thin and rumpled…looking。 A little glass crack pipe lay on his chest。
Lucky Vanessa had found it on the street in Williamsburg that
weekend。 It was the perfect prop for her sexily damaged prince。
“I’m going to read Natasha’s lines。 Watch carefully；” she told
Marjorie。 “Okay Dan； let’s go。”
“Haven’t you been asleep？” Vanessa…as…Natasha said； peering at
Dan…as…Prince Andrei。
“No； I have been looking at you for a long time。 I knew by instinct
that you were here。 No one except you gives me such a sense of
gentle restfulness 。 。 。 such light！ I feel like weeping from very joy；”
Dan…as…Prince Andrei said quietly。
Vanessa knelt at his head； her face radiant with solemn delight。
“Natasha； I love you too dearly！ More than all the world！” Dan
gasped； trying to sit up and then sinking back on the bench as if in
pain。
He said he loved her！ Vanessa grabbed his hand； her face flushed
red at the thrill of it。 She was pletely caught up in the moment。
Then she remembered herself； let go of Dan’s hand； and stood up。
“Now your turn；” she told Marjorie。
“ ’Kay；” Marjorie said； chewing her gum with her mouth open。 She
pulled the scrunchy out of her wiry red hair and fluffed it up with
her hand。 Then she knelt down by Dan’s bench and held up the
script。 “Ready？” she asked him。
Dan nodded。
“Haven’t you been asleep？” Marjorie said； batting her eyes
flirtatiously and cracking her gum。
Dan closed his eyes and said his line。 He could get through this
without laughing if he kept his eyes closed。
Halfway through the scene； Marjorie put on a fake Russian accent。 It
was unbelievably bad。
Vanessa suffered in silence； wondering what she was going to do
without a Natasha。 For a moment she imagined buying a wig and
playing the part herself； getting someone else to shoot it for her。
But it was her project； she had to film it。
Just then； someone nudged her arm and whispered； “Do you mind if
I try when she’s done？”
Vanessa turned to find Serena van der Woodsen standing beside
her； a little breathless from running across the park。 Her cheeks
were flushed and her eyes were as dark as the twilit sky。 Serena
was her Natasha； if ever there was one。
Daniel bolted upright； forgetting his injuries and his line。 The crack
pipe rolled to the ground。
“Wait； we’re not done；” Marjorie said。 She prodded Dan in the arm。
“You’re supposed to kiss my hand。”
Dan stared at her blankly。
“Sure；” Vanessa told Serena。 “Marjorie； do you mind giving Serena
your script？”
Serena and Marjorie traded places。 Dan had his eyes open now。 He
didn’t dare blink。
They began to read。
“I have been looking at you for a long time；” Dan said； meaning
every word。
Serena knelt down beside him and took his hand。 Dan felt faint； and
he was grateful he was lying down。
Whoa。 Easy boy。
He had been in lots of plays； but he had never felt that thing called
“chemistry” before with anyone。 And to be feeling it with Serena
van der Woodsen was like dying an exquisite death。 It felt like he
and Serena were sharing the same breath。 He was inhale and she
was exhale。 He was quiet and still； while she exploded around him
like fireworks。
Serena was enjoying herself too。 The script was beautiful and
passionate； and this scruffy Dan guy was a really good actor。
I could get into this； she thought with a little thrill。 She had never
really thought about what she wanted to do with her life； but maybe
acting was her thing。
They kept reading beyond the given stopping point。 It was as
though they’d forgotten they were acting。 Vanessa frowned。 Serena
was great—they were great together—but Dan was swooning。 It was
totally nauseating。
Boys are so predictable； Vanessa thought and cleared her throat
noisily。 “Thanks； Serena。 Thanks； Dan。” She pretended to scribble
ments in her notebook。 “I’ll let you know tomorrow； okay？” she
told Serena。 In your dreams； she wrote。
“That was fun！” Serena said； smiling at Dan。
Dan gazed up at her dreamily from the bench； still hungover from
the moment。
“Marjorie； I’ll let you know tomorrow； too。 Okay？” Vanessa told the
redhead。
“ ’Kay；” Marjorie said。 “Thanks。”
Dan sat up； blinking。
“Thanks so much for letting me try out；” Serena said sweetly；
turning to go。
“See you later；” Dan said； sounding drugged。
“Bye；” Marjorie said； waving at him； and then rushing after Serena。
“Let’s practice your monologue； Dan；” Vanessa said sharply。 “I want
to shoot that first。”
“Which subway are you taking？” Marjorie asked Serena； as they
walked out of the park。
“Um；” Serena said。 She never took the subway； but it wouldn’t kill
her to ride with Marjorie。 “The 6； I guess；” she said。
“Hey； me too；” Marjorie said happily。 “We can ride together。”
It was rush hour； and the subway was packed。 Serena found herself
jammed between a woman with a huge Daffy’s bag and a fat little
boy with nothing to hold onto but Serena’s coat； which he kept
grabbing every time the train lurched forward。 Marjorie was holding
onto the rail above their heads； but only her fingertips could reach
it； and she kept staggering backwards； stepping on people’s feet。
“Don’t you think Dan is majorly cute？” Marjorie asked Serena。 “I
can’t wait until we start filming。 I’ll get to hang out with him every
day！”
Serena smiled。 Obviously Marjorie thought she’d gotten the part；
which was a little sad； because Serena was absolutely sure that she
had the part。 She had totally nailed it。
Serena imagined getting to know Dan。 She wondered which school
