so it wasn？t hard to figure out。 Then she crumpled the receipt into a tight little ball and walked
past the skinny blond boy； tossing the balled…up receipt hard at his back and spinning through the
revolving doors before he had a chance to see who she was。
Blair Waldorf making an effort to do something nice for someone else？ Talk about a makeover！
This was more than just a Jiffy Lube change of hairstyle。 Like a true diva； she was going for the
entire weekend spa package； including the spiritual overhaul。
as if he didn？t have it good enough already
Just as Aaron had suspected； there was a cream…colored envelope from Harvard waiting for him
beside the Spode china milk jug of white roses on the side table in the foyer of his father and
stepmother？s East Seventy…second Street penthouse apartment。 Aaron let an extremely thirsty
Mookie tear down the hall to the kitchen with his leash still on and picked up the letter with rigid
fingers。 Serena was waiting expectantly behind him； but he would really rather have opened it
alone。What if he didn？t get in？
Serena slipped out of her coat and tossed it on the blue toile？upholstered chair in the corner。 ？I？ll
still love you no matter what；？ she said breathlessly。
Aaron stared down at the envelope； annoyed at himself for feeling so tense。 He was usually
pretty mellow about this kind of thing。 ？Fuck it；？ he declared under his breath and tore open the
sealed envelope。 He unfolded the neatly creased cream…colored piece of paper and read the short
paragraph typed on it； twice。 Then he looked up at Serena。 ？Uh…oh。？
Her face fell。 What a horrible thing for her sweet love to go through！ ？Oh； poor baby。 I？m so
sorry。？
Aaron handed her the letter and she glanced at it reluctantly。
Dear Mr。 Rose； We have reviewed your application and we are very pleased to inform you of
your acceptance to Harvard University？s class of？Serena？s blue eyes were suddenly
enormous。 ？You got in！ Oh baby； you got in！？
Behind them； Myrtle； the cook； walked briskly down the hall with a drooling； panting Mookie
trailing after her。 Her light yellow maid？s uniform was spattered with something orangey…red and
she looked pissed。
？Myrtle； Aaron got intoHarvard ；？ Serena announced proudly。 She put her arms around her
boyfriend and gave him a squeeze。 ？Isn？t that amazing？？
Myrtle was unimpressed。 She thrust Mookie？s leash at Aaron； her fleshy wrists jangling with
gold bracelets and her work…weary hands smelling of onions。 ？Better take that dog with you where
you？re going；？ she chided before stomping back to the kitchen in her new white Nike tennis shoes。
Serena and Aaron grinned mischievously at each other。 ？I think this calls for a little celebration；
don？t you？？ Aaron asked； his relief mutating instantaneously into cockiness。
Serena tweaked his adorable freckled nose with a slender forefinger。 ？I know where they keep
the champagne。？
Blair rode the elevator up to her family？s penthouse overlooking Central Park at Seventy…second
Street。 When the elevator doors rolled open she instantly recognized Serena？s new navy blue
cashmere pea coat flung carelessly on top of the toile Louis XVI chaise in the foyer。 It was still
hard to get used to the idea of Serena hanging out at her house when she wasn？t even home。
？Blair？？ Serena？s voice echoed out of the former guest room； which now belonged to
Aaron。 ？Get in here。 Where have you been？？
？Hold on；？ Blair called。 She pulled off her light blue duffle coat and hung it up in the coat closet。
She didn？t really feel like explaining her drastic new look to Serena and Aaron while they were
sitting around in their underwear or something equally nauseating； but she didn？t see how she
could get out of it。 If she ignored them； they？d soon be banging her door down； bouncing up and
down on her bed； and demanding her attention like immature imbeciles。
The smell of herbal cigarette smoke wafted out into the hall。 ？Hey；？ she called； standing outside
the half…opened door。
？e on in；？ Aaron slurred。 After two glasses of Dom Perignon he was already tipsy。 ？We？re
having a party。？
Blair pushed open the door。 The room had been redecorated for Aaron in shades of aubergine and
cerulean； with funky fifties gray metal shutters in the windows instead of curtains and giant vinyl
beanbag chairs on the floor to lounge around on。 The woven organic hemp mat covering the
hardwood floor was littered with CD cases； puter games； DVDs； music magazines； and library
books about Jamaican Rasta culture and the evils of the meat industry。 Serena and Aaron were
sitting on the disheveled Edwardian four…poster bed； drinking champagne out of her mother？s best
crystal flutes；in their underwear ； just as Blair had predicted。 Actually； Serena was wearing one of
Aaron？s oversized hunter green BRONXDALEATHLETICT…shirts； with her white satin La Perla
panties peeking out from underneath it。
Well； at least it wasnice underwear。
Blair was about to ask what the big occasion was when Serena blurted out； ？Aaron got in！ He got
