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Damian eyed Monique warily。 〃I thought you went back to St。 Barts； sweetie。〃
Monique grinned。 〃Vell； I have been trying to get Dan to o there with me； but he says he has to
finish school first。〃 She rolled her eyes。 〃Boring。〃
〃Serena van der Woodsen was here；〃 Jenny told her brother。 〃But she left。 Not that you care。〃
〃And she'd prettier than you； Monique；〃 Lloyd added bitchily。 He squeezed Jenny around the
waist。 〃But not nearly as cute as you； dumplin'。〃
Dan sucked furiously on his cigarette； trying desperately not to scream his fucking head off。 It
would have been nice to see Serena； but he kind of had other things on his mind。 〃Uh； Damian；
could I talk to you for a minute？〃 he demanded between gritted teeth。
〃Ciao； ciao； darling！〃 Monique called to someone across the room and drifted away from Dan to
smother a bald Moby look…alike in a white linen tracksuit with her wet； pine nut…scented kisses。
Dan waited for Damian to remove his hands from Jenny's feet； stand up； put a shirt on； and talk to
him in private； like a man。
Yeah。
But Damian stayed where he was。 〃Anything you need to say can be said in front of Lloyd and
your big sister。 We're all family right？〃
Big sister？
Dan's free hand closed in a sweaty fist。 〃Jenny's not my big sister；〃 he hissed。 〃I'm turning
eighteen in two weeks。 And she'll be fifteen in July。〃
〃Thanks a lot！〃 Jenny plained。
Damian and Lloyd's eyes bulged a little ebit； but they didn't say anything。 Then Lloyd cracked a
grin。 〃Well at least she's not married。〃
Damian elbowed him in the ribs。 〃I'll handle this。〃 He pulled a tiny bottle of Stoli out of his back
pocket and took a swig。 His red…blond hair was shorter than it had been only a week ago； and more
stylishly tousled。
Maybe that was because he had it cut by Sally Hershberger only yesterday？
〃Dan；〃 Damian continued。 〃You sang like shit last Saturday。 And you basically threw up on stage。
Then you hooked up with my wife。〃
Wife？
Dan's stomach dropped。 Monique had never said anything about being anyone's wife。 He had a
sudden urge to take a very long shower。
〃We're estranged；〃 Damian clarified。
Oh； well； that's a relief。
〃I respect your words； yeah？〃 Damian told him solemnly。 〃But I'm just not feeling the love。〃
Dan shifted his gaze to the other party guests… visions of coolness and sophistications； wearing
white designer clothes； happily quaffing their boiled…egg martinis and munching on shrimp shu
mai and rice noodles； their hair as shiny and Sally Hershberger… groovy as Damian's。 Dan wore
corduroys from Old Navy and got a haircut at Supercuts once a year。 He liked instant coffee and
hot dogs bought on the street。 He liked ing home in the evenings and laughing at the local
news with his dad。 His bedroom had linty maroon wall…to…wall carpeting that he was actually sort
of fond of。 He only owned two pairs of shoes。 He was never meant to be a rockstar。
〃e on； Jenny。 Let's go home。〃 He held a grim hand out to his little sister。
Jenny glared at him。 Was he crazy？ The guys in the Raves didn't mind that she was only fourteen。
She was definitely staying。 〃You go home；〃 she challenged。
Dan flapped a sweaty hand at her。 〃We can get a cab。 I'll pay。〃
Jenny shrank away from him； her back pressed against Lloyd's chest。 〃Please don't be an idiot；
Dan；〃 she yawned dismissively。 〃And don't say anything to Dad。 I'll deal with him on my own。〃
〃Fine。〃 Dan shoved his hands in his pockets。 He had a feeling Jenny sort of wanted to get into
trouble with their dad； but he wasn't going to tell on her。 She was doing fine in the trouble
department all on her own。 〃If you think I'm going to give you any of my poems； though； you can
forget about it。〃
Damian raised his eyebrows； Lloyd rolled his eyes； and Jenny kicked at the white sofa with her
bare feet… as if they were all bored with Dan's little tirade。 Across the room Monique was eating
noodles right out of the serving dish with a pair of ivory…lacquered chopsticks。 A girl in a white
