?Stopwhining about those boots;? Kati?s glued…together…at…the…hip friend Isabel Coates moaned。
Isabel leaned against the stoop?s metal railing and took a sip from a paper cup full of whipped
cream?topped hot chocolate。 She was wearing a Kelly green Dolce & Gabbana coat from a
weekend sample sale。 It was buttonless and tied at the waist with a thick black cord; like a Kelly
green monk?s robe。
No wonder it never sold out back in October。
?Maybe if you got some Japanese foot bindingdone those boots wouldn?t hurt so much;? Isabel
continued。 ?Or if you?d letme buy them instead of you; sinceI?m the one who saw them first。?
?Chinese;? Jenny couldn?t help but correct。 ?The Chinese used to bind women?s feet。?
Kati and Isabel stared at her blankly。 ?Shouldn?t you be in school?? Isabel demanded。
?They?re smoking with us;? Blair said protectively。 It was kind of fun having two little
ninth…grade sisters。 Not that she ever wanted areal little sister or anything。
Kati pretended not to notice that Blair was actually being nice to these two little snot…nosed
fourteen…year…olds and threw her arms around Blair?s neck instead; kissing her on each
Stila…powdered cheek。
Mwah! Mwah!
?I can?t believe I haven?t said anything; but your hair looks totallygorg 。 I just love; love;love it!?
she squealed。 ?You were so brave。 I heard you got gum in it。 Is that why you decided to go so
short??
?Can I touch it?? asked Isabel。 She put down her hot chocolate and reached out to pat the back of
Blair?s head with a tentative hand。 ?It feels so weird! Like a boy!?
Blair suddenly wished she?d worn a hat or some sort of turban to school。 She dropped her
cigarette on the step below her and squashed it with the pointy toe of her boot。 ?e on; you
guys;? she beckoned; rising to her feet and holding out her gloved hands to Jenny and Elise like
Mary Poppins collecting the children at the playground。 ?I?ll walk you back to school。?
Jenny and Elise tossed their cigarettes into the shrubbery in front of the brownstone next door
and stood up; hitching their bags up on their shoulders。 Now that they?d tried smoking cigarettes
with the seniors on a freezing…cold stoop; they weren?t exactly sure what the attraction was。
?Do you think my hair would look good that short?? Elise asked; hurrying to keep up with Blair。
Anything would have been an improvement on the my…first…haircut bob Elise was presently
sporting; but Blair didn?t have the heart or the energy to tell her。 ?I?ll give you my stylist?s
number;? she offered generously。
As they turned down East Ninety…third Street; Mary; Vicky; and Cassie burst through the doors
and waved to them。
?We saw you leave at recess!?
?We came out to get you!?
?We didn?t want you to get in trouble!?
Blair put her arms around Jenny and Elise and herded them toward the school doors; wise to the
fact that the three girls were just being obnoxiously nosy。 ?We?re fine;? she told them