hand away again as if she？d been burned。 Jenny licked her winter…chapped lips。 ？Since we？re
supposed to talk about body image； I guess I have something to say；？ she told the group； her voice
wavering。 She looked up to find Blair nodding and smiling at her encouragingly。
？Yes； Ginny？？
Jenny looked down at the table again。 Why was she even telling them this？Because I need to tell
someone； she realized。 She forced herself to keep talking despite the furious red…hot blush of
embarrassment burning her face。 ？This weekend I almost had a consultation for a breast
reduction。？
Mary； Vicky； and Cassie scooted forward in their chairs to listen。 Not only was peer group going
to bethe place to pick up the latest fashion trends from the two coolest girls in school； it was going
to be a major resource for gossip！
？I made the appointment；？ Jenny continued； ？but then I didn？t go。？ She pushed her plate away
and took a sip of water； trying to ignore the curious stares of the other girls。 The group was riveted；
and stealing the spotlight from Blair and Serena was no easy feat。
Elise picked up an onion ring； took a tiny bite； and dropped it on the plate again。 ？What made
you change your mind？？ she asked。
？You don？t have to answer that；？ Blair interrupted； remembering something Ms。 Doherty had
said in their training session about not pushing the members of the group to open up before they
were ready。 She glanced at her coleader。 Serena was busy examining her split ends with a dreamy；
faraway look； as if she hadn？t heard a word anyone had said。 Blair turned back to Jenny and tried
to think of something reassuring to say so Jenny wouldn？t feel like she was the only one in the
group with breast…size issues。
？I always wanted bigger breasts。 I？ve seriously considered getting implants。？ It wasn？t a total lie。
She was only a B cup and had always aspired to a C。
Who hasn？t？
？Really？？ Serena demanded； drifting back to earth。 ？Since when？？
Blair took another angry bite of cake。 Was Serena purposely trying to sabotage her leadership
skills？ ？You don？t know everything about me；？ she snapped。
Cassie； Vicky； and Mary kicked each other under the table。 This was so exciting！ Serena van der
Woodsen and Blair Waldorf were having a fight； and they were witnessing every word of it！
Elise bed her chewed…on fingernails through her thick blond bob。 ？I think it was really； um；
amazing of you to tell us about that； Jenny。？ She smiled shyly at Jenny。 ？And I think it was brave
of you not to do it。？
Blair scowled。 Why hadn？tshe said something about how brave Jenny was instead of making that
outrageous statement about wanting implants？ Who knew what these stupid freshmen were going
to say about her once the group broke up？ Then she remembered something else Ms。 Doherty had
gone over in their training session。
？Oops。 I think we were supposed to say something about confidentiality before we started。 You
know； like； nothing we say here will be repeated outside the group； or whatever？？
Too late。 In a matter of minutes every girl in the school would be discussing Blair Waldorf？s
uping breast…implant job。I heard she？s waiting until the day after graduation 。 。 。 etc。； etc。
Jenny shrugged。 ？It？s okay。 I don？t care who you tell。？ It wasn？t like she could hide her
enormous boobs anyway。 They were justthere 。
Elise bent down and picked up her beige Kenneth Cole backpack。 ？Um； there are only eight
minutes left before the bell rings。 Is it all right if I go out and buy a yogurt now？？ she asked。
Serena nudged the plate of onion rings towards Elise。 ？Have some more of these；？ she offered
generously。
Elise shook her head； her freckled face flushed pink。 ？No； thanks。 I don？t eat in public。？
Serena frowned。 ？Really？ That？s weird。？ She winced as Blair elbowed her in the arm；hard 。 ？Ow！
God； what was that for？？
？Maybe if you？d actually gone to peer group leader training； you？d get it；？ Blair growled under
her breath。
？Can I go now？？ Elise asked again。
It occurred to Blair that the peer group freshmen would really love her if she let them all go early。
She could use the extra eight minutes to get to the hair salon on time anyway。 ？You canall go；？ she
said； smiling sweetly； ？unless you really want to stay and listen to Serena talk aboutlove for the
rest of the period。？
Serena stretched her arms over her head and grinned up at the ceiling。 ？I could talk about love all
day。？
Jenny stood up。 Ever since Nate had ditched her； love was the last thing she wanted to talk about。
Funny？she？d thought Blair was going to be the peer group leader she couldn？t deal with； but it
was turning out to be Serena。
Elise stood up； too； tugging on her oversized pink turtle…neck sweater as if it was too tight。 ？No
offense； but if I don？t eat a yogurt before lunch is over； I？m going to pass out in geometry。？
？I？ll e buy one with you；？ Jenny told her； using that as an excuse to leave the table。
？I may as well walk out with you guys；？ Blair yawned； standing up； too。
？Where are you going？？ Serena demanded innocently。 Normally on Mondays after lunch the two
girls spent their luxurious double free period at Jackson Hole； drinking cappuccinos and making
wild and fabulous plans for the summer after graduation。
？None of your business；？ Blair snapped。 She？d been going to invite Serena to e with her to
the salon； but now that Serena was being such a self…involved princess bitch； that was totally out
of the question。 She flipped her hair over her shoulder and slung her bag over her arm。 ？See you
