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　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？

“You’ll　never　guess　who　I　ran　into—Nate　Archibald！　Isn’t　that　crazy？　He　was　going　to　take　the　train　back　to　the　city；　but　I　figured　we　could　just　give　him　a　ride；”　Jenny　said　without　taking　a　breath。　Her　gaze　landed　on　Serena。　Oops。　In　her　excitement；　Jenny　had　almost　forgotten　about　Nate　and　Serena’s　plicated　history。　To　her；　Serena　was　simply　Dan’s　girlfriend。　Would　this　be　weird？

Of　course　it　will！

Dan　narrowed　his　eyes　at　the　dark　blond；　green…eyed　figure　outside　his　car。　Nate　Archibald　was　the　asshole　who’d　broken　Jenny’s　heart　three　years　ago；　and　had　broken　Serena’s　heart　just　the　year　before。　Dan　had　only　heard　the　vaguest　details　about　what　had　happened；　but　he　knew　Nate　was　bad　news。　What　the　fuck　was　he　doing　here？　“Actually；　I　think　we’re　pretty　full—”　Dan　began。　He　racked　his　brain；　trying　to　think　of　some　lie　to　prevent　Nate　from　driving　home　with　them。　A　weight　limit？

A　no…assholes　rule？

“Natie！”　Serena　squealed；　peering　out　the　window　at　Nate。　“What　are　you　doing　here？！”　Serena　couldn’t　believe　Nate　was　right　in　front　of　her。　She’d　hardly　thought　about　him　this　past　year。　She　knew　she　should　still　be　mad　at　Nate　after　what　happened　last　winter；　but　it　all　seemed　so　far　in　the　past。　Besides；　she　could　afford　to　be　generous。　If　Nate　hadn’t　made　her　so　miserable　last　year；　she’d　never　have　reached　out　to　Dan。　So　in　a　way；　she　owed　her　current　happiness　to　him。

“We　totally　have　room！”　Serena　announced；　getting　out　of　the　car。　Nate　looked　so　cute　and　helpless；　with　snowflakes　sitting　in　his　dirty　blond　hair。　She　threw　her　arms　around　Nate　in　an　affectionate　old…friends　hug。　“Hop　in；”　she　told　him；　getting　in　the　backseat　with　Jenny。

Dan　sputtered；　his　blue　fleece–gloved　hands　gripping　the　steering　wheel。　He　didn’t　love　the　idea　of　Jenny　talking　to　this　douche；　and　he　really　didn’t　like　the　familiar　way　Serena　had　hugged　him。　And　now　he　had　to　give　the　guy　a　ride？

“Hey；　I　really　appreciate　the　ride；　especially　with　this　snow。　I’ll　take　middle；”　Nate　offered；　climbing　over　Serena　and　wedging　his　lanky　frame　into　the　middle　of　the　seat　between　her　and　Jenny。

Serena　squeezed　his　shoulder。　“Let’s　go；”　she　said。

Dan　glared　mutinously　toward　the　backseat。　Why　didn’t　Serena　offer　to　sit　up　front　with　him？　What　was　he？　Their　fucking　chauffeur？

“Great。　Let’s　go；”　Dan　growled；　navigating　out　of　his　spot　and　slowly　driving　down　Thayer　Street　toward　I…95。

“Dan；　aren’t　you　going　to　ask　me　about　RISD？”　Jenny　needled　in　her　little…sister　voice。

“How　was　it？”　Serena　asked　curiously。

“So　good；”　Jenny　gushed。　“And　guess　what？　Nate’s　going　to　Brown！”

“You　are；　Natie？　Oh　my　God；　that’s　awesome！”　Serena　cried。　“Wait；　we　need　something　to　celebrate。　Dan；　can　you　stop　for　snacks？”

Dan　grunted。　The　last　thing　he　wanted　was　for　them　to　eat　a　fucking　cake　in　the　backseat　of　his　car　while　he　drove　them　around　like　a　fucking　soccer　team。　“I　think　we　should　just　try　to　get　home　as　quickly　as　possible。　The　snow’s　really　ing　down；”　he　pointed　out。

“Whatever　you　say。”　Nate　shrugged。　“I’m　still　not　used　to　being　back　on　the　East　Coast。　We　don’t　get　snow　at　Deep　Springs。”

“Did　you　know　that　Nate　knows　how　to　birth　cows？”　Serena　said　proudly　as　Dan　merged　into　the　bumper…to…bumper　traffic　of　I…95　South。　The　cars　were　jockeying　for　road　space；　and　the　steadily　falling　snowflakes　made　for　poor　visibility。　Dan　sucked　in　his　breath。　He　hated　driving。　Part　of　the　reason　he　loved　living　in　New　York　was　that　he　never　had　to　drive。

