girl in it。 She played bass。
“And don’t forget my cherry！” Vanessa yelled after her as Ruby left
to get the drinks。
“Your sister’s awesome；” Serena said。
Vanessa shrugged。 “Yeah；” she said。 “It’s a pain in my ass； though。 I
mean； everyone’s always like； ‘Ruby’s so cool’ and I’m like；
‘Hello？’ ”
Serena laughed。 “I know what you mean。 My older brother—he goes
to Brown； and everybody loves him。 My parents are always so into
everything he does； and now that I’m back from boarding school it’s
like； ‘Oh； we have a daughter？’ ”
“Totally；” Vanessa agreed。 She couldn’t believe she was having such
a ridiculously normal conversation with Serena van der Woodsen。
Ruby brought them their drinks。 “Sorry guys； I gotta go set up；” she
said。
“Good luck；” Serena told her。
“Thanks； sweetie；” Ruby said。 She picked up her guitar case and
went to find her bandmates。
Vanessa couldn’t believe it。 Ruby never called anyone sweetie
except for Tofu； her parakeet。 Serena certainly had a way of melting
people’s hearts。 Vanessa was even starting to like her a little
herself。 She picked up her drink and clinked glasses with Serena。 “To
cool…ass chicks；” she said； knowing it sounded seriously gay； but not
really giving a shit。
Serena laughed and tossed back her shot of Stoli。 She wiped her
eyes and blinked a few times。 A scruffy…looking guy wearing an
oversized tuxedo was walking into the bar。 He stopped in the
doorway and stared at Serena as if he’d seen a ghost。
“Hey； isn’t that your friend Dan？” Serena asked Vanessa； pointing at
him。
Dan was wearing a tuxedo for the first time in his life。 He’d felt
pretty sharp when he first put it on； but he still couldn’t deal with
the Kiss on the Lips party。 So when Jenny let him blow the party off；
he’d e to The Five and Dime to apologize to Vanessa for being
such a dick over the Marjorie thing。
He’d tried to convince himself it didn’t matter that he’d probably
never see Serena van der Woodsen again in his life。 After all； he told
himself； life was fragile and absurd。
Life was absurd all right。 Because there Serena was。 In
Williamsburg； of all places。 His dream girl。
Dan felt like Cinderella。 He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep
them from shaking； and tried to plan his next move。 He would walk
over and suavely offer to buy Serena a drink。 Too bad the only
suave thing about him was his outfit。 Even it was only half as suave
as it could have been if he’d kept the Armani from Barneys。
“Hey；” Dan said when he reached their table； his voice cracking。
“What’re you doing here？” Vanessa said。 She couldn’t believe her
luck。 Did it have to be quite this bad？ Was she going to have to sit
there for the rest of the night watching Dan drool over Serena？
Sorry； honey。
“I blew off that Kiss on the Lips party。 It really wasn’t my thing；” Dan
said。
“Me too；” Serena said； smiling at Dan like he’d never been smiled at
before。
Dan clutched the back of Vanessa’s chair for balance。 “Hey；” he
said shyly。
“You remember Serena；” Vanessa said。 “She’s in my class at
Constance。”
“Hey Dan；” Serena said。 “Nice tux。”
Dan blushed and looked down at himself。 “Thanks；” he said。 He
looked up again。 “And that dress is 。 。 。 looks 。 。 。 pretty also；” he
stuttered。 He hadn’t thought it was possible to sound so idiotic。
“What about my shirt？” Vanessa said loudly。 “Have you ever seen
me look this hot？”
Dan stared at Vanessa’s shirt。 It was a red T…shirt。 Not very exciting。
“Is it new？” he asked； confused。
“Never mind；” Vanessa sighed； impatiently swirling the maraschino
cherry around in her glass。
“Grab a chair；” Serena said； moving over to make room for him。
“Ruby’s band is going to play in a minute。”
The rumors couldn’t possibly be true。 Serena didn’t look like a sex…
crazed； drug…addicted maniac。 She looked delicate and perfect and
exciting； like a wildflower you stumble upon unexpectedly in Central
Park。 Dan wanted to hold hands with her and whisper to each other
all night long。
He sat down next to her。 His hands were shaking so badly he had to
sit on them to keep them still。 He wanted her so badly。
The band started to play。
Serena finished her vodka。
“Would you like another one？” Dan offered eagerly。
Serena shook her head。 “I’m okay；” she said； sitting back in her
chair。 “Let’s just listen to the music for a while。”
“Okay；” Dan said。 As long as he was near her； he’d do anything。
“Hello； everyone！” Jeremy Scott Tompkinson said loudly； throwing
open the doors to the old Barneys building。
As always； Nate； Jeremy； Anthony； and Charlie had smoked a big
fatty before the party。 Nate was silly high； and when he walked
through the door and saw Blair pushing her way through the crowd
with her hand pressed over her mouth； he started to giggle。
“What’re you laughing at； jackass？” Anthony said； shoving his elbow
into Nate’s ribs。 “Nothing’s even happened yet。”
Nate wiped his hand over his face and tried to look serious； but it
was hard to keep a straight face in a room full of boys dressed like
penguins； and girls in sexy dresses。 He knew Blair was in the
bathroom； throwing up as usual。 The question was； should he go
rescue her？ It was the type of thing a good； concerned boyfriend
would do。
Go for it。 You know you want to。
“Bar’s over there；” Charlie said； leading the way。
“I’ll catch you guys later；” Nate said； pushing his way through the
crowded dance floor。
