； anyway？？
？Just planning a little summer getaway。 Thought I？d give my brother a call。 And where are you
exactly？？
？Connecticut；？ Erik told her。 ？I thought Dad might be calling to say they were ing out。？
Serena glanced through the French doors into the living room； where Nate was chasing Blair
around a buttoned…leather ottoman； trying to stick cornichons in her ears。 ？We？re taking a road
trip；？ Serena told him。 ？You want to e？ We？ve got room in the car for one more。？
And maybe she didn？t feel like being the third wheel？
？Tempting。 But I？m kind of digging it up here。 How about a pit stop in Ridgefield instead？？
She did some quick mental planning？they could crash here today； then head out tomorrow
morning。 Then maybe she could convince Blair and Nate to spend a night in Ridgefield； and
hopefully someone would realize that the next day was her birthday。 ？I think we can arrange that。？
Serena said goodbye to her bother； replacing the phone on her dad？s desk。 She glanced toward
the closet； wondering idly if her parents had stashed a surprise birthday present for her somewhere
in the apartment。
Aren？t surprises always the most fun？
Blair yawned？the kind of deep yawn you feel all through your body？and ran Serena？s Mason
Pearson brush through her hair roughly。 She？d never been one of those
one…thousand…strokes…of…the…brush…before…bed types but still； it couldn？t hurt。 It was only eight
o？clock in the morning and the sun was streaming in through the window； but it seemed like years；
not hours； since she？d had a proper night？s sleep。
？I can？t believe I？m so tired。？ Serena collapsed onto the wide plain of her bed； arms and legs
st