按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Blair kept the pleated satin skirt of her white Oscar de la Renta suit hitched up so the girls
wouldn？t recognize it。Were they talking about Lord Marcus？
？I just think someone should tell her；？ Laura declared before flushing。 She pushed the stall door
open and began to wash her hands with the L？Occitane lemon peel foam hand wash provided by
the Yale Club。 ？Don？t you？？
？Totally；？ Kati agreed。
Like they？d ever have the nerve。
Blair waited until they？d gone before pushing open the stall door。 Her stomach was roiling from
all the vodka and champagne she？d drunk in the last few hours； but she wasn？t about to resort to
puking and risk splattering the skirt of her exquisite suit。
What do they know about Marcus？she fumed。 Their petty jealousy was so transparent； it made
her even more nauseous just thinking about it。 Of course he was a lord。 Hadn？t they noticed his
wonderful scuff…free Church？s shoes？ The flawless way his hair was cut？ The tailor…made seams
of his Savile Row shirts？ Hadn？t they heard the way he called her ？gorgeous？ and ？darling？ and
kissed her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world？ There？d been no mention of a
fianc？e when Blair had Googled him。 No fucking way was he engaged？to anyone but her。 She
closed her eyes dreamily。 Lady Blair Rhodes？it did have a nice ring to it。
The bathroom door swung open and Isabel Coates marched in； looking frazzled because her
white satin Dior hair clip had e loose while she was dancing。 Isabel was always such a freak
about her hair； Blair wondered why she didn？t just cut it all off。
？Oh。 You？re in here；？ Isabel observed； making it obvious that she？d just been part of Kati？s and
Laura？s ongoing dissection of the so…called Lord Marcus。 ？I guess I should be the one to tell you。？
She lowered her voice to let Blair know that what she had to tell her was extremely
important。 ？Before you get hurt。？
Like she actually cared？
Blair narrowed her blue eyes； glaring icily at Isabel？s reflection in the gilt…framed mirror。 ？Tell
me what？？
Isabel tucked a few stray brown hairs behind her ears； then frowned and ripped out the hair clip；
starting all over again。
Blair thought her cutoff jeans and ripped red Juicy T…shirt made her look tacky and desperate；
like Paris Hilton。
？That Lord Marcus guy is married；？ Isabel told her matter…of…factly； wincing with effort as she
tried to get her ponytail pletely smooth and lump…free。
Blair smeared Chanel Stroppy lip gloss over her lips for the seventh time in five minutes。 She
was so mad； she thought she just might throw up after all。？Bullshit。？
Isabel rolled her curly…lashed brown eyes and sighed as if she were already totally bored with the
subject matter。 ？Well；almost 。 He？s engaged。 He？s been engaged since he was； like； ten years old。
You know； like Lady Diana and Prince Charles？？
Blair spun away from the mirror； her fists clenched tightly to keep from strangling Isabel？s
ostrichlike neck。 ？And where exactly did you hear that？？
Isabel shrugged her shoulders maddeningly。 ？Everybody knows。 It？s； like； afact 。？
Depending on your definition of the wordfact 。
？That？s the stupidest？？ Blair was about to try and defend Lord Marcus？s honor； but she stopped
herself。 They were young； they were in love？who cared what anyone thought？ Even if therewas
some boring girl back in England that Lord Marcus was supposed to marry； she probably looked
like Queen Victoria and sat on her fat ass in her castle eating crumpets all day； wondering why
Lord Marcus never called。
Isabel smiled at her reflection； finally satisfied。 ？I just thought you should know。？ She shrugged
her shoulders and then cocked her overwaxed eyebrows at Blair。 ？Wanna e have a cigarette
with us？？ she offered； as if they were all still thirteen years old and only smoked in groups。
？No。？ Blair pushed past her and out the bathroom door。 She peeked into the insanely crowded
lounge； but the chair where she and Lord Marcus had been sitting together was now occupied by
Nate？s loud； stoned； skinny friend Jeremy and some skanky French girl trying to teach him how to
blow heart…shaped smoke rings。 Lord Marcus was nowhere to be seen。 Blair fingered the Bvlgari
pearl choker and teetered down the hall to the elevator。
All night she？d wanted to get Lord Marcus alone in his suite。 Now was her chance。
D is mr。 popularity
？So； it looks like it？s unanimous。 Daniel Humphrey； you？re our graduation speaker this year；？
announced Dan？s Riverside Prep senior homeroom teacher； Mr。 Cohen； head of the history
