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and looked at the caller…ID screen。Well； of course。
？Hello？？she answered shrilly； unable to keep the iciness from her voice。
？Hey。？ Serena？s voice was bright and casual。 ？What are you doing？？ ？Hey。 Nothing。
Contemplating killing my family。？And you？ Blair added silently。
Serena laughed。 ？What？d they do this time？？
？I？ll tell you later。？ Blair sighed。 She watched as Serena stopped walking and held onto a
streetlight； kicking one foot against the metal base。
Oh…kaaay 。 。 。
？So； where are you right now？？ Serena asked； her voice questioning。 Blair watched as she leaned
against the pole； crossing her legs at the ankles。
？You know； just out and about。？ Blair kept her voice neutral。
An ambulance rushed down the street； siren wailing； and the sound echoed through both
phones。 ？That？s so weird？it sounds like you？re right next to me。？ Serena sounded confused 。 。 。
and maybe the slightest bit nervous？
？It？s funny you should say that。？ Blair？s tone was icy as a January frost。 ？Because I？m looking
rightat you。？ She watched as Serena whirled around； checking the crowd frantically。 ？Oh！？ she
exclaimed； spotting her。 ？I？ll be right over。？ Now this should be a fun reunion！
Ten minutes later； they sat side by side on the cool stone steps of the Met； smoking cigarettes；
iced vanilla lattes sweating in their hands。 The sun beat down on their heads and shoulders like a
reprimand； and brightly colored banners hung from the entrance to the museum； advertising the
latest Picasso and Van Gogh touring collections。
？So；？ Blair？s voice was cool and measured； ？what were you doing over at Nate？s？？ She glanced
at Serena？s low…cut black cotton Tory Burch tank top。 ？Because it certainly doesn？t look like there
was anypainting going on。？ ？Painting？ What are you talking about？？ Serena knew it must be
weird for Blair to have caught her and Nate hanging out without her； but the iciness in Blair？s
voice felt totally wrong； especiallyhere。 The two of them had met on these steps countless times。
They？d drunk hundreds of coffees and smoked probably thousands of cigarettes here。 Usually they
would gossip wildly until the sky grew dark and it was time to head home； linking their arms and
walking down Fifth
Avenue。 But now it didn？t feel calming or familiar to have Blair sitting next to her？it felttense 。
Serena shifted on the hard stone； trying unsuccessfully to get fortable。
？Nate told me earlier he couldn？t hang out because they were painting his room and the fumes
were too much to bear。 But clearlyyou were able to handle them；？ Blair accused； looking straight
ahead。
？Listen； I think you？ve got things all wrong。 Please don？t freak out before I tell you what？s
really going on。？ Serena snuck a glance at Blair； whose eyes were hidden behind enormous blue
aviators。 Sheseemed mad； but Serena couldn？t really be sure； since cranky was kind of Blair？s
natural state。 She hadn？t wanted to ruin the surprise of the slide show； but she knew Blair would
never trust her again if she didn？t explain what she and Nate had been doing。
Um； maybe she should？ve thought about thatbefore writing her best friend？s boyfriend a
three…page love letter？
？So you know the party at the Met？？ Serena took a gulp of iced latte and looked out at the street
below。 A tired…looking mother was attempting to strap her writhing toddler into a stroller while her
husband looked on helplessly。 ？Well； your mom asked me and Nate to go through all these photos
to make a slide show for the party： a ？This Is Your Life； Blair Waldorf？ kind of thing。 That？s why
we were hanging out today。？ Serena reached into her tote and rummaged around at the
bottom。 ？She asked us to keep it a secret； but clearly you？re too much of a sleuth for us；？ she
joked； hoping to lighten the mood。
？Seriously？？ Blair perked up。 She hadn？t even considered the possibility that Serena and Nate
might be getting together to do something nice for her。 And she loved surprises； as long as she
knew about them。
That makes sense。
？Uh…huh；？ Serena replied excitedly。 ？Look atthese。 ？ She pulled some old photos from her bag
and handed them to Blair。
Blair stared down at the picture of Nate sleeping； the words BUCK NAKED scrawled across his
adolescent； scrawny chest in black magic marker。 She？d written the ？BUCK？ part； and Serena？s
wavy script had filled in the ？NAKED？？they hadn？t even talked about it； they？d just had the exact
same thought at the exact same time。 Blair laughed； running her fingers over the slick surface of
