The L.A Princess

My name is Juliette, I'm from L.A. My older brother is Tripp. I moved her after something happened in L.A, I used to be the Queen bee and that's what I intend to be here.

[archibaldgoldenboy]

"Fuck me." Who was making these drinks? @tfrstarters

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette smiled as she finished a drink. "I know, right. Put some hair on your chest?"

[f-reddieredlynn]

Freddie had been gone for what felt like mere minutes, getting ice and something to support Juliette's hand, but when he returned he caught the end of her conversation with Sapphire and the slap that he would have heard from the damn freezer. 'Again!?' As the other woman fled the scene, Freddie materialised at Juliette's side and reached for the first injured hand, placing the ice pack across her knuckles. "Can you let me know if you plan on swinging at anyone else tonight and I'll stock up on supplies now?" He wasn't sure if it was the right move, trying to lighten the mood, but it's what he was naturally inclined to do. With a hand on her back and the other holding the ice to her hand, Freddie guided her outside for some much needed air and distance. "You okay?"

@juliettevanderbilt

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette should have controlled herself more tonight, but it seemed like every time things were going right, there was something awful following closely behind. With how much had been going right, it was bound to lead to this awful blowup. She winced as Freddie placed the ice pack on her hand. She had tears in her eyes again, she couldn't imagine what he thought. It would be a miracle if he ever willingly hung out with her. "Yeah, let's just steer clear of any of my friends or exes. They are all trying to piss me off in some kind of competition, I think." She needed this badly tonight. Just someone who was more level-headed. "Not really, but it's been worse." She could see the party clearly dying around them. “I’m sorry.”

[a-lexvandervort]

"Right..." She felt weird. Was it weird that she felt weird about discussing the hotness of Jesse with another woman? Jesse had always been the cutest boy in any room and, while Alex wasn't sure when that had shifted to hot, it was baffling to her that anyone could have been blind to that fact. "Maybe they're shameless and are just feral over him being an attainable married man."

Alex released a genuine laugh, "Now that I'd pay to see." At her compliment, she could feel a blush threatening to creep on to her cheeks and she took a drink of her wine to hide it. "Okay, most of the mom's of note here are over forty, so I'm not sure that's a challenge. But I'm also not sure I'm ready to be called a MILF or have some guy try to call me 'mamacita'."

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette smiled at Alex, she wasn't wrong about the shameless part. She didn't expect Jesse to find the next Mrs. Walker, but she wanted him to have some fun tonight. He didn't even have to hook up tonight, but she was at least hoping for a kiss. "Yeah, I can get the appeal. I mean, what is better than a guy you can hook up with but never be able to date? That's actually kind of perfect."

"Well, Roni, Sam, Latife, and Tabby are all here. No way at least one of them doesn't piss me off." Juliette was always one to flirt, even if she didn't mean to. "Yeah, but with their plastic surgery, they are at least trying to look our age. Fine! No more MILF talk, no matter how hot you look tonight."

[starring-frankie]

"Don't mess with Juliette Vanderbilt," Frankie grinned. She wasn't really anything like he expected she'd be. He liked talking with her, though. She was blunt and honest, and funny. "Me too. Ah, I see... You always have to lookout for the strings attached, don't you? Read the fine print. Never sign anything without your lawyer present-," he said, mimicking his own publicist. "Tough gig. Yeah, you're right about that. I mean, I'm living my dream and I am painfully aware of how many people don't get to do that. You're totally killing it with modelling, though."

[juliettevanderbilt]

"Oh, you learned one of the more important lessons on the Upper East Side." Juliette teased with a grin. She liked Frankie and had fun getting to know him. "Yes, I have heard that advice too. Sadly this string was attached at birth." She smiled at him. "It's definitely a very lucky position that we both find ourselves in. Thank you, I think so too. I am kind of surprised."

[walker-on-sunshine]

"You've got this," Jesse smiled. He nodded along as she explained about William. Jesse avoided talking about his own love life like the plague, so he was happy to hear all about it. "I understand and hey, I'm glad you're having fun. I've no doubt that he doesn't stand a chance against you. Well, I humbly accept your apology," he laughed. "I'll try to keep things level, forsure."

