gossip girl 7 英文- 第16节

The　thing　about　the　Raves　was　they　could　get　away　with　wearing　anything　they　wanted　or　doing　
anything　they　pleased　because　they　were　true　Thoroughbreds…　good　kids　from　good　Upper　East　
Side　families　who'd　gone　to　boarding　school　together　and　then　formed　a　band　instead　of　going　to　
college。　A　few　months　back；　Rolling　Stone　had　even　printed　a　piece　describing　how　every　member　
of　the　Raves　had　gotten　into　Princeton　and　how　one　fateful　May　night　before　graduating　from　
boarding　school；　when　they　were　performing　in　a　Deerfeild　coffeehouse；　a　kid　in　the　audience　had　
just　happened　to　be　on　the　phone　with　his　record　executive　dad；　who'd　sign　them　right　then　and　
there。　The　four　boys　decided　not　to　go　to　college　at　all；　because　what　better　way　to　thank　your　
parents　for　giving　you　everything　you　ever　wanted　than　to　buy　you　own　car　and　house　before　the　
age　of　twenty？　In　the　end；　being　rock　stars　would　be　much　more　profitable　then　getting　a　college　
degree　in　some　pletely　useless　subject　like　philosophy。　Plus；　the　same　record　executive　
happened　to　be　married　to　the　director　of　a　French　modeling　agency；　which　meant　the　band　could　
hang　out　with　beautiful　French　models　all　the　time…　a　pretty　decent　perk。　

Jenny　looked　on　anxiously　as　Dan　slid　down　the　pole　after　Damian；　landing　painfully　on　his　knees。　
His　face　was　green；　his　hair　was　clumpy　with　sweat；　and　his　eyes　were　sort　of　rolling　back　into　his　
head。　He　also　dressed　like　Mr。　Way　Into　Hip…Hop；　which　totally　clashed　with　the　other　Raves'　
grown…up…prep…school…boy　ensembles。　

〃What's　with　the　pants？〃　Elise　asked；　looking　alarme；　as　if　she　couldn't　quite　believe　that　she'd　
once　allowed　Dan　to　kiss　her。　〃And　what's　with　the　hair？〃　

Jenny　shrugged　her　shoulders。　She　had　to　admit　Dan　looked　kind　of　weird；　but　she　would　much　
rather　make　goo…goo　eyes　at　the　Raves'　drummer　than　try　to　deconstruct　why　her　brother　was　
suddenly　trying　to　look　like　Eminem。　The　drummer　smiled　at　her　again　and　she　batted　her　eyes；　
wishing　her　eyelashes　were　longer　or　that　she'd　worn　more　mascara。　She　also　wished　she　had　the　
nerve　to　go　up　to　the　bar　and　ask　the　bartender　to　buy　the　drummer　a　shot　or　something。　It　seemed　
like　the　kind　of　thing　Serena　would　do。　If　only　Serena　were　there。　Or　maybe　it　was　best　that　she　
wasn't。　After　all；　the　drummer　was　smiling　at　her。　If　Serena　had　been　there；　Jenny　might　have　gone　
unnoticed。　

The　crowd　was　noisy　now　and　seemed　to　have　doubled　in　size。　Elise　lit　a　cigarette　and　passed　it　to　
Jenny。　No　one　had　even　offered　to　bring　them　drinks；　but　smoking　in　a　room　full　of　legal　adults　
when　you　were　only　fourteen　felt　cool　enough。　


Damian　twanged　his　guitar　and　the　drummer　banged　out　a　drumroll。　The　anorexic；　dark…haired　
bassist　cracked　his　knuckles。　Dan　cleared　his　throat　right　into　the　microphone；　a　disgusting；　
phlegmy　sound。　

Gross。　

〃I　guess　I　should　start　singing；〃　he　mumbled　almost　incoherently。　The　crowd　tittered。　Jenny　
thought　Dan　sounded　exactly　like　he　did　the　morning　he'd　woken　up　to　find　they'd　run　out　of　
instant　coffee　and　he'd　bee　so　weak　he'd　puked。　Jenny　had　to　run　out　to　the　deli；　and　it　had　
taken　four　cups　to　revive　him。　She　cocked　her　head　to　one　side；　inhaled；　and　blew　a　long　stream　of　
smoke　into　the　air。　Maybe　he　was　just　pretending　to　be　out　of　it　so　everyone　would　be　surprised　
when　he　started　going　nuts　like　he　had　at　Vanessa's　birthday　party。　

Or　maybe　not。　

EVEN　V　CAN'T　WATCH　THIS　TRAIN　WRECK　

Beverly　was　waiting　for　Vanessa　outside　the　club；　wearing　the　same　loose　black　pants　and　orange　
rubber　flip…flops　as　yesterday。　His　black　hair　was　parted　down　the　middle　and　his　pale　blue　eyes　
were　shaded　by　small；　round　mirrored　sunglasses。　Very　John　Lennon　meets　Keanu　Reeves。　

〃Hi；〃　Vanessa　greeted　him；　hoping　she　didn't　seem　too　excited　to　see　him　again。　〃Nice　glasses。〃　

'Love　the　lip　ring。　You　smell　fantastic'；　she　willed　him　to　say　in　response。　'And　with　all　certainty　
I've　decided　to　move　in　with　you'。　

