stuck your schedule up on the refrigerator so I？d know exactly where you are and what you？re
thinking about at all times； like the new and improved version of Big Brothers Big Sisters。
Anyway； I just wanted you to know that the mail came and there was a suspicious…looking
envelope from NYU addressed to you。 I couldn？t help but open it。 And guess what？You got in！ ？
？No fucking way！？ Vanessa？s body was already shot through with adrenaline from saying； ？I
love you；？ and nowthis 。 Not to be cheesy； but talk about orgasmic！
She？d never been sure of her chances of getting in early； and just to show the NYU admissions
office her artistic range and to prove how serious she was about being a film major； she？d sent
them the New York film essay that she？d shot over Christmas break。 Once she？d sent it in； she？d
worried they？d think she was trying too hard。 But now her worries were over。 They liked her！
They wanted her！ Vanessa could finally shake the bitchy； shallow shackles of Constance Billard
for good and focus on her craft at a place for serious artists like herself。
Dan was gazing up at her from the bed。 His sweet brown eyes seemed to be shining a little less
ecstatically than they had been before。
？I？m so proud of you； sweetie；？ Ruby crooned in her most motherly voice。 ？Will you be home
for dinner？ I？ve been reading Eastern European cookbooks。 I？m thinking of making pierogi。？
？Sure；？ Vanessa answered quietly； suddenly concerned about Dan。 He hadn？t applied anywhere
early； so it would be a couple months before he found out where he was going next year。 Dan was
so sensitive。 This was just the sort of thing that could throw him into an insecurity…induced
depression； the kind where he locked himself in his room and wrote poems about dying in a car
accident or something。 ？Thanks for letting me know；？ she told Ruby quickly。 ？I？ll see you later；
okay？？
Dan was still staring up at her expectantly as she clicked off the phone and dropped it on the
bed。 ？You got into NYU；？ he said； trying but failing to hide the note of accusation in his voice。 Oh；
how skinny and stupid and inadequate he was！ Not that he wasn？t happy for her； but Vanessa was
already into college； and he was just this scrawny guy who liked to write poems and who might
never get into college at all。 ？Wow；？ he added hoarsely。 ？That？s great。？
Vanessa flopped back on the bed and pulled the sheet up around them。 The room felt colder now
that the sweat of passion had cooled on their bodies。 ？It？s really no big deal；？ she argued； trying to
play down the excitement she？d exuded when she？d heard the news。 ？You？re the one with a poem
about to e out inThe New Yorker 。？
Over Christmas break； Vanessa had submitted Dan？s poem ？Sluts？ toThe New Yorker without
his knowing； and it had been accepted for publication in the Valentine？s Day double issue； which
would be out later that week。 ？I guess；？ Dan agreed； shrugging his shoulders dubiously。 ？But I still
don？t know anything 。 。 。 I mean； about myfuture 。？
Vanessa encircled Dan？s waist with her arms and pressed her cheek into his pale； ribby chest。
She still couldn？t believe she was going to NYU in the fall。 It was a sure thing； her destiny。 Still
trembling with excitement； she tried to focus on consoling Dan。 ？How many other
seventeen…year…old kids have you heard of with poems published inThe New Yorker ？ It？s
amazing；？ she murmured gently。 ？And as soon as the admissions officers at the colleges you
applied to find out about it； you？re going to get in everywhere you applied； and maybe even places
you didn？t。？
？Maybe；？ Dan responded hollowly。 It was easy for Vanessa to sound so confident。 She was
alreadyin 。
Vanessa propped herself up on one elbow。 There was one sure way of making Dan feel better； at
least for a little while。 ？Remember what we were doing right before Ruby called？？ she purred like
a mischievous black kitty cat。
Dan frowned up at her。 One black eyebrow was cocked at a sultry angle and her pale nostrils
were flared。 He hadn？t thought he？d be up to it anymore； but his body surprised him。 He pulled
Vanessa down on top of him and kissed her hard。 If anything could make a boy feel more like a
lion than a mouse； it was a little purring。
Me…ow。
==================================
ABC Amber LIT Converter v2。02
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Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events have been altered or abbreviated to
protect the innocent。 Namely； me。
hey people！
Serena？s Tears
The Les Best people didn？t waste any time getting their new perfume ad out and by now you？ve
all seen it。 Magnifique； non？ The perfume？s not available until April unless； like me； you have
access to things no one else does。 It？s a heady jasmine scent with subtle undertones of sandalwood
and patchouli。 I？m wearing it right now and I have to admit it？s just as divine as the ad。 But when
a certain blond is involved； we wouldn？t expect any less would we？
Teen heiress donates portion of inheritance to rehab
