创客小说网

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第39部分（第1页）

“What　are　you　majoring　in；　dear？’　Eleanor　asked；　plucking　a　mini　quiche　off　a　passing　tray。　“Do　you　have　any　idea　what　you’ll　be　doing　after　college？”

“I　don’t　know。　I　thought　I　had　a　few　more　semesters　of　undergrad；　but　it　turns　out　I　don’t。”　Serena　shook　her　head。　There　was　a　silver　lining　to　missing　Dan　and　having　no　social　life：　It　had　forced　Serena　to　keep　herself　busy；　signing　up　for　back…to…back　lectures　and　seminars。　Her　advisor　had　called　her　in　for　a　meeting　on　the　last　day　of　finals。　Serena　had　been　nervous；　sure　she’d　failed　a　philosophy　exam　or　accidentally　forgotten　to　turn　in　a　French　paper。　Instead；　she　found　out　that　because　she’d　amassed　so　many　credits　from　her　regular　classes　and　classes　at　the　New　School　while　she　was　in　New　York；　she’d　be　able　to　graduate　in　spring　without　having　majored　in　anything。　Serena　bit　her　lip　and　shrugged。　“I’m　graduating　in　May；　so　I　have　to　figure　it　out。”

What？　Blair　wanted　to　throw　her　champagne　glass　on　the　floor。　“How？”　she　spat。　Serena　had　started　college　a　full　two　years　after　Blair；　and　hadn’t　even　taken　as　many　AP　classes　as　she　had　back　in　high　school。　In　fact—Blair　racked　her　brain—had　Serena　even　taken　any？

Who　needs　APs　when　you’ve　got　charm？

“I　took　a　bunch　of　New　School　classes　the　year　before　I　started；　and　I’ve　been　taking　a　lot　of　credits。　I　didn’t　know；　though。”　Serena　shrugged　blithely。　“Dan　got　into　grad　school　for　poetry　at　Iowa；　so　I　might　go　there。”　She　hadn’t　mentioned　it　to　Dan；　but　really；　it　didn’t　seem　like　such　a　bad　option。　Wasn’t　Iowa　City　supposed　to　be　really　quaint？　And　what　else　would　she　do？

Um；　get　a　life？

Good　riddance；　Blair　wanted　to　scream。　Serena　could　go　off　to　Iowa　and　live　on　a　farm　and　milk　cows；　or　whatever　people　did　there。

“That　sounds　amazing。　You　should　definitely　go　there；”　Blair　said；　so　sweetly　that　no　one　but　her　nearest；　dearest；　and　greatest　enemies　would　hear　the　threatening　subtext。

“How　marvelous　to　be　dating　an　artist。　That’s　how　Cyrus　is。　Always　seeing　the　world　a　different　way；”　Eleanor　mused；　gazing　adoringly　at　her　tubby；　bald；　red…faced；　gold　cuff　bracelet–…wearing　husband。　He’d　gotten　fatter　in　the　four　years　since　they’d　been　married；　something　that　hardly　seemed　possible。

What　Cyrus　and　art　had　to　do　with　each　other　Blair　didn’t　know。　“I’m　starting　at　McMahon　Cannon；”　she　announced　to　no　one　in　particular。　Or　she　would　be　once　she　got　the　official　offer。　McMahon　Cannon　was　one　of　the　premiere　litigation　firms　in　the　city　and　would　look　great　on　her　résumé　when　she　applied　to　law　school。　Her　interview　had　gone　well…　she　hadn’t　tried　to　kiss　the　interviewer；　thank　God；　and　they’d　had　a　nice　conversation　about　Yale。　She　was　confident　that　she　would　be　accepted。

“That’s　great；　Blair；”　Serena　said；　sounding　so　genuinely　happy　for　her　that　Blair　wanted　to　tear　her　pretty　blond　hair　out　of　her　head　one　bloody　clump　at　a　time。　She　reminded　herself　that　while　Serena　was　going　to　be　reading　poetry　to　cornstalks；　she　was　going　to　be　wearing　power　suits　and　Louboutin　pumps　and　doing　things　that　mattered。

“You　girls　were　always　so　ambitious！”　Eleanor　trilled；　then　headed　off　to　the　kitchen　to　ensure　that　Myrtle；　the　cook；　was　handling　the　dinner　preparations　exactly　according　to　her　no…carb　specifications　and　hadn’t　drunk　herself　into　a　frenzy。

“Well；　glad　everything’s　going　well　with　you；”　Blair　said　flatly；　making　her　way　toward　the　dining　room　table。

Serena　nodded　and　sank　down　into　her　assigned　seat　next　to　Blair。　The　two　girls　stared　quietly　down　at　their　empty　plates。　They　were　inches　apart；　but　it　felt　like　miles。

There；　there。　A　reconciliation　might　be　closer　than　you　think。

love　is　blind…　and　embarrassing

Jenny　felt　like　a　movie　star　as　she　slid　out　of　the　leather　seat　of　the　Lincoln　Town　Car　and　onto　Seventy…second　and　Central　Park　West。　She　teetered　slightly　on　her　four…inch　heels。

“You　okay？”　Nate　asked；　catching　her　by　the　crook　of　her　elbow。　Jenny　nodded　gratefully　and　leaned　against　him　for　support。　He　smelled　like　Ralph　Lauren　Romance。　Jenny　had　always　wanted　a　boyfriend　who　used　that　cologne。

Which　was　exactly　why　she’d　given　him　a　bottle　for　his　birthday。

Nate　squeezed　her　shoulder。　“You　sure；　Meow？”　he　asked；　using　his　pet　name　for　her。　They’d　called　each　other　Meow　Meow　ever　since　an　orange　and　white　tabby　kitten　appeared　on　their　Providence　porch。　She’d　begged　Nate　to　let　her　bring　it　inside　the　house；　just　once。　But　Nate　refused。　He　hadn’t　wanted　to　be　an　asshole　about　it；　he　just　really　hated　cats。　They　were　so　creepy；　the　way　they　climbed　on　top　of　you　when　you　least　suspected　it；　the　way　they　couldn’t　play　fetch；　the　way　they　stared　at　you　while　you　were　naked。

Sort　of　like　girlfriends。

But　instead　of　sulking；　Jenny　made　a　joke　out　of　it。　She　began　acting　like　a　cat　at　the　most　random　times；　crawling　toward　him　on　her　hands　and　knees　in　bed　and　making　pleading　little　meows　that　made　him　laugh。　That　was　the　thing　about　Jenny。　She　was　sunny　and　sweet　and　unplicated。　It　made　him　feel　not　so　fucked　up；　not　so　confused。　And　he　needed　that　in　his　life；　especially　tonight。　He　was　pretty　sure　they　were　going　to　see　Blair　and　Serena　for　the　first　time　since　their　disastrous　Christmas　in　Newport　last　year。

“We’re　here　for　the　Rose　party；”　Nate　told　the　doorman。

The　doorman　nodded　and　waved　them　through　to　the　elevator　bank　on　the　other　side　of　the　palatial　marble　lobby。　A　large　Christmas　tree　was　set　up　in　the　corner　and　the　air　smelled　like　pine　and　nutmeg。