Chips with the rope。 ？I just wanted to make you sweat a little。？ His phone rang again in his pocket
and he pulled it out？even though he knew who was calling。 He silenced the ringer。
Chips arched an eyebrow。 ？Which one is it？ Does she know where you？ve gone？？ ？She doesn？t。
Neither of them knows； actually。 They both think I？m meeting them at Grand Central right now。？
Nate thought about Blair and Serena standing in the train station； wondering where he was； and
felt bad？but only for a minute。 He closed his eyes as he pictured Blair？s excited； happy face and
Serena？s wide； gorgeous smile。 It really was better this way？for everyone？whether they realized it
or not。 Serena and Blair would be friends again？without him getting in the way all the time。
？You didn？t even tell them？？ Chips coiled a length of rope around one arm； his brow
furrowed。 ？Did nothing of my using…your…balls speech make its way through that thick hair of
yours and into your head？？ Nate looked out to sea。 The sky above him was flooded with bright
morning light that bounced off the calm surface of the water。 ？No 。 。 。？ he began。 ？I got it。 It？s
just 。 。 。 better this way。 If I？d told them； they would have tried to stop me from leaving。？ His
phone started beeping wildly； breaking the perfect silence of the calm morning。 Nate pulled it out
of his pocket and silenced it again。 ？And I might have let them。？ He glanced at the phone in his
hand and its screen flashing 18 MISSED CALLS。 He flipped it open and punched at the keypad；
knowing exactly what he needed to say in his text。 He pressed SEND and then SEND again。 And
then he brought his throwing arm back and tossed the phone out to sea。 It made a tiny splash as it
hit the calm surface of the water。
Chips nodded approvingly and Nate grabbed a rope to hoist the sail； giving it a fierce pull。 The
sail rose above him； fluttered in the breeze； and then grew taut。
？We？re off！？ Chips cried as the boat motored out into the harbor。
Nate watched the dock grow smaller and smaller。 Maybe college was the right choice for most
people； but it wasn？t for him？at least not now。 Yale could wait。 He needed time to figure out who
he was and what he really wanted； and he was never going to do that if every spare minute was
taken up with classes； papers； and 。 。 。 Blair。 Or Serena。
The tall buildings of Manhattan began to recede into the distance； and the spires of the Chrysler
building and the Empire State building became tiny toy versions of themselves。 The island Nate
had called home his whole life suddenly looked 。 。 。 small。 He planted his feet on the teak planks
of the deck and turned his head into the wind as they sailed off into the sparkling； endless blue。
Like we？re never going to hear from him again？ Not a chance。 The world is big； but notthat big。
the long goodbye
Blair crossed her arms and tapped her toe impatiently on the platform as the train began to fill up
with hundreds of luggage…toting passengers。 She was so fucking on edge that she felt like she
might throw up。 The bright silver train cars were momentarily engulfed in a white cloud of
exhaust； and Serena coughed； one hand covering her mouth。
Blair dialed Nate？s number for the bazillionth time and sighed as it rang and rang and then went
to voice mail。 ？Nate； it？s me；？ she snapped into the phone。 ？I？m here on the platform at Grand
Central 。 。 。 waiting。Where are you？？ She glanced around and exhaled heavily； blowing her dark
hair off her now…sweaty forehead。 ？You better get your ass here intwo seconds or you？ll miss the
train！？ She closed her cell with a snap。Where could he be？
Serena？s voice broke through her thoughts。 ？Blair； I？I don？t think Nate？s ing。？ Blair
whipped around to face her。 ？What do you mean；not ing ？ Why not？？ Serena looked down；
playing with the ends of her hair。
Her voice was small and slightly muffled。 ？Just because you got him into Yale again doesn？t
mean he wants to go。？ She lifted her head； her eyes shining。 ？The truth is； Blair 。 。 。 the truth is； I
love Nate too。 And he knows。 Because I told him。？ Uh…oh。
Blair opened her mouth in shock； but before she could utter one venomous word； both girls？
phones began to chirp maniacally。
Serena pulled her phone out？anything to avoid Blair？s angry eyes。 The screen read； ONE NEW
TEXT MESSAGE。 She opened it。
？It？s from Nate。？Blair whispered； holding up her phone。
？To both of us。？
Serena looked down at her screen and read：
B AND S？SAILING AROUND THE WORLD。 I LOVE YOU BOTH。 ALWAYS HAVE。
ALWAYS WILL。 TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER。 …N
The train hissed on the tracks。 Serena bit her bottom lip and looked up at Blair？s shocked face。
Nate had left？left them both。 He loved them； but he didn？t want to be with either of them。 Serena
hugged herself； feeling unsteady on her feet。 Blair looked like she was about to pass out。
And then； to Serena？s utter surprise； Blair began to giggle； small； hiccupping； hysterical giggles。
Serena threw her arms open and hugged her friend； laughing and crying at the same time。
？Oh； Serena；？ Blair gasped； ？Don？t you see？ It？sso classic。 He just sailed off into the sunset
without even saying goodbye。？ As much as she wanted her own life to be like an old
black…and…white movie； Nate？s departure was far more cinematic than anything she could have
e up with。
The two girls clutched each other； their faces wet with tears as passersby on the platform turned