It seemsN ？s poor little rich girl has been bitten by the generosity bug。 To show her gratitude to
those who have helped her in the last few weeks she？s funding the construction of state…of…the…art
stables on Breakaway？s rambling Connecticut property。 The stables will house horses； pigs； goats；
dogs； cats； and chickens； which will be used for therapeutic purposes； of course。 Apparently
milking goats can work wonders on the drug…addled minds of coke fiends。 Let？s just hope our
beloved heiress keeps her hands off the stables？ medicine cabinet！
Your e…mail
Q：？ ？ Hi GG；
I？m an outpatient at Breakaway and I was there today when this girl with messy short hair and
fur boots came in and tossed her platinum credit card at the nurse at reception。 She wanted to book
a private room for two weeks； preferably with a view of the fountain。
Hello？They told her she couldn？t stay there unless she was harmful to herself or others； but that
she was wele to e to teen group if she wanted。
？sun
A：？ ？ Hello sun；
I？m surprised she didn？t try booking a series of facials！ If you？re in teen group I？d steer clear of
her。 It sounds like she？s on a mission。
？GG
Sightings
Jand her two new pals atBowlmor Lanes 。 They look so cute together； but I？ve been there； and
threesomes never work。S home sick from school on Friday with bronchitis。 That will teach her to
wear sundresses in February！B shopping for her rehab outfit in a vintage store onMulberry Street 。
If she？s going to get the part of the desperate junkie； she has to look authentic。D practicing for
theRivington Rover Poetry Club open mike on the subway； whispering to himself over the
clackety…clack of the train。
It？s time to get out and do something cultural for once。 See you at the open mike tonight！
You know you love me。
gossip girl
for the sake of her art
？I？m glad you？re here；？ Dan told Mystery as she ran her chewed…on； yellow…nailed fingers
through his fashionably tousled hair。 By total coincidence he and Mystery had arrived at the
Rivington Rover Poetry club at the same time； and for the last fifteen minutes they？d been
smoking unfiltered Camels and groping each other in a stall in the graffiti…ridden ladies？ room；
trying to get psyched up for their reading。 ？I？m kind of nervous。？
？Don？t be；？ Mystery loosened his narrow black tie and clasped his hand。 ？e on。 Let？s see
what we？ve got。？
They emerged from the ladies？ room hand in hand； Mystery in a transparent canary yellow silk
sheath through which her black cotton underwear was pletely visible； and Dan in his new
black suit： the Bonnie and Clyde of poetry。
The small； dark basement club was already crowded with people sipping coffee and lounging on
the tattered old sofas haphazardly dotting the room。 A random disco ball spun from the black
ceiling and over the sound system Morrissey whined a depressing song from his latest album。
The lights blinked on and off twice and a tiny Japanese girl wearing a black leotard and pink
ballet tights took the stage。 ？Wele all to open mike at Rivington Rover。 It is so special to have
you here；？ she whispered into the microphone。 ？Tonight two of New York？s most special poets
will recite for us simultaneously。 I？m honored to give the stage to Mystery Craze and Daniel
Humphrey！？
The dark； crowded room erupted in applause。
？I heard they stayed up all night on E and wrote a book together；？ somebody whispered。
？I heard they were husband and wife。？
？I heard they？re fraternal twins； separated at birth；？ remarked someone else。
Vanessa slipped into the back of the club unnoticed。 ？What kind of name is Mystery Craze？？ she
wondered as she put her camera to her eye and zoomed in on the stage。
Dan？s entire body was covered in a cold； freaked…out sweat。 Everything was happening so fast。
He hadn？t even had a chance to contemplate how he？d gone from writing strange； morose poetry
in notebooks no one ever read to performing onstage with an almost…famous girl in a cool club；
wearing a fancy designer suit。 But there was no time to doubt himself。 He？d acted in plays；
performed in Vanessa？s movies。 He was the new Rilke。 He peeled off his jacket； and rolled up his
sleeves。 He could do this。
Mystery was already waiting for him onstage； her bony fingers clenching the microphone in
white…knuckled anticipation。 Dan could see now that there were two mikes； one for him and one
for her。
？What？s your favorite noun？？ Mystery asked the audience in her low； husky voice。
？Pie！？ an obviously shitfaced ponytailed guy in the front row shouted back。
？You？re the antithesis of pie；？ Mystery hissed at Dan as he took the stage。 ？I want to eat you
alive。？
Dan cleared his throat and reached for the microphone stand to steady himself。 ？What？s your
favorite verb？？ he asked in response； surprised by how sure of himself he sounded。
？Sex；？ Mystery answered coolly。 She dropped to her hands and knees； slithering toward him with
the microphone between her teeth。 ？Sex；？ she repeated； crawling between his legs