cashmere sweaters。 Was it just her； or was Serena acting a little jumpy？ She wondered if Nate had
told Serena about not graduating and not going to Yale and otherwise ruining Blair？s life。 ？You
sure？？ She pushed。
？Not since； um； we did the slide…show stuff that day you caught us。？ Serena laughed awkwardly
and turned to rifle through the colorful Missoni knit dresses behind her。
Blair squinted distrustfully at the back of Serena？s blond head； trying to read her possibly evil；
maybe lying； definitely…in…love with Nate thoughts。 ？Well； you missed Vanessa Abrams getting
one hot makeover yesterday。 You should really keep your phone on；？ she finally said to her
back。 ？I？m going back to look at the Prada dresses。？ Serena followed Blair； trying to match her
quick steps。 ？Vanessa got a makeover？ How e？？ Serena asked； grateful for the opportunity to
change the subject。 She stopped on the opposite side of the rack from Blair and started flipping
through the chocolate… and mocha…colored Prada bubble dresses Blair had already passed over。
？Her sister？s getting married this weekend。？ Blair lifted her eyes from the white silk Prada dress
she was fingering。 ？And； you know？sometimes people just need a change。？ Serena bent down and
tried to make eye contact through a gap in the dresses。 There was something else she was feeling
guilty about not telling Blair。 ？Speaking of changes？there？s something I need to tell you；？ she said
quietly。
Blair pushed her hair off her shoulders and straightened the straps of her white Nation tank
top。 ？I already know about Nate；？ she snapped。 ？You don？t have to hide it from me。？ ？Youdo ？？
Serena gripped a plush hanger with both hands。Blair knew about her and Nate？
？Of course I do。？ Blair squinted； irritated that Serena would think for a second that Nate would
not tellher ； his girlfriend。 ？I cannot fucking believe he？s not going to Yale。 Repeating senior year。
He？s totally retarded；？ she spat。
？Oh。？ Serena looked at Blair； her navy blue eyes wide。 That was a close call。 ？Oh！ I mean
that？s 。 。 。 that is awful。 But that？s not what I was going to say。 。 。 。？ Her voice trailed off； her heart
thumping hard against her rib cage。
Blair pulled a Lauren Moffatt houndstooth…print tunic over her head and looked at her reflection
in the mirror。 Serena stood behind her； standing almost a full head taller and looking nervous。 She
twirled a long blond lock around her finger。 Blair wondered if Serena was finally going to confess
to her about her love letter to Nate。 Well； it was about time。 Then Blair could forgive her and they
could go off to Yale； best friends forever； and put all this behind them。 Even if Nate had to stay in
the city； at least she？d have Serena？and at least Serena would be far； far away from him。 Blair took
a deep breath and prepared herself to try and forgive her best friend。
？What is it then？？ She moved on to the Diane von Furstenberg dresses Serena was practically
hiding behind。
？I？m not going to Yale either；？ Serena admitted sheepishly as she fingered a wildly patterned
wrap dress； avoiding Blair？s eyes。 ？I？m going to defer for a year so I can do some more
acting。？Excuse me？ Blair felt like her brain was on fire。Not going to Yale； not going to Yale ？the
words spun around and around in her head until she thought she might pass out。 First Nate； now
Serena？ She dropped the yellow DVF chiffon gown she？d been holding。 The light silk fluttered
soundlessly to the floor。
？You？rewhat ？？ Blair demanded in disbelief； shaking her head from side to side like she had
water in her ears。
？I？m just 。 。 。 not going。？ Serena shrugged。 ？I？m going to stay in New York and shoot the sequel
toBreakfast at Fred？s。 ？ Serena was staying in New York？With Nate？ Blair felt the ground start to
wobble beneath her。
Just then a group of tourists passed by； squealing and pointing at Serena； cameras hanging around
their necks。 The crowd engulfed both girls； and Blair was rudely shoved out of the way by a sharp；
jabby elbow。 They surrounded Serena in a mob。
？Thank you。？ Serena blushed as she signed one of the tourist？s matchbooks from Fred？s；
Barneys？ ninth…floor restaurant； about to bee even more famous because of her new film。
Blair watched as Serena signed one autograph after another； bowing her head humbly and
graciously without so much as a glance in Blair？s direction。 How could Serena drop a bomb like
that and then move onto her worshippers； pletely ignoring her？ Blair seethed； manically
twirling her ruby ring around her middle finger； as the crowd around Serena grew。 A man dressed
in an avocado…and…vermillion seersucker suit kissed Serena？s hand； and a suburban mom took her
picture with her Nikon Elph。 Next year Blair would be just another freshman at college； and
Serena would be 。 。 。 a movie star。 A movie star living in the same city asher boyfriend。 How could
she ever pete？
Her sandals hit the floor with a rude slapping sound as she turned her back on Serena and her
idiotic adoring fans。 Damn Barneys。 Damn Serena。 She was getting the hell out of town； but no
fucking way was she leaving Nate behind。
That？s what we？ve always loved about her？the angrier she gets； the more ingenious she is。
who？s your daddy？
Blair sat in the half…packed bedroom； surrounded by overstuffed trunks and clutter so deep that
the pee…stained sea…grass mats on the floor were only a faint memory。 She stared at the mess； her
whole body shaking。 Serena wasn？t going to Yale with her。 She was staying here in New York for
