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How lucky he was。 Life didn’t get any better than the moment when
Serena flip…flopped down the platform； threw her arms around his
neck； and kissed him on the lips。 That wonderful； surprising kiss。
First they had martinis at the little bar upstairs by the Vanderbilt
Avenue entrance to Grand Central。 Then they got a cab straight up
Park Avenue to Nate’s Eighty…second Street townhouse。 His father
was entertaining some foreign bankers and was going to be out
until very late； so Serena and Nate had the place to themselves。
Oddly enough； it was the first time they’d ever been alone together
and noticed。
It didn’t take long。
They sat out in the garden； drinking beer and smoking cigarettes。
Nate was wearing a long…sleeved polo shirt； and the weather was
extremely hot； so he took it off。 His shoulders were scattered with
tiny freckles； and his back was muscled and tan from hours at the
docks； building a sailboat with his father up in Maine。
Serena was hot too； so she climbed into the fountain。 She sat on the
marble Venus de Milo statue’s knee； splashing herself with water
until her dress was soaked through。
It wasn’t difficult to see who the real goddess was。 Venus looked like
a lumpy pile of marble pared to Serena。 Nate staggered over to
the fountain and got in with her； and soon they were tearing the
rest of each other’s clothes off。 It was August after all。 The only way
to tolerate the city in August is to get naked。
Nate was worried about the security cameras trained on his
parents’ house at all times； front and back； so he led Serena inside
and up to his parents’ bedroom。
The rest is history。
They both had sex for the first time。 It was awkward and painful and
exciting and fun； and so sweet they forgot to be embarrassed。 It
was exactly the way you’d want your first time to be； and they had
no regrets。 Afterwards； they turned on the television； which was
tuned to the History Channel； a documentary about the Red Sea。
Serena and Nate lay in bed； holding each other and looking up at
the clouds through the skylight overhead； while they listened to the
narrator of the program talk about Moses parting the Red Sea。
Serena thought that was hilarious。
“You parted my Red Sea！” she howled； wrestling Nate against the
pillows。
Nate laughed and rolled her up in the sheet like a mummy。 “And
now I will leave you here as a sacrifice to the Holy Land！” he said in
a deep； horror…movie voice。
And he did leave her； for a little while。 He got up and ordered a
huge feast of Chinese food and bad white wine； and they lay in bed
and ate and drank； and he parted her Red Sea once again before
the sky grew dark and the stars twinkled in the skylight。
A week later； Serena went away to boarding school at Hanover
Academy； while Nate and Blair stayed behind in New York。 Ever
since； Serena had spent every vacation away—the Austrian Alps at
Christmas； the Dominican Republic for Easter； the summer traveling
in Europe。 This was the first time she’d been back； the first time she
and Nate had seen each other since the parting of the Red Sea。
“Blair doesn’t know； does she？” Serena asked Nate quietly。
Blair who？ Nate thought； with a momentary case of amnesia。 He
shook his head。 “No；” he said。 “If you haven’t told her； she doesn’t
know。”
But Chuck Bass knew； which was almost worse。 Nate had blurted
the information out at a party only two nights ago in a drunken fit of
plete stupidity。 They’d been doing shots； and Chuck had asked；
“So； Nate。 What was your all time best fuck？ That is； if you’ve done
it all yet。”
“Well； I did it with Serena van der Woodsen；” Nate had bragged； like
an idiot。
And Chuck wasn’t going to keep it a secret for long。 It was way too
juicy and way too useful。 Chuck didn’t need to read that book How
to Win Friends and Influence People。 He fucking wrote it。 Although
he wasn’t doing so well in the friends department。
Serena didn’t seem to notice Nate’s unfortable silence。 She
sighed； bowing her head to rest it on his shoulder。 She no longer
smelled like Chanel’s Cristalle like she always used to。 She smelled
like honey and sandalwood and lilies—her own essential…oil mixture。
It was very Serena； utterly irresistible； but if anyone else tried to
wear it； it would probably smell like dog poo。
“Shit。 I missed you like crazy； Nate；” she said。 “I wish you could’ve
seen the stuff I pulled。 I was so bad。”
“What do you mean？ What did you do that was so bad？” Nate
