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第29部分（第1页）

emark　fedora　over　his　thick　dark　hair。　He　stood　there　casually；　like　he’d　only　been　gone　a　matter　of　minutes—not　months。

Vanessa　didn’t　say　anything。　She　felt　like　she　was　going　to　cry。　Even　though　it　was　practically　a　scene　from　a　terrible　chick　movie；　she　couldn’t　resist　running　to　him　and　wrapping　her　arms　around　him　tightly。　She　lifted　her　face　up　until　her　mouth　met　his。

“Remember；　there’s　a　kid　watching！”　Ruby　called　from　the　couch。　Moxie　gazed；　entranced；　at　Hollis。

“Hi；”　Vanessa　said　dumbly；　staring　up　at　him　as　if　he　were　a　vision。

Courtesy　of　too　many　Scrubbing　Bubbles　fumes？

“I　couldn’t　wait　a　month。　I　don’t　want　to　be　in　Iceland。　I　want　to　be　with　you；”　Hollis　said　simply。

“You’re　back？”　Vanessa　asked。　“For　good？”

Hollis　nodded。　“Unless　you’re　hiding　a　boyfriend　somewhere。”

“Just　Paul　Morrissey。”　She　gestured　to　the　DVD　case　on　the　coffee　table。

“We’ll　leave　you　alone；”　Ruby　said；　bundling　Moxie　back　into　her　snowsuit。　“Maybe　there’s　a　movie　about　talking　penguins　we　can　see。”

Vanessa　didn’t　even　notice　her　adorable　niece　and　sister　as　they　made　their　way　into　the　elevator。　She　was　too　busy　kissing　her　boyfriend。

Beats　mopping　the　floor。

survivor

“Do　you　think　Jenny　will　choose　RISD　or　Pratt？”　Serena　asked；　taking　a　thoughtful　sip　of　her　organic　chai。　She　and　Dan　were　seated　at　a　small　table　in　Blue　State　Coffee；　one　of　the　cute　coffee　shops　on　Thayer　Street　in　downtown　Providence。

“Pratt；”　Dan　said　confidently。　His　hair　was　sort　of　shaggy—Serena　hadn’t　been　able　to　drag　him　to　John　Barrett’s—and　he　wore　a　rumpled　blue　cotton　oxford　shirt　and　jeans。　He　looked　slightly　homeless；　but　to　her；　he　was　absolutely　adorable。　“Jenny’s　wanted　to　go　there　since　she　learned　how　to　draw；”　he　said　proudly。

“I　didn’t　have　a　clue　when　I　was　her　age。”　Serena　wrinkled　her　nose。　“But　I　guess　it　just　depends　on　the　person。　Blair　always　knew　she　wanted　to　go　to　Yale…。”　She　trailed　off。

“Have　you　spoken　to　her？　Is　she　in　New　York　for　the　holidays？”　Dan　asked　before　emptying　the　last　of　his　double　espresso　from　his　mini　porcelain　cup。　It　made　him　feel　like　a　character　in　Alice　in　Wonderland。　The　espresso　was　his　second；　and　they’d　been　in　the　shop　for　less　than　an　hour；　hanging　out　while　Jenny　took　her　RISD　tour。　She　was　due　back　any　minute。

“I　don’t　know。”　Serena　shrugged；　thinking　of　her　and　Blair’s　huge　fight　last　winter。　A　blowup　between　them　wasn’t　anything　new—they’d　been　fighting　since　before　they　could　properly　form　sentences。　But　their　arguments　usually　blew　over　quickly。　This　one　hadn’t。　Blair　had　gone　to　study　abroad　at　Oxford　while　Serena　had　gone　to　Yale；　and　they　hadn’t　spoken　since　last　January。　“It　doesn’t　matter。　I　just　hope　she’s　had　as　good　a　year　as　I　have；”　Serena　added；　smiling　at　Dan。

She　and　Dan　had　gotten　together　the　previous　winter　break；　and　the　relationship　had　quickly　turned　serious。　By　April；　Serena　was　spending　most　of　her　weekends　at　Dan’s　Upper　West　Side　apartment。　They’d　sit　at　the　tiny　kitchen　table；　studying　together；　or　go　to　the　coffee　shop　on　his　corner　and　read。　Dan　was　a　junior　at　Columbia　and　Serena　wasn’t　quite　sure　what　she　was　at　Yale。　She’d　just　started　in　September；　but　she’d　carried　over　a　few　credits　from　courses　she’d　taken　at　the　New　School　earlier　that　year。

Being　at　Yale　was　more　plicated　than　she’d　thought　it　would　be。　It　was　strange　living　in　a　dorm　when　she　was　used　to　having　her　own　apartment。　She　felt　years　older　than　her　fellow　freshmen；　and　it　wasn’t　easy　to　get　back　into　studying　mode；　especially　since　she’d　only　taken　fun　classes　at　the　New　School；　like　screenwriting　and　New　York　in　Literature。　She　liked　reading　books；　but　she’d　never　been　one　for　taking　tests　and　writing　papers。　And　even　if　she　did　go　back　to　the　city　every　weekend；　it　was　hard　to　be　separated　from　Dan　from　Monday　to　Thursday。

She　did　miss　acting；　but　she　didn’t　miss　having　an　agent　and　a　publicist　and　getting　followed　around　and　pointed　at　everywhere　she　went。　Her　first　few　weeks　on　campus；　she’d　get　the　occasional　second　look　or　stare；　but　she’d　quickly　found　a　degree　of　anonymity　she　relished。　Yale　students　were　so　busy　with　their　own　lives　that　for　the　most　part　they　couldn’t　get　worked　up　over　a　girl　who　was　an　actress　once。

“Another　cup？”　Serena　teased；　noticing　Dan’s　jittery　hands。

“Nah；　I’m　good；”　Dan　said；　missing　her　sarcasm。　Sometimes；　like　right　now；　Dan　still　couldn’t　believe　Serena　van　der　Woodsen　was　his　girlfriend。

She　laced　her　fingers　in　his　as　she　gazed　absentmindedly　out　the　window。　It　was　starting　to　snow；　and　the　flakes　swirling　around　the　Gothic　buildings　of　the　Brown　campus　were　very　romantic。　It　reminded　her　of　playing　in　the　snow　with　Nate　back　in　high　school。　It　made　her　want　to　start　a　snowball　fight；　but　Dan　wasn’t　really　the　roughhousing　type。

Dan’s　cell　buzzed　in　his　pocket。　“It’s　Jenny。　She’s　meeting　us　at　the　car。”

“Let’s　go。”　Serena　stood　and　made　her　way　out　of　the　coffee　shop。　Together；　they　headed　to　the　parking　lot　and　settled　into　Dan’s　blue　Buick　Skylark。

Dan　rested　his　hands　on　the　steering　wheel　and　leaned　back　into　the　bucket　seat　as　they　waited　for　Jenny。　He　was　suddenly　glad　he’d　had　the　two　espressos。　He　loved　Jenny；　and　he　loved　Serena；　but　the　two　girls　together　had　made　for　an　exhausting　ride　up。　They’d　bothered　him　every　fifteen　minutes　to　stop　for　coffee；　snacks；　and　bathroom　breaks；　making　what　should　have　been　a　three…hour　trip　more　like　five。　Dan　didn’t　want　a　repeat　performance　on　the　way　back；　especially　since　the　snow　was　starting　to　stick　to　the　ground。

Jenny　bounded　in　the　back　door　of　the　Buick；　looking　red…cheeked　and　radiant。

Wonder　why？