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head。 ？Louis！ Louis！ Give her something really dramatic。 Blond to her waist！？ She turned to
Vanessa again。 ？Oh； and by the way； after the wedding you should e by the Met？my mom？s
throwing a goodbye party for me。 Plus you？ll already be all dolled up from the wedding。 Bring
whoever。？ She waved a hand as if renting out one of the largest and most opulent museums in the
world wasn？t a big deal at all。
Vanessa nodded。 ？Oh； okay。 Maybe I will。 Thanks。？ Louis quietly circled Vanessa？s chair；
touching her scalp with his long； cool fingers。 ？Zer iz not too muuch to vork vith；？ he observed；
foraging in the roots of Vanessa？s troubled head。
？That？s okay；？ Vanessa replied dejectedly。 ？I？m beyond hope；？ she added dramatically。
？Ah！？ he cried； snapping his fingers。 ？Ve have some fabooluuuuuuus hummus…har wigs？long and
blond。？ Long blond hummus hair？ Vanessa stared at her bald scalp in the mirror and tilted her
head to the side。
？Very Ashlee Simpson。？ Blair held up theUs Weekly on her lap and pointed at the
cover。 ？Brilliant！？ She clapped her hands together excitedly。
Normally； the mere thought of trying to look like someone on the cover ofUs Weekly would
force Vanessa to dry heave。 But these were desperate times。 Another eruption of giggles emitted
from Kati and Isabel？s end of the salon。 Vanessa peered thoughtfully at herself in the mirror。 She
was ready for a change。
？Bring it on；？ she nodded confidently to Louis； smiling into the mirror。
Oh dear。 Remember girls； it？s always better to stick to what you were born with？anything stuck
on might 。 。 。 fall off。
the devil wears dolce
Serena van der Woodsen sat in the Waldorf Rose living room； flanked on either side by Blair？s
mother； Eleanor Waldorf Rose； and Davita Fjorde？party planner to those residing on Manhattan？s
Golden Mile。 Serena had no idea why she？d been invited to Blair？s house； but when Eleanor
called she couldn？t very well say no to her so…called best friend？s mother； whose wedding she had
been a bridesmaid in less than a year ago。
？Now； I want it to be surprising and wonderful and luxurious； of course； but I don？t want
anything too over…the…top。 Nothingvulgar 。？ Eleanor wrinkled her ski jump of a nose and
straightened the hem of her skintight bronze silk Valentino skirt。 After giving birth to baby Yale
that spring； she was on a strict Pilates…and…no…carbs diet； and it was clearly working。 ？Although
Cyrus justloved the belly dancers in Corfu。？
？Eleanor； my dear； stop worrying。 This party will befabulicious ；？ Davita drawled； scribbling
notes in her hot pink； leather…bound notebook with a gold Montblanc pen； her signature
pencil…straight ass…length platinum blond hair draping almost to her knobby fishnetted knees。
Davita fumbled； dropping the pen； and then pulled an exact replica from her enormous
apricot…colored Marc Jacobs tote without missing a beat。
Serena ran her fingers over the miniskirt she？d made herself out of her faded Seven cutoffs。 Ever
since Blair and Nate had sailed off into the sunrise on her birthday morning； she had been
struggling to be her usual cheerful self。 Sitting in Blair？s living room wasn？t helping any。 As she
looked around at the gleaming oak floor； the heavy crimson silk drapes； the overstuffed
toffee…colored； silk…jacquard sofa； all Serena could think about was how she？d spent most of her
childhood running around this apartment。 She and Blair used to make forts out of all the silk
pillows； throwing them off the couch and piling them in the center of the room； pretending the rest
of the rug was the ocean while they were stranded on an island。 They hid beneath their soft； dark
weight for hours； whispering secrets and giggling the day away。 Things were so much easier back
then？before Nate had e between them。 Not that it was his fault。
Why is it never the boy？s fault？
Serena sighed and tried to concentrate as Eleanor？s nervously loud voice chattered away in her
ear； the ice cubes in her Bloody Mary clinking against the glass as she waved her arms about。
？Because； you know； when the Reynoldses had their party last year； they chose that hideous
bisque color scheme； which pletely washed out Mitzi？s plexion；？ Eleanor was saying； her
brow wrinkled in worry。 ？I was envisioning shell pink or ivory； because those are Blair？s absolute
favorites； but I just can？t stop thinking about Mitzi looking as though she was about to besick all
over her very own soiree。？ Davita leaned in conspiratorially。 ？My dear； that event was planned