[juliettevanderbilt]

"I knew I could count on you. We all have to have fun every once in a while. Does any man stand a chance with me?" Juliette smiled at Jesse. She was sure this conversation was a nice distraction for him, no baby or Sophia-related talk. "So gracious." She laughed. "Oh, not me. This summer is all about having the most fun I can. I turn 21 in August, and I'm going to commemorate it by getting as drunk as I can before."

[caffeinateddreamersoul]

[walker-on-sunshine]

"I couldn't comment," Jesse grinned back before letting out a laugh. "That was pretty good foresight your architect had. Right, yes. You're choosing peace and love and harmony tonight, right? Even for Sam and Veronica?" he added. Jesse did appreciate everything Juliette had done for him tonight. He was so happy they were back together, just like old times.

"Food sounds awesome, let's do it." Jesse proceeded to follow her into the main house and towards the kitchen. "Hey, thank you for doing all this. I really appreciate you and love you," he smiled, giving her a little nudge- "Bestie."

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette smiled at Jesse. "Well, they had to think about it with my family. Lots of big heads in this group. Trying, you know, rising above." She wanted to be more of an adult, but Sam and Veronica always brought her back to her high school self. "But bitch Juliette always has a way of coming out, especially when I am drunk."

Juliette was happy that Jesse actually seemed happy she had done this all for him. She wanted him to have fun tonight, whether it was hooking up with someone or just enjoying a night with all their friends. "I am glad you aren't annoyed with it. I planned on blaming Sapphire and Rose if you were." She nudged him back. "I love you too, bestie."

[l-atifelevent]

"Not until after midnight, I hope. It takes a bitch to know a bitch, bitch. You know me, I'm full of all sorts of tips and tricks," Latife grinned. Honestly, she loved the push and pull with Juliette Vanderbilt. No one could tell if they were friends or not. "Right, major ick factor unlocked. Is there someone else you have in mind? Who's ass is so magical that he's gonna forget the shotgun wedding of days gone by? You don't have to tell me twice. Did you know I was just stuck in a car with Lucas 'snorefest' Baizen for two fucking hours over here? Kill me."

[juliettevanderbilt]

"Not any of my invited guests, the gate crashers not so much. I know, it's why we work so well. Plus, you pretend to be a whole other person if you want." Juliette enjoyed teasing Latife. Friends or enemies, they usually had a good time together. "I am trying to avoid exes and maybe find a new kissing buddy. Ew." She shook her head, grabbing Latife's hand. "We need to get you some fun to wake you up a bit."

[shinebrightlikea-sapphire]

Sapphire could only look down at her feet as Juliette rightfully tore into her. She was using all her useless, drunken, energy to not cry but it was getting harder and harder. What could she even begin to say right now? How could she explain herself? And how had she let so much time go by without even trying? There were so many bad things that Sapphire had done, so much about the last year of her life that she would do-over if she could. But there was no going back, there was no magic fix. She couldn't change who she'd been (or who she was) and faced with Juliette now, all she could do was stare hopelessly. All she could do was keep hurting her, that much was clear. Everything she said or did, it was wrong.

When Juliette pulled her arm back, Sapphire should have let her walk away. She hadn't meant that it didn't mean anything. Well, it didn't but didn't... not mean anything. She was way too drunk for this. And she'd barely managed to piece herself back together long enough to even think about making up for all the bad shit she'd done. Sapphire knew too well what Sam meant to Juliette. And she knew far too well what honesty meant to her.

"I know, I know I did. I didn't mean to-... I didn't want to hurt you, Juliette. Please, you have to believe me. I never would have- have done it to hurt you. I was lost, I was... I didn't think I was going to come back here ever again. I just wanted me and you to get to being us again. I am- I am your best friend. You- You have no idea how important you are to me and how much I missed you. I just- I didn't know how to tell you. I messed up so, so, bad and I---," she was rambling now and it wasn't helping at all. Juliette was going to walk away from her and she felt panic rising in her chest. She didn't mean to, but she started after her, reaching to touch her again. "Juliette, please."