another year with 。 。 。 Nate？ No way was Blair was going to leave both of them alone in the same
city next year？she？d rather stab herself in the eye with the stiletto heel of one of her new Fendi
boots。
Ouch。
A pile of T…shirts fell off of the bed and landed on the floor with a soft thud as she angrily flailed
around。 She yanked her shoes off and threw them angrily at the wall； needing to hear an even
louder sound。 How could Nate resist Serena when she was a huge star； and right here in the same
city with him？No 。 It simply could not happen。
She reached for her cell and held down speed dial number 4。 Number 1 was 911 for an
emergency； which this was； but whatever； number 2 was for Serena？definitely not who she was
looking for right now； and number 3 was for Nate； the pletely effed…up love of her life。
？H…Hello？？ the male voice sounded waterlogged with sleep。
？Daddy； it？s me。？ Blair spoke tentatively。 If she was going to get what she wanted from him；
she？d need to tread lightly。 ？I？m sorry？did I wake you？？ She made her voice small。 There was a
long pause； and she could hear sheets rustling and the click of a light being turned on halfway
around the world。
？Of course you woke me； Blair…Bear？it？s four a。m。 here。？ Her father sounded slightly
annoyed？not to mention sleep…deprived。 The sound of the two babies wailing in the background
reached her ear。 She rolled her eyes in disdain。
？Well； it？simportant； ？ she whined。
？I？m sure that it is；？ Harold Waldorf said with a sigh。 ？But important things are happening over
here too。 Giles has been up all night with the twins？just the nastiest case of colic。 We tried this
fabulous new vaporizer； but nothing is working。？ There was a pause； and Blair could hear the
guttural cooing of a baby over the line。
？I？m sorry I didn？t tell you about the twins before now； honey。 But it was kind of a
spur…of…the…moment acquisition。？ He chuckled； and Blair could hear one of the sniveling brats
cooing again。 ？But let me tell you； it was the best one I？ve ever made。？ Burberry baby bib： fifty
dollars。 Herm？s Pacifier： six hundred dollars。 Cambodian babies： priceless。
？Blair；？ her father cooed over the din of baby…speak； ？Ping would like to say hello？say hi to your
new little brother！？ She heard a rustling sound as the little monster was held up to the phone； and
then a series of gurgling noises that sounded like the baby was drowning in its own spit。 ？Pong is
still sleeping； but when she wakes up she？ll say hi too。？ Blair rolled her eyes。 Ping and Pong？
Isn？t it technically called table tennis？
？Daddy；？ she snapped。？I need to talk to you！？
What happened to treading lightly？
？There？s no need to getsnippy about it；？ her father replied； rather snippily himself。 ？Just let me
put the baby down。？ Good。 Maybe now he could pay some attention to his firstborn。
？You know how Nate and I were going to Yale together？？ Blair plowed ahead； not waiting for
her father to respond。 She could hear the sound of him whispering in French to someone in the
background。 ？Well； Nate didn？t get his diploma from St。 Jude？s； and now it looks like he can？t go
to Yale in the fall？they want him to repeat senior year instead。？ ？Oh； honey。？ Her father？s voice
was sympathetic now。 ？I？m so sorry。You must be devastated。？ ？Well； Iwas。 ？ Blair picked up her
Mason…Pearson hairbrush and whipped it through her smooth； chestnut…and…gold locks。 ？Until I
remembered that you？re on the board of trustees。 Isn？t there something you can do about it？
Maybe talk to the dean of admissions and put in a good word for Nate or something？ Everyone
respects youso much； Daddy；？ she said； back to her original plan of kissing ass。 Her father sighed；
and then there was more rustling。
？It？s not so easy； Blair…Bear。 。 。 。 I can？t just make a diploma magically appear。？ He whispered
something in French to Giles； and Blair momentarily wished she？d actually learned the language
in her AP French class。 ？I？d really like to help； but I can？t just snap my fingers and make Nate？s
problems go away。 Besides； with the new twins and all； this isn？t the best？？ ？Daddy； youowe me。？
Blair cut him off midsentence with an exasperated sigh。 ？First you move to France during
myformative years； and now you？ve replaced me with these twins。？ She took a deep breath and
tried to stop herself from pletely losing it。 Had everyone gone totally insane？ First her mother
had announced the family was moving to Los Angeles； next Serena and Nate had told her they
were staying in New York； and now her dad was going to bail on her when she needed him most？
Blair heard footsteps in the hall； and suddenly the door swung open to reveal her stepbrother；
Aaron； wearing electric yellow Quicksilver board shorts and a burgundy Harvard T…shirt； followed
by his disgusting boxer； Mookie？who immediately bounded up to Blair and began covering her
crotch in dog drool。
？Get off me！？ she yelled； rubbing the wet； goopy places on her legs where Mookie had licked her。
The dog trotted over to the corner where Blair had tossed her dirty laundry； picked out one of her
pink Cosabella thongs； and lay down； the lace hanging from his jowls。
Well； at leastsomeone？s interested in getting in her pants these days。
Blair rolled her eyes to the ceiling and threw a pillow at Aaron。 He sat down on the floor next to
the boxer and lit one of his foul herbal cigarettes； chuckling as Mookie ripped Blair？s expensive
underwear to shreds。 His normally pale face was tan； and his dark； short dreadlocks were streaked
with copper； like he？d bee