ing with Serena van der Woodsen； getting the Raves to perform at your birthday… and you say I’m the one who sold out by working with a distribution pany？” He laughed。
“No。” Vanessa shook her head and polished off the rest of her champagne。 The tiny bubbles tickled her throat。 Saying it out loud made everything sound so fun and carefree； but it had never really been like that。 She’d been pletely out of place at school； all the prim and proper Constance Billard girls had made fun of her Doc Martens and shaved head。 Now； her straight； shiny black hair fell in a curtain to her shoulders； she occasionally wore black mascara and a smudge of lip gloss； and she had a wardrobe of skinny jeans； form…fitting sweaters； and colorful tops to offset her black skirts； pants； and hoodies。 She would’ve had a much easier time of it at Constance if she looked then the way she did now。 But even if she could go back in time and change things； she wouldn’t。 Her experience as an outsider had made her who she was。 It had given her the sharp point of view that led her to bee a filmmaker。
“Most of the time； it was really hard。 I mean； I was fifteen when I moved here to live with my sister。 Ruby was out a lot with the band； but she had a bird named Tofu and seriously； sometimes he was the only living thing I spoke to all day。” She sighed。 “One time we had this weird roommate； Tiphany； who moved in with a ferret named Tooter… and then there was the time that I got kicked out by Piotr； my sister’s husband；” Vanessa babbled。 Once she started talking about some of the crazier things that happened during her high school career； it was hard to stop； especially since Hollis was staring at her with such intensity。
“Wait。” He grabbed her hand and stared deep in her eyes。 “How e I’ve never heard any of these stories？”
Vanessa shrugged。 “It’s not that interesting。” She’d never really talked about her past before。 Not because she thought Hollis wouldn’t care； but because so much of her past involved Dan。 It was kind of awkward。
You think？
“No； it’s great。 Girl moves to Brooklyn and everything goes so wrong； it’s right。 The ferret’s name was Tooter？ You can’t make that shit up；” Hollis laughed。 “It’d be a great movie。 It’s gritty and raw and funny as hell。 It makes me want to know more。 I want to see it！ I want to see it all！” Hollis began pacing back and forth in the kitchen； the way he always did when he was trying to work out the logistics of an idea。
“Are you going to make a movie about my life？” Vanessa teased； refilling both of their champagne glasses。
“No。” Hollis took the glass and cocked it toward Vanessa。 “We are。”
Vanessa shook her head。 Her life wasn’t a movie！ It was just… her life。 Tragic and absurd； she thought randomly。 Dan had probably said that。 But maybe that was the point。 Her life…—her high school life； anyway…—had been tragic and absurd； but she’d gotten past it and was now happy and in love。 She thought of her high school self。 Shaven…headed； self…righteous Vanessa would have scoffed at a film about a na？ve Vermont girl who learns to tell people to go fuck themselves。 No。 Actually she would have loved it。
“Let’s do it。” Vanessa drained her champagne glass； slipped off her stool； and hugged Hollis hard。
“We can start tonight；” Hollis murmured into her now…shoulder…length black hair。
Vanessa grinned and kissed him softly on the lips。 “I have another idea for tonight；” she said boldly； looking him straight in the eye。
This particular film will go unrated。
everyone loves a reunion
“Serena van der Woodsen’s here；” Laura Salmon whispered to Rain Hoffstetter。 Isabel Coates nodded。 They were perched on one of the low…slung black leather couches in the Bass suite at the Tribeca Star。 The expansive space was decked with plain white Christmas lights； and large plate glass windows led to the terrace overlooking the shining lights of the city below。 Laura had gained ten pounds for each semester at Wellesley and was now squeezed into a stretchy black Narciso Rodriguez dress。 She looked exactly like her mother。
“I heard she got married to Breckin O’Dell。 It’s still super secret； though；” Rain whispered back； taking a long swig of her vodka tonic。 Her hair was pulled into a messy chignon； revealing a slightly off…center infinity symbol tattooed on the back of her neck。 It looked like she’d drawn it on herself with an eyeliner pencil。
“I heard she’s pregnant。 She’s due in June。 Her agent wanted her to have an abortion；” Isabel Coates chimed in； straightening the hem of her black satin Marc by Marc Jacobs dress。
