gossip girl 10 英文-第23部分

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Granny？s　fall。　Hey；　hangovershurt　！　

Okay；　kids；　time　for　me　to　take　my　own　advice　and　follow　it　up　with　a　little　dip　in　the　pool。　
Which　pool？　Oh；　wouldn？t　you　like　to　know？　

You　know　you　love　me。　
gossip　girl　

　birthday　blues　


？Happy　birthday　to　me。？　Serena　whispered；　her　voice　hoarse　and　scratchy。　She　slipped　out　of　her　
rumpled　canopy　bed　and　yawned　miserably。　She？d　been　miserably　half…asleep　and　half…awake　all　
night；　unable　to　doze　off　soundly　with　Henry　cuddled　up　next　to　her。　Nate？s　words　kept　repeating　
in　her　head：I　love　you；　I　love　you；　I　love　you。　

Sliding　her　feet　into　her　hot　pink　rubber　flip…flops；　she　thwacked　out　of　the　bedroom。There　was　
no　need　to　tiptoe？　Henry　was　snoring　heavily　enough　that　she　could　probably　do　an　aerobics　
routine　on　the　bed　without　disturbing　him。　

The　hallway　was　quiet；　and　pale　early　morning　sun　peeked　in　through　the　massive　windows。　She　
lingered　by　the　glass　momentarily；　taking　in　the　view：　the　green　expanse　of　the　wide　lawn；　the　
calm　glimmer　of　the　swimming　pool；　the　clear　blue　sky　without　even　a　suggestion　of　a　cloud　
overhead。　It　was　going　to　be　another　gorgeous　day；　but　somehow　the　beautiful　weather　just　made　
her　feel　more　miserable。　

Who　knew　she　had　a　secret　dramatic　streak？　

Hugging　her　bare　arms；　Serena　descended　the　grand　main　staircase　down　to　the　marble…tiled　
foyer；　surveying　the　party　damage：　glass　tumblers　with　the　sticky　remnants　of　mostly　finished　
cocktails　lining　the　entryway　console　table；　stubbed…out　cigarette　butts　strewn　on　the　floor；　
abandoned　paper　plates　filled　with　half…eaten　hamburgers　strewn　absent…mindedly　on　the　coffee　
table。　Heading　into　the　living　room；　she　glanced　around　at　the　sleeping　partygoers　lolling　
list…lessly　on　the　tufted　leather　sofas；　empty　liquor　bottles　lying　defeated　at　their　sides。　

Hope　the　maid？s　ing　in　today！　

She　studied　the　faces　of　the　sleeping　revelers？dozing　and　peaceful；　not　yet　mindful　of　the　horrid　
hangovers　that　were　their　immediate　future。　Everyone　looked　so　sweet　and　innocent。　Only　a　few　
hours　before；　they？d　all　joined　in　a　rousing　drunken　chorus　of　？Happy　Birthday。？　She？d　
pre…tended　not　to　notice　how　they　mumbled　when　they　got　to　the　？dear　Serena？　part。　Besides　Erik　
and　Henry；　the　only　other　people　at　the　party　who　knew　her　name　were　too　busy　upstairs　to　sing。　

She　found　a　clean　tumbler　in　the　kitchen　and　filled　it　with　cold　water；　sipping　it　greedily　to　wash　
the　taste　of　morning　breath　from　her　tongue。　

　Yum。　

Hopping　up　on　the　counter；　she　perched　for　a　while；　feeling　like　the　last　person　alive　after　a　
nuclear　bomb　or　some　other　disaster。　But　the　quiet　helped　her　clear　her　mind。　Today　was　her　
eighteenth　birthday；　but　she　wasn？t　thinking　about　what　was　ahead。　For　the　first　time　in　a　long；　
long　time；　she　couldn？t　stop　thinking　about　the　past。　

Everyone　always　assumed　that　she　was　as　happy…go…lucky　as　she　acted；　but　the　truth　was；　shewas　


acting。　At　least；　some　of　the　time。　After　all；　even　she　looked　liked　crap　when　she？d　been　crying。　
And　during　those　early　days　at　Hanover　she？d　cried　alot。　

She　hopped　off　the　counter　and　padded　back　into　the　library；　sliding　open　the　many　small　
drawers　of　her　father？s　heavy　wooden　desk　until　she　unearthed　some　stationery。　Then；　instead　of　
taking　a　seat　in　his　giant　leather　office　chair；　she　tucked　herself　under　the　desk。　It　had　been　one　of　
her　favorite　hiding　places　when　she　was　little。　Dark　and　cozy　and　safe；　with　the　dank　scent　of　
antique　wood。　She　tucked　the　swivel　chair　in　so　she　was　pletely　hidden　and　started　to　write。　
By　the　time　she？d　said　what　she　needed　to；　she？d　filled　three　pages　of　the　ivory…colored　Crane？s　
writing　paper。　

Climbing　out　of　her　hiding　place；　Serena　stuffed　the　pages　into　an　envelope　and　sealed　it　with　
two　quick　licks。　She　scrawled　a　name　across　the　front　of　it；　and　then；　moving　quickly　so　she　
wouldn？t　lose　momentum　or　second…guess　herself；　she　hurried　out　of　the　house　and　into　the　
driveway。　Dozens　of　cars　were　parked　half　on　and　half　off　the　lawn；　but　it　was　easy　to　spot　the　
vintage　hunter　green　Aston　Martin；　top　still　down；　dewy　and　shining　in　the　gray…gold　morning　
light。　She　strode　toward　it　purposefully；　popped　open　the　glove　partment；　and　left　the　
envelope　inside；　faceup。　

