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Boys will be boys and girls will be girls
？I heard about you。 You？re the kid who？s to take my place on the Yale lacrosse team。 Excuse me；
ladies。？ Lord Marcus reached across Blair and Serena to clasp Nate？s hand in the cramped
backseat of the cab as it raced down the hot Park Avenue blacktop。 ？Coach said you were a maniac
with a stick。？
That？s one way of putting it。
Nate hoped Lord Marcus wouldn？t guess that he？d been crying。 Now would？ve been a good time
to take another Viagra； just to give him an ego boost and keep the tears from flowing。 If it hadn？t
been for those annoying side effects； he？d have taken it every day。
What； like the major hard…ons？ But that？s not a side effect； that？s the whole point！
？So is Yale； like； seriously tough or what？？ Nate asked； because it was the only thing he could
think of to say。 Blair had her head on Lord Marcus？s shoulder； and she looked so fortable； it
was sort of unsettling and nice to see at the same time。 Her dark hair was growing out and it
looked so soft and shiny； Nate could almost feel it in his hands。
Oh； please。 Don？t cry。
？Not as hard as Coach Heffner？s arse；？ Lord Marcus joked。 ？She told us all about how she
stabbed you with a fork when you tried to hit on her。？
Nate had pretty much blocked that little episode out of his mind； and he flinched；
remembering。 ？I just wasn？t expecting a hot female coach；？ he admitted。
？Believe me； none of us were；？ Lord Marcus replied with a knowing smile。 He lit a Marlboro
Red； but the tiny； shriveled cabdriver flapped his hand in annoyance； so he threw it out the
window。
？Let？s all light cigarettes and see what he does；？ Serena whispered； still feeling giddy。 She
handed out four Merit Ultra Lights from her black suede Balenciaga fringed hobo bag and Lord
Marcus helped her light them with a silver Tiffany lighter。
The driver screeched to a halt when he noticed the smoke。 ？Get out of my cab！？ he shouted； his
tiny； shriveled fists raised in anger。
Lord Marcus； ever the polite Englishman； began to apologize； pretending he didn？t know it was
illegal to smoke in American taxis。 But they were already on Park Avenue and Forty…seventh
Street； just around the corner from the Yale Club； so they got out anyway。
What a sight： a lovely brunette dressed exactly like Audrey Hepburn inBreakfast at Tiffany？s ；
two handsome； green…eyed； lacrosse…playing； neatly dressed boys； and a heart…wrenchingly
gorgeous blonde in jeans。 The Yale Club？s dress code forbade distressed denim； but Serena looked
so pretty in her jeans； no one cared。 As soon as they stepped into the club？s sparse； neoclassical
lobby； all the middle…aged Yale alums in J。Press suits stopped talking business and switched off
their BlackBerrys。 Oh； to be seventeen and irresistible！
As if any of them were ever this irresistible。
Lord Marcus took Nate up to his suite to show him some lacrosse trophy that only Nate would
appreciate； while Blair led Serena into the club？s lounge； where they settled in at the elegant bar
with its gold ceiling； polished wood floor； and dark wood paneling。 Of course they were used to
going out all the time； but it still felt extremely grown…up to be out at a private club bar on a
Saturday morning； especially when they were supposed to be glued to their textbooks； studying for
their final exams； which would begin on Monday。
？So； what are you going to say in your graduation speech？？ Serena asked Blair。 ？What？s that Dr。
Seuss book？you know the one everyone always quotes from？？
Blair rolled her eyes。 She was sonot quoting from that book。？Oh； The Places You？ll Go！？
The bow…tied bartender brought Blair？s drink first？a Ketel One martini straight up with an olive。
She took a sip and then stuck a cigarette into her cigarette holder。 She was enjoying the whole
cigarette holder thing so much； she planned to use it right up untilBreakfast at Fred？s came out
and all the girls started copying her。
Ergo； the difference between being trendy and being a trendsetter。
？Actually； I？m going to write about going after what you want and getting it；？ she declared；
blowing smoke over the top of Serena？s pale blond head。 ？I never thought I？d get absolutely
everything I wanted。 But I kept trying； anyway； and now I have it。Everything 。？
Serena nodded。 ？I know what you mean。？ The bartender brought her Tanqueray gin fizz and she
took a few tentative sips； wondering if she should tell Blair right now that when Ken Mogul？s
