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？Staying here；？ Dan filled in； gazing up at her with adoring brown eyes。 ？With you。？
All of a sudden that new OutKast song that no one could listen to without jumping to their feet
and wiggling their ass came blasting out of the speakers ten decibels louder than the smooth R&B
that had been playing before。 Serena bounded over； grabbed Vanessa？s hand； and pulled her out of
the chair。 ？e on； groovy girl；？ she coaxed。 ？Show me what you got。？
Vanessa had always loathed dancing； at least in public； but she needed to get away from Dan
right now； and all his intensity。 Serena bumped hips with her and Vanessa laughed and bumped her
back。 She could feel Dan watching them intently； but she didn？t turn around。 The music was good；
and she felt vibrant and beautiful in her slippery； shimmering white Morgane Le Fay dress。 Dan
must have been crazy to think not going to college next year was a good idea。 Of course he was
going； but they could spend the summer together working it out。 The music grew louder still； and
Vanessa raised her bare arms in the air； grooving to it。 Dan was pletely nuts； but so was she
for ever having said she didn？t dance。
N？s trail of tears
Nate sat on the edge of one of the Yale Club lounge？s oriental carpets； pretending to watch the
Spin the Bottle game。 That French hippie chick； Lexie； who？d followed him around for a few
weeks claiming to be madly in love with him； and her other L？？cole friends were sitting in a tight
circle only a few feet away； all wearing crocheted halter tops with their skinny bellies showing；
smoking Gauloises like fiends。 He hoped she wouldn？t notice him。
Too late。
？Nate？？ Lexie sat up on her haunches； her scrawny； tan tummy bulging in a way she must have
thought was irresistible。 She？d gotten a navel piercing； and it was still pink and new。
Ew。
She stretched her long bare arms overhead； giving the rest of the room a fine view of the sun；
moon； and stars tattoo on her right shoulder blade。
Ooh la la。
Nate smiled； pretending to have only just noticed her。 ？Hey； Lexie。？ He waved cautiously and
then hugged his knees to show that he had no intention of joining her。
Lexie rolled her dark brown eyes and flipped her long raven…colored ponytail over one
shoulder。 ？Bastard；？ she retorted with a heavy French accent and a very French…looking
scowl。 ？You broke my heart。？
Something exciting had just happened in the Spin the Bottle game； and everyone whooped and
clapped。 Nate began to clap； too？anything to avoid a confrontation with Lexie。
Serena and that weird shaven…headed girl from Constance who Blair was supposedly living with
and reportedly having a lesbian affair with were dancing like disco diva freaks in the middle of the
room； looking drunk and ecstatic？the way you were supposed to look the day you graduated from
high school。
If； that is； you actually obtained your diploma that day； unlike a certain person we know。
Nate had a sudden flash of d？j？ vu； or maybe it was ennui。 At any rate； it was something sad that
sounded French。 He remembered being drunk at a random party at that guy Dan Humphrey？s
house over on the West Side back in ninth or tenth grade and letting Blair and Serena draw a face
on his bare stomach with a black indelible marker。 They？d named the face Buck Naked； and each
girl had kissed Buck repeatedly over the course of the evening； even after Nate passed out。
Those were the days。
Suddenly Nate became filled with dread。 What if he？d already had all the fun he was ever going
to have？ What if it was all downhill from here？
And what if he？d gotten more and more stupid with each year of high school instead of smarter？
That can happen when you remain stoned most of your life。
Tears began to ooze slowly down his golden cheeks。 Everybody else at the party seemed so
happy and so excited about their future； but he wasn？t really sure what he had to look forward to
anymore。
J considers losing it before boarding school
Parties had always seemed intimidating to Jenny？especially parties where the majority of the
girls were normal…chested and taller； prettier； and more confident than she was。 But now that she
was into boarding school； Jenny felt like the possibilities？at least； the possibilities forher ？were
multitudinous。 She didn？t have to be tiny little Jenny Humphrey； the curly…haired artistic girl with
the knobby knees and gigantic boobs。 Next year at Waverly she could be Jennifer Humphrey； the
outrageously confident boy magnet； coolest girl in the sophomore class； or maybe even the whole