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette couldn't believe that she found herself here again, with another best friend who had slept with Sam. Things had been going too well between them for too long, their friendship had grown so much since Sapphire came back. But now, in the back of her mind, there was a voice telling her that it had been about this. That Sapphire had felt so guilty about Sam that she had been trying extra hard to make up for it.

It all felt like too much after William, and now this, she felt like she was suffocating in this house. She was reminded why she had ghosted everyone for so long: no matter how close she felt she got to anyone, it always came back on her. It always blew up in her face, and she was reminded that she never trusted the right person.

"Well, great job on that Saph. It isn't about what you did, it's the lying. I mean, we have talked about Sam, you know everything about that, and you were hiding this from me. Don't you know how messed up that is?" Juliette walked away, Sapphire following behind her, still trying to touch her. She turned around, slapping Sapphire with her good hand. She needed her to just go away. "We are done, Sapphire. Leave me alone. I would be more worried about finding Jake."

[shinebrightlikea-sapphire]

Sapphire felt her heart drop as she watched Juliette read and re-read the blast on her phone. The shame and guilt churned in her stomach as she watched her poison spread. Juliette's words were like a dagger but she deserved them. She deserved worse. Sapphire didn't know what she could say or do to make this better. Begging for forgiveness was fine, it just didn't feel like it would be enough. When Juliette pulled away from her, Sapphire knew it was over.

"No, I wanted to see you-... I wanted to make sure you were okay. But-," but. No matter her intentions, the truth remained for the world to see. Sapphire hadn't even been brave enough to make the confession herself despite her best efforts. Her throat was dry and her eyes were full of unshed tears. She didn't want to make this about her, she didn't. She never wanted to hurt Juliette, she just didn't know how to make her believe that when she had. She just had.

"It wasn't... It didn't mean anything-," she started, moving to reach out for Juliette's arm. It was a mistake, she knew that as soon as the words left her lips. The answer was never, if she was being honest but it didn't matter now anyway.

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette didn't even know what to think right now. She had expected more stuff to come out tonight, clearly Gossip Girl had been sitting on some bombs they had all seen that with the Vanessa stuff. She hadn't considered that something else would be coming her way tonight. Especially not something like this with Sapphire of all people.

"But you also had to try to cover your own ass. You had eight months to be honest with me, and you waited until you knew I was going to find out?" Juliette couldn't believe Sapphire was trying to defend herself right now. They all had messed up before. Intentionally or not. But she couldn’t even admit to it before Gossip Girl revealed it. Even with the truth out there, she was acting she was Juliette's friend.

"Yeah, maybe to you, but to me it does." Juliette pulled her arm back. She needed to move away from Sapphire before she did something she regretted. She turned to walk away. "It's not even about Sam, it’s about us.” That was a separate issue that she would make sure Sam heard loud and clear about. "You are supposed to be my best friend, and yet you lied to me for months."

[shinebrightlikea-sapphire]

"No," Sapphire said softly, shaking her head and trying not to cry over how hopeless it was. Juliette hadn't done anything wrong. And at least she had said something even if it blew up in her face. She wasn't a coward like Sapphire had been over and over again. She wanted to comfort Juliette and she would have if there was time. She would have cursed William out for the rest of the night, did anything to make her laugh. She would happily distract her however she wanted. She could tell her about Jake - god, Jake - or Sophia. Sapphire wished she could do everything in her life over again, she would make the right choices. She wouldn't be so much like her father.

But there wasn't enough time.

In fact, as both of their phones chimed in unison, it was clear there wasn't any time left at all. 'Did you break something'. Sapphire didn't need to look at her phone to know what Gossip Girl had posted about her. About Sam. But Juliette would have to and Sapphire found she couldn't say it before she did anyway. "I- I'm so sorry, Juliette."

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette was hoping that Sapphire could distract her, show her the bright side of all of this. They almost always had a good time together, and she needed that right now. She needed her best friend to make her forget that William Huntzberger existed, even if for a little bit tonight. She would deal with all tomorrow, put herself back together, and move on. At least that's what she was telling herself.

