of a blackChristian Dior evening gown。K andI putting up NOLOITERINGsigns around theLes
Best tent。 It looks like they actuallyvolunteered their services so they could get good seats。
It？s supposed to snow like crazy this weekend but has that ever stopped us？ See you in the front
row！
You know you love me。
gossip girl
kindred spirits connect in rehab
？Has everyone heard about the snowstorm？ We？re supposed to get four feet by midnight！？ Jackie
Davis； Nate？s teen group facilitator at the Breakaway Rehabilitation Center； rubbed her hands
together as if the idea of being snowed in with all these rich derelicts was her idea of a rocking
good time。
After Nate had gotten busted in the park； his father and Saul Burns； the family lawyer； had e
to fetch him at the precinct。 Nate？s father； a stern； silver…haired navy captain who handled
emergencies with crisp； efficient formality； had paid the fine of three thousand dollars and
cosigned an agreement that Nate would immediately attend a drug rehabilitation program for a
minimum of ten hours per week。 That meant Nate was going to have to ride the train out to
Greenwich； Connecticut； five days a week for counseling and group therapy。
？Just think of it as a job； son；？ Saul Burns had tried to reassure him。 ？An after…school job。？
Captain Archibald hadn？t said anything。 It was pretty clear that Nate had disappointed him beyond
words。 Luckily Nate？s mother had been in Monte Carlo visiting her thrice…divorced sister。 When
Nate had relayed the sordid tale over the phone she？d shrieked and wept； smoked five cigarettes in
rapid succession； and then broken her champagne glass。 She was always a little dramatic。 After all；
she was French。
？All right。 Let？s start out by going around the circle；？ Jackie instructed in a sunny voice； as if
this were the first day of nursery school。 ？Tell us your name and explain why you？re here。 Keep it
short； please。？ She nodded at Nate to start； since he was sitting directly to her right。
Nate shifted unfortably in his Eames chair。 All the furniture at the posh Greenwich；
Connecticut； rehab clinic was twentieth…century modern； to match the minimalist beige and white
d？cor。 The floor was cream…colored Italian marble； crisp white linen curtains covered the
floor…to…ceiling windows； and the staff wore beige linen uniforms designed especially by nineties
denim impresario Gunner Gass； a former patient who was now on the facility？s board。
？Okay。 My name？s Nathaniel Archibald； but everyone calls me Nate；？ Nate mumbled。 He kicked
at the legs of his chair and cleared his throat。 ？I got busted a few days ago buying weed in Central
Park。 That？s why I？m here。？
？Thank you； Nate；？ Jackie interrupted。 She smiled a frosty； brown…lipsticked smile and made a
note on the pad in her clipboard。 ？We prefer it here at Breakaway if you call the substance in
question by its true name。 In your case； marijuana。 If you can use its name consistently； you are
making one more step toward your freedom from it。？ She smiled at Nate once more。 ？Would you
like to try again？？
Nate glanced self…consciously at the other losers in the group。 There were seven of them
altogether； three guys and four girls； all staring at the floor； worrying about what they were going
to say and looking just as unfortable as he felt。
？I？m Nate；？ Nate repeated mechanically。 ？A narc caught me buyingmarijuana in the park。 That？s
why I？m here。？ Across the circle a girl with dark brown hair that hung down almost to her waist；
bloodred lips； and skin so pale it was almost blue gazed at him soulfully； like a coked…up version
of Snow White。
？Better；？ Jackie said。 ？Next。？ She nodded at the Japanese girl sitting next to Nate。
？My name is Hannah Koto and I took Ecstasy before school two weeks ago and got caught
because I laid down on the floor to feel the rug in my trig class。？
Everybody laughed except for Jackie。 ？Thank you； Hannah； that was fine。 Next。？
Nate tuned the next two people out； kind of grooving on the way Snow White was jiggling her
foot； like she was keeping time to her own private concert。 She was wearing light blue suede boots
that looked like they？d never been worn outside。
Suddenly it was her turn。 ？My name is Georgina Spark。 Everyone calls me Georgie。 I guess I？m
here because I wasn？t very nice to my father before he croaked； so I have to wait until I turn
eighteen before I can live my life the way I want to。？
The rest of the group tittered nervously。 Jackie frowned。 ？Can you name the substance you were
found abusing； Georgina？？
？Cocaine；？ Georgie answered； letting a curtain of dark hair fall over her face。 ？I sold my favorite
show horse to buy fifty grams。 It was in the papers and everything。New York Post ； Thursday；
February？？
？Thank you；？ Jackie interrupted。 ？Next group member please。？
Still jiggling her foot； Georgie glanced up through her hair and met Nate？s intrigued gaze with a
mischievous bloodred smile。
？Bitch；？ she mouthed； obviously referring to Jackie。
Nate grinned back and nodded his chin ever so slightly。 Saul Burns had told him to treat rehab
like an after…school job。 Now he had a reason to work hard at it。
swears her love like a baby tee
？You？re friends with that Serena chick； right？？ Sonny Webster； a lanky boy with jet…black hair
streaked with paper…bag…brown highlights asked Chuck Bass as they sat in the second row； waiting
for the Les Best show to begin on Friday night。 Sonny was the son of Vivienne Webster； a British
lingerie designer whose hip…hugging boy shorts were all the rage at the moment。 Sonny and Chuck
