omeone； to let the world know she was still alive despite
everything。 The thing was； she absolutelydreaded speaking to every single person she knew；
including her gay； France…living dad； whom she had always counted on to cheer her up。 If only
there were someone else； someone new and different who？
Actually； there wasone person she could bear to speak to。 And why the fuck shouldn？t she call
him when he had called her pletely out of the blue last week while she was getting her hair
cut？
She speed…dialed Nate？s cell phone number； and； to her surprise； he answered it。
？Natie？？ Blair crooned into the phone。 ？I heard all about what happened。 Howare you？ Are you
okay？？
？Yeah； actually I？m really good；？ Nate responded； sounding suspiciously unstoned。 ？My dad？s
still pretty pissed off about what happened； and I don？t know how it？s going to affect my chances
at Brown； but I？m still good。？
Blair pointed her bare toes into the air and frowned at the day…old cotton…candy…pink polish that
she？d painted on herself out of plete boredom。 ？You poor baby；？ she sighed
sympathetically。 ？Rehab must totally suck。？
？Um； actually？and I know this sounds weird？I？m starting to kind oflike it；？ Nate admitted。 ？I
wish it wasn？t such a haul to get up there； but it？s a really cool； modern place； and it？s kind of； I
don？t know 。 。 。relaxing to do something totally unrelated to school。？
？Really？？ Blair fluffed up the pillows behind her and sat up in bed。 Rehab wasrelaxing ？ Maybe
it was exactly what she needed？a respite from the travails of her quotidian existence。 She could
picture herself wrapped in a downy white spa robe； her face lathered in green clay ma