her dinnertime。 She flipped open the lip of one of the pizza boxes。 〃Mind if we eat now？ I'm
starving。〃
Vanessa and Aaron each took a vegan slice and a rum and coke and sat down at the table。 Blair
refreshed her drink and slipped a huge pepperoni slice onto her plate； thinking that she was going
to need her energy。 Stan 5 took two pepperoni slices… obviously he thought he was going to need
his energy too。 And Serena took one of each； because she'd always been a big eater。
〃Why don't we play a game or something？〃 she suggested once they were around the table。
Normally she wouldn't have cared； but right now she would do anything to stop them all from
smiling at each other so。。。 moronically。
Blair took a huge bite from her pizza and washed it down with vodka tonic。 〃Yes！〃 she agreed；
practically screaming。 〃Truth or Dare！〃
Serena poked at her pizza。 As long as she stuck with Dares； she'd be fine。
Aaron folded his slice of pizza in half and took two enormous bites。 Vanessa liked the way his
cute little ears moved up and down when he chewed。 〃I'll start；〃 he volunteered； wiping his mouth
on a paper napkin。 〃Dare。〃
Blair shoved her pizza at him。 Big rounds of pepperoni sat on top of the greasy cheese。 〃That's
easy。 I dare you to eat this。〃
Aaron rolled his eyes。 〃No way。 Truth； then。〃
Blair tried to think of a good question to ask him； but Vanessa beat him to it。
〃Do you believe in love at first sight？〃 She kept her eyes focused on her pizza； picking the little
egreen buds off a piece of broccoli to keep from blushing with shame for asking such a totally
cheesy question。
Aaron's leg seemed to edge over so slightly in her direction until the knee of his army pants very
lightly grazed her jeans。 He picked the rest of his pizza up and then put it down again with out
taking a bite。 〃Hell yes；〃 he declared； his thin red lips spreading wide across his straight white
teeth。 〃I do now。〃
Blair nudged Vanessa's foot underneath the table and Vanessa's entire heads flushed the color of
Constance Billard's maroon wool uniform。 〃I told you so；〃 Blair mouthed with silent delight。
〃Now me。 Dare。〃
Everyone tried to think of a good one。 The thing about dares was they were always something silly。
Truths were always far more interesting。
Not necessarily。
〃I dare you to kiss me；〃 Stan 5 said quietly； pushing back his chair to give Blair access。 〃For five
minutes。〃
How totally seventh grade。
〃Fine。〃 Blair stood up and pushed her dark hair behind her ears。 Did he thing she wouldn't kiss
him unless he dared her to？ Well； she was planning to do a lot more than kiss later on。 She perched
on his knee and wrapped her arms around his neck。 A little blob of pizza had collected in the
corner of his mouth； and because she'd drunk just a wee bit too much and eaten her pizza a wee bit
too fast； the sight of it made her gag。 She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of Polo for
Men。 〃Someone start timing；〃 she directed。
She pressed her lips against his； trying to relax and get into it； but it was hard； especially in front
of an audience。 Stan 5's lips were salty； unfamiliar； and weirdly wet。 She was about to break away
just to catch her breath； when she remembered the time she and Nate were in a kissing contest at a
party at Serena's house at the end of seventh grade； They went into Serena's walk…in closet and
Serena stood outside and timed then while they made out。 They lasted forty…seven minutes； but the
truth was； they weren't really kissing the whole time。 They were whispering ever so softly with
their lips pressed together so it was almost like they were kissing when they were talking； and vice
versa。 Which was actually way more romantic。
〃Time's up；〃 Aaron called。
Blair broke away from Stan 5。 thinking about Nate while she was kissing him had made his lips
taste much better。 〃I could've lasted longer；〃 she declared； sliding off his lap。 She sat down in her
chair and polished off her drink。 〃You're next；〃 she told Stan 5。 〃Truth or dare。〃
〃Truth。〃