He ducked around Chuck； who was gyrating his crotch against the
ass of a short girl with curly brown hair and insane cleavage； and
headed for the ladies room。
But Blair hadn’t made it to the ladies’ room。 Before she’d gotten
there； a middle…aged woman in a red Chanel suit with a “Save the
Falcons” button pinned to it had stopped her。
“Blair Waldorf？” the woman said； holding out her hand and smiling
her best fundraising smile。 “I’m Rebecca Agnelli； from the Central
Park Save the Peregrine Falcon Foundation。”
Talk about bad timing。
Blair stared at the woman’s hand。 Her own right hand was clapped
over her mouth； holding in the vomit that threatened to spew out at
any moment。 She started to remove it so she could shake hands；
but then a waiter walked by with sizzling skewers of spicy chicken；
and Blair gagged。
Blair squeezed her lips together to keep the puke from seeping out
the sides of her mouth and changed hands； clapping the left one
over her mouth and reaching out to shake hands with her right
hand。
“It’s so wonderful to finally meet you；” the woman said as they
clasped hands。 “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done。”
Blair nodded and pulled her hand away。 Enough was enough。 She
couldn’t hold on any longer。 Her eyes darted around the crowded
room； desperately seeking help。
There were Kati and Isabel； dancing with each other。 There was
Anthony Avuldsen； handing out tabs of E。 There was Jeremy Scott
Tompkinson； trying to teach Laura Salmon and Rain Hoffstetter how
to blow smoke rings by the bar。 There was Chuck； holding that little
Ginny girl so tight it looked like her boobs might explode。
All the extras were there； but where was her leading man； her
savior？
“Blair？”
She turned around and saw Nate pushing his way through the crowd
toward her。 Nate’s eyes were bloodshot； his face slack； his hair
unbed。 He looked more like a forgettable supporting actor than
a leading man。
Was this all there was？ Was Nate it？
Blair didn’t have much choice。 She opened her eyes wide； silently
asking Nate for help and praying he’d be up to the job。
Ms。 Agnelli frowned and turned around to see what Blair was staring
at。 Blair made a run for it； and Nate stepped in just in time。
Thank God he was so stoned。
“Nate Archibald；” Nate said； shaking hands with the woman。 “My
mother is a big fan of those falcons。”
Ms。 Agnelli laughed and blushed a little。 What a charming young
man。 “Well； of course she is；” she said。 “Your family has been very
generous with our foundation。”
Nate plucked two flutes of champagne off a passing tray and
handed one to her。 He raised his glass。 “To the birds；” he said；
clinking his glass with hers and trying to fend off an outbreak of the
giggles。
Ms。 Agnelli blushed again。 This boy was too cute！
“Hey； those two girls helped plan the party； too；” Nate said；
pointing at Kati and Isabel； who were standing on the edge of the
dance floor； useless as usual。 He waved them over。
“Hello； Nate；” said Kati； tottering over on four…inch stilettos。
Isabel clutched her drink and stared at the strange woman standing
next to Nate。 “Hi；” she said。 “I love your suit。”
“Thank you； dear。 I’m Rebecca Agnelli； from the Central Park Save
the Peregrine Falcons Foundation；” the woman said。 She held her
hand out to Isabel； who reached out with both arms to give her a
drunken hug。
“Excuse me；” said Nate； bowing out right on cue。
“Blair？” Nate called； cautiously pushing open the ladies’ room door。
“Are you in there？”
Blair was crouched in the end stall。 “Shit；” she said softly； wiping
her mouth with toilet paper。 She stood up and flushed。 “I’ll be right
out；” she said； waiting for him to leave。
But Nate pushed the ladies’ room door open all the way and
stepped inside。 On a counter by the sinks were little bottles of
Evian； perfume； hairspray； Advil； and hand lotion。 He unscrewed a
bottle of water and shook a couple Advil onto his palm。
Blair opened the stall door。 “You’re still here；” she said。
Nate handed her the pills and the water。 “I’m still here；” he
repeated。
Blair swallowed the pills； sipping the water slowly。 “I’m really fine；”
she said。 “You can go back to the party。”
“You look nice；” Nate said； ignoring her。 He reached out and rubbed
one of Blair’s bare shoulders。 Her skin felt warm and soft； and Nate
wished they could lie down on her bed and fall asleep together like
they always used to。
“Thanks；” said Blair； her lower lip beginning to tremble。 “So do
you。”
“I’m sorry； Blair。 I really am；” Nate began。
Blair nodded and began to cry。 Nate pulled a paper towel from the
dispenser and handed it to her。
“I think the only real reason I did it 。 。 。 I mean； that I did it with
Serena 。 。 。 is because I knew she’d do it；” he said； grasping for the
right words。 “But it was you I wanted all along。”
Nice one。
Blair swallowed。 He’d said it just right； exactly the way she’d written
it in the script in her head。 She put her arms around Nate’s neck
and let him hold her。 His clothes smelled like pot。
Nate pushed her away and looked down into her eyes。 “So
everything is okay now？” he said。 “You still want me？”
Blair caught the reflection of the two of them together in the
bathroom mirror and gazed up into Nate’s gorgeous green eyes and
nodded yes。
“But only if you promise to stay away from Serena；” she sniffled。
Nate wound a strand of Blair’s hair around his finger and breathed
in the scent of her perfume。 It felt oka