tinkled on her slender； graceful arm。 Vanessa sighed heavily； slumping down even further in her
chair。 She was absolutely hopeless。
？Iknow I？m a girl；？ she finally answered。 ？But I need to be a girl that？s more like 。 。 。？ She
gestured at Blair？s body。 ？More likeyou 。？ ？Done and done。？ Blair smiled。 She was starting to feel
more like herself again。 After Nate？s little announcement； she had e to the one place she knew
would make her feel better？the salon。 And it had worked； of course。 The only thing that had kept
her from losing her mind was Louis？s soothing murmur as he threaded new long locks into her
roots and told her how lucky she was to have such healthy； strong hair。 There was just something
totally calming about sitting in a stylist？s chair。 It was like Audrey Hepburn said about
Tiffany？nothing very bad could ever happen to you there。
Now that she had calmed down； Blair wanted to talk to Nate and make sure he didn？t do
anything stupid； like think they were broken up and throw himself off the Brooklyn Bridge or take
some poison to end his suffering？although to be honest； Nate had never been much of a Romeo。
She began punching the keys on her cell。 She？d been calling his phone every five minutes but
had gotten voice mail every time。 She tried Serena？s； too； hoping for someone to miserate
with； but she wasn？t there either。 Where were they； anyway？
Shereally doesn？t want to know。 。 。 。
Blair surveyed Vanessa？s dusty black shorts and grit…streaked army green tank top。 She could
definitely benefit from some quality time in the stylist？s chair。 Blair was happy to help？she？d
always liked a challenge； and God knew she could use the distraction。
Vanessa was beginning to wonder who Blair thought it was so important to call every five
seconds when a cell phone started to blast Madonna？s ？Like a Virgin。？ Vanessa turned around and
spotted Isabel Coates and Kati Farkas seated next to each other under the dryers； their heads
sporting matching strips of aluminum foil。 Kati talked loudly on her cell； holding her palm against
her other ear to block out the roar of wind。 She was wearing some kind of frilly pink sundress that
hung from her body like a sack； and Isabel wore the exact same thing？but in a bilious shade of
green。 Isabel looked up and spotted Vanessa sitting in a stylist？s chair。 She elbowed Kati； who
burst into a fit of laughter。
？Getting a new look？？ Kati yelled out； holding the phone away from her head。
？Obviously；？ Vanessa mumbled； before turning back around and facing the dreaded mirror。 Blair
was leaving yet another message。
？。 。 。 so I？mstill here at the spa； and you need to call me when you get this。 Just don？t do anything
stupid； okay？？ She crankily snapped her cell shut and sighed。
？Where？s Nate？？ Vanessa asked as a perky blond assistant dressed entirely in white spandex
placed a glass of ice water with lemon slices on the countertop in front of her。 Vanessa grabbed the
glass； swallowing the cold water greedily。
？Fuck if I know。？ Blair sighed。 ？And it？s not like I don？t need help； getting ready for Yale and
everything。？ ？I know what you mean；？ Vanessa said sympathetically； placing the empty glass back
on the countertop。 ？It？s not like I？m spending a lot of time with Ruby now that she？s getting
married。 Or Dan；？ she added。 ？He？s so busy with his job and his new boyfriend that I might as
well not even exist。？ Blair turned to her in surprise； a smile moving across her lips。 ？I？m going to
ignore the Dan…being…gay info in favor of the much more interesting news here？your sister？s
gettingmarried ？？ she asked； her eyes lighting up。 ？When； when；when ？？ Shit。 Vanessa should
have known better than to mention the M…word in front of a girl like Blair。 ？Um； the bachelorette
party is tonight and the wedding？s on Saturday afternoon。？ ？Okay； this is more serious than I
thought。？ Blair sat up in her chair as if energized with the mission； her posture
stick…straight。 ？Youhave to look amazing for the wedding。？ Blair pointed at Vanessa？s bald