“I　need　to　concentrate；”　he　muttered；　turning　on　the　windshield　wipers。

Nate　tapped　Dan’s　shoulder。　“You　want　me　to　drive？　I’m　pretty　good　at　dealing　with　the　dust　storms　in　California。”

“No；”　Dan　said　shortly。　He　looked　in　the　rearview　mirror。　Jenny　was　leaning　toward　the　middle　section　of　the　seat；　practically　on　top　of　Nate。　She　was　a　smart　girl；　but　when　it　came　to　boys；　she　could　be　sort　of　a　ditz。　Dan　knew　his　sister；　and　right　now　Jenny　was　in　full…on　flirt　mode。

God　help　us。

“I　got　stuck　in　the　snow　once；”　she　offered。　“With　my　friend　Tinsley。　Our　car　broke　down　in　the　middle　of　the　highway；　and　we　had　to　spend　the　night　in　it。　We　thought　we　were　in；　like；　the　middle　of　nowhere；　but　when　we　woke　up　the　next　morning　we　realized　we　were　right　in　front　of　a　hotel。　The　owners　felt　sorry　for　us　and　gave　us　a　free　breakfast。”

Nate　chuckled。　“That’s　funny。　I　always　wondered　what　went　down　at　boarding　school。　Serena　would　never　give　up　any　stories　about　Hanover。”

“What　do　you　want　to　know？”　Serena　stuck　out　her　tongue　at　Nate。　“That　was　a　million　years　ago；　anyway。”

Dan　pulled　forward　into　an　empty　lane　and　accelerated　angrily。

Suddenly；　the　car　swerved　toward　the　shoulder。　Dan　whipped　the　wheel　in　the　opposite　direction；　the　back　of　the　car　swinging　like　the　tail　of　a　snake。　Behind　them　a　car　horn　blared。　Jenny　shrieked；　and　Serena　braced　herself　against　the　back　of　Dan’s　seat。　

Dan　pressed　on　the　brake　and　pulled　over；　his　breath　short　and　heart　pounding。　Everyone　was　silent。　They　could’ve　been　killed。　He　peered　out　the　window。　Fat　flakes　were　falling；　and　the　stormy　clouds　meant　it　was　only　going　to　get　worse。　Fuck。　Stuck　in　a　fucking　blizzard；　hours　from　home。　“It’s　too　dangerous　to　try　to　get　all　the　way　back　to　the　city　in　this。　I　don’t　have　snow　tires；　and　this　car　isn’t　exactly　in　the　best　of　shape。”　Dan　said　flatly；　hating　the　truth　of　the　statement。

They　all　peered　out　at　the　swirling　snow。　“Damn；　dude；”　Nate　swore　sympathetically。　Dan　just　glared　at　him　in　the　rearview　mirror。　Helpful。　Really　helpful。

“We　could　stay　at　a　hotel！”　Jenny　offered　happily。　She　loved　hotels。　They　could　get　two　rooms：　one　for　Dan　and　Serena　and　one　for　her　and　Nate。

“I　have　an　idea…”　Serena　offered。　“Blair’s　Newport　house　isn’t　far　from　here。　It’s　empty。　Her　mom’s　in　California　and　her　dad’s　in　France。　And　I　still　remember　the　security　code。”

Dan　shook　his　head。　That　was　the　thing　about　Serena。　Everything　always　worked　out　for　her；　so　it　never　occurred　to　her　that　breaking　into　someone’s　house　could　be　a　bad　idea。　“I　don’t　think—”　he　began。

“Perfect；”　Nate　enthused。　“Man；　I　used　to　love　that　house。　Remember　how　we　always　used　to　play　croquet　on　the　lawn　and　talk　in　British　accents？”

“Oh　my　God；　yes！　And　Blair　would　always　get　so　petitive？”　Serena　rolled　her　eyes。　“I’m　going　to　drive。　I　know　where　it　is；”　she　announced；　already　unbuckling　her　seat　belt　and　climbing　up　front。

Wordlessly；　Dan　slid　out　of　the　driver’s　seat　and　walked　through　the　falling　snow　to　the　passenger　door。

Buckle　up！　The　road　ahead　sounds　seriously　bumpy。

the　more　the　merrier

“More　wine；　Blair…Bear？　After　all；　you’ve　been　legal　in　England　for　months！”　Harold　Waldorf　held　up　a　bottle　of　his　vineyard’s　C？tes　du　Rhone。　Blair　sighed　in　contentment。　It　was　the　perfect　winter　break：　no　drama；　no　one　protesting　her　movie　choices；　and　plenty　of　cozy　time　with　her　family　and　her　fabulous　boyfriend。

