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address you gave her was my dorm room at Hanover。”
Blair tucked her hair behind her ears and shrugged her shoulders。
“Oops；” she said； feigning cluelessness。 “Sorry about that。”
“So tell me about the party；” Serena said。 “What’s it for again？”
Blair couldn’t talk about the cause without smiling self…consciously
because it sounded so lame and unsexy。 That’s why she’d named
the party Kiss on the Lips。 To give it some allure。 “It’s for those two
peregrine falcons that live in Central Park。 They’re an endangered
species； and everyone’s worried that they’re going to die or starve
or the squirrels will raid their nests or whatever。 So they set up a
foundation for them；” she explained。 “Don’t laugh。 I know it’s kind
of stupid。”
Serena blew out a puff of smoke and giggled。 “Well； it’s not like
there aren’t people that need saving。 I mean； what about the
homeless？”
“Well； it’s as good a cause as any。 We wanted something that
wasn’t too heavy to start the season off；” Blair huffed； annoyed。 It
was fine for her to laugh at the cause she’d chosen for the party；
but Serena had no right。
Serena steered the conversation back on course。 “So is the party
like； just for us； or is it for parents； too？” she asked。
Blair hesitated。 “Just 。 。 。 us；” she said finally。 She downed the rest of
her drink and looked at her watch。 “Um； I kind of have to take off；”
she said。 She slid her bag over her arm and picked her pack of
cigarettes up off the table。
Serena frowned。 She had taken her time getting dressed； psyching
herself up for a wild night out with her friends。 She’d expected a big
group—Blair and the other girls； Nate and his gang； Chuck and his
boys—all the people they always used to hang out with。
“But I thought we would stay here for a while。 Wait for everyone
else；” Serena said。 “Where are you going； anyway？”
“I have a practice SAT tomorrow morning；” Blair said； feeling
extremely superior； even though she was lying her ass off。 “I need
to prepare for it； and I want to go to bed early。”
“Oh；” Serena said。 She crossed her arms and sat back on her stool。
“I was hoping we’d all wind up partying in the Basses’ suite
upstairs。 They still have it； don’t they？”
Back in tenth grade； Serena and Blair and her friends had spent
many a night in Chuck Bass’s suite； drinking and dancing； watching
movies and ordering room service； taking hot tubs。 Together； they’d
pass out on the king…sized bed and stay there until they were sober
enough to make their way home。
Once； during a very drunken night at the end of tenth grade； Serena
and Blair were soaking in the hot tub； and Blair had kissed Serena
full on the lips。 Serena hadn’t seemed to remember it the next
morning； but Blair never forgot it。 Even though it was just an
impulse move that didn’t mean anything； thinking about that kiss
always made her feel hot and itchy and unfortable。 That was
another reason why it had been such a relief when Serena went
away。
“The Basses still have the suite；” Blair said； standing up。 “But they
really don’t appreciate people using it。 This isn’t tenth grade
anymore；” she added coldly。
“Okay；” Serena said。 She couldn’t say anything right； could she？ At
least； not to Blair。
“Well； have a good weekend；” Blair said with a stiff smile； as if
they’d only just met。 As if they hadn’t known each other all their
lives。 She dropped twenty dollars on the table for their drinks。
“Excuse me；” she told the three tall boys who were blocking her
path。 “Can I get by？”
Serena twirled her drink straw around in her glass and sipped the
dregs of her Cosmopolitan； watching Blair leave。 The drink tasted
salty now； because she was about to cry again。
“Hey Blair—” Serena called out after her friend。 Maybe if she just
blurted it all out； asked Blair why she was really mad； even
confessed to sleeping with Nate that one time； they could go on
being friends。 They could start over。 Serena might even start taking
an SAT prep course； so they could take practice SATs together； or
whatever。
But Blair kept on pushing her way through the crowd and out the
door to the street。
She walked over to Sixth Avenue to catch a cab back uptown。 It was
starting to rain and her hair was frizzing。 A bus roared by with
Serena’s picture on the side of it。 Was it her belly button？ It looked
like the dark pit at the center of a peach。 Blair turned her back on it
and waved her hand in the air to flag down the next taxi。 She
