yawned。 ？I？m not going to rot in here all summer long just because we want to avoid some weird
girls with buckteeth and cross eyes。 I？m going swimming。？
？But I can？t find my new navy polka…dot Ashley Tyler cover…up；？ Blair whined。 ？What？s the
point of being a muse if I？m not dressed to inspire？ If that Ibiza girlborrowed it； I swear I？m going
to rip her malnourished arms off。？
Spoken like a true muse。
？e on； Blair。？ Serena slipped a Gauloise from the battered pack on the neatly made bed
beside her； lighting it with the silver Dunhill lighter she？d swiped from her brother； Erik。 It was
engraved with his monogram EvdW。 ？Just throw something on and let？s go。 It？s too nice outside。？
？Throw something on？ I have nothing to fucking wear because of those fucking copycats。？ Blair
threw her hands in the air； as though the piles of tissue…thin cotton and fine washed…silk garments
all around her were invisible
？Then just wear something ugly and see if they copy that；？ Serena offered； exasperated。 She
loved Blair； she really did； and they？d been best friends for forever； but sometimes she just wanted
to slap her perfectly toned little butt cheeks。
？Actually 。 。 。？ Blair threw herself onto the bed and snatched Serena？s Gauloise from her lips。
She inhaled deeply and narrowed her brilliant blue eyes thoughtfully。 ？That gives me an idea。？
？What a glorious day！？ Blair flung open the impeccably clear French glass doors to the pool
house and strode into the fierce afternoon sunshine； bare arms stretched out above her
head。 ？e on； Serena。 Let？s get some sun。？
？ing； ing；？ Serena giggled； stumbling out of the shaded bungalow； the sun…warmed
bluestone burning the soles of her freshly pedicured feet。 She held her rolled…up magazine in one
hand； a burning cigarette in the other； and her white horn…framed Cutler and Gross sunglasses
covered most of her face。 Other than that； she was pletely； totally； outrageously naked。
？Maybe we should ask Stefan for some iced coffee；？ suggested Blair； settling her own exposed
hindquarters onto a teak chaise。 Her only accessories were a tiny gold Me&Ro anklet and oversize
black Ray…Bans。
？Vhat is going on？？ demanded Ibiza； yanking her ninety…pound frame out of the pool。 She was so
emaciated she looked like one of those send…money…now third…world kids in the TV mercials；
totally overdressed in her icky trade…mark lavender…and…gold striped cutout one…piece。
？What do you mean？？ Serena casually tossed her maga…zine onto the chaise next to Blair。
？Your clothes；？ accused Svetlana； still in the water； her colorless； overprocessed hair matted flat
to her head。 ？You？re not wearing any clothes！？
？Oh dear。？ Blair sighed dramatically and turned onto her stomach。 The sweltering sun felt nice
on her bare bottom。 ？You haven？t heard？？
？Heard what？？ demanded Ibiza； glaring down at her pert； naked body。
？I guess the latest issue of EstonianVogue or whatever it is you usually read neglected to cover
the naked trend。？ Blair yawned。 ？It？s the very latest thing。？
Serena stubbed her cigarette out in a large seashell on a glass side table next to her chaise。 She
tried to avoid looking at Blair in order to suppress the unstoppable hysterics and probably a snort
that would spill out of her if she did。
？Is latest thing to go naked？？ Svetlana glanced down at her spindly bikini…thong； which she？d
probably mail…ordered from the Victoria？s Secret catalog。 The water distorted her body？s
appearance； so that it almost looked like she had actual hips and curves。
Merely an optical illusion。
？Yes； is obvious；？ scolded Ibiza； pulling down the straps on the top of her cutout suit。 Her body；
with its circular cutout tan lines； looked like a Twister mat。 ？Is much better like this。 Is European
way； really。？
？Topless is sodone though。？ Serena gave an exaggerated yawn； staring down at her magazine and
trying not to lose it。 ？Blair and I have been going topless at the beach since we were eleven； at
least。？
？At least；？ Blair chimed in。 Flat on her stomach； she put her head down and closed her eyes。
