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ight；　he　was　an　Oxford　University　scholar。　He’d　transferred　there　after　pleting　two　years　at　Deep　Springs；　and　ever　since　their　paths　crossed　that　fateful　day；　they’d　been　practically　inseparable。

“I’ll　give　you　the　recipe；”　Harold　offered；　smiling　at　the　pliment。　“As　if　you　can　really　cook　in　those　horrible　dorms　Blair’s　plained　to　me　about。　Many　times；”　he　added　with　a　teasing　wink　at　his　daughter。

Blair　rolled　her　eyes。　“I　was　thinking　about　moving　to　a　flat　in　town　when　we　get　back。　We　could　probably　find　something　on　College　Street。”　Right　now；　Chuck　lived　with　a　bunch　of　his　rowing　buddies　in　a　house　on　the　mortifyingly　named　Titmarsh　Lane。　It　would　be　nice　to　have　a　little　more　privacy；　and　a　bigger　bed。

And　a　better　mailing　address？

“If　that’s　okay　with　you；　Daddy；”　Blair　added。

“Wonderful；”　Harold　said。　He’d　always　trusted　Blair　pletely。

Blair　sighed　happily　and　nuzzled　closer　to　Chuck。　She　couldn’t　believe　this　was　the　same　Chuck　Bass　she’d　known　growing　up。　He　was　sweet　and　sensitive　and　got　along　well　with　everyone。　Blair　imagined　them　settling　down　in　Sloane　Square。　She’d　be　a　barrister；　he’d　work　as　a　banker　in　Canary　Wharf；　and　they’d　have　three　children　with　adorable　accents　and　picnic　in　Kensington　Gardens　on　weekends。

“Moving　in　already。　Sounds　serious！”　Harold　said　with　a　twinkle　in　his　eye。

“I　apologize　for　your　meddling　dad；”　Giles　piped　up　from　his　tea　party　in　the　corner。　“That’s　why　I　prefer　hanging　out　with　the　knee…high　set。”　Giles　ruffled　Pierre’s　dark　hair。

Suddenly；　the　sound　of　the　doorbell　filled　the　house。

“Did　we　order　something？”　Giles　asked。

Blair　threw　the　plaid　blanket　from　her　knees；　ran　to　the　entryway；　and　flung　open　the　door；　half　expecting　to　find　a　singing　messenger　or　some　over…the…top　surprise　that　Chuck　or　her　generous　father　had　planned　for　her　as　a　post…Christmas　surprise。　A　car？　A　pony？　A　private　plane　to　sweep　them　all　off　to　St。　Barts　for　New　Year’s？

Instead；　her　eyes　fell　on　Serena　van　der　Woodsen；　Nate　Archibald；　that　younger　girl　who’d　been　kicked　out　of　Constance　for　extreme　sluttiness；　and　her　shaggy…haired　older　brother；　who　she’d　heard　Serena　was　actually　seeing。　It　was　like　a　band　of　carolers　gone　wrong。

What。　The。　Fuck？　Was　this　some　sort　of　joke？　A　hallucination　from　too　many　glasses　of　red　wine　and　not　enough　exercise？

Or　a　late　visit　from　the　Ghosts　of　Christmas　Past？

“What　the　hell　are　you　doing　here？”　Blair　asked　rudely。　The　shaggy…haired　guy　awkwardly　shifted　his　weight　from　foot　to　foot；　as　if　he　had　to　pee。

“We’ll　leave。　Sorry　for　the　confusion；”　he　said　quickly；　turning　on　the　sole　of　his　ugly　loafer。

Serena　finally　managed　to　clear　her　throat。　Of　course　she’d　suggested　staying　at　Blair’s　house；　but　the　thought　that　Blair　might　actually　be　here　hadn’t　even　occurred　to　her。　“Yeah；　we’ll　find　a　hotel　in　town。”　Serena　glanced　nervously　at　Blair；　whose　veins　were　throbbing　at　her　temples。　This　was　not　how　she　wanted　to　see　her　former　best　friend　for　the　first　time　after　a　year　apart。　Blair　had　gone　to　Oxford　to　get　away　from　Serena；　and　now　here　she　was；　standing　on　her　doorstep　like　a　stalker。

