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red one。
“Hi。 Is that Vanessa Abrams？” a girl’s voice said on the other end of
the phone。
“Yes。 Who’s this？” Vanessa said； standing in front of her bedroom
mirror and holding the red shirt up to her chest。 She hadn’t worn
any color but black in two years。 Why should she start now？
Please。 It’s not like wearing a red shirt was going turn her into a
bouncy cheerleader with blond pigtails。 She’d have to be
brainwashed for that to happen。
“It’s Serena van der Woodsen。”
Vanessa stopped looking at herself and threw the shirt on her bed。
“Oh；” she said。 “What’s up？”
“Well；” Serena said。 “I totally understand why you wanted to cast
Marjorie。 You know； for your film？ But you seem to really know what
you’re doing； and I really need the extracurricular or Ms。 Glos is
going to kill me。 So I thought I’d try to make my own movie。”
“Uh huh；” Vanessa said； trying to figure out why Serena van der
Woodsen of all people would be calling her up on a Friday night。
Didn’t she have a ball to go to or something？ Some fête？
“So anyway； I was wondering if maybe you could help me。 You
know； like show me how to use the camera； and whatever。 I mean； I
really don’t know what I’m doing；” Serena said。 She sighed。 “I don’t
know； maybe making a film is a dumb idea。 It’s probably a lot
harder than I think。”
“It’s not dumb；” Vanessa said； feeling kind of sorry for Serena
despite herself。 “I can show you some of the basic stuff。”
“Really？” Serena said。 She sounded thrilled。 “How about tomorrow？
Can you do it tomorrow？”
Saturday was Vanessa’s vampire day。 She usually woke up after
dark and then went to the diner or to the movies with her sister or
Dan。
“Sunday is better；” she said。
“Okay。 Sunday；” Serena said。 “You probably have a lot of equipment
and stuff at your house； right？ Why don’t I e over there； so you
don’t have to lug it around。”
“Sounds good；” Vanessa said。
“Okay；” Serena said。 She paused。 She didn’t seem very eager to
hang up the phone。
“Hey； isn’t that big party in the old Barneys building tonight？”
Vanessa said。 “Aren’t you going？”
“Nah；” Serena answered。 “I wasn’t invited。”
Vanessa nodded； processing this information。 Serena van der
Woodsen wasn’t invited？ Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all。
“Well； do you want to e out with us tonight？” Vanessa offered
before she could stop herself。 “Me and my big sister are going to a
bar here in Williamsburg。 Her band is playing。”
“I’d love to；” Serena said。
Vanessa gave her the address of The Five and Dime—the bar her
sister was playing in—and hung up the phone。
Life was so strange。 One day you could be picking your nose and
eating donuts； and the next day you could be hanging out with
Serena van der Woodsen。 She picked up the red shirt； pulled it on
over her head； and looked in the mirror。 She looked like a tulip。 A
tulip with a stubbly black head。
“Dan will like it；” her sister Ruby told her； standing in the doorway。
She handed Vanessa a tube of dark red lipstick。 Vamp。
“Well； Dan’s not ing out tonight；” Vanessa said； smirking at her
sister。 She dabbed on the lipstick and rubbed her lips together。 “He
has to take his little sister to some fancy ball。”
She checked herself out in the mirror once more。 The lipstick made
her big brown eyes look even bigger； and the shirt was kind of cool；
in a loud； look…at…me way。
Vanessa stuck out her chest and smiled invitingly at her reflection。
Maybe I’ll get lucky； she thought。 Or maybe not。
“I have a friend ing to meet us；” Vanessa informed her sister。
“Boy or girl？” Ruby asked； turning around to check out her butt in
the mirror。
“Girl。”
“Name？” said Ruby。
“Serena van der Woodsen；” Vanessa mumbled。
“The girl whose picture is all over town？” Ruby said； clearly
delighted。
“Yeah； that’s her；” Vanessa said。
“Well； I bet she’s pretty cool；” Ruby said； rubbing hair gel into her
thick black bangs。
“Maybe；” Vanessa replied。 “I guess we’ll find out。”
“What fantastic flowers；” said Becky Dormand； a junior at
Constance。 She kissed Blair on both cheeks。 “And what a hot dress！”
“Thanks； Beck；” Blair said； looking down at the green satin sheath
she was wearing。 She had gotten her period that morning； but she
had to wear extremely flimsy underwear with her dress。 It made her
nervous。
A waiter walked past with a tray of champagne。 Blair whisked a flute
off his tray and downed it in a matter of seconds。 It was her third so
far。