into Harvard！？
Blair stared at them； bile rising in her throat。 It was hard enough to look at Serena？s gorgeous
abundance of long； pale blond hair now that her own hair was sitting in a trash can back on
Fifty…seventh Street； but the smug smile on Aaron？s annoying dreadlocked face was enough to
make her want to projectile vomit all over his stupid cruelty…free rug。
？Pull up a beanbag；？ Aaron offered。 He pointed to the Harvard mug sitting on his desk。 ？That
mug？s pretty clean if you want some champagne。？
Serena waved a sheet of cream…colored paper in the air。 ？Listen to this。 ？Dear Mr。 Rose；？？ she
read aloud。 ？？We have reviewed your application and we are very pleased to inform you of your
acceptance to Harvard University？s class of？？？
Blair had gone to the hair salon without eating any lunch； and this little we…love…Aaron
worshipfest was making her dizzy with disgust。She was the one who should have been openingher
early acceptance letter； but after her botched interview Constance Billard？s college advisor had
told her it was best not to apply early。 Getting into Yale had been Blair？s sole mission in life？well；
besides marrying Nate Archibald and living happily every after in the ivy…covered brick town
house just off Fifth that she already had picked out？but now she？d have to wait until April along
with all the rest of the morons in her class to find out if she？d even gotten in。 It was pletely
unfair。
？Sorry； Blair。？ Aaron sipped his champagne。 He？d always been supersensitive about ruffling
Blair？s feathers； but he was feeling too good about himself right now to bother。 ？I？m not going to
apologize for getting in。 I deserve this。？
As if the enormous new science wing his father？s development pany built on campus last
year had absolutely nothing to do with it。
？Fuck you；？ Blair replied。 ？In case you forgot； I would be hearing from Yale right now if you
hadn？t kept me up drinking shit beer and eating crappy junk food in that gross motel room the
night before my interview。？
Aaron rolled his eyes。 ？I never told you to kiss your interviewer。？
Serena let out a little snort and Blair glared at her。
？Sorry；？ Serena apologized quickly。 ？e on； Blair；？ she coaxed。 ？You？re； like； the best student
in our class。 You？re totally getting in。 You just have to wait until April to find out。？
Blair kept on glaring at her。 She didn？t want to wait until April。 She wanted to knownow 。
Aaron lit another herbal cigarette and tilted his chin toward the ceiling to blow a few smoke rings。
Already there seemed to be a sort of lazy； superior air about him； as if he knew he could just drink
champagne all day for the rest of second semester and still go to Harvard。 The fucker。
？Hey；？ he yawned。 ？I have to head up to Scarsdale to practice with my band； but let？s go out
later to celebrate。？
Serena stood up on the bed and did a few jumping jacks； as if she really needed the
exercise。 ？Definitely。？
Blair watched Serena？s gorgeous hair fly up into the air above her head and then cascade prettily
down onto her shoulders as Aaron blew more smoke rings。 All of a sudden； Blair couldn？t stand to
be in the same room with them。 ？I have homework to do；？ she huffed； reaching up to feel her new
hairdo as she turned to leave。
？Oh my God！？ Serena cried； vaulting off of Aaron？s bed。 ？Wait； Blair？yourhair ！？
Nice of her to finally notice。
Blair stopped in the doorway and put a hand to where her dark hair fell in a clean line at the nape
of her neck。 ？I like it；？ she declared defensively。
Serena walked around her like she was one of those Greek marble statues on the main floor of
the Met。 ？Oh my God！？ she repeated and reached out to tuck a flyaway hair behind
Blair？s ear。 ？Ilove it！？ she exclaimed； a little too enthusiastically。
Blair wrinkled her pert nose suspiciously。 Did Serena really love it； or was she just being fake？ It
was always so hard to tell。
？You look exactly like Audrey Hepburn；？ Aaron remarked from the bed。
Blair knew he was only saying what she wanted to hear to make up for being such a smug
asshole about getting into Harvard。 She thought about mentioning her Yale alum interview with
Owen Wells on Thursday night but decided to keep the interview to herself。 ？Excuse me；？ she told
them coldly。 ？I have stuff to do。？
Serena watched Blair leave and then climbed back onto the bed beside Aaron。 She picked up the
letter from Harvard and folded it up； carefully tucking it inside the envelope again。 ？I？m so proud
of you；？ she murmured； falling into Aaron？s arms and kissing him。
Eventually Aaron pulled away； but Serena kept her eyes closed； licking the sweet herbal
aftertaste of his kiss from her lips。 ？I love you；？ she heard herself say。 The words seemed to have
just fallen out of her mouth。 She opened her eyes dreamily。
Aaron had never told a girl he loved her； and he hadn？t planned to say it to Serena； at least not
right away。 But it had already been an amazing day； and she was so pletely gorgeous with her
cheeks all flushed and her pe