She heard the chime go off on both of their phones, she knew who it was. Probably another Gossip Girl post about her, that much she was sure. Tonight seemed like her turn over the coals fully. She read over the post more than once, barely hearing Sapphire's apology. "This is why you came to find me?"

To cover her own ass before Gossip Girl could reveal it to everyone else. "How long did you plan on keeping that little secret?" She pulled away from Sapphire, she needed to get away.

[shinebrightlikea-sapphire]

'Yeah, great night for me'. Sapphire felt her stomach flip as she stared at Juliette. She didn't want to hurt her. God, of course she didn't want to hurt her. It had been a mistake, with Sam. She had been so lost and she didn't think she would ever come back home. She hadn't been thinking about Juliette. They were drunk and sad and far enough away that it felt like they were living a different life. Sapphire's name badge at the bar Sam had found her in had said 'Opal'. There were circumstances and excuses, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt.

"You're not," she said almost instantly, her hand reaching out to cup Juliette's cheek. "You're not. He's the idiot and you deserve so much better. You always deserve so much better." Sapphire let her hand drop gently back to her side, looking at Juliette with shining eyes. If Juliette didn't kill her, the guilt was going to.

"Juliette... I have to tell you something."

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette wanted to go lie down, turn off her phone, and forget about this whole thing. She had just wanted to help Jesse and others make romantic connections. Had it been a way to distract from her disaster of a romantic life? Yeah. But she had wanted to help.

She looked down, shaking her head. "I am, I am." She repeated hating how dumb she felt right now. "You and everyone told me what a bad idea all of it was. And you were right." She could tell something was going on before Sapphire said anything. The way Sapphire was looking at her right now, she could tell how guilty she felt. Whatever bomb Sapphire was holding onto, she needed the other to just hold onto it. There was only so much she could take in one night.

"Oh god, did you break something? I hope it's replaceable."

[shinebrightlikea-sapphire]

Sapphire knew that she was living on borrowed time tonight. Wasn't everyone with Gossip Girl hanging over them? Their own personal harbinger of death, XOXO. Her head was spinning from what she'd confessed to Jake tonight but for once, she didn't regret it. Didn't want to run. Whether Jake was going to forgive her tomorrow was another story. When the blast came through about Juliette-and-William, Sapphire knew she had to find her. And she had to tell her what had happened last August before she came back for Logan's bonfire. She had to do it before Gossip Girl did.

From the whispers around the party, she deduced that Juliette was probably in the kitchen. Freddie must have been getting her some ice or something for her hand. What the hell had William said to her? Pushing through the crowd, she wished that she hadn't had so much tequila. She wished a lot of things. It was time to bite the bullet, though. When Sapphire saw Juliette, she couldn't help running over, her eyes full of concern for one of the best friends she'd ever had. Damn it.

"Babe, are you okay?" Sapphire looked at her poor hand with wide eyes, her throat suddenly dry. "I can go kill him for you. Just give me a sec to sober up." @juliettevanderbilt

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette had high hopes for tonight. She just wanted to have fun with all of her friends. It had all unraveled, she had done it again, overreacted, and acted on her emotions. She thought she had grown past this, but tonight clearly showed her that wasn't the case. The part she hated the most was that everyone had been right, and she looked like an idiot again.

Now she just wanted everyone out. She was sobering up, the throbbing pain in her hand, and people kept staring at her. This definitely wasn't going away anytime soon. Thanks especially to her 'bestie' Gossip Girl, making sure anyone who hadn't seen her argument with William knew about it.

She smiled sadly at Sapphire, shrugging. "Yeah, great night for me." She was happy to see Sapphire. Having Freddie take care of her was nice, but he wasn't one of her best friends. "He already left. I think he got the message. I'm such an idiot."

[michtheking]

Oh, she could kiss her. She knew Juliette was an angel, at least when it came to parties. "Aw, I'm a favorite," she happily squealed. She broke into a laugh, grasping her outstretched arm. "Thank you, I can't embarrass myself out here. You, gorg. I might steal your outfit another day, babes."

