emark fedora over his thick dark hair。 He stood there casually； like he’d only been gone a matter of minutes—not months。
Vanessa didn’t say anything。 She felt like she was going to cry。 Even though it was practically a scene from a terrible chick movie； she couldn’t resist running to him and wrapping her arms around him tightly。 She lifted her face up until her mouth met his。
“Remember； there’s a kid watching！” Ruby called from the couch。 Moxie gazed； entranced； at Hollis。
“Hi；” Vanessa said dumbly； staring up at him as if he were a vision。
Courtesy of too many Scrubbing Bubbles fumes？
“I couldn’t wait a month。 I don’t want to be in Iceland。 I want to be with you；” Hollis said simply。
“You’re back？” Vanessa asked。 “For good？”
Hollis nodded。 “Unless you’re hiding a boyfriend somewhere。”
“Just Paul Morrissey。” She gestured to the DVD case on the coffee table。
“We’ll leave you alone；” Ruby said； bundling Moxie back into her snowsuit。 “Maybe there’s a movie about talking penguins we can see。”
Vanessa didn’t even notice her adorable niece and sister as they made their way into the elevator。 She was too busy kissing her boyfriend。
Beats mopping the floor。
survivor
“Do you think Jenny will choose RISD or Pratt？” Serena asked； taking a thoughtful sip of her organic chai。 She and Dan were seated at a small table in Blue State Coffee； one of the cute coffee shops on Thayer Street in downtown Providence。
“Pratt；” Dan said confidently。 His hair was sort of shaggy—Serena hadn’t been able to drag him to John Barrett’s—and he wore a rumpled blue cotton oxford shirt and jeans。 He looked slightly homeless； but to her； he was absolutely adorable。 “Jenny’s wanted to go there since she learned how to draw；” he said proudly。
“I didn’t have a clue when I was her age。” Serena wrinkled her nose。 “But I guess it just depends on the person。 Blair always knew she wanted to go to Yale…。” She trailed off。
“Have you spoken to her？ Is she in New York for the holidays？” Dan asked before emptying the last of his double espresso from his mini porcelain cup。 It made him feel like a character in Alice in Wonderland。 The espresso was his second； and they’d been in the shop for less than an hour； hanging out while Jenny took her RISD tour。 She was due back any minute。
“I don’t know。” Serena shrugged； thinking of her and Blair’s huge fight last winter。 A blowup between them wasn’t anything new—they’d been fighting since before they could properly form sentences。 But their arguments usually blew over quickly。 This one hadn’t。 Blair had gone to study abroad at Oxford while Serena had gone to Yale； and they hadn’t spoken since last January。 “It doesn’t matter。 I just hope she’s had as good a year as I have；” Serena added； smiling at Dan。
She and Dan had gotten together the previous winter break； and the relationship had quickly turned serious。 By April； Serena was spending most of her weekends at Dan’s Upper West Side apartment。 They’d sit at the tiny kitchen table； studying together； or go to the coffee shop on his corner and read。 Dan was a junior at Columbia and Serena wasn’t quite sure what she was at Yale。 She’d just started in September； but she’d carried over a few credits from courses she’d taken at the New School earlier that year。
Being at Yale was more plicated than she’d thought it would be。 It was strange living in a dorm when she was used to having her own apartment。 She felt years older than her fellow freshmen； and it wasn’t easy to get back into studying mode； especially since she’d only taken fun classes at the New School； like screenwriting and New York in Literature。 She liked reading books； but she’d never been one for taking tests and writing papers。 And even if she did go back to the city every weekend； it was hard to be separated from Dan from Monday to Thursday。
She did miss acting； but she didn’t miss having an agent and a publicist and getting followed around and pointed at everywhere she went。 Her first few weeks on campus； she’d get the occasional second look or stare； but she’d quickly found a degree of anonymity she relished。 Yale students were so busy with their own lives that for the most part they couldn’t get worked up over a girl who was an actress once。
“Another cup？” Serena teased； noticing Dan’s jittery hands。
“Nah； I’m good；” Dan said； missing her sarcasm。 Sometimes； like right now； Dan still couldn’t believe Serena van der Woodsen was his girlfriend。
She laced her fingers in his as she gazed absentmindedly out the window。 It was starting to snow； and the flakes swirling around the Gothic buildings of the Brown campus were very romantic。 It reminded her of playing in the snow with Nate back in high school。 It made her want to start a snowball fight； but Dan wasn’t really the roughhousing type。
Dan’s cell buzzed in his pocket。 “It’s Jenny。 She’s meeting us at the car。”
“Let’s go。” Serena stood and made her way out of the coffee shop。 Together； they headed to the parking lot and settled into Dan’s blue Buick Skylark。
Dan rested his hands on the steering wheel and leaned back into the bucket seat as they waited for Jenny。 He was suddenly glad he’d had the two espressos。 He loved Jenny； and he loved Serena； but the two girls together had made for an exhausting ride up。 They’d bothered him every fifteen minutes to stop for coffee； snacks； and bathroom breaks； making what should have been a three…hour trip more like five。 Dan didn’t want a repeat performance on the way back； especially since the snow was starting to stick to the ground。
