early acceptance letter； but after her botched interview Constance Billard？s college advisor had
told her it was best not to apply early。 Getting into Yale had been Blair？s sole mission in life？well；
besides marrying Nate Archibald and living happily every after in the ivy…covered brick town
house just off Fifth that she already had picked out？but now she？d have to wait until April along
with all the rest of the morons in her class to find out if she？d even gotten in。 It was pletely
unfair。
？Sorry； Blair。？ Aaron sipped his champagne。 He？d always been supersensitive about ruffling
Blair？s feathers； but he was feeling too good about himself right now to bother。 ？I？m not going to
apologize for getting in。 I deserve this。？
As if the enormous new science wing his father？s development pany built on campus last
year had absolutely nothing to do with it。
？Fuck you；？ Blair replied。 ？In case you forgot； I would be hearing from Yale right now if you
hadn？t kept me up drinking shit beer and eating crappy junk food in that gross motel room the
night before my interview。？
Aaron rolled his eyes。 ？I never told you to kiss your interviewer。？
Serena let out a little snort and Blair glared at her。
？Sorry；？ Serena apologized quickly。 ？e on； Blair；？ she coaxed。 ？You？re； like； the best student
in our class。 You？re totally getting in。 You just have to wait until April to find out。？
Blair kept on glaring at her。 She didn？t want to wait until April。 She wanted to knownow 。
Aaron lit another herbal cigarette and tilted his chin toward the ceiling to blow a few smoke rings。
Already there seemed to be a sort of lazy； superior air about him； as if he knew he could just drink
champagne all day for the rest of second semester and still go to Harvard。 The fucker。
？Hey；？ he yawned。 ？I have to head up to Scarsdale to practice with my band； but let？s go out
later to celebrate。？
Serena stood up on the bed and did a few jumping jacks； as if she really needed the
exercise。 ？Definitely。？
Blair watched Serena？s gorgeous hair fly up into the air above her head and then cascade prettily
down onto her shoulders as Aaron blew more smoke rings。 All of a sudden； Blair couldn？t stand to
be in the same room with them。 ？I have homework to do；？ she huffed； reaching up to feel her new
hairdo as she turned to leave。
？Oh my God！？ Serena cried； vaulting off of Aaron？s bed。 ？Wait； Blair？yourhair ！？
Nice of her to finally notice。
Blair stopped in the doorway and put a hand to where her dark hair fell in a clean line at the nape
of her neck。 ？I like it；？ she declared defensively。
Serena walked around her like she was one of those Greek marble statues on the main floor of
the Met。 ？Oh my God！？ she repeated and reached out to tuck a flyaway hair behind
Blair？s ear。 ？Ilove it！？ she exclaimed； a little too enthusiastically。
Blair wrinkled her pert nose suspiciously。 Did Serena really love it； or was she just being fake？ It
was always so hard to tell。
？You look exactly like Audrey Hepburn；？ Aaron remarked from the bed。
Blair knew he was only saying what she wanted to hear to make up for being such a smug
asshole about getting into Harvard。 She thought about mentioning her Yale alum interview with
Owen Wells on Thursday night but decided to keep the interview to herself。 ？Excuse me；？ she told
them coldly。 ？I have stuff to do。？
Serena watched Blair leave and then climbed back onto the bed beside Aaron。 She picked up the
letter from Harvard and folded it up； carefully tucking it inside the envelope again。 ？I？m so proud
of you；？ she murmured； falling into Aaron？s arms and kissing him。
Eventually Aaron pulled away； but Serena kept her eyes closed； licking the sweet herbal
aftertaste of his kiss from her lips。 ？I love you；？ she heard herself say。 The words seemed to have
just fallen out of her mouth。 She opened her eyes dreamily。
Aaron had never told a girl he loved her； and he hadn？t planned to say it to Serena； at least not
right away。 But it had already been an amazing day； and she was so pletely gorgeous with her
cheeks all flushed and her perfect mouth all red from kissing。 Why not？ It was like the end of one
of his secret cheesy rock…star fantasies； where he and some incredibly hot girl roared off into the
sunset together on a kick…ass Harley。
？I love you； too；？ he said back； and kissed her again。
Copyright ？ 2003 by 17th Street Productions； an Alloy pany
All rights reserved。 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means； including information storage and retrieval systems； without permission in
writing from the publisher； except by a reviewer； who may quote brief passages in a review。
First eBook Edition： August 2008
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue； New York； NY 10017
Visit our Web site at。hachettebookgroupusa。
The characters and events in this book are fictitious。 Any similarity to real persons； living or dead；
is coincidental and not intended by the author。
ISBN 978…0…316…04203…1
It makes one feel rather good deciding not to be a bitch。 。 。 。
？Ernest Hemingway
The Sun Also Rises
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Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events have been altered or abbreviated to
protect the innocent。 Namely； me。
hey people！
February is like the girl at that party I threw when my parents took a ？second honeymoon？ in
Cabo last week （I know： sad）。 You remember？the girl who puked all over the Spanish marble floor
in the guest bathroom and then refused to leave？ We had to throw her Dior saddlebag and Oscar
de la Renta embroidered sheepskin coat into the elevator before she finally got the message。
Unlike most places in the world； though； New York refuses to fall into a February…induced
depression and bee a cold； gray； dismal wasteland。 At least；my New York does。 Here on the
Upper East Side we all know the cure for the drearies： one of Jedediah Angel？s crazy…sexy party
dresses； a pair of black satin Manolos； that new ？Ready or Not？ red lipstick you can only get at
Bendel？s； a good Brazilian bikini wax； and a generous slathering of Est？e Lauder self…tanner； in
case your St。 Barts tan left over from Christmas break has finally faded。 Most of us are
second…semester seniors？at last。 Our college applications are in and our schedules are light； with a
double free period every day during which we can catch a Fashion Week runway show or head
back to a friend？s penthouse apartment to drink skinny lattes； smoke cigarettes； and help pick out
the evening？s screw…homework party outfit。
Another redeeming thing about February is my all…time favorite
should…be…a…national…no…school…holiday； Valentine？s Day。 If you already have a sweetheart； lucky
you。 If you don？t； now？s the chance to put the moves on that hottie you？ve been drooling over all
winter。 Who knows？ You might find true love； or at least true lust； and soonevery day will feel like
Valentine？s Day。 Either that or you can just sit at home IMing sad； anonymous notes to people and
eating heart…shaped chocolates until you can？t fit into your favorite pair of Seven jeans anymore。
It？s up to you。 。 。 。
Sightings
SandA holding hands and wandering slowly downFifth Avenue to the bar at thepton Hotel ；
where they can be seen most Friday nights； quaffingRed Bull andVeuve Clicquot cocktails and
chuckling to themselves with the heady knowledge that they are without a doubt the hottest couple
in the room。B refusing to go insideVeronique ？a maternity store on Madison？with her glowingly
pregnant mom。D andV wearing matching black turtlenecks； their legs intertwined as they watched
that twisted； depressingKen Mogul film downtown at theAngelika。 They？re two morbid； artistic；
weirdo peas in a pod？so insanely perfect for each other； you want to shout at them； ？Hey； what
took you solong ？！？J on the Ninety…sixth Street crosstown bus； carefully studying a billboard for
breast…reduction surgery。 I？d definitely go for it if I were in