“Guys！” Serena called； pleased to recognize some of her old classmates huddled on the black low…slung couch in the corner。 She’d been close to staying in tonight； tempted by the idea of ordering an extra…large pepperoni pizza and watching movies in her one…bedroom apartment on Perry Street。 But she’d surprised herself by ing to Chuck’s party at the last minute。
It was already after eleven； and the suite was filled with guys in khakis and wrinkled button…downs and girls in tight dresses or bikinis。 Everyone looked like they were trying to look fifteen years old。
You never can go back。
“How are you？” Serena exclaimed eagerly as she plopped on the couch next to Isabel。 “How’s Casey？” she asked； remembering the name of Isabel’s lesbian lover from last year。
“Oh。” Isabel turned bright red。 “I have no idea。 I’m actually dating this guy named Chad；” she announced as she pretended not to stare jealously at Serena’s legs。 Serena was wearing a denim miniskirt she’d fashioned out of a pair of ancient Sevens and an extra…large Marc by Marc Jacobs sweater。 On anyone else； the outfit would have looked sloppy。 On Serena； it looked stunning。
Of course。
“How are you？” Laura cooed； as if she hadn’t been gossiping about her just moments before。 She grabbed Serena’s long blond hair and bed her manicured fingernails through it enviously。 “Are these extensions？”
“No。 Love your hair though。 It’s such a pretty shade of red；” Serena lied。 Laura’s normally brown hair had been dyed an unnatural Hawaiian Punch color。 “I haven’t been to a salon in forever。”
“Are you working on a movie？” Rain asked； wrinkling her ski…jump nose； which now had a small scar from where her nose piercing had been。
“No。 I’m not sure I really want to do movies anymore。” Serena shrugged。 She hadn’t acted since Coffee at the Palace； and had decided to take a break for the foreseeable future。 The only problem was； she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do now。 Part of her was thinking about going back to school—she had only deferred from Yale and could still go if she wanted to—but the idea of sitting in a classroom seemed so confining。 She’d taken a couple of acting classes at a downtown studio that Thad had raved about； but they’d mostly consisted of pantomiming dreams from the night before。 No； thank you。
Especially not when most of her dreams involve a certain someone。
“Is it because of the reviews？” Laura took a swig of her cranberry vodka。
Serena stiffened and suddenly wished she’d made herself a drink before she sat down with her old friends。 The reviews for Coffee at the Palace had been less than stellar； though the New York Times had called Serena a breath of fresh air。 But it was conversations like this that made Serena hate acting。 She loved being in front of the camera； but she hated all the drama that went on when the cameras weren’t rolling。 She never set foot in anywhere trendy； because she hated getting followed by paparazzi and having her picture taken with camera phones。 It was so silly to get that kind of attention when she wasn’t doing anything。
“I’ve been reading a lot of Thomas Mann lately；” Serena said； changing the subject。 “I just finished The Magic Mountain。 With everyone else in school； I don’t want to fall behind；” she added。 She was greeted by silence。
“Well； what classes do you guys take？” Serena prodded。 It had never been hard for her to make conversation； but now； among the girls she’d known since kindergarten； she had no idea what to say。 She awkwardly crossed one leg over the other。
“I don’t even know；” Isabel giggled。 “I spend all my time with my boyfriend。 I do his Influential Movies of the ’80s homework sometimes。 His football schedule is really demanding；” she explained； brushing her long dark hair off her shoulder self…importantly。
“Oh。” Serena didn’t know what else to say。 Since when did Isabel do someone else’s homework？ Serena used to always beg to borrow Isabel’s calc problem sets。
“I take golf；” Rain yelled over the awful Madonna/Britney remix that boomed through the room； courtesy of the giggling L’école sophomores huddled around the Bose sound dock near the bar。 “I’m pretty good。”
Serena nodded。 Were they serious？ Was that what college was about？ At Constance； they’d all taken Latin and physics and AP French。 Sure； they’d plained about it； but deep down； they all knew it was important to do well in high school so they’d get into a good college and succeed in life。 But the classes they were taking now sounded like a joke。
“Okay；” Se