of her pocket。 She？d started smoking them when she and Aaron had gotten together； because they
were supposed to be all natural and additive…free。
As if there？s such a big difference between all…natural carbon monoxide and fake carbon
monoxide。 Get real。
？I still can？t believe how cool you look；？ Serena breathed； admiring Blair？s hairdo as she lit her
cigarette。 ？Who knew you？d look sohot with short hair。？
Blair touched her head self…consciously。 She？d thought she was supposed to be mad at Serena but
now she couldn？t even remember why。 Her haircutwas hot； if she did say so herself。
Flattery can work wonders。
？So； I？ve been trying to think of a good present to get for Aaron； you know； to congratulate him
on getting into Harvard？ Can you think of anything he really wants； or maybe something he
needs？？
Now Blair remembered why she was mad at Serena。Aaron； Aaron； Aaron。 It was boring to the
point of utter nausea。 ？Not really；？ she yawned in response。 ？A makeover？？
？Very funny；？ Serena replied。 ？Hey； don？t we know those girls？？
Across the street； Jenny and Elise were walking in that self…conscious； bumping…into…each…other
way fourteen…year…old girls have of approaching people they？re embarrassed to talk to。
Eventually the two girls bumbled across the street。 ？We brought our own cigarettes；？ Jenny
announced as nonchalantly as she could； still a little freaked out that she？d just sneaked out of
school。
Elise pulled a pack of Marlboros out of her bag； but before she could offer one to Jenny； Serena
tossed over her pack of American Spirits。 ？Put those away。 These are so much better for you。？
Elise nodded her head seriously。 ？Thanks。？ She pulled two cigarettes out of the pack and stuck
them both between her lips。 Then she flicked on her mint green Bic lighter； puffing on them
simultaneously before handing one to Jenny。
Jenny sucked on it hesitantly。 After Nate had broken up with her； she？d tried to take up smoking
as part of her new jaded…woman image； but they？d given her such bad sore throats； she？d had to
quit after only a few days。
？So； have you checked your e…mail today？？ Blair asked her； cocking a freshly plucked eyebrow
mysteriously。
Jenny coughed out a lungful of smoke。 ？My e…mail？？
Blair smirked to herself。 Even though that blond boy in Bendel？s had been kind of dorky looking；
he and Jenny would make a very cute couple。 The beanpole and the big…breasted cutie…pie。 ？Forget
it；？ she replied even more mysteriously。 ？Just be sure to check it regularly from now on。？
Of course now Jenny wanted to sprint back to school to check out her e…mail； but she couldn？t
just abandon Elise； especially not when two more senior girls were walking toward the stoop to
join the smoking party。
？My fucking feet are killing me in these boots。 It？s like Japanese foot binding。？ Kati Farkas
plopped herself down beside Blair and unzipped her peacock blue Charles Jourdan ankle boots。
？Stopwhining about those boots；？ Kati？s glued…together…at…the…hip friend Isabel Coates moaned。
Isabel leaned against the stoop？s metal railing and took a sip from a paper cup full of whipped
cream？topped hot chocolate。 She was wearing a Kelly green Dolce & Gabbana coat from a
weekend sample sale。 It was buttonless and tied at the waist with a thick black cord； like a Kelly
green monk？s robe。
No wonder it never sold out back in October。
？Maybe if you got some Japanese foot bindingdone those boots wouldn？t hurt so much；？ Isabel
continued。 ？Or if you？d letme buy them instead of you； sinceI？m the one who saw them first。？
？Chinese；？ Jenny couldn？t help but correct。 ？The Chinese used to bind women？s feet。？
Kati and Isabel stared at her blankly。 ？Shouldn？t you be in school？？ Isabel demanded。
？They？re smoking with us；？ Blair said protectively。 It was kind of fun having two little
ninth…grade sisters。 Not that she ever wanted areal little sister or anything。
Kati pretended not to notice that Blair was actually being nice to these two little snot…nosed
fourteen…year…olds and threw her arms around Blair？s neck instead； kissing her on each
Stila…powdered cheek。
Mwah！ Mwah！
？I can？t believe I haven？t said anything； but your hair looks totallygorg 。 I just love； love；love it！？
she squealed。 ？You were so brave。 I heard you got gum in it。 Is that why you decided to go so
short？？
？Can I touch it？？ asked Isabel。 She put down her hot chocolate and reached out to pat the back of
Blair？s head with a tentative hand。 ？It feels so weird！ Like a boy！？
Blair suddenly wished she？d worn a hat or some sort of turban to school。 She dropped her
cigarette on the step below her and squashed it with the pointy toe of her boot。 ？e on； you
guys；？ she beckoned； rising to her feet and holding out her gloved hands to Jenny and Elise like
Mary Poppins collecting the children at the playground。 ？I？ll walk you back to school。？
Jenny and Elise tossed their cigarettes into the shrubbery in front of the brownstone next door
and stood up； hitching their bags up on their shoulders。 Now that they？d tried smoking cigarettes
with the seniors on a freezing…cold stoop； they weren？t exactly sure what the attraction was。
？Do you think my hair would look good that short？？ Elise asked； hurrying to keep up with Blair。
Anything would have been an improvement on the my…first…haircut bob Elise was presently
sporting； but Blair didn？t have the heart or the energy to tell her。 ？I？ll give you my stylist？s
number；？ she offered generously。
