ballet tights took the stage。 ？Wele all to open mike at Rivington Rover。 It is so special to have
you here；？ she whispered into the microphone。 ？Tonight two of New York？s most special poets
will recite for us simultaneously。 I？m honored to give the stage to Mystery Craze and Daniel
Humphrey！？
The dark； crowded room erupted in applause。
？I heard they stayed up all night on E and wrote a book together；？ somebody whispered。
？I heard they were husband and wife。？
？I heard they？re fraternal twins； separated at birth；？ remarked someone else。
Vanessa slipped into the back of the club unnoticed。 ？What kind of name is Mystery Craze？？ she
wondered as she put her camera to her eye and zoomed in on the stage。
Dan？s entire body was covered in a cold； freaked…out sweat。 Everything was happening so fast。
He hadn？t even had a chance to contemplate how he？d gone from writing strange； morose poetry
in notebooks no one ever read to performing onstage with an almost…famous girl in a cool club；
wearing a fancy designer suit。 But there was no time to doubt himself。 He？d acted in plays；
performed in Vanessa？s movies。 He was the new Rilke。 He peeled off his jacket； and rolled up his
sleeves。 He could do this。
Mystery was already waiting for him onstage； her bony fingers clenching the microphone in
white…knuckled anticipation。 Dan could see now that there were two mikes； one for him and one
for her。
？What？s your favorite noun？？ Mystery asked the audience in her low； husky voice。
？Pie！？ an obviously shitfaced ponytailed guy in the front row shouted back。
？You？re the antithesis of pie；？ Mystery hissed at Dan as he took the stage。 ？I want to eat you
alive。？
Dan cleared his throat and reached for the microphone stand to steady himself。 ？What？s your
favorite verb？？ he asked in response； surprised by how sure of himself he sounded。
？Sex；？ Mystery answered coolly。 She dropped to her hands and knees； slithering toward him with
the microphone between her teeth。 ？Sex；？ she repeated； crawling between his legs and clawing her
way up his body until their faces were only a centimeter apart。 The yellow dress made her teeth
look even yellower。
The camera wobbled in Vanessa？s hands。 Sothis was why she hadn？t heard a peep out of Dan
lately； not even to work onMaking Poetry 。 Dan had been making poetry with Mystery Craze。 And
as much as it hurt to watch the boy she？d been in love with for almost three years fall under the
spell of a girl whose real name was probably something totally boring and unpoetic like Jane
James； Vanessa couldn？t bring herself to stop filming。 Something was happening to Dan that she
had to get on film。 He seemed to be discovering himself； right before her eyes。
？Feed me；？ Dan growled into the mike as Mystery writhed beneath him。 ？Bare your naked body
on my plate。？
The crowded whooped and shrieked in delight。 Dan couldn？t believe what a total blast he was
having。 He was a rock？n？roll poet； a sex god！ Forget Rilke； he was Jim Morrison！ He dragged
Mystery off the floor and dove at her mouth in a hard and hungry rock…god kiss。
Vanessa kept filming； hot tears streaming down her pale cheeks。 She couldn？t stop； and she
wasn？t doing it to torture herself。 She was doing it for the sake of her art。
Onstage； Dan unbuttoned his shirt and Mystery licked his chest。
？Oh； Daddy；？ she whispered huskily。
Oh；brother 。
diva makes her entrance
？Wele； everyone；？ Jackie Davis greeted Breakaway？s Friday afternoon teen therapy
group。 ？I？m so pleased to wele back our old friend Georgina Spark。？ She tapped her pencil
against her clipboard。 ？We？re also expecting a new friend today。 But while we？re waiting for her
I？d like to recognize two members of the group for their courage and for demonstrating what I like
to calllife…building for the rest of us。？ She beamed an encouraging smile at Nate。 ？Nate； would
you like to tell us about what happened last Friday now that Georgie is back？？
Nate tipped his chair back and then righted it again。 Across the circle from him Georgie was
sitting with her legs crossed； wearing orange satin short shorts and orange leather sandals； which
was kind of a strange choice for the middle of February； but it wasn？t like she went outside very
much these days。 Her luxurious dark hair clung to her Snow White face as she looked up at him
with a coy smile on her dark red lips。
Nate rubbed his hands against his olive green Ralph Lauren cords。 God； he wished he could kiss
her。 The other members of the group were waiting eagerly。 They knew some serious shit had gone
down but they still hadn？t heard the whole story。
？Go on； Nate；？ Jackie prompted。
？Friday night I was over at Georgie？s house and we were having a good time； um； getting to
know each other；？ he began to explain。 ？Then I figured out that Georgie was kind of having her
own separate little party in the medicine cabinet。 When she conked out I got kind of worried。 So I
called Jackie。？
？It was a cry for help；？ Georgie intoned with mock enthusiasm。
Nate chuckled to himself。 She was still a mess； but so fucking irresistible。 And he was glad he
had to go to rehab for six whole months； because he actually wanted to help her the way she had
helped him。
？We got her to the clinic just in time。 She？s going to live here for a while； and she？s been doing
wonderfully so far； haven？t you Georgie？？ Jackie gushed。
Georgie nodded and hugged herself； a placid smile plastered to her face。 ？The meatloaf at dinner
last night was not to be believed。？
？Let？s put our hands together and give them both props for their courage！？ Jackie cried。 Every
member of the group stood up and applauded； including Georgie and Nate。
？Hey；？ Georgie mouthed to Nate and licked her bloodred lips。
？Hey；？ Nate mouthed back。
？Right this way； miss。？
Blair smoothed down her freshly plucked eyebrows and rubbed her pink…glossed lips together as
she followed one of Breakaway？s linen…clad staff members to the room where the teen group
therapy session was already under way。 She was wearing her new vintage black； red； and purple
Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress paired with her favorite pair of pointy black suede knee…high
boots； and she was positively brimming with excitement at the idea of spilling her guts in front of
a rapt audience that would include Nate。
？Wele； Blair Waldorf；？ a dowdy woman wearing ugly brown lipstick greeted her when the
staff member opened the door。 She walked over and ushered Blair into the room。 ？I？m Jackie
Davis； the teen group facilitator。 Please e in and have a seat。？
Blair surveyed the group。 There was Natie； her Nate； looking scrumptious as ever in his olive
green cords which set off his wonderful green eyes。 To her dismay； the only empty chair was next
to this Jackie person who Blair could already tell was a total drip。
？You can all sit down again；？ Jackie instructed； taking her seat。 ？Now； what we like to do when a
new member joins the group is go around the circle saying who we are and naming the thing or
the circumstance that brought us here。 Be as specific and concise as possible。 Remember； naming
your weakness is the first step toward taking control of it。 Don？t worry； Blair；？ Jackie put a
reassuring hand on Blair？s arm； ？I won？t make you go first。 Billy； would you like to begin？？
A stocky； muscular boy in a white Dartmouth sweatshirt rubbed his hands together
nervously。 ？I？m Billy White。 I？m addicted to lifting weights and drinking muscle…building drinks；？
he announced。 ？I？m an exercise bulimic。？
Nate was next。 He couldn？t believe Blair had actually turned up at Breakaway； but he？d known
her long enough not to put anything past her。 ？I？m Nate and I used to smoke marijuana every day；
but I have to say； lately I haven？t really wanted to。？ It was sort of strange to admit this in front of
Blair； the girl from back in the days when he？d been permanently stoned。
Blair？s eyebrows shot up in pleased surprise。 Was Nate really reforming？ Was he doing it
forher ？
？I？m Hannah Koto；？ said the girl sitting next to Nate。 ？I？ve taken E every day