walking right up to her！？ Laura Salmon whispered shrilly。
Their arms full of dresses； the other girls followed Serena van der Woodsen with their eyes as she
floated toward a rack of elegant…but…still…a…little…dorky straw sun hats two feet away from Blair
and began to try them on。
？Nice；？ Nate Archibald mented unenthusiastically from where he slouched against the wall；
looking more brooding and introspective than usual。 This was the sort of trunk show where；
instead of waiting in line forever for the two private changing rooms； most girls stripped down in
between the racks to try things on。 But Nate was the most desirable boy on the Upper East Side。
Girls got naked at the snap of his stoned fingers； and it was still he who got ogled； not them。 It was
no surprise that he seemed unimpressed。 It was also obvious from the way he kept his eyes trained
on his limited edition Stan Smith tennis shoes that he was doing his best to pretend he hadn？t
noticed that Blair？the girl he was supposed spend the rest of his life with but had fucked over only
last week by fooling around with Serena on senior cut day？was standing only twenty feet away；
glaring at him。
After walking in on Nate and Serena； Blair had sworn to herself that she would not freak out at
the sight of them； grab the nearest sharp or heavy object； and hurl it at their heads；
shouting； ？Cheating； horny fuckheads！？ But she couldn？t help feeling more than a little pissed off
by how good they looked together。 The natural highlights in Nate？s hair were exactly the same
pale gold color as Serena？s hair； and they both had the same healthy； sun…drenched glow； as if
they？d spent hours together on a blanket in Sheep Meadow； kissing and getting tan。 Serena was
wearing one of Nate？s weather…beaten navy blue short…sleeved polo shirts； its collar faded and the
hem frayed； and Nate？s cheeks sparkled a little in the bright ballroom light from the glitter in
Serena？s pale pink Vincent Longo lip gloss。
Which might have been cute in other circumstances but was definitelynot cute right now。
Still； there was something amiss in their togetherness。 Nate looked thin and depressed； and
Serena looked distracted and spacier than usual。 Blair satisfied herself with the notion that they
were definitely not happy。 Nate was probably always too stoned to pay attention to Serena in the
way that she passive…aggressively demanded。 And Serena probably forgot to call Nate all the time。
He pretended not to like constant calling； but he secretly needed it the way only children always
need to be reminded that they are the center of the universe。 With a private； smug smile； Blair
went back to the rack of Ghost dresses she？d been sorting through in a halfhearted attempt to find
something original and irresistible to wear for Constance Billard？s graduation ceremony； which
was only two weeks away。
Exactly。 Why waste energy on hating them when there were more important matters to attend to；
like buying a dress？
Serena pulled off the hat she was wearing and tried on a black silk one with tiny faux pearls
stitched all over it and a cropped black mesh just…over…the…eyes veil。 She pursed her glossy lips at
the mirror and decided she looked like Madonna inEvita ； or some mobster？s trophy wife。 That
was one of the things she loved about acting so much。 She could bat her thick…lashed； deep blue
eyes at the audience from behind a veil and suddenly she was a tragic figure badly in need of a
little TLC or； at the very least； a stiff cocktail。
This particular hat was very dramatic； which was exactly the way she？d been feeling lately。 Not
depressed dramatic； or ecstatic dramatic； but behaving…in…a…way…that…wasn？t…exactly herself
dramatic。 She stole a sidelong glance at Blair； who was fervently flicking through a rack of dresses；
refusing to even acknowledge Serena？s presence。 Serena exchanged the black hat for a hideous
thick purple velvet headband with fake fruit and leaves sewn all over it。 If only Blair would look
her way； Serena knew she？d pee her pants with amusement。 But Blair kept her back turned。 Serena
sighed。 Only a week ago they？d been best friends again。 Now this。 She and Nate were together；
and Blair wasn？t speaking to them。
Hooking up in the bathroom at Isabel？s party had been a total accident； and if Blair hadn？t
caught them； they probably would have left it at that。 But it would have been just plain cruel to
hook up in front of her and then not try to make it mean something。 Though she and Nate had
never actually discussed it； they both cared about Blair too much not to stay together so she
wouldn？t think it was just some random； horny hookup between two beautiful； self…centered
people who couldn？t control themselves。
Which； of course； it was。
Besides； it wasn？t like being together was hard。 They were both gorgeous； they loved each
other？always had？and Serena？s Fifth Avenue penthouse was only four blocks away from Nate？s
town house between Park and Lexington。 Plus； all they really ever did was fool around because a）
they？d known each other since they were toddlers； so there wasn？t anything new to know； and b）
even though Serena would have been happy to； they couldn？t go all the way because Nate seemed
to be having a problem lately。？
Oh？And what sort of ？problem？ might that be？
？Hey； Serena；？ Isabel called over from the Stella McCartney rack。 ？I heard you got nominated
for senior speaker by Mr。 Beckham。？
Serena propped the purple…fruited headband back on its hook。 ？Really？？ she responded with
genuine amazement。 Mr。 Beckham was Constance Billard？s film teacher。 She had stopped taking
film in ninth grade and hadn？t even been at Constance the next two years。 She？d been up at
Hanover Academy； in New Hampshire？until she kind of missed the first few weeks of senior year
and they wouldn？t take her back。 Why would Mr。 Beckham； of all people； nominate her for senior
speaker？
Good question。
？So； are you going to do it？？ Isabel persisted。
Serena tried to imagine herself standing at the podium in Brick Church on Park Avenue；
addressing her class； dressed in their pristine white dresses and white gloves。Oh； the places you？ll
go。 Our future？s so bright； we？re going to have to wear shades ； etc。 She might have liked acting
and modeling； but inspirational speaking wasn？t exactly her thing。 Surely one of her other
classmates would be way more into it。
？Maybe；？ she replied； nonmittally。
You bitch； Blair thought； her ears aching from eavesdropping。 Ever since the infamous bathtub
incident at Isabel？s party； Blair had been obsessively determined to surprise everyone by rising
above Serena and Nate？s stupid； hurtful behavior； making it look like she really couldn？t give a
damn； and end the school year as the girl everyone most admired。
Not that she wasn？t already the girl everyone most admired。 She？d always had the best clothes；
best bags； best fingernails； coolest hair； and by far the best shoes。 But this time she wanted to be
admired for her courage； independence； and intelligence。 And being senior speaker at graduation
w