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out of his locker at the Riverside Preparatory School for Boys。
“Don’t forget to use protection；” Chuck called； raising his glass at
Blair and Nate as they turned down the long； red…carpeted hallway
to Blair’s bedroom。
Blair grasped the glass doorknob and turned it； surprising her
Russian Blue cat； Kitty Minky； who was curled up on the red silk
bedspread。 Blair paused at the threshold and leaned back against
Nate； pressing her body into his。 She reached down to take his
hand。
At that moment； Nate’s hopes perked up。 Blair was acting sort of
sultry and sexy and could it be 。 。 。 something was about to
happen？
Blair squeezed Nate’s hand and pulled him into the room。 They
stumbled over each other； falling toward the bed； and spilling their
drinks on the mohair rug。 Blair giggled； the scotch she’d pounded
had gone right to her head。
I’m about to have sex with Nate； she thought giddily。 And then
they’d both graduate in June and go to Yale in the fall and have a
huge wedding four years later and find a beautiful apartment on
Park Avenue and decorate the whole thing in velvet； silk； and fur
and have sex in every room on a rotating basis。
Suddenly Blair’s mother’s voice rang out； loud and clear； down the
hallway。
“Serena van der Woodsen！ What a lovely surprise！”
Nate dropped Blair’s hand and straightened up like a soldier called
to attention。 Blair sat down hard on the end of her bed； put her
drink on the floor； and grasped the bedspread in tight； white…
knuckled fists。
She looked up at Nate。
But Nate was already turning to go； striding back down the hall to
see if it could possibly be true。 Had Serena van der Woodsen really
e back？
The movie of Blair’s life had taken a sudden； tragic turn。 Blair
clutched her stomach； ravenous again。
She should have gone for the hot dog after all。
“Hello； hello； hello！” Blair’s mother crowed； kissing the smooth；
hollow cheeks of each van der Woodsen。
Kiss； kiss； kiss； kiss； kiss； kiss！
“I know you weren’t expecting Serena； dear；” Mrs。 van der Woodsen
whispered in a concerned； confidential tone。 “I hope it’s all right。”
“Of course。 Yes； it’s fine；” Mrs。 Waldorf said。 “Did you e home
for the weekend； Serena？”
Serena van der Woodsen shook her head and handed her vintage
Burberry coat to Esther； the maid。 She pushed a stray blond hair
behind her ear and smiled at her hostess。
When Serena smiled； she used her eyes—those dark； almost navy
blue eyes。 It was the kind of smile you might try to imitate； posing
in the bathroom mirror like an idiot。 The magnetic； delicious； “you
can’t stop looking at me； can you？” smile supermodels spend years
perfecting。 Well； Serena smiled that way without even trying。
“No； I’m here to—” Serena started to say。
Serena’s mother interrupted hastily。 “Serena has decided that
boarding school is not for her；” she announced； patting her hair
casually； as if it were no big deal。 She was the middle…aged version
of utter coolness。
The whole van der Woodsen family was like that。 They were all tall；
blond； thin； and super…poised； and they never did anything—play
tennis； hail a cab； eat spaghetti； go to the toilet—without
maintaining their cool。 Serena especially。 She was gifted with the
kind of coolness that you can’t acquire by buying the right handbag
or the right pair of jeans。 She was the girl every boy wants and
every girl wants to be。
“Serena will be back at Constance tomorrow；” Mr。 van der Woodsen
said； glancing at his daughter with steely blue eyes and an owl…like
mixture of pride and disapproval that made him look scarier than he
really was。
“Well； Serena。 You look lovely； dear。 Blair will be thrilled to see you；”
Blair’s mother trilled。
“You’re one to talk；” Serena said； hugging her。 “Look how skinny
you are！ And the house looks so fantastic。 Wow。 You’ve got some
awesome art！”
Mrs。 Waldorf smiled； obviously pleased； and wrapped her arm
around Serena’s long； slender waist。 “Darling； I’d like you to meet
my special friend； Cyrus Rose；” she said。 “Cyrus； this is Serena。”
“Stunning；” Cyrus Rose boomed。 He kissed Serena on both cheeks；
and hugged her a little too tightly。 “She’s a good hugger； too；”
Cyrus added； patting Serena on the hip。
Serena giggled； but she didn’t flinch。 She’d spent a lot of time in
Europe in the past two years； and she was used to being hugged by
harmless； horny European gropers who found her pletely
irresistible。 She was a full…on groper magnet。