couldn’t get away fast enough。 But the first taxi that stopped for her
had the same poster in the lighted advertising box on its roof。 Blair
got in and slammed the door angrily。 She could never get
pletely away—Serena was fucking everywhere。
Serena reached for another cigarette and stuck it in her mouth with
trembling fingers。 Suddenly a pinky…ringed hand proffered a Zippo
and lit the cigarette for her。 The lighter was gold； with the
monogram C。B。 So was the ring。
“Hey Serena。 You look seriously hot；” Chuck Bass said。 “What are
you doing sitting here all by yourself？”
Serena inhaled deeply； quelling her tears； and smiled。 “Hey Chuck。
I’m glad you’re here。 Blair ditched me and now I’m all alone。 Is
anyone else ing？”
Chuck clicked his lighter shut and put it in his pocket。 He glanced
around the room。 “Who knows？” he said casually。 “They could
e； or they could not e。” He sat down in the armchair where
Blair had been sitting。 “You really do look hot；” he said again；
staring at Serena’s legs like he wanted to eat them。
“Thanks；” Serena said and laughed。 It was kind of a relief to see
that Chuck was still exactly the same； even if everyone else was
acting like freaks。 She had to love him for that。
“Another round；” Chuck called over to Missy。 “And put everything on
my tab。” He handed Serena the twenty Blair had left on the table。
“You can keep that；” he said。
“But it’s Blair’s；” Serena said； taking the bill and looking at it。
“Give it back to her； then；” Chuck said。
Serena nodded and stuffed the bill into her red velvet handbag。
“There you go；” Chuck said； when Missy put the drinks down。
“Bottoms up！” He clinked glasses with Serena and poured scotch
down his throat。
“Oops；” she said； as her Cosmo sloshed onto her dress。 “Damn。”
Chuck grabbed his cocktail napkin and dabbed at the stain； which
happened to be on her hip。 “There； you can’t even see it；” he said；
letting his hand linger near her crotch。
Serena grabbed Chuck’s hand and put it back in his lap。 “Thanks；
Chuck；” she said。 “I think I’m okay。”
Chuck wasn’t even a tad embarrassed。 He was unembarrassable。
“Hey； let’s get one more drink and take it up to my suite； okay？” he
offered。 “I’ll tell the bar staff to tell anyone who es to meet us
up there。 They know who my friends are。”
Serena hesitated； thinking about what Blair had said about the
Basses not liking people in their suite anymore。 “Are you sure it’s
okay？” she said。
Chuck laughed and stood up； holding out his hand to her。 “Of course
it’s okay。 e on。”
Even though it was raining out and he was freezing his ass off； Nate
was in no hurry to get to Blair’s house。 It was pretty ironic； really。
Here he was； a seventeen…year…old guy； about to have sex with his
girlfriend for the first time （hers； anyway）。 He should have been
running。
She must know by now； he kept telling himself； over and over and
over。 How could she not？ The whole city had to know by now that
he had had sex with Serena。 But if Blair knew； then why hadn’t she
said anything？
Thinking about it was driving Nate insane。
He ducked into a liquor store on Madison Avenue and bought a half
pint of Jack Daniels。 He’d already smoked a little joint at home； but
he’d need a shot of courage before he saw Blair。 He had no idea
what he was in for。
Nate walked the rest of the way as slowly as he could； taking
surreptitious sips from the bottle。 Just before turning down Seventy…
second Street to her apartment； he bought Blair a rose。
Chuck ordered another round of drinks from the bar； and Serena
followed him into the elevator and up to the Basses’ ninth…floor
suite。 It looked exactly the same as it always had： living room with
entertainment center and bar； huge bedroom with king…sized bed
and another entertainment center； as if they needed two； huge
marble bathroom with hot tub and two fluffy white bathrobes。 That
was other great thing Serena loved about hotels—the bathrobes。
Doesn’t everyone？
On the coffee table in the living room was a pile of photographs。
Serena recognized Nate’s face in the top one and she picked them
up and shuffled through them。
Chuck glanced at the pictures over her shoulder。 “Last year；” he
said； shaking his head。 “We were pretty crazy。”
Blair； Nate； Chuck； Isabel； Kati； everyone was in them； naked in the
hot tub； dancing in their underwear； drinking champagne in bed。
They were all party shots from last year—the date was in the corner
of each one—and they were all taken in the