Jenny bounded in the back door of the Buick； looking red…cheeked and radiant。
Wonder why？
“You’ll never guess who I ran into—Nate Archibald！ Isn’t that crazy？ He was going to take the train back to the city； but I figured we could just give him a ride；” Jenny said without taking a breath。 Her gaze landed on Serena。 Oops。 In her excitement； Jenny had almost forgotten about Nate and Serena’s plicated history。 To her； Serena was simply Dan’s girlfriend。 Would this be weird？
Of course it will！
Dan narrowed his eyes at the dark blond； green…eyed figure outside his car。 Nate Archibald was the asshole who’d broken Jenny’s heart three years ago； and had broken Serena’s heart just the year before。 Dan had only heard the vaguest details about what had happened； but he knew Nate was bad news。 What the fuck was he doing here？ “Actually； I think we’re pretty full—” Dan began。 He racked his brain； trying to think of some lie to prevent Nate from driving home with them。 A weight limit？
A no…assholes rule？
“Natie！” Serena squealed； peering out the window at Nate。 “What are you doing here？！” Serena couldn’t believe Nate was right in front of her。 She’d hardly thought about him this past year。 She knew she should still be mad at Nate after what happened last winter； but it all seemed so far in the past。 Besides； she could afford to be generous。 If Nate hadn’t made her so miserable last year； she’d never have reached out to Dan。 So in a way； she owed her current happiness to him。
“We totally have room！” Serena announced； getting out of the car。 Nate looked so cute and helpless； with snowflakes sitting in his dirty blond hair。 She threw her arms around Nate in an affectionate old…friends hug。 “Hop in；” she told him； getting in the backseat with Jenny。
Dan sputtered； his blue fleece–gloved hands gripping the steering wheel。 He didn’t love the idea of Jenny talking to this douche； and he really didn’t like the familiar way Serena had hugged him。 And now he had to give the guy a ride？
“Hey； I really appreciate the ride； especially with this snow。 I’ll take middle；” Nate offered； climbing over Serena and wedging his lanky frame into the middle of the seat between her and Jenny。
Serena squeezed his shoulder。 “Let’s go；” she said。
Dan glared mutinously toward the backseat。 Why didn’t Serena offer to sit up front with him？ What was he？ Their fucking chauffeur？
“Great。 Let’s go；” Dan growled； navigating out of his spot and slowly driving down Thayer Street toward I…95。
“Dan； aren’t you going to ask me about RISD？” Jenny needled in her little…sister voice。
“How was it？” Serena asked curiously。
“So good；” Jenny gushed。 “And guess what？ Nate’s going to Brown！”
“You are； Natie？ Oh my God； that’s awesome！” Serena cried。 “Wait； we need something to celebrate。 Dan； can you stop for snacks？”
Dan grunted。 The last thing he wanted was for them to eat a fucking cake in the backseat of his car while he drove them around like a fucking soccer team。 “I think we should just try to get home as quickly as possible。 The snow’s really ing down；” he pointed out。
“Whatever you say。” Nate shrugged。 “I’m still not used to being back on the East Coast。 We don’t get snow at Deep Springs。”
“Did you know that Nate knows how to birth cows？” Serena said proudly as Dan merged into the bumper…to…bumper traffic of I…95 South。 The cars were jockeying for road space； and the steadily falling snowflakes made for poor visibility。 Dan sucked in his breath。 He hated driving。 Part of the reason he loved living in New York was that he never had to drive。
“I need to concentrate；” he muttered； turning on the windshield wipers。
Nate tapped Dan’s shoulder。 “You want me to drive？ I’m pretty good at dealing with the dust storms in California。”
“No；” Dan said shortly。 He looked in the rearview mirror。 Jenny was leaning toward the middle section of the seat； practically on top of Nate。 She was a smart girl； but when it came to boys； she could be sort of a ditz。 Dan knew his sister； and right now Jenny was in full…on flirt mode。
God help us。
“I got stuck in the snow once；” she offered。 “With my friend Tinsley。 Our car broke down in the middle of the highway； and we had to spend the night in it。 We thought we were in； like； the middle of nowhere； but when we woke up the next morning we realized we were right in front of a hotel。 The owners felt sorry for us and gave us a free breakfast。”
Nate chuckled。 “That’s funny。 I always wondered what went down at boarding school。 Serena would never give up any stories about Hanover。”
“What do you want to know？” Serena stuck out her tongue at Nate。 “That was a million years ago； anyway。”
Dan pulled forward into an empty lane and accelerated angrily。
Suddenly； the car swerved toward the shoulder。 Dan whipped the wheel in the opposite direction； the back of the car swinging like the tail of a snake。 Behind them a car horn blared。 Jenny shrieked； and Serena braced herself against the back of Dan’s seat。
Dan pressed on the brake and pulled over； his breath short and heart pounding。 Everyone was silent。 They could’ve been killed。 He peered out the window。 Fat flakes were falling； and the stormy clouds meant it was only going to get worse。 Fuck。 Stuck in a fucking blizzard； hours from home。 “It’s too dangerous to try to get all the way back to the city in this。 I don’t have snow tires； and this car isn’t exactly in the best of shape。” Dan said flatly； hating the truth of the statement。
They all peered out at the