“Hey　guys！”　Chuck　said；　sidling　up　next　to　Blair。　Serena　tried　to　stop　the　gasp　that　formed　in　her　throat。　What　was　Chuck　Bass　doing　here？　Chuck’s　hand　rested　protectively　on　Blair’s　petite　shoulder。　Was　he…　with　Blair？　“Dan　Humphrey；　long　time　no　see；”　he　said　enthusiastically；　reaching　out　a　hand。

“Hi　Chuck；”　Dan　muttered；　limply　shaking　Chuck’s　hand。　He　hadn’t　thought　it　was　possible　for　the　night　to　get　any　weirder；　but　apparently；　it　could。　What　the　fuck　was　his　Riverside　Prep　nemesis　doing　here；　in　a　pair　of　cashmere　pajamas？

“Who　do　we　have　here？”　Harold　boomed　as　he　strode　down　the　entryway。　“Serena　van　der　Woodsen　and　Nate　Archibald！　Why　didn’t　you　tell　me　they　were　ing；　Bear？”　Harold　cried；　kissing　Serena　on　both　cheeks　and　leaning　in　to　clap　Nate　on　the　back。　“e　in；　e　in！”　Harold　escorted　everyone　inside；　pumping　hands　enthusiastically　as　if　he　were　an　ambassador。

To　a　very　hostile　country？

“Thanks；　sir！”　Serena　said　weakly　as　she　shuffled　into　the　house。　She　didn’t　really　have　a　choice。

“So；　what　brings　you　this　way？”　Harold　asked；　throwing　more　logs　onto　the　crackling　fire　and　settling　back　into　his　leather　wingback　chair　as　if　preparing　for　an　all…night　chat。　Jenny；　Nate；　and　Dan　all　clustered　around　Serena；　delegating　explanation　responsibilities　to　her。

“Mr。　Waldorf；　I’m　really　sorry　to　intrude。　This　is　my　boyfriend；　Dan　Humphrey。”　Serena　emphasized　the　word　boyfriend。　Maybe　if　Blair　knew　she　wasn’t　with　Nate；　she’d　soften　a　little。　“And　his　sister；　Jenny。　Jenny　was　visiting　colleges　and　ran　into　Nate　on　a　tour　of　Brown。　And　we　were　all　driving　back　to　the　city　and　got　stuck　in　the　snow。”　She　shrugged；　as　if　that　explained　everything。

Blair　narrowed　her　eyes。　Of　course　Serena　would　play　the　Miss　Innocent　card；　as　if　they’d　just　happened　to　be　driving　right　past　the　Newport　house。　Newport　wasn’t　exactly　in　Brown’s　backyard。

“So　you　just　ran　into　each　other？”　Blair　asked　icily。

“Yeah。”　Nate　tried　to　catch　Blair’s　eye。　In　his　time　at　Deep　Springs；　he’d　almost　forgotten　how　pretty　she　was。　Her　hair　framed　her　small；　fine…featured　face；　her　eyes　were　bright；　and　she　wore　a　black　sweater　that　hugged　her　petite　frame。　Nate　forced　himself　to　glance　away。　She　looked　happy　now。　The　last　thing　he　wanted　to　do　was　get　in　the　way。　“We　can　leave。　Blair；　we’ll　leave；”　he　repeated　quietly；　trying　to　let　Blair　know　that　he　wasn’t　here　to　fuck　up　her　life。

Again。

“In　this　weather？　Nonsense！　We’re　thrilled　to　have　you。　I　see　Pierre　and　Pauline　have　already　made　a　friend！”　Harold　nodded　to　the　corner；　where　Jenny　was　kneeling　on　the　Oriental…carpeted　floor；　patiently　asking　the　twins　about　their　train　set。　“It’s　almost　their　bedtime。　Almost　my　bedtime；　too；”　Harold　chuckled；　draining　the　last　of　his　wine。　“But　we　have　plenty　of　food；　and　we　all　know　Blair　has　plenty　of　clothes　to　share　with　the　girls。　Our　house　is　your　house；　so　please；　make　yourselves　at　home。　It’ll　be　like　a　big　pajama　party！”

