was Chuck； and with him were Kati； Isabel； and； last but not least；
Blair； looking very shy indeed。
Chuck clapped Nate on the back。 “Sorry； Nate；” he said。 “But you
can’t bogey the van der Woodsen all night； you know。”
Nate snorted and tipped back his glass。 Only ice was left。
Serena looked at Blair。 Or at least； she tried to。 Blair was making a
big deal of pulling up her black stockings； working them inch by
inch from her bony ankles up to her bony knees； and up around her
tennis…muscled thighs。 So Serena gave up and kissed first Kati； then
Isabel； and then she made her way to Blair。
There was only a limited amount of time Blair could spend pulling
up her tights before it got ridiculous。 When Serena was only inches
away from her； she looked up and pretended to be surprised。
“Hey Blair；” Serena said excitedly。 She put her hands on the shorter
girl’s shoulders and bent down to kiss both of her cheeks。 “I’m so
sorry I didn’t call you before I came back。 I wanted to。 But things
have been so crazy。 I have so much to tell you！”
Chuck； Kati； and Isabel all nudged each other and stared at Blair。 It
was pretty obvious she had lied。 She didn’t know anything about
Serena ing back。
Blair’s face heated up。
Busted。
Nate noticed the tension； but he thought it was for an entirely
different reason。 Had Chuck told Blair already？ Was he busted？ Nate
couldn’t tell。 Blair wasn’t even looking at him。
It was a chilly moment。 Not the kind of moment you’d expect to
have with your oldest； closest friends。
Serena’s eyes darted from one face to another。 Clearly she had said
something wrong； and she quickly guessed what it was。 I’m such an
asshole； she scolded herself。
“I mean； I’m sorry I didn’t call you last night。 I literally just got back
from Ridgefield。 My parents have been hiding me there until they
figured out what to do with me。 I have been so bored。”
Nice save。
She waited for Blair to smile gratefully for covering for her； but all
Blair did was glance at Kati and Isabel to see if they’d noticed the
slip。 Blair was acting strange； and Serena fought down a rising
panic。 Maybe Nate was wrong； maybe Blair really was mad at her。
Serena had missed out on so much。 The divorce； for instance。 Poor
Blair。
“It must really stink without your dad around；” Serena said。 “But
your mom looks so good； and Cyrus is kind of sweet； once you get
used to him。” She giggled。
But Blair still wasn’t smiling。 “Maybe；” she said； staring out the
window at the hot…dog stand。 “I guess I’m still not used to him。”
All six of them were silent for a long； tense moment。
What they needed was one more good； stiff drink。
Nate rattled the ice cubes in his glass。 “Who wants another？” he
offered。 “I’ll make them。”
Serena held out her glass。 “Thanks； Nate；” she said。 “I’m so fucking
thirsty。 They locked the damned booze cabinet up in Ridgefield。 Can
you believe it？”
Blair shook her head。 “No； thanks；” she said。
“If I have another； I’ll be hungover at school tomorrow；” Kati said。
Isabel laughed。 “You’re always hungover at school；” she said。 She
handed Nate her glass。 “Here； I’ll split mine with Kati。”
“Let me give you a hand；” Chuck offered。 But before he could get
very far； Mrs。 van der Woodsen joined them； touching her
daughter’s arm。
“Serena；” her mother said。 “Eleanor would like us all to sit down。
She made an extra place next to Blair for you； so you two girls can
catch up。”
Serena cast an anxious glance at Blair； but Blair had already turned
away and was headed for the table； sitting down next to her elevenyear…
old brother； Tyler； who had been at his place for over an hour；
reading Rolling Stone magazine。 Tyler’s idol was that movie director；
Cameron Crowe； who had toured with Led Zeppelin when he was
only fifteen。 Tyler refused to listen to CDs； insisting that real vinyl
records were the only way to go。 Blair worried her brother was
turning into a loser。
Serena steeled herself and pulled up a chair in the space next to
Blair。
“Blair； I’m sorry I’ve been such a plete asshole；” she said；
removing her linen napkin from its silver ring and spreading it out
on her lap。 “Your parents splitting up must have totally sucked。”
Blair shrugged and grabbed a fresh sourdough roll from a basket on
the table。 She tore the roll in half and stuffed one half into her
mouth。 The other guests were still making their way toward the
table and figuring out where to sit。 Blair knew it was rude to eat
before everyone was seated； but if her mouth was full； she couldn’t
talk； and she really didn’t feel like talking。
“I wish I’d been here；” Serena said； watching Blair smear the other
half of her roll with a thick slab of French butter。 “But I had a crazy
year。 I have the most insane stories to tell you。”
Blair nodded and chewed her roll slowly； like a cow chewing its cud。
Serena waited for Blair to ask her what kind of stories； but Blair
didn’t say anything； she just kept on chewing。 She didn’t want to
hear about all the fabulous things Serena had done while she was
away and Blair had been stuck at home； watching her parents fight
over antique chairs that nobody sat on； teacups nobody used； and
ugly； expensive paintings。
Serena had wanted to tell Blair about Charles； the only Rastafarian
at Hanover Academy； who’d asked her to elope with him to Jamaica。
About Nicholas； the French college guy who never wore underwear
and who’d chased her train in a tiny Fiat all the way from Paris to
Milan。 About smoking hash in Amsterdam and sleeping in a park
with a group of drunk prostitutes because she forgot where she was
staying。 She wanted to tell Blair how much it sucked to find out that
Hanover Academy wouldn’t take her back senior year simply
because she’d blown off the first few weeks of school。 She wanted
to tell Blair how scared she was to go back to Constance tomorrow
because she hadn’t exactly been studying very hard in the last year
and she felt so pletely out of touch。
But Blair wasn’t interested。 She grabbed another roll and took a big
bite。
“Wine； miss？” Esther said； standing at Serena’s left with the bottle。
“Yes； thank you；” Serena said。 She watched the C。te du Rhone spill
into her glass and thought of the Red Sea once more。 Maybe Blair
does know； she thought。 Was that what this was all about？ Was that
why she was acting so weird？
Serena glanced at Nate； four chairs down on the right； but he was
deep in conversation with her father。 Talking about boats no doubt。
“So； you and Nate are still totally together？” Serena said； taking a
risk。 “I bet you guys wind up married。”
Blair gulped her wine； her little ruby ring rattling against the glass。
She reached for the butter； slapping a great big wad on her roll。
“Hello？ Blair？” Serena said； nudging her friend’s arm。 “Are you
okay？”
“Yeah；” Blair slurred。 It was less an answer to Serena’s question
than a vague； general statement made to fill a blank space while
she was tending to her roll。 “I’m fine。”
Esther br