head。 ？Louis！ Louis！ Give her something really dramatic。 Blond to her waist！？ She turned to
Vanessa again。 ？Oh； and by the way； after the wedding you should e by the Met？my mom？s
throwing a goodbye party for me。 Plus you？ll already be all dolled up from the wedding。 Bring
whoever。？ She waved a hand as if renting out one of the largest and most opulent museums in the
world wasn？t a big deal at all。
Vanessa nodded。 ？Oh； okay。 Maybe I will。 Thanks。？ Louis quietly circled Vanessa？s chair；
touching her scalp with his long； cool fingers。 ？Zer iz not too muuch to vork vith；？ he observed；
foraging in the roots of Vanessa？s troubled head。
？That？s okay；？ Vanessa replied dejectedly。 ？I？m beyond hope；？ she added dramatically。
？Ah！？ he cried； snapping his fingers。 ？Ve have some fabooluuuuuuus hummus…har wigs？long and
blond。？ Long blond hummus hair？ Vanessa stared at her bald scalp in the mirror and tilted her
head to the side。
？Very Ashlee Simpson。？ Blair held up theUs Weekly on her lap and pointed at the
cover。 ？Brilliant！？ She clapped her hands together excitedly。
Normally； the mere thought of trying to look like someone on the cover ofUs Weekly would
force Vanessa to dry heave。 But these were desperate times。 Another eruption of giggles emitted
from Kati and Isabel？s end of the salon。 Vanessa peered thoughtfully at herself in the mirror。 She
was ready for a change。
？Bring it on；？ she nodded confidently to Louis； smiling into the mirror。
Oh dear。 Remember girls； it？s always better to stick to what you were born with？anything stuck
on might 。 。 。 fall off。
the devil wears dolce
Serena van der Woodsen sat in the Waldorf Rose living room； flanked on either side by Blair？s
mother； Eleanor Waldorf Rose； and Davita Fjorde？party planner to those residing on Manhattan？s
Golden Mile。 Serena had no idea why she？d been invited to Blair？s house； but when Eleanor
called she couldn？t very well say no to her so…called best friend？s mother； whose wedding she had
been a bridesmaid in less than a year ago。
？Now； I want it to be surprising and wonderful and luxurious； of course； but I don？t want
anything too over…the…top。 Nothingvulgar 。？ Eleanor wrinkled her ski jump of a nose and
straightened the hem of her skintight bronze silk Valentino skirt。 After giving birth to baby Yale
that spring； she was on a strict Pilates…and…no…carbs diet； and it was clearly working。 ？Although
Cyrus justloved the belly dancers in Corfu。？
？Eleanor； my dear； stop worrying。 This party will befabulicious ；？ Davita drawled； scribbling
notes in her hot pink； leather…bound notebook with a gold Montblanc pen； her signature
pencil…straight ass…length platinum blond hair draping almost to her knobby fishnetted knees。
Davita fumbled； dropping the pen； and then pulled an exact replica from her enormous
apricot…colored Marc Jacobs tote without missing a beat。
Serena ran her fingers over the miniskirt she？d made herself out of her faded Seven cutoffs。 Ever
since Blair and Nate had sailed off into the sunrise on her birthday morning； she had been
struggling to be her usual cheerful self。 Sitting in Blair？s living room wasn？t helping any。 As she
looked around at the gleaming oak floor； the heavy crimson silk drapes； the overstuffed
toffee…colored； silk…jacquard sofa； all Serena could think about was how she？d spent most of her
childhood running around this apartment。 She and Blair used to make forts out of all the silk
pillows； throwing them off the couch and piling them in the center of the room； pretending the rest
of the rug was the ocean while they were stranded on an island。 They hid beneath their soft； dark
weight for hours； whispering secrets and giggling the day away。 Things were so much easier back
then？before Nate had e between them。 Not that it was his fault。
Why is it never the boy？s fault？
Serena sighed and tried to concentrate as Eleanor？s nervously loud voice chattered away in her
ear； the ice cubes in her Bloody Mary clinking against the glass as she waved her arms about。
？Because； you know； when th