to stare and whisper。 The loudspeaker above their heads crackled with static； and then a booming
voice filled the underground space。
This is the 10 o？clock to New Haven stopping at Stamford； Noroton Heights； Darien； South
Norwalk； Norwalk； Bridgeport； Stratford； Milford； and New Haven。 Ten o？clock to New Haven。
All aboard！
Blair wiped the tears from her cheeks and straightened the bottom of her dress。 Nate wasn？t there；
but she still couldn？t wait to get on that train。 Serena was going to be a big movie star； Nate was
off sailing around the world； and she was going to Yale？her dream since she was a little girl。 And
who knew what might happen there？ Maybe she？d meet some gorgeous lacrosse player with
golden blond hair and glittering green eyes who wasn？t a total flake。
？？Bye。？ Serena whispered in her ear； her voice giddy with emotion。 ？Call me？？ ？Definitely。？
Blair boarded the train on her own； adjusting her white pillbox hat and black Chanel sunglasses。
She didn？t know what Yale？or the future？would hold； but she couldn？t find wait to find out。
Serena stepped back on the train platform as the doors began to close。 But before they shut
entirely； she and Blair blew each other kisses one last time； and yelled in unison：
？You know you love me！？
==================================
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！
It？s time to say goodbye； my darlings； because at this point； everyone who？s anyone is on their
way to college。 Except for those of us who have the good sense to stay right here in old NYC。 But
if you find yourself feeling left behind； don？t be sad。 There？salways a silver lining。 Like 。 。 。
（5） Now that your older （probably prettier and more perfect） best friend is gone； it？s your turn to
really shine。 By the time the first day of school rolls around； you？ll be ruling the hallways and
wearing that imaginary diamond…encrusted tiara。
（4） No one？s here to scoff at your new back…to…school look？so go for it。 After all； this ing
school year will probably be the most important of your social existence； so go for those new；
sex…kittenesque bangs。 The boys will e barking？trust me。
（3） You？re finally free to make out with everyone you？ve ever had a crush on。 Senior year is
basically a get…out…of…jail…free card？like Las Vegas； whatever happens during senior year stays
here； so its okay to take some chances and flirt your tushy off？you never know what might happen
if you do！
（2） The city is now yours？take advantage。 Remember； next year you might be stuck on the green；
leafy campuses of Yale or Princeton with nary a Barneys or Bergdorf？s in sight。 Time to explore
the limits of your charge card？as if you need the reminder。
（1） And the number…one reason not to feel sad about being left behind is 。 。 。 things are not going
to get boring around here？not if I have anything to do with it。 Which； of course； I will。
sightings
D？s momJ at the Upper West Side branch of the New York Public Library； wearing a silk kimono
and purple fuzzy slippers； attempting to donate the bookHomoSensuality while insisting it？s
essential to any great library。B on the train looking very Audrey； being helped with her bags by a
hottie in a Yale T…shirt。S walking past La Goulue on Madison； a big smile on her face； getting
stopped byeveryone 。D at a rest stop in Pennsylvania； cooing sweet nothings into his cell phone
while drinking entirely too much black coffee。V strolling through the NYU campus near
Washington Square Park in the early afternoon； manically filming everything。 Something tells me
thatV will attempt to document every moment of her college existence。 Those tapes will probably
be worth a fortune someday。N 。 。 。 nowhere in sight。 And finally； three new sightings：
AfterB left her apartment this morning； headed for Yale； three gorgeous new faces arrived for a
quickie tour： I have it on good authority they？re theC triplets； set to move intoB ？s pad any day
now。 There？s blondA ； looking every inch the Upper East Side bombshell sheisn？t 。 Her adorable
brother；O； whose chiseled features and white…blond hair are like a who？s who of hotness。 And
then there？s the ？ber bohemian chicB； which I？ve heard stands for ？Baby。？ Her real name？or just
what guys call out to her on the street？ Because yes； she？s really that beautiful。
Well； my darlings； that kind of wraps it up 。 。 。 for now。 If you？re wondering why I？m so chipper
whenB； S； N； D； andV； and all their wild friends have left； it？s because it looks like next year
might be even more fun than this year； and I？m not going anywhere。 That？s right； you heard me；
I？m here to stay。 Why leave when there？s going to beso much more to talk about？
Whatever I do； you know you？llalways love me。
gossip girl
s takes the wind out of b？s sail
Blair？s pretty blue eyes narrowed； catlike； as she looked at Serena in her cutoff Sevens skirt and
white Imitation of Christ tank。 The light poured in through the enormous living room windows
and bounced off Serena？s angelic blond wisps of hair。 She looked predictably； infuriatingly
stunning。 Even though it was obvious that Serena hadn？t put any effort into her outfit； she was as
gorgeous as fucking ever。 It wouldn？t matter if she were wearing saggy…butt shorts and a stained
wifebeater？she？d probably still get stopped on the street by Patrick Demarchelier on her way
home and get put on the cover of September？sVogue 。 It wasn？t fucking fair。
Yes； but look who has the boy； honey。
Blair willed herself to