Hooray！

“We’ll　set　Serena　and　Dan　up　in　the　downstairs　guest　room。　Jennifer；　you　can　have　the　upstairs；　and　Nate　gets　the　attic。　Will　that　work？”

Blair　shrugged。　“Fine。　Chuck　and　I　are　going　to　bed；”　she　announced；　grabbing　Chuck’s　elbow　and　yanking　him　up　the　stairs。　Hopefully　by　tomorrow　morning　the　snow　would　have　stopped　and　they　could　all　go　back　to　wherever　the　fuck　they　came　from。　Better　yet；　she’d　wake　up　and　discover　this　was　all　just　a　big；　terrible　nightmare。

Sleep　tight！

nice　day　for　an　imaginary　white　wedding

Jenny　woke　up　to　sunlight　streaming　onto　her　face。　She　stretched　lazily；　reveling　in　the　softness　of　the　goose…down　pillows　surrounding　her。　The　delicate　hands　of　the　silver　clock　on　the　nightstand　pointed　to　7　a。m。　She　was　momentarily　disoriented；　then　remembered　that　she　was　at　Blair　Waldorf’s　Newport　house。

It　had　been　awkward　when　they’d　first　arrived。　Everyone　had　guiltily　headed　to　the　rooms　Harold　assigned　them；　but　Jenny　had　lain　awake　in　bed；　thinking　about　Nate　in　the　attic　above　her。

She　swung　her　feet　onto　the　walnut　floor　and　looked　out　one　of　the　east…facing　bay　windows。　Frost　covered　the　windowpanes；　and　in　the　distance　she　could　see　the　ocean；　waves　slowly　rolling　toward　the　shore。　The　expansive　land　surrounding　the　house　was　covered　with　a　thick　blanket　of　snow；　and　icicles　hung　on　the　branches　of　the　fir　trees　that　edged　the　slate　walkway。　Snow　was　still　falling　heavily。　Jenny　felt　a　shiver　of　anticipation　run　up　her　spine。　How　could　she　possibly　sleep　when　she　was　in　such　a　beautiful　place？

She　carefully　pushed　the　door　open　and　padded　down　the　lengthy　hallway；　bringing　her　sketchbook　and　a　pencil　from　her　bag。　She’d　head　to　the　attic　and　sketch　the　snowstorm；　and　if　she　just　happened　to　run　into　a　boxer…clad　Nate；　she　wouldn’t　plain。

She　slowly　tiptoed　up　the　creaky　stairs　that　led　to　the　attic　and　gasped。　She’d　been　imagining　a　creepy；　cobwebby　crawl　space。　Instead；　Oriental　rugs　covered　the　dark　oak　floors。　Louis　Vuitton　steamer　trunks　and　abandoned　antique　furniture　vied　for　space。　Clothes　were　hanging　on　coatracks；　and　bookshelves　were　overflowing　with　first　editions。　The　old　sleigh　bed　in　the　corner　looked　slept　in；　but　Nate　wasn’t　in　it。　She　couldn’t　be　disappointed；　though—there　was　so　much　else　to　look　at。

Jenny　timidly　pulled　open　one　of　the　doors　of　an　antique…looking　wardrobe。

“Oh！”　she　breathed　in　surprise。　Packed　in　the　small　space　were　dresses　of　all　different　colors　and　styles；　hundreds　of　thousands　of　dollars’　worth　of　couture。　It　was　even　better　than　shopping　at　Next　to　New；　the　vintage　store　in　Rhinecliff　that　all　the　Waverly　girls　visited　when　they　needed　a　one…of…a…kind　party　outfit。　Jenny　found　herself　pulling　out　a　short　Nina　Ricci　sparkly　halter　dress。　It　probably　hadn’t　been　worn　or　even　looked　at　in　years。　It　was　practically　her　duty　to　try　it　on。

She　wedged　herself　behind　the　wardrobe；　pulled　off　the　baby　pink　Senior　Spa　Weekend　T…shirt　she’d　found　in　the　guest　room；　and　shimmied　into　the　dress。

