Chapter 4.

Sorry, I uploaded the chapter in Spanish.

Family Mansion

Doorbell

"Hey Seth, Happy New Year, how's it going?" I ask the boy who is a little emotionally subdued.

"Fine, fine, but you could have warned me you wouldn't be around for Chrismukkah," he says slowly.

"Sorry, it was a last-minute thing. I didn't know we'd be spending Christmas in New York after my grandfather's birthday," I tell him.

"It's okay, no problem. Do you want to do something together?"

"Sure, let me grab some stuff and let Jacob know. Are we going to your house? Who dropped you off around here?" I ask him quickly.

"Well, my mom dropped me off, but she's gone now. We can play GTA at my house," Seth tells me.

"Perfect. I'll tell Jacob to give us a ride over. I'll be right back."

I then return with Jacob and another bodyguard, and we get into the black SUV parked in front of the mansion.

As we approach Seth's house, there is a crowd of cars right next to his house. It looks like Marissa's house is having a party.

"What are they celebrating?" I ask Seth.

"Something about a Christmas farewell celebration or something like that. I wasn't invited, but I know everyone is there: Marissa, Summer," he says while highlighting with some feeling Summer's name.

"Well of course Marissa is going to be there; it's her house, haha," I say cheerfully to distract him. "Jacob, have I been invited to the party? I don't remember anything," I ask my favorite bodyguard sitting in the passenger seat.

"Yes, Little Boss!" he tells me affectionately.

"Do you want to come?" I ask Seth.

"Of course!" he tells me. "What's the dress code?" I ask. "I think you've spent too much time in New York; we don't wear that here, Alex," he tells me.

"Ah... right, so let's go!"

<--- >

knock, knock, knock

"Hi Mrs. Cooper, I see you're having the party. I believe I'm invited, right?"

"Oh... you're a van der Bilt, right? I saw you at Summer's birthday last year. Of course, you're invited."

"Thank you, ma'am. I've taken the liberty of inviting Seth, and if I could get Jacob in, that would be perfect." Before she can say anything, I rush in, grabbing Seth's arm.

Leaving Julie Cooper somewhat dumbfounded, before she can reply, Jacob takes the initiative.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cooper. You can call me Jacob. I'm the head of security for Alexander's family," he says politely. "Here's my card."

"Oh, so you're the bodyguard then," she says with intrigue.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll keep out of everyone's way and be discreet. I won't ruin the party. I just have to keep an eye on Alex from time to time," he says like a trooper. "That's what they pay me to do," he adds, not so much like a soldier anymore.

"Sure, sure, no problem."

When we walk in, everything is Christmas-themed, with snowflakes, as well as being snowed in all over the living room and terrace. Although we are in California, this year is especially cold, considering you could only be comfortable in long sleeves.

Children can be seen everywhere, laughing and playing different activities. Before we can find the host of the party, we run into her little sister.

"Kaitlin! How are you? Do you remember me?" I say to the little girl.

"Yes! You're that kid who helped me with that mean girl at school," she tells me smiling.

"That's right, but we haven't met before, so you might not remember. My name is Alexander, and I go to class with your sister. And I guess you know Seth," I tell her.

"Yeah, you're the geeky neighbor," she tells him offhandedly.

"Oh yeah," he remarks suavely.

"Sure, you know where your sister is? We just got here and we're going to say hi to her."

"Sure, she's with Summer on the terrace," she says before she pleads to talk to other kids her age.

At the mention of Summer, the already unconfident Seth, upon entering a room with so many children, completely bursts out.

"Seth..." I say softly. "I know they don't notice you, but if you keep this up, you're never going to have more friends than me."

"I know... but I'm not like you," he says to me.

"Like me?" I ask quizzically.

"Yes, like you. Confident, not caring about other people's opinions or what they say in front of you or behind your back," he tells me sadly.

"Buddy, don't worry, you're a good person. That's what should matter to you," I tell him with assurance. "Come on, there they are," I tell him, looking at the two of them chatting.

"Alex?" they both ask at the same time.

"Is it that bad that he's here?" I ask them.

"No, no," they tell me.

"It's just that you never come to this kind of thing, just birthdays," Summer says.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by," I tell them. "By the way, look who I brought with me," I say, pointing to Seth.

"Who are you?" Summer asks. "Seth, the neighbor... he's in our class," Marissa says to Summer, whispering.

Seth's face saddens at Summer's question.

"Exactly, Seth. You know him," I say quickly. "Let's go have some fun," I say as I grab Summer and Seth's arms. "Follow us, Marissa."

The four of us walk towards the center of the party, where various activities and games are located. Seth seems nervous, but I decide to keep the conversation going to make him feel more comfortable.

"So, Summer, how have you been? Any exciting plans for the new year?" I ask her as we walk.

"Oh, nothing too special. Just spending time with family and friends. How about you, Alex?" Summer replies, smiling.

"Same thing, really. Just enjoying the time off before we get back to the grind," I tell her.

The four of us walk toward the center of the party, where various activities and games are located. Seth seems nervous, but I decide to keep the conversation going to put him at ease.

We walk past a game table where some kids are playing a simplified version of poker. I walk over and wave to the ones playing.

"Shall we join in?" I ask Seth, Summer, and Marissa.

"Sure!" says Marissa, excited.

"I don't know how to play very well..." says Seth, hesitating.

"Don't worry, it's just for fun. We'll teach you," I say, patting him on the shoulder.

We sit down at the table and start playing. Summer turns out to be quite good at the game, laughing and joking as she wins several hands. Seth, though initially hesitant, begins to relax and enjoy the game.

"That was a good hand, Seth!" says Summer to him, smiling. "You're getting to be an expert."

"Thanks, Summer," Seth replies, blushing slightly.

The mood becomes more relaxed, and we all begin to enjoy the afternoon. After several rounds of play, we decide to switch activities and head over to the craft table, where some of the kids are making Christmas ornaments.

"This looks like fun," says Marissa, grabbing some materials. "Let's make something for the tree."

We join in, creating ornaments with glitter, glue, and small beads. Laughter and conversation fill the air, creating a festive and welcoming atmosphere.

"Alex, this ornament looks great," Summer says, admiring one of my attempts.

"Thanks, but I think yours is better," I reply, pointing to her elaborate design.

"Oh, look at this!" says Marissa, holding up a particularly sparkly ornament she had made. "It's going to look amazing on the tree."

After a while, we decide to take a break and head over to the snack table, where there is a variety of cookies, pastries, and hot drinks. We grab a few bites and sit down in a quiet corner to rest.

"This party has been great," Marissa says, biting into a gingerbread cookie. "Thanks for coming, guys."

"Yeah, it's been a lot of fun," Seth adds, with a sincere smile.

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Author's Note:

I have some doubts about how to make the chronology work, because I think I should set the last two years of high school in Gossip Girl, or maybe just the last one. So, make the first chapters of The OC, aligning both series (though in reality, The OC is set two years earlier).

Advance Ryan's adoption to when he is 15 years old.The plot of The OC will remain the same, but the MC will be part of it until he is 16 and a half, until Marissa's death (if it happens).The MC will then enter the Gossip Girl plot unchanged, except for his presence. They would be 17 years old then.

Tell me what you want to see in the next chapters, give some ideas.

Comment if there is anything you would like to add now or in the future. Don't be shy ;D