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pletely unnecessary display of fake enthusiasm。 ？Go； Dan！？
The minute the bell rang； Dan called Vanessa to tell her how sorry he was。
Yeah； right。
？Talk about misinformation！？ Vanessa ranted。 ？Where do people get this shit？ So； how are you
anyway？？ she asked； sounding kind of glad to hear from him。
？I was just voted senior speaker；？ Dan admitted； like he？d been campaigning for it for weeks。
Secretly； he was dying inside that Vanessa and Aaron were still together； but he wasn？t about to let
her know that。
？Senior speaker？ What the fuck！？ Vanessa responded。 ？Wait； is that a good thing？？
？I guess。？
？Look； I have photo lab now； but do you want to e over later or something？？
Dan pressed his cell phone against his ear until it began to hurt。 A group of freshmen boys almost
sent him toppling down the stairs in their rush to lunch。 All of a sudden he realized just how lonely
he？d been。 Was it really possible that he and Vanessa could be friends again； just like that； with
one phone call？
And if they could be friends again； there was always the chance they could be more。
？Will Aaron be there？？ he asked cautiously as he wandered down the fourth…floor hallway
toward English class。 A random； lint…covered rubber band was in his pocket。 He pulled his
scraggly； light brown hair into a stubby ponytail and then pulled it out again； dropping the rubber
band on the floor。 His dad； Rufus； was Mr。 Ponytail Freak； not him。
？Aaron has band practice；？ Vanessa told him casually。 ？Not that you couldn？t e over even if
he were here。？
Hello； threesome？！
Dan felt like a window was swinging open and a cool breeze was sweeping his face。 ？I？m
supposed to go to this stupid AP history cram session for our final next week； but I could skip it。？
Chuck Bass？s monkey scampered past him down the hall with a half…eaten bag of Smart Puffs in
his mouth。 Chuck was too busy dabbing Aveda pomade into his freshly highlighted hair in front of
the full…length mirror he？d installed inside his locker to even notice。
？Okay； I？m in photo lab now。 As usual； everyone else cut except me。 They？re all probably at
some stupid sample sale or something。 Shopping for their stupid white wedding？I mean；
graduation gowns or whatever。Fuck！ ？ Vanessa exclaimed； sounding like she？d stumbled into
something。 ？It？s dark in here。？
Dan？s ear was sweating now。 ？I wish I were there；？ he blurted out； unable to stop himself。
？Me too；？ Vanessa responded eagerly。 ？Seriously。？ Wait； was sheflirting with him？
？So maybe I will e over later；？ he ventured。 ？Dad and Jenny are away anyway； so I don？t
have to be home at any particular time。？
Is that so？
？Cool。？ Vanessa sounded distracted now。 ？Look； I？m gonna do something dumb like drink fixer
instead of my tea if I don？t hang up now。 I？ll see you later； okay？？
Dan could hardly wait。 ？Yeah； okay。？ He hung up。 Down the hall Sweetie was peeing on the
marble floor in front of the door to the history department offices。 Dan grinned at him。
Good boy。
D rethinks his summer plans
Dan？s cigarette hand shook violently as he watched his sister disappear into the men？s room；
followed by that arrogant stoner prince of the Upper East Side； Nate Archibald。 Jenny seemed to
be getting bolder and more self…assured as the year progressed； while he seemed to be regressing
back to the girl…less； friendless loser he？d been up until this year。 She？d even wrangled her way
into boarding school way after admissions for next year were closed； while he？d whittled his
options down to nothing。
The music was really loud now； and Vanessa and Serena had inspired half the room to get up and
dance。 Vanessa had kicked off her wedge…heeled shoes； baring her black…polished toes and pale；
deeply arched feet。 Dan loved to kiss the arches of her feet。 He could write sonnets about the
arches of her feet。 But that was back when Vanessa didn？t drink or dance or wear white or
anything but black jeans； black kneesocks； and Doc Martens。 She seemed so different now？if he
were to write a poem about her； he wasn？t sure where he？d begin。
Vanessa danced over to him and snaked her arms around his neck。 Her pale skin was slick was
sweat and her eyelids were heavy from all the vodka she？d consumed。 ？I do love you； Dan。 I
really do；？ she breathed hotly into his ear before shimmying away again； her whole body aglow。
Dan stared after her； honestly believing that she did love him。 She just didn？t need him with
her？not all the time。 She was too busy shedding her lumpy black cocoon and transforming into a
