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more？until now。 But Blair had already started talking to Serena again？she？d even taken Serena？s
chemistry exam for her； for Christ？s sake； so now she was stuck with the awkward choice of
suddenly acting like a bitch for no reason in front of Lord Marcus； or being pletely fake and
pretending to be nice so Lord Marcus wouldn？t think she was a bitch and change his mind about
wanting to marry her。
As if he hadn？t already noticed her bitchy side。
Nate stood next to Serena like a hired piece of celebrity arm candy。 He rubbed his eyes and
smiled at Blair and Marcus blearily； and for the first time in a long time； Blair wondered what
she？d ever seen in him。 No matter how often they broke up； her happily…ever…after fantasies had
always featured Nate； but now they had a new and improved co…star。 She leaned back against
Marcus？s chest； making it very clear that she was supremely fortable on his lap and totally
unruffled by Serena？s news。 Her perfectly tailored suit was a little warm in the stuffy room； but it
looked so good on her； she didn？t care。
All of a sudden； another good…looking but shorter couple stepped around Nate and Serena and
gazed tensely around the room； as if they were worried someone might yell at them for crashing
the party。 Blair sat up and unbuttoned her Oscar de la Renta suit jacket； flinging it onto the floor in
disgust。 The male part of the new couple was her twelve…year…old brother Tyler； attempting to look
like a rock star by wearing a vintage Armani tuxedo jacket over a ripped black AC/DC T…shirt。 The
dimple…cheeked； waiflike girl on his arm was wearing the same fucking white Oscar de la Renta
suit Blair was。 She was even wearing the same fucking Manolo Blahnik shoes as Blair。 Her
fucking hair was the same color as Blair？s； and it was cut in a short layered bob； just like Blair？s。
Blair squinted。 She had never seen this fucking girl in her life； but if she wasn？t mistaken； she was
also wearing Chanel？s fucking Stroppy lip gloss； Blair？s fucking favorite。
Growl。
Blair hitched up the straps on her totally see…though cream…colored Cosabella camisole。 If it
hadn？t been for Lord Marcus； she？d have grabbed the girl by the scruff of the neck and thrown her
out on the street。
？Hey； sis；？ Tyler greeted her in a fake stoner voice； puffing up his shoulders in an attempt to look
bigger。 ？This is Jasmine。 Jazz； this is my sister； Blair。？
？Cool；？ Blair？s apple…cheeked clone responded casually。 Like she hadn？t just spent all day trying
to dress exactly like Blair。
Blair wrinkled up her pert little nose。 ？I got the part！？ she heard Serena scream from the other
side of the room； for what seemed like the thousandth fucking time。 She picked up her cigarette
holder； waiting for Marcus to give her a light。 ？How do you do？？ she replied in her best
gracious…under…pressure Audrey Hepburn imitation； blowing smoke over her brother？s and his
stupid little girlfriend？s heads。
Serena may well have gotten the part； but Blairlived it； every day。
Nothing can keep us together
It was almost surreal how graduation changed everything and everybody。 The party was like
being at a reunion； except that they？d only just graduated that morning。 Some of the girls were
still wearing their white graduation dresses with rubber flip…flops and their hair all undone；
looking like runaway brides。 The boys had rolled the cuffs up on their neatly pressed khakis； and
their school ties hung askew on their bare； sun…kissed chests； so that they resembled models in a
Ralph Lauren menswear campaign； dressed up for cocktails but sitting on a dock with their feet
dangling in a lake as if they？d rather drink beers together than go back inside to the stuffy cocktail
party。
Serena thought of herself as an emotional person。 The fashion designer Les Best had even named
a perfume Serena？s Tears when he？d caught her weeping in the snow at a photo shoot in Central
Park。 She？d always thought she？d be a basket case during graduation。 After all； she？d grown up
with these people； shared the same ups and downs； suffered the same disappointments and
triumphs。 But here she was； nothing short of ecstatic。 Even Nate？s mopey； distracted disposition
couldn？t bring her down； becauseshe？d gotten the part！
Yes； we heard her the first time。
In his usual pretentious； oddball manner； Ken Mogul hadn？t even watched her second audition。
He？d kept his back turned； trying to ascertain whether she radiated the right energy for the part。
