for sure； she'd not in it for the clothes or the fame… something I find impossible to understand！
NOW ABOUT HER FILM。。。
Remember a few months back when a certain shaven…headed filmmaker was camped out in the
park； interviewing any senior kid who was willing to talk about schools they'd gotten into or not
gotten into and how their lives sucked or didn't suck？ Well guess what film won the New
Filmmaker award in Cannes？ Do we dare show our faces in France ever again？
Your e…mail：
Q： Dear GG；
I was wait…listed at Yale and I just got a letter from them this morning。 A rejection letter。 I heard no
one's getting of the wait list cuz everyone who applied is going。 2 bad 4 me。
…dumdum
A： Dear dumdum；
You are so not a dumdum for not getting in。 Your guidance councilor wouldn't let you apply if she
didn't think you had a chance。 I know lots of crazily smart people who didn't get in； and some
dumdums who did。 Anyway； does this mean everyone who's on the wait list will be hearing back
this week？ Guess we'll find out soon enough。。。
…GG
Q： Dear GG
Please tell me how to win back the heart of the boy I love。 He is depressed because his father
won't let him go out of the house because he is being punished for a crime。 But I love him and I
must see him or I will die。
…tristesse
A： Dear tristesse；
I take it English is not your first language。 Let me put it into simple terms： maybe the boy in
question isn't as into you as you are into him； n'est ce pas？
…GG
Sightings：
B and S at the Five and Dime in Williamsburg on movie night； drinking cosmos and lip…synching
along with Audrey Hepburn in Charade。 V and A at the Mousy Brown salon in Williamsburg。 Tell
me he's not getting his head shaved to match hers！ K and I making laminated NO BOYS
ALLOWED signs at an Upper East Side Kinko's。 Silly girls don't they know that's just asking for
trouble？ A dark…haired French girl in a fringed Prada poncho and a Fendi moccasins scaling the
walls of N's East…Side town house。 He certainly has a penchant for crazy women。 J and the rest of
the Raves； on the lead singer's roof； singing her heart out in the middle of the night… Sunday night；
that is。 Guess who spent the whole weekend partying at a certain rock star's house？ Now there's a
girl who'd in it for the fame。 Is she trying to get her face in the papers； or does it just e
naturally to her？
Now we have something to talk about in school on Monday… as if we're ever lacking things to talk
about！
P。S Thursday night is the long…awaited Archibald Benefit Cruise to the Hamptons。 Don't forget to
bring your monogrammed Louis Vuitton life jacket！
You know you love me；
Gossip Girl
A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING
Tuesday morning； as Jenny was lining her eyelids with Chanel's black liquid liner for a smokey；
up…all…night…effect that went perfectly with her new enormous pink Gucci sunglasses that would
be the envy of Constance Billard's entire ninth grade； her dad knocked on her door and announced；
〃You're not going to school today； babe。〃
Jenny put down her eyeliner and opened the door。 〃What do you mean？ Why not？〃
Rufus was wearing a child…sized Mets baseball that he'd bought for Dan when he was eight。 It sat
like a beanie atop a nest of wild and wooly gray hair。 He was also wearing blue…and…white…striped
elastic…waist cotton pants that looked exactly like pajama bottoms。
〃Mrs。 M and I had a little talk last night；〃 Rufus told her。
Uh…oh。
Jenny tugged on her super…short seersucker school uniform。 〃How e？〃 she asked innocently；
even though she knew perfectly well how e。
Rufus ignored her Miss I…Didn't…Do…Anything act。 〃She basically laid it on the line。 Either you
repeat ninth grade； or next year you're going to school elsewhere。〃
Jenny resisted hurling herself at her father and smothering him in a bear hug。 She was going to
boarding school！ It was really happening！
Not so fast； missy。
〃I'm not going here；〃 Jenny insisted before the cab even stopped。
〃That's what you think；〃 her father grumbled。 He paid the cabbie and opened the door。 〃e；
Your Tartiness。 Let's take a look。〃
They'd pulled up in front of the Sloan Centre for Bright Minds； a hippie experimental school on a
flat； wide strip of boring…looking three…story buildings in Flushing； Queens。 It was miles away
from Manhattan and nothing like the ivy…trimmed brick buildings of the boarding school of her
dreams。 On the way over Rufus had shoved a Sloan Centre brochure at her； and she'd thumbed
through it。 There was no real dress code； the lunchroom was organic and vegetarian； the students
all had greasy hair and acne； and none of the teachers wore Chanel suits。 In other words； jenny
hated it already。
A giant birchbark peace sign greeted them as they passed through the biodynamically grown
natural oak school doors。 The peace sign was hanging from the ceiling of the entryway； spinning
round and round in the breeze created by the student…built watermill standing at the base of the
stairs。 Pure spring water cascaded down a bamboo gutter at the centre of the stairs； feeding the
mill。
〃Our upper…schoolers built the water mill last winter；〃 explained Calliope Trask； the school's
director； at the start of their tour。 〃Every January we have what's called Winter Work。 There are no
academics； and the students focus on building something functional with their hands。 The year
before we had a chicken coop with twenty laying hens； right here in out gym。 We had so many
eggs we had an egg scale and raised money to buy new hemp mats for our pre…schoolers to nap
on！
Woo…hoo！
Calliope Trask's hair hung in a gray braid down to her bottom and she was wearing a
mustard…yellow…linen Eileen Fisher tank dress that did wonders for her frizzy black underarm hair。
Her legs were unshaven too； and coarse black leg hairs stuck out between the straps of her
tied…at…the…ankle beige canvas Earth shoes。
〃Those are wonderful sunglasses。〃 She pointed at the gigantic pair of pink Gucci shades masking
Jenny's smoldering brown eyes。 〃But at Bright Minds we don't allow designer labels or emblems
on clothing or accessories of any sort。〃
Before Jenny could even say； 〃What the fuck？〃 Rufus had whipped the glasses off her face and
stuck them in his gray sweatpants…material jacket pocket。
〃That's better。 Now we can see your beautiful face；〃 Calliope trilled； as Jenny scowled hideously
at her。
She followed Calliope and her father up the stairs； tempted to tell them both to take the Sloan
Centre for Bright Minds' hemp mats and smoke them while she ran away to the Czech Republic to
live wither crazy； selfish； and neglectful mother。 The Raves could do a tour of Eastern Europe and
she could buy all the Gucci she wanted for half…price on the black market。
They reached the second floor and Calliope opened the door to of the classrooms。 〃Our classes are
mixed…age and broken up into 'bundles' names for the endangered species of the Galapagos。
Jennifer； you'd be in one of the thirteen…to…fifteen…year…old bundles。 I'll walk you to the area where
the Giant Tortoise bundle