？I？m actually not feeling that well。？ He wasn？t even lying； really； since the thought of what
might happen if he didn？t get out of there made him feel totally queasy。Wincing in pain？ but
trying not to overdo it？Nate let out a pathetic cough。
？Poor boy；？ she cooed； using one hand to cinch her flimsy robe closed。 She placed her other palm
against his furrowed brow。 ？You do feel a little warm。？
Maternal instinct andBasic Instinct ？what a disturbing mix。
？Yeah。？ he agreed； backing away。 ？I don？t know if I can tackle the lawn today。？
？No； of course not。We should get you out of those clothes and right into bed。 I can make you
some nice herbal？？
？I should really just go；？ Nate interrupted the disturbing quasi…porno scenario Babs was
describing。 He didn？t want to trade her Mrs。 Robinson fantasies for some skanky nurse setup。 ？In
fact； I think I hear my ride outside。？
？You just rest and take it easy；？ Babs cooed。 ？Don？t you worry about work。 I？ll tell Coach you
need a rest。 He？s wearing you down。？
？Thanks Mrs。 M。？ Nate nodded gratefully as he bounded off the porch。 Forgetting that he was
supposed to be sick； he whooped with delight when he heard a car horn and saw Anthony？s black
BMW turn recklessly into the coach？s driveway。Saved。
？You sure you？re just playing sick？？ Anthony momentarily took his eyes off the road to study
Nate； who was sunk low in the cream…colored reclined leather seat； shielding his eyes from the
bright sunlight with his hand。
？No； dude； I？m fine；？ Nate assured him； fiddling with the dashboard vents so that the cool blast
of AC was aimed directly at his face。 ？Babs was just； you know； ing on kind of strong。？
？No shit！？ Anthony laughed； turning down the stereo； which was blaring the latest Reigning
Sound album。 ？This I have to fucking hear。？
？Nothing to hear；？ Nate mumbled； grinning despite him…self。 ？Believe me； it？ll give you
nightmares for fucking weeks。？
Nate stared out the window at the landscape whizzing by： the fields of green grass； the rich blue
sky； the weather…beaten； enormous shingled houses； all of it blurred together； a rush of images he
couldn？t separate into their various parts； almost the same way that the summer had been nothing
but a stream of various moments he couldn？t separate into distinct events。 He sighed。 There was
just something incredibly depressing about realizing that the only memorable moments of the
summer had been a total bust of a party in the city where he？d been abandoned by his date； and
yesterday； when he？d caught Blair and Serena skinny…dipping or whatever the hell they were
doing。
？I saw Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen naked yesterday；？ Nate announced suddenly；
reaching for the joint he had prerolled and stashed in somebody？s leftover pack of Marlboros that
morning。 He rolled down the window and lit it up。
？Threesome？？ Anthony asked； nodding at Nate to hand him one of the cigarettes。 ？You are one
lucky fucker。？
Nate shook one loose and passed it to his left。 ？Nah；？ he explained； though a very intriguing
mental picture was starting to take shape in his head。
Oh； really？
？They were； like； skinny…dipping in my neighbor？s yard；？ he continued； exhaling a cloud of pot
smoke out the window。 ？It was so weird。？
？Skinny…dipping？？ repeated Anthony； deftly lighting his cigarette and making a left turn at the
same time。 ？No shit。？
？Blair； man； she？s just 。 。 。？ Nate trailed off as the image of Blair； naked； a little sweaty； laughing
at him； clouded his vision。 He just wanted to hold her again。
？I hear you； dude；？ Anthony agreed； nodding vigorously。 ？I mean； you？ve got； like； athing。 And
it？s ourlast summer。 It？s like 。 。 。 fucking carpe fucking diem； right？？
？Carpe diem。。。。？Nate pondered this。 Seize the day。 He took another deep drag and swallowed；
closing his eyes。Carpe fucking diem。 What an idea。 It was downright 。 。 。 inspiring。 He turned and
