小说园

第17部分（第2页）

because　Serena　was　practically　a　foot　taller　than　Blair　and　they　both　weighed　the　same；　it　looked

even　better　on　Serena；　despite　the　fact　that　she　was　barefoot；　her　hair　was　all　over　the　place；　and

she？d　forgotten　her　gloves。

？Sorry；　Mrs。　M！？　Serena　panted；　flashing　their　headmistress　the　famously　charming　smile　that

had　won　over　everyone　from　avant…garde　artists　to　the　admissions　offices　at　Yale；　Brown；　Harvard；

and　everywhere　else　she？d　applied。　？Just　think？this　is　the　last　time　I？ll　ever　be　late！？

Blair　wanted　to　slap　her　for　being　so　charming　when　she　should　have　been　in　serious　trouble。　In

fact；　Serena　probably　would？ve　failed　chemistry　and　not　graduated　if　it　hadn？t　been　for　her。　She

hated　they　way　they　must　look　standing　side　by　side　in　their　matching　suits。　People　probably

thought　they？d　bought　them　together　or　something。　One　thing　was　for　sure？Blair　was　definitely

making　Serena　change　her　outfit　before　her　big　party　at　the　Yale　Club　tonight。　No　fucking　way

was　she　allowing　Marcus　to　see　how　much　better　Serena　looked　in　that　damned　suit。

Mrs。　M　had　had　enough。　Half　an　hour　of　shaking　parents？　hands　and　offering　a　few　lame

anecdotes　about　their　sweet；　intelligent　daughters；　and　she　was　off　to　Woodstock　for　the　summer

to　watch　Vonda　weed　their　heirloom　tomato　collection　wearing　only　the　red　embroidered　halter

top　Mrs。　M　had　bought　for　her　at　a　craft　fair　last　weekend。

？Take　your　seats；　girls；？　she　ordered；　dismissing　Blair　and　Serena。

They　walked　back　to　the　pews。　There　was　no　room　for　Serena；　so　she　perched　on　Vanessa？s

knee。

？You　have　my　blessings。？　Mrs。　M　blew　the　seniors　a　kiss。　？And　now；　class　is　dismissed！？

Whooopppeeee！

her　heart　is　on　some　other　boy？s　sleeve

After　the　ceremony；　Nate　did　a　few　bong　hits　with　the　other　boys　in　the　billiard　room　over　at

Jeremy？s；　but　his　heart　wasn？t　in　it。　They　were　all　high　school　graduates；　while　he　was

still　？diploma　pending。？　Whatever　the　fuck　that　meant。

Leaving　them　to　celebrate　without　him；　he　meandered　slowly　west　on　Eighty…sixth　Street　toward

home；　thankful　that　his　parents　had　been　so　pissed　off　at　him　for　that　goddamned　asterisk　that

they？d　gone　straight　up　to　Mt。　Desert　Island　for　the　week；　leaving　him　in　peace。　Up　in　his　room；

he　began　to　sort　through　his　cedar　walk…in　closet。　On　the　shelf　above　the　clothes　rail；　behind　that

ridiculous　Darth　Vader　head　he？d　worn　for　Halloween　two　years　in　a　row　back　in　fourth　and　fifth

grade；　was　the　little　mahogany　pirate？s　treasure　chest　with　the　brass　lock　that　his　uncle　Gerard　had

given　him　when　he　was　eight；　where　Nate　stowed　all　his　old　photographs。　He　grabbed　the　clothes

rail　with　one　hand　and　used　it　to　steady　himself　as　he　scaled　the　closet　wall　with　his　bare　feet；

trying　to　get　the　fucker　down。

The　chest　spilled　open　on　the　floor。　There　he　was　on　a　fishing　boat　in　Prince　William　Sound　up　in