gasping in the cold。 Quickly； she punched Serena？s number into her cell phone。
？Blair？？ Serena shouted； her phone cutting in and out。 ？I thought you were mad at me。？ She
coughed loudly。 ？God； am I sick。？
？Where are you？？ Blair demanded in response。 ？Are you in a cab？？
？Right；？ Serena answered。 ？I？m going to a movie premiere with some people I met at the
perfume shoot。 Want to e？？
？I can？t；？ Blair answered。 ？Serena； I need you to e get me。 Tell the cab to take I…95 up to
Greenwich。 Exit 3。 There？s this place called Breakaway on Lake Avenue。 Get him to stop and ask
someone if he can？t find it。 Okay？？
？Greenwich？ But that？s going to cost like a hundred bucks！？ Serena argued。 ？What？s going on；
Blair？ Why are you in Greenwich？ This doesn？t have anything to do with that old guy I saw you
with the other night； does it？？
？I？ll pay you back；？ Blair interrupted impatiently。 ？I？ll tell you all about it when you get here。
Will you do it； S？？ she asked； using the endearment she hadn？t used since they were little。
Serena hesitated； but Blair could tell she was intrigued by the idea of an adventure with her old
friend。 The phone crackled as she heard Serena give the driver directions。
？I have to hang up because my phone is running out of juice；？ Serena yelled。 ？I？ll be there soon；
Blair； okay？ Oh； and by the way； Aaron and I broke up。？
Blair sucked cold air in through her nostrils； her freshly glossed lips turning up in a smug smile
as she absorbed the information。 ？We？ll talk about it when you get here。？ Clicking off； she sat
down on the cold； hard steps and buttoned up her sky blue cashmere toggle coat； pulling the hood
up over her head before firing up a Merit Ultra Light。 If anyone had passed by on the road； they？d
have seen a mysterious girl in a blue hooded coat； looking defiantly sure of herself； even though
the plot had changed and the script had to be entirely rewritten。
what we talk about when we？re not talking about love
？Everyone get their coats；？ Serena told the ninth graders in peer group on Monday。 ？We？re
taking you out for hot chocolate at Jackson Hole。？
？Don？t worry； we have permission；？ Blair added； checking herself out in the cafeteria mirror。
She？d gone back to the salon to have her hair touched up and now she looked like Edie Sedgwick
from the Andy Warhol Factory days。 It was totally far out。
？Wow；？ Jenny breathed； staring at her。 ？You look great。？ Jenny was so happy since meeting Leo；
she was practically bursting with love for everyone she encountered。
Blair turned around； remembering something。 ？Have you been checking your e…mail？？ she
demanded。
Jenny？s eyes lit up。 ？Oh； yes。 Yes； I have！？
Blair thought about taking credit for Jenny？s obvious state of plete ecstasy； but it was
actually more fun to watch Jenny glow in plete oblivion。 Maybe it wouldn？t be so horrible
being a big sister after all。 She noticed Elise Wells was wearing a tight black cropped sweater
instead of one of her trademark prissy pink cardigans。 Good。 Maybe her mom had finally
murdered her father for being such an asshole。
？How are things with your dad； Elise？？ Serena asked； practically reading Blair？s mind。
To Blair？s surprise； Elise smiled happily。 ？Fine。 He and Mom went away together this weekend。？
She laughed and nudged Jenny in the arm。 ？But never mind me。 I think Jenny has something to
say。？
Jenny knew her face was beet red； but she didn？t care。 ？I？m in love；？ she declared。
Serena and Blair exchanged disparaging looks。 The last thing they wanted to talk about
waslove 。 ？e on； get your coats；？ Serena urged。 ？We？ll meet you outside。？
The atmosphere in Jackson Hole on Madison Avenue was thick with the smell of hamburger
grease and the tittering sound of gossip。 As peer group A walked in and sat down at a table near
the large glass windows； Kati Farkas and Isabel Coates huddled together in the back corner；
discussing the latest developments with anyone who would listen。
？Did you hear about Nate Archibald and that girl from Connecticut？？ Kati asked。 She？d had her
