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Third grade again。 Both Kati and Isabel saw the girl who would
inevitably steal Blair away from them and leave them with only
each other； which was too dull to even think about。 And Blair saw
Serena； her best friend； the girl she would always love and hate。
The girl she could never measure up to and had tried so hard to
replace。 The girl she’d wanted everyone to forget。
For about ten seconds Blair thought about telling her friends the
truth： She didn’t know Serena was ing back。 But how would that
look？ Blair was supposed to be plugged in； and how plugged in
would she sound if she admitted she knew nothing about Serena’s
return； while her friends seemed to know so much？ Blair couldn’t
very well stand there and say nothing。 That would be too obvious。
She always had something to say。 Besides； who wanted to hear the
truth when the truth was so incredibly boring？ Blair lived for drama。
Here was her chance。
Blair cleared her throat。 “It all happened very 。 。 。 suddenly；” she
said mysteriously。
She looked down and fiddled with the little ruby ring on the middle
finger of her right hand。 The film was rolling； and Blair was getting
warmed up。
“I think Serena is pretty messed up about it。 But I promised her I
wouldn’t say anything；” she added。
Her friends nodded as if they understood pletely。 It sounded
serious and juicy； and best of all it sounded like Serena had
confided everything to Blair。 If only Blair could script the rest of the
movie； she’d wind up with the boy for sure。 And Serena could play
the girl who falls off the cliff and cracks her skull on a rock and is
eaten alive by hungry vultures； never to be seen again。
“Careful； Blair；” Chuck warned； nodding at Serena and Nate； who
were still talking in low voices over by the wet bar； their eyes never
straying from each other’s faces。 “Looks like Serena’s already found
her next victim。”
Serena was holding Nate’s hand loosely in hers； swinging it back
and forth。
“Remember Buck Naked？” she asked him； laughing softly。
Nate chuckled； still embarrassed； even after all these years。 Buck
Naked was Nate’s alter ego； invented at a party in eighth grade；
when most of them had gotten drunk for the first time。 After
drinking six beers； Nate had taken his shirt off； and Serena and Blair
had drawn a goofy； buck…toothed face on his torso in black marker。
For some reason the face brought out the devil in Nate； and he
started a drinking game。 Everyone sat in a circle and Nate stood in
the middle； holding a Latin textbook and shouting out verbs for
them to conjugate。 The first person to mess up had to drink and kiss
Buck Naked。 Of course they all messed up； boys and girls alike； so
Buck got a lot of action that night。 The next morning； Nate tried to
pretend it hadn’t happened； but the proof was inked on his skin。 It
took weeks for Buck to wash off in the shower。
“And what about the Red Sea？” Serena said。 She studied Nate’s
face。 Neither of them was smiling now。
“The Red Sea；” Nate repeated； drowning in the deep blue lakes of
her eyes。 Of course he remembered。 How could he forget？
One hot August weekend； the summer after tenth grade； Nate had
been in the city with his dad； while the rest of the Archibald family
was still in Maine。 Serena was up in her country house in Ridgefield；
Connecticut； so bored she’d painted each of her fingernails and
toenails a different color。 Blair was at the Waldorf castle in
Gleneagles； Scotland； at her aunt’s wedding。 But that hadn’t
stopped her two best friends from having fun without her。 When
Nate called； Serena hopped right on the New Haven line into Grand
Central Station。
Nate met Serena on the platform。 She stepped off the train wearing
a light blue silk slip dress and pink rubber flip…flops。 Her yellow hair
hung loose； just touching her bare shoulders。 She wasn’t carrying a
bag； not even a wallet or keys。 To Nate； she looked like an angel。
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 h