his mouth。
“Dan？” his sister squeaked into the phone。 “Can you hear me？ Did
you hear what I said？ Serena is back。 Serena van der Woodsen。”
Dan sucked in his breath sharply。 “Yeah； I heard you；” he said；
feigning disinterest。 “So what？”
“So what？” Jenny said incredulously。 “Oh； right； like you didn’t just
have a mini heart attack。 You’re so full of it； Dan。”
“No； I’m serious；” Dan said； pissily。 “What are you calling me for？
What do I care？”
Jenny sighed loudly。 Dan could be so irritating。 Why couldn’t he just
act happy for once？ She was so tired of his pale； miserable；
introspective…poet act。
“All right；” she said。 “Forget it。 I’ll talk to you later。”
She clicked off and Dan shoved his cell phone back into the pocket
of his faded black corduroys。 He snatched a pack of cigarettes out
of his back pocket and lit another one with the burning stub of the
one he was already smoking。 His thumbnail got singed； but he
didn’t even feel it。
Serena van der Woodsen。
They had first met at a party。 No； that wasn’t exactly true。 Dan had
seen her at a party； his party； the only one he’d ever had at his
family’s apartment on Ninety…ninth and West End Avenue。
It was April of eighth grade。 The party was Jenny’s idea； and their
father； Rufus Humphrey； the infamous retired editor of lesser…known
beat poets and a party animal himself