gossip girl 11 英文-第38章

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Ruby　laughed；　and　Vanessa　could　hear　her　mumbling　to　

Piotr　in　the　background　in　some　insane　language　she　couldn？t　understand。　Probably　Martian。　

？Don？t　worry　about　that。　The　ceremony　is　a　week　from　Saturday；　a　picnic　kind　of　thing　at　
Prospect　Park？so　it？s　totally　casual。　Everyone？s　bringing　some　food　and　wearing　their　own　
clothes　anyway。？　Vanessa　could　hear　the　click　of　her　sister？s　lighter　and　then　the　sound　of　her　
exhaling　as　she　blew　out　the　first　drag。　Ruby　never　smoked　before　she　met　Piotr。Was　？Eurotrash？　
a　contagious　disease？　

And　is　there　a　vaccine？　

？Thank　God。？　Vanessa　held　the　coffee　up　to　her　lips；　letting　the　steam　float　over　her　skin。　？You　
really　had　me　worried　there　for　a　second。？　？Listen；　the　bachelorette　party　is　on　Thursday。　You？re　
kind　of　supposed　to　plan　it。　I？ve　got　some　ideas　though；　so　don？t　worry　too　much。？　Bachelorette　
party？Plan　it？　？Yeah；？　Vanessa　managed　to　mumble　while　taking　another　sip　of　her　coffee；　which　
tasted　like　ass。　？I　guess。？　Was　there　some　unwritten　rule　that　all　coffee　in　the　Humphreys？　
apartment　had　to　be　terrible？　

？Of　course　you？re　going　to　film　the　whole　wedding；　too。　And　before　I　forget；　listen？can　you　ask　
Dan　if　he？ll　write　a　poem　to　read　at　the　reception？　You　know；　something　about　love；　that　kind　of　
thing。　Piotr？s　friends　are　planning　some　performance　art；　but　we？d　like　someone　to　read　
something　and　don？t　know　any　other　poets。　It　would　mean　a　lot　to　us。？　Vanessa　snorted　into　the　
phone。　Straight　love　poems　weren？t　exactly　Dan？s　thing。　

？Anyway；　listen；　I　have　to　run？I　have　a　dress　fitting　at　Kleinfeld　first　thing　in　the　morning　and　I　
gotta　get　some　sleep。　Oh；　and　my　last　gig　as　a　single　woman　is　on　Monday　at　the　Galapagos　Art　


Space？if　you？re　free；　e　check　it　out！？　There　was　a　click；　and　then　the　dial　tone　began　buzzing　
rudely　in　Vanessa？s　ear。　Waking　up　early　for　adress　fitting？　Ruby　reallyhad　been　abducted　by　
aliens。　

？My　sister？s　getting　married；？　Vanessa　intoned　flatly；　staring　at　a　postcard　of　some　really　old　
building　in　Prague　that　Jenny　had　sent。　The　building　was　so　pletely　covered　in　pigeon　shit　it　
looked　like　it　was　made　of　wax。　

？Are　youserious　？？　Ruby　was　the　last　person　Dan　ever　thought　would　get　married？except　for　
maybe　Vanessa。　Vanessa　had　told　him　once　that　she　thought　marriage　was　all　about　money　and　
status　and　that　it　always　had　been；　all　throughout　history？in　the　Middle　Ages　it　was　practically　a　
form　of　slavery。　Still；　Dan　had　always　believed　that　someday　he　would　get　to　watch　Vanessa　walk　
moodily　down　the　aisle　in　a　long　black　dress；　carrying　a　bunch　of　brilliant　white　daisies。　He？d　
even　written　a　poem　about　it。　But　now　he　was　gay；　and　gay　marriage　wasn？t　evenlegal　in　New　
York。　

？。　。　。　anyway；　she　wants　you　to　write　a　poem　and　read　it　at　the　ceremony。？Vanessa？s　voice　broke　
into　Dan？s　thoughts。　

？Who？　Me？？　Dan　tied　the　sleeves　of　the　fuchsia　jumpsuit　around　his　shoulders　like　a　cape？that　
was　the　only　way　it　was　ever　going　to　fit。　

？Yeah。？　Vanessa　downed　the　rest　of　her　coffee　in　one　gulp。　？You。　The　one　in　the　cape。？　Supergay？　
Captain　Gaypants？　

Dan　scratched　his　head。　Ever　since　his　recent　？revelation；？　he　hadn？t　felt　much　like　writing。　In　
fact；　he　hadn？t　written　a　single　word　since　he？d　kissed　Greg。　It　was　as　if　all　his　confused　feelings　
were　trapped　inside；　circulating　furiously；　and　he　couldn？t　get　any　of　them　out　and　onto　the　
page。　？But；　what？s　it　supposed　to　be　about？？　he　wondered　aloud；　rubbing　his　unshaven　cheek　
against　the　magenta　silk。　The　only　thing　he　could　possibly　write　about　right　now　was　penis…shaped　
cream　puffs；　and　he　didn？t　think　that　was　going　to　go　over　too　well　at　a　wedding。　Even　a　European　
one。　

？I　don？t　know。？　Vanessa　pulled　out　a　chair　from　the　table　and　sat　down　beside　Dan；　her　
now…empty　coffee　cup　in　front　of　her。　？Love；　I　guess。？　She　shivered；　suddenly　cold。　