〃Should　we　go　in？〃　was　all　he　asked　instead。　

The　band　had　already　started　to　play　and　the　line　outside　the　club　had　dwindled。　Vanessa　went　
straight　to　the　front。　〃Abrams。　I'm　on　the　guest　list；〃　she　told　the　bouncer。　All　of　a　sudden　it　
occurred　to　her　that　Dan　was　about　to　see　her　with　another　guy　for　the　very　first　time。　If　only　she　
had　the　nerve　to　garn　Beverly　and　make　out　with　him　right　infront　of　the　stage。　


As　if　Dan　would　even　notice。　


The　bouncer　gave　them　the　once…over　and　then　unhooked　the　red　velvet　rope。　Vanessa　could　hear　
people　in　line　behind　them　moaning　jealously　as　they　went　inside。　Beverly　didn't　say　anything；　as　
if　cool　things　like　that　happened　to　him　every　day。　


Funktion　was　loud　and　crowded　and　smoky　and　hot；　just　the　way　clubs　were　supposed　to　be。　The　
Raves　were　playing　with　their　usual　bravado；　but　the　audience　seemed　to　be　singing　louder　than　
Dan　was。　Vanessa　couldn't　see　him　yet；　but　it　almost　sounded　like　Dan　was　choking　on　something。　


'Crack　me　like　and　ehh！　
Burn　a　hole　in　my　finger　'til　I　find　myself　
Find　myself　losing　you！　
Losing　you　and　missing　stuff　
Missing　how　you　kicked　my　ass！'　


Whoa；　that　song　wouldn't　be　autobiographical；　would　it？　


It　was　a　new　song；　one　that　Dan　had　written　only　last　week。　Somehow　the　hard…core　Raves　fans　
had　bootlegged　a　version　from　their　practice　sessions　and　had　already　memorized　the　lyrics。　Now　
they　were　shouting　them　out；　which　was　a　good　thing　because　Dan　was　barely　audible。　


Vanessa　eased　her　way　through　the　tightly　packed　crowd　to　the　back　of　the　club。　Dan's　little　sister　
Jenny　and　her　friend　were　seated　at　a　table　in　the　corner；　smoking　cigarettes　and　nodding　their　
chins　to　the　music　with　such　studied　boredom　it　was　almost　obvious　they'd　been　practicing　in　front　
of　a　mirror。　


Beverly　pointed　to　a　table　near　the　fire　exit　where　there　was　one　free　seat。　〃Go　ahead；〃　he　told　
Vanessa。　He　perched　on　the　table　and　indicated　that　she　should　have　the　seat。　〃I'm　not　sure　how　
much　more　of　this　I　can　take。〃　


Vanessa　pressed　her　lips　together　and　sat　down。　What　was　that　supposed　to　mean？　That　he　didn't　
like　her？　That　he　didn't　want　to　live　with　her？　This　wasn't　what　she'd　imagined。　They　were　
supposed　to　sit　together　in　an　intimate　corner；　accidentally　knocking　knees　and　touching　elbows　
and　getting　more　and　more　into　each　other；　all　the　while　pretending　to　listen　to　Dan　sing。　


But　maybe　that　was　part　of　the　problem。　Dan　wasn't　singing　at　all；　only　the　audience　was。　


'Do　you　miss　me？　Do　I　miss　you？　
I　know；　I　know　
That's　not　the　fucking　point。　
We　were　kinda　like　mowing　the　grass…　
Looked　good；　smelled　good　



But　such　a　pain　in　the　ass！'　

Dan　clutched　his　stomach；　gasping　into　the　mike；　which　he　held　in　white…knuckled　fists；　his　eyes　
red…rimmed　and　his　sorry　mouth　gapping　like　a　dying　fish's。　A　fish　dressed　like　the　king　of　MTV　
Raps；　in　weird　baggy　pants　and　ugly　sneakers；　his　hair　all　sweaty　and　gross　and　his　neck　shaved　
unevenly。　

See　what　happens　to　you　when　we　break　up？　Vanessa　thought　for　a　fleeting；　gloating　moment。　
Then　again　Dan　looked　so　pathetic　it　was　almost　embarrassing　to　admit　she　even　knew　him。　She　
glanced　at　Beverly。　He　was　biting　his　cuticles　and　wiggling　his　foot　like　someone　waiting　for　a　
bus。　

All　of　a　sudden　the　distinctive　sound　of　vomit　rising　to　the　surface　blared　over　the　speakers　and　
Dan　staggered　offstage；　taking　the　microphone　with　him。　The　band　continued　to　play　even　louder　
still；　with　Dan　retching　miserably　in　the　background。　

Way　gross。　

Vanessa　touched　Beverly's　elbow。　〃Maybe　we　should　go；〃　she　offered　apologetically。　It　felt　sort　of　
wrong　to　leave　Dan　retching　backstage　when　they'd　once　been　so　close；　but　then　again；　he　was　the　
one　who　wanted　to　be　a　rock　star。　Besides；　there　was　probably　a　gang　of　hot　blond　Raves　groupies　
moping　Dan's　head　with　a　cool；　damp　towel　and　spoon…feeding　him　mineral　water　at　that　very　
moment。　He　didn't　need　her　anymore。　

Beverly　nodded　and　slipped　of　the　table。　〃There's　this　party　my　Pratt　friends　are　putting　on　that's　
been　going　on　since　March。　Let's　check　it　out。〃　

He　held　out　his　hand；　and　Vanessa　notic