impatiently。 Was it physically possible for Serena toever be on time？
Apparently not。
Just then； in a flurry of dove…gray cashmere and shimmering pale blond hair； Serena van der
Woodsen slid her shapely； tanned butt into the chair next to Blair。 The three other peer group A
freshman girls were trailing her like baby ducklings。 ？Look what we suckered Irene into giving us！？
Serena crowed； slapping a heaping plate full of greasy onion rings down in the middle of the
table。 ？I told her we were having a special meeting and we werestarving 。？
Blair glanced sympathetically at Elise； who was glowering at the plate of onion rings with
blond…lashed blue eyes that would have been pretty if she？d tried using a little dark brown Stila
lengthening mascara。 ？You？re late；？ Blair accused； passing out the handouts to Serena and the
other three freshmen。 ？I？m Blair；？ she told them。 ？And you are 。 。 。 ？？
？Mary Goldberg； Vicky Reinerson； and Cassie Inwirth；？ the three girls responded in unison。
Elise nudged Jenny？s elbow。 Mary； Vicky； and Cassie were the most annoyingly inseparable
threesome in the freshman class。 They were always brushing each other？s hair in the hallways； and
they did everything together； including pee。
Blair glanced down at the handout and read aloud； ？Body image： accepting and embracing who
you are。？ She looked up and smiled at the freshmen expectantly。 ？Do any of you have a particular
body image issue you？d like to talk about？？
Jenny felt the blood creep into her neck and face as she boldly considered telling them about the
breast…reduction consultation。 But before she could get the words out； Serena crammed an
enormous onion ring into her delicate mouth and interjected； ？Can I just say something first？？
Blair frowned at her best friend； but Mary； Vicky； and Cassie were nodding eagerly。 Listening to
anything Serena van der Woodsen had to say was so much more interesting than any stupid body
image discussion。
Serena plunked her elbows down on top of the handout and rested her perfectly chiseled chin in
her manicured hands； her enormous dark blue eyes gazing dreamily at her idyllic reflection in the
mirrored wall。 ？I？m so in love；？ she sighed。
Blair clutched her fork and dug into the piece of chocolate cake again； forgetting about her
no…eating solidarity with Elise。 Serena was so goddamned insensitive。 First of all； the guy she was
apparently ？so in love？ with happened to be Blair？s new pseudohippie； guitar…playing；
dreadlocked stepbrother； Aaron Rose； which was justso absurd 。 And second of all； even though
Nate had dumped Blair way back in November； Blair wasstill not over Nate； and the mere mention
of the worldlove made her want to blow chunks。 ？I think we？re supposed to getthem to talk
abouttheir problems； not talk aboutourselves ；？ she hissed at Serena。 Of course； if Serena had
actually bothered to show up for peer group training； she would have known that herself。
Serena had blown the training off so she could go to a movie with Aaron； and； like a gullible
idiot； Blair had covered for her。 She？d told Ms。 Doherty that Serena had a migraine but that she
would personally go over all the major points they covered in training when Serena felt better。 It
was so typical。 Whenever Blair did anything nice for someone else； she usually regretted it。
Which kind of explained why she was such a bitch most of the time。
Serena shrugged her halter…top…perfect shoulders。 ？I think love is a much better topic than body
image anyway。 I mean； we all talked body image to death in ninth…grade health。？ She glanced at
the freshmen seated around the table。 ？Right？？
？I just think we should follow the handout；？ Blair insisted stubbornly。
？It？s up to you guys；？ Serena told the younger girls。
Mary； Vicky； and Cassie waited； ears pricked； for the scoop on Serena？s love life。 Elise reached
out and poked a greasy onion ring with a trembling； chewed…on fingernail and then snatched her
hand away again as if she？d been burned。 Jenny licked her winter…chapped lips。 ？Since we？re
supposed to talk about body image； I guess I have something to say；？ she told the group； her voice
wavering。 She looked up to find Blair nodding and smiling at her encouragingly。
？Yes； Ginny？？
Jenny looked down at the table again。 Why was she even telling them this？Because I need to tell
someone； she realized。 She forced herself to keep talking despite the furious red…hot blush of
embarrassment burning her face。 ？This weekend I almost had a consultation for a breast
reduction。？
Mary； Vicky； and Cassie scooted forward in their chairs to listen。 Not only was peer group going
to bethe place to pick up the latest fashion trends from the two coolest girls in school； it was going
to be a major resource for gossip！
？I made the appointment；？ Jenny continued； ？but then I didn？t go。？ She pushed her plate away
and took a sip of water； trying to ignore the curious stares of the other girls。 The group was riveted；
and stealing the spotlight from Blair and Serena was no easy feat。
Elise picked up an onion ring； took a tiny bite； and dropped it on the plate again。 ？What made
you change your mind？？ she asked。
？You don？t have to answer that；？ Blair interrupted； remembering something Ms。 Doherty had
said in their training session about not pushing the members of the group to open up before they
were ready。 She glanced at her coleader。 Serena was busy examining her split ends with a dreamy；
faraway look； as if she hadn？t heard a word anyone had said。 Blair turned back to Jenny and tried
to think of something reassuring to say so Jenny wouldn？t feel like she was the only one in the
group with breast…size issues。
？I always wanted bigger breasts。 I？ve seriously considered getting implants。？ It wasn？t a total lie。
She was only a B cup and had always aspired to a C。
Who hasn？t？
？Really？？ Serena demanded； drifting back to earth。 ？Since when？？
Blair took another angry bite of cake。 Was Serena purposely trying to sabotage her leadership
skills？ ？You don？t know everything about me；？ she snapped。
Cassie； Vicky； and Mary kicked each other under the table。 This was so exciting！ Serena van der
Woodsen and Blair Waldorf were having a fight； and they were witnessing every word of it！
Elise bed her chewed…on fingernails through her thick blond bob。 ？I think it was really； um；
amazing of you to tell us about that； Jenny。？ She smiled shyly at Jenny。 ？And I think it was brave
of you not to do it。？
Blair scowled。 Why hadn？tshe said something about how brave Jenny was instead of making that
outrageous statement about wanting implants？ Who knew what these stupid freshmen were going
to say about her once the group broke up？ Then she remembered something else Ms。 Doherty had
gone over in their training session。
？Oops。 I think we were supposed to say something about confidentiality before we started。 You
know； like； nothing we say here will be repeated outside the group； or whatever？？
Too late。 In a matter of minutes every girl in the school would be discussing Blair Waldorf？s
uping b