Blair tried to think of something juicy to ask him； but she only knew him in the context of Yale；。
〃If your grandfather wasn't on the board at Yale； would you have gone to another school？〃
Stan 5 cleared his throat and loosened his preppy pink…and…green…striped tie。 His neck was red。
〃The truth？〃 he asked。 He glanced at Blair and swiped his hand over his face。 〃I'm not going to
Yale；〃 he said quietly。 〃I didn't get in。〃
Nobody said anything。 Blair felt bile rise in her throat。 She scooted her chair back and lunged
across the room toward the bathroom。
Serena smiled her mother's cool； fuck…off…and…die smile ay Stanford Paris V。 〃I dare you to leave
right now；〃 she told him pleasantly。
Stan 5 shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't see what the big deal was。 〃Is she going to be okay？〃
As if he really cared。
〃She'll be fine；〃 Serena assured him。
〃There's a car service place around the corner；〃 Vanessa informed him； too giddy to get what was
going on。
Stan 5 stood up and straightened his tie。 Serena walked him to the door。 〃Thanks for the pizza；〃 he
said lamely before leaving。
Vanessa and Aaron's fingers touched beneath the table。 〃Truth or dare？〃 she whispered。
〃Truth；〃 Aaron responded。
〃Do you think I should grow my hair？〃
Aaron leaned over and kissed her quickly on the lips。 〃No fucking way。〃
Serena went to check on Blair； expecting to find her kneeled in front of the toilet； where she found
her countless times before。 Instead Blair was sprawled naked in the bathtub； covered in green
Vitabath bubble； a wet washcloth folded over her eyes； looking like an overworked drama queen。
〃I don't know what I was thinking；〃 she moaned； turning her head toward Serena。 She was just so
mad at Nate； and she wanted to go to Yale so badly； and Stan 5 had made it seem like she didn't
have anything to worry about。。。
Serena kicked off her shoes and rolled up her jeans。 Then she sat on the edge of the tub and
dunked her feet into the water。 〃I don't know either。〃 She wiggled her pink…polished toes
underneath the bubbles； daring herself to tell Blair about going to Yale next year。
Blair reached out blindly and plopped a big pouf of bubbles on Serena's cheek。 〃I dare you to get
in with me。〃
Serena giggled and began to unbutton her jeans。 They could talk about Yale some other time。
Back in the living room； things were getting just as steamy。
〃Is this what you're supposed to do when you're about to graduate from high school？〃 Vanessa
asked； helping Aaron remove his flimsy orange shirt。 She kissed her way up his neck to those thin
red lips she'd loved the moment she'd seen them。
〃You mean make friends with the bitchiest； most high…maintenance girl in your class and then
hook up with her stepbrother？〃 he responded honestly； then laughed。 〃I'm not sure。〃 He traced his
finger over the stubbly top of Vanessa's shaved head。 〃I guess at this point we're all trying new
things。〃
Guess so！
Gossipgirl
HEY PEOPLE！
A STAR IS BORN AND SHE COULDN'T CARE LESS
Remember a few months back when a certain shaven…headed； Brooklyn dwelling； filmmaking
genius won her school film contest？ The prize was a trip to Cannes Film Festival to pete for
the Most Promising New Filmmaker award。 Any normal girl would have been shopping for the
right dress； the right shoes； the right hairstyle； the right escort； as soon as she'd found out that she'd
won。 She would have been counting the days。 Winning the award would be like being queen for a
day。 Not that our filmmaking genius friend even cares。 She skipped the whole thing； and festival
MC and independent filmmaker Ken Mogul had to accept the award on her behalf； calling her 〃the
most original voice in filmmaking； since Charlie Chapman。〃 Not necessarily a pliment； since
Charlie Chapman made silent films。 Still； it's not every day that thousands of fabulously dresses
celebrities rise to their feet to applaud you。 Most of us would have wanted to be there。 One thing's
for sure； she'd not in it for the clothes or the fame… som