his face； and closed his eyes for a minute。 ？I mean； what good would it do to tell Blair about
Serena anyway？ She？s going to Yale tomorrow。 And maybe she？ll go； and I？ll miss her so much
I？ll be on the Metro…North every freaking Friday。 Or maybe me and Serena will be together？so
why decide now； right？？ ？Nate 。 。 。？ Chips turned and looked at Nate thoughtfully； one hand
resting on his stiff leg。 ？Don？t twist my words to your own convenience。 There？s a difference
between protecting someone else and protecting yourself。 And it doesn？t sound to me like you？ve
done much thinking about what？s really best for those two girls you claim to love so
much。？ ？Yeah？？ Nate stared glumly down at the wide…planked floor。 He knew how hurt Serena
would be if he told her he was going to see Blair every weekend at Yale。 He also knew that if he
told Blair what had happened with Serena； that shoe…throwing scene would look like a trip to the
circus。
Step right up to see the man…eating Manolo…thrower！ ？But there？s this other thing；？ Nate went on；
struggling with his thoughts。 ？Blair and Serena 。 。 。 they both know exactly what they want。
They？ve got all theseplans 。 。 。 。 Everyone else knows what they want； but I just 。 。 。don？t 。 And
even if I did； I feel like everything？s been decided for me。？ The sparkling water seemed to laugh
at him。 Weeks before； the water had been full of promise。 Now he just felt like he was sinking。
？That？s the biggest pile of bullshit I？ve ever heard in all my living days；？ Chips growled。 He
leaned forward so that his face was inches from Nate？s。 ？Look at me？I？m sixty…five years old；
I？ve got a bad leg； and on Sunday morning； I？m setting sail around the world。？ He tapped his shin
and it made a weird knocking sound。 ？Knock on wood； it？ll be the best thing I ever did。？ Knock
on wood？
Nate？s eyes widened in surprise at Chips？s announcement？sail around the world？ Damn。
Chips tossed the cigar overboard with a flourish。 ？Boy；？？his voice was grave？？I？m going to give
you the exact same advice I gave your father twenty…five years ago。？ He paused； looking Nate
dead in the eye。 ？You need to figure out what you really want？no more of this pussyfooting
around。 Remember； you？ve got to think with your balls； not with your dick。？ Here we go again。
Nate nodded； looking at the floor； starting to understand what Chips？s perverse little saying
really meant。 He was right？all this going back and forth about Serena and Blair wasn？t helping
anyone。 It was all about his dick； but there was nothing brave or manly about lying to the two
people he loved most in the world。
？Every boy has to bee a man sometime。？ Chips drained his glass and placed it on the teak
plank floor。 ？Now？s your turn。？ Is that Scottish…old…man…speak for ？Grow a sack？？
==================================
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 Met party is finally here； and I？ve spent all day at Bliss in preparation for tonight？s
festivities； having every gorgeous inch of me waxed； buffed； and painted for the occasion。 It？s
time to slide my kissably smooth body into my favorite new silk Gucci dress and paint the town
pink？if I can ever get away from my mirror； that is。 Translation： Better make this a quickie。
TonightB ？s kooky family will attempt to out…f？te every f？te ever held at the Met； so be sure to
wear your end…of…summer…blowout…best。 If you weren？t invited； don？t feel too bad。 While you？re
stuck at home watching reruns ofGrey？s Anatomy； I？ll be doing the exhausting work of keeping
tabs on everyone who？s anyone； which is clearlyeveryone at this particular party。 Cheer up；
wallflowers？I？ll be sure to give you all the juicy gossip and gory details next time。 Stay tuned！
And for those of you folks at home packing up for your big off…to…college bon voyage tomorrow
morning； I？ve put together a handy checklist of what to pack。 I know most of you are too busy
fantasizing about your own personal； tear…filled goodbye scenarios； so let me assist you with the
dorm…room basics：
（1） A pair of horn…rimmed glasses？Armani or Chanel？whether you really need them or not。 Every
college boy has a sexy…librarian fantasy？trust me。
（2） One leather…bound notebook and a silver Montblanc pen？perfect for passing notes to the
hottie who sits in front of you every Tuesday/Thursday。
（3） A new iBook。 Take notes in class while checking your e…mail？and send some irresistible
messages to your latest fling。 It？s called multitasking； people； and I should know。
（4） A noise machine set to City Sounds。 There？s no place like home。 。 。 。
（5） Your wits and charm！ College is all about red tape； rules； and regulations。 You？re all about
breaking them！ So remember； you？ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar。 A tub of actual
honey might also be useful for smearing on all those cute boys in Econ 202？not that I？m actually
advocating such behavior。 。 。 。
sightings
NinTimes Square； staring longingly at a Polo billboard featuring a guy on a sailboat； flanked by
two gorgeous models？a blonde and a brunette。 Wishful thinking？ Well； if anyone can make it
happen； it？s our friendN 。 。 。 。S atBarnes & Noble in Union Square； hidden behind an enormous
pair of white sunglasses as she leafed throughThe Idiot？s Guide to Finding an Agent 。 Sounds like
someone？s got a new project！B yelling at an employee in the bedding section ofABC Carpet and
Home because they don？t carry Pratesi sheets in size extra…long 。 。 。K andI atChlo？； trying on
