looking at the same time。 All those years of uniforms and too much homework forthis？
Vanessa flipped the case closed and held it tight to her chest。 She didn？t care？she？d made it！ And
her whole future lay ahead of her。 After taking every film course NYU offered； she？d bee a
famous indie filmmaker； except she？d stick to true indies？unlike her former mentor； Ken Mogul；
who was totally selling out with that teen movie he was making at Barneys。 It was a good thing
Aaron had broken up with her today； because now she was free to meet all sorts of interesting
people from around the globe； and she could experiment with different relationships。 After all；
wasn？t that what college was all about？
Yeah； maybe。 But again； isn？t she kind of forgetting about someone？？
Some would argue that her last name begins with w
？Serena Caroline van der Woodsen；？ Mrs。 M called out。
？Shit；？ Blair muttered under her breath。 Where the fuckwas Serena； anyway？ She glanced back at
the other van der Woodsens。 They looked perky and excited。 Unbelievably； they still hadn？t quite
grasped the fact that Serena was missing。
？Serena？ Are you present？？ asked the headmistress； scanning the church with her glassy brown
eyes。 ？Has anyone seen Serena？？ The pretty； never…quite…reaching…her…potential blonde was
forever late for morning assemblies； but one would have thought she could pull it together to be on
time for this particular event。
The other girls twittered。 No one offered the headmistress an answer。 Blair glanced back at
Serena？s family once more。 Now they looked confused； although the van der Woodsens never lost
their cool。 Erik jutted his chin at Blair； silently suggesting that she go up to accept Serena？s
diploma for her。
？Blair Cornelia Waldorf；？ Mrs。 M announced sternly。 No Constance girl had ever missed
graduation before； and she was cross now； very cross。 She？d allowed Serena to e back to
Constance after she？d been thrown out of boarding school； and now Serena couldn？t even be
bothered to turn up for mencement？
Thank goodness Blair？sW came right after Serena？sV 。 In fact； some would argue Serena？s last
name began withW and therefore came after Blair？s。 Not that it mattered or that anyone really
cared at this point。
Blair went up to the podium to receive her diploma。 ？I？ll take Serena？s for her；？ she whispered；
hoping her voice wouldn？t carry over the microphone。
Mrs。 M smiled tersely and shook her hand。 ？That won？t be necessary；？ she replied； nodding at
something over Blair？s shoulder。
Blair spun around to find Serena sprinting up the aisle inher suit？exactly the same white satin
Oscar de la Renta suit with the swishy pleated knee…length skirt that she herself was wearing。 And
because Serena was practically a foot taller than Blair and they both weighed the same； it looked
even better on Serena； despite the fact that she was barefoot； her hair was all over the place； and
she？d forgotten her gloves。
？Sorry； Mrs。 M！？ Serena panted； flashing their headmistress the famously charming smile that
had won over everyone from avant…garde artists to the admissions offices at Yale； Brown； Harvard；
and everywhere else she？d applied。 ？Just think？this is the last time I？ll ever be late！？
Blair wanted to slap her for being so charming when she should have been in serious trouble。 In
fact； Serena probably would？ve failed chemistry and not graduated if it hadn？t been for her。 She
hated they way they must look standing side by side in their matching suits。 People probably
thought they？d bought them together or something。 One thing was for sure？Blair was definitely
making Serena change her outfit before her big party at the Yale Club tonight。 No fucking way
was she allowing Marcus to see how much better Serena looked in that damned suit。
Mrs。 M had had enough。 Half an hour of shaking parents？ hands and offering a few lame
anecdotes about their sweet； intelligent daughters； and she was off to Woodstock for the summer
to watch Vonda weed their heirloom tomato collection wearing only the red embroidered halter
top Mrs。 M had bought for her at a craft fair last weekend。
？Take your seats； girls；？ she ordered； dismissing Blair and Serena。
They walked back to the pews。 There was no room for Serena； so she perched on Vanessa？s
knee。
？You have my blessings。？ Mrs。 M blew the seniors a kiss。 ？And now； class is dismissed！？
Whooopppeeee！
her heart is on some other boy？s sleeve
After the ceremony； Nate did a few bong hits with the other boys in the billiard room over at
Jeremy？s； but his heart wasn？t in it。 They were all high school graduates； while he was
still ？diploma pending。？ Whatever the fuck that meant。
Leaving them to celebrate without him； he meandered slowly west on Eighty…sixth Street toward
home； thankful that his parents had been so pissed off at him for that goddamned asterisk that
they？d gone straight up to Mt。 Desert Island for the week； leaving him in peace。 Up in his room；
he began to sort through his cedar walk…in closet。 On the shelf above the clothes rail； behind that
ridiculous Darth Vader head he？d worn for Halloween two years in a row back in fourth and fifth
grade； was the little mahogany pirate？s treasure chest with the brass lock that his uncle Gerard had
given him when he was eight； where Nate stowed all his old photographs。 He grabbed the clothes
rail with one hand and used it to steady himself as he scaled the closet wall with his bare feet；
trying to get the fucker down。
The chest spilled open on the floor。 There he was on a fishing boat in Prince William Sound up in
