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be having without him。 Blair raised an eyebrow challengingly。 After all； she was a woman。 A Yale woman。 She had places to go。
And more important games to play。
make new friends； but keep the old…
“This came from the man at the other end of the bar；” the skinny bartender…slash…model wearing a cheesy Ed Hardy T…shirt said as he proffered a glass of Veuve Clicquot。
“Thanks。” Serena van der Woodsen glanced down the long； dark oak bar of Saucebox； the new lounge in the just…opened T Hotel on Thompson Street。 Breckin O’Dell； a handsome but boring actor she vaguely remembered meeting a few times； held up his own glass of champagne and saluted her。 Serena nodded； brought the flute to her lips； and took a healthy sip； even though she preferred vodka。
“Oh my God； you should totally date him。 His agent has ridiculous connections。” Amanda Atkins yanked on the sleeve of Serena’s black Row scoop…neck jersey dress in excitement。 “Can we get some shots down here？” she called to the bartender。 Serena smiled sheepishly。 Amanda was an eighteen…year…old recent LA transplant best known for her role in a dorky sit about a fashionista girl from Paris who moves to a farm in Tennessee to live with her redneck uncle Hank。 Recently； though； she’d been cast in an indie film about snowboarders who dropped acid； and was trying to break free from her good…girl reputation。
Another shot and she’s almost there。
“Maybe；” Serena responded unconvincingly to Amanda’s ment about Breckin。 She stared at the clear bubbles fizzing to the top of her glass as if they held the secrets to the universe。 If she looked around her； she’d see tons of Breckin O’Dell look…alikes with gel in their hair and fitted pressed shirts from Thomas Pink。 They buzzed around Serena； Amanda； and her other two actress friends； Alysia and Alison。 They called themselves the three A’s； even though Alysia’s real name was actually Jennifer。
The three A’s were admittedly a little too into material things； but they were also goofy and fun and never turned down a party。 Usually Serena had a blast hanging out with them； but tonight； she felt a little… off。 It was two days after Christmas and her parents had just left for their villa in St。 Barts； while her brother； Erik； was already back in Melbourne； Australia； where he was spending his sophomore year abroad。 It wasn’t like Serena wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with her family； but she also didn’t like waking up in their huge Fifth Avenue apartment alone。 She downed her champagne in one gulp； telling herself that she just needed to have fun。
After all； she is the expert。
“Hey； you’re that farm chick！” one spiky…haired brunet guy stuttered； not looking Amanda in the eye。 He wore a pink and white striped button…down and his teeth were Chiclet white。
“Yes。” Amanda sighed。 “I am。 But I have to stand over here now。” She took two steps away as Alysia and Alison snorted in laughter。 Serena offered the guy a sympathetic smile。 Even though she was beautiful； she was never mean。
An infuriating bination。
“God； you’d think Knowledge would know to not to let guys like that in。 Did you see his hair？ It was； like； sprayed on。” Amanda flipped her long blond extensions over her shoulder as she named the beefy bouncer whose job was to keep Saucebox as exclusive as possible； even though； to Serena； it felt exactly the same as every other bar she’d been to recently。
“Serena？”
Serena whirled around； ready to have another one of those so what are you working on now？ conversations with someone in the industry she’d probably met once。 Instead； she saw a familiar； smiling face that immediately took her back in time； and eighty blocks north。
“Oh my God； Iz！” Serena squealed excitedly。 She slid off the smooth oak bar stool and threw her arms around Isabel Coates； a fellow Constance Billard alum who’d gone to Rollins College down in Florida。 Her skin was deeply tanned and her thick dark shoulder…length hair had been straightened。 Her chest looked suspiciously larger than it did the last time Serena saw her。 She automatically looked over Isabel’s shoulder； sure she’d see Kati Farkas； Isabel’s BFF and constant wingwoman。 Isabel and Kati had done everything together since the fourth grade。 Kati had even turned down admission to Princeton so she and Isabel wouldn’t have to be separated。 But instead of Kati； a girl with a ski…jump nose and chin…length straight brown hair stood next to Isabel。 She wore a tight black sleeveless satin dress and looked like she could be Kati’s slightly older sister。 But Kati didn’t have sisters。