embroidered bolero jacket who looked a like Chloe Sevigny was braiding Monique's long；
honey…colored hair while she ate。
〃Tell you wife I said good…bye；〃 Dan grumbled at Damian。 He hesitated； giving Jenny one last
chance to leave with him； but she'd shifted around on Lloyd's lap so her back was to him。
〃Bye； Dan；〃 she said； sounding like she couldn't wait for him to be gone。
Dan shuffled down the white marble steps and out onto Bedford Street； unsure whether to laugh or
to cry。 It was kind of a relief knowing he'd never had to sing onstage again。 He could go to college；
be a normal kid； have a normal girlfriend； and a normal life。
Whatever that meant。
TRUTH OR DARE
Blair remained in the bathroom； preparing for her entrance； leaving Vanessa to hang back near the
kitchen like a shy thirteen…year…old while Serena answered the door。 Vanessa felt like a total
dweeb wearing Blair's super shiny lip gloss and that one pair of black stretch Levis she'd stopped
wearing over a year ago because she decided they were too tight。 In fact； she felt like a total
dweeb； period。 Aaron would probably be a plete snob who thought she was a fat； bald weirdo；
just like Blair had always thought before she'd lost her mind and decided to move in with her。
〃Hey。〃 Aaron stepped into the apartment and kissed Serena on the cheek。 〃You live here too？〃 he
was wearing an orange hemp wife beater T…shirt； his usual army…issued pants； and black
cruelty…free rubber flip…flops。 He pinned his dark dreadlocks back with two turquoise heart…shaped
barrettes stolen out of Blair's bathroom； obviously trying to gauge Vanessa's vegan…freak tolerance
by looking as vegan…freaky as possible。
Serena was relived to discover that she really was over him。 〃Oh； no。 I'm just here to open the
door。〃
Stan 5 towered blondly in the hall carrying two large pizza boxes in his arms； looking like a
prep…school poster boy in a khaki Hugo Boss suit； a pink Brooks Brothers shirt； and a
Kelly…green…and…pink…striped Turnbull & Aser tie。 〃The delivery guy was downstairs；〃 he said；
looking bewildered。 〃It sure is different here；〃 he added； making it very clear that he had never
been to Brooklyn in his entire life。
〃Hello again；〃 Serena said。 〃I guess you two have already met。〃 She took the pizzas and carried
them into the kitchen。 Stan 5 hovered near Aaron； his eyes searching the tiny apartment for the girl
who'd actually invited him there。
Heartened by the sight of Aaron's ridiculous hairstyle； Vanessa ventured forward a few steps。 〃Hi！〃
she greeted them； wishing she didn't sound so perky and dumb。 〃I'm Vanessa。〃
Aaron smiled； and she immediately liked his thin red lips and the way his dark； almost black eyes
shone in the candlelight。 He walked over and shook her hand。 He was skinny； and slightly taller
than she was。 Five…foot…nine； maybe … the same height as Dan… but Aaron seemed bigger； more
athletic。 He pointed at her feet。 〃Hey； those are Blair's shoes aren't they？ My dog tried to eat those
for breakfast once。〃
〃Not that she'd notice。 She has about eight hundred pairs；〃 Vanessa observed。
They chuckled； grinning a t each other。 A regular mutual admiration society。
Serena was about to go and drag Blair out of the bathroom when Blair re…appeared in a cloud of
Carolina Herrera perfume； her eyelashes freshly curled； her hair re…parted； and her face dusted
with sparkly； rose…tinted bronzing powder。 She was still wearing the same tight black T…shirt； but
she'd put on a different bra and her chest looked more like a C now than a B。
〃Who wants a drink？〃 she asked； smiling coyly at Stan 5。
〃I'd love one；〃 Stan 5 replied。 He walked over and kissed her on the cheek。 He was taller than she
remembered； and more formal。 But he smelled like Polo for Men； which was one of her favorites。
Blair batted her curly…lashed eyes at him。 I'm going to seduce you tonight； she told him silently。
Serena couldn't stand how weird everyone was being。 Besides； it was almost ten o'clock… way past
her dinnertime。 She flipped open the lip of