gossip girl 7 英文- 第7部分

Or　maybe　not。　


V　TAKES　THE　ROOM　OUT　OF　ROOMATE　

Fireeater：　I　keep　a　pretty　sick　schedule；　like　I　sleep　all　day　and　work　at　night　
Hairlessskat：　What　do　you　do？　

Fireeater：　duh；　I'm　a　performer　

Hairlessskat：　you　really　eat　fire？　

Fireeater：　I'm　working　on　it。　Mostly　I　dance　with　my　snakes。　

Hairlessskat：　snakes？　

Fireeater：　yea　I　have　four　snakes　

Fireeater：　you're　okay　with　pets　right？　

Fireeater：　you　still　there？　

Fireeater：　yo；　hello？　

〃Nice　try；　loser！〃　Vanessa　Abrams　logged　off　her　puter　and　went　over　to　her　closet；　She'd　
taken　off　her　hot　and　hideous　maroon　wool　Constance　Billard　School　winter　uniform…　the　only　
uniform　she　owned…　two　hours　ago　and　hadn't　bothered　to　change　into　anything　else。　Even　though　
the　girl　Vanessa　was　supposed　to　interview　in　three　minutes　had　sounded　cool　in　her　e…mail　that　
morning；　she　probably　wouldn't　be　psyched　if　Vanessa　greeted　her　at　the　door　in　her　black　cotton　
Hanes　underwear。　Vanessa　pulled　a　folded　pair　of　pants　off　the　top　shelf　in　her　bedroom　closet　
without　even　looking。　Everything　in　her　closet　was　black；　and　she　was　a　strong　believer　in　
shopping　in　duplicate。　If　you　owned　six　pairs　of　straight…legged　black　stretch　Levis；　you　never　
really　had　to　think　about　what　you　were　going　to　wear；　and　you　only　had　to　do　laundry　once　a　
week。　She　pulled　the　jeans　up　around　her　pale　and　slightly　pudgy　hips；　yanked　her　black　
long…sleeved　V…neck　tee　down　over　them　and　ran　her　hands　over　her　shaved；　dark　head。　She　might　
have　looked　odd　to　all　the　so…called　〃normal〃　girls　she　went　to　school　with；　but　the　girl　she　was　
about　to　meet　sounded　more　interesting　than　they　could　ever　hope　to　be…　well；　at　least　she　had　
online。　

The　downstairs　buzzer　rang；　just　as　she'd　anticipated。　Vanessa　went　over　to　the　window　and　pulled　


aside　the　curtain；　which　was　really　just　a　black　poly…blend　Martha　Stewart　Everyday　bed　sheet　she　
and　her　sister　Ruby　had　bought　at　K…mart　last　Halloween。　On　the　street　two　floors　below；　a　drunk　
homeless　guy　was　shouting　at　empty　parked　cars。　A　little　boy　with　green　spiked　hair　and　no　shirt　
on　sped　down　the　sidewalk　on　a　mountain　bike　that　was　way　too　big　for　him。　The　crumbling　
cement　block　that　served　as　Vanessa's　front　stoop　was　empty。　The　Prospective　roommate　was　
already　on　her　way　up。　

〃Please　be　normal；〃　Vanessa　murmured；　not　that　she　actually　like　normal　girls。　Normal　girls；　；　like　
the　girls　in　her　class　at　Constance；　wore　pink　lip　gloss　and　different　versions　of　the　exact　same　pair　
of　shoes　and　were　religious　about　things　like　highlights　and　pedicures。　In　her　e…mail　application　
this　girl　Beverly　had　said　she　was　an　art　student　at　Pratt；　so　she　was　older；　for　one　thing；　and　was　
probably　kind　of　alternative。　Hopefully　she'd　be　as　cool　as　she　sounded。　

Vanessa　opened　the　door　to　the　apartment　just　as　Beverly　mounted　the　top　of　the　stairs。　And　to　
Vanessa's　plete　surprise；　Beverly　wasn't　a　she；　she　was　a　he。　

Vanessa　had　sort　of　forgotten　to　specify　that　she　was　looking　for　a　girl　roommate　in　her　web　
posting。　

A　deliberate　mistake？　

〃Bet　you　thought　I　was　female；　right？〃　Beverly　asked；　extending　his　hand　for　Vanessa　to　shake。　
〃The　name　is　totally　old…fashioned　and　totally　misleading。　Don't　worry　I'm　used　to　it。〃　

Vanessa　tried　not　to　look　surprised；　which　wasn't　hard　for　her。　She'd　mastered　the　unexpressive　
stare　long　ago　while　eating　alone　day　after　day　in　the　Constance　Billard　School　cafeteria；　turning　
out　the　senseless　babble　of　her　beautiful；　bitchy　classmates。　She　tucked　her　fingers　into　the　back　
pockets　of　her　jeans　and　nonchalantly　led　the　way　into　the　apartment　〃I　was　just　IMing　with　this　
weirdo　chick　who　dances　with　snakes。　You　don't　have　any　snakes；　do　you？〃　