As they turned down East Ninety…third Street； Mary； Vicky； and Cassie burst through the doors
and waved to them。
？We saw you leave at recess！？
？We came out to get you！？
？We didn？t want you to get in trouble！？
Blair put her arms around Jenny and Elise and herded them toward the school doors； wise to the
fact that the three girls were just being obnoxiously nosy。 ？We？re fine；？ she told them
coolly。 ？Shouldn？t you be in class？？
Mary； Vicky； and Cassie stared after them in hurt disbelief。 They wereso much cooler than Jenny
and Elise。 What did they have to do to prove it？
Serena remained on the chilly stoop； not exactly thrilled that she？d been left alone with Kati and
Isabel。 She examined her split ends； trying to e up with the perfect you…got…into…college！ gift
for Aaron while Kati and Isabel waited eagerly for the real scoop on Blair？s hair。
？Did she have lice or something？？
？I heard she had this manic depressive fit and hacked it off with a nail scissors。 She had to go to
the salon to fix it。？
？I think it looks cool；？ Serena answered dreamily in reply。
Kati and Isabel glared at her； disappointed。 If Serena wasn？t going to dish anything out； they？d
just have to make something up。
And let？s be honest？that sounds likemuch more fun。
==================================
ABC Amber LIT Converter v2。02
==================================
Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events have been altered or abbreviated to
protect the innocent。 Namely； me。
hey people！
The premature male midlife crisis
What？s withC ？shighlights ？ Sure； they sort of match his stretchy pastel shirts and orange Prada
sneakers； but since when was he so 。 。 。 outr？？ I also heard he was seen on Monday night dancing
at a new red…rope； guest…list…only club in Greenwich Village calledBubble ； a very boys…only kind
of scene； if you know what I mean。 Could it be that since he？s already hit on every female in the
city； he？s moved on to the males？
The other boy I？m a little concerned about isN ； my personal favorite。 Yes； he？s still as hot as
ever； and yes； I would give up my Herm？s Birkin bag to be his fairy princess。 I just wish he？d stop
lurking around upper Fifth Avenue taking surreptitious slurps from that silver flask he keeps in his
pocket and looking like a nervous wreck。 If he needs a hand to hold； he knows where to find me。
But the greatest transformation of all is in skinny； scruffyD 。 If you haven？t seen him since this
morning； this is breaking news： he got a haircut！ It？s definitely the work of the old man barber on
Broadway and West Eighty…eighth； but his sweet brown eyes are actually visible now； which is
definitely an improvement； and there seems to be some sexy…literary…dude sideburn action
happening； too。 He？s got it going on！
Hanging out with the big girls
It？s extremely flattering to be taken under the wing of an older girl and given a glimpse of the
we？re…so…cool…we…don？t…even…have…to…think…about…trying side of life。 But don？t get carried away；
thinking said older girl is going to start asking you out to the movies。 She？s not。 And as soon as
she gets too busy with APs and parties and shopping for sandals； or whatever it is older girls do in
their spare time； she？s going to forget about all those groovy times you had together。 She might
even forget your name。 Of course； I could be totally wrong。 Maybe you？ll wind up friends for life
and sponsor each other at the Connecticut country club you both join when you？re married with
kids。 Or not。 Don？t say I didn？t warn you。
Your e…mail
Q：？ ？ Dear GG；
So I may have misread what was going on； but I？m pretty sure I saw A from Bronxdale with this
other girl in our class； and he was all； ？I？m the man； I？m into Harvard；？ and she was all； ？You？re
so hot。 I want you。？ Um； doesn？t he have a girlfriend？
？S。I。B。
A：？ ？ Dear S。I。B。；
What does S。I。B。 stand for； anyway？ Seeing is believing？ Sad in Biloxi？ Small is beautiful？ If
what you say is true； I？m S。F。A。C。B。？sad for a certain blond。
？GG
Q：？ ？ Dear Ggirl；
I heard B got caught doing drugs in school and now she secretly has to do munity service。
She？s going to rehab； too； which is why she cut all her hair off。 They make you do that； like； in
prison。
？Daisy
A：？ ？ Dear Daisy；
It sounds like a bad made…for…Lifetime special。 You don？t really believe all that； do you？
？GG
Oops。I？m late for my fake…tan rubdown at Bliss？it？s theonly way to stay smiling till summer！
You know you love me。
gossip girl
nbuys a dime bag
On Tuesday after school； Nate wandered into Central Park to check out the dealers in Sheep
Meadow。 He？d gone a full twenty…four hours without getting high； and instead of feeling healthy
and energized； he was bored out of his drug…free mind。 His classes at school seemed twice as long；
and even Jeremy Scott Tompkinson？s lame…ass fart jokes barely made him crack a smile。
The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky； casting an eerie golden glow on the frozen brown
grass in the meadow。 Two heavyset guys dressed in black sweatshirts with the wordStaff printed
on the back were passing a football back and forth； and a tiny old woman wearing a red Chanel
suit and a fox fur stole was walking her freshly groomed bichon frise。 As usual； the dealers were
all sitting on benches around the perimeter of the meadow； listening to WFAN on their Discmans
or reading theDaily News 。 Nate spotted a familiar redheaded guy dressed in a light gray Puma
tracksuit with matching gray…and…white Puma sneakers； gray wraparo