her out。 ？Let？s sit。？ She gestured toward the windowsill behind them。 The window over…looked
the backyard and was open a bit； admitting a gentle evening breeze。 Down in the back garden a
group was huddled around a forlorn lilac bush； smoking。
？Things have really changed since graduation； huh？？ Dan reached out but put his hand down
before actually touching her。 ？I don？t know what？s happened this past couple of weeks。？
Cut off my fingers。 I can？t feel anymore。
Can？t feel you。 Or you。 You。
？I guess what？s happened；？ Vanessa began； sternly but not unkindly； ？is that you？ve met
someone else。 It？s okay。 I mean； I？m hurt； I guess。 But mostly I wish you hadn？t tried to keep it
from me； especially after you made that scene at Blair？s graduation party about staying with me
this fall？？
？Scene？？ Dan repeated。 ？I made a scene？？ He？d talked to her privately； in a corner。 There？d been
noscene 。 Okay； his graduation speech had been a scene； but thankfully she？d missed it。
？Anyway that？s not the point。 The point is；？ Vanessa continued； ？I haven？t been pletely
honest either。？
A facially unattractive drunk girl whom Vanessa remembered was an extra on the movie
stumbled up the stairs。 She was wearing a cherry red TEAMJOLIET…shirt and a million silver
bangles up her wrist。 She glanced at Vanessa but pretended not to recognize her。 Being at this
party was definitely not Vanessa？s idea of a good time。
Party pooper。
？You？re seeing someone？？ Dan looked like he was going to cry。
？No； of course not。？ She swatted at the air in front of her。 ？But I have some weird news： Your
dad said I could rent a room from him 。 。 。 even though we？re broken up。。。。？
Dan winced and rubbed the sole of his shoe against his ankle。 He hadn？t really thought they were
officially broken up； but he guessed they were now。 ？And？？ he asked。
？And I said I wanted to。？ Vanessa looked at Dan； to see if she could read him； but he was still
rubbing his shoe against his leg like a dog with an itch。 ？I mean； I can？t really afford much； and he
said he？d give me a really good deal； so 。 。 。？
？Well；？ Dan said after a moment。 ？I don？t think it？ll be weird。？
It won？t？
？I think it？ll be fun；？ he continued。
Itwill ？
？So； friends？？ he asked。
？Friends；？Vanessa confirmed。
Friends 。。。？
look what the cat dragged in？and who he brought with him
Thaddeus Smith downed his icy caipirinha and leaned toward Serena； whispering sexily； his
breath scented with the spicy rum。
？Who isthat ？？ he asked。
He didn？t point but there was no need to： anyone would know exactly who Thaddeus Smith was
talking about。 Nate Archibald had arrived。
They were huddled together in the minuscule kitchen； the best place to survey the entire room；
and from that outpost Serena had a clear view of Nate for the first time since the night of Blair？s
wild graduation party。 While Serena had danced her butt off； Nate had sat on the floor； looking
more baked than usual； until he？d finally stood up and randomly kissed little Jenny Humphrey。
Captain Archibald had been so pissed when Nate failed to actually bring home his diploma that the
day after graduation he？d driven Nate off to East Hampton himself； to begin his summer of labor。
Serena hadn？t had a chance to say good…bye but she？d known she？d see Nate again soon。 And
here he was； sporting a deep； been…outside…all…day tan that made his already…perfect teeth look
whiter and his already…stunning eyes gleam even more green。 His chest looked broader； his
forearms stronger。 Of course Thaddeus Smith had noticed him。
？That？s Nate；？ Serena announced casually。
？Straight Nate？？Thaddeus wanted to know。
Serena shrugged。 ？He？s up for anything；？ she giggled。 ？But it looks like he？s not alone。？
A very tan； very blond girl was clinging to Nate？s arm as though he were a life preserver； digging
into his bicep with her long； fire…engine…red…manicured nails。 Her eyes were wide open and darting
around excitedly like she was on drugs。
A distinct possibility。
？Please tell me that？s his sister；？ Thaddeus whispered。 ？Is she wearing teal eye shadow？ Wait till
I tell Serge when I get back to the hotel。？
Serena studied the new girl。 She was indeed wearing blue eye shadow。 She was also wearing
head…to…toe peach； which was so 。 。。peach 。 Her hair was blond and vaguely frosty looking？she
looked like Stripper Barbie at the beach。
Stripper Beach Barbie？ Now that？s catchy。
？And where did she get that outfit？？ Thaddeus gasped bitchily。
Serena didn？t have time to indulge in more catty gossip： Blair was racing toward her； a panicked
look on her face that Serena knew all too well。
？Shit；？ Serena muttered in a low voice。
？Who。 The。 Fuck。 Is。That ？？ Blair hissed angrily； pushing through the gawkers and into the
narrow kitchenette。
There was no need for Serena to ask who she was talking about。
？Oh； honey；？ Thaddeus declared kindly。 ？She？s nothing foryou to worry about。？
？I cannot believe；？ Blair snapped； ？that Nate had the balls to show up tonight with that trash。
