a message from Dan； and？big surprise？it was a poem。 Vanessa read the poem eagerly； grimacing
when she recognized that Dan had put absolutely no effort into it at all。Hot stuff？ What was that
all about？ And what was up with？I lost my virginity again？ ？ Who was he fucking kidding？
She hit reply and wrote back：Ha ha。 I laughed。 I cried。 What？s your deal anyway？ We？re
supposed to be making a film together； remember？
As she waited for Dan to respond； she logged onto her Secret Admirer page。 To her surprise there
were four messages：
I can？t stop raving about you to all my boyfriends。 No one mixes form with meaning the way
you do； milady。 ？prettyboy
You give this fucked…up world a new kind of beauty。 Keep your freak on。 ？d。
Happy Valentine？s Day to my very special sister on a special day。 ？Ruby Tuesday
Can you make it to Cannes？ Let？s talk over coffee in Brooklyn Thurs。 eve？ ？the film…maker who
discovered you
？
Vanessa rolled her eyes as she read the last one。 She appreciated everything Ken Mogul had done
for her； but he hadn？t exactly discovered her。 She？d been there all along。
She clicked on her inbox again but there was no response from Dan so she logged off。 ？See you
later；？ she whispered to Jenny； whose big brown eyes were glued to her puter。
？See you；？ Jenny replied without looking up。 There were three whole messages on her Secret
Admirer page。
sorry i didn？t get you any candy but i wasn？t sure which kind you like。 let？s get some after
school。 don？t really feel like going home right away anyway。 ？sadgirl
btw； when do you want to finish that painting？？ ？me again
？
Those two were very definitely from Elise； but the third one sounded like it might very well be
from a genuine； real…lifeboy 。
Sorry it took me so long； but I didn？t have the guts to write to you before。 If you want to meet me；
I take the Seventy…ninth Street crosstown bus home after school。 I？m not sure what you look like；
but if you see a really tall skinny guy with blond hair looking at you on the bus； smile because it？s
probably me。 Happy Valentine？s Day； JHumphrey。 Can？t wait to meet you。 Love； L
？
Jenny reread the message over and over。 A tall skinny guy with blond hair？ He sounded exactly
like the boy she？d seen in Bendel？s！ But what didL stand for？ Lester？ Lance？ Louis？ No； those
names sounded too geeky； and his message didn？t sound geeky at all； just sweet。 But how had he
gotten her e…mail address？ Oh； who cared？she couldn？t believe it：he wanted to meet her！！
Jenny immediately deleted Elise？s messages and ran to the printer to retrieve the one from L。 Of
course； she planned to ride the Seventy…ninth Street crosstown bus all afternoon and all night if
that was what it took。 But； God forbid； if they never found each other； Jenny would have his love
note to cherish and keep forever and ever。 And she？d thought she was through with love。 See how
magical Valentine？s Day can be？
hugs； not drugs
？So how e you didn？t call 911？？ Jeremy Scott Tompkinson asked Nate as he crumbled pot
into the EZ Wider rolling paper spread out on his right knee。
？Give the dude a break；？ noted Charlie Dern。 ？He was stoned； remember？？
？I would？ve been like； ？See ya later； you crazy fucking chick！ I don？t care if you？re putting out！？？
quipped Anthony Avuldsen。
Jeremy had managed to steal some pot from his older brother who was home visiting from
college； and now the four boys were huddled on a remote stoop on East End Avenue； taking a
break before gym class。
Nate blew on his bare hands and stuffed them into his cashmere…lined coat pockets。 ？I don？t
know。？ He still felt pretty confused about it himself。 ？I guess I just wanted to call someone who
knew us both。 Someone I could trust。？
Jeremy shook his head。 ？Dude； that？s exactly what those rehab headshrinkerswant you to do。
They？ve got you programmed already。？
Nate thought about the way Georgie imitated Jackie？s corny psychobabble？all that stuff about
healing wounds and negative friendships。 It didn？t seem like Georgie had been programmed。 All
of a sudden he wondered if she was angry that he？d called Jackie； but it wasn？t like he could call
her and ask her。 She was now staying at Breakaway full time and wasn？t allowed to take any
phone calls； just in case one of her dealers called or something。 Hopefully Nate would still see her
in group。
？How long do you have to deal with that rehab bullshit anyway？？ Charlie asked。 He reached for
the burning joint and took a hit。
？Six months；？ Nate answered。 ？But at least I don？t have to live there。？ The other boys intoned
bored and sympathetic sighs of disgust。 Nate didn？t say anything。 Although he？d never have
admitted it； he kind of liked going to rehab and meeting the different kids in group； especially
Georgie。 He？d be sort of sad when it was over。
？？Ere；？ Charlie said； passing Nate the joint。
Nate looked at it and shook his head。 ？No thanks；？ he murmured under his breath。 There was a
crushed red paper heart lying on the sidewalk in front of the stoop where the four boys were
sitting。 ？Is it Valentine？s Day？？ he asked distractedly。
？Yeah；？ Anthony responded。 ？Why？？
？Huh；？ Nate replied。 He stood up and brushed the snow off the back of his black Hugo Boss coat。
For what seemed like forever he？d always sent a special girl roses on Valentine？s Day。 ？I gotta go
do something。 Catch you guys in gym； okay？？
His friends watched him trudge purposefully through the slush toward Madison Avenue until he
was out of sight。 Something was happening to their old friend Nate Archibald； and it wasn？t just
that he？d turned down a joint for the first time since he was ten years old
Could it be； was it possible； that he？d fallen in love？
v…day turned d…day forb
Blair kept her hand clapped over her mouth and her mind clear of any thoughts of Owen the
whole way home to keep from being sick all over the back seat of the taxi。 But when she stepped
off the wood…paneled elevator and into the penthouse； her nostrils were bombarded with the putrid
scent of roses； causing her stomach to churn ominously once more。 The entire front hall was
packed with them。 Yellow roses； white roses； pink ones and red。 She dropped her bag on the floor
and read the notes on the bouquets。
A？You？re my honey…pie。 Love； S；said the note on the yellow roses。
Audrey； my favorite little aristocrat； will you please be my Valentine？ Love； Cary；said the note
on the red roses。
My darling Mrs。 Rose； May our tiny daughter be as lovely and as wonderful as you are and as
hopelessly happy as I am every day I spend with you。 ？Your loving husband； Mr。 Rose；said the
note on the pink…and…white bouquet。
As if one of those notes wouldn？t have been enough to make Blair puke out her already
puked…out guts； she had to be bombarded withthree uniquely repulsive missives。 Throwing her
coat down on the floor； she staggered into the nearest bathroom to empty her stomach
again。 ？Mom！？ she shouted； wiping her mouth on a parchment…coloredR …monogrammed guest
towel。
？Blair？？ her mother called back。 Eleanor Waldor