Alaska two Augusts ago with his arm around his dad； both smiling like losers and wearing dirty
yellow foul…weather gear。 That was the best time he and his dad had ever had together。 Fishing in
the weird eleven o？clock twilight； surrounded by ghostly glaciers； and sharing a flask of Scotch on
their way back into port。 Then there were the pictures of him and Blair。 He looking bored and
sleepy and embarrassed； with his head on her rose…colored pillows； and she looking crazily
ecstatic； with her cheek pressed violently into his ear as she held her camera in front of their faces
and snapped the pictures herself。
Then there was the picture of Serena？s elegant； tanned foot with the wordsMiss you written on it
in purple marker that she？d sent him last year while she was still up at boarding school。 Nate had
kept it； loving her sexy silver toe ring； and loving how he knew it was from her； even though she
hadn？t sent it with a note or used a return address or anything。 He held the photograph in his hands；
trying to invoke that tingly； turned…on feeling he？d felt when he？d gotten it in the mail； but now it
was just a silly old photograph that didn？t really invoke anything。
He glanced at the photo of him and Blair again； missing the way they used to kick around
together doing stupid things； like drinking way too many vodka tonics before a movie and then
running out during the previews because they couldn？t stop laughing。 Her
new…shoe…and…Kiehl？s…cucumber…skin…cream smell。 The way she was so sexy when she was
throwing a fit。 He wanted her to sit on his lap。 He wanted her hands in his pockets。 He wanted her
to call him at seven o？clock in the morning on a Sunday because she was hyper and couldn？t wait
for him to wake up。
He tossed the photos back in the pirate？s chest and closed the lid。 Hanging on the clothes rail
inside a clear plastic bag was the moss green cashmere sweater Blair had given him last spring。
The maid had sent it to the dry cleaners so it would be ready for Nate to wear at Yale in the fall。
Nate ripped open the bag and felt inside the sweater？s right sleeve。 No； maybe it was the left。 Yes；
there it was。 The tiny gold heart pendant Blair had sewn inside it so that he would always be
wearing her heart on his sleeve。 Blair probably thought he hadn？t noticed the heart； but he wore
the sweater so much； how could he not have？ He loved that sweater。
Sounds like the love went beyond knitwear。
Tears began to seep out of the corners of Nate？s green eyes as he grasped the gold heart pendant
between his thumb and forefinger and ripped it out of the sweater？s sleeve。 His phone rang before
he could decide what to do next。
Hopefully nothing too rash。
？Hello？？
？It？s been a rocky year for you； son；？ Coach Michaels barked on the other end of the line。 ？I
thought you were over all that drug nonsense。 Then you have to go and steal my damned Viagra？
What？s wrong with you； boy？？
？I？m sorry；？ Nate mumbled almost inaudibly。 He was already crying。 Coach couldn？t make him
feel much worse。
？I had a long talk with Dr。 Nesbitt and your dad after the ceremony；？ Coach continued； ？and
you？re one lucky kid。？
Lucky？It wasn？t exactly the first word that came to Nate？s mind。
？Withholding your diploma was just a little slap on the wrist to let you know you can？t get away
with stealing my stuff； especially my medication。 Your real punishment es this summer。 I？ve
got a place out in the Hamptons that could use some fixing up。 So if you want to play lacrosse for
Yale next year； you gotta be my boy this summer。 Live over the garage； work for me； and in your
spare time； you？ll be going to the local church for AA meetings。？
Nate swallowed hard。 He？d imagined a lazy summer up in Maine getting tan and helping his dad
with the boats； but he had no choice。 He had to be the coach？s Hamptons bitch for the
summer。 ？Sorry for being such a dick； Coach；？ he said earnestly。 ？I promise to make it up to you。？
Coach Michaels chuckled。 ？Then at least you？ll be a dick with a diploma！？
Nate forced himself to chuckle along with the old man。 Things were going to be okay； he told
himself。 He？d have his diploma by the end of the summer。
？Thanks； Coach。？ He hung up and opened his damp hand to look at the gold heart pendant。
Well；some things were going to be okay。
He sighed the sort of shuddering； exhausted sigh that es after a long cry and tossed the heart
onto his neatly made bed。 Then he went back to rummaging through his closet。 He was supposed
to meet Serena at Blair？s Yale Club party at seven o？clock。 Maybe she？d e up with a way to
makeeverything okay。
Without any Viagra。
Will j resort to homeschooling？
？I guess I failed to raise you properly。？ Rufus sighed heavily as he stared into a troughlike glass
of red wine。 The way he saw it； you had two choices in this city。 Either you spent an arm and a leg
to send your kids to private school； where they learned to shop for insanely expensive clothes and
to be snobbish to their father； but also to converse in Latin； memorize Keats； and do algorithms in
their heads； or； you sent them to public school； where they might not learn to read； might not
graduate； and risked getting shot。 He？d thought he？d done the right thing。 But now it looked like
neither of his kids was going to any school of any kind next year。
？You didn？t fail； Dad；？ Dan corrected as he scarfed down a forkful of sesame noodles。 Rufus and
Jenny had waited outside Hunan 92 on Ninety…second and A