impossible not to get kicked out。”
Blair pressed her lips together； measuring her words carefully。 “I
don’t mean that； I mean why you got kicked out。” There。 She had
done it。 She had mitted herself now。 She was going to have to
sit and listen to Serena tell her all about the cults she had joined；
and the boys she’d had sex with； and the drugs she had done。 Shit。
Don’t believe for a minute that she wasn’t curious； though。
Blair fiddled with the ruby ring on her finger； turning it round and
round。 Serena raised her glass at Missy； asking for another drink。
“Blair；” Serena said。 “The only reason I got kicked out was because I
didn’t show up at the beginning of school。 I stayed in France。 My
parents didn’t even know。 I was supposed to fly back at the end of
August； but I stayed until the third week in September。 I was living
in this amazing chateau outside of Cannes； and it was like； a
constant party。 I don’t think I slept a whole night the entire time I
was there。 It was like those parties in that house in The Great
Gatsby。
“There were these two boys； an older brother and a younger one；
and I was totally in love with both of them。 Actually；” she laughed；
“I was even more in love with their father； but he was married。”
The Star Lounge DJ switched vibes and began to play a funky acid
jazz song with a cool beat。 The lights dimmed and the candles
flickered。 Serena jiggled her foot to the music and glanced at Blair；
whose eyes were glazing over。
Serena lit another cigarette and inhaled deeply。
“Anyway； of course I partied a lot at school； but so did everyone
else。 What the school couldn’t deal with was that I didn’t even
bother to show up at the beginning of the year。 I don’t blame them；
I guess。 But to tell you the truth； I really didn’t care about going
back to school。 I was having way too much fun。”
Blair rolled her eyes again。 She honestly didn’t care what the truth
was。
“Did you ever think about the fact that these are like； the most
important years of our lives？ Like； for getting into college and
everything？” she said。
Missy brought Serena’s drink； and this time Serena only nodded her
thanks。 She looked down at the floor； her pinky nail between her
teeth。 “Yeah； I’m just realizing that now；” she admitted。 “I hadn’t
thought about it before—how I should have been joining teams and
clubs。 You know； getting really into the school thing。”
Blair shook her head。 “I feel sorry for your parents；” she said quietly。
Serena’s eyes were getting big； and her lip was trembling。 But she
was determined not to let Blair make her cry。 Blair was just being a
bitch； that’s all。 Maybe she was getting her period。
Serena took a huge gulp of her drink and wiped her mouth with her
cocktail napkin。 “So； you never told me what you and Nate did all
summer。 Did you ever go up to Maine and see that boat he built？”
she asked； pletely changing the subject。
Blair shook her head。 “I had tennis camp。 It sucked。”
“Oh；” Serena said。
They drank their drinks in awkward silence。
Serena sat up suddenly； remembering something。 “Hey；” she said。
“You know； some girl actually signed up to help me with my movie？
A ninth grader。 Her name is Jenny。 And she gave me an invitation to
that party next week。 You know； the one you’ve been planning？”
Touché； girlfriend。 Touché。
Blair pulled another cigarette out of the pack and stuck it in her
mouth。 She reached for a match； pausing before she struck it to see
if the bartender would leap across the room with a lighter。 He didn’t。
Blair lit the cigarette herself and blew a big cloud of smoke directly
into Serena’s face。
So Serena knew about the party。 She had an invitation。 Well； she
was bound to find out anyway。
“The calligrapher；” Blair said； smiling sweetly。 “She’s good； isn’t
she？”
“Yeah； she did a great job；” Serena said。 “And it was really nice of
her to notice that mine had the wrong address on it。 She said the
address you gave her was my dorm room at Hanover。”
Blair tucked her hair behind her ears and shrugged her shoulders。
“Oops；” she said； feigning cluelessness。 “Sorry about that。”
“So tell me about the party；” Serena said。 “What’s it for again？”
Blair couldn’t talk about the cause without smiling self…consciously
because it sounded so lame and unsexy。 That’s why she’d named
the party Kiss on the Lips。 To give it some allure。 “It’s for those two
peregrine falcons that live in Central Park。 They’re an endangered
species； and everyone’s worried that they’re going to die or starve
or the squirrels will raid their nests or whatever。 So they set up a
foundation for them；” she explained。 “Don’t laugh。 I know it’s kind
of stupid。”
Serena blew out a puff of smoke and giggled。 “Well； it’s not like
there aren’t people that need saving。 I mean； what about the
homeless？”
“Well； it’s as good a cause as any。 We wanted something that
wasn’t too heavy to start the season off；” Blair huffed； annoyed。 It
was fine for her to laugh at the cause she’d chosen for the party；
but Serena had no right。
Serena steered the conversation back on course。 “So is the party
like； just for us； or is it for parents； too？” she asked。
Blair hesitated。 “Just 。 。 。 us；” she said finally。 She downed the rest of
her drink and looked at her watch。 “Um； I kind of have to take off；”
she said。 She slid her bag over her arm and picked her pack of
cigarettes up off the table。
Serena frowned。 She had taken her time getting dressed； psyching