When she finished delivering her lines； he didn？t turn around； just held up his hand and
said； ？Thank you。？
The second audition had taken place in an old warehouse in the Meatpacking District； on the
opposite end of Manhattan from Brick Church。 Serena was already dressed for graduation； and
she？d promised to pay her taxi driver handsomely if he waited for her outside。 Within seconds； she
was hurtling east on Fourteenth Street； praying that Mrs。 M wouldn？t make her repeat her senior
year and realizing too late that she？d left her shoes behind。
After graduation； over lunch at Tavern on the Green； her mom had been more miffed over the
missing white Jimmy Choos than the fact that Serena had nearly skipped the ceremony。 ？What
kind of girl goes around barefoot？？ Mrs。 van der Woodsen wanted to know。 Then Ken Mogul had
called Serena？s cell。
？I don？t like tans or freckles； so please； try and stay out of the sun。 We start shooting at Fred？s
next month；？ he announced gruffly。 Serena just sat there with the phone pressed against her ear；
trying to figure out what he was talking about。 Then she realized：I got the part。 I got the part！
Hello？ Can we change the subject now please？
Her parents considered acting in movies somewhat d？class？； but less than nine months after
getting kicked out of boarding school； Serena had been accepted at Yale； Harvard； Brown； and
Princeton and was about to star in a remake ofBreakfast at Tiffany？s ： They could hardly
plain。
I got the part； I got the part！Serena kept screaming to herself。 Her first real part in her first real
movie。 For the first time in her life she realized that this was something she reallywanted 。 And it
hadn？t just happened。 She？dmade it happen。 Good thing she was now at a party； because there was
an excited little girl on a trampoline inside her； bouncing and bouncing and bouncing。
Boing！
？I heard she and Ken Mogul went on a drug binge last night and she totally talked him into
giving her the lead in his movie。 He was all set to skew it older and cast Natalie Portman； but
Serena brainwashed him；？ someone whispered。
？She even tried to get him to cast Nate as her costar； but he？s always so baked； he forgot his lines
during his tryout；？ whispered someone else。
？And didn？t you hear？ Nate totally didn？t graduate。 He got busted for stealing painkillers from
the nurse？s office at his school； and now he has to go to some drug rehab prison thing in thebad
part of the Hamptons； like；all summer ；？ Rain Hoffstetter informed all who would listen。 She？d
hooked up with Charlie Dern when their parents had parked next to each other at a drive…in movie
theater out on the Cape last weekend。 They？d been talking on the phone every night since； so she
was very up…to…date on her Nate information。
Nate was grateful for his role as Serena？s mute piece of arm candy。 He felt like he？d been
encased in six inches of clear plastic。 Everyone？s voice sounded muffled and distant。 It didn？t
help that Blair looked radiant on Marcus？s knee； or that Serena clearly didn？t need a boyfriend
right now； or that he was incredibly stoned。
？Blair？！ Did you hear？ I got the part！？ Serena threw herself at Blair and Lord Marcus； dragging
Nate along with her。 She squeezed Blair？s shoulders exuberantly。 ？You？re not mad； are you？？
Me； mad？Blair smiled tensely； still intent on impressing Marcus with her sweet； forgiving nature。
Ha！
？You？re such an excellent actress；？ she finally told her ex…friend politely。 ？You totally deserve
it。？
Serena？s ear…to…ear smile faded slightly。 She knew Blair too well not to be able to gauge that she
was less than pleased and more than pissed。 Blair was plicated： It was best to flee when she
was acting volatile。 ？Is Vanessa around？ I can？t wait to tell her？I？m totally talking to Ken Mogul
about hiring her to film the movie！？
Her face resolutely blank； Blair pointed to where Vanessa was sitting in the corner with her own
personal bottle of Stoli； happily signing the yearbooks of all the nonseniors at the party who
thought she was beyond cool。
？Vanessa Marigold Abrams！？ Serena cried and dashed across the room； leaving Nate behind。
Nate stood in front of Blair and Lord Marcus all cuddled up in their wing…back chair； his hands in
his pockets； feeling like a jerk。
？How？s it feel？？ Lord Marcus asked； reaching up to shake Nate？s hand。
Nate didn？t know who knew about his graduation predicament； and he didn？t much want to talk
about it。 ？I？m just glad it？s over；？ he mumbled。 Lord Marcus looked bigger than he remembered；
and even though he was a guy； Nate could appreciate