gossip girl 8 英文- 第36部分

？Okay；　I？m　in　photo　lab　now。　As　usual；　everyone　else　cut　except　me。　They？re　all　probably　at　
some　stupid　sample　sale　or　something。　Shopping　for　their　stupid　white　wedding？I　mean；　
graduation　gowns　or　whatever。Fuck！　？　Vanessa　exclaimed；　sounding　like　she？d　stumbled　into　
something。　？It？s　dark　in　here。？　

Dan？s　ear　was　sweating　now。　？I　wish　I　were　there；？　he　blurted　out；　unable　to　stop　himself。　

？Me　too；？　Vanessa　responded　eagerly。　？Seriously。？　Wait；　was　sheflirting　with　him？　

？So　maybe　I　will　e　over　later；？　he　ventured。　？Dad　and　Jenny　are　away　anyway；　so　I　don？t　
have　to　be　home　at　any　particular　time。？　

Is　that　so？　

？Cool。？　Vanessa　sounded　distracted　now。　？Look；　I？m　gonna　do　something　dumb　like　drink　fixer　
instead　of　my　tea　if　I　don？t　hang　up　now。　I？ll　see　you　later；　okay？？　

Dan　could　hardly　wait。　？Yeah；　okay。？　He　hung　up。　Down　the　hall　Sweetie　was　peeing　on　the　
marble　floor　in　front　of　the　door　to　the　history　department　offices。　Dan　grinned　at　him。　


　Good　boy。　

D　rethinks　his　summer　plans　

Dan？s　cigarette　hand　shook　violently　as　he　watched　his　sister　disappear　into　the　men？s　room；　
followed　by　that　arrogant　stoner　prince　of　the　Upper　East　Side；　Nate　Archibald。　Jenny　seemed　to　
be　getting　bolder　and　more　self…assured　as　the　year　progressed；　while　he　seemed　to　be　regressing　
back　to　the　girl…less；　friendless　loser　he？d　been　up　until　this　year。　She？d　even　wrangled　her　way　
into　boarding　school　way　after　admissions　for　next　year　were　closed；　while　he？d　whittled　his　
options　down　to　nothing。　

The　music　was　really　loud　now；　and　Vanessa　and　Serena　had　inspired　half　the　room　to　get　up　and　
dance。　Vanessa　had　kicked　off　her　wedge…heeled　shoes；　baring　her　black…polished　toes　and　pale；　
deeply　arched　feet。　Dan　loved　to　kiss　the　arches　of　her　feet。　He　could　write　sonnets　about　the　
arches　of　her　feet。　But　that　was　back　when　Vanessa　didn？t　drink　or　dance　or　wear　white　or　
anything　but　black　jeans；　black　kneesocks；　and　Doc　Martens。　She　seemed　so　different　now？if　he　
were　to　write　a　poem　about　her；　he　wasn？t　sure　where　he？d　begin。　

Vanessa　danced　over　to　him　and　snaked　her　arms　around　his　neck。　Her　pale　skin　was　slick　was　
sweat　and　her　eyelids　were　heavy　from　all　the　vodka　she？d　consumed。　？I　do　love　you；　Dan。　I　
really　do；？　she　breathed　hotly　into　his　ear　before　shimmying　away　again；　her　whole　body　aglow。　
Dan　stared　after　her；　honestly　believing　that　she　did　love　him。　She　just　didn？t　need　him　with　
her？not　all　the　time。　She　was　too　busy　shedding　her　lumpy　black　cocoon　and　transforming　into　a　
shimmering；　white…winged　moth。　

But　he？d　already　deferred　his　admission　at　Evergreen。　What　was　he　supposed　to　do　now？　

Lighting　a　Camel；　he　thought　about　barging　into　the　men？s　room　to　rescue　Jenny　just　for　old　
times？　sake　and　because　such　a　noble　act　might　make　him　feel　better；　but　he　was　sick　of　always　
being　the　responsible　older　brother。　Why　couldn？t　someone　rescuehim　for　a　change？　

　Okay。　

？Son？　Can　I　talk　to　you　for　a　moment？？　

Dan　dropped　his　cigarette　on　the　burgundy…and…gold　oriental　carpet；　nearly　jumping　out　of　his　
faded　blue　Vans　sneakers　in　surprise。　It　was　his　dad；　in　his　favorite　purple　cotton　sweatpants　and　
black　Mets　T…shirt；　looking　ruddy…cheeked　from　too　much　red　wine。　