herself up for a wild night out with her friends。 She’d expected a big
group—Blair and the other girls； Nate and his gang； Chuck and his
boys—all the people they always used to hang out with。
“But I thought we would stay here for a while。 Wait for everyone
else；” Serena said。 “Where are you going； anyway？”
“I have a practice SAT tomorrow morning；” Blair said； feeling
extremely superior； even though she was lying her ass off。 “I need
to prepare for it； and I want to go to bed early。”
“Oh；” Serena said。 She crossed her arms and sat back on her stool。
“I was hoping we’d all wind up partying in the Basses’ suite
upstairs。 They still have it； don’t they？”
Back in tenth grade； Serena and Blair and her friends had spent
many a night in Chuck Bass’s suite； drinking and dancing； watching
movies and ordering room service； taking hot tubs。 Together； they’d
pass out on the king…sized bed and stay there until they were sober
enough to make their way home。
Once； during a very drunken night at the end of tenth grade； Serena
and Blair were soaking in the hot tub； and Blair had kissed Serena
full on the lips。 Serena hadn’t seemed to remember it the next
morning； but Blair never forgot it。 Even though it was just an
impulse move that didn’t mean anything； thinking about that kiss
always made her feel hot and itchy and unfortable。 That was
another reason why it had been such a relief when Serena went
away。
“The Basses still have the suite；” Blair said； standing up。 “But they
really don’t appreciate people using it。 This isn’t tenth grade
anymore；” she added coldly。
“Okay；” Serena said。 She couldn’t say anything right； could she？ At
least； not to Blair。
“Well； have a good weekend；” Blair said with a stiff smile； as if
they’d only just met。 As if they hadn’t known each other all their
lives。 She dropped twenty dollars on the table for their drinks。
“Excuse me；” she told the three tall boys who were blocking her
path。 “Can I get by？”
Serena twirled her drink straw around in her glass and sipped the
dregs of her Cosmopolitan； watching Blair leave。 The drink tasted
salty now； because she was about to cry again。
“Hey Blair—” Serena called out after her friend。 Maybe if she just
blurted it all out； asked Blair why she was really mad； even
confessed to sleeping with Nate that one time； they could go on
being friends。 They could start over。 Serena might even start taking
an SAT prep course； so they could take practice SATs together； or
whatever。
But Blair kept on pushing her way through the crowd and out the
door to the street。
She walked over to Sixth Avenue to catch a cab back uptown。 It was
starting to rain and her hair was frizzing。 A bus roared by with
Serena’s picture on the side of it。 Was it her belly button？ It looked
like the dark pit at the center of a peach。 Blair turned her back on it
and waved her hand in the air to flag down the next taxi。 She
couldn’t get away fast enough。 But the first taxi that stopped for her
had the same poster in the lighted advertising box on its roof。 Blair
got in and slammed the door angrily。 She could never get
pletely away—Serena was fucking everywhere。
Serena reached for another cigarette and stuck it in her mouth with
trembling fingers。 Suddenly a pinky…ringed hand proffered a Zippo
and lit the cigarette for her。 The lighter was gold； with the
monogram C。B。 So was the ring。
“Hey Serena。 You look seriously hot；” Chuck Bass said。 “What are
you doing sitting here all by yourself？”
Serena inhaled deeply； quelling her tears； and smiled。 “Hey Chuck。
I’m glad you’re here。 Blair ditched me and now I’m all alone。 Is
anyone else ing？”
Chuck clicked his lighter shut and put it in his pocket。 He glanced
around the room。 “Who knows？” he said casually。 “They could
e； or they could not e。” He sat down in the armchair where
Blair had been sitting。 “You really do look hot；” he said again；
staring at Serena’s legs like he wanted to eat them。
“Thanks；” Serena said and laughed。 It was kind of a relief to see
that Chuck was still exactly the same； even if everyone else was
acting like freaks。 She had to love him for that。
“Another round；” Chuck called over to Missy。 “And put everything on
my tab。” He handed Serena the twenty Blair had left on the table。
“You can keep that；” he said。
“But it’s Blair’s；” Serena said； taking the bill and looking at it。
“Give it back to her； then；” Chuck said。
Serena nodded and stuffed the bill into her red velvet handbag。
“There you go；” Chuck said； when Missy put the drinks down。
“Bottoms up！” He clinked glasses with Serena and poured scotch
down his throat。
“Oops；” she said； as her Cosmo sloshed onto her dress。 “Damn。”
Chuck grabbed his cocktail napkin and dabbed at the stain； which
happened to be on her hip。 “There； you can’t even see it；” he said；
letting his hand linger near her crotch。
Serena grabbed Chuck’s hand and put it back in his lap。 “Thanks；
Chuck；” she said。 “I think I’m okay。”
Chuck wasn’t even a tad embarrassed。 He was unembarrassable。
“Hey； let’s get one more drink and take it up to my suite； okay？” he
offered。 “I’ll tell the bar staff to tell anyone who es to meet us
up there。 They know who my friends are。”
Serena hesitated； thinking about what Blair had said about the
Basses not liking people in their suite anymore。 “Are you sure it’s
okay？” she said。
Chuck laughed and stood up； holding out his hand to her。 “Of course