asked； with a mixture of dread and anticipation。 For a brief second
he imagined her hosting orgies in her dorm room at Hanover
Academy and having affairs with older men in hotel rooms in Paris。
He wished he could’ve visited her in Europe this summer。 He’d
always wanted to do it in a hotel。
“And I’ve been such a horrible friend； too；” Serena went on。 “I’ve
barely even talked to Blair since I left。 And so much has happened。 I
can already tell she’s mad。 She hasn’t even said hello。”
“She’s not mad；” Nate said。 “Maybe she’s just feeling shy。”
Serena flashed him a look。 “Right；” she said mockingly。 “Blair’s
feeling shy。 Since when has Blair ever been shy？”
“Well； she’s not mad；” Nate insisted。
Serena shrugged。 “Well； anyway； I’m so psyched to be back here
with you guys。 We’ll do all the things we used to do。 Blair and I will
cut class and meet you on the roof of the Met； and then we’ll run
down to that old movie theater by the Plaza Hotel and see some
weirdo film until cocktail hour starts。 And you and Blair will stay
together forever and I’ll be the maid of honor at your wedding。 And
we’ll be happy ever after； just like in the movies。”
Nate frowned。
“Don’t make that face； Nate；” Serena said； laughing。 “That doesn’t
sound so bad； does it？”
Nate shrugged。 “No； I guess it sounds okay；” he said； although he
clearly didn’t believe it。
“What sounds okay？” a surly voice demanded。
Startled； Nate and Serena tore their eyes away from each other。 It
was Chuck； and with him were Kati； Isabel； and； last but not least；
Blair； looking very shy indeed。
Chuck clapped Nate on the back。 “Sorry； Nate；” he said。 “But you
can’t bogey the van der Woodsen all night； you know。”
Nate snorted and tipped back his glass。 Only ice was left。
Serena looked at Blair。 Or at least； she tried to。 Blair was making a
big deal of pulling up her black stockings； working them inch by
inch from her bony ankles up to her bony knees； and up around her
tennis…muscled thighs。 So Serena gave up and kissed first Kati； then
Isabel； and then she made her way to Blair。
There was only a limited amount of time Blair could spend pulling
up her tights before it got ridiculous。 When Serena was only inches
away from her； she looked up and pretended to be surprised。
“Hey Blair；” Serena said excitedly。 She put her hands on the shorter
girl’s shoulders and bent down to kiss both of her cheeks。 “I’m so
sorry I didn’t call you before I came back。 I wanted to。 But things
have been so crazy。 I have so much to tell you！”
Chuck； Kati； and Isabel all nudged each other and stared at Blair。 It
was pretty obvious she had lied。 She didn’t know anything about
Serena ing back。
Blair’s face heated up。
Busted。
Nate noticed the tension； but he thought it was for an entirely
different reason。 Had Chuck told Blair already？ Was he busted？ Nate
couldn’t tell。 Blair wasn’t even looking at him。
It was a chilly moment。 Not the kind of moment you’d expect to
have with your oldest； closest friends。
Serena’s eyes darted from one face to another。 Clearly she had said
something wrong； and she quickly guessed what it was。 I’m such an
asshole； she scolded herself。
“I mean； I’m sorry I didn’t call you last night。 I literally just got back
from Ridgefield。 My parents have been hiding me there until they
figured out what to do with me。 I have been so bored。”
Nice save。
She waited for Blair to smile gratefully for covering for her； but all
Blair did was glance at Kati and Isabel to see if they’d noticed the
slip。 Blair was acting strange； and Serena fought down a rising
panic。 Maybe Nate was wrong； maybe Blair really was mad at her。
Serena had missed out on so much。 The divorce； for instance。 Poor
Blair。
“It must really stink without your dad around；” Serena said。 “But
your mom looks so good； and Cyrus is kind of sweet； once you get
used to him。” She giggled。
But Blair still wasn’t smiling。 “Maybe；” she said； staring out the
window at the hot…dog stand。 “I guess I’m still not used to him。”
All six of them were silent for a long； tense moment。
What they needed was one more good； stiff drink。
Nate rattled the ice cubes in his glass。 “Who wants another？” he
offered。 “I’ll make them。”
Serena held out her glass。 “Thanks； Nate；” she said。 “I’m so fucking
thirsty。 They locked the damned booze cabinet up in Ridgefield。 Can
you believe it？”
Blair shook her head。 “No； thanks；” she said。
“If I have another； I’ll be hungover at school tomorrow；” Kati said。
Isabel