identical party dresses？will they be bringing identical dates？C buying a tuxedo atArmani （doesn？t
he alreadyown one？ Or ten？）； harassing the sales staff with his requests for a tailor to make a
matching one in primate size XS。 Please。V making the trek from Prospect Park toward the Upper
East Side via subway with some weirdos wearing red； black； and white seersucker suits 。 。 。
NewlywedsR andP kissing madly in a taxi on their way toJFK。 Word is they？re headed to 。 。 。
Iceland for the honeymoon。 That？s one way to get cool。A； looking surprisingly dapper； buying a
tux at Barneys and flirting madly with the dreadlocked salesgirl？though rumor has it he only has
eyes for a certain sometimes…bald； sometime…wigged party invitee 。 。 。B？ s mom；E ； atBang &
Olufsen electronics store on the Upper East Side； buying the biggest flat screen in the place； and
then later on atMarquee in the Meatpacking District； rocking out in the DJ booth to the Black
Eyed Peas。 Uh…oh。 Tonight is definitely going to be 。 。 。 entertaining。
Well； people； I need to go fix myself a pre…party Grey Goose martini with just asplash of
vermouth； relax on the new pink velvet chaise lounge I bought myself for school （so Marie
Antoinette goes to college！）； and try to calm my nerves for the big； big night ahead。 It？s kind of
hard to pay attention to writing to you kittens when my freshly painted fingernails in Chanel？s
Black Satin （yes； I have it and you don？t） areso totally distracting。 See you at the party。
You know you love me。
gossip girl
the gift that keeps on giving
Blair glided through the arched entry to the Met？s newly reopened Greek and Roman exhibition
space and glanced around the enormous limestone room。 Corinthian columns propped up the
forty…foot ceiling； where a domed skylight opened up to the night sky。 Ancient war scenes
emerged from gold…veined marble walls； and dozens of marble pillars propped up the very
anatomically correct Greek statues。 Waiters in gold togas with silver trays wove expertly through
the throngs of superbly dressed revelers。
The party was a who？s who of Blair？s life。 Standing in little clusters were the elegantly dressed
parents of almost everyone she had grown up with； delicately sipping champagne and smiling
politely while gossiping furiously under their breath。 Serena？s parents looked as tall； blond； and
poised as ever； her mother； Lillian van der Woodsen； looking statuesque in a stunning silver Oscar
de la Renta strapless gown that even most girls Blair？s age couldn？t pull off。 Chatting with Mrs。
van der Woodsen was Misty Bass； Chuck？s mother； her hair piled high on her head like a sad
imitation of Marie Antoinette。
Let them eat cake！
Next to Misty was her husband； Bartholomew； trying to get a peep down Isabel？s mother； Titi
Coates？s low…cut black chiffon Badgley Mischka dress。
Like father； like son 。 。 。
Mr。 Coates； Isabel？s middle…aged movie…star has…been father； was in a crisp black tuxedo；
looking even more distinguished than usual standing next to the bulbous； sweaty Cyrus Rose； who
was patting his pot belly and grabbing fistfuls of appetizers from every platter within reach。 Blair
shuddered in disgust but was forted by the fact that she？d be seeing her real father tonight？if
he ever made it。 He？d called from the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris eight hours ago to tell
them they？d missed their flight because Ping was having a bit of fit； projectile vomiting all over
the place； and that they might only catch the tail end of the party。 They？d have to drop the twins
off with the Waldorf Roses？ nanny and then hurry over。 Well； at least baby Yale could teach the
little brats some manners。
The classical Greek statues crowding the walls made the party seem even more packed than it
already was。 Blair bent down to fix the strap of her cerulean patent…leather Manolos。 The shoes
were a perfect match to her night…sky blue Viktor & Rolf strapless party frock； and they gleamed
like they？d been candy…coated； glistening in the candlelight。 Something moved behind her and
Blair whipped her head around； losing her balance and nearly toppling onto the cool marble floor。
Did one of those Adonises justmove ？ The chiseled statue gave her a wink as he changed from one
classical pose to another。 Blair looked closer and realized that mixed in with the classical Greek
and Roman sculptures were models covered in chalky clay…colored paint。
？Blair…Bear！？ A voice broke into Blair？s thoughts and she looked up to see her father； looking
dapper and handsome in a jet…black Gucci tux。 His sandy brown hair was spiked up like a kid？s；
and the distinguished…looking laugh lines at the corners of his bright blue eyes were the only signs
of his real age。
？Daddy！？ She ran to her father？s outstretched arms and instantly felt forted。 ？I was sure you
weren？t ing。？ She buried her head in his crisp white shirt。
？I wouldn？t dream of missing your big night； Blair…Bear。 And you？re going to be even happier
when I give you your gift。？ Her father pulled back and stroked her cheek。 He was wearing his
emerald green cuff links that Blair had always thought were the same color as Nate？s eyes。 His
tanned fingers were manicured； and his hand smelled of some new； powdery cologne。
Johnson & Johnson？s Eau de Bebe Ass？
？What gift？？ Blair liked the sound of that。 ？You already got me a car for graduation。？ She looked
up at him expectantly。 What could be better than a car？ A plane