？I　guess；？　Dan　responded　slowly。　The　music　in　the　lounge　was　absurdly　loud。　Dan　led　Rufus　


outside。　Out　on　Vanderbilt　Avenue；　the　air　was　steamy　and　the　sidewalks　glittered　black。　Across　
the　street；　Grand　Central　Station　looked　like　a　giant　relic　of　the　city？s　past。　A　metallic　blue　？77　
Buick　Skylark？another　relic　from　the　past？was　parked　outside　the　Yale　Club；　looking　pletely　
out　of　place。　Two　skinny　L？？cole　girls　were　sitting　on　the　curb　having　a　fight　over　who　was　
prettier　or　who　smoked　Gauloises　with　more　panache。　Behind　them；　their　gold　Gucci　toe…ring　
sandals　lay　discarded　in　a　pile。　Suddenly　they　started　kissing。　

？Jesus；？　Rufus　muttered；　tugging　on　his　matted　salt…and…pepper　beard；　which　resembled　a　used　
Brillo　pad。　

？What；　Dad？？　Dan　whined　impatiently。　It　was　kind　of　embarrassing　standing　outside　the　party　
with　his　father。　He　felt　like　he　was　eleven　years　old。　

Rufus　tucked　his　hands　inside　the　stretched…out　waistband　of　his　purple　sweatpants　and　Dan　
flinched　at　how　unattractive　the　gesture　was。　

？After　you　left　you　got　a　call　from　some　raving　Greek　professor　at　Evergreen。　First　he　was　going　
nuts　about　how　you　were　supposed　to　sleep　in　his　hammock　and　eat　grape　leaves　with　him；　but　
then　he　started　waxing　philosophical　about　how　kids　your　age　can？t　differentiate　between　sex　and　
love。　Apparently　he？s　quite　an　expert　on　the　subject。　

？Anyway；　I　talked　to　him　for　a　while；　and　what　it　came　down　to　was；　he？s　going　to　make　them　
hold　your　place　open　for　the　fall　a）　because　I　asked　him　to　and　b）　because　he　was　supposed　to　be　
your　advisor　and　he　wants　you　to　help　him　with　his　book　and　c）　because　we　both　like　you；　even　
though　you？re　a　knucklehead。？　

Dan　resented　his　dad？s　fond；　vaguely　patronizing　tone。　？You　can？t　tell　me　what　to　do；？　he　
countered；　crossing　his　hands　over　his　chest　and　sounding　younger　by　the　minute。　？You　can？t。？　

？That？s　true；？　Rufus　agreed。　He　gestured　toward　the　funky　vintage　Buick　parked　outside　the　Yale　
Club。　？But　I　already　got　you　the　car。　The　least　you　could　do　is　let　me　teach　you　how　to　drive　it　this　
summer　and　then　get　the　hell　out　of　here。？　

Dan　had　read　about　epiphanies　and　written　about　epiphanies；　but　he？d　never　actually　had　one。　
He？d　gotten　into　nearly　every　college　he　applied　to。　He？d　had　a　poem　published　in　theNew　
Yorker　。　And　what　was　he　going　to　do　next　year？work　at　a　bookstore　or　wait　tables　to　keep　busy　
while　Vanessa　was　in　class？　

？I　could　take　the　summer　to　work　things　out；？　he　allowed；　unwilling　to　let　his　father　think　he　
could　be　that　easily　persuaded。　He　and　Vanessa　could　spend　the　summer　hanging　out　whenever　
she　wasn？t　busy　working　on　that　movie　and　he　wasn？t　busy　driving　around　in　that　？　chick　magnet。　
Who　knew？　Maybe　there？d　be　other　girls　to　love　besides　Vanessa？all　he　had　to　do　was　get　his　
license　and　drive　out　west　to　find　out。　


Rufus　reached　out　to　clap　him　on　the　back；　but　Dan　opened　up　his　arms　and　gave　his　dad　a　
hug。　？This　party　was　kind　of　lame　anyway；？　he　confessed。　

Rufus　grunted　and　led　him　over　to　the　car；　which　was　basking　in　its　own　coolness　under　a　
streetlamp　near　the　curb。　？Then　how　？bout　I　give　you　your　first　driving　lesson？？　

Aw。　Don？t　you　just　love　happy　endings？　

Sex；　drugs；　and　rock？n？roll　

Jenny　latched　the　door　to　the　handicapped　stall　in　the　men？s　room；　unsure　of　whether　to　take　off　
her　clothes　or　fish　the　tab　of　E　out　of　her　purse。　There　was　an　impatient　flare　to　Nate？s　nostrils　but　
she　wasn？t　sure　which　he　wanted　first；　sex　or　drugs。　

She　unzipped　her　black　LeSportsac　with　the　white　Persian　cats　on　it　and　clicked　open　her　
matching　change　purse。　？Here　it　is。？　She　removed　the　tiny　piece　of　Saran　Wrap　with　the　pill　inside　
and　carefully　began　to　unfold　it。　

Nate　peered　over　her　shoulder。　？Do　you　want　to　take　it　or　should　I？？　

Jenny　didn？t　want　it；　and　he　obviously　did。　？You　take　it。？　She　held　out　her　palm　an