ooked tarnished and worn and felt reassuringly heavy。 Chips only trusted his pass； believing puter navigational systems made people lazy and made them forget what it was like to trust their own minds。 Nate had been freaked out at first to head out onto the ocean with no puter system； but soon realized that Chips was right： When you had nothing else to trust； you had to trust yourself。
He pulled out the ivory card stock that acpanied the pass； written in Chips’s spiky…scrawly handwriting。
Nathaniel—
Thanks for ing on the journey； and I’m glad you learned something from this old man。 Remember： Read the pass； and stay the course。
Nate sighed； disappointed。 All of Chips’s lessons were summed up in two sentences。 He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting。
A self…help manual？
He knew what Chips meant： that the pass only gave you directions—it was up to you to interpret the directions。 He wished charting his life was as easy as following a map。 He glanced down at the pass； which had led Chips in the right direction for years。 Maybe it did have some sort of power。 Maybe he could use it to help him figure things out。
He held the pass in his hand and squeezed his eyes shut。 If it pointed to W； it would mean Waldorf。 If it pointed toward S； it would mean Serena。
And if it points to N； would that mean Not a Good Idea？
The thin red needle swung back and forth； first wavering on N； then slowly falling down。 It wavered uncertainly before settling right on the letter W。
Nate smiled。 Everything seemed absurdly simple for the first time in a while。 He needed to find Blair。
Let’s hope he finds the shower first。
you’ve got mail
From： svw@vanderWoodsen。
To： dhumphrey3@columbia。edu
Subject： Your Poem
Hi Dan；
I’m hoping this is the same Dan Humphrey who went to Riverside Prep； and who wrote Serena in The New Yorker？ It’s Serena van der Woodsen； from high school。 How are you？ I just read your poem and loved it。 Would you want to meet me for coffee sometime？
SvD
From： dhumphrey3@columbia。edu
To： svw@vanderWoodsen。
Subject： Re： Your Poem
Serena；
Hey！ It’s really great to hear from you。 How’ve you been？ I’d love to meet up for coffee； where and whenever。
—Dan
P。S。 Glad you liked the poem。 Sorry for stealing your name for the title。
From： svw@vanderWoodsen。
To： dhumphrey3@columbia。edu
Subject： Re： re： Your Poem
Great！ Four o’clock at Doma on Perry Street on Fri？ I remember you love coffee。 Hope that hasn’t changed！
Xx S
the curse of the creative power couple
“This is it？” Vanessa asked Hollis dubiously on Friday morning。 They were standing outside one of the tall； glass…box； personality…less skyscrapers near Grand Central for their meeting with the executives of Streetscape； a small indie studio。 …Hollis was taken by the idea of making a movie out of Vanessa’s life； and had immediately set up a meeting with some people he knew。 Vanessa was excited； but suddenly a little nervous。 She’d imagined the Streetscape offices would be in Dumbo or SoHo or some other artsy neighborhood； not a random Midtown office building。
Hollis nodded as he gestured for her to go first through the varnished chrome revolving door。 The lobby floor and walls were black marble； and men and women in crisp business suits were hurrying back and forth like worker ants。 If Vanessa had known she was visiting a corporation； she’d have worn something other than jeans； a black； vaguely Western button…down shirt she’d found at Beacon’s Closet； and a pair of Chloé flats that Blair had left behind in high school。
Hollis squeezed her hand reassuringly and pulled her into the elevator。 It whooshed up to the nineteenth floor。 “We’ll have fun；” Hollis promised； readjusting his fedora； which had now bee his trademark。
Hollis pushed open the glass door that led to the reception area。 A petite blond girl in a black dress glanced up。 She looked like a banker。 Vanessa smiled； reminding herself not to be so judgmental。
“Andra； great to see you！” Hollis said warmly。 The banker got up from behind the desk and hugged him。
“It’s been too long！” She smiled； her eyes flicking up his tall； lean form。 “You look good。”
“Hi。” Vanessa said pointedly to the girl。 Was she flirting with her boyfriend？ While Vanessa was right there？
Aw； can’t we all just get along？
“Oh； hi！ You must be Vanessa；” Andra said warmly。 “Hollis told me so much about you； I feel like I know you！” she cooed。 Vanessa smiled despite herself。 It was nice that Hollis was talking about her when she wasn’t around。
“Anyway； I’ll let everyone know you’re here；” Andra said； sitting back down at the desk and picking up a receiver。 “Stacy； they’re here！” she yelled into the phone。 When no one answered she padded down the carpeted hallway to tell them。
“You’ll be great； champ；” Hollis said； squeezing Vanessa’s shoulder as he led her to one of the low…slung couches set up along one cream wall。
“Thanks；” she whispered。 She usually prided herself on being ultraindependent； but right now； she was glad Hollis was right by her side。 He did this kind of thing all the time； but of course Vanessa was nervous。 This was her chance。 And so what if it was a little more corporate than she expected？ After all； this wasn’t some student film produced by a purple…haired； multipierced grad student。 This was Streetscape； an actual production pany。
Just then； a skinny guy with an asymmetrical haircut emerged from a labyrinthine hallway。
“Hollis！” He hug…patted her boyfriend。
