Date: December 31, 1989 (Sunday - New Year's Eve).
Location: The Armstrong Estate.
Event: Christmas Morning (Observed) & The End of the 80s.
**07:00 AM. Christmas Morning (Observed).**
I woke up to Sheldon screaming. Not in terror, but in scientific triumph.
"Structural integrity intact! The drag coefficient was sufficient!"
I stumbled out of my room. George and Mary were already in the living room, coffee in hand, looking exhausted but happy.
Sheldon was on his hands and knees inside the massive fireplace, inspecting the hearth with a magnifying glass.
"No impact craters," Sheldon announced. "Santa clearly utilized a decelerating entry vector. Or magic. But I prefer physics."
"Can we open the presents now?" Missy groaned, eyeing the pile. "I've been waiting since actual Christmas."
"Go ahead," George grinned.
***
The Haul
The wrapping paper flew.
* **Sheldon:** Got a *Casio Scientific Calculator* (the one with graphing capabilities) and a pristine copy of *The Feynman Lectures on Physics*. He immediately retreated to a corner to calculate the volume of the box it came in.
* **Missy:** Got a denim jacket with rhinestones (very 1989) and a Walkman.
* **Meemaw:** Got a heated foot massager. "Finally," she grunted. "Something that loves me back."
Then, George handed me a flat, heavy box.
"For the new job," George said.
I opened it.
It wasn't a toy. It was a **leather-bound playmaker's notebook** and a **gold stopwatch**.
"Coaches use cheap plastic stopwatches," George said. "Quarterbacks who run the offense use the good stuff. You're the field general now, Georgie. Time the routes. Make 'em perfect."
I clicked the button. *Click.* 0.00.
"Thanks, Dad," I said. "I'll make sure Jimmy Smith runs a true 4.4."
***
The Neighbors
There was a knock on the French doors.
Serena and Eric were standing there in their pajamas. They looked hesitant.
"Come on in!" Mary waved them over. "Did Santa find you next door?"
"He did," Eric said, holding up a new Game Boy cartridge (*Tetris*). "But... we have something for you guys."
Serena handed Mary a box. It was a set of crystal serving bowls.
"It's from the house," Serena said awkwardly. "I mean, my mom bought them for a party she never threw, so... we wrapped them."
"They are beautiful," Mary said, tearing up. She hugged Serena. "But we got you something too."
Mary pulled two stockings from behind the tree.
* **Eric's Stocking:** Full of comic books, Big League Chew, and a slingshot ("Don't tell your mother," George whispered).
* **Serena's Stocking:** A fluffy robe, nail polish, and a framed photo of the whole group from the Diner in Medford (Mary had snapped it before we left).
Serena stared at the photo. "You framed this?"
"Of course," Mary said. "That's family."
Serena didn't say anything. She just held the frame tight.
***
The Church of Neiman Marcus
**10:00 AM.**
If the morning was warm and fuzzy, the rest of the day was a cold shower.
We drove to **Highland Park Presbyterian Church**.
In Medford, church was simple. Wooden pews, Pastor Jeff sweating, and a potluck.
This place? It looked like a cathedral.
"Holy cow," George whispered, tugging at his tie. "I feel underdressed, and I'm wearing my funeral suit."
"Hush," Mary hissed. She was wearing her best navy hat. In Medford, it was elegant. Here, amidst the sea of mink coats and designer silk, it looked... homemade.
We sat in the back.
I looked around. I saw the faces of the community.
* **The Dads:** Oil executives and bankers in custom suits.
* **The Moms:** Lily van der Woodsen clones, whispering behind gloved hands.
* **The Players:** I saw a few guys who looked like athletes. They were slouching in the pews, looking bored. They looked soft.
"Stand up, Georgie," Mary nudged me. "Hymn 402."
I stood. But I kept my eyes on the players. *Enjoy the nap, boys. Tomorrow, boot camp starts.*
***
New Year's Eve: The Party
**08:00 PM.**
We survived church. By evening, the Armstrong Estate was ready for the "Cooper New Year."
Mary had gone overboard to make up for Lily's absence.
* **The Food:** Shrimp cocktail (George's expense account) next to Lil' Smokies (Mary's soul).
* **The Games:** Pictionary.
"Draw faster, Sheldon!" Missy screamed.
"I am rendering a precise depiction of a Möbius strip!" Sheldon yelled.
"The word is 'Donut', you idiot!"
Serena was laughing so hard she fell off the couch. She was wearing sweatpants, her hair in a messy bun. She looked comfortable.
"Your family is insane," Serena gasped.
"We're loud," I corrected.
"No," she said softly. "You're real."
***
The Balcony
**11:45 PM.**
Dick Clark was counting down on TV.
I stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the pool. The air was crisp.
Serena followed me out. She stood by the railing, looking at the dark mansion next door where she lived.
"So," she said. "1990."
"New decade," I said. "Big things coming."
"I'm scared," she admitted quietly. "My mom called from Aspen. She was drunk. She forgot Eric's name for a second."
I didn't say anything. I just listened.
"I hate it there," she whispered, pointing to her house. "It's so quiet. But here... with the yelling and the Lil' Smokies... it felt safe."
She looked at me.
"Thank you, Georgie. For letting us in."
"You're part of the team now, van der Woodsen," I said. "Coopers don't leave people behind."
She smiled. A real, unguarded smile.
"Is that a promise, Quarterback?"
"That's a promise."
She leaned her head on my shoulder. We stood there in the cold, watching the steam rise from the pool.
***
The Countdown
"GEORGIE! SERENA! GET IN HERE!" Missy screamed. "THE BALL IS DROPPING!"
We ran back inside.
"Ten! Nine! Eight!"
George had his arm around Mary. Meemaw was clinking her flask with the TV screen. Sheldon was checking his watch to verify the Atomic Clock synchronization.
"Three! Two! One!"
**"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"**
Confetti poppers went off. George kissed Mary. I high-fived Eric. Serena hugged Missy.
I looked around the room.
The 80s were dead. The Medford era was history.
Tomorrow, the alarm goes off at 5:30 AM.
Tomorrow, I walk into the school.
Tomorrow, the war for Highland Park begins.
But for tonight? We were safe.
I raised my Dr Pepper.
*Bring it on, 1990.*
**[Quest Complete: The Holiday Season]**
* **Inventory:** Stopwatch (Dad), Crystal Bowls (Serena).
* **Relationship:** Serena (Inner Circle).
* **Next Mission:** The Locker Room.