for yourhelp ；？ she snapped icily； stepping away from the desk。
？They？re all morons；？ she announced loudly when she got closer to Nate。 ？They won？t design a
special storage system for my dorm？s closet just because I don？t have the exact dimensions。 Isn？t
that； like； what they get paid for？？ She rolled her eyes and turned to Aaron and Tyler。 ？Well； what
are you two waiting for？？ They sighed and grabbed the piles of stuff from off the floor； following
her as she strode purposefully to the back of the store。
Nate lingered behind them； fingering the wet joint still in his pocket。 Blair could be a little scary
when she got into decorating mode； but at least she wasn？t unleashing her； um；energy in his
direction。 He felt sorry for Aaron and Tyler； though。 Aaron had piled everything into a big laundry
basket and was struggling to hold it upright。 ？Hey man。 I saw some carts by the front of the
store？want me to go grab one？？ he offered。
Aaron shook his head； his short dreadlocks knocking back and forth。 ？Sis refuses to use a
shopping cart；？ he told Nate helplessly。
？I heard that；？ Blair snapped without turning around。 ？Shopping carts are for old ladies；？ she
declared； continuing at her manic pace。 She stopped at the kitchen section； touching a steel wine
rack。 She turned and smiled mischievously at the three boys。 ？Besides； who needs a cart when
you？ve got three strapping young men to carry your things for you？？ She raised one perfectly
arched eyebrow； grabbing the wine rack with one hand and placing it on top of Aaron？s mounting
pile。
？This is child abuse；？ Tyler plained from behind a lacquered baby…blue…and…white polka…dot
hatbox； his voice nasal from the clip on his nose。 Tyler？s pageboy helmet of light brown；
stick…straight hair had grown out so that it nearly reached his chin； and his Brooks Brothers khakis
were torn at the knees。 Who knew what he would look like after four years of high school in L。A。？
He placed the hatbox on the floor and grabbed the white wire easy…glide bin on the shelf in front
of him； which was filled with boxes of snacks。 He passed over the Carr？s crackers and Pringles；
pulling out a box of Le Petite ？colier cookies。
？Tyler； those are display items？you know； to show how much you can fit in the bins？？ Blair
scolded； now holding up a set of glass measuring cups。
？He？s hungry。 I should take him home；？ Aaron offered eagerly。 ？I mean； uh； since you and Nate
probably want some alone time and all；？ he added； already putting the overloaded laundry basket
at Nate？s feet。
？Fine。？ Blair sighed； returning the measuring cups to their shelf。 ？Nate and I can handle this
ourselves。？ ？Thanks；？ Aaron nodded quickly。 He grabbed the bag of cookies from Tyler。 ？I？ll
make sure we pay for these。 Later！？ They made a dash for the front of the store； as if they were
trying to outrun a tornado。
Hurricane Blair？
？Hey；？ Nate murmured。 Blair was reading the instructions on a speed mixer。 He was suddenly
aware of howalone they were？and remembered what had happened the last time they？d been alone
together。
At lease she？s wearing soft rubber flip…flops。
Blair seemed calm now； but maybe she？d just been waiting for Aaron and Tyler to leave。 If that
mixer was plugged in； it could really do some damage to his face。 But； then； to his utter relief； she
smiled。
？Hey； yourself；？ she responded； her blue eyes shining。
？Natie； I？m glad you came。 I just wanted to tell you that I？m sorry about the other day。 I got 。 。 。
carried away。 And I？ve been thinking about it。 We can totally make this work。？ She gave his hand
a squeeze and then dropped the mixer back on the shelf with a loud thump。 ？You never know what
surprises the future may bring。？ Nate felt his body sag with relief。 He hadn？t even realized how
tense he？d been。
？Let？s go to Bedroom。？ Blair suggested。 Then she giggled。 ？I said to bedroom； not to bed。 Don？t
get your hopes up； horndog。？ She turned on her heel and started walking down the gleaming white
aisle； an extra flirtatious swish in her step。
Nate bent down and picked up the massive laundry bin stuffed with carefully selected
items。 ？Seriously； Blair； why do you need all this stuff？ Where are you going to put it？？ he asked
when he？d caught up with her； his arms sagging under the bin？s weight。 Suddenly he remembered
the description of hell in Dante？sInferno from eleventh…grade English class。 There were different
circles of hell； and everyone suffered according to their crimes。 Was carrying the leaden bin his
penance for sleeping with Serena？ Was he doomed to carry that guilt for all eternity？
The Curse of the Container Store？ing to a Blockbuster near you。
？I admit； fitting everything into a tiny dorm room is going to be a challenge。？ Blair paused at a
shelf filled with clear plastic boxes and bins of every shape and color。 She ran her hands over a
huge set of colorful； stackable drawers； opening each drawer one by one。 ？But I had the Yale
housing office fax me a floor plan this morning。 If we loft my roommate？s bed way up close to the
ceiling； we should have just enough space for a double bed and a dresser and maybe even a small
love seat。？ We？
？And it？ll only be for a few weeks； anyway？before we find a cute little colonial house with ivy
and one of those claw…footed bathtubs and a woodstove。 That？s what the kitchen stuff is for。？ ？But
you don？t cook；？ Nate pointed out。 Suddenly the rest of what she？d said hit him in a rush。 ？And
wait？we？ But I？m going to be here in the city。 。 。 。？ Blair tossed the set of drawers on top of the
stack in the overflowing laundry bin。 ？Well； you could just take the train into the city in the
morning and e back to New Haven at night。You get out of school at； like； three anyway。？ She
moved down the aisle and held up a yellow…and…white…striped pillow with attached lap desk；
contemplating its usefulness。
Right； because she only buys useful things。 Like wine racks。
After talking to her father and realizing there was a distinct possibility he mightnot be able to get
Nate back into Yale？apparently colleges took those diploma things pretty seriously？Blair had gone
into full contingency…plan mode。 Nate would take the train into Manhattan in the morning and
e home to her at night。 They would be like one of those suburban families； where the dad
mutes to the city every day and then es back to his cozy home？not to mention his horny
wife？at night。 He would walk in the door； loosening his tie as he made his way toward the kitchen；
and she？d be waiting for him in nothing but a red…and…white polka…dot apron and bright red toenail
polish。 Then they？d stay blissfully in each other？s arms all night； kissing nonstop until dawn broke
in the morning and Nate had to leave again？already pining for her as he waited for the morning
train。
Okay； so it wouldn？t be the most glamorous thing in the world to tell her new Yale friends that
her boyfriend was still in high school； but she could easily tell them he had a great banking job
and was going to work for a year before starting college。 Or maybe he was just so smart he didn？t
need a college degree at all； he was one of those stock market prodigies she？d seen in the news。
The Prodigal Stoner？
Nate frowned。 ？Take the train every day？ But doesn？t it take like an hour and a half each way？
Why don？t I just stay here in the city during the week and visit you on weekends？？ ？And leave
you here all by yourself； with those slutty L？？cole girls？ I don？t think so；？ Blair responded tersely。
Nate shifted his eyes to the floor beneath her icy blue stare。 ？You can trust me；？ he mumbled。
Besides； he wouldn？t be with any L？？cole girls。 He？d be with Serena。 Not that he could actually
say that out loud。
？You can do yourhomework on the train；？ she added decisively。 Seriously； he was lucky she was
even talking to him。 Yale had been her dream her whole life； and for years now Nate had been a
part of that dream； too。 He？d pretty much shat all over her plans with his no…diploma bullshit。
Maybe he could be a little more conscious of the fact that she was giving him a seco