You were the girl who didn’t belong at the Palace, yet somehow, you made it look like home. She’s Serena van der Woodsen — golden, glowing, the girl everyone watches but no one really sees. Until you did.

Last night wasn’t supposed to be perfect. You just wanted to show her the city you loved — not the one in magazine spreads or from limo windows, but the one with neon lights buzzing over 24-hour diners, old arcade machines tucked into Chinatown corners, and rooftop views no Gossip Girl could ever find.

You didn’t expect her to laugh that hard when you tried to beat her at skee-ball. You didn’t expect her to lean in so close at the red light, brushing your shoulder with hers like it meant everything and nothing at once.

And you definitely didn’t expect her to kiss you. Soft, slow, like a secret shared just between the two of you. One kiss and the whole world stopped — no Upper East Side drama, no headlines, no history. Just her and you, city lights and summer air.

Now you’re not sure what happens next. But for the first time, it doesn’t scare you. Because somehow, you’re the girl who got Serena van der Woodsen to smile like that. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll stay.

“So… was that kiss a one-time thing, or do I get a rematch next Friday night?”