school。
Maybe。
And if she was going to change her image； it seemed prudent that she do something drastic； like
lose her virginity。
Whoa。
She？d been watching Nate Archibald for a while now。 He seemed different than when he？d
broken her heart on New Year？s Eve。 He was crying； for one thing； and his shoulders were
slumped； like he？d gotten some bad news and hadn？t been able to shake it。 Even the glitter
seemed to have left his emerald green eyes。 She could hardly resist the urge to give him a hug。
？Hi； Nate；？ she squeaked； boldly touching him on the shoulder。 ？Remember me？？
With that chest？ Even the stonedest boy could hardly forget。
Nate scrubbed his hands over his blotchy face and attempted a smile。 ？Howdy； Jennifer；？ he
greeted her； with the sort of tired cheerfulness of someone who？s had kind of a rough day and
doesn？t much feel like talking。
？So you？re all done with school and everything？？ Jenny persisted。 She was acutely aware that
from his angle Nate was looking up at the shelflike undersides of her gigantic breasts； which were
stuffed into a stretchy black Anthropologie halter top with a built…in Lycra bra。 He probably
couldn？t even see her face。 She squatted down beside him； teetering slightly on her baby blue
BCBG kitten…heel slides。 ？I？m going to boarding school at Waverly Prep next year；？ she blurted
out。 ？I totally can？t wait！？
Nate was sort of surprised that Jennifer wanted to talk to him at all； but he was grateful because it
meant he didn？t have to avoid talking to Lexie anymore。 ？That？s a good school。？
？Yeah； and I don？t ever have to wear a stupid Constance uniform again；？ Jenny added excitedly；
already regretting how petulant and childish she sounded。 Then she remembered something that
wouldn？t make her sound childish at all。 She inched a little closer to Nate？s ear。 He smelled like
freshly laundered shirt and that heart…stoppingly delicious Herm？s cologne he always wore。 ？I
have a tab of E in my bag。 Someone gave it to me at the Croton School when I was visiting。 I
don？t even know if we can even split one tab； but ？？ She smiled her coyest e…hither smile。
What a flirt； what a risk…taker the new； on…her…way…to…boarding…school Jenny Humphrey was！
Nate blinked。 Jennifer wasn？t just talking to him； she was flirting with him？hard。 What； did she
think he？d just gulp down a tab of E and hook up with her right in the middle of the Yale Club
lounge； surrounded by everyone he knew； including his ex…girlfriend Blair and his
he…wasn？t…really…sure…but…he…figured…she…was…probably…soon…to…be…ex…girlfriend Serena？
Had that ever stopped him before？
Nate had only taken Ecstasy a couple of times with Charlie； Anthony； and Jeremy； but both times
he？d enjoyed himself immensely。 There was nothing like that good； groovy； E feeling？until it wore
off and you were tired and dehydrated and just wanted to float in a bucket of Poland Spring。 He
was definitely feeling lower right now than he ever had in his entire life。 Maybe a little E with
little Jennifer Humphrey？who seemed to be getting even cuter with age？was just what he needed。
Jenny could see that Nate was tempted。 Empowered by her ability to snare hot older boys with
her seductive ways； she breathed lustily into his ear。 ？Let？s go into the bathroom and do it。？
Hello？ Does she not remember what happened the last time she was alone in a bathroom with a
horny older boy？
What you choose not to hear can？t hurt you
Blair was in a stall in one of the Yale Club？s pristine and elegant gold…accented ladies？ rooms；
wondering at the fact that she hadn？t made herself sick in over a month； when she heard the first
worrying rumors。
？I heard he wasn？t even a real lord。 He？s just this English guy who came over here and
pretended to be this big aristocrat。 I bet he doesn？t go on fox hunts or wear a top hat and tails to
dinner or anything like that；？ Laura Salmon blathered from the stall next to Blair？s。
？I just think it？s really shitty of him。 I mean； if he？s engaged to some girl in England； that means
he？s actually cheating on both of them；？ Kati Farkas replied carelessly as she spritzed her hair
with a sample…size bottle of Frederick Fekkai hairspray for the third time that night。 ？I just love
the way this stuff smells。 Don？t you love the way it smells？ I even put in on my clothes sometimes；
even though I know that？s kind of gross。 I mean； it？s hairspray！？
Blair kept the pleated satin skirt of her white Oscar de la Renta suit hitched up so the girls
wouldn？t recognize it