Serena to monopolize the one person in the room who could probably get her into Yale once and
for all。
A man in a catering uniform took their empty champagne glasses and handed them each a fresh
one。
〃To Yale；〃 Stan 5 said； before clinking his glass against hers。
Blair fingered the pendant around her neck and downed her drink； wondering if she should
demand an introduction to his grandfather。 Stan 5 took a step toward her and lowered his
aristocratic chin。 〃Don't worry；〃 he murmured reassuringly； as if reading her mind。 〃Granddad and
I are very close。〃
Blair clutched the stem of her champagne flute and batted her eyelashes； willing her face not to
flush too retardedly red。 How lucky she was to have nabbed the younger； hotter Stanford Parris
while Serena was stuck with the old moldy one！
〃I kissed my Yale interviewer；〃 she confided before she could stop herself。 It wasn't exactly
something she was proud of。 But she wanted Stan 5 to know what he was up against。
Stan 5 smiled delightedly。 〃Granddad keeps a room for me down the hall。 I've got this whole
collection of vintage Yale catalogs in there。 Want to take a look？〃
Blair giggles giddily。 How wonderful to meet a boy who was as crazily enthusiastic about Yale as
she was。 Eagerly； she followed Stan 5 into his room。 She couldn't wait to kiss his catalogs。
Kiss？
Why not； when she had more in mon with Stanford Parris V than she did with any other boy
she'd ever met； including her lame…ass； no…show boyfriend； who was already into Yale anyway and
was totally unsympathetic and useless？
Well； then。 Guess she meant kiss after all。
N ABANDONS SHIP
〃Oops； I think I'm winning。〃 Lexie giggles and popped another Oreo half into her mouth。
〃Nice one； 〃Nate responded； not even trying to fend off her chocolaty lips。
It had been Lexie's idea to smoke another joint and play checkers with Oreos； so she'd made up the
rules： Every time she nabbed one of Nate's white…faced Oreo halves with her whole Oreos； she got
to eat the Oreo half and kiss Nate on the lips。
Nate really wasn't into the game； which meant that he was sort of letting Lexie win； but kissing
her on deck where everyone else was hanging seemed safer than sitting alone with her up in the
crow's nest where one thing could lead to another and。。。
Not that he would have actually let anything major happen。 Right？
As usual； Nate was suffering from the Curse of Blair。 Whenever he fooled around with another
girl； all he could think about was Blair and fooling around with Blair； making him feel sort of
guilty and horny at the same time； which made it simultaneously kind of hard to take and kind of
hard to stop。
He kept his eyes open as Lexie kissed him； making eye contact with Jeremy on the other side of
the deck； who was kissing some girl with long brown hair and fat arms whom Nate had never seen
before。 All of a sudden Nate felt like he was in seventh grade at one of those parties where
everyone just lay around kissing because they thought that was what they were supposed to do；
even though it was kind of nasty to suck on a girls tongue for like an hour； without having a drink
of water or anything。 Except that time with Blair in Serena's closet at a party back in eighth grade…
or was it sixth？ They'd kissed and talked for so long Serena had to drag them out so they wouldn't
miss the entire party。 If only Blair would suddenly draw up alongside the Charlotte in a little dingy
and shout at him to grow the fuck up in that sexy； bitchy tone she sued when she was only mildly
infuriated with him。 Where was Blair anyway？ He wondered in stoned； sleepless confusion。 Why
wasn't she with him？
Hello？ Anyone home？ Wake up！！！
Lexie had her eyes closed and was breathing heavily as she sucked on his lips。 Her tongue tasted
like chocolate and beer； which was kind of a bad bination。 Nate could hardly wait to push her
off his lap and head below decks to gulp a few glasses of cold water。 He could also hardly wait to
tell Blair that despite this bumpy little interlude everything would turn out alright once he got back
from Bermuda； or New Jersey； or wherever the fuck they were headed。
His gaze shifted to the starboard side of the boat。 The sun was going down； and they'd finally
made it into the ocean。 The dark water was quiet and a few fishing boats twinkled on the horizon。
Nate hadn't checked the boat's navigational system in a few hours。 The Charlotte had been cruising
on autopilot ever since they'd headed out； but since he was the only one who knew how to sail her
and was kind of responsible for the safety of everyone onboard； he thought maybe he'd better
check it out。
Yeah； maybe。
He pulled away from Lexie and whispered hoarsely into her ear。 〃I gotta go steer the boat。〃
She slid off his lap； popped another Oreo into her mouth； and gave his bicep a squeeze。 〃Vhat a
stud。 You know； I always vanted to go to Ber…mooda。〃
Nate headed aft to the captain's cabin； stepping over the prone bodies of his stoned； drunk； and
half…asleep shipmates。 Some kid from his world religion class was wearing one of the Charlotte's
orange life vests while he played the harmonica and sand old Neil Young tune：
'helpless； helpless； helpless； helpless。'
Nate was creepily reminded of the movie 'Titanic'… which Blair had made him watch not once but
four times… right before the boat sinks。
Charlie and Anthony had locked themselves into the cabin and were sitting cross…legged on the
floor； sharing a bong。 They'd taken off their shirts and were trying to see who could stick their
stomachs out the farthest… a ridiculous contest； since both their stomachs were so flat they were
verged on concave。
〃Hey；〃 Anthony greeted Nate 〃We were wondering… is there surfing in Bermuda？〃
〃Because we should have brought our boards；' Charlie added。
Nate shook his head； ignoring them。 The air in the cabin was so full of smoke he could barely read
the monitors。 From what he could tell； though； they were nearing Cape May； which meant that if
they traveled at a normal cruising speed instead of 。5 miles an hour； it would only take a little over
three hours to get back to New York harbor。 He'd dock the boat and head straight for the Plaza。
Only a whole day late。
Nate checked the ining messages screen where the Charlotte picked up text messages… mostly
munications from AdArch@nextel； his father's cell phone。
NATHANIEL； YOUR MOTHER AND I ARE AT THE OPERA。
NATHANIEL； TURN THE BOAT AROUND。
I'VE ALERTED THE COAST GUARD AND THEY'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO ARREST
YOU。
NATHANIEL； YOUR MOTHER IS VERY UPSET。
TURN THE BOAT AROUND； SON。
And so on。
〃Shit。〃 Nate could imagine his mother crying in her black evening attire in their box at the
Metropolitan Opera while his father stabbed furiously at his cell phone。 Then again； his mother
always cried at the opera； it was part of her whole dramatic…French…princess act。
The messages had all been sent within the last two hours； so it wasn't like his parents had been
freaking out for that long。 Normally his father's surly