smiled appreciatively at Anthony。 He was a genius。
Or maybe he was just high？
？Seriously； man；？ Anthony continued； holding the roach。 ？I？ve been telling you； haven？t I？ It？s
time to get serious about having a good time。？
Nate nodded。 Itwas time for him to get serious about having a good time。 Fuck Coach Michaels
and his horny wife； fuck the lawn； and fuck responsibility。 He was going to seize the fucking day。
And maybe someone else； too。
the lost art of letter writing
FROM： Steve N。
TO：
Subject： Re： Announcing Inaugural Meeting；
Song of Myself （Manhattan）
Date： 9 July； 16：37：07
To whom it may concern：
It was with great delight that I read your announcement。 I desperately want to be surrounded by
like…minded peers who are as passionately devoted to the power of the written word as I am。
In the spirit of true iconoclasm； I decline to answer any of your questions。 I suspect that you？re
only really interested in independent spirits who aren？t willing to submit to your silly queries。 Rest
assured； I live by the book and I shall die by the book。
Regards；
Steve
？
FROM： Cassady Byrd
TO：
Subject： Re： Announcing Inaugural Meeting；
Song of Myself （Manhattan）
Date： 9 July； 20：04：39
I couldn？t believe it when I saw your posting。 Right on； motherfuckers！ I？m really looking
forward to getting together and talking 。 。 。 maybe more！！！！
My fave verb is ？to love。？ My least fav verb is ？to hate。？ You？re gonna hate how much you love
me。 Burp！
My pic is attached。 。 。 。
xoxo
CB （aka Charlotte Bront？）
？
FROM： Bosie
TO：
Subject： Re： Announcing Inaugural Meeting；
Song of Myself （Manhattan）
Date： 9 July； 22：31：14
Saw your ad。 Violently intrigued。
My favorite books：
The Picture of Dorian Gray；Oscar WildeInterview with the Vampire； Anne Rice
Favorite movie：Party Monster starring Macaulay Culkin
Favorite song： ？Walk on the Wild Side？ by Lou Reed
Favorite word： Bite
Least favorite word： Choke
I bit him and choked。
As you can see from my pic； I？m a guy who likes to dress up。
Copyright ？ 2006 by Alloy Entertainment
All rights reserved。 Except as permitted under the U。S。 Copyright Act of
1976； no part of this publication may be reproduced； distributed； or
transmitted in any form or by any means； or stored in a database or
retrieval system； without the prior written permission of the publisher。
Little； Brown and pany
Poppy
Hachette Book Group； USA
237 Park Avenue； New York； NY 10017
Visit our Web site at。HachetteBookGroupUSA。 。
First eBook Edition： October 2006
ISBN： 978…0…316…04207…9
The characters and events in this book are fictitious。 Any similarity to real
persons； living or dead； is coincidental and not intended by the author。
Truth is beautiful； without doubt； but so are lies。
？Ralph Waldo Emerson
Gossip Girl novels created by Cecily von Ziegesar：
Gossip Girl
You Know You Love Me
All I Want Is Everything
Because I？m Worth It
I Like It Like That
You？re The One That I Want
Nobody Does It Better
Nothing Can Keep Us Together
Only In Your Dreams
Would I Lie To You
Don？t You Forget About Me
If you likegrossip girl ； you may also enjoy：
Bass Ackwards and Belly Upby Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain
Secrets of My Hollywood Lifeby Jen Calonita
Haters by Alisa Valdes…Rodriguez
And keep your eye out for
Betwixtby Tara Bray Smith； ing October 2007。
Contents
Dedication
s and b peek into the fun…house mirror
n knows a desperate housewife when he sees one
twisted minds think alike oh； the places you？ll go！
oh； the places you？ll go！
b & v break out the birthday suits
n？s great escape
the lost art of letter writing
when it es to the hamptons； v？s a total virgin
reading is fundamental
guess v？s not in kansas anymore
d？s big fat geek experiment
s and b？s sweet revenge
it？s all about timing
before sunrise
the truth es out 。 。 。 and so does d
truth？stranger than fiction after all