Only in Your Dreams (Gossip Girl #9)(60)

Nate Archibald was hand in hand with someone Blair definitely did not recognize, and not one of those slutty, Marniclad L’école girls, either. This girl was definitely not wearing Marni but rather . . . Target.

Everything about this girl was exaggerated—her tan, her boobs, her lips, her makeup. It all looked fake. Worse than her overteased hair and ridiculous orange-bronzed skin was her outfit: she was wearing peach-colored capri pants and a sequin-encrusted tank top and had accessorized her party ensemble with dirty espadrilles and a bought-on-a-street-corner fake peach satin Prada backpack. She looked like nothing Blair had ever seen. She was a disaster. Blair glanced at Bailey Winter standing on the other side of the room. She’d have paid money to hear what he was whispering to Graham Oliver just then.

“Something wrong?” asked Jason, nuzzling at her neck.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered pulling out of his embrace. “I just need a minute.”

It takes more than a minute to get over seeing your first love with someone else, though.





Gossip Girl 09 - Only in Your Dreams

what up, roomie?

“Are you okay?” Vanessa asked, because Dan had been quiet too long and was starting to creep her out. “Let’s sit.” She gestured toward the windowsill behind them. The window over-looked the backyard and was open a bit, admitting a gentle evening breeze. Down in the back garden a group was huddled around a forlorn lilac bush, smoking.

“Things have really changed since graduation, huh?” Dan reached out but put his hand down before actually touching her. “I don’t know what’s happened this past couple of weeks.”

Cut off my fingers. I can’t feel anymore.

Can’t feel you. Or you. You.

“I guess what’s happened,” Vanessa began, sternly but not unkindly, “is that you’ve met someone else. It’s okay. I mean, I’m hurt, I guess. But mostly I wish you hadn’t tried to keep it from me, especially after you made that scene at Blair’s graduation party about staying with me this fall—”

“Scene?” Dan repeated. “I made a scene?” He’d talked to her privately, in a corner. There’d been no scene. Okay, his graduation speech had been a scene, but thankfully she’d missed it.

“Anyway that’s not the point. The point is,” Vanessa continued, “I haven’t been completely honest either.”

A facially unattractive drunk girl whom Vanessa remembered was an extra on the movie stumbled up the stairs. She was wearing a cherry red TEAM JOLIE T-shirt and a million silver bangles up her wrist. She glanced at Vanessa but pretended not to recognize her. Being at this party was definitely not Vanessa’s idea of a good time.

Party pooper.

“You’re seeing someone?” Dan looked like he was going to cry.

“No, of course not.” She swatted at the air in front of her. “But I have some weird news: Your dad said I could rent a room from him . . . even though we’re broken up....”

Dan winced and rubbed the sole of his shoe against his ankle. He hadn’t really thought they were officially broken up, but he guessed they were now. “And?” he asked.

“And I said I wanted to.” Vanessa looked at Dan, to see if she could read him, but he was still rubbing his shoe against his leg like a dog with an itch. “I mean, I can’t really afford much, and he said he’d give me a really good deal, so . . .”

“Well,” Dan said after a moment. “I don’t think it’ll be weird.”

It won’t?

“I think it’ll be fun,” he continued.

It will?

“So, friends?” he asked.

“Friends,”Vanessa confirmed.

Friends ...?





Gossip Girl 09 - Only in Your Dreams

look what the cat dragged in—and who he brought with him

Thaddeus Smith downed his icy caipirinha and leaned toward Serena, whispering sexily, his breath scented with the spicy rum.

“Who is that?” he asked.

He didn’t point but there was no need to: anyone would know exactly who Thaddeus Smith was talking about. Nate Archibald had arrived.

They were huddled together in the minuscule kitchen, the best place to survey the entire room, and from that outpost Serena had a clear view of Nate for the first time since the night of Blair’s wild graduation party. While Serena had danced her butt off, Nate had sat on the floor, looking more baked than usual, until he’d finally stood up and randomly kissed little Jenny Humphrey. Captain Archibald had been so pissed when Nate failed to actually bring home his diploma that the day after graduation he’d driven Nate off to East Hampton himself, to begin his summer of labor. Serena hadn’t had a chance to say good-bye but she’d known she’d see Nate again soon. And here he was, sporting a deep, been-outside-all-day tan that made his already-perfect teeth look whiter and his already-stunning eyes gleam even more green. His chest looked broader, his forearms stronger. Of course Thaddeus Smith had noticed him.

“That’s Nate,” Serena announced casually.

“Straight Nate?”Thaddeus wanted to know.

Serena shrugged. “He’s up for anything,” she giggled. “But it looks like he’s not alone.”

A very tan, very blond girl was clinging to Nate’s arm as though he were a life preserver, digging into his bicep with her long, fire-engine-red-manicured nails. Her eyes were wide open and darting around excitedly like she was on drugs.