第3部分(第1/7 頁)

his　hands　shaking　crazily。　If　only　he　could　have　pulled　off　some　heist　like　sabotaging　theThe　New

Yorker　？s　printing　presses　so　they　couldn？t　print　vowels　anymore。　Then　all　the　Valentine？s　Day

issues　would　have　been　recalled　from　the　newsstands　late　last　night。

As　if　he　could　ever　have　pulledthat　off。

？Yo；　dude；？　Dan　heard　the　familiar；　conceited　voice　of　his　least…favorite　Riverside　Prep　classmate

behind　him。　Dan　stopped　walking　and　turned　around　to　see　Chuck　Bass　flipping　his　signature　navy

blue　monogrammed　cashmere　scarf　over　one　shoulder　and　running　his　manicured　fingers　through

his　brown…and…blond　highlighted　hair。　？Nice　poem　inThe　New　Yorker　；　man。？　He　gave　Dan　a

congratulatory　clap　on　the　shoulder；　his　monogrammed　pinky　ring　glittering　in　the　winter

sunlight。　？Who　knew　you　were　such　a　stud？？

Was　there　something　distinctlygay　about　Chuck　Bass　these　days？　Or　perhaps　not。　Just　because

he？d　gotten　blond　highlights　and　was　wearing　a　slim；　cream…colored　wool　coat　by　Ralph

Laurenand　orange　leather　Prada　sneakers　didn？t　mean　he？d　given　up　molesting　defenseless；

drunken　girls　at　parties。　Perhaps　he　was　simply　expressing　himself。

There？s　certainly　nothing　wrong　with　that。

？Thanks；？　Dan　mumbled　as　he　fiddled　with　the　plastic　top　on　his　coffee　cup。　He　wondered　if

Chuck　was　planning　on　walking　all　the　way　to　school　with　him　so　they　could　discuss　his　poem。

But　then　Dan？s　cell　phone　rang；　saving　him　from　having　to　answer　Chuck？s　inane　questions　about

how　many　chicks　he？d　bagged　before　writing　the　poem；　or　whatever　Chuck　Bass　liked　to　talk

about　on　his　way　to　school　in　the　mornings。

Dan　put　the　phone　to　his　ear　and　Chuck　clapped　him　on　t