he went to。 He had dark； haunting eyes； and he said his lines like he
meant them。 She liked that。 They’d have to practice quite a bit
together after school。 She wondered if he liked to go out； and what
he liked to drink。
The train came to a sudden stop at Fifty…ninth Street and Lexington
—Bloomingdale’s。 Serena fell forward onto the little boy。
“Ouch；” he said； glaring up at her。
“This is my stop；” Marjorie said； pushing her way to the door。 “Sorry
if you didn’t get the part。 I’ll see you at school tomorrow。”
“Good luck！” Serena called。 The subway car emptied out and she
slid into a seat； her mind still on Dan。
She imagined drinking Irish coffees with him in dark cafés and
discussing Russian literature。 Dan looked like he read a lot。 He could
give her books to read and help her with her acting。 Maybe they’d
even bee friends。 She could use some new ones。
Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events havebeen altered or abbreviated to protect the innocent。 Namely； me。
hey people！
I was in an interschool play once。 I had one great line： “Iceberg！”
Guess which play I was in and what I was dressed as？ The one
hundredth person to get it right will win a free Remi brothers poster。
But enough about me。
S’S MODELING DEBUT！
Be on the lookout this weekend for the cool new poster decorating
the sides of buses； the insides of subways； the tops of taxis； and
available online through yours truly （I’m telling you； I’m connected）。
It’s a great big picture of S—not her face； but it has her name on it
so you’ll know it’s her。 Congratulations to S on her modeling debut！
SightingsB ； K ； and I all in 3 Guys eating fries and hot chocolates with big
fat Intermix bags under the table。 Don’t those girls have anywhere
else to go？ And we thought they were always out boozing it up and
partying down。 So disappointing。 I did see B slip a few splashes of
brandy into her hot chocolate； though。 Good girl。 Also saw that
same wigged girl going into the STD clinic downtown。 If that is S ；
she’s definitely got a bad case of the nasties。 Oh； and in case you’re
wondering why I frequent the neighborhood of the STD clinic—I get
my hair cut at a very trendy salon across the street。
Your E…mail
dear gossip girl； are u really even a girl？ u seem like the type 2
pretend to be a girl when u’r really a 50…yrs…old bored journalist with
nothing better 2 do than to harsh on kids like me。 loser。 —jdwack
Dearest Jdwack； I’m the girliest girl you’d ever want to meet。 And
I’m pre…college； pre…voting age； too。 How do I know you’re not some
fifty…year…old bitter dude with boils on your face taking his inner
angst out on innocent girls like me？—GG
Dear GG； I loooove your column so much I showed it to my Dad；
who totally loved it！！ He has friends who work at Paper and the
Village Voice and other magazines。 Don’t be surprised if your
column gets much； much bigger！！ I hope you don’t mind！！！ Love
always！！！ —JNYHY
Mind？ No way。 I’m all about being big。 I’m going to be huge。 No
more crappy one…line parts in interschool plays for me。 You might
even see me on the side of a bus sometime soon。 Bring it on！
You know you love me；
“Yum；” Serena said； eyeing the cookies laid out on a table in the
Constance lunchroom。 Peanut butter cream； chocolate chip；
oatmeal。 Next to the cookies were plastic cups full of orange juice
or milk。 A lunch lady was monitoring the cookies； making sure each
girl took only two。 This was recess； the daily twenty…minute break
Constance gave its girls after second period； no matter what grade
they were in。
When the lunch lady’s head was turned； Serena grabbed six peanut
butter creams and glided away to stuff her face。 It wasn’t exactly a
healthy breakfast； but it would have to do。 She’d stayed up late the
night before trying to read her father’s leather…bound edition of War
and Peace so she’d be better prepared for Vanessa’s film。
Whoa； War and Peace is like； two million pages long。 Ever heard of
CliffsNotes？
Serena saw Vanessa； wearing her usual black turtleneck and bored
expression； ing out of the cafeteria kitchen with a cup of tea in
her hand。 Serena waved a cookie at her； and Vanessa came over。
“Hi；” Serena said cheerfully。 “Made up your mind yet？”
Vanessa sipped her tea。 She’d been up half the night trying to
decide between Serena and Marjorie for the part。 But she couldn’t
get the look on Dan’s face when he read with Serena out of her
head。 And no matter how good Serena was； she never wanted to
see that look on Dan’s face again。 She certainly didn’t want to
capture it on film。
“Actually； yes。 I haven’t told Marjorie yet；” Vanessa said calmly； “but
I’m giving her the part。”
Serena dropped the cookie she was eating on the floor； stunned。
“Oh；” she said。
“Yeah；” said Vanessa； scrambling for a decent reason why she was
using Marjorie when Serena was obviously perfect for the part。
“Marjorie’s really rough and innocent。 That’s what I’m looking for。
Dan and I thought your performance was just a bit too 。 。 。 um 。 。 。
polished。”
“Oh；” Serena said again。 She could hardly believe it。 Even Dan had
vetoed her？ She had thought they were going to be friends。
“Sorry；” Vanessa said； feeling slightly bad。 She knew she shouldn’t
have brought Dan into it； he didn’t even know she was turning
Serena down。 But it sounded more professional that way。 Like it
wasn’t anything she had against S