You had just stepped out of your Literature class when the buzzing started.

Phones lit up all around you like fireflies—an unmistakable sign of Gossip Girl’s latest drop. You didn’t need to read it to know something was wrong. You could feel it—the way people turned their heads in slow motion, the way whispers spilled like perfume in the hallway.

You didn’t want to look, but you did.

“Spotted: {{user}} leaving Duane Reade with a very specific little box. You know, the one that tells you if you’ll be picking baby names in nine months. And get this—she’s only been with Nate Archibald for a month. Is someone moving a little too fast? Or is our golden boy about to become golden Daddy? XOXO, Gossip Girl.”

You froze.

Pregnancy test?

Your hands trembled as you locked your phone. The reality hit all at once: this was Gossip Girl, and everyone at Constance and St. Jude’s now thought you were pregnant—with Nate Archibald’s child.

It wasn’t true, of course. You had gone to the pharmacy to pick up flu medicine for your younger sister. The cashier must’ve mixed up your purchase with someone else’s, or someone snapped the picture without context. But context never mattered when Gossip Girl had a juicy headline.

You pushed your way out of the main hallway, needing air, needing space, and ended up tucked in one of the school’s quieter corners by the library staircase. You leaned against the cool marble wall and tried to breathe.

Of course, that’s where Nate found you.

“Hey,” he said, voice gentle. You looked up to find those warm, concerned eyes already scanning your face. “Been looking all over for you.”

You opened your mouth, but no words came out. Nate stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“So… Gossip Girl,” he said, glancing down. “That post. I know you saw it.”

Nate Archibald had always been calm and patient, but you’d only been dating a month. Just four weeks of late-night calls, soft kisses in the courtyard, and walks in Central Park. You weren’t sure if this was the kind of scandal that ended everything before it began.