blew on the sweet； steaming liquid。 ？I was thinking we should get tattoos。？ She paused； waiting
for Aaron to respond； but his soft brown eyes looked puzzled； so she went on。 ？You know； like of
our names。 To show our mitment to each other。？ She took a sip of her coffee and licked her
lovely； luscious lips。 ？I？ve always wanted a tattoo that only I knew about。 You know；
somewhereprivate 。？
Aaron smiled hesitantly。 He liked Serena a lot。 She was intoxicatingly beautiful； a total
sweetheart； and pletely undemanding。 She was above and beyond any girl he？d ever met。 But
he wasn？t sure he wanted to tattoo her name all over his body。 In fact； he？d always thought tattoos
were kind of violent； like brands on cattle； and as a vegan and a Rastafarian； he was morally
opposed to any type of violence。
？Tattoos are against my religion；？ he stated； but when he saw Serena？s gorgeous face crumple in
dismay he took her hand and added quickly； ？But I？ll think about it； okay？？
Serena wasn？t one to hold grudges； certainly not against the cutest boy in the universe。 Already
over it； she tugged on his hand and they started walking toward Fifth Avenue。 The sky was a
sullen gray； and a chilly wind bit at their faces。 In an hour it would be dark。
？So what should we do？？ she asked。 ？I was thinking it might be kind of crazy to go up to the top
of the Empire State Building。 I？ve lived here my whole life and I？ve never even been up there。
And it？sso cold 。 I bet no one even thinks of going up there at this time of year。 It？ll be totally
empty and romantic； like in a old movie or something。？
Aaron laughed。 ？You？ve been hanging out with Blair too much。？ His stepsister always turned
everything into a romantic black…and…white movie from the fifties； trying to make her life even
more glamorous than it already was。 As they turned down Fifth； Mookie scampered ahead of them；
tugging on the leash looped loosely around Aaron？s wrist。 ？Hey； chill out； Mook。？
Serena tucked her free hand into Aaron？s black North Face parka pocket。 ？Blair was acting really
weird during peer group； that new thing we？re doing with the freshmen at lunchtime。 After that
she just disappeared。 She didn？t even show up for gym。？
Aaron shrugged and sipped his drink。 ？Maybe she had cramps or something。？
Serena shook her pretty head。 ？I？m worried she？s a little jealous。 You know； ofus 。？
Aaron didn？t say anything。 Over Christmas he？d developed a huge crush on Blair； even though
she was his stepsister。 Being with Serena had made him forget all about it； but it was still odd to
think that Blair might actually jealous ofthem ； when he？d been pining overher all those weeks。
？So； are we going to the Empire State Building？？ Serena asked； stopping at the next corner and
turning to peer back up Fifth Avenue。 A fleet of buses roared by。 ？If we are； we should grab a cab。？
Aaron looked at his watch。 It was ten after four。 ？I was kind of thinking I？d like to stop by my
house to check the mail。？ He grinned bashfully； embarrassed by how nerdy he sounded。 ？Early
acceptance letters were mailed this week。？
Serena？s long…lashed dark blue eyes opened wide。 ？Why didn？t you say so？？ She tossed her
paper cup in a nearby trash can and took off at a run。 ？e on； Mook！？ she shouted as the boxer
bounded happily after her。 ？Let？s go home and see if your smarty…pants daddy got into Harvard！？
bdoesj a little favor
Jenny had always been shy and had trouble making friends； but she had managed to make one in
peer group that day。
？You know； I never really noticed your； um 。 。 。 bra size；？ Elise murmured shyly as they were
packing up their book bags to go home。 On either side of them girls slammed their metal locker
doors closed and shouted to each other as they ran downstairs and out the school doors。
？Yeah； right；？ Jenny responded sarcastically； trying to wedge her geometry notebook into her
red…and…black…striped Le Sportsac bag in between her French textbook andAnna Karenina 。
Elise giggled as she wound a fuzzy pink scarf around her neck and buttoned the black velvet
buttons on her nerdy tweed coat。 She definitely looked like her mother still dressed her in the
mornings。 ？Okay； I noticed。 But I never thought it bothered you。？
Jenny tucked her curly dark brown hair behind her ears and squinted at Elise。 ？Itdoesn？t bother
me。？
Elise pulled her fuzzy pink hat down over her blond bob and hitched her backpack up on her
shoulder。 She was nearly a foot taller than Jenny。 ？Um； are you busy now？ Do you want to； like；
do something？？
？Like what？？ Jenny zipped up her puffy black parka。 Now that she no longer hung out with Nate
or her older brother； Dan； she really needed some new friends； and it might be kind of nice to hang
out with a girl for once； even though Elise seemed kind of prissy and immature。
？I don？t know。 Like go buy some new makeup at Bendel？s or something？？ Elise suggested。
Jenny cocked her head； pleasantly surprised。 For a minute there she？d thought Elise was going to
suggest buying an ice cream cone or visiting the zoo。 ？I？d love to；？ she agreed； slamming her
locker door closed and starting to walk toward the stairs。 ？e on。？
Blair couldn？t believe how a simple haircut could change everything so drastically。 She？d
already tried on every flirty empire…waisted top and A…line skirt Bendel？s had in stock？ exactly the
same types of pieces she？d always worn and looked good in； but now they were all wrong。 Her
new crop was preppy and sophisticated and gamine。 It was going to require a whole new
