heading；　and　that　it　wasn’t　a　movie　after　all；　it　was　real。　So；　like　a

good　girl；　she　sat　up　and　made　Nate　stop。

She’d　kept　on　making　him　stop　right　on　up　until　today。　Only　two

nights　ago；　Nate　had　e　over　after　a　party　with　a　half…drunk　flask

of　brandy　in　his　pocket　and　had　lain　down　on　her　bed　and

murmured；　“I　want　you；　Blair。”　Once　again；　Blair　had　wanted　to

scream　and　jump　on　top　of　him；　but　she　resisted。　Nate　fell　asleep；

snoring　softly；　and　Blair　lay　down　next　to　him　and　imagined　that　she

and　Nate　were　starring　in　a　movie　in　which　they　were　married　and

he　had　a　drinking　problem；　but　she　would　stand　by　him　always　and

love　him　forever；　even　if　he　occasionally　wet　the　bed。

Blair　wasn’t　trying　to　be　a　tease；　she　just　wasn’t　ready。　She　and

Nate　had　barely　seen　each　other　at　all　over　the　summer　because

she　had　gone　to　that　horrible　boot　camp　of　a　tennis　school　in　North

Carolina；　and　Nate　had　gone　sailing　with　his　father　off　the　coast　of

Maine。　Blair　wanted　to　make　sure　that　after　spending　the　whole

summer　apart　they　still　loved　each　other　as　much　as　ever。　She　had

wanted　to　wait　to　have　sex　until　her　seventeenth　birthday　next

month。

But　now　she　was　through　with　waiting。

Nate　was　looking　better　than　ever。　The　moss…green　sweater　had

turned　his　eyes　a　dark；　sparkling　green；　and　his　wavy　brown　hair

was　streaked　with　golden　blo