Nate？s loud； stoned； skinny friend Jeremy and some skanky French girl trying to teach him how to
blow heart…shaped smoke rings。 Lord Marcus was nowhere to be seen。 Blair fingered the Bvlgari
pearl choker and teetered down the hall to the elevator。
All night she？d wanted to get Lord Marcus alone in his suite。 Now was her chance。
D is mr。 popularity
？So； it looks like it？s unanimous。 Daniel Humphrey； you？re our graduation speaker this year；？
announced Dan？s Riverside Prep senior homeroom teacher； Mr。 Cohen； head of the history
department； who insisted the boys call him Larry。
？Huh？？ Dan looked up from the poem he was scribbling in his ever…present black…leather…bound
book。 The poem was called ？my highway？ and was all about the incredible journey Dan was about
to embark on。 Since there was nothing keeping him in the city； he？d decided to leave early for
Evergreen College； where he was going in the fall。 He？d already applied for a summer job there
through the college？s employment office Web site。 And right after graduation； he was going to
drive all the way there to Olympia； Washington。 If he ever got a car； or even learned how to drive。
Oops。
Dan had decided to model himself after Jack Kerouac when he was writingOn the Road 。 On his
journey west； he？d hook up with the most gorgeous local girls in every town； try exotic new food
and drink； like peyote and two…hundred…proof tequila； and make detours to bizarre local attractions；
like caves with hundred…foot…long stalactites and bleeding rocks； or a cow with quintuplets。 He？d
already been published in theNew Yorker at the impressive age of seventeen and had a brief stint
as the lead singer for the popular rock band the Raves； but when he arrived in Washington State；
all the hell the way across the country； he？d have a new degree from the College of Life。
Bucking girls and shucking corn；
Rodeo bullhorns； Stetsoned longhorns； a Kansas cyclone。
A Nebraskan girl leaves her lipstick on the dash？
She salts my beef； stirs my gumbo； spits out my pit。
Uh…oh。 Sounds like he was a rock star for one day too many。
？The class voted for you and you alone；？ Larry explained。 ？You should feel extremely honored。？
Dan was mystified。 He pushed his chair back； crossed his grubby blue Pumas one over the other；
and shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn…in khaki…colored cords。 ？But I didn？t even
nominate myself；？ he blurted out。
Way to make it obvious that you have no friends。
Snickers erupted throughout the room。
？It？s like； you？re a celebrity； man； and we want you to represent us；？ Chuck Bass explained in a
mock stoner voice。 Chuck？s pet snow monkey； Sweetie； was curled up in a fuzzy white ball in
Chuck？s lap； asleep； wearing his favorite tight； cantaloupe…colored T…shirt with a bright pinkS on
the back of it。 Everyone； even the teachers； had gotten so used to the monkey； they didn？t bat an
eye； but Sweetie still gave Dan the creeps。
？We figured it？d be easy for you； since you？re writing all the time anyway；？ Chuck continued
sarcastically。 More snickers。
Dan tipped his chair back。 ？Wait。 Let me get this straight。You nominated me？？
Chuck flipped up the collar on his bright purple short…sleeved Lacoste shirt。 ？It？s like Larry said。
It was unanimous。？
Dan？s hands began to sweat。 Senior speaker was an honor； but he felt like he？d gotten it by
default。 He certainly wasn？t the most popular guy in the class。 He？d spent his entire senior year
either trying to bee famous or hanging out with his former best friend and girlfriend； Vanessa；
in Williamsburg； Brooklyn。 He guessed all the other guys in his class were going to be too busy
partying or trying not to fail their finals to bother writing a graduation speech。
？Just keep it light。 And remember； everyone just wants that diploma in his hands； so keep it short；
too；？ Larry advised； pulling on his lame dirty blond goatee like the wannabe teenage boy he so
totally wasn？t。
？Okay；？ Dan responded dubiously。 It appeared he had no choice in the matter。
Chuck tapped him on the shoulder。 ？So guess what？ That dykey girlfriend of yours？ I heard
she？s gonna be single again。 Her ？better half？ is totally moving out。？
Meaning Vanessa or Aaron？ Dan wasn？t even sure any…more who Vanessa was living with。 All
he knew was it wasn？t him。 His perspiration…soaked hands began to shake with a mixture of
confusion and happiness。 Maybe Vanessa had broken up with Aaron。 But they were so in love。
They even had matching haircuts。 He scribbled a series of check marks across the top of the page
he？d been writing on。 Vanessa broke up with Aaron！？
？So I take it you？re accepting the nomination；？ Larry persisted； tapping his pencil annoyingly
against his wooden teacher desk。 ？All in favor say； ？Yeah！？？
？Dude！？the class of boys responded in unison； perpetuating the not…so…funny tradition that had
started on the first day of senior year。 Dan blanched as they began to whoop and shriek in a
pletely unnecessary display of fake enthusiasm。 ？Go； Dan！？
The minute the bell rang； Dan called Vanessa to tell her how sorry he was。
Yeah； right。
？Talk about misinformation！？ Vanessa ranted。 ？Where do people get this shit？ So； how are you
anyway？？ she asked； sounding kind of glad to hear from him。
？I was just voted senior speaker；？ Dan admitted； like he？d been campaigning for it for weeks。
Secretly； he was dying inside that Vanessa and Aaron were still together； but he wasn？t about to let
her know that。
？Senior speaker？ What the fuck！？ Vanessa responded。 ？Wait； is that a good thing？？
？I guess。？
？Look； I have photo lab now； but do you want to e over later or something？？
Dan pressed his cell phone against his ear until it began to hurt。 A group of freshmen boys almost
sent him toppling down the stairs in their rush to lunch。 All of a sudden he realized just how lonely
he？d been。 Was it really possible that he and Vanessa could be friends again； just like that； with
one phone call？
And if they could be friends again； there was always the chance they could be more。
？Will Aaron be there？？ he asked cautiously as he wandered down the fourth…floor hallway
toward English class。 A random； lint…covered rubber band was in his pocket。 He pulled his
scraggly； light brown hair into a stubby ponytail and then pulled it out again； dropping the rubber
band on the floor。 His dad； Rufus； was Mr。 Ponytail Freak； not him。
？Aaron has band practice；？ Vanessa told him casually。 ？Not that you couldn？t e over even if
he were here。？
Hello； threesome？！
Dan felt like a window was swinging open and a cool breeze was sweeping his face。 ？I？m
supposed to go to this stupid AP history cram session for our final next week； but I could skip it。？
Chuck Bass？s monkey scampered past him down the hall with a half…eaten bag of Smart Puffs in
his mouth。 Chuck was too busy dabbing Aveda pomade into his freshly highlighted hair in front of
the full…length mirror he？d installed inside his locker to even notice。
？Okay； I？m in photo lab now。 As usual； everyone else cut except me。 They？re a