meant he didn？t have to avoid talking to Lexie anymore。 ？That？s a good school。？
？Yeah； and I don？t ever have to wear a stupid Constance uniform again；？ Jenny added excitedly；
already regretting how petulant and childish she sounded。 Then she remembered something that
wouldn？t make her sound childish at all。 She inched a little closer to Nate？s ear。 He smelled like
freshly laundered shirt and that heart…stoppingly delicious Herm？s cologne he always wore。 ？I
have a tab of E in my bag。 Someone gave it to me at the Croton School when I was visiting。 I
don？t even know if we can even split one tab； but ？？ She smiled her coyest e…hither smile。
What a flirt； what a risk…taker the new； on…her…way…to…boarding…school Jenny Humphrey was！
Nate blinked。 Jennifer wasn？t just talking to him； she was flirting with him？hard。 What； did she
think he？d just gulp down a tab of E and hook up with her right in the middle of the Yale Club
lounge； surrounded by everyone he knew； including his ex…girlfriend Blair and his
he…wasn？t…really…sure…but…he…figured…she…was…probably…soon…to…be…ex…girlfriend Serena？
Had that ever stopped him before？
Nate had only taken Ecstasy a couple of times with Charlie； Anthony； and Jeremy； but both times
he？d enjoyed himself immensely。 There was nothing like that good； groovy； E feeling？until it wore
off and you were tired and dehydrated and just wanted to float in a bucket of Poland Spring。 He
was definitely feeling lower right now than he ever had in his entire life。 Maybe a little E with
little Jennifer Humphrey？who seemed to be getting even cuter with age？was just what he needed。
Jenny could see that Nate was tempted。 Empowered by her ability to snare hot older boys with
her seductive ways； she breathed lustily into his ear。 ？Let？s go into the bathroom and do it。？
Hello？ Does she not remember what happened the last time she was alone in a bathroom with a
horny older boy？
What you choose not to hear can？t hurt you
Blair was in a stall in one of the Yale Club？s pristine and elegant gold…accented ladies？ rooms；
wondering at the fact that she hadn？t made herself sick in over a month； when she heard the first
worrying rumors。
？I heard he wasn？t even a real lord。 He？s just this English guy who came over here and
pretended to be this big aristocrat。 I bet he doesn？t go on fox hunts or wear a top hat and tails to
dinner or anything like that；？ Laura Salmon blathered from the stall next to Blair？s。
？I just think it？s really shitty of him。 I mean； if he？s engaged to some girl in England； that means
he？s actually cheating on both of them；？ Kati Farkas replied carelessly as she spritzed her hair
with a sample…size bottle of Frederick Fekkai hairspray for the third time that night。 ？I just love
the way this stuff smells。 Don？t you love the way it smells？ I even put in on my clothes sometimes；
even though I know that？s kind of gross。 I mean； it？s hairspray！？
Blair kept the pleated satin skirt of her white Oscar de la Renta suit hitched up so the girls
wouldn？t recognize it。Were they talking about Lord Marcus？
？I just think someone should tell her；？ Laura declared before flushing。 She pushed the stall door
open and began to wash her hands with the L？Occitane lemon peel foam hand wash provided by
the Yale Club。 ？Don？t you？？
？Totally；？ Kati agreed。
Like they？d ever have the nerve。
Blair waited until they？d gone before pushing open the stall door。 Her stomach was roiling from
all the vodka and champagne she？d drunk in the last few hours； but she wasn？t about to resort to
puking and risk splattering the skirt of her exquisite suit。
What do they know about Marcus？she fumed。 Their petty jealousy was so transparent； it made
her even more nauseous just thinking about it。 Of course he was a lord。 Hadn？t they noticed his
wonderful scuff…free Church？s shoes？ The flawless way his hair was cut？ The tailor…made seams
of his Savile Row shirts？ Hadn？t they heard the way he called her ？gorgeous？ and ？darling？ and
kissed her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world？ There？d been no mention of a
fianc？e when Blair had Googled him。 No fucking way was he engaged？to anyone but her。 She
closed her eyes dreamily。 Lady Blair Rhodes？it did have a nice ring to it。
The bathroom door swung open and Isabel Coates marched in； looking frazzled because her
white satin Dior hair clip had e loose while she was dancing。 Isabel was always such a freak
about her hair； Blair wondered why she didn？t just cut it all off。
？Oh。 You？re in here；？ Isabel observed； making it obvious that she？d just been part of Kati？s and
Laura？s ongoing dissection of the so…called Lord Marcus。 ？I guess I should be the one to tell you。？
She lowered her voice to let Blair know that what she had to tell her was extremely
important。 ？Before you get hurt。？
Like she actually cared？
Blair narrowed her blue eyes； glaring icily at Isabel？s reflection in the gilt…framed mirror。 ？Tell
me what？？
Isabel tucked a few stray brown hairs behind her ears； then frowned and ripped out the hair clip；
starting all over again。
Blair thought her cutoff jeans and ripped red Juicy T…shirt made her look tacky and desperate；
like Paris Hilton。
？That Lord Marcus guy is married；？ Isabel told her matter…of…factly； wincing with effort as she
tried to get her ponytail pletely smooth and lump…free。
Blair smeared Chanel Stroppy lip gloss over her lips for the seventh time in five minutes。 She
was so mad； she thought she just might throw up after all。？Bullshit。？