had met in a bar last night and were already fast friends。 They were even wearing matching Tods
moccasins？ dark brown with neon green rubber soles。 Very gay urban yachtsman； and extremely
impractical for the unprecedented amount of snow that had been predicted for that evening。
Chuck nodded。 ？She？s appearing naked。 That？s what I heard； anyway。？ He rubbed his newly
toned stomach。 ？I can？t wait；？ he added halfheartedly。
？See Chuck talking to whatshisname； Vivienne Webster？s totally gay son？？ Kati Farkas
whispered to Isabel Coates。 ？I swear Chuck？s into guys now。？ She and Isabel had made it to the
front row； just as they？d set out to do。 Not because of their pletely unnecessary little volunteer
effort hanging up NOLOITERINGsigns around Bryant Park but because Isabel？s father； Arthur
Coates； was a very famous actor who？d plained that his daughter and her frienddeserved to be
in the front row this year because he？d already spent a fortune on Les Best？s entire spring…summer
collection。
？I think maybe he？s bi；？ Isabel whispered back。 ？He？s still wearing that gold monogrammed
pinky ring。？
？Yeah；？ noted Kati。 ？Like that？s not totally gay。？
The huge white tent in Bryant Park was packed with fashion magazine editors； photographers；
actresses； and socialites。 Blondie？s ？Heart of Glass？ pounded out of Bose speakers。 Christina
Ricci sat in the front row on her cell phone arguing with her publicist and defending her decision
to e to Les Best？s show instead of Jedediah Angel？s； which was happening downtown at
exactly the same time。
？Look； there？s Flow from 45！？ Sonny squealed。 ？He？s such agod 。 And there？s Christina Ricci。
My mom just got a huge order from her。？
As Chuck gazed around the room； looking for more celebs and trying to be seen himself； he
spotted Blair about ten seats down in the third row。 He blew her a kiss and she smirked back。
？Why are we here again？？ Blair yawned to Aaron。 Even though she was pletely annoyed
with Serena these days； she？d decided to e to the show to see if any of Les Best？s autumn
collection suited her new image。 Now that she was packed into the hot； crowded tent with its
overly loud music and overwhelming perfume stench like a twelve…year…old with a general
admission ticket at a 45 concert； she honestly couldn？t give two fucks about the clothes or that
Serena was the star of the show。 It was all Serena needed to prove that she really was the center of
the universe。
Blair didn？t need to hang out with gorgeous models and camp fashion designers； anyway。 She
was going to Yale； the premier institution of higher learning in the entire world；and she was going
to be asked outvery soon by a classy older man。 She felt extremely acplished for someone so
young。 The noise and glitz of Fashion Week seemed less alluring now that her own life was
so 。 。 。stimulating 。 Plus they were seated in the third row； which was a major insult when she？d
always been seated in the first or second row at every other show she？d ever been to。
？I？m honestly not sure why I？m here；？ Aaron answered grumpily。 He unzipped the bright green
Les Best golfing jacket Serena had given him and then zipped it up again。 The jacket was made of
stiff cotton canvas that made a loud； swishy sound when he moved。 It was way too flashy for his
taste； but he？d kept it on because Serena had insisted that he couldn？t e to a fashion show and
sit in the third row without wearing an article of the designer？s clothing。 Aaron liked the buzzy
vibe of the fashion show。 It was like being at a rock concert。 But it was just so bogus that they
were all gathered there to look at 。 。 。clothes 。
Outside the snow had been falling steadily on the brightly lit city for over two hours。 Blair could
just imagine how insane it was going to be to find a cab home later that night； with everyone
totally underdressed； totally buzzed； and all thinking they deserved the next available ride。 She
kicked the back of Nicky Hilton？s chair with her black patent leather Les Best flats and yawned
for the fiftieth time。 While her mouth was still stretched open in full yawn； the lights suddenly
dimmed and the music stopped。 The show was about to begin。
The collection being shown was for next fall； and the theme was Little Red Riding Hood。 The
stage was decorated like a fairy tale forest； with dark brown velvet tree trunks and low branches
covered in glittering emerald green silk leaves。 Fluttery flute music began to play； and suddenly
Serena skipped onstage wearing her gray pleated Constance Billard
School uniform skirt； red suede over…the…knee boots； and a little red wool minicape tied at the
neck。 Under the cape she was wearing her own white baby tee with I LOVEAARONemblazoned
in black across the chest。 Her long blond hair was done in pigtails； and her face was free of
makeup； except for her lips； which were painted a bright； thrilling red。 Serena walked the runway
with easy confidence； flouncing her pleated uniform skirt； twirling around； and then pausing for
the cameras like she？d been doing it for years。
Who is she？A hundred gossip…starved voices murmured at once。And who is Aaron？
Blair rolled her eyes； even more bored and annoyed now that the show was under way。
？Who？s Aaron？？ Sonny whined to Chuck Bass。
？The fuck if I know；？ Chuck answered back。
？Is that supposed to be Aaron Sorkin？ You know； the television writer？？ a bewildered
fur…wearingVogue editor asked her neighbor。
？Whoever he is； he？s one lucky dude；？ s