guys next week；？ she added to Mary； Vicky； and Cassie as she followed Jenny and Elise through
the exit and up the back stairs to Ninety…third Street。
Back in the crowded cafeteria； Vicky leaned forward across the half…empty table。 ？So；tell us；？
she urged Serena。
Mary took a sip of one…percent milk and nodded eagerly。 ？Yes； yes。Tell 。？
Cassie tightened her light brown ponytail。 ？Tell useverything 。？
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ABC Amber LIT Converter v2。02
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Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events have been altered or abbreviated to
protect the innocent。 Namely； me。
hey people！
Aren？t we special？
So the rumor floating around about the Ivies not accepting anyone early this year turned out to be
totally false。 Hooray？some of us got in！ I know we？re feeling pretty special； but if we start
partying like it？s 2099； drinking champagne before homeroom and cutting half our classes； we？re
going to wind up with only each other to party with； because all our other friends are going to hate
our guts。 Try to keep it to yourselves if you can； at least until April when the rest of the class finds
out where they？re going。 It？s for your own good； I promise。
TheL word
With Valentine？s Day less than a week away； love is in the aireverywhere 。 It？s on the tips of our
tongues。 It？s what we？re thinking about before we fall asleep。 We catch ourselves and our
neighbors doodling corny hearts in math class。 But just because the world has turned into one
gigantic BEMINEcandy heart doesn？t mean we have to go around making promises we can？t keep。
Using theL word in intimate settings can be dangerous。 I prefer to use it more generally； as in；I
love you all 。 And I mean that； I really do！
Sightings
Nskulking downMadison Avenue with his hands in his coat pockets； looking uncharacteristically
tense and preoccupied。V andD kissing inShakespeare Books ； nearNYU ？aw； howcute 。B
atSigerson Morrison inNoHo； trying on pair of shoes in the store。S inFetch onBleecker Street ；
buying another irresistible doggie outfit for her favorite pooch。J and her new friend；E ； giggling in
the feminine…hygiene aisle at Duane Reade。 Ah； youth。 AndA ； stocking up on used reggae records
at a tiny unnamed shop on East Third Street。 He？s got to have something to listen to while he
blows off the rest of second semester。
Your e…mail
Q：？ ？ Dear GG；
I heard that dealer who used to work in the pizza place got busted by the NYPD and now he？s
doing time as a narc in the park； busting all his old customers。
？Dawg
A：？ ？ Dear Dawg；
That sounds like a bad TNT movie。 I just hope none of our friends end up starring in it。
？GG
Q：？ ？ Dear GossipG；
I totally forgot to tell you before； but I saw that little freshman with the giant boobs in the waiting
room of my cosmetic surgeon。
She was looking at a book calledCelebrity Breasts 。 I？m serious。 Like； totally choosing which
ones she was going to get。
？tattletail
A：？ ？ Dear tattle；
That？s all very interesting； but pray tail？I mean tell？why wereyou there？
？GG
As if you weren？t already excited enough 。 。 。
Now that the early admissions thing is over； we can focus on something truly important： Fashion
Week。 It starts this Friday； and all my favorite people will be there； including me。 See you in the
front row！
You know you love me。
gossip girl
scrawny westside poet has first taste of fame
On his way to Riverside Prep Tuesday morning； Dan stopped at the newsstand on Seventy…ninth
and Broadway to buy the Valentine？s Day issue ofThe New Yorker and a large black coffee that
tasted like it had been made three years ago？just the way he liked it。 The cover ofThe New Yorker
was an illustration of Noah？s Ark docked at a pier in New York Harbor； with the Statue of Liberty
looming in the background。 The wordsThe Love Boat were painted on the side of the ark； and all
of the animals lined up to board were holding hands and kissing and groping each other。 It was
pretty funny。 Dan stood on the corner and lit an unfiltered Camel with trembling fingers as he
turned back the cover and searched the table of contents for his poem。 There it was under Poems：
Daniel Humphrey； page forty…two； ？Sluts。？ He flipped to it； forgetting all about the burning
cigarette propped between his lips。 Page forty…two happened to be the ninth page of a
fourteen…page story by Gabriel Garcia Rhodes called ？Amor con los Gatos？？？Love with
Cats？？and right there； in the middle of the story； was Dan？s poem。
Wipe the sleep from my eyes and pour me another cup。
I see what you？ve been trying to tell me all along；
Shaving your head and handling me （so delicately）
With satin and lace：
You？re a whore。
It was freezing outside； but nervous sweat beaded on Dan？s eyelids； and his tongue was as dry as
firewood。 Dan spat the burning cigarette out onto the sidewalk and closed the magazine； tucking it
into his black messenger bag。 If he？d turned to the Contributors page； he would have seen the
entry：Daniel Humphrey （Poem； p。 42） is a high…school senior in New York City。 This is his first
published work。 But Dan couldn？t handle looking at the magazine for a moment longer； not when
thousands of people were right now browsing through it and stopping to read his brutal； angry
poem； which he honestly wasn？t sure was any good。 Dan walked down Broadway toward school；
his hands shaking crazily。 If only he could have pulled off som