Isabel rolled her curly…lashed brown eyes and sighed as if she were already totally bored with the
subject matter。 ？Well；almost 。 He？s engaged。 He？s been engaged since he was； like； ten years old。
You know； like Lady Diana and Prince Charles？？
Blair spun away from the mirror； her fists clenched tightly to keep from strangling Isabel？s
ostrichlike neck。 ？And where exactly did you hear that？？
Isabel shrugged her shoulders maddeningly。 ？Everybody knows。 It？s； like； afact 。？
Depending on your definition of the wordfact 。
？That？s the stupidest？？ Blair was about to try and defend Lord Marcus？s honor； but she stopped
herself。 They were young； they were in love？who cared what anyone thought？ Even if therewas
some boring girl back in England that Lord Marcus was supposed to marry； she probably looked
like Queen Victoria and sat on her fat ass in her castle eating crumpets all day； wondering why
Lord Marcus never called。
Isabel smiled at her reflection； finally satisfied。 ？I just thought you should know。？ She shrugged
her shoulders and then cocked her overwaxed eyebrows at Blair。 ？Wanna e have a cigarette
with us？？ she offered； as if they were all still thirteen years old and only smoked in groups。
？No。？ Blair pushed past her and out the bathroom door。 She peeked into the insanely crowded
lounge； but the chair where she and Lord Marcus had been sitting together was now occupied by
Nate？s loud； stoned； skinny friend Jeremy and some skanky French girl trying to teach him how to
blow heart…shaped smoke rings。 Lord Marcus was nowhere to be seen。 Blair fingered the Bvlgari
pearl choker and teetered down the hall to the elevator。
All night she？d wanted to get Lord Marcus alone in his suite。 Now was her chance。
D is mr。 popularity
？So； it looks like it？s unanimous。 Daniel Humphrey； you？re our graduation speaker this year；？
announced Dan？s Riverside Prep senior homeroom teacher； Mr。 Cohen； head of the history
department； who insisted the boys call him Larry。
？Huh？？ Dan looked up from the poem he was scribbling in his ever…present black…leather…bound
book。 The poem was called ？my highway？ and was all about the incredible journey Dan was about
to embark on。 Since there was nothing keeping him in the city； he？d decided to leave early for
Evergreen College； where he was going in the fall。 He？d already applied for a summer job there
through the college？s employment office Web site。 And right after graduation； he was going to
drive all the way there to Olympia； Washington。 If he ever got a car； or even learned how to drive。
Oops。
Dan had decided to model himself after Jack Kerouac when he was writingOn the Road 。 On his
journey west； he？d hook up with the most gorgeous local girls in every town； try exotic new food
and drink； like peyote and two…hundred…proof tequila； and make detours to bizarre local attractions；
like caves with hundred…foot…long stalactites and bleeding rocks； or a cow with quintuplets。 He？d
already been published in theNew Yorker at the impressive age of seventeen and had a brief stint
as the lead singer for the popular rock band the Raves； but when he arrived in Washington State；
all the hell the way across the country； he？d have a new degree from the College of Life。
Bucking girls and shucking corn；
Rodeo bullhorns； Stetsoned longhorns； a Kansas cyclone。
A Nebraskan girl leaves her lipstick on the dash？
She salts my beef； stirs my gumbo； spits out my pit。
Uh…oh。 Sounds like he was a rock star for one day too many。
？The class voted for you and you alone；？ Larry explained。 ？You should feel extremely honored。？
Dan was mystified。 He pushed his chair back； crossed his grubby blue Pumas one over the other；
and shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn…in khaki…colored cords。 ？But I didn？t even
nominate myself；？ he blurted out。
Way to make it obvious that you have no friends。
Snickers erupted throughout the room。
？It？s like； you？re a celebrity； man； and we want you to represent us；？ Chuck Bass explained in a
mock stoner voice。 Chuck？s pet snow monkey； Sweetie； was curled up in a fuzzy white ball in
Chuck？s lap； asleep； wearing his favorite tight； cantaloupe…colored T…shirt with a bright pinkS on
the back of it。 Everyone； even the teachers； had gotten so used to the monkey； they didn？t bat an
eye； but Sweetie still gave Dan the creeps。
？We figured it？d be easy for you； since you？re writing all the time anyway；？ Chuck continued
sarcastically。 More snickers。
Dan tipped his chair back。 ？Wait。 Let me get this straight。You nominated me？？
Chuck flipped up the collar on his bright purple short…sleeved Lacoste shirt。 ？It？s like Larry said。
It was unanimous。？
Dan？s hands began to sweat。 Senior speaker was an honor； but he felt like he？d gotten it by
default。 He certainly wasn？t the most popular guy in the class。 He？d spent his entire senior year
either trying to bee famous or hanging out with his former best friend and girlfriend； Vanessa；
in Williamsburg； Brooklyn。 He guessed all the other guys in his class were going to be too busy
partying or trying not to fail their finals to bother writing a graduation speech。
？Just keep it light。 And remember； everyone just wants that diploma in his hands； so keep it short；
too；？ Larry advised； pulling on his lame dirty blond goatee like the wannabe teenage boy he so
totally wasn？t。
？Okay；？ Dan responded dubiously。 It appeared he had no choice in the matter。
Chuck tapped him on the shoulder。 ？So guess what？ That dykey girlfriend of yours？ I heard
she？s gonna