But I won？t rub it in your faces？too much。After all； there？s always next year。 Or not。
Anyhoozle； I？ve just taken my La Mer ice mask out of the freezer and am ready to lie back in
bed and depuff my tired lids； so this will have to be a quickie。 And everyone knows that
sometimes； quickies are just what the doctor ordered。 Notthat kind of quickie！ Get your mind out
of the gutter。
sightings
Cand his new friendG are inseparable？and the party was no exception。 Those of you who stuck it
out until the bitter end will rememberC andG dancing around a fast…melting ice
sculpture？whileC ？s fuzzy white snow monkey stuffed his furry muzzle with gold…flecked
cupcakes。 。 。 。K andI in the Met？s bathroom stalls； their arms and legs streaked with white paint；
taking turns holding one another？s hair out of their faces。 That flight down to Rollins together is
going to be brutal。B having her picture taken arm in arm withS on the front steps of the Met？guess
those two kissed and made up？again。 。 。 。 Speaking of performances on the steps of the Met； how
about those crazy Czech weirdos； doing their encore performance of ？Ode to Love？ at about 4
a。m。？ Were they eveninvited？ 。 。 。N walking down Fifth Avenue talking in hushed； excited tones on
his cell。 Was he calling his dealer？
Dawn will be here soon enough； and you know I？ll be the first to report on what the new day
brings when I wake up。 ？Night； all。
You know you love me。
gossip girl
all aboard？or not
Tick…tock； tick…tock 。 。 。
Blair stood beneath the giant clock atop the information booth in the middle of Grand Central
Station； searching the crowd impatiently for Nate。 The main hall of Grand Central was mass
pandemonium。 Travelers rushed to their trains； suitcases dragging behind them； seemingly
oblivious to the train station？s elegant beauty。 Grand Central was so much nicer than any other
station in the world； with its marble floors； gold leaf molding； and beautiful sea green mural of the
constellations on the ceiling。 When Blair was little she？d loved searching for the scorpion； her
zodiac sign。
Not that she was really in any mood to appreciate the beauty of the old train station today。 As the
impatient muters streamed past her； Blair felt like the only person standing still in the whole
place。 She checked her watch again？not that she needed to； considering she was standing under
the biggest fucking clock in the world。 Their train was leaving in less than ten minutes； and Nate
wasn？t there。 She hadn？t seen him since she？d toasted the good news about Yale last night with
his dad。 He？d disappeared at the end of the party； presumably to go home and pack。 Of course； he
was bound to bring all the wrong things and forget his lacrosse stick。 He was so totally helpless
when it came to packing。 Blair grabbed her cell from her black…and…white Balenciaga bag and held
down the number three again； sighing as it rang and rang and then went to Nate？s voice mail。
Again。 What was the holdup？ She couldn？t wait to just get on that train and watch the landscape
change as they sped away from the city？and everything that she knew。
She straightened the hem of her fitted black Chanel dress； which she wore with black ballet flats
and gold hoop earrings； a chic white hat in her purse。 The outfit reminded her of Audrey Hepburn
inSabrina ； on her triumphant return home from a year in Paris。 Sabrina had left her home in the
suburbs of New York a brokenhearted and shy girl and had returned a stylish； sophisticated； and
mature woman。 Blair had always been stylish and mature； but at Yale she would bee even
more so。 She threw her cell back into her bag； tapping one of her ballet flats against the floor as
she waited； and waited； for her Humphrey Bogart。
Serena hurried through Grand Central； her yellow flipflops slapping the marble as she ran。 She？d
planned on getting to the train station at a quarter to ten to say one last goodbye to Blair； but of
course she？d overslept？the result of one too many flutes of Dom Perignon last night。 She？d
thrown on her white eyelet Anthropologie sundress and her largest pair of vintage white Chanel
sunglasses。 Getting stopped for autographs would only slow her down and make her even later
than she already was。
Tough life。
Finally she spied Blair standing in the middle of the main hall； tapping her foot impatiently and
checking her watch。 Seeing her all alone； looking so small amidst the bustling throngs of people；
Serena felt horrible for not getting there earlier。 Blair looked so worried； craning her head to look