“This is my girlfriend； Casey；” Isabel announced proudly。 She readjusted her white Marc Jacobs tote strap on her shoulder。
Girlfriend girlfriend？ Serena noticed Isabel’s hand intertwined with the girl’s。
“We met in a women’s studies class。” Isabel smiled adoringly at Casey。
There’s her answer。
“This is Serena van der Woodsen。 We went to school together；” Isabel explained； her hand now resting lightly on Casey’s back。
“Nice to meet you； Casey。” Serena smiled； holding out her hand to the tall girl； who took it gingerly。
“Nice to meet you too。 I haven’t seen any of your movies；” Casey announced bluntly。
As if anyone asked。
“Oh； that’s okay。 How’s Kati？” Serena asked Isabel； easing back onto her stool。 She couldn’t help but wonder if Isabel was really gay； or just going through the fashionable bisexual phase of college she’d heard about。
Isabel sighed and shook her head。 “She has this； like； football player boyfriend and is pledging a sorority that wears pink sweat suits to class。 It’s awful。 Casey and I pretty much do our own thing。 But what about you？ I saw the movie。 You were pretty good；” Isabel allowed。
“Thanks。” Serena blushed。 She hoped Isabel really meant it and wasn’t just being polite。 “Things are okay。 Just working a lot。 We’re filming a sequel to Breakfast at Fred’s that’s ing out in the summer； so that’s fun…。” Serena trailed off。 Even though she’d been on the cover of the October issue of Vanity Fair； part of her felt stuck。 She’d e home from her big premiere； thinking it would be the greatest night of her life； to her same pink childhood bedroom in her parents’ sprawling Upper East Side penthouse。 If possible； she almost felt less grown…up than she had before graduating； especially since she now had an agent and a publicist who told her exactly what to wear； what to say； and who to be seen with。 The real world felt a lot different than she’d imagined。
“A sequel sounds great！” Isabel cooed。 “Anyway； I was just showing Casey all of our old haunts。 Remember hours trying things on at Barneys； and then so much time just eating spaghetti and meatballs upstairs at Fred’s？ That all feels like so long ago now；” she mused； nuzzling her head against Casey’s。 The guys standing around them were all drooling over the lesbian…chic couple。
“It does；” Serena agreed wholeheartedly。 Just a matter of months ago； she and Blair and Kati and Isabel would meet before school to smoke Merits on the Met steps and imagine their lives in college。 Now； Blair was pre…law at Yale； Isabel was a lesbian； Kati was running around with pink Greek letters on her ass； and Serena was trying to make a go of it in the movies。
“So； have you seen anyone yet？” Isabel asked。
“No。” Serena shook her head。 For her； only two people really mattered： Blair and Nate。 She and Blair had kept in touch since Blair headed up to New Haven； and once Serena had sent Blair a package full of Wolford stockings and black…and…white cookies； in a bow…tied Barneys bag—some of Blair’s favorite New York things。 Blair had reciprocated with a stuffed bulldog wearing a Yale T…shirt。 It was sitting on Serena’s dresser； next to a silver…framed picture of the two of them wearing enormous hats at a Kentucky Derby party sophomore year。 They’d send e…mails and texts； but never anything long or involved。 It was fine； though。 Blair and Serena were the type of friends who could go for weeks and even； one time； months without speaking； then pick up right where they left off。
As for Nate… Serena hadn’t talked to him since he left； to sail the world for a year。 He had left her crushed； and she wondered if she’d ever see him again。 But she didn’t want to think about that right now。
Or ever。
“Are you going to Chuck’s New Year’s party？” Isabel asked； draining the rest of her Grey Goose and cranberry。 “I mean； I know he’s； like； such a misogynist； but I figured； you can only protest so much； you know？ I prepared Casey。”
“Wait； Chuck is back from military school？” Serena asked； suddenly eager to hear everything。 She hadn’t thought about Chuck—with his sketchy history； his trademark monogrammed scarf； or his questionable sexuality—since graduation。 But the last she’d heard； after getting rejected from all twelve schools he’d applied to； he’d gone to some tiny underground； remote…country…boot…camp men’s college。 Of course her parents saw Chuck’s parents socially； but they never mentioned what he was doing。 It was an unspoken rule on the Upper East Side that parents didn’t discuss their unsuccessful children。
“He must be。” I