across the street； mounted the crumbling cement stoop； and unlocked the building？s graffitied
front door。 She held her breath as she climbed the steps up to Vanessa？s second…story apartment。
The building was practically sitting on top of a sugar factory； and the air around it was as sweet
and heavy as syrup…logged French toast？mixed with a twinge of stray cat pee。
Yum。
？Foul；？ Blair muttered aloud while still trying to hold her breath。 How she longed for the
immaculate putty…colored marble lobby of the Seventy…second Street full…service； white…glove；
luxury apartment building where she？d lived until now。 Oh； how she missed the sweep of the
doorman？s hunter green wool cape as he opened the door to her cab and helped her with her bags；
shielding her from the rain with his enormous black umbrella。 How she yearned for the hum of the
burgundy velvet…upholstered…elevator as it whisked her up to the penthouse。
The black…painted door to the apartment was standing open； shedding little chips of old black
paint onto the dusty cement floor of the hallway。 ？Honey； I？m home！？ Blair called out tentatively
as she stepped inside the apartment that she？d gladly redecorated only a few weeks before in
shades of lavender； dove gray； and celery。 The small； low…ceilinged one…bedroom looked so much
prettier than it had when she？d moved in； especially without those revolting black sheets in the
windows。 She and Vanessa had even bonded？they really had。 And it was fun to live somewhere so
different from the place where she？d grown up。 Really； it was。 But she was still a little homesick。
After all； Isn？t She Lovely was hardly a replacement for Barneys。
？Oh；yeah 。 Oh；yeah 。 Oh；yes ！？ a boy？s voice； hoarse with ecstasy； echoed down the back
stairway and into the apartment。
Ew。
Blair？s lips curled into a grimace。 Vanessa and Aaron were at it again； up on the roof。 Not that
they hadn？t spent the entire night last night moaning and howling like wild dogs。 Blair？s stomach
turned and she poured herself a glass of water from the Brita filter she？d bought because she
didn？t trust the water in Brooklyn。 Since breaking up with Nate； she hadn？t once made herself
sick？that would be the ultimate sign of weakness； and she was no longer weak？but the image of
Vanessa and Aaron； their shaved heads locked and their pale bodies thrashing up on the roof in
broad daylight； was too similar to the image of Serena and Nate thrashing around in Isabel
Coates？s pool house bathtub。 It was enough to make her want to violently hurl the mango
smoothie she？d drunk three hours ago。
Gulping her glass of water； she gripped the cracked white Formica countertop to steady herself。
On the ancient electric stove was a pot of stale water with two cold； gray…pink tofu dogs lolling
inside？leftovers from her stepbrother Aaron？s disgusting breakfast； or lunch； or dinner。 What with
the awful dresses in the store across the street； the yucky…smelling entryway； the moaning sex
from the rooftop that was supposed to be reserved for twilight v&t？s with Vanessa while they
planned a way to sabotage Serena？s run for senior speaker； Blair had hadenough 。 She dug into her
Fendi purse and grabbed her cell phone； pressing the buttons frantically。
？Blair darling？ To what do I owe the pleasure； chica？？ Chuck Bass answered in a loud voice；
sounding more gay than usual。 ？Don？t tell me； you？ve secretly been in love with me all these
years and now that we？re about to graduate； you？re finally bold enough to tell me。？
？Not exactly；？ Blair snapped。 ？You？re the only one I know with a car。？
？A pearl gray convertible Jag isn？t just a car； it？s a mobile pleasure den。？ Chuck tooted the horn
in the background。 ？I happen to be in ？the car？ as we speak。？
？Whatever。？ Blair threw open the loose…hinged plywood door to the cramped； mothball…smelling
coat closet in the living room and yanked out her two matching brown leather； gold…embossed
Louis Vuitton duffel bags。 The bags were still partially packed； since Vanessa didn？t have enough
closet space to acmodate Blair？s endless wardrobe。 All she had to do was fold in the dresses
hanging from the closet rail and fill a shopping bag or four or five with the mere thirty…six pairs of
shoes she？d brought with her； and she？d be ready to roll。 ？Can you e get me？？
？Of course； my sweet。？ Chuck？s voice took on a faux paternal tone。 ？You？re not in any sort of
trouble； are you？？
Blair grimaced at the sight of a roach motel camped in the back of the closet； a half…dead roach
flailing its hind legs on its doorstep。 ？I？m inWilliamsburg ；？ she wailed； as if she were being held
hostage in somebody？s basement。
？And Manhattanneeds you；？ Chuck intoned。 ？We absolutely need you！？
Blair giggled。 It felt good not pretending anymore that she was going to bee one of those
hipster girls who wore striped kneesocks and vintage kilts and kooky glasses； ate hummus all the
time； and went to art galleries after school instead of to Barneys。 She pulled her favorite
red…and…white polka…dotted Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress off its hanger and put it on；
shedding her black Habitual jean skirt and boring dark gray C&C California T…shirt。 Manhattan
needed her。 Of course it did。
？I？ll be there in five； honey。 I？m just getting on the bridge now；？ Chuck assured her； the Jag？s
engine roaring in the background。 ？So； where am I taking you； anyway？ Back home？？
Blair hadn？t thought about this。 Or rather； she had； but home wasn？t her first choice。 Her mother
was still mentally unsound after marrying Cyrus Rose that fall and having his baby daughter that
spring。 Cyrus was loud and sweaty and obnoxious and preferred to wander the house wearing only
a loosely tied green silk robe and nothing else。 Baby Yale was adorable most of the time； but she
had taken over Blair？s room； shunting Blair into Aaron？s old room； where Blair？s cat； Kitty
Minky； had developed a peeing problem in reaction to the scent of Aaron？s boxer； Mookie。
Speaking of？wherewas Mookie？ He usually came with Aaron when Aaron stayed over at
Vanessa？s instead of sleeping in Blair？s brother Tyler？s room or passing out on the leather sofa in
the penthouse library after too many organic beers。
Nudge； nudge。
？Maybe now that I？m into Yale； I won？t mind being at ho ？？ Blair？s voice trailed off as
inspiration hit and a new； fabulous idea began to form in her head。
After her father had moved out of the penthouse and before he？d left for France to live with his
gay French lover？Jacques or Jean…Claude； or whatever the fuck his name was？he？d camped out at
the Yale Club for a few months。 It was right across the street from Grand Central Station； but；
unlike the old train station； the Yale Club had never really been renovated and still had that
shabbily elegant Old New York vibe。 It was the type of place Blair？s former best friend Serena
would adore； while Blair would normally have preferred a more sumptuously elegant suite at the
Carlyle or one of the city？s other landmark hotels。 But she？d already stayed in a suite at the Plaza；
where she？d been treated like just another