“I love your shoes；” Blair said。 Becky was wearing black； high…
heeled sandals that laced all the way up to her knees。 They went
perfectly with her short black tutu dress and her superhigh ponytail。
She looked like a ballerina on acid。
“I can’t wait for the gift bags；” Laura Salmon squealed。 “Kate
Spade； right？”
“I heard they even put a glow…in…the…dark condom in them；” Rain
Hoffstetter giggled。 “Isn’t that cool？”
“Not that you’ll be using it or anything；” Blair said。
“How do you know？” Rain huffed。
“Blair？” Blair heard someone say in a tremulous voice。
Blair turned around to see little Jenny Humphrey standing behind
her； looking like a human Wonderbra in her black satin dress。
“Oh； hello；” Blair said coolly。 “Thanks again for doing those
invitations。 They really came out great。”
“Thanks for letting me do them；” Jenny said。 Her eyes darted
around the huge room； which was throbbing with people and music
and smoke。 Black three…foot…high candles in tall glass beakers
trimmed with peacock feathers and fragrant white orchids flickered
everywhere。 Jenny had never been to anything this cool in her life。
“God； I don’t know anyone here；” she said nervously。
“You don’t？” Blair said。 She wondered if Jenny thought she was
going to talk to her all night。
“No。 My brother Dan was supposed to e with me； but he didn’t
really want to； so I just let him drop me off。 Actually； I do know one
person；” Jenny said。
“Oh；” said Blair。 “And who is that？”
“Serena van der Woodsen；” Jenny chirped。 “We’re making a movie
together。 Did she tell you？”
Just then； a waitress brandished a platter of sushi under Blair’s
nose。 Blair grabbed a chunky tuna roll and shoved it into her mouth。
“Serena’s not here yet；” she said； chewing hungrily。 “But I’m sure
she’ll be thrilled to see you。”
“Okay。 I guess I’ll just wait for her here； then；” Jenny said； snagging
two flutes of champagne from a waiter’s tray。 She handed one to
Blair。 “Will you wait with me？”
Blair took the champagne； tilted her head back； and poured it down
the hatch。 The sickly sweet fizziness of it didn’t exactly jive with the
raw fish and seaweed she’d just eaten。 Blair burped queasily。
“I’ll be right back；” she told Jenny； practically running for the
powder room。
Jenny took a sip of her champagne and gazed up at the crystal
chandelier hanging from the ceiling； congratulating herself on
making it in there。 This was exactly what she’d always wanted。 She
closed her eyes and finished off her flute of champagne。 When she
opened her eyes again； she saw stars； but still no Serena。
Another waiter walked by with more champagne； and Jenny took
two more glasses。 She’d drunk a little beer and wine at home with
her dad； but she’d never had champagne before。 It tasted
wonderful。
Careful； it doesn’t taste so wonderful when you’re on your knees in
the bathroom； throwing it up。
Jenny looked around for Blair again； but couldn’t find her。 The party
was so crowded； and although she recognized a lot of faces； there
was no one she’d actually feel fortable going up and talking to。
But Serena would be there soon； she had to be。
Jenny walked over to the bottom step of a marble staircase and sat
down。 She could see everything from there； including the door。 She
waited； drinking both glasses of champagne and wishing her dress
wasn’t so tight。 It was starting to make her feel nauseous。
“Well； hello；” a deep voice said； hovering above her。
Jenny looked up。 Her eyes settled on Chuck Bass’s aftershave…
mercial face and she sucked in her breath。 He was the best…
looking boy she’d ever seen； and he was looking right at her。
“Aren’t you going to introduce me？” Chuck said； staring at Jenny’s
chest。
“To who？” Jenny said； frowning。
Chuck just laughed and held out his hand。 Blair had sent him over
there to talk to some chick； and he’d been skeptical。 But not
anymore。 The cleavage on her！ It was definitely his lucky night。
“I’m Chuck。 Would you like to dance？”
Jenny hesitated and glanced at the door。 Still no Serena。 Then she
shifted her gaze back to Chuck。 She couldn’t believe a handsome
and self…assured boy like him would want to dance with her。 But she
wasn’t wearing a sexy black dress just to sit on the steps all night。
She stood up； a little wobblier than she’d been before； after so
much champagne。
“Sure； let’s dance；” she slurred； falling against Chuck’s chest。
He slipped his arm around her waist and squeezed her tight。 “Good
girl；” he said；