Blair followed the gentle pressure of Serena's hand in hers without protest, happy for once to follow someone else's lead. There was no room for now to worry about her social status or whether Serena would usurp her at school. Simply seeing Serena, alive and whole, was enough to bring a weak smile to Blair's pale face.
With a little nod of thanks, she accepted the proffered glass and held it aloft for a moment in a silent toast before taking a long sip of the drink. Her eyes watered slightly, but she welcomed the burn of the alcohol against her throat. Perching on a barstool, she placed the glass neatly atop the polished wood of the bar, but kept her fingers pressed against the cool glass. It was strangely reassuring, this little roleplay of normalcy she was indulging in at the moment. It felt so normal, being with Serena, being at the Palace. She could pretend for a moment that none of the horrors of the night had actually taken place.
Serena's gentle question brought her up short and she glanced at her friend before quickly redirecting her gaze towards her drink. Her lips pressed together in an unhappy line before she finally found the words to answer her. "Chuck just kind of... took over. I just sort of... followed him." It felt rather lame, admitting it aloud, but she felt oddly compelled to give Chuck his due. "We were near the back exit and thought we could make it to the car but the driver..." she trailed off, trying to suppress a shudder as she recalled just what state they had found the driver in.
"What about you? I thought you were near the front where those... those things came in."