over the crowd。
But where was Nate？ Serena had assumed he？d be there already to say goodbye to Blair。 She
smiled brightly as she approached。 ？Hey！ I？m so glad I caught you！？ ？Hey。？ Blair？s forehead
wrinkled in surprise when she saw her。 ？What are you doing here？？ ？I just wanted to say one last
goodbye；？ Serena threw her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly。
Blair？s tense shoulders relaxed in Serena？s arms。 ？Thanks。 That？s really sweet of you。？ She
frowned and glanced at her watch again。 ？I shouldn？t even stillbe here right now？Nate？s fucking
late as usual。？ Poor Blair。 It was just like Nate to keep her waiting one last time。 Serena pushed her
sunglasses farther up on her head。 ？You must be excited to finally be leaving though； right？？ Blair
craned her head and looked over Serena？s shoulder； searching the crowd nervously。 ？Yeah； but I
just want it to get on the train andgo already！？ Even though Blair was being impatient and crabby；
Serena smiled。 No matter how much things changed； Blair would always be the same。 ？So； did
you ever end up getting in touch with your roommate？？
？Yeah； she wrote me an e…mail。 She seems okay。？ Blair pulled a black Nars pact from her
bag and checked her makeup。 ？She？s from L。A。 Her dad？s a dentist。？ ？That？s convenient。？ Serena
smiled。 Maybe Blair would be okay at Yale on her own after all。 ？You can hang out with her on
breaks and stuff。？ ？I seriously doubt I？ll be going to L。A。 for break。？ Blair slid her pact back
inside her bag。 ？Nate and I will probably spend vacations together。？ Serena felt a little sick。 Blair
really thought she and Nate would still be together e Thanksgiving。
Blair pulled her cell out of her bag and looked at it； checking her call log before tossing it back in
her bag again。 ？Knowing Nate； he？s probably still packing。？ ？Huh？？ Serena demanded； totally
bewildered。 ？What for？？ ？For college？？ Blair looked through her bag distractedly； pulling out her
train ticket。 ？I mean； I know he wears about the same five shirts over and over again； but I
seriously hope he？s bringingsomething 。？ ？But 。 。 。 you told me he wasn？t going to Yale with you。？
What was Blairtalking about？ What was going on？ ？He told me he didn？t even get his
diploma。？ ？Oh 。 。 。 right。 No； my dad got him back in。 I didn？t tell you last night？ I guess I forgot
once I told him。？ Blair put her ticket back in her bag。 She couldn？t stop scanning the crowd of
muters for Nate？s face； or checking the time on the giant clock directly above them。 She was
starting to get insanely nervous。 Not to mention pissed off。 If Nate didn？t get there soon； he？d
miss the train。 Not that that would be the end of the world？he could always catch the next one。 But
she really wanted them to have the experience of starting their new lifetogether 。 And if he didn？t
get therenow ； it wasn？t going to happen。
？What？ No。 When did this all happen？？ Serena？s normally smooth brow wrinkled in
confusion。 ？He didn？t say anything？？ ？Last night。 He must not have had the chance to tell you
either。？ Blair pulled her cell from her bag with an exasperated sigh and dialed Nate？s number
again。 It rang and rang and then went to voice mail。
Again。
hello； goodbye
？God； Dan。？ Jenny？s voice rang out in the early…morning sunlight as she dumped a big box into
the trunk of Dan？s robin？s egg blue 1977 Buick Skylark。 Even though it was only 10 a。m。； the
pavement on Ninety…ninth Street and West End Avenue was already blazing hot； and the garbage
bins were starting to smell like rotting dog poo。 Jenny straightened up； wiping her hands off on her
jeans。 ？Do you think you packed enough crap？？
Dan scowled； taking a scuffed…up Samsonite suitcase from his sister？s tiny
hands。 ？They？rebooks ；？ he muttered； gently placing the luggage in the trunk； ？not crap。？
？Well； whatever？s in there is heavy。？ Jenny was panting in the oppressive August heat； her white
FCUK wifebeater streaked with grime。 Dan threw a duffel bag into the back…seat？along with a
blanket and pillow； his notebook； and a few bags of stale H&H bagels。 He couldn？t wait to park
by the side of the road at night and sleep looking out at the stars。 It was going to be soOn the Road。
He？d even brought the audio book to play on the car？s outdated tape player。 He was going to
spend the next week out on the open road； looking for truth and the meaning of life。
This from the guy who couldn？t figure out his own sexual bent。
Vanessa appeared from the Humphreys？ ramshackle apartment building； holding a plastic
container of Fo