od Hills but was pletely inappropriate for New York； even if it was on the Upper West Side。 “Look who’s here；” Eleanor crowed。 Blair’s eyes flicked to her mother’s side and landed on Serena。
Serena； wearing a tight red Catherine Malandrino dress； squeezed Eleanor around the waist as if they were long…lost bosom buddies。 Her hair was impossibly long and shiny； her skin glowing and tanned； as if she’d just returned from a sun…drenched Maldives vacation。
Blair set her mouth in a firm line and marched over to them。
“My two favorite girls！” Eleanor said fondly； pathetically unaware anything was amiss between them。 “I was just telling Serena how terrific it is that you two have had each other all these years。 I felt good moving to California knowing Serena was in New York for you to e home to。” Eleanor rested her hand on Blair’s shoulder。
Blair hadn’t told her mom she and Serena hadn’t even spoken this past year； how every time they saw each other they managed to have an enormous fight； how Serena was like some bloodsucking leech； desperate to take everything of Blair’s and literally ruin her life。
“I feel the same way； Eleanor；” Serena said sweetly； knowing it was what Blair’s mom wanted to hear。 “I like knowing Blair’s at Yale； even though I hardly see her。 She’s so busy with pre…law and everything。” In truth； she didn’t know if Blair even was a political science major with a concentration in pre…law anymore。 She sometimes saw Blair around campus； striding across the lawn with a group of girls or her advisor。 Blair always looked so confident and capable and in control； like a picture torn out of a Yale catalog。
Meanwhile； Yale still felt like a holding place for Serena。 While she knew a lot of people； she hadn’t made any real friends； especially since she spent every weekend with Dan in the city。 It felt like she spent Monday through Thursday waiting for the weekends and her real life to begin。
“What are you majoring in； dear？’ Eleanor asked； plucking a mini quiche off a passing tray。 “Do you have any idea what you’ll be doing after college？”
“I don’t know。 I thought I had a few more semesters of undergrad； but it turns out I don’t。” Serena shook her head。 There was a silver lining to missing Dan and having no social life： It had forced Serena to keep herself busy； signing up for back…to…back lectures and seminars。 Her advisor had called her in for a meeting on the last day of finals。 Serena had been nervous； sure she’d failed a philosophy exam or accidentally forgotten to turn in a French paper。 Instead； she found out that because she’d amassed so many credits from her regular classes and classes at the New School while she was in New York； she’d be able to graduate in spring without having majored in anything。 Serena bit her lip and shrugged。 “I’m graduating in May； so I have to figure it out。”
What？ Blair wanted to throw her champagne glass on the floor。 “How？” she spat。 Serena had started college a full two years after Blair； and hadn’t even taken as many AP classes as she had back in high school。 In fact—Blair racked her brain—had Serena even taken any？
Who needs APs when you’ve got charm？
“I took a bunch of New School classes the year before I started； and I’ve been taking a lot of credits。 I didn’t know； though。” Serena shrugged blithely。 “Dan got into grad school for poetry at Iowa； so I might go there。” She hadn’t mentioned it to Dan； but really； it didn’t seem like such a bad option。 Wasn’t Iowa City supposed to be really quaint？ And what else would she do？
Um； get a life？
Good riddance； Blair wanted to scream。 Serena could go off to Iowa and live on a farm and milk cows； or whatever people did there。
“That sounds amazing。 You should definitely go there；” Blair said； so sweetly that no one but her nearest； dearest； and greatest enemies would hear the threatening subtext。
“How marvelous to be dating an artist。 That’s how Cyrus is。 Always seeing the world a different way；” Eleanor mused； gazing adoringly at her tubby； bald； red…faced； gold cuff bracelet–…wearing husband。 He’d gotten fatter in the four years since they’d been married； something that hardly seemed possible。
What Cyrus and art had to do with each other Blair didn’t know。 “I’m starting at McMahon Cannon；” she announced to no one in particular。 Or she would be once she got the official offer。 McMahon Cannon was one of the premiere litigation firms in the city and would look great on her résumé when she applied to law school。 Her interview had gone well… she hadn’t tried to kiss the interviewer； thank God； and they’d had a nice conversation about Yale。 She was confident that she would be accepted。
“That’s great； Blair；” Serena said； sounding so genuinely happy for her that Blair wanted to tear her pretty blond hair out of her head one bloody clump at a time。 She reminded herself that while Serena was going to be reading poetry to cornstalks； she was going to be wearing power suits and Louboutin pumps and doing things that mattered。
“You girls were always so ambitious！” Eleanor trilled； then headed off to the kitchen to ensure that Myrtle； the cook； was handling the dinner preparations exactly according to her no…carb specifications and hadn’t drunk herself into a frenzy。
“Well； glad everything’s going well with you；” Blair said flatly； making her way toward the dining room table。
Serena nodded and sank down into her assigned seat next to Blair。 The two girls stared quietly down at their empty plates。 They were inches apart； but it felt like miles。
There； there。 A reconciliation might be closer than you think。
love is blind… and embarrassing
Jenny felt like a movie star as she slid out of the leather seat of the Lincoln Town Car and onto Seventy…second and Central Park West。 She teetered slightly on her four…inch heels。
“You okay？” Nate asked； catching her by the crook of her elbow。 Jenny nodded gratefully and leaned against him for support。 He smelled like Ralph Lauren Romance。 Jenny had always wanted a boyfriend who used that cologne。
Which was exactly why she’d given him a bottle for his birthday。
Nate squeezed her shoulder。 “You sure； Meow？” he asked； using his pet name for her。 They’d called each other Meow Meow ever since an orange and white tabby kitten appeared on their Providence porch。 She’d begged Nate to let her bring it inside the house； just once。 But Nate refused。 He hadn’t wanted to be an asshole about it； he just really hated cats。 They were so creepy； the way they climbed on top of you when you least suspected it； the way they couldn’t play fetch； the way they stared at you while you were naked。
Sort of like girlfriends。
But instead of sulking； Jenny made a joke out of it。 She began acting like a cat at the most random times； crawling toward him on her hands and knees in bed and making pleading little meows that made him laugh。 That was the thing about Jenny。 She was sunny and sweet and unplicated。 It made him feel not so fucked up； not so confused。 And he needed that in his life； especially tonight。 He was pretty sure they were going to see Blair and Serena for the first time since their disastrous Christmas in Newport last year。
“We’re here for the Rose party；” Nate told the doorman。
The doorman nodded and waved them through to the elevator bank on the other side of the palatial marble lobby。 A large Christmas tree was set up in the corner and the air smelled like pine and nutmeg。
Jenny caught her breath； trying to hold in her excitement。 She and Nate lived in a ramshackle two…story house in Providence。 He was at Brown； she was at RISD； and everything almost seemed too good to be true； beyond her wildest high school daydreams。 But going to a fancy pre…Christmas dinner thrown by a New York society hostess proved that their relationship existed beyond Providence； that they were really and truly together。
After leaving Newport last Christmas； they’d sailed to Mt。 Desert Island and camped out in Nate’s family’s gorgeous unwinterized summer home。 They toasted the New Year on a blanket in front of the fire。 It was impossibly romantic。 Then； her last semester at Waverly