Where did he pick her up？the mall？？
Well； there are plenty of those on Long Island。
？Sit；？Thaddeus ordered；patting the countertop。？Relax。？
？Shit！？ Blair took his advice and pulled herself up onto the kitchen counter。 ？I need a drink。？
？Just stick with us；？ Thaddeus suggested； leaping onto the counter himself and draping a
protective arm over Blair？s bare shoulders。
？I didn？t think it was true。？ Chuck Bass squeezed past Serena to join the threesome in the
kitchen。 ？But I guess seeing is believing； huh； ladies？？
？Hey Chuck；？ Serena sighed； leaning against the counter…top between Thaddeus？s widespread
legs。 The last thing she wanted was for Chuck Bass to get his claws into her gorgeous costar。
？Blair； back stateside！？ Chuck cried。 ？Good to see you。？ He leaned in and dropped a quick kiss
on each of her cheeks。
？Hello； Chuck；？ Blair replied； receiving his kisses dutifully。 ？Who？s the mystery bitch？？ She
might as well take advantage of the one good thing about Chuck Bass： he could always be counted
on for the scoop； however inaccurate。
？I heard about her but I？ve never actually met her；？ Chuck explained proudly。 He took a swig
from a freshly opened bottle of Dom Perignon。 ？Oh！ Don？t look now；？ he whispered loudly；
clearly enjoying the moment； ？but I think we？re about to meet and greet。？
Nate led Tawny through the thicket on the dance floor toward the cluster of familiar faces in the
kitchen。
？Hey；？ Nate shouted over the din。 ？Serena。 Blair。？ They looked even more gorgeous than he
remembered。 Like they？d been sprinkled with fairy dust。
？Nate！？ Serena lunged forward to give her old friend a warm hug； trying to prevent the moment
from being too unbearably awkward。
Too late。
？Hello；？ Blair seethed； crossing her legs and brandishing her ically long cigarette holder like
a weapon。 ？Can I please have a light； someone？？
Thaddeus Smith produced his silver monogrammed Zippo and lit Blair？s cigarette for her。 The
song faded into Madonna？s ？Papa Don？t Preach；？ and some of the ultra…hyper extras jumped into
the middle of the dance floor； pretending to sing with imaginary microphones。
？A real gentleman at last。？ Blair sighed dramatically。 ？Has anyone seen my date？？ Just wait until
Nate saw her French…kissing with Jason。 Hah！
？Blair；？ Nate stuttered。 ？You look great。 Wele back。？ He didn？t know what else to say。 He
felt like an asshole。
Blair hopped down from her perch on the countertop； wobbling drunkenly in her pointy black
Jimmy Choos as she landed on the cracked tiles of the kitchen floor with a thud。 ？Yes； thanks。？
She nodded。 ？You？ll have to excuse me。 I？m really in the mood to dance。 I just need to find my
partner。？ She strode back into the packed living room。
Serena smiled apologetically at Nate。 ？I？m Serena； by the way。？ She offered her hand to the new
girl and noticed that she did have pretty almond…shaped blue eyes and adorable freckles on every
inch of her skin。
But isn？t she always thinking of something nice to say？
？I？m Tawny；？ the girl said in a thick accent that made it sound likeTauh…awe…nie 。
？Right； sorry；？ Nate mumbled。 ？Serena； this is Tawny。？
？And Thaddeus。？ Serena squeezed the movie star？s arm。 ？This is Nate and Tawny。？
Thaddeus jumped down from the countertop and shook hands warmly； first with Nate； then with
Tawny。 A drunk girl wearing a purple off…the…shoulder American Apparel minidress backed into
him accidentally。 He gently pushed the dancing girl away from the kitchen。
？It？s great to meet you both；？ he responded charmingly。
He reallyis a good actor。
？Ahem！？ Chuck Bass cleared his throat dramatically。 ？And I？m Chuck。？
？Tawny。？ The girl adjusted the straps on her teeny peach backpack and offered him her hand
before turning back to look at Thaddeus； wide…eyed and practically drooling。
？Enchanted；？ Chuck cooed； kissing her hand and bowing deeply。 ？Let？s get to know each other；
darling。 You don？t mind； do you； Natie？？
Nate would have told him no； go right ahead； but he was distracted by the sight of Blair； holding
hands with some tall banker…type； laughing with her head thrown back。 She was introducing him
to an older； impeccably dressed short man； and there was something familiar in the excited way
she was flirting with both of them that filled Nate with longing。
？Excuse me；？ Nate stammered。 ？I have to go。？
As he headed for the door； he heard Chuck say； ？By the way； you？ve really got some tan。？
Tawny； indeed。
b is an inspiration
？Darling！ Dar…ling！？ Bailey Winter screeched at Blair。 ？You must？I repeat；must ？stay with me on
the island this summer。 You areperfection 。？
They were standing in the bedroom doorway； which was as far away as Blair could get from the
kitchen without actually losing sight of it。 She tucked her dark； almost shoulder…length hair behind
her ears self…conciously。 She？d always liked getting a pliment； but what did you say when
someone called you perfect？
How about ？thank you？？
？I？m starting a new