assistant had whispered in her ear； she？d asked Serena back for a second audition。 But things were
going so well with Blair at the moment； she didn？t want to ruin it。 Besides； even if she wound up
being offered the part； she wasn？t sure she wanted it。 She tried to think of something else to say；
something about getting what she？d always wanted； even though she？d never really wanted
anything？things just fell into her lap。
？I？m so in love with Nate；？ she blurted out； trying to sound as thrilled with the way things had
turned out as Blair did。
Blair lit the end of her cigarette。 How easy it would be to accidentally set fire to Serena？s long
black eyelashes。 She surveyed the room； trying to decide whether or not to let her temper get the
better of her。
Whoa； she？sthinking about it？ Is this a turning point？！
Blair loved the Yale Club lounge。 The gold…leaf paint and oriental carpets made it feel grand and
exclusive； but it was more fortable and less stodgy than some of the other rooms in the club。
The lounge was the perfect place to escape from the heat。 And it went with her dress。 ？Pretty soon
we？ll all be at Yale；？ she mused。
The two girls stared at each other； their blue eyes locked； trying to decide whether that was a
good thing or a bad thing。
Serena giggled。 ？And we can take the train back to the city and stay here； and our parents won？t
even know we？re in town！？
That does sound like fun。
？This would be such a great place to have a party；？ Blair chimed in； deciding to be nice。 She
blinked； wondering why she hadn？t thought of it before。 Of course； it meant there？d be a lot of
random crashers？other seniors from dopey schools that she didn？t even know； and random juniors
who thought they were cool now because they were going to be seniors next year。 But she was
Constance Billard？s graduation speaker。 It made perfect sense that she should host a graduation
party？thegraduation party。
She gave Serena a stiff hug； barely keeping her cigarette holder aloft to avoid setting fire to her
hair。 ？We always have the best ideas；？ she murmured； half to herself and half to her old friend。
Serena smiled eagerly； even though she had no idea which ideas Blair was referring to。 ？Don？t
we？？ she agreed。
Nate had brought a couple of prerolled joints along with him。 He and Lord Marcus made
themselves fortable in the lord？s gold…and…white…wallpapered suite； blasting the AC as they
lay on their backs on the king…size； apricot…colored bedspread； puffing away and trading secrets
about Blair。
See； boys really are worse than girls。
？She acts all grumpy when you e on to her； and then she plains when you don？t；？ Nate
plained； shaking his head。 ？I never understood that。？
？But as long as you let her know she？s irresistible； she can？t make a fuss；？ Lord Marcus pointed
out。 ？That？s what？s crucial。？
Nate turned his head to look at the older boy through a haze of pot smoke。 He？d known Blair
practically since he was born。 How e this guy； who？d only just met her； seemed to have her all
figured out？ Was it possible that he and Blair were totally inpatible？ Maybe they were actually
never meant to be。
Nate couldn？t think about it anymore without having a major sob attack。 Instead； he took another
hit and allowed his mind to go heavenly blank。
？I？m thinking of asking Blair to e over to England to visit for the summer；？ Lord Marcus
mused aloud。 ？I？ve told my family all about her and they？re desperate to meet her。 Apparently my
dad knows her dad。 And my mum？s already got us married off。？
Nate took another hit。 No need to get upset。 His mind was as smooth； white； and wrinkle…free as
the 800…thread…count pillow shams on Lord Marcus？s bed。
Lord Marcus finished off his joint and sat up； stubbing it out neatly on the sole of his
amber…colored Tod？s lace…ups。 ？The ladies will be wondering where we are。？ He clapped Nate on
the shoulder。 ？Shall we go； then？？
Nate sat up on his elbows and shook his head blearily； like a dog。 A stray tear seeped out of the
corner of his left eye and trickled down his cheek。 He swatted it away angrily； but then another
one began to trickle out of the corner of his right eye。
？Are you all right？？ Lord Marcus asked。 ？Do you need a minute？？
Nate shrugged； and then his lower lip began to tremble。
Lord Marcus sat down next to him and pulled Nate into his arms。 ？There； there；？ he
murmured。 ？You？re all right。？
This wasn？t the pretend gay affection that Nate and his friends used to drive one another nuts。
This was the real thing： a big…brotherly hug。 Nate had never had a big brother； or any siblings for