else i have to do. Will you help me?
Lily: Absolutely.
Serena: Take me to see Dan.
(Lisa Loeb sings "Stay" while G lies some more.)
Dan: Okay, so your name is really Georgina. Well, I don't understand why you felt like you had to lie to us.
Georgina: Because... My boyfriend -- well, my ex-boyfriend -- when we broke up, he wasn't too happy about it, and things got out of control.
Dan: Okay, well, what happened?
Georgina: I came home one day, and... My car was broken into, and then a week later, my room was trashed, and I got really scared. I changed all my numbers, I moved in with a friend, and yet he still tracked me down. It was my Mom's idea to change my name and move out of town. I hate being away from my family, but... It's better than getting hurt, right?
Dan: Yeah, right.
Georgina: I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just... I wasn't supposed to tell anybody.
Dan: No, no, no. No. No. I get that. I get it.
Georgina: And I also didn't want you to think less of me, because I haven't wanted to admit it, but, um... From the moment that I met you, I've been falling for you. Oh my God, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't... I don't know what I'm saying...
Dan, over the cheers for Lisa Loeb: You know, um, you know, it's really loud here. Do you wanna go somewhere else, someplace quiet we can talk?
Georgina: But your Dad's about to go on...
Dan, leading her away: He'll understand. It's not like we won't be watching this on YouTube for the next five years.
ACT SIX
(Rufus sings a catchy song whose lyrics are one line -- "Everytime you walk away or run away you take a piece of me with you there" -- over and over, approximately a million times. N, C and Queen B enter the show.)
Vanessa, spotting Nate: Hmm. Some date we've got here. You even brought your friends... The ones I can't stand.
Blair: Where's Georgina?
Nate: What are you gonna do? You heard what Serena said.
Chuck: Yeah, like we care.
Vanessa: Georgina left.
Blair: Left for where?
Vanessa: I don't know, she just took off. If I could only find Dan... He's around here somewhere...
Nate: Well, let's go look for him. Alone.
(They leave; S enters and she and B spot each other.)
Blair: Hey, what are you doing here?
Serena: Hey, what are you doing here?
Blair: I... I'm a big Leaky Hawk fan?
Serena: ...I'm looking for Dan and Georgina.
Chuck: You're out of luck. Georgina's gone.
Serena: And Dan?
Chuck: I'm out of luck. He's still around.
Serena, smiling and holding B's hands: It's all over now. I can finally tell Dan everything. Will you help me find him?
(They leave Chuck alone; Lily dials Bart but hangs up when she hears Rufus singing that song over and over. She watches him sing and he smiles at her. She leaves while he's still playing, and he ends the song.)
Lisa Loeb: All right. Everybody, that was Lincoln Hawk. Let's hear it! Let's hear an encore from Rufus and the band. The...
Rufus, pushing past her and running away: Excuse me...
(Outside, he stands between Lily and her car.)
Lily: Get out of my way, Rufus.
Rufus: No.
Lily: Get out of my way.
Rufus: No.
(Lily finally kisses him.)
(B and C are following S into the stands when B's phone rings: HUMPHREY CALLING.)
Blair, passing her the phone: Hey, psst. I think it's for you.
Serena: Hey! Thank God you called, I'm here looking for you right now. Where are you?
Georgina: With me.
Serena: Georgina?
Georgina: I hear you told our little secret. If that's the way you wanna play it, that's how we'll play it.
Serena: No, I'm not afraid of you anymore.
Georgina: Oh? You should be. 'Cause all bets are off.
Serena: Why? What are you gonna do?
Georgina: It's not what I'm gonna do, sweetie. It's who I'm gonna do it with...
Serena: No. I know Dan. He's too good.
Georgina, hanging up: You sure about that?
Dan, with coffee: How did everything go with your Mom?
Georgina, tossing his phone's battery: Good. Yeah. She was glad I finally found someone I could trust. Um... Are you sure that you don't mind missing the after party to have coffee with me?
Dan: You know what? After the day I've had, there's no place I'd rather be.
(She kisses him, and he kisses her back, while at the show, Serena stares into space.)
Gossip Girl: "If I were you, S, I'd be worried. In the city that never sleeps, a lot can happen in one night..."
(Dan leads her away.)
Gossip Girl: "Sweet dreams, Serena. XOXO, Gossip Girl."
Plan: A: Manhattan; Q: Where did Serena leave for boarding school? A: her old habits; Q: What does Serena fall back into after Georgina reveals the reason she fled Manhattan? A: their friend; Q: Who do Blair, Nate and Chuck put their feelings for each other aside to help? A: the truth; Q: What is Serena too ashamed to share with Dan? A: his girlfriend; Q: What does Dan assume the worst about? A: Rufus; Q: Who is thrilled when his band is invited to perform at a Rolling Stone sponsored concert? A: Lily; Q: Who is the last person Rufus expects to see at a Rolling Stone sponsored concert? A: her wedding rehearsal dinner; Q: What event is Lily attending the same night as Rufus' concert? Summary: As a result of Georgina revealing the true reason that Serena fled Manhattan for boarding school, Serena falls back into her old habits and Blair, Nate and Chuck must put their complicated feelings for each other aside to help their friend. Unfortunately, Serena is too ashamed to share the truth with Dan, leaving him only to assume the worst about his girlfriend. Rufus is thrilled when his band is invited to perform at a Rolling Stone-sponsored concert, but Lily is the last person on earth he expects to see at the performance, especially since her wedding rehearsal dinner is the same night.