“Zach； what’s up； man？” Hollis said enthusiastically。 “This is my girlfriend； Vanessa。 She’s an amazing filmmaker。 I can’t wait to see what happens when she and Stacy get together in one room。 Vanessa； this is Zach； Stacy’s assistant。”
“Hi Vanessa。” Zach smiled。 Vanessa grinned back。 This was more like it。 Zach looked like the guys in her film class： smart； a little pretentious； and fiercely devoted to making movies。 Vanessa understood these people。 They were her people。 “So； you guys ready to e on back？” Zach asked rhetorically as he walked at breakneck speed through the hallways and toward an empty glass…walled conference room。 Vanessa glanced at the large production stills framed on the walls and recognized one from Between the B and the A。 It was a scene where Blake； the main character； stands forlornly on the roof of his East Village apartment plex； looking out at the buildings surrounding him and feeling so small and insecure and unsure of himself。 Vanessa squeezed Hollis’s hand。 She wanted to scream to everyone that that was her boyfriend’s brilliance； immortalized on the walls。
“Hollis； darling； where have you been all my life？” A six…foot…tall woman wearing towering five…inch purple Manolos and a gauzy blue Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress strode in。 Her body was skeletal； but her chest was huge； and her hair fell almost down to her butt。 She looked like a transvestite。
Stacy Brower was the creative exec known for championing the weird； the obscure； or the ignored。 Stacy had discovered Between the B and the A after she’d met Hollis at an NYU film student thesis screening event and had wholeheartedly championed it straight to Sundance。 She was the perfect creative exec to hear Vanessa’s pitch。
“Hi； I’m Vanessa Abrams；” Vanessa began； hastily standing up and sticking out her hand。 But instead of taking it； Stacy breezed past her and sat down in one of the large Eames chairs in the corner； folding up her legs underneath her so she looked like a praying mantis。 Vanessa sat back down。
“I’m really interested in this pitch。 Sounds amazing。 So； let’s hear more about it；” Stacy said； sounding bored。 Next to her； Zach pulled out a thin Mac Air and gazed at Hollis and Vanessa； his hands poised above the keyboard。
Hollis squeezed Vanessa’s hand underneath the glass table。 Vanessa smiled at Stacy and took a deep breath before launching into the pitch she’d rehearsed so many times。 “Well； it’s about a girl who moves from a Vermont farm to Brooklyn to go to an all…girl private school。 She lives with her tattooed； musician sister and has some friends who are obscenely wealthy； whom she uses as subjects for film projects。 But； mostly； it’s about growing up and finding yourself in the weirdest； most wonderful city in the world；” Vanessa finished bravely； sneaking a glance at Stacy。 Stacy’s gaze was fixed out the window。 “That city being New York；” Vanessa added； her voice scratchy。
Stacy still didn’t say anything。 Vanessa followed her gaze and saw a suited man in one of the offices in the building across the street； tossing his stapler up and down in the air and catching it。 “I could watch that all day。 So Zen。 He thinks no one can see him because his office door is closed。 The fucker；” Stacy cackled。 She turned her chair back to the table and steepled her violet…colored fingernails together。
“Girl growing up； finding herself；” Stacy said； almost to herself。 “I like it。 But what if it was a boy？” Stacy mused。 “You know； I’m going to call Geoff in。 He’s doing a lot of work on projects with the eighteen…to…thirty…five male demo in mind。 I think he’d like to discuss this。” Stacy smiled as Zach scurried up and out the door。
“I’m sorry； but you want the main character to be a boy？” Vanessa asked； trying not to sound horrified。
“Excuse me？” Stacy asked； arching one blond eyebrow at Vanessa in curiosity。 Just then； Zach returned； trailed by a five…foot…tall man wearing a lilac button…down； tight black jeans； and cowboy boots。
“Hello！” the man said in a high…pitched voice。 “Hollis； baby； you look amazing。 So； let’s talk。 Stacy said you needed some insight into the male mind？” he asked； winking showily and not bothering to introduce himself to Vanessa before he plopped down next to her。
Vanessa gazed at Geoff in horror。 She didn’t care about pleasing a demo。 She wanted to make a film。
“So； here’s my pitch；” Geoff said； flapping his arms in excitement。 “Eighteen…year…old boy。 He lives in Australia or； you know； that country with the hobbits… New Zealand？ And he has to move to a city？” Stacy nodded enthusiastically。
“No！” Vanessa broke in。 Suddenly； all eyes turned to her。
“Of course； you’re right；” Stacy locked eyes with Vanessa and smiled。 It was the first time Stacy had directly interacted with her。 Vanessa smiled back； relieved。 So Stacy was a little eccentric； but she got it。
“Of course it can’t be set Down Under；” Stacy said definitively； as if she were the one rejecting the idea。 “Ever since Australia hit the shitter； the antipodes are fucking career suicide。” Stacy shuddered。 “But I like your thinking； Geoff。 I love the idea of doing location； a different culture。 People like that。 Good date movie； good press。 So what if the Maori boy moves to Iceland and that’s how we open the film。 It’s perfect。 It’s diverse； it’s edgy； it’s Slumdog Millionaire meets Kids。 Hollis； you’re a genius。” Stacy clapped her hands in excitement。
Vanessa squeezed Hollis’s hand tightly。 She expected him to roll his stormy gray eyes and tell them to fuck themselves。 But instead； he was nodding as if he was agreeing。 What the fuck？ Vanessa ya