？Okay；？　Dan　responded。　It　occurred　to　him　that　the　only　person　he？d　ever　really　loved　was　sitting　
right　next　to　him。　Certainly　he　could　write　a　poem　for　Vanessa？s　sister；　who　he　actually　happened　
to　like。　？I　can　do　that。？　？I　just　hope　their　friends　don？t　like；　boo　you　off　the　altar　or　whatever；？　
Vanessa　joked。　？And　that　they　understand　a　little　English。？　Suddenly　the　weight　of　what　Dan　had　
agreed　to　sank　into　him。　Get　totally　mushy　and；　well；　pletely　。　。　。gay　in　front　of　a　whole　bunch　
of　Williamsburg　hipsters？　

That？s　one　way　to　e　out。　


can　n　weather　this　storm？

　Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeak。　

Nate　Archibald　opened　the　glass…and…wrought…iron　front　door　of　his　Park　Avenue　town　house；　
cringing　at　the　moan　of　the　hinges。　With　any　luck；　the　Captain　would　be　long　asleep；　and　Nate　
could　just　stumble　off　to　bed？avoiding　his　father　pletely。　He　had　waited　until　almost　midnight　
to　e　home　for　just　that　purpose。　After　he？d　left　Blair？s；　he？d　headed　for　the　boat　pond　in　
Central　Park；　smoking　joint　after　joint　and　watching　the　clouds　of　smoke　drift　over　the　calm　
surface　of　the　water。　It　reminded　him　of　sailing；　of　how　peaceful　it　had　been　out　there　on　the　ocean；　
surrounded　by　nothing　but　water　and　more　water。　

As　Nate　stood　looking　out　at　the　boat　pond；　his　brain　all　fuzzy　from　the　pot；　he　couldn？t　help　
remembering　the　way　he　and　Blair　and　Serena　had　spent　afternoons　at　the　park　when　they　were　
kids　sailing　miniature　boats。　Their　nannies　would　sit　talking　quietly　on　glossy；　dark　green　benches；　
and　the　three　of　them　would　throw　rocks　in　the　water　and　lick　their　Popsicles？which　both　girls　
would　eventually　grow　tired　of；　and　Nate　would　promptly　eat。　And　now　here　he　was；　sneaking　
around　his　own　home　at　age　eighteen；　and　not　much　had　changed。　He　was　still　a　troublemaker。　He　
still　loved　sailboats　and　popsicles。　And　most　of　all；　he　still　loved　Blair　and　Serena。　

Nate　sighed；　walking　down　the　carpeted　hall　as　noiselessly　as　possible。　Somehow；　things　seemed　
so　much　simpler　back　then。　He　didn？t　need　to　be　reminded　that　lately；　things　were　far　from　simple。　
After　getting　caught　stealing　Coach　Michaels？s　Viagra；　Nate　hadn？t　received　his　diploma　at　
graduation。　He　was　supposed　to　work　for　Coach　all　summer；　helping　to　fix　up　his　house　out　on　
Long　Island　and　earn　his　diploma　that　way。　But　after　Mrs。　Michaels　started　ing　onto　him；　Nate　
took　off　without　a　word　of　explanation　to　anyone。　He？d　stolen　his　dad？s　car；　kidnapped　Blair；　
andthen　stolen　theCharlotte　。　Jesus；　what　hadn？t　he　done？　And　because　of　all　his　screwups；　his　
future　was　totally　up　in　the　air。　As　he　tiptoed　past　his　father？s　study；　it　was　impossible　to　miss　the　
sliver　of　yellow　light　that　peeked　out　from　the　half…open　door。　Nate？s　heart　sank　in　his　chest。Fuck　。　
He　ran　his　hands　through　his　hair　and　tried　his　best　to　straighten　up。　He　wasn？t　reallythat　stoned；　
was　he？　

Is　that　a　serious　question？　

？Who？s　there？？　His　father？s　voice　boomed　out　into　the　hall；　echoing　off　the　polished　wood　
floors。　？Nate？　You　home？？　Nate　sighed；　ran　his　fingers　through　his　hair　one　last　time；　and　slowly　
pushed　open　the　door。　

The　study　was　paneled　in　rich；　dark　wood；　and　it　reminded　Nate　of　the　sea　caves　he？d　once　
explored　while　sailing　off　the　Amalfi　coast　in　Greece。　Captain　Archibald　was　sitting　in　a　


rust…colored　leather　chair。　His　feet；　clad　in　gray　cashmere　Ralph　Lauren　socks；　were　propped　up　on　
a　matching　leather　ottoman。　A　crystal　tumbler　of　Glenlivet　rested　on　the　armrest；　the　amber　liquid　
sparkling　in　the　light。　His　father？s　hair　was　gray；　with　a　touch　of　yellow？a　reminder　of　his　younger　
days　as　a　hot…young…Yale…lacrosse…player…turned　naval…captain。　His　eyes　were　bottle…green；　like　
Nate？s；　without　the　sparkle。　As　usual；　he　was　wearing　a　gray　cashmere　suit　tailored　in　England　
expressly　for　him；　his　navy　blue　silk　tie　slightly　askew。　

Nate　braced　himself　for　the　shitstorm　that　was　surely　about　to　rain　down　on　him。　All　he　wanted　
right　now　was　to　take　a　long　nap？maybe　sleep　until　this　whole　stupid　thing　blew　over。　But　then；　
shockingly；　the　Captain？s　face　broke　into　a　wide　grin。　Was　heseeing　things？　Nate　blinked　his　eyes　
rapidly；　trying　to　clear　them。　

After　three　hours　of　smoking；　he　was　kind　of　past　the　point　of　Visine。　

？Nate；　my　boy！　Home　at　last！？　The　captain　threw　down　theWall　Street　Journal　and　jumped　