And　who　might　that　be？

“Thanks；　Daddy；”　she　cooed；　holding　out　her　glass。　Harold　wore　a　red　cashmere　sweater　and　tight　jeans　that；　really；　no　man　should　ever　wear；　but　he　looked　surprisingly　good。　It　was　hard　to　remember　a　time　when　her　dad　was　a　straitlaced　partner　of　a　Park　Avenue　law　firm　and　not　a　French　vineyard–owning　gay　man　with　a　partner　named　Giles　and　adopted　twins　from　Cambodia　named　Pierre　and　Pauline。　As　infants　the　twins　had　been　named　Ping　and　Pong；　because　of　their　cute　round　hairless　heads；　but　as　soon　as　Harold　and　Giles　began　applying　to　nursery　school　programs；　they　realized　their　son　and　daughter　might　be　teased。

You　think？

“‘For　auld　lang　syne’…”　Harold　warbled　as　he　stepped　between　the　pieces　of　the　elaborate　train　set　the　twins　had　gotten　for　Christmas　spread　out　on　the　floor。　In　the　corner；　Giles　was　having　a　tea　party　with　the　twins。

Blair　contemplatively　swirled　the　wine　in　her　glass。　It　was　nice　to　be　in　Newport；　where　she’d　spent　so　many　of　her　childhood　holidays。　Christmas　had　been　perfect：　They’d　spent　the　morning　opening　presents　underneath　the　gigantic　Douglas　fir；　then　taken　turns　helping　Pauline　and　Pierre　build　their　train　set。　She’d　gotten　a　pair　of　limited　edition　Chanel　booties　from　her　father；　and　she’d　spent　the　afternoon　curled　up　by　the　fire　reading　and　drinking　wine。　There’d　been　no　unexpected　surprises；　and　she　liked　it　that　way。

She　was　even　looking　forward　to　a　quiet　New　Year’s。　No　drama；　no　hangovers；　and　the　only　brushes　with　the　past　would　be　in　the　form　of　pleasant　memories。　The　house　smelled　like　oranges　and　cinnamon；　and　if　she　closed　her　eyes　she　could　imagine　herself　as　a　teenager；　annoyed　to　leave　New　York—and　Serena　and　Nate—for　boring；　lonely　Newport。

“It’s　good　to　have　you　back；　Bear；”　Harold　told　her。

It　felt　like　she’d　been　gone　forever。　Blair　was　spending　her　junior　year　at　St。　Peter’s　College　in　Oxford。　She’d　pictured　herself　living　in　one　of　the　Gothic　buildings　near　campus；　surrounded　by　posh　classmates　who　kept　flats　in　Sloane　Square；　attending　thought…provoking　lectures　given　by　aged　professors　who　drank　scotch　throughout　their　insightful　monologues。　But　as　had　so　often　happened　in　Blair’s　life；　things　hadn’t　quite　turned　out　as　she　planned。　She’d　been　assigned　to　live　in　the　basement　of　a　dorm；　where　her　hall　mates　were　shrill　girls　from　Mount　Holyoke。　Blair　hated　the　weather；　hated　the　snooty　Oxford　students　who　considered　her　a　second…class　citizen　because　she　was　American；　and　hated　the　fact　that　most　of　the　pubs　in　Oxford　closed　at　11　p。m。

It　was　almost　like　fate　intervening　one　cold　and　rainy　afternoon　in　mid…October。　She’d　been　riding　a　bike　to　the　library；　the　idea　of　which　she’d　thought　seemed　cute　and　quaint。　What　she　hadn’t　anticipated　was　how　difficult　it　was　to　bike　on　cobblestone。　She　wound　up　falling　in　the　center　of　town。　She　was　sitting　there　miserably；　soaked　from　the　rain；　knees　skinned；　when　like　a　knight　in　shining　armor；　he　appeared；　just　as　he　always　had；　she’d　just　never　noticed　him　before…。

“These　cookies　are　just　delicious；　Harold。”　Chuck　Bass　ambled　in　from　the　kitchen；　nibbling　on　one　of　the　snowman…shaped　sugar　cookies　Harold　had　baked　with　the　twins。　He　eased　down　onto　the　sofa　next　to　Blair。

Blair　smiled　and　squeezed　Chuck’s　hand。　It　was　Chuck　who　had　rescued　her　that　day；　except　instead　of　shining　armor　he　wore　Thomas　Pink；　and　instead　of　a　knight；　he　was　an　Oxford　University　scholar。　He’d　transferred　there　after　pleting　two　years　at　Deep　S