gossip girl 4 英文- 第29节

　apathy　vs。　poetry　

？Happy　Valentine？s　Day；　loverboy；？　Zeke　Freedman　greeted　Dan　as　fourth…period　U。S。　history　
was　about　to　begin。　He　handed　Dan　a　pink　paper　shopping　bag。　？Aggie　asked　me　to　give　this　to　
you。　A　messenger　just　brought　it　to　the　front　desk。？　

The　handles　of　the　bag　were　tied　with　red　satin　ribbon。　Dan　tugged　on　the　bow　and　emptied　the　
contents　of　the　bag　out　onto　his　desk：　a　small　white　box　and　a　slim　red　leather　book。　Inside　the　
white　box　was　a　stubby　silver　pen　on　a　silver　chain。　A　card　inside　the　box　described　it　as　an　
antigravity　pen；　the　kind　used　by　astronauts　in　space。　Dan　put　the　chain　around　his　neck　and　
opened　the　leather　book　up　to　the　first　page　where　someone　had　scrawled　a　note：Kick　gravity？s　
ass；　you　charmer。　Dig？　

Dan　reread　the　note；　pletely　dumbfounded。　It　was　too　bizarre　for　Vanessa；　which　meant　it　
was　definitely　from　Mystery。　The　final　bell　rang　and　Mr。　Dube　strode　into　the　room　and　started　
erasing　the　blackboard。　Dan　tucked　the　bag　of　presents　under　his　seat　and　opened　his　notebook；　
pretending　to　listen　to　what　Mr。　Dube　was　saying　about　Vietnam　and　apathy。　School　seemed　so　
lame　and　inconsequential　when　a　big…time　agent　like　Rusty　Klein　wanted　to　represent　him；　and　an　
obviously　brilliant；　intriguingly　sexy　poet　had　sent　him　those　exquisitely　astute　Valentine？s　Day　
gifts。　

Then　Dan　remembered　Vanessa　and　his　hands　began　to　tremble。　He　hadn？t　sent　her　anything　for　
Valentine？s　Day？　not　that　Vanessa　was　at　all　into　such　a　？mercial　bullshit　holiday；？　as　she　
called　it；　but　he　hadn？t　even　called　her。　Actually；　his　biggest　problem　was　。　。　。　he？d　cheated　on　her。　
And　not　just　kissing　cheating　either。Cheating　cheating。　

　Whoops。　

It　was　all　Mystery？s　fault。　With　her　see…through　slip　and　crooked　yellow　teeth　she？d　made　him　
feel　like　he　was　living　inside　of　one　of　his　poems；　kissing　a　beguilingly　odd　girl　he？d　created　at　a　
raucous；　screwball　party　he？d　invented。　He　hadn？t　been　able　to　help　but　let　his　imagination　run　
amok；　sending　him　stumbling　across　the　snowy　landscape　to　her　ramshackle　Chinatown　studio　
apartment　and　making　love　to　her　in　all　sorts　of　odd　yogalike　positions　on　her　unfortable　futon　
bed　as　the　sun　was　rising　over　the　bleak；　snow…covered　city。　It　was　almost　as　if　none　of　it　had　
actuallyhappened　。　It　wasfiction　。　

Except　it　wasn？t　fiction。　He？d　cheated。　


Dan　had　been　dreadfully　hungover　for　the　remainder　of　the　weekend　and　too　deeply　mired　in　
existential　guilt　and　self…loathing　to　answer　Vanessa？s　countless　messages　on　his　cell　phone。　

He　flipped　to　the　back　of　his　history　notebook。　What　if　he　wrote　Vanessa　a　poem　and　e…mailed　it　
to　her　during　lunch　next　period？　That　would　be　more　meaningful　than　flowers　or　chocolate　or　a　
cheesy　Valentine？s　Day　card。　The　best　thing　about　it　was　that　he　wouldn？t　have　to　talk　to　her　and　
possibly　admit　that　he？d　cheated　on　her；　because　he？d　never　been　any　good　at　telling　lies。　

Mr。　Dube　was　writing　on　the　board　now。　Dan　pretended　to　makes　notes　in　his　notebook。　

Chalk　angels；he　wrote。Making　meaning。　

Then　he　thought　about　something　Mystery　had　said　when　they　were　drinking　their　fourth　or　fifth　
Red　Bull　cocktails。　Something　about　how　she　was　tired　of　writing　obscure　poems　that　skirted　
around　what　she　was　really　trying　to　say。　Subtle　was　out。　Direct　was　in。　

Kiss　me。　Be　mine。Dan　wrote；　imitating　the　little　slogans　on　those　candy　hearts　girls　were　always　
passing　around　on　Valentine？s　Day。Hot　stuff！　

He　reread　the　words　without　really　seeing　them。　His　mind　was　still　too　full　of　his　night　with　
Mystery　to　process　anything　else。　Her　stringy　dirty　blond　hair　had　smelled　like　toast　and　when　
she？d　touched　his　bare　stomach　with　her　cold；　clammy　hands；　his　whole　body　had　rippled。　He？d　
never　even　asked　her　what　she　meant　by　premature　death　or　how　his　poem　？Sluts？　had　saved　her　
life；　but　he？d　been　so　intoxicated　by　the　taurine　in　the　Red　Bull　and　by　her　appallingly　yellow　
teeth；　he　probably　wouldn？t　have　remembered　anyway。　

Lost　my　virginity　again；Dan　wrote；　which　was　the　truth。　Doing　it　with　Mystery　was　like　losing　it　
again。　Was　it　possible　that　every　time　he　made　love　to　a　new　woman　it　would　feel　that　way？　

