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 Amsterdam while he went in to buy
some celebratory takeout。 He？d stayed up all night working on his speech； drinking instant coffee
after instant coffee and smoking Camel after Camel。 If he didn？t eat something； he wasn？t going
to make it to any party later。 Now they were home； sitting at the dining room table； staring at one
another； with an unopened bottle of champagne on the table。 It was a Monday and barely four
o？clock？an odd time to all be home together。
？At least he got into college；？ Jenny put in glumly。 She？d worn a new stretchy
lavender…and…pale…yellow Pucci print wrap dress to Dan？s graduation； and there were two huge
damp spots under each pendulous boob from where she？d sweated in the heat。 She felt disgusting
and was particularly resentful of her brother and father for being in such equally bad moods that
they weren？t even going to try to cheer her up。 She thought about calling Elise； but she was at her
country house in Cape Cod； and she？d only make Jenny feel worse by moping about the fact that
they were going to be apart next year。 That is； if Jenny was actually going anywhere next year。 As
things stood； she might have to be homeschooled。
She glanced at her father。 In an effort to fit in with the other fathers； he？d worn a suit to Dan？s
graduation； but it was black wool？too warm for June； and all wrong with the weirdly trendy；
tight…fitting pumpkin orange shirt he？d borrowed from Dan to wear underneath it。 He？d yanked
out the orange ribbon in his fury； and his wiry salt…and…pepper hair was now fashioned into a sort
of messy chignon； held together with the electric blue magnetic bulldog clip they used to keep
their takeout menus on the door of the refrigerator。 To make things worse； there were stray pieces
of pink towel lint in his beard。
Maybe homeschooling wasn？t such a great idea。
？Isn？t there someplace you kids need to be？？ Rufus asked； downing the remains of his wine。
Obviously； one glass wouldn？t be nearly enough。
？e