hair cut short over the weekend and it made her Germanic nose look twice its size。 ？They got
busted for having sex in the broom closet at rehab and now he has to go to private therapy in the
city instead。？
？Wait； I thought it wasBlair and Nate in the broom closet；？ Isabel sniffed。 She was wearing a
sample of Serena？s Tears that she？d gotten from her mom？s publicist friend who worked atVogue 。
It made her nose run。
？No； stupid。 Blair is seeing that old guy； remember？ She？s not having his baby anymore； though。
She had a miscarriage。 That？s why she missed so much school。？
？I heard that Blair and Serena both sent in applications to the University of California school
system today；？ said Laura Salmon。 ？They have rolling admission； so you find out which
UC school can take you； like； a few weeks after you apply。？ She raised her thin strawberry blond
eyebrows。 ？Hey； maybe we should all do that！？
Not that any of them wouldreally have considered going to a UC school。
？So what was it like； being in that perfume ad？？ Mary Goldberg asked Serena while the girls in
peer group A were waiting for their hot chocolates。 Cassie Inwirth and Vicky Reinerson pricked
their ears up on either side of her。 The three girls had gotten matching short haircuts over the
weekend； but since none of them had gone to see Gianni at Garren； their cuts were only pale
imitations of Blair？s old one； andnothing pared to her new one。
？Cold；？ Serena answered。 She blew her nose on a paper napkin and then pulled her long； golden
blond hair up on top of her head； twisted it into a bun； and stuck a pencil through it to hold it up。
Of course now they all wished they hadn？t cut their hair。
？I？d really rather not talk about it；？ she added mysteriously。
Blair leaned across the table。 ？She and Aaron broke up during the shoot；？ she told the ninth
graders in a confidential whisper。 She sat up straight again。 ？End of subject。？
The waiter brought their hot chocolates； giant steaming mugs； loaded with Reddi…Wip。
？Can we talk about love now？？ Jenny asked tremulously。 She glanced around the crowded room。
If she was lucky； Leo might even show up so she could show him off。
？No！？ Serena and Blair cried in unison。 They？d specifically brought the group to Jackson Hole
so they wouldn？t have to talk about boys； food； parents； school；anything 。 All they wanted was to
sip their hot chocolates and enjoy each other？s pany。
Suddenly a hush fell over the restaurant as Chuck Bass waltzed in wearing a fox fur hat and a
baby blue pea coat； his monogrammed pinky ring flashing as he passed out pink flyers to everyone
inside。
？Be there or be square！？ he shouted； drifting out the door in a cloud of Serena？s Tears just as
suddenly as he had e in。
The flyer was an invitation to a party on Monday night； and within seconds the entire restaurant
was positively humming。
？Are you going？？
？Wait。 Do you think it？s really Chuck？sing out party？
？No。 It？s his birthday。 Can？t you read？？
？But we went to nursery school together。 His birthday is inSeptember 。 It？s not even his party。
It？s some girl？s。 He？s just handing out the flyers。？
？I still think he？s bi。 I saw him with a girl from L？？cole Fran？aise on Saturday； and they were
practicallydoing it 。？
？Who was that guy anyway？？ Cassie Inwirth whined。
？You know that site。gossipgirl ？ Well； I think that？s him！？ Mary Goldberg announced。
？You think Gossip Girl is a he？？ Vicky Reinerson countered。
？No way！？ Serena and Blair cried。
You never know。
==================================
ABC Amber LIT Converter v2。02
==================================
Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events have been altered or abbreviated to
protect the innocent。 Namely； me。
hey people！
Not that I？m greedy or anything
By now you？ve all seen the flyer inviting everyone to my party Monday night。 And if you
haven？t； where have you been？hiding under a rock？ Please don？t bother to turn up unless you
bring