knew about them。
That makes sense。
？Uh…huh；？ Serena replied excitedly。 ？Look atthese。 ？ She pulled some old photos from her bag
and handed them to Blair。
Blair stared down at the picture of Nate sleeping； the words BUCK NAKED scrawled across his
adolescent； scrawny chest in black magic marker。 She？d written the ？BUCK？ part； and Serena？s
wavy script had filled in the ？NAKED？？they hadn？t even talked about it； they？d just had the exact
same thought at the exact same time。 Blair laughed； running her fingers over the slick surface of
the photograph。 ？I can？t believe you found this！ What were we； like； thirteen？ We were so
freaking immature！？ They looked so innocent； lying there with Nate between them。 Blair smiled；
suddenly feeling nostalgic。 The Three Musketeers？that？s what their parents had called them since
grade school； a cluster of adults shaking their heads and smiling as Serena and Blair tackled Nate
in their various living rooms； sitting on top of him until he screamed。
Sounds like a dream e true。
？Oh my God。？ Blair turned to face Serena and pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head。
Some girl？s art portfolio nearly slapped Blair as the girl hurried up the stone steps。 ？Remember in
seventh grade when we all drank a bottle of champagne； and Nate had to go out to dinner with his
dad afterwards； totally tipsy？？ Serena laughed as she stuffed the photos back into her bag。 ？How
could I forget？ And remember how we went back to your house and tried to make brownies？
Except we were both so uncoordinated we spilled the batter all over the floor； and then Kitty
Minky ate it and threw up in your mom？s closet？all over her new pair of Fendi boots？ I？ve never
seen your mom that mad before。？ Blair laughed； moving slightly closer to Serena on the steps。 Her
anger was slowly dissolving。 If Serena would just confess about that fucking love letter； Blair
could just forgive her and they could move on。 With her family turning on her； she really needed
her best friend。
？Can I bum a smoke？？ Blair eyed Serena？s slouchy black leather Gucci bag。 Serena nodded and
pulled out her pack of Gauloises； handing one to her。 Even though she？d brought her own Merit
Ultra Lights； Blair decided that with Yale ing up so soon； she？d better start smoking a more
serious brand of cigarettes。
Doesn？t she mean more pretentious？
A horde of little kids dressed in shorts and T…shirts stumbled up the steps； holding onto a long
piece of red rope。 Blair watched as the kids struggled to make it to the top of the steps； yelling and
laughing； all moving together in a group。 She remembered how in first grade； for whatever
ridiculous reason； everyone in her class had decided that she had cooties。 Serena was the only one
who would talk to her。 And then； of course； as soon as she had accepted Blair； everyone else had
been quick to follow。 Serena never had trouble finding people to worship her and copy her every
move； even back when they could barely form sentences。
Serena exhaled a cloud of sweetly scented smoke。 ？Sometimes I can？t believe we were ever that
young。？
Like they？re so ancient now。
？Iknow 。？ Blair pushed her glossy dark hair off her shoulders。 ？I can？t believe we？re going to
college in a week。？ She looked at the group of kids again。 Two girls were fighting over a place on
the red rope。 ？I can？t wait to get to Yale and just start over again。 Can？t you just picture it？？ She
closed her eyes； smiling happily as she conjured up the freshly…mowed green grass strewn with
fall leaves and ivy…covered brick walls。 Ah；Yale。 She and Nate were going to move into a cozy
colonial house and live happily ever after。 They could even have Serena over for dinner sometimes。
She？d regale them with stories about the single life； crazy frat parties； and silly hookups followed
by morning walks of shame； and Blair and Nate would chuckle and smile at each other across the
table； smugly happy that they？d found theone and weren？t out there getting drunk and sloppy。
Serena closed her eyes too； and tried her best to put herself there； beside Blair and Nate at Yale in
the fall。 But behind her closed eyelids lay a mass of empty； undefined darkness。 She frowned。 She
couldn？t ignore the fact that every time she tried to imagine her life at college； she wound up
drawing a plete blank。 She snapped her eyes open and instantly felt forted by the sight of
Fifth Avenue； its sea of yellow taxis heading downtown； the stately green…awninged buildings with
their impeccably dressed doormen who wore suits and white gloves no matter how hot it was。
Blair took a drag from her Galoise。 ？So； when I was saying I wanted to kill my family before 。 。 。
I？m kind of serious this time。 They？re moving to L。A。 because Cyrus is building some golf course
or mall or something putrid that the people out there like。 Of course theywould leave the city for
the fucking natural…disaster capital of the world。？ She rolled her eyes； her bitterness starting to
creep back in。
？What？？Serena angled her body toward Blair？s； so that their knees were touching。 ？Are you
serious？？ Blair crushed out the cigarette beneath the heel of her leopard…print Repetto ballet
flats。 ？She gave me this whole sob story about how poor baby Yale needed to be raised in a place
that had abackyard。 ？ ？We didn？t have backyards and we turned out okay；？ Serena replied； her
normally smooth brow wrinkled in thought。Had they turned out okay？ Another group of kids ran
up the massive steps； screaming at the top of their lungs。