Before　he　could　imagine　who　the　next　lucky　girl　would　be；　the　bell　rang　and　Dan　snapped　out　of　
his　reverie；　slapping　the　notebook　closed　and　tucking　it　under　his　arm。　？Hey；？　he　called　to　
Zeke。　？I？ll　buy　you　some　sushi　for　lunch　if　you　wait　for　me　to　whip　off　an　e…mail　in　the　lab。？　

？Okay。？　Zeke　shrugged；　trying　not　to　look　too　excited　that　his　old　friend　was　actually　deigning　to　
pay　attention　to　him　again。　Since　when　did　Dan　Humphrey；　king　of　cheap　egg　rolls　and　bad　coffee；　
eatsushi　？　

？Heard　you　got　lucky　Friday　night！？　Chuck　Bass　shouted　Dan？s　way　as　they　passed　each　other　
on　the　stairwell。　Chuck　was　wearing　his　Riverside　Prep　uniform　navy　blue　V…neck　sweater　with　
nothing　on　underneath　it。　？Nice　work。？　

？Thanks；？　Dan　muttered；　hurrying　upstairs　to　the　puter　lab。　He　was　kidding　himself　if　he　
thought　Vanessa　wasn？t　going　to　find　out　about　him　and　Mystery；　but　as　soon　as　she　received　his　
latest　poem　he　was　convinced　she？d　forgive　him。　Just　as　Mystery　had　written　in　her　note？he　was　a　


charmer。　

girls　go　gaga　over　secret　admirers　

Vanessa　felt　a　little　ridiculous　hanging　out　with　the　desperate　girls　in　the　packed；　overheated　
Constance　Billard　puter　lab；　all　checking　their　e…mail　for　the　hundredth　time　to　see　who？d　sent　
them　a　pathetic　e…card　for　Valentine？s　Day　or　posted　a　message　on　their　Secret　Admirer　page；　the　
alarmingly　uncreative　new　tradition　the　school　had　started　last　Valentine？s　Day。　But　Dan　usually　
logged　on　at　least　once　a　day；　and　since　he？d　been　so　busy　this　weekend　meeting　Rusty　Klein　at　
the　Better　Than　Naked　show　and　hadn？t　had　a　chance　to　call　her　back　all　weekend；　she　figured　he　
might　try　to　e…mail　her　today；　especially　since　it　was　Valentine？s　Day？　not　that　either　of　them　
really　bought　into　that　mercial　holiday　bullshit。　

Of　course　not。　

？Hey；？　she　heard　someone　say。　It　was　Dan？s　little　sister；　checking　out　her　Secret　Admirer　page　at　
the　next　terminal。　

　？Hey　Jennifer。？　

Jenny　rolled　herself　backwards　on　her　black　swivel　chair　and　then　pulled　herself　forward　again。　
Her　curly　brown　hair　was　blow…dried　straight　and　she　looked　older　and　more　sophisticated　than　
usual。　？So　you　and　Dan　must　have　had　fun　at　that　fashion　show。　He　didn？t　get　home　until　like；　
Saturday　afternoon。　My　dad　was　grumbling　about　how　spoiled　and　irresponsible　we　both　are；　but　
then　he　pletely　forgot　to　yell　at　Dan。　As　usual。？　

Vanessa　smoothed　her　hand　over　her　practically　shaved　head。　？Actually；　I　didn？t　go　to　the　same　
show　he　went　to。　I　got　invited　to　another　one。？　

Jenny　looked　confused。　？Oh。？　

In　the　back　of　her　mind　Vanessa　sensed　that　something　was　wrong。　What　had　Dan　been　doing　out　
all　that　time　anyway？　But　then　again；　everything　had　gotten　screwed　up　in　the　snow。　Maybe　he？d　
spent　the　night　at　Zeke？s　house　or　something。　Zeke　lived　downtown。　

She　logged　on　as　hairlesscat；　passwordmeow　；　and　clicked　on　her　inbox。　Sure　enough；　there　was　
a　message　from　Dan；　and？big　surprise？it　was　a　poem。　Vanessa　read　the　poem　eagerly；　grimacing　
when　she　recognized　that　Dan　had　put　absolutely　no　effort　into　it　at　all。Hot　stuff？　What　was　that　
all　about？　And　what　was　up　with？I　lost　my　virginity　again？　？　Who　was　he　fucking　kidding？　


She　hit　reply　and　wrote　back：Ha　ha。　I　laughed。　I　cried。　What？s　your　deal　anyway？　We？re　
supposed　to　be　making　a　film　together；　remember？　

As　she　waited　for　Dan　to　respond；　she　logged　onto　her　Secret　Admirer　page。　To　her　surprise　there　
were　four　messages：　

I　can？t　stop　raving　about　you　to　all　my　boyfriends。　No　one　mixes　form　with　meaning　the　way　
you　do；　milady。　？prettyboy　

You　give　this　fucked…up　world　a　new　kind　of　beauty。　Keep　your　freak　on。　？d。　

Happy　Valentine？s　Day　to　my　very　special　sister　on　a　special　day。　？Ruby　Tuesday　

Can　you　make　it　to　Cannes？　Let？s　talk　over　coffee　in　Brooklyn　Thurs。　eve？　？the　film…maker　who　
discovered　you

　？　

Vanessa　rolled　her　eyes　as　she　read　the　last　one。　She　appreciated　everything　Ken　Mogul　had　done　
fo