shimmering； white…winged moth。
But he？d already deferred his admission at Evergreen。 What was he supposed to do now？
Lighting a Camel； he thought about barging into the men？s room to rescue Jenny just for old
times？ sake and because such a noble act might make him feel better； but he was sick of always
being the responsible older brother。 Why couldn？t someone rescuehim for a change？
Okay。
？Son？ Can I talk to you for a moment？？
Dan dropped his cigarette on the burgundy…and…gold oriental carpet； nearly jumping out of his
faded blue Vans sneakers in surprise。 It was his dad； in his favorite purple cotton sweatpants and
black Mets T…shirt； looking ruddy…cheeked from too much red wine。
？I guess；？ Dan responded slowly。 The music in the lounge was absurdly loud。 Dan led Rufus
outside。 Out on Vanderbilt Avenue； the air was steamy and the sidewalks glittered black。 Across
the street； Grand Central Station looked like a giant relic of the city？s past。 A metallic blue ？77
Buick Skylark？another relic from the past？was parked outside the Yale Club； looking pletely
out of place。 Two skinny L？？cole girls were sitting on the curb having a fight over who was
prettier or who smoked Gauloises with more panache。 Behind them； their gold Gucci toe…ring
sandals lay discarded in a pile。 Suddenly they started kissing。
？Jesus；？ Rufus muttered； tugging on his matted salt…and…pepper beard； which resembled a used
Brillo pad。
？What； Dad？？ Dan whined impatiently。 It was kind of embarrassing standing outside the party
with his father。 He felt like he was eleven years old。
Rufus tucked his hands inside the stretched…out waistband of his purple sweatpants and Dan
flinched at how unattractive the gesture was。
？After you left you got a call from some raving Greek professor at Evergreen。 First he was going
nuts about how you were supposed to sleep in his hammock and eat grape leaves with him； but
then he started waxing philosophical about how kids your age can？t differentiate between sex and
love。 Apparently he？s quite an expert on the subject。
？Anyway； I talked to him for a while； and what it came down to was； he？s going to make them
hold your place open for the fall a） because I asked him to and b） because he was supposed to be
your advisor and he wants you to help him with his book and c） because we both like you； even
though you？re a knucklehead。？
Dan resented his dad？s fond； vaguely patronizing tone。 ？You can？t tell me what to do；？ he
countered； crossing his hands over his chest and sounding younger by the minute。 ？You can？t。？
？That？s true；？ Rufus agreed。 He gestured toward the funky vintage Buick parked outside the Yale
Club。 ？But I already got you the car。 The least you could do is let me teach you how to drive it this
summer and then get the hell out of here。？
Dan had read about epiphanies and written about epiphanies； but he？d never actually had one。
He？d gotten into nearly every college he applied to。 He？d had a poem published in theNew
Yorker 。 And what was he going to do next year？work at a bookstore or wait tables to keep busy
while Vanessa was in class？
？I could take the summer to work things out；？ he allowed； unwilling to let his father think he
could be that easily persuaded。 He and Vanessa could spend the summer hanging out whenever
she wasn？t busy working on that movie and he wasn？t busy driving around in that ？ chick magnet。
Who knew？ Maybe there？d be other girls to love besides Vanessa？all he had to do was get his
license and drive out west to find out。
Rufus reached out to clap him on the back； but Dan opened up his arms and gave his dad a
hug。 ？This party was kind of lame anyway；？ he confessed。
Rufus grunted and led him over to the car； which was basking in its own coolness under a
streetlamp near the curb。 ？Then how ？bout I give you your first driving lesson？？
Aw。 Don？t you just love happy endings？
Sex； drugs； and rock？n？roll
Jenny latched the door to the handicapped stall in the men？s room； unsure of whether to take off
her clothes or fish the tab of E out of her purse。 There was an impatient flare to Nate？s nostrils but
she wasn？t sure which he wanted first； sex or drugs。
She unzipped her black LeSportsac with the white Persian cats on it and clicked open her
matching change purse。 ？Here it is。？ She removed the tiny piece of Saran Wrap with the pill inside
and carefully began to unfold it。
Nate peered over her shoulder。 ？Do you want to take it or should I？？
Jenny didn？t want it； and he obviously di