department； who insisted the boys call him Larry。
？Huh？？ Dan looked up from the poem he was scribbling in his ever…present black…leather…bound
book。 The poem was called ？my highway？ and was all about the incredible journey Dan was about
to embark on。 Since there was nothing keeping him in the city； he？d decided to leave early for
Evergreen College； where he was going in the fall。 He？d already applied for a summer job there
through the college？s employment office Web site。 And right after graduation； he was going to
drive all the way there to Olympia； Washington。 If he ever got a car； or even learned how to drive。
Oops。
Dan had decided to model himself after Jack Kerouac when he was writingOn the Road 。 On his
journey west； he？d hook up with the most gorgeous local girls in every town； try exotic new food
and drink； like peyote and two…hundred…proof tequila； and make detours to bizarre local attractions；
like caves with hundred…foot…long stalactites and bleeding rocks； or a cow with quintuplets。 He？d
already been published in theNew Yorker at the impressive age of seventeen and had a brief stint
as the lead singer for the popular rock band the Raves； but when he arrived in Washington State；
all the hell the way across the country； he？d have a new degree from the College of Life。
Bucking girls and shucking corn；
Rodeo bullhorns； Stetsoned longhorns； a Kansas cyclone。
A Nebraskan girl leaves her lipstick on the dash？
She salts my beef； stirs my gumbo； spits out my pit。
Uh…oh。 Sounds like he was a rock star for one day too many。
？The class voted for you and you alone；？ Larry explained。 ？You should feel extremely honored。？
Dan was mystified。 He pushed his chair back； crossed his grubby blue Pumas one over the other；
and shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn…in khaki…colored cords。 ？But I didn？t even
nominate myself；？ he blurted out。
Way to make it obvious that you have no friends。
Snickers erupted throughout the room。
？It？s like； you？re a celebrity； man； and we want you to represent us；？ Chuck Bass explained in a
mock stoner voice。 Chuck？s pet snow monkey； Sweetie； was curled up in a fuzzy white ball in
Chuck？s lap； asleep； wearing his favorite tight； cantaloupe…colored T…shirt with a bright pinkS on
the back of it。 Everyone； even the teachers； had gotten so used to the monkey； they didn？t bat an
eye； but Sweetie still gave Dan the creeps。
？We figured it？d be easy for you； since you？re writing all the time anyway；？ Chuck continued
sarcastically。 More snickers。
Dan tipped his chair back。 ？Wait。 Let me get this straight。You nominated me？？
Chuck flipped up the collar on his bright purple short…sleeved Lacoste shirt。 ？It？s like Larry said。
It was unanimous。？
Dan？s hands began to sweat。 Senior speaker was an honor； but he felt like he？d gotten it by
default。 He certainly wasn？t the most popular guy in the class。 He？d spent his entire senior year
either trying to bee famous or hanging out with his former best friend and girlfriend； Vanessa；
in Williamsburg； Brooklyn。 He guessed all the other guys in his class were going to be too busy
partying or trying not to fail their finals to bother writing a graduation speech。
？Just keep it light。 And remember； everyone just wants that diploma in his hands； so keep it short；
too；？ Larry advised； pulling on his lame dirty blond goatee like the wannabe teenage boy he so
totally wasn？t。
？Okay；？ Dan responded dubiously。 It appeared he had no choice in the matter。
Chuck tapped him on the shoulder。 ？So guess what？ That dykey girlfriend of yours？ I heard
she？s gonna be single again。 Her ？better half？ is totally moving out。？
Meaning Vanessa or Aaron？ Dan wasn？t even sure any…more who Vanessa was living with。 All
he knew was it wasn？t him。 His perspiration…soaked hands began to shake with a mixture of
confusion and happiness。 Maybe Vanessa had broken up with Aaron。 But they were so in love。
They even had matching haircuts。 He scribbled a series of check marks across the top of the page
he？d been writing on。 Vanessa broke up with Aaron！？
？So I take it you？re accepting the nomination；？ Larry persisted； tapping his pencil annoyingly
against his wooden teacher desk。 ？All in favor say； ？Yeah！？？
？Dude！？the class of boys responded in unison； perpetuating the not…so…funny tradition that had
started on the first day of senior year。 Dan blanched as they began to whoop and shriek in a
pletely unnecessary display of fake enthusiasm。 ？Go； Dan！？
The minute the bell rang； Dan called V