room; reading morbid; existentialist poetry about the bitter fate of
being human。 He was pale; his hair was shaggy; and he was rock…
star thin。
Existentialism has a way of killing your appetite。
“Guess who’s back?” Dan heard his little sister squeal excitedly into
the phone。
Like Dan; Jenny was a bit of a loner; and when she needed someone
to talk to; she always called him。 She was the one who had bought
them both cell phones。
“Jenny; can’t this wait—” Dan started to say; sounding annoyed in
the way that only older brothers can。
“Serena van der Woodsen!” Jenny interrupted him。 “Serena is back
at Constance。 I saw her in Prayers。 Can you believe it?”
Dan watched a plastic coffee…cup lid skitter down the sidewalk。 A
red Saab sped down West End Avenue through a yellow light。 His
socks felt damp inside his brown suede Hush Puppies。
Serena van der Woodsen。 He took a long drag on his Camel。 His
hands were shaking so much he almost missed 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