don？t know 。 。 。relaxing to do something totally unrelated to school。？
？Really？？ Blair fluffed up the pillows behind her and sat up in bed。 Rehab wasrelaxing ？ Maybe
it was exactly what she needed？a respite from the travails of her quotidian existence。 She could
picture herself wrapped in a downy white spa robe； her face lathered in green clay masque； her
feet and hands stuck with acupuncture needles； sipping detoxifying herbal tea as she lounged on a
daybed chatting to an attentive counselor in a white linen tunic。
？If you could be any sort of animal； what would you be？？ the counselor would ask her。 Nothing
too challenging。
Rehab。 Why hadn？t she thought of it before？ Sure； there might be a little therapy involved； but
she？d never had a problem talking about herself。 And best of all；Nate would be there ？the two of
them alone together； away from the city and all its messy baggage。 She？d always dreamed of
spending a weekend with Nate at a romantic bed…and…breakfast on the Cape or in the Hamptons。 A
rehab clinic in Greenwich； Connecticut； would be almost as good。 Sure； she？d thought she？d
wanted to erase Nate？s arrogant； cheating presence from her life entirely； but Nate sounded like he
was turning over a new leaf； which was exactly what she was trying to do！
？So how do you get into rehab anyway？ Can you just sign up； or do you have to be sent there by
somebody？？ Blair asked。 She glanced at herself in the mirror on the back of her closet door。 With
her hacked…off hair and pasty face； she looked enough like a heroin addict that they were sure to
admit her。
？I think you can sign yourself in； but who？d be crazy enough to do that？？ Nate asked。
Blair smiled。She would。 ？So do you want to get together tomorrow night or something？？ she
asked。 ？I know I act like a bitch sometimes； Nate； but I always wind up missing you。？
？Sorry。 I have to be at Breakaway for group；？ Nate responded。 He hadn？t seen Georgie since the
night of the snowstorm and Jackie had promised Georgie would be returning to group
tomorrow。 ？I take the train； so I don？t get home until pretty late。？
？All right。 But let？s get together sometime soon； okay？？ Blair said。 ？You know you love me；？
she added in a seductive whisper and hung up。
Hopping off her bed with newfound energy； she removed the Pucci scarf from her head and
messed up what little hair she had left with a dime…sized squirt of Bed Head texturizing hair gel。
Then she opened her bedroom door for the first time all week。 ？Mom！？ she shouted down the
hall。 ？e quick。 I need your help with something！？
What better way for the leading lady to make a eback than to emerge from rehab； refreshed
and rejuvenated； with her handsome leading man at her side？
sex poems are full of lies
？So 。 。 。 ；？ Vanessa said； bouncing her knee against Dan？s thigh as they lay naked on their backs；
contemplating his cracked bedroom ceiling in a postcoital daze。 ？What did you think？？
Vanessa had already tried sex a couple of times before with her ex…boyfriend Clark； an older
bartender she？d gotten together with briefly in the fall； when Dan （along with the rest of the
predictable male population） had been too busy mooning over Serena van der Woodsen to notice
that Vanessa had fallen in love with him。 Even if Vanessa had just done it for the first time； she
would have been matter…of…fact about it； because that was the way she was about everything。 Dan；
on the other hand； wasn？t matter…of…fact about anything； andhe was the one who？d just been
deflowered。 She couldn？t wait to hear his reaction。
？It was 。 。 。？ Dan stared unblinkingly up at the gray； turned…off lightbulb dangling from the center
of the ceiling； feeling immobilized and overstimulated at the same time。 Their hips were touching
under the thin； burgundy…colored sheet； and it felt like an electric current was running between
them； pinging out of Dan？s toes； his knees； his belly button； his elbows； and the ends of his hair。
？Indescribable；？ he finally answered； because there really were no words to describe how it had
felt。 Writing a poem about sex would be impossible； unless he resorted to boring； clich？d
metaphors like exploding fireworks or musical crescendos。 Even those were totally inaccurate。
They gave no sense of the actualfeeling ； or how sex was this whole discovery process during
which everything monplace became absolutely amazing。 For instance； Vanessa？s left arm： it
wasn？t a particularly spectacular arm？fleshy and pale； covered in brownish fuzz； and sprinkled
with moles。 While they？d been having sex it had no longer been the same old arm he？d known
and loved since he and Vanessa had accidentally gotten locked out of a party in tenth grade？it had
been an exquisite； precious thing that he couldn？t stop kissing； something new and exciting and
delicious。 Oh；God 。 See？ Everything he could think of to describe what sex was like sounded like
a lame ad for a new cereal or something。 Even the wordsex was wrong； andmaking love sounded
like a bad soap opera。
Electricwould have been a good word to describe what sex was like； but then again； it had too
many negative connotations； like the electric chair or an electric cattle fence。Teeming was another
good word； but what did it mean exactly？ Andquivering sounded too dainty and puny； like a
scared little mouse。 If he were ever going to write a poem about sex； he wanted to provoke
thoughts of sexy； muscular beasts like lions and stags； not mice。
？Earth to Dan？？ Vanessa reached over and flicked her finger against his earlobe。
？Pinnacle；？ Dan muttered senselessly。 ？Epiphany。？
Vanessa ducked under the sheet and blew a giant raspberry on Dan？s pale； hollow
stomach。 ？Hello？ Are you in shock or something？？
Dan grinned and scooted her up his chest so he could kiss her Cheshire cat mouth and dimpled
chin。 ？Let？s do it again。？
Whoo！
Vanessa giggled and rubbed her nose against his unruly brown eyebrows。 ？So I guess you
enjoyed it； huh？？
Dan kissed her right eye and then her left。 ？Mmm；？ he sighed； his whole body humming with
pleasure and desire。 ？I love you。？
Vanessa collapsed on his chest and squeezed her eyes shut。 She wasn？t a very girly girl； but no
girl can help but melt the first time she hears a boy say those three words。
？I love you； too；？ she whispered back。
Dan felt like his whole body was smiling。 Who？d known this mundane Monday in February
would wind up so damned 。 。 。great ？
So much for flowery descriptions and poetic turns of phrase。
All of a sudden his cell phone sounded its startling； vibrating ring from where it sat on the
bedside table； only inches away。 Dan was pretty sure it was only his little sister； Jenny； calling to
plain about school again。 He turned his head to read the number on the little screen。 PRIVATE；
the message flashed； which only happened when Vanessa called him from home。
？It？s your sister。？ Dan propped himself up on one elbow as he reached for his phone。 ？Maybe
she？s calling to tell you to get your own damn cell phone；finally ；？ he joked。 ？Should I answer it？？
Vanessa rolled her eyes。 She and her twenty…two…year…old bass…guitar…playing sister； Ruby； shared
an apartment in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn。 Ruby had made three New Year？s
resolutions： to do yoga every day； to drink green tea instead of coffee； and to be more nurturing
toward Vanessa； since their own parents were too busy being art…hippie freaks up in Vermont to
nurture her themselves。 Vanessa was pretty sure Ruby was only calling to ask when she？d be
home so Ruby could have the meatloaf and mashed potatoes all done when she got there； but it
was so unlike Ruby to call Dan？s phone right in the middle of the school day that she couldn？t
resist answering。
She took the ringing phone from Dan and clicked it open。 ？Yeah？ How did you know where to
find me？？
？Well； good afternoon to you； darling sister o？ mine；？ Ruby chirped cheerfully。 ？Remember？ I
stuck your schedule up on the refrigerator so I？d know exactly where you are and what you？re
thinking about at all times； like the new and improved ve