？That？s whatI said。？ Blair threw up her hands in exasperation。 ？I mean； we had the wholecity to
play in。 Like those kids。They don？t look unhappy。？ She gestured toward the group of
five…year…olds； who were giggling as they raced each other up the giant stone steps。 Blair
straightened with a sudden thought。 ？But actually； maybe I won？t have to kill my family now。
Maybe an earthquake will just swallow them up。 Except my baby sister； of course。 She can stay。？
She tried to laugh but couldn？t。 Nothing was funny right now。
If picturing her family dead doesn？t make her happy； maybe she should try something less
violent； like meditation。
？Wow；？ Serena observed glumly； twirling a long piece of golden hair around one finger； suddenly
feeling sad and serious。 She looked out to Fifth Avenue again； just as a bus with theBreakfast at
Fred？s ad rolled by。 She quickly turned away； not sure why seeing it made her feel jittery and
unsettled。 ？I can？t imagine you anywhere else but right here。 I mean； we？ve lived； like； ten blocks
away from each other our wholelives。 ？ Blairhad always been here in the city； right by her side。
Even when they weren？t getting along？which was a lot of the time？it had made her feel better to
know that Blair was just half a mile away； sleeping in the room Serena knew so well。 What would
Thanksgiving or Christmas break be like now with her in California？ Or the summers； for that
matter？ Serena had always thought they？d be together forever； and now she wasn？t so sure。 She
looked over at Blair； who was deep in thought。
？So； I told you about how the release date of my movie got pushed up； right？ I？m totally stressed
about the premiere；？ Serena said； deciding to change the subject for both their sakes。 She pushed
her mass of hair over her shoulder。 ？There？s a press conference at the Soho House on Tuesday；
and I？m really nervous。？ Blair turned to her friend and took another swig of cold sweet coffee。
Serena certainlyhadn？t told her the release date had been moved up； but that explained why she？d
seen her face and the words ？True Love Never Lies？ pass by on three different buses since they？d
sat down。 Serena was staring straight ahead； and Blair couldn？t tear her gaze away from her
perfect profile。 Even though her face was flushed and a little bit sweaty from the sun overhead； it
should？ve been etched in glass and then minted onto a fucking coin。 But however jealous she
might be of the fact that Serena was going to be an overnight sensation； she had to admit she felt
kind of proud； too。 The only thing better than having fame and fortune happen to you was to have
it happen to your best friend。
Excuse me； but what happened to the Blair we all know and love？
？Don？t worry。？ Blair turned and gave Serena？s knee a squeeze。 ？You？re going to be
fine。？ ？Thanks。 That means a lot to me；？ Serena replied slowly； her voice soft。 ？Oh； and will you
e shopping with me for the Met party？？ ？Of course。？ Blair nodded。 She remembered how
much fun they used to have playing dress…up when they were little； trying on clothes in her room
all afternoon and drinking Campari and sodas with lime； giggling together in the bathroom mirror
as Serena expertly painted Blair？s lids with black liner； or lacquered her nails with ballet slipper
pink Essie polish。
Even if Serena had written Nate that stupid love letter； Blair was the one who was with him now。
There really wasn？t any reason they couldn？t still be best friends。 Serena would be the famous one
and Blair would be 。 。 。 the happy one。
Right。
all n needs now is a peg leg
Nate crossed West Forty…fourth Street and headed toward the imposing beaux…arts limestone
building that housed the New York Yacht Club。 The large bay windows resembled the sterns of
ships and made Nate wish desperately that he was still out at sea with Blair； her wet； sandy hair
tickling his skin； nothing in the distance but blue sky and endless horizons。 He only felt like
himself when he was on board theCharlotte ； far away from the city and the pressures of real life。
Why did real life always have to be soplicated ？ He？d been back on dry land for one day； and
he was already in serious trouble。
Story of his life。
He pushed open the front door and stepped inside the opulent interior of the old club。 The
paneling was all deep； rich mahogany； and everything in sight was gilded in gold。 He pushed his
shoulders back and tried to stand up a little straighter as he climbed the ornate； winding marble
staircase toward an impeccably dressed attendant。
？I？m here to see 。 。 。 uh 。 。 。 Captain Chips；？ Nate said stupidly； realizing he couldn？t even
remember Chips？s last name。 ？I？m Nate； um； Nathaniel Archibald。？ The attendant looked down at
his metal clipboard and quickly found his name； placing a neat check mark right beside it。
？Right this way； Mr。 Archibald。 CaptainWhite is expecting you in the Grill Room。？ The attendant
emphasized the name White； as if implying that Nate ought to remember it。 Nate gulped and
followed him down the wooden stairs to a set of heavy oak doors。
The gracefully curved ceiling of the Grill Room was fashioned out of planks of oak； the floors
and walls paneled in the dark wood。 Round tables covered in white linen tablecloths were
scattered around the cozy； underground space。 It was like being in the belly of a tall ship； and Nate
instantly felt a thousand times more fortable。 He could almost hear the wood creaking under
his feet as he was led toward a man dressed in full navy uniform； gold medals shining on his lapels。
His white hair wa