[juliettevanderbilt]

"Oh my god, of course you are. Fun at a party and great to look at." Juliette loved Michelle, she was always down to have fun and definitely knew how to handle her alcohol. She could trust Michelle with the hard stuff. "Please do, we can always swap outfits. How have you been?"

[f-reddieredlynn]

From the moment William had called Juliette's name, Freddie's eyes had been locked on to him. It seemed that it didn't matter how loud it was, or how large of a crowd had gathered, he would be able to find him in any room. William had looked frantic–something was wrong, something bad to have him this fried–but he had been seeking out Juliette, not him, and Freddie didn't want to insert himself between them more than he already had. So he opted to watch them from a distance, trying desperately to understand what he was witnessing.

The familiar chimes of Gossip Girl spread through the party and it was enough for him to turn his attention to his phone. It had only been for a moment, but everything shifted. The blast was calling out him and Juliette, and by the time he looked back up at her and William there were tears in her eyes and she had punched him!

Freddie was on his feet and across the room in a heartbeat, reaching out to gently take Juliette's injured hand in both of his. He could only speculate at what had happened here, but he didn't doubt that William had deserved her wrath. With the way he had been acting recently, it was a wonder neither of them had took a swipe at him sooner.

William had said her name again and Freddie pivoted to face him, brow furrowed and still holding Juliette's hand. "Don't." It wasn't often that anyone ever saw Freddie Redlynn angry, usually having excellent control over the image he presented of himself, but the threat in his tone was clear. "I think you've done enough. Go home, William." As he turned back to Juliette, his voice immediately softened. "Let's get some ice for this and head outside, yeah? Get some air?"

@juliettevanderbilt

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette couldn't believe she had actually punched William. She hated it when she did stuff like this. It never made things better, it often made them worse. The second she did it, she regretted it, but it was too late. Not like she could take it back.

She was surprised by Freddie's sudden appearance. Her hand was throbbing, and she didn't think it was going to be good. She relaxed as Freddie took her hand into his hands, it felt nice, even if she might have broken something.

She heard William say her name, that same tone he had before was back. Actual concern for her, but she couldn't look at him right now. She had lost control. Let herself feel too much for him, and he had thrown it back at her. Maybe if she had been more sober, if William hadn't tried to hurt her, they could have talked. But she needed a break from this conversation.

She looked up at Freddie, tears still in her eyes. She wished they would just go away, and she could stop feeling stupid. She was also just noticing how many people were looking at them now, taking in the spectacle. "Please." She said softly, wanting him to take care of her.

@hunky-huntzberger

[gigi-sparks]

"No, literally. I mean, I get that they're going through a time right now with the whole Isobel break up thing but... is that any excuse for tweed? I'm unwell just thinking about it."

[juliettevanderbilt]

"There isn't an excuse for it, and I think they owe us an actual apology on their social. I am going to break into their apartment and burn it all."

[isabella-oftheball]

"How indeed," she smiled. Until last summer, Bella hadn't thought of Juliette Vanderbilt as more than a spectacle to be admired from afar. A wildfire that would spread if you weren't careful. Getting tangled up with her wasn't her smartest move. Then again, nothing 'casual' ever was. "Turning to a life of crime, are you? Well, I suppose you can consider me yours for a moment then."

Bella let out a laugh without meaning to as she shrugged. "Gin it is." Two classic martinis were easy enough. "So... have you been staying busy?"

[juliettevanderbilt]

Juliette liked to have fun. Was it really her fault if sometimes her fun came at the expense of a little social standing? She had been surprised by Bella this summer. It had been fun, but when school started again, she found herself too busy to keep it going beyond the summer. "Maybe, I mean, I think I have the tools to get myself out of trouble after almost two years of studying law. Only a moment?"

"Very, between school and modeling, I have kept myself busy." She watched Bella make their drinks. "Plus, you know, being in a situationship with Huntzberger has kept me tangled up a bit. And you?"