She　scampered　over　to　a　freestanding　mirror　and　gazed　at　herself。　Her　chest　didn’t　look　as　ginormous　as　usual；　and　her　petite　frame　was　lengthened　by　the　halter　straps。　She　shook　her　curls　around　her　face。　She　felt　like　she　was　headed　to　a　party　at　Studio　54。

Jenny　continued　to　paw　through　the　dresses　in　the　wardrobe　until　she　came　to　an　oversize　garment　bag。　It　was　taller　than　she　was　and　could　fit　a　person　inside。

We　may　need　that　body　bag　soon…。

She　wrestled　the　hanger　off　the　rack　and　pulled　the　heavy　garment　to　the　bed。　Then　she　unzipped　the　bag；　revealing　a　white　wedding　dress　with　a　heavily　beaded　bodice　and　a　long　train。　It　probably　cost　more　than　a　year　at　RISD；　but　she　had　to　try　it　on。　She　yanked　the　Nina　Ricci　dress　over　her　head　and　dropped　it　on　the　floor　in　a　sequined　puddle。　Next；　she　stepped　into　the　wedding　gown　feetfirst　and　pulled　the　heavy　bodice　up　her　torso。　She　struggled　with　the　zipper　at　the　back；　finally　giving　up　when　it　was　halfway　done。　Her　boobs　easily　held　it　up　anyway。

Jenny　eagerly　scampered　over　to　the　mirror　and　sucked　in　her　breath。　She　looked　beautiful。

If　she　does　say　so　herself。

Jenny　smiled　at　her　reflection　and　a　pretty；　rosy…cheeked　bride　smiled　back。　Would　she　ever　get　married？　And　to　whom？　She’d　spent　the　past　four　years　of　her　life　falling　in　and　out　of　love　with　various　boys。　How　could　you　possibly　only　kiss　and　love　one　person　for　the　rest　of　your　life？

Jenny　twirled　again；　then　paused。　Were　those　footsteps　on　the　other　side　of　the　door？　She　looked　around　for　a　place　to　hide。　A　steamer　trunk？　The　wardrobe？

The　body　bag？

Too　late。　A　door　on　the　other　side　of　the　attic　opened；　and　Nate　wandered　out。　He　wore　a　pair　of　blue　boxers　with　sailboats　printed　on　them　and　his　hair　was　sticking　up　in　every　direction。

“Hi！”　Jenny　squeaked；　her　hands　flying　to　her　chest。

“Jennifer？”　Nate　blinked。　Was　this　some　weird　dream？　He　opened　his　eyes　again。　She　was　standing　there　all　right。　Dressed　in　a　wedding　dress　that　created　amazing　cleavage　and　made　her　look　innocent　and　sexy　as　hell　all　at　once。

“I　was　just　exploring。　Sorry！　I’m　just　going　to　take　the　dress　off。　I　mean；　I’m　going　to　change！”　Jenny　said　quickly；　even　though　she　kind　of　liked　the　way　Nate　was　looking　at　her。　“I　didn’t　think　you　were　here。”

“I　was　in　the　bathroom。”

Nate　grinned；　causing　cute　crinkles　to　emerge　around　his　sleepy　green　eyes。　“The　dress　looks　nice。　You　look　nice；”　Nate　clarified；　his　eyes　flicking　from　her　chest　up　to　her　large　dark　brown　eyes；　and　then；　without　meaning　to；　to　the　old　antique　sleigh　bed　behind　her。

“You　look　nice　too；”　Jenny　said；　hooking　her　dark　curls　behind　her　small　ears。　She　grinned。

“Thanks。”　Nate　willed　his　bare　feet　to　remain　planted　on　the　cold　beams　of　the　floor。　Girls　made　him　crazy；　an　unproductive；　pot…smoking　mess。　The　past　year　at　Deep　Springs　he’d　worked　harder　than　he　had　in　his　life　and　had　finally　lived　up　to　his　potential　in　school。　And　it　was　all　because　he’d　given　up　chicks。　They’re　bad　for　you；