Somebody？s　in　for　a　big　surprise。　

？　

Air　Mail　…　Par　Avion　…　July　14　

　Dear　Dan；　

Wow？that？s　some　big　news！　Maybe　we　can　go　shopping　together　when　I　get　back？　Or　
ice…skating？　Do　you　like　stuff　like　that　now？　

I　was　talking　to　Mom　about　it　and　she　said　that　when　you　were　little　you　were　always　hiding　in　
her　closet；　trying　on　her　sequined　dresses　from　the　seventies。　Isn？t　that　funny？　Congratulations　on　
finally　ing　out　of　the　closet！　

I　love　you！　

　Jenny　


my　baby　takes　the　morning　train　

？I？m　home；？　Vanessa　whispered　as　she　quietly　shuffled　into　Dan？s　sprawling　Upper　West　Side　
apartment。　She　care…fully　deposited　her　backpack　on　an　armchair　laden　with　winter　coats　even　
though　it　was　July。　It　was　only　eight　o？clock　in　the　morning　and　it　didn？t　seem　fair　to　wake　the　
whole　household　just　to　announce　her　definitely　untriumphant　return。　How　many　times　would　she　
slink　back　here？　It　was　basically　the　only　place　she　had　in　the　world　to　call　home；　and　already　
she？d　had　to　retreat　there　a　distressing　number　of　times　in　the　past　few　weeks：　first；　after　being　
unceremoniously　evicted　from　the　Williamsburg　apartment；　then　after　being　fired　from　her　first　
real　job　working　onBreakfast　at　Fred？s；　and　now　after　narrowly　escaping　a　stint　as　a　careless　
nanny　and　then　vapid　muse　to　the　maniacally　enthusiastic　Bailey　Winter。　

　Some　summer！　

　？Who？s　there？？　

Slightly　startled　to　hear　Dan？s　voice？at　least　itsounded　like　Dan？so　early　in　the　morning；　Vanessa　
squinted　into　the　still…dark　hallway。　？Dan？　It？s　me。Vanessa。？　

？Vanessa；？　Dan　muttered　sadly。　He　was　paler　than　usual；　and　his　cheeks　had　a　dusting　of　
irregular　stubble　over　them；　like　he？d　started　to　shave　and　then　changed　his　mind。　
Eggplant…colored　circles　ringed　his　eyes；　and　he　was　clutching　an　unlit　cigarette　in　his　hand　as　if　
he？d　forgotten　to　light　it　and　then　forgotten　it　was　there。　

Wow？someone　really　isn？t　a　morning　person。　

？Dan？　You　look　like？？　She　paused；　taking　in　the　oily　sheen　of　his　unwashed；　matted　hair。　She　
was　suddenly　over…whelmed　with　the　feeling　of　wanting　to　draw　him　a　bath　and　make　him　some　
oatmeal。　She　vaulted　forward；　sweeping　him　up　in　her　arms。　He　smelled　like　musty　cigarettes　and　
armpit；　but　for　some　reason　Vanessa　still　found　it　forting。　But　just　as　she　leaned　in　a　little　
closer；　smelling　his　spottily　shaven　neck；　he　stepped　out　of　her　embrace。　？Are　you　okay？？　she　
demanded；　concerned。　

？I　don？t　know。？　Dan　stuck　the　unlit　cigarette　into　the　corner　of　his　mouth　and　patted　his　pockets　
miserably。　？I　can？t　find　my　lighter。？　He　sounded　almost　on　the　verge　of　tears。　

？Your　lighter？？　It　didn？t　sound　like　that　was　his　only　problem。　Poor　Dan；　sometimes　he　took　
imitating　Keats　a　little　too　much　to　heart。　

？It　doesn？t　matter。？　Dan　removed　the　cigarette　from　his　mouth　and　tucked　it　behind　his　ear；　
where　a　mass　of　his　slick；　dirty　hair　kept　it　in　place。　？I？m　going　to　make　some　coffee。You　want　
some？？　

Really；　all　she　wanted　to　do　was　collapse　into　bed；　possibly　with　Dan；　but　he　was　acting　entirely　


bizarre。　Plus　he　smelled　weird。　

？Coffee　sounds　good。？　Vanessa　placed　her　arm　gently　around　Dan？s　shoulders；　as　though　he　was　
a　delicate　waif　in　need　of　forting。　She　led　him　down　the　brown…rice…colored　hallway　toward　
the　kitchen。　？MaybeI？ll　make　it；　and　you　can　just　sit　and　tell　me　why　you？re　such　a　mess。？　

Dan　shuffled　down　the　hallway　after　her　but　hadn？t　even　made　it　to　the　kitchen　before　the　words　
exploded　out　of　him。　？I　let　this　dude　I　met　at　the　Strand　kiss　me。We　started　a　salon　together。　I？m　
gay。　My　dad　said　he　did　some　gay　stuff　when　he　was　hanging　out　with　poets　back　in　the　day；　but　
me？I？m　really　gay。？　

Vanessa　brushed　past　him　and　into　the　kitchen。　She　unscrewed　the　lid　on　the　mercial…size　jar　
of　Folgers　crystals　on　the　counter。　Dan　sat　down　at　the　worn　Formica　table　and　sank　his　head　in　
his　hands