Jenny kicked at the legs of her chair like a little girl。 “But why； Dan？
Why won’t you go to the party？”
Dan shook his head； smiling bitterly。 “Because we weren’t invited？
Because we’re not going to be invited？ Give it up； Jen。 I’m sorry； but
that’s just the way it is。 We’re different from them； you know that。
We don’t live in the same world as Serena van der Woodsen or Blair
Waldorf or any of those people。”
“Oh； you’re such a wimp！ You drive me crazy；” Jen said； rolling her
eyes。 She stood up and dumped her dishes in the sink； scrubbing at
them furiously with a Brillo pad。 Then she whirled around and put
her hands on her hips。 She was wearing a pink flannel nightshirt
and her curly brown hair was sticking out all over because she had
gone to sleep with it wet。 She looked like a mini disgruntled
housewife with boobs that were ten times too big for her body。
“I don’t care what you say。 I’m going to that party！” she insisted。
“What party？” their father asked； appearing in the doorway to the
kitchen。
If there were an award for the most embarrassing dad in the
universe； Rufus Humphrey would have won it。 He was wearing a
sweat…stained white wife…beater and red checked boxer shorts； and
was scratching at his crotch。 He hadn’t shaved in a few days； and
his gray beard seemed to be growing at different intervals。 Some of
it was thick and long； but in between were bald patches and
patches of five o’clock shadow。 His curly gray hair was matted and
his brown eyes bleary。 There was a cigarette tucked behind each of
his ears。
Jenny and Dan looked at their father for a moment in silence。
Then Jenny sighed and turned back to the dishes。 “Never mind；”
she said。
Dan smirked and leaned back in his chair。 Their father hated the
Upper East Side and all its pretensions。 He only sent Jenny to
Constance because it was a very good school and because he used
to date one of the English teachers there。 But he hated the idea
that Jenny might be influenced by her classmates； or “those
debutantes；” as he called them。
Dan knew their dad was going to love this。
“Jenny wants to go to some fancy benefit next week；” he said。
Mr。 Humphrey pulled one of the cigarettes from behind his ear and
stuck it in his mouth； playing with it between his lips。 “A benefit for
what？” he demanded。
Dan rocked his chair back and forth； a smug look on his face。 Jenny
turned off the faucet and glared at him； daring him to go on。
“Get this；” Dan said。 “It’s a party to raise money for those peregrine
falcons that live in Central Park。 They’re probably going to build like；
birdhouse mansions for them or something。 Like there aren’t
thousands of homeless people that could use the money。”
“Oh； shut up；” Jenny said； furious。 “You think you know everything。
It’s just a stupid party。 I never said it was a great cause。”
“You call that a cause？” her father bellowed。 “Shame on you。 Those
people only want those birds around because they’re pretty。
Because it makes them feel like they’re in the pretty countryside；
like they’re at their houses in Connecticut or Maine。 They’re
decorative。 Leave it to the leisure class to e up with some
charity that does absolutely no one any good at all！”
Jenny leaned back against the kitchen counter； stared up at the
ceiling； and tuned her father out。 She’d heard this same tirade
before。 It didn’t change anything。 She still wanted to go to that
party。
“I just want to have some fun；” she said stubbornly。 “Why does it
have to be such a big deal？”
“It’s a big deal because you’re going to get used to this silly
debutante nonsense； and you’re going to wind up a big fake like
your mother； who hangs around rich people all the time because
she’s too scared to think for herself；” her father shouted； his
unshaven face turning dark red。 “Dammit； Jenny。 You remind me
more and more of your mother every day。”
Dan suddenly felt bad。
Their mother had run off to Prague with some count or prince or
something； and she was basically a kept woman； letting the count
or prince or whatever he was dress her and put her up in hotels all
over Europe。 All she did all day was shop； eat； drink； and paint
pictures of flowers。 She wrote them letters a few times a year； and
sent them the odd present。 Last Christmas she’d sent Jenny a
peasant dress from Germany。 It was about ten sizes too small。
It wasn’t a nice thing for their father to say that Jenny reminded him
of their mother。 It wasn’t nice at all。
Jenny looked like she was about to cry。
“Lay off； Dad；” Dan said。 “We weren’t invited to the party anyway。
So neither of us could go even if we wanted to。”
“See what I mean！” Mr。 Humphrey said triumphantly。 “Why would
you want to hang out with those snobs anyway？”
Jenny stared glassy…eyed at the dirty kitchen floor。
Dan stood up。 “Hurry up and get dressed； Jen；” he said gently。 “I’ll
walk you to your bus stop。”
In the six…minute interval between the bell signaling the end of Latin
and the bell signaling the beginning of Gym； Nate slipped into the
puter lab at the St。 Jude’s School for Boys。 Every Wednesday；
he and Blair had grown accustomed to e…mailing each other a quick
love note （okay； it was Blair’s idea）； to help them get over the hump
of the boring school week。 Only two more days until the weekend；
when they could spend as much time together as they wanted。
But today Nate wasn’t even thinking of Blair。 He wanted to see how
Serena was doing。 Last night she had left a message on the
answering machine in his room while he was watching a Yankees
game with his friends。 Her voice had sounded lonely and sad and
very far away； even though she lived only a block and a half away
from him。 Nate had never heard Serena sound so down。 And since
when did Serena van der Woodsen go to bed early？
Nate sat down in front of one of the humming PCs in the lab。 He
clicked on the New Mail window and typed a message to Serena’s
old Constance e…mail address。 He didn’t know if she would check it
or not； but it was worth a try。
TO： serenavdw@constancebillard。edu FROM：
narchibald@stjudes。edu
Hey。 What are you up to？ I got your message last night。 Sorry I
wasn’t there。 I will definitely see you Friday； okay？ Love； Nate。
Then he opened up his own e…mail。 Surprise； surprise； there was a
note from Blair。 They hadn’t talked since her mother’s party the
night before last。
TO： narchibald@stjudes。edu FROM： blairw@constancebillard。edu
Dear Nate。 I miss you。 Monday night was supposed to be really
special。 Before we got interrupted I was planning for us to do
something we’ve been talking about doing for a while。 I think you
know what I’m talking about。 The timing wasn’t right； I guess。 I just
wanted to tell you that I’m ready to do it。 I wasn’t ready before； but
now I am。 My Mom and Cyrus are going away on Friday and I really
want you to sleep over。 I love you。 Call me。
Love； Blair。
Nate read Blair’s e…mail twice and then closed the file so he
wouldn’t have to look at it anymore。