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 well…to…do guest。 At the Yale Club she？d be ？Harold
Waldorf？s daughter；？ which was almost as good as being royalty。
Almost。
？Actually； I？m moving to the Yale Club？at least until I figure out what I？m doing this summer；？
she announced into the phone； smiling down at her perfectly manicured coral pink fingernails as if
this had been her plan all along。
？Is that so？？
Blair looked up from her overstuffed black Barneys shopping bags full of shoes。 Vanessa was
standing in the open doorway to the apartment； hands on her pale； round hips； wearing a black
wifebeater T…shirt and black cotton Hanes underwear。 That scraggly boy Blair thought Vanessa had
dumped for good was standing behind her； wearing only a pair of gray Fruit of the Looms； while
the rest of his worn…too…often…to…ever…e…clean clothes were bundled in his arms。 A huge grapey
bruise stood out on his throat； just below his Adam？s apple。
Ew？a hickey！
？It？s the one with the graffiti all over the door。 I？ll be downstairs in five minutes；？ Blair
instructed Chuck before hanging up。 She put her hands on her hips； trying to think of a nice way to
tell Vanessa that she was out of there。 It was amusing being friends with the shaven…headed girl
everyone in her class thought was so weird； and Blair genuinely liked Vanessa for her no…bullshit
approach to everything and her dark； sarcastic sense of humor。 But as graduation approached；
Vanessa had grown slightly manic？asking Blair to paint her toenails on an almost nightly basis and
even getting Blair to try that stupid brush…on hair…highlighting kit with her。 Thank God it had only
been temporary。 Vanessa seemed to crave pany； so if two…timing Blair？s stepbrother； Aaron；
with this straggly Dan guy made her happy； Blair honestly didn？t care。 She personally was
through with men。 In just a few short minutes； Vanessa would have the apartment all to herself
again？she could go ahead and have a full…fledged orgy if she wanted to。
？Someone？s ing to pick me up；？ she said in lieu of an explanation。
Vanessa had just been caught cheating on Blair？s stepbrother； Aaron； with Dan； who was
supposed to be history。 Most people would have acted at least slightly sheepish in such a situation。
Not Vanessa。 She blinked her big brown eyes accusingly at Blair。 ？You？re leaving？ How e？
Are you pissed at me？？ She cocked her shaved head and corrected herself。 ？I mean； more than
usual？？
To call Blair and Vanessa the Odd Couple was an under…statement。 Blair had been raised by a
team of nannies and had attended preschool at Park Avenue Presbyterian； just like all the other
children from the best Upper East Side families。 Vanessa had been raised by her hippie artist
parents in Vermont and been homeschooled until the age of ten。 She？d moved to Williamsburg to
live with her older sister； Ruby； at the age of fifteen and had spent her first two summers working
double shifts at the local Kinko？s copy shop to earn enough money to buy her first digital video
camera。 Blair had spent her summers playing tennis on her father？s estate in Newport； Rhode
Island； or helping Serena filch bottles of Stoli out of the liquor cabinet in Serena？s Ridgefield；
Connecticut； country house。 Blair modeled herself after Audrey Hepburn； and her favorite color
was bright pink。 Vanessa modeled herself after no one； except maybe the great Swedish
avant…garde filmmaker Ingmar Bergman； and wore only black。 They couldn？t have been more
different。
？No。？ Blair shrugged； allowing a small smile to play on her foxlike face。 ？Why would I be
mad？？
Vanessa padded into the kitchen and retrieved one of the waterlogged tofu pups Aaron had left in
the pot on the stove； eating half of it in one bite。 She？d developed a taste for them since hooking
up with Aaron。 ？Want one？？ she offered both Blair and Dan； waggling it at them like a chewed…on
finger。
Gee； thanks。
？I？m good；？ Dan mumbled； fumbling with his rumpled pants。
Blair flapped her hands at the tofu pup； the half…naked Dan and his icky hickey； the
dingy…despite…its…new…coat…of…paint apartment； and all of Williamsburg outside。 ？It？s just not me；？
she tried to explain。
Vanessa nodded slowly。 Ever since Blair had found Serena and Nate colluding in the pool house
bathtub at Isabel Coates？s Hamptons beach house； she？d been acting a little manic。 ？Are you sure
the Yale Club will even take you？ It？s not like you？re an alumna yet。？
Blair shoved an armload of jewel…toned Juicy Couture tracksuits into her already…heaving duffel
bag。 She used to be so sensitive about the subject of Yale； but that was before she got in。 ？My
dad？s a member。 They？ll take me or he？ll kick their asses。？
Vanessa was still watching her。 Blair could hear the ticking of the electric clock on the old
stove。 ？Oh。 I almost forgot。？ She picked up the Browns of London shopping bag she？d lugged all
the way home from school。
Not that she？d actually walked all the way。
？I got you a dress for graduation。 It was too perfect； and I figured you didn？t know where to buy
anything that isn？t black。 I even have the perfect shoes you can have to go with it。？
Vanessa tugged the white…tissue…wrapped bundle out of the bag and shook out the dress。 Even
though it was white； it was awesome。 Sort of Morticia…Addams…meets…Bride…of…Frankenstein。 Of
course； she didn？t have the heart to tell Blair that Aaron had proposed they leave town before
graduation even happened。
And we thought she？d forgotten all about that。
Vanessa stood on one foot and scratched the back of her calf with the black…painted toenails of
her other foot； still holding the dress。 She was already freaking out about graduating and what lay
ahead； and now this。 ？Shit。 This is sad。？ She threw her arms around Blair。 ？I？m going to miss
you。？
Blair hugged her back。 ？Look； we？re practically the same height；？ she murmured gently； giving
Vanessa？s doughy half…naked body an affectionate squeeze。 ？We？ll totally be next to each other in
the graduation lineup。？
Vanessa smiled and wiped away a stray tear。 She pointed to one of the myriad pairs of Manolo
stilettos scattered on the dusty wooden floor。 ？Not when you wear those。？
？Well； you can always borrow a pair；？ Blair offered gently。 The two girls laughed； and in an
instant all was forgiven。 Even the loud sex with Aaron last night and the random sex with Dan on
the roof in what was supposed to have been Blair and Vanessa？s special spot。 If that was what she
needed to do to fend off pregraduation jitters； then so be it。
？I？m going to take a shower；？ Dan announced； even though neither of the girls was paying any
attention to him。
Vanessa picked up the black jean skirt Blair had discarded on the floor and pulled it over her butt
without even attempting to button it。 Then she slung the handles of one of the Louis Vuitton duffel
bags and two of the Barneys bags full of shoes over her shoulder。 ？e on。 I？ll help you carry
your bags downstairs。？