the photograph。 ？I can？t believe you found this！ What were we； like； thirteen？ We were so
freaking immature！？ They looked so innocent； lying there with Nate between them。 Blair smiled；
suddenly feeling nostalgic。 The Three Musketeers？that？s what their parents had called them since
grade school； a cluster of adults shaking their heads and smiling as Serena and Blair tackled Nate
in their various living rooms； sitting on top of him until he screamed。
Sounds like a dream e true。
？Oh my God。？ Blair turned to face Serena and pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head。
Some girl？s art portfolio nearly slapped Blair as the girl hurried up the stone steps。 ？Remember in
seventh grade when we all drank a bottle of champagne； and Nate had to go out to dinner with his
dad afterwards； totally tipsy？？ Serena laughed as she stuffed the photos back into her bag。 ？How
could I forget？ And remember how we went back to your house and tried to make brownies？
Except we were both so uncoordinated we spilled the batter all over the floor； and then Kitty
Minky ate it and threw up in your mom？s closet？all over her new pair of Fendi boots？ I？ve never
seen your mom that mad before。？ Blair laughed； moving slightly closer to Serena on the steps。 Her
anger was slowly dissolving。 If Serena would just confess about that fucking love letter； Blair
could just forgive her and they could move on。 With her family turning on her； she really needed
her best friend。
？Can I bum a smoke？？ Blair eyed Serena？s slouchy black leather Gucci bag。 Serena nodded and
pulled out her pack of Gauloises； handing one to her。 Even though she？d brought her own Merit
Ultra Lights； Blair decided that with Yale ing up so soon； she？d better start smoking a more
serious brand of cigarettes。
Doesn？t she mean more pretentious？
A horde of little kids dressed in shorts and T…shirts stumbled up the steps； holding onto a long
piece of red rope。 Blair watched as the kids struggled to make it to the top of the steps； yelling and
laughing； all moving together in a group。 She remembered how in first grade； for whatever
ridiculous reason； everyone in her class had decided that she had cooties。 Serena was the only one
who would talk to her。 And then； of course； as soon as she had accepted Blair； everyone else had
been quick to follow。 Serena never had trouble finding people to worship her and copy her every
move； even back when they could barely form sentences。
Serena exhaled a cloud of sweetly scented smoke。 ？Sometimes I can？t believe we were ever that
young。？
Like they？re so ancient now。
？Iknow 。？ Blair pushed her glossy dark hair off her shoulders。 ？I can？t believe we？re going to
college in a week。？ She looked at the group of kids again。 Two girls were fighting over a place on
the red rope。 ？I can？t wait to get to Yale and just start over again。 Can？t you just picture it？？ She
closed her eyes； smiling happily as she conjured up the freshly…mowed green grass strewn with
fall leaves and ivy…covered brick walls。 Ah；Yale。 She and Nate were going to move into a cozy
colonial house and live happily ever after。 They could even have Serena over for dinner sometimes。
She？d regale them with stories about the single life； crazy frat parties； and silly hookups followed
by morning walks of shame； and Blair and Nate would chuckle and smile at each other across the
table； smugly happy that they？d found theone and weren？t out there getting drunk and sloppy。
Serena closed her eyes too； and tried her best to put herself there； beside Blair and Nate at Yale in
the fall。 But behind her closed eyelids lay a mass of empty； undefined darkness。 She frowned。 She
couldn？t ignore the fact that every time she tried to imagine her life at college； she wound up
drawing a plete blank。 She snapped her eyes open and instantly felt forted by the sight of
Fifth Avenue； its sea of yellow taxis heading downtown； the stately green…awninged buildings with
their impeccably dressed doormen who wore suits and white gloves no matter how hot it was。
Blair took a drag from her Galoise。 ？So； when I was saying I wanted to kill my family before 。 。 。
I？m kind of serious this time。 They？re moving to L。A。 because Cyrus is building some golf course
or mall or something putrid that the people out there like。 Of course theywould leave the city for
the fucking natural…disaster capital of the world。？ She rolled her eyes； her bitterness starting to
creep back in。
？What？？Serena angled her body toward Blair？s； so that their knees were touching。 ？Are you
serious？？ Blair crushed out the c