第26部分(第4/7 頁)

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

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