“Serena and Blair are best； best； best friends；” Eleanor Waldorf
explained to Cyrus。 “But Serena went away to Hanover Academy in
eleventh grade and spent this summer traveling。 It was so hard for
poor Blair with you gone this past year； Serena；” Eleanor said；
growing misty…eyed。 “Especially with the divorce。 But you’re back
now。 Blair will be so pleased。”
“Where is she？” Serena asked eagerly； her perfect； pale skin
glowing pink with the prospect of seeing her old friend again。 She
stood on tip…toe and craned her head to look for Blair； but she soon
found herself surrounded by parents—the Archibalds； the Coateses；
the Basses； and Mr。 Farkas—who each took turns kissing her and
weling her back。
Serena hugged them happily。 These people were home to her； and
she’d been gone a long time。 She could hardly wait for life to return
to the way it used to be。 She and Blair would walk to school
together； spend Double Photography in Sheep Meadow in Central
Park； lying on their backs； taking pictures of pigeons and clouds；
smoking and drinking Coke and feeling like hard…core artistes。 They
would have cocktails at the Star Lounge in the Tribeca Star Hotel
again； which always turned into sleepover parties because they
would get too drunk to get home； so they’d spend the night in the
suite Chuck Bass’s family kept there。 They would sit on Blair’s four…
poster bed and watch Audrey Hepburn movies； wearing vintage
lingerie and drinking gin and lime juice。 They would cheat on their
Latin tests like they always did—amo； amas； amat was still tattooed
on the inside of Serena’s elbow in permanent marker （thank God for
three…quarter length sleeves！）。 They’d drive around Serena’s
parents’ estate in Ridgefield； Connecticut； in the caretaker’s old
Buick station wagon； singing the stupid hymns they sang in school
and acting like crazy old ladies。 They’d pee in the downstairs
entrances to their classmates’ brownstones and then ring the
doorbells and run away。 They’d take Blair’s little brother； Tyler； to
the Lower East Side and leave him there to see how long it took for
him to find his way home—a work of charity； really； since Tyler was
now the most street…wise boy at St。 George’s。 They’d go out
dancing with a huge group and lose ten pounds just from sweating
in their leather pants。 As if they needed to lose the weight。
They would go back to being their regular old fabulous selves； just
like always。 Serena couldn’t wait。
“Got you a drink；” Chuck Bass said； elbowing the clusters of parents
out of the way and handing Serena a tumbler of whiskey。 “Wele
back；” he added； ducking down to kiss Serena’s cheek and missing
it intentionally； so that his lips landed on her mouth。
“You haven’t changed；” Serena said； accepting the drink。 She took a
long sip。 “So； did you miss me？”
“Miss you？ The question is； did you miss me？” Chuck said。 “e
on； babe； spill。 What are you doing back here？ What happened？ Do
you have a boyfriend？”
“Oh； e on； Chuck；” Serena said； squeezing his hand。 “You know I
came back because I want you so badly。 I’ve always wanted you。”
Chuck took a step back and cleared his throat； his face flushed。
She’d caught him off guard； a rare feat。
“Well； I’m all booked up for this month； but I can put you on the
waiting list；” Chuck said huffily； trying to regain his posure。
But Serena was barely listening to him anymore。 Her dark blue eyes
scanned the room； looking for the two people she wanted to see
most； Blair and Nate。
Finally Serena found them。 Nate was standing by the doorway to
the hall； and Blair was standing just behind him； her head bowed；
fiddling with the buttons on her black cardigan。 Nate was looking
directly at Serena； and when her gaze met his； he bit his bottom lip
the way he always did when he was embarrassed。 And then he
smiled。
That smile。 Those eyes。 That face。
“e here；” Serena mouthed at him； waving her hand。 Her heart
sped up as Nate began walking toward her。 He looked better than
she remembered； much better。
Nate’s heart was beating even faster than hers。
“Hey； you；” Serena breathed when Nate hugged her。 He smelled
just like he always smelled。 Like the cleanest； most delicious boy
alive。 Tears came to Serena’s eyes and she pressed her face into
Nate’s chest。 Now she was really home。
Nate’s cheeks turned pink。 Calm down； he told himself。 But he
couldn’t calm down。 He felt like picking her up and twirling her
around and kissing her face over and over。 “I love you！” he wanted
to shout；