the reading at the Rivington Rover Poetry Club tomorrow night。 When Dan was finished reading
she?d pop up out of the crowd and surprise him with an enormous mug of Irish coffee; his favorite
drink。 Then they?d trade stories about all the feebleminded famous people they?d met in the past
week。 And then she?d bring him home and remind him of what he?d been missing。 She?d show
him how to lose his virginity again the way he?d written in that crazy poem。
As if he needed showing。
sreinvents the tear
?Want to take Mook out for a walk with me?? Aaron asked Blair through her closed bedroom
door。 It was Wednesday afternoon and she?d been holed up in her room since Monday; only
opening the door to receive the brie…and…tomato baguettes and mugs of hot chocolate Myrtle
brought her at ten and five o?clock。 She?d even conned the family doctor into writing her a note
excusing her from school for the week。 She wasn?t sick exactly; the doctor assured her mother。
Schools like Constance just worked their girls too hard; especially the seniors; and then there was
all that additional pressure to get into one of the best colleges。 Blair simply needed a few days of
rest and she?d be herself again。
Well; not exactly。 Blair was using her few days of rest to reinvent herself all over again。 Like
Madonna。
Aaron pushed open the door and poked his head inside her room。 The air was pungent with the
chemical odor of cigarette smoke mixed with minty mouthwash。 Blair?s head was wrapped in a
black…and…pink Pucci scarf; and she was lounging on the bed with her bare ankles crossed;
wearing a white terrycloth robe and smoking a Merit Ultra Light through a long black cigarette
holder。 The look was very Greta…Garbo…in…hiding; which was exactly the effect she was going for。
Across the room;The Great Gatsby starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow played silently on
TV。 Blair puffed on her cigarette; staring dramatically into the near distance。 She couldn?t bear to
look at Aaron because he was wearing his Harvard sweatshirt again; as if he?d specifically dressed
to piss her off。 She?d already ripped her Yale pendant off the canopy over her bed and thrown it
out her bedroom window along with her father?s old Yale sweatshirt。 ?If you don?t mind; I?d like
you to please get the fuck out of my room。?
?I was just leaving;? Aaron replied。 ?Hey; have you talked to Serena lately??
Blair shook her head。 ?Why??
?No reason;? Aaron shrugged unfortably。 He?d been hanging out with his buddies in
Scarsdale since Friday night and hadn?t seen or talked to Serena since the Les Best show。 He
pulled a tin of herbal cigarettes out of his back pocket and tossed them onto Blair?s bed。 ?Try
those;? he advised。 ?They?re 100 percent natural and they smell way better than that
mass…produced shit。?