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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； but he didn’t。 He couldn’t。
Nate was the only son of a navy captain and a French society
hostess。 His father was a master sailor and extremely handsome；
but a little lacking in the hugs department。 His mother was the
plete opposite； always fawning over Nate and prone to
emotional fits during which she would lock herself in her bedroom
with a bottle of champagne and call her sister on her yacht in
Monaco。 Poor Nate was always on the verge of saying how he really
felt； but he didn’t want to make a scene or say something he might
regret later。 Instead； he kept quiet and let other people steer the
boat； while he laid back and enjoyed the steady rocking of the
waves。
He might look like a stud； but he was actually pretty weak。
“So； what have you been up to？” Nate asked Serena； trying to
breathe normally。 “We missed you。”
Notice that he wasn’t even brave enough to say； “I missed you”？
“What have I been up to？” Serena repeated。 She giggled。 “If you
only knew； Nate。 I’ve been so； so bad！”
Nate clenched his fists involuntarily。 Man oh man； had he missed
her。
Ignored as usual； Chuck slunk away from Serena and Nate and
crossed the room to Blair； who was once again standing with Kati
and Isabel。
“A thousand bucks says she got kicked out；” Chuck told them。 “And
doesn’t she look fucked？ I think she’s been thoroughly fucked。
Maybe she had some sort of prostitution ring going on up there。 The
Merry Madam of Hanover Academy；” he added； laughing at his own
stupid joke。
“I think she looks kind of spaced out； too；” Kati said。 “Maybe she’s
on heroin。”
“Or some prescription drug；” Isabel said。 “You know； like； Valium or
Prozac。 Maybe she’s gone totally nuts。”
“She could’ve been making her own E；” Kati agreed。 “She was
always good at science。”
“I heard she joined some kind of cult；” Chuck offered。 “Like； she’s
been brainwashed and now all she thinks about is sex and she like；
has to do it all the time。”
When is dinner going to be ready？ Blair wondered； tuning out her
friends’ ridiculous speculations。
She had forgotten how pretty Serena’s hair was。 How perfect her
skin was。 How long and thin her legs were。 What Nate’s eyes looked
like when he looked at her—like he never wanted to blink。 He never
looked at Blair that way。
“Hey Blair； Serena must have told you she was ing back；”
Chuck said。 “e on； tell us。 What’s the deal？”
Blair stared back at him blankly； her small； fox…like face turning red。
The truth was； she hadn’t really spoken to Serena in over a year。
At first； when Serena had gone to boarding school after sophomore
year； Blair had really missed her。 But it soon became apparent how
much easier it was to shine without Serena around。 Suddenly Blair
was the prettiest； the smartest； the hippest； most happening girl in
the room。 She became the one everyone looked to。 So Blair stopped
missing Serena so much。 She’d felt a little guilty for not staying in
touch； but even that had worn off when she’d received Serena’s flip
and impersonal e…mails describing all the fun she was having at
boarding school。
“Hitchhiked to Vermont to go snowboarding and spent the nightdancing with the hottest guys！”
“Crazy night last night。 Damn； my head hurts！”
The last news Blair had received was a postcard this past summer：
“Blair： Turned seventeen on Bastille Day。 France rocks！！ Miss you！！！
Love； Serena；” was all it said。
Blair had tucked the postcard into her old Fendi shoebox with all the
other mementos from their friendship。 A friendship she would
cherish forever； but which she’d thought of as over until now。
Serena was back。 The lid was off the shoebox； and everything would
go back to the way it was before she left。 As always； it would be
Serena and Blair； Blair and Serena； with Blair playing the smaller；
fatter； mousier； less witty best friend of the blond über…girl； Serena
van der Woodsen。
Or not。 Not if Blair could help it。
“You must be so excited Serena’s here！” Isabel chirped。 But when
she saw the look on Blair’s face； she changed her tune。 “Of course
Constance took her back。 It’s so typical。 They’re too desperate to
lose any of us。” Isabel lowered her voice。 “I heard last spring Serena
was fooling around with some townie up in New Hampshire。 She had
an abortion；” she added。
“I bet it wasn’t her first one either；” Chuck said。 “Just look at her。”
And so they did。 All four of them looked at Serena； who was still
chatting happily with Nate。 Chuck saw the girl he’d wanted to sleep
with since he could remember wanting to sleep with girls—first
grade； maybe？ Kati saw the girl she’d been copying since she
started shopping for her own clothes—third grade？ Isabel saw the
girl who’d gotten to be an angel with wings made out of real
feathers at the Church of the Heavenly Rest Christmas pageant；
while Isabel was a lowly shepherd and had to wear a burlap sack。
Third grade again。 Both Kati and Isabel saw the girl who would
inevitably steal Blair away from th