bySamantha Powers and her troop of underlings。Amateurs 。 You have to relax and realize you？re
dealing with aprofessional here！？ She threw her overbleached platinum locks over one shoulder
and turned toward Serena； her tanned face nearly as leathery as the distressed calfskin bag on the
sofa beside her。 ？Eleanor tells me that you？re Blair？s best friend；？ she said with a stewardess smile；
scribbling more notes on the pink pad。
Or worst enemy。
Serena nodded。 ？We？ve been friends？？
？Forever！？ Eleanor finished enthusiastically。
？Mmmm；？ Davita murmured as she picked up a thin cucumber sandwich？crusts cut off； of
course？from a hammered silver tray。 She sniffed it delicately； then returned it to the tray。
？Now； Serena；？ Eleanor began； smoothing her sleek； Fekkai…blond shoulder…length bob； ？I hope
you don？t mind me calling you over； but Blair has been positivelyunreachable ； and I thought that
since you two have known each other since you were toddlers； you？d be the perfect person to help
plan this event I have scheduled at the Met。 We have more than a few milestones to
celebrate？Blair and Aaron going off to college； for one。 And then there？s also？？
Just then Davita？s gold Motorola Slvr cell phone began to ring frantically； beeping and burping
in the most annoying way possible。 Davita jumped up； holding her bony； manicured index finger
out in the air； and walked quickly out of the living room； her pewter Jimmy Choo slingbacks
sparkling like firecrackers in the light that streamed through the south…facing windows。 Serena
returned to picking at the frayed threads on her cutoff skirt again。 She could barely concentrate
anyway。 As of today； Blair and Nate had spent exactly one month together； alone on a boat with no
one around for miles。 They were probably； right at this very minute； eating steamed lobsters with
clarified butter and gazing dreamily into each other？s eyes。 Serena blinked back hot tears as she
pictured it。
？So；？ Eleanor said brightly； inching closer to her on the couch and resting one tanned hand on
Serena？s forearm。 ？How has your summer been？ With Blair gone I？ve hardly seen you at all； and
it？s only a matter of days before you kids are off to New Haven！？
？It？s been okay。？ Serena forced a smile as she squirmed on the couch。 She？d spent the last four
weeks wandering around the city under the pretense of getting her fill of New York in before
leaving it behind。 In truth； she was just trying to distract herself。 Unfortunately； everywhere she
went？to the Central Park pond； to feed the mallards； to the mod boutiques on Little West Twelfth
Street； to shop； to the steps of the Met； to drink coffee； even her one venture into Brooklyn to see a
warehouse art show？reminded her of her friends。 They？d grown up together and experienced the
city together； and； supposedly； they were leaving it behind together。 But here she was； pletely
alone。 ？Just the usual。 Nothing special；？ Serena finished； noticing how lean and tanned Eleanor？s
legs were。 Maybe she should take a Pilates class too。
？Nothing special！？ Eleanor exclaimed in the way that only mothers can。 ？May I remind you that
your first feature film is going to be released very soon；and you？re starting Yale in a week and a
half！？ She squeezed Serena？s knee so hard it hurt。
Serena knew that she had a lot to be excited about； but she just couldn？t seem to match Eleanor？s
enthusiasm。 Maybe it was because the thought of heading to Yale in ten days with Nate and Blair
and watching them be blissfully in love for four torturous years loomed over everything。 ？Has
Blair 。 。 。 mentioned me at all when you？ve talked to her？？
Eleanor grabbed a white silk handkerchief from the antique coffee table and began to frantically
pat her brow with the soft cloth； then sprayed herself thoroughly with an Evian facial mister and
dabbed at her face again。 ？I？m sorry； dear； but is it hot in here？ I？m telling you； never turn
forty…seven。 The hot flashes are unbearable！？ She sighed dramatically； throwing the now…damp
hanky behind her。 ？Now； sweetheart； what were you saying？？
Serena shrugged her shoulders； not at all fazed by Eleanor？s outrageous behavior。 At least there
was one thing around here that wasn？t going to change。 She just wished she had Blair or Nate to
giggle with her about it。
Davita flounced back into the room； snapping her cell phone shut with a decisive click。 ？Okay；
ladies；？ she said； breaking into an enormous smile； her obvious veneers as wide and white as
Scrabble tiles。 ？Where were we？？ ？Well 。 。 。？ Eleanor motioned to Serena； her gold Cartier Lov