天锡小说网

第21部分（第3页）

going；　but　they　could　spend　the　summer　together　working　it　out。　The　music　grew　louder　still；　and

Vanessa　raised　her　bare　arms　in　the　air；　grooving　to　it。　Dan　was　pletely　nuts；　but　so　was　she

for　ever　having　said　she　didn？t　dance。

N？s　trail　of　tears

Nate　sat　on　the　edge　of　one　of　the　Yale　Club　lounge？s　oriental　carpets；　pretending　to　watch　the

Spin　the　Bottle　game。　That　French　hippie　chick；　Lexie；　who？d　followed　him　around　for　a　few

weeks　claiming　to　be　madly　in　love　with　him；　and　her　other　L？？cole　friends　were　sitting　in　a　tight

circle　only　a　few　feet　away；　all　wearing　crocheted　halter　tops　with　their　skinny　bellies　showing；

smoking　Gauloises　like　fiends。　He　hoped　she　wouldn？t　notice　him。

Too　late。

？Nate？？　Lexie　sat　up　on　her　haunches；　her　scrawny；　tan　tummy　bulging　in　a　way　she　must　have

thought　was　irresistible。　She？d　gotten　a　navel　piercing；　and　it　was　still　pink　and　new。

Ew。

She　stretched　her　long　bare　arms　overhead；　giving　the　rest　of　the　room　a　fine　view　of　the　sun；

moon；　and　stars　tattoo　on　her　right　shoulder　blade。

Ooh　la　la。

Nate　smiled；　pretending　to　have　only　just　noticed　her。　？Hey；　Lexie。？　He　waved　cautiously　and

then　hugged　his　knees　to　show　that　he　had　no　intention　of　joining　her。

Lexie　rolled　her　dark　brown　eyes　and　flipped　her　long　raven…colored　ponytail　over　one

shoulder。　？Bastard；？　she　retorted　with　a　heavy　French　accent　and　a　very　French…looking

scowl。　？You　broke　my　heart。？

Something　exciting　had　just　happened　in　the　Spin　the　Bottle　game；　and　everyone　whooped　and

clapped。　Nate　began　to　clap；　too？anything　to　avoid　a　confrontation　with　Lexie。

Serena　and　that　weird　shaven…headed　girl　from　Constance　who　Blair　was　supposedly　living　with

and　reportedly　having　a　lesbian　affair　with　were　dancing　like　disco　diva　freaks　in　the　middle　of　the

room；　looking　drunk　and　ecstatic？the　way　you　were　supposed　to　look　the　day　you　graduated　from

high　school。

If；　that　is；　you　actually　obtained　your　diploma　that　day；　unlike　a　certain　person　we　know。

Nate　had　a　sudden　flash　of　d？j？　vu；　or　maybe　it　was　ennui。　At　any　rate；　it　was　something　sad　that

sounded　French。　He　remembered　being　drunk　at　a　random　party　at　that　guy　Dan　Humphrey？s

house　over　on　the　West　Side　back　in　ninth　or　tenth　grade　and　letting　Blair　and　Serena　draw　a　face

on　his　bare　stomach　with　a　black　indelible　marker。　They？d　named　the　face　Buck　Naked；　and　each

girl　had　kissed　Buck　repeatedly　over　the　course　of　the　evening；　even　after　Nate　passed　out。

Those　were　the　days。

Suddenly　Nate　became　filled　with　dread。　What　if　he？d　already　had　all　the　fun　he　was　ever　going