〃Nope。〃　Beverly　pressed　his　palms　together　in　praying　position　and　surveyed　the　starkly　decorated　
apartment。　The　walls　were　white　and　the　wood　floors　were　bare。　The　kitchen　was　tiny　and　opened　
onto　the　living　room/　second　bedroom；　which　was　furnished　with　a　futon　and　a　TV。　The　only　
decorations　were　framed　stills　from　the　dark；　morose　films　that　Vanessa　notoriously　made　in　her　
spare　time。　

〃Whose　work？〃　Beverly　asked；　gesturing　at　a　black…and…white　photograph　of　a　pigeon　pecking　at　
a　used　condom　in　Madison　Square　Park。　

Vanessa　discovered　she　was　staring　at　Beverly's　firm；　round　buttocks　and　quickly　averted　her　eyes。　
〃Mine；〃　she　replied　Horsley。　〃It's　from　a　film　I　made　earlier　this　year。〃　

Beverly　nodded　his　head；　keeping　his　palms　pressed　together　as　he　examined　the　other　
photographs。　Vanessa　loved　that　he　didn't　start　babbling　about　how　offbeat　or　depressing　the　were；　


the　way　people　usually　did。　Just　the　way　he　said；　〃whose　work？〃　made　her　feel　like　a　real　artist。　

〃Would　you　like　a　beer？〃　she　asked。　Her　fridge　was　uncharacteristically　full　of　beer　from　her　
eighteenth…birthday　party　two　weekends　ago；　and　she'd　take　any　opportunity　to　get　rid　of　it。　〃Sorry；　
I　don't　have　much　else　except　water。〃　

〃Water　would　be　fine；〃　Beverly　replied　and　Vanessa　found　herself　liking　him　even　more。　Ask　any　
high…school　boy　if　he　wanted　a　beer　and　he'd　down　a　whole　six…pack　in　three　seconds　flat。　All　
Beverly　needed　was　a　little　water　to　whet　his　palate；　and　a　place　to　live…　for　instance；　with　her。　

Whoa。。。。。。　Slow　down；　Nellie！　What　about　the　interview？　

Vanessa　went　into　the　tiny　open　kitchen　and　got　out　a　vintage　Scooby…Doo　glass　and　some　ice　and　
a　pitcher　of　filtered　water　from　the　refrigerator。　She　filled　the　glass　slowly；　surreptitiously　studying　
Beverly　as　she　did　so。　His　small；　intense　eyes　were　pale　blue；　and　his　short；　tousled　hair　was　
nearly　black。　The　palms　of　his　hands　and　his　fingernails　were　stained　black　with　some　sort　of　ink　
he　must　have　been　using　in　his　artwork；　and　his　drab　green　t…shirt　was　flecked　with　what　looked　
like　sawdust。　His　black　pants　were　just　the　sort　of　loose　black　cotton　poplin　slacks　she　would　have　
worn　everyday　if　she　were　a　guy；　and　on　his　feet　were　a　pair　of　those　thin　orange　rubber　flip…flops　
you　can　buy　at　the　drugstore　for　ninety…nine　cents。　He　was　so　not　like　the　people　she　went　to　
school　with；　Vanessa　couldn't　help　but　feel　kind　of　excited。　

Could　that　have　anything　to　do　with　the　fact　that　he's　a　guy？　

She　walked　around　the　counter　and　handed　Beverly　the　water；　already　envisioning　what　it　would　
be　like　to　stay　up　late　and　watch　movies　together。　She　could　bring　him　water　and　he　would　nod　his　
head　at　her　in　that　thoughtful；　sexy　way　of　his。　And　then　they　would　dissect　Stanley　Kubrick's　
work；　film　by　film。。。。　Naked。　

Vanessa　took　a　seat　on　the　futon　sofa　and　Beverly　sat　down　beside　her。　

〃So；　I'm　kind　of　between　places　right　now；〃　he　explained。　〃I　was　in　a　dorm　and　now　I'm　in　this　
group　work…live　arrangement　with　a　bunch　of　artists　in　this　warehouse　space　down　by　the　
Brooklyn　Navy　Yard。　It　can　get　pretty　crazy　there　sometimes；　though。〃　He　chuckled。　〃I　just　need　a　
place　to　crash　where　I　don't　have　to　worry　about　my　fingers　getting　hacked　off　while　I'm　sleeping…
you　know；　for　someone's　〃body　parts〃　sculpture　or　something？〃　

Vanessa　nodded　happily。　She　knew　exactly　how　he　felt。　

Really？