？Right。？ Ibiza took the bait。 She hopped up on one leg and then the other； tugging off the rest of
the hideous suit。 It fell to the ground with a wet slap。 ？Of course； I don？t want you to feel
unfortable； yes？？
？Yes；？ concurred Svetlana miserably。 She slipped out of her sad red polka…dot bikini and dropped
it at the pool？s edge。 Then she leapt into the water and swam away embar…rassed； her body a
skeletal flash of underfed whiteness。
？Zo glad we can all just relax now； yes？？ Ibiza asked； sounding confident but looking
unfortable just standing there； her Twister…mat body pletely naked； like she didn？t know
what to do with herself。 Blair noticed that her boobs were totally asymmetrical； like they？d been
glued on wrong。 Maybe they had。
？Have you seen hottie that lives next door？？ Ibiza started to say in a feeble attempt at casual
small talk while naked。 She shook her hands out like they were burning up。
？Maybe weshould ask Stefan for some iced coffee；？ Serena suggested； ignoring her。
？Yes； sound very good。？ Ibiza nodded then strode slowly and deliberately to the umbrella…shaded
table。 She pulled out one of the heavy wooden chairs and curled up on it oh…so…casually。 ？I call
him。 Stefan！ Stefan！？
Serena held her breath； listening for the sound of approaching footsteps。
？Now；？ hissed Blair quietly。
On cue； they jumped off of their lounges and took off running； giggling hysterically； over the
plush velvety lawn and into the thicket of leafy trees on the perimeter of the large； sunny yard。
？Look； look！？ Serena ducked behind the leafy boughs of a baby oak； pointing at the scene they？d
just fled： Stefan had appeared； as beckoned； clad in his usual ensemble of tight white tee and cargo
shorts。 He was also sporting a cute little grosgrain ribbon headband to keep his thick hair out of
his brown eyes； which were wide with shock。 Ibiza sat before him in all her bizarre
pale…and…tanned polka…dottedness。 She stuck out her chest； trying to look sexy； but her oddly
shaped boobs just pointed in different directions。 Svetlana had chosen just that minute to finally
emerge from the pool； dripping wet。 She picked up her iPod； stuck in her headphones； and began
to dance； flapping her pale； spindly arms。 She looked like an albino flamingo。 ？Ratfucker！？ she
sang loudly； totally misunderstanding the words to the latest Coldplay song。
Serena and Blair laughed so hard they nearly peed them…selves。 Serena felt flushed and giggly；
almost like a little kid again。 A very powerful wave of d？j？ vu washed over her； and she was
transported to a moment exactly like this one； only years ago； when they were much younger。 She
and Blair were changing out of their one…piece Lands？ End bathing suits behind some raspberry
bushes at her house in Ridgefield； Connecticut。 Nate kept threatening to chase them； and they
were giggling so hard they kept pricking themselves and sticking their feet into the wrong holes of
their terrycloth shorts。
？What the f？？？
Serena couldn？t believe her eyes？it was almost as if she？d conjured him。 Nate stood in front of
them； his eye…brows furrowed； brushing the splinters off the seat of his khaki shorts after jumping
the wooden fence between the two properties。
？Natie！？ Serena ran over and threw her arms around him； forgetting how pletely naked she
was。 He hugged her back； awkwardly patting her bare shoulder。 She giggled and bounded back to
Blair？s side； obscuring her privates with a leafy branch。
Blair grinned devilishly。 It somehow seemed so right to run into Nate like this。 There was just
something soobvious about the three of them together again； even if two…thirds of them weren？t
wearing any clothes。
？Strip； Nate！？ Blair cried； running after him like she was going to pull down his cargo shorts。 He
ducked behind an oak tree。
？Skinny…dipping？？ Nate asked； peeking out from behind the slim tree trunk。
Serena smiled as she studied her old friend or boyfriend or whatever Nate was？she wasn？t even
sure。 That