wardrobe。
？From now on I？ll wear only solid colors；？ Blair whispered as she buttoned up her uniform and
hung the last unwanted dress on its hanger。 ？And everything must have a collar。？ She pulled open
the red velvet curtain and dumped six wildly printed Diane von Furstenberg tops into the sales
clerk？s arms。 ？I changed my mind。 I？m looking for simple suits in navy blue and black。 And plain
white shirts with collars。？ She wanted to look sexy in a chic
Parisian…woman…wearing…a…simple…black…dress…while…riding…a…bicycle…and…carrying…a…baguette…un
der…her…arm sort of way。 Nate had always had a thing about French girls。 He would go out of his
way to walk by L？？cole Fran？aise just to gape at the girls in their short gray skirts； high heels； and
tight black V…neck sweaters。 Those tramps。
Soon Blair had found the first item in her new wardrobe and the perfect thing to wear for her
interview Thursday night： a navy blue knit shirtdress by Les Best with a beaded belt and a cute
little white lace collar at the neck。 It was prim yet intriguing？just what Blair was looking for。 She
paid for the dress and then headed downstairs to cosmetics to outfit herself with navy blue
mascara and a subtle shade of lip gloss that wasn？t as girly or e…hither as her usual shade of
light pink or dark red。
？Look who？s here；？ Jenny whispered to Elise in front of the Stila counter。 ？Hi； Blair。？
？Great haircut！？ added Elise perkily。
Blair turned around to find two of the freshmen from her peer group：
she…really…should…have…a…breast…reduction Ginny； and in…desperate…need…of…a…makeover Eliza； or
whatever their names were； staring at her admiringly。 She was horrified to see that they were
trying on some of the same eye shadows and lip glosses that she wore all the time。 Couldn？t they
just stick with Maybelline from Rite Aid or something？
Elise frowned down at the vial of glittery black eye dust in her hand。 ？Is this stuff any good？？
Yes； it？s good。 But you？re really not ready for it yet。
Blair couldn？t help but give them a little big…sisterly advice。 She slung her
brown…and…white…striped Bendel？s shopping bag over her wrist and got to work。 ？With your
coloring； I？d go for something lighter。？ She reached for a sample tube of pale silvery green gel
shadow。 ？This would really bring out the aqua tones in your eyes；？ she instructed； marveling at
hownice she sounded。
Elise took the tube and dabbed a little on her eyelids。 It was barely visible； but it caught the light
and miraculously made her small； close…together blue eyes look brighter and prettier。 ？Wow；？ she
trilled； mesmerized。
Jenny reached for the tube。 ？Can I try？？
Blair snatched it away。 ？Absolutely not。 You need something in beige or peach。？ Blair couldn？t
believe herself。 The weird thing was； she was enjoying it。 ？Here。？ She handed Jenny a fat；
rust…colored eye pencil。 ？It goes on softer than it looks。？
Jenny drew a careful line along the edge of one eyelid and blinked at the result。 She looked
instantly older； and the color gave her big brown eyes a nice amber glow。 She leaned forward to do
the left one but something in the mirror？s reflection caught her eye。
Or someone； to be precise。
The store was bustling with shoppers stocking up on winter sale items； but Bendel？s only caters
to women； so all of the shoppers were female。 All but one。
He looked about sixteen； tall and thin； with shaggy blond hair and wearing a chocolate brown
corduroy jacket and jeans that hung loose from his gaunt body。 Sort of like the guy in the Calvin
Klein Eternity for Men ad； except less hunky。
？Wow；？ Jenny said softly。
？Isn？t it great？？ Blair chimed in。 ？Smudge it in a little with your finger。 You should use brown
mascara； too。 It will make your eyes look even bigger。？
？No； I mean wow； look athim ；？ Jenny clarified。 ？Behind me。？
Blair glanced over her shoulder to see a geeky； too…young…for…her blond boy perusing the
Bendel？s signature cosmetics bags。 She turned back to Jenny。 ？What？ You think he？s cute？？
Elise giggled。 ？He？s kind of goofy looking。？
Blair？s little Help the Hopeless campaign was starting to wear thin。 ？If he？s shopping in
Bendel？s； he？s probably gay。 Why don？t you just go up and talk to him if you think he？s so cute？？
Jenny was mortified。 Just go up and start talking to him like some sort of desperate； stalking
freak？No way。
？e on；？ Elise prodded。 ？You know you want to。？
Jenny could barely breathe。 Every time she thought she was getting more confident； something
like this happened to prove that she was just as insecure as ever。 ？Maybe we should just leave；？
she muttered nervously； as if Blair and Elise were about to rope her into participating in some
shady drug deal。 She picked her book bag up from off the floor。 ？Thanks for you help；？ she told
Blair quickly。 Then she grabbed Elise？s hand and dragged her out of the store； keeping her eyes
straight ahead as she passed the blond boy。
Pathetic。 Blair sighed as she watched them go。 But she？d been in such a good mood ever since
Owen Wells？ call； it wouldn？t kill her to give Jenny a little more help when she so obviously
needed it。 She pulled the receipt for her dress out of her shopping bag and； using the rust…colored
eye pencil； drew a big heart on the back of it and wrote Jenny？s Constance Billard e…mail address
inside it。 Everyone？s school e…mail addresses were the same； just the first initial and the last name；
so it wasn？t hard to figure out。 Then she crumpled the receipt into a tight little ball and walked
past the skinny