here。？
Dan？s ear was sweating now。 ？I wish I were there；？ he blurted out； unable to stop himself。
？Me too；？ Vanessa responded eagerly。 ？Seriously。？ Wait； was sheflirting with him？
？So maybe I will e over later；？ he ventured。 ？Dad and Jenny are away anyway； so I don？t
have to be home at any particular time。？
Is that so？
？Cool。？ Vanessa sounded distracted now。 ？Look； I？m gonna do something dumb like drink fixer
instead of my tea if I don？t hang up now。 I？ll see you later； okay？？
Dan could hardly wait。 ？Yeah； okay。？ He hung up。 Down the hall Sweetie was peeing on the
marble floor in front of the door to the history department offices。 Dan grinned at him。
Good boy。
D rethinks his summer plans
Dan？s cigarette hand shook violently as he watched his sister disappear into the men？s room；
followed by that arrogant stoner prince of the Upper East Side； Nate Archibald。 Jenny seemed to
be getting bolder and more self…assured as the year progressed； while he seemed to be regressing
back to the girl…less； friendless loser he？d been up until this year。 She？d even wrangled her way
into boarding school way after admissions for next year were closed； while he？d whittled his
options down to nothing。
The music was really loud now； and Vanessa and Serena had inspired half the room to get up and
dance。 Vanessa had kicked off her wedge…heeled shoes； baring her black…polished toes and pale；
deeply arched feet。 Dan loved to kiss the arches of her feet。 He could write sonnets about the
arches of her feet。 But that was back when Vanessa didn？t drink or dance or wear white or
anything but black jeans； black kneesocks； and Doc Martens。 She seemed