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left was the sugar factory； billowing smoke out of great smokestacks and adding to the smog。
Across the bridge； Manhattan loomed large and full of promises。 A born Manhattanite； Dan could
never get over the feeling when he was in Brooklyn that something exciting was going on across
the water； and that he was missing out。
？Over here；？ Vanessa called over the roar of interborough traffic。 She ducked under a metal beam
supporting the giant wooden water tower that dominated the roof。 ？We？re totally protected from
the sun and rain under here。 And see； the condensation from the water tower even keeps the air
kind of cool。？
Dan went over and ducked under the water tower。 A black futon was spread out on the ground；
plete with an assortment of black fake fur throw pillows。 Vanessa seemed to have her own
outdoor love den。
？You and Aaron must spend a lot of time up here；？ he mented awkwardly。
She sat down on the futon and began pouring vodka into the plastic Scooby…Doo
glasses。 ？Actually； I promised Blair not to hog it。 We only just discovered it on Saturday； and
yesterday it was raining； so actually Aaron？s never even been up here。？
Meaning she and Aaron had never done it up there； which kind of made Dan feel better about
sitting down on the futon。 Vanessa handed him a vodka tonic。 ？Sorry； no limes。？
He sat down and lit a cigarette。 A helicopter motored loudly by。 He had to admit； this was kind of
a cool place to be。
？So； graduation speaker； huh？ I was even thinking about maybe skipping my graduation。？
Vanessa clicked her glass against his and then took a big； long sip。 ？To us。？
Dan squinted at her as he drank； holding the plastic glass with his cigarette hand； his pale face to
the sun。 There was something different about Vanessa this time。 Something lazy and dangerous
and sexy。
Cobra curled on hot cement；his mind began writing furiously； because it couldn？t help itself。
Vanessa grinned； returning his intense stare with a self…conscious chuckle。 ？I don？t know why
I？m doing this but ？？ she began。 Then she put down her glass； leaned slowly toward him； and
shoved her tongue down his throat。
Whoa！
Dan？s dreamy brown eyes grew huge。 He wondered if maybe Vanessa had been drinking all day
and had somehow confused him with Aaron。 Or maybe he and Aaron had gotten caught in some
sort of mind…melt…time…warp…space…time…continuum…body…sping ordeal straight out of the type
of bad ic book he used to read when he was nine； and he reallywas Aaron。 Nevertheless； it
was sheer ecstasy kissing Vanessa again； and sheer agony to even think of pulling away。 But after
a few minutes； he forced himself to do it。 ？Um； can I just ask you？what are we doing？？
Vanessa grabbed the hem of his faded red Stussy T…shirt and lifted it up； peeking at his pale； flat
stomach。 ？Don？t you sometimes wonder what the big deal is？？ she asked； as if that were answer
enough。
Dan didn？t say anything。 Vanessa seemed to be going through some sort of experimental period；
and he wasn？t about to get in the way； especially since it seemed to involve wanting to take his
shirt off。 And his pants。 Even his socks seemed to be getting in the way of her need to express
herself。 And just so she wouldn？t feel left out； he helped her off with her clothes； too。 Before long
they were kneeling on the futon beneath the water tower； naked。
Talk about d？j？ vu！
You can take the girl out of 212； but you can？t take the 212 out of the girl
？Do you have anything that isn？t ？shiny ？？ Blair Waldorf demanded as she fingered the dresses
on the circular rack in the back of Isn？t She Lovely； a tiny Williamsburg bridal and
special…occasion…dresses boutique a block away from the apartment she shared with Vanessa。 She
walked by the boutique every day on her way to and from the coffee shop where a car service
town car picked her up in the morning after she bought her large latte with an extra shot of
espresso and dropped her off after school。 Today she？d wandered inside； thinking it might be cool
to buy a graduation dress in a place so pletely off the map that no other girl in the senior class
at Constance Billard could possibly have the same one she did。 The problem was； with no designer
label to show their merit； she wasn？t sure if the dresses were ugly in a cool way or just plain ugly。
？This one is very popular for confirmations；？ the overly perfumed saleslady told her in heavily
accented English。 She held up a dazzling white； rhinestone…encrusted； polyester…lace…bodiced
sundress with a pleated skirt that was so stiff and shiny； it looked like it had been laminated。
Blair glanced in one of the many mirrors all over the store and glared at the haughty brunette in a
short light…blue…and…white seersucker Constance Billard uniform skirt and neat white…collared；
baby pink polo shirt staring back at her； furious with herself all of a sudden。 Who was she kidding；
pretending not to need a graduation dress that was made to order by Oscar de la Renta or Chanel？
She hitched her nude pink Fendi purse up on her shoulder and slid her tortoiseshell Parsol
sunglasses up on her nose； tempted to buy the hideous dress the saleslady had just shown her and
bring it home to Vanessa as a joke； pretending she was going to wear it to graduation。 But the
thought of spending money on anything so hideous； even in jest； made her even more furious。
When had her life bee sobase ？
Maybe when she decided to ditch Manhattan and bee a Brooklyn hipster？
Usually Blair couldn？t leave a store without buying at least one thing； but usually the stores she
went into were stocked with irresistibles。 As far as Blair was concerned； Isn？t She Lovely should
have been named Isn？t She Ugly。
Across the litter…strewn expanse of Broadway from Vanessa？s crumbling gray； five…story walk…up
apartment building； a cluster of people stood looking up； their mouths agape。
Hmm； wonder why？
Oblivious and not at all curious about anything the locals might find interesting； Blair hurried
across the street； mounted the crumbling cement stoop； and unlocked the building？s graffitied
front door。 She held her breath as she climbed the steps up to Vanessa？s second…story apartment。
The building was practically sitting on top of a sugar factory； and the air around it was as sweet
and heavy as syrup…logged French toast？mixed with a twinge of stray cat pee。
Yum。
？Foul；？ Blair muttered aloud while still trying to hold her breath。 How she longed for the
immaculate putty…colored marble lobby of the Seventy…second Street full…service； white…glove；
luxury apartment building where she？d lived until now。 Oh； how she missed the sweep of the
doorman？s hunter green wool cape as he opened the door to her cab and helped her with her bags；
shielding her from the rain with his enormous black umbrella。 How she yearned for the hum of the
burgundy velvet…upholstered…elevator as it whisked her up to the penthouse。
The black…painted door to the apartment was standing open； shedding little chips of old black
paint onto the dusty cement floor of the hallway。 ？Honey； I？m home！？ Blair called out tentatively
as she stepped inside the apartment that she？d gladly redecorated only a few weeks before in
shades of lavender； dove gray； and celery。 The small； low…ceilinged one…bedroom looked so much
prettier than it had when she？d moved in； especially without those revolting black sheets in the
windows。 She and Vanessa had even bonded？they really had。 And it was fun to live somewhere so
different from the place where she？d grown up。 Really； it was。 But she was still a little homesick。
After all； Isn？t She Lovely was hardly a replacement for Barneys。
？Oh；yeah 。 Oh；yeah 。 Oh；yes ！？ a boy？s voice； hoarse with ecstasy； echoed down the back
stairway and into the apartment。
Ew。
Blair？s lips curled into a grimace。 Vanessa and Aaron were at it again； up on the roof。 Not that
they hadn？t spent the entire night last night moaning and howling like wild dogs。 Blair？s stomach
turned and she poured herself a glass of water from the Brita filter she？d bought because she
didn？t trust the water in Brooklyn。 Since breaking up with Nate； she hadn？t once made herself
sick？that would be the ultimate sign of weakness； and she was no longer weak？but the image of
Vanessa and Aaron； their shaved heads locked and their pale bodies thrashing up on the roof in
broad daylight； was too similar to the image of Serena and Nate thrashing around in Isabel
Coates？s pool house bathtub。 It was enough to make her want to violently hurl the mango
smoothie she？d drunk three hours ago。
Gulping her glass of water； she gripped the cracked white Formica countertop to steady herself。
On the ancient electric stove was a pot of stale water with two cold； gray…pink tofu dogs lolling
inside？leftovers from her stepbrother Aaron？s disgusting breakfast； or lunch； or dinner。 What with
the awful dresses in the store across the street； the yucky…smelling entryway； the moaning sex
from the rooftop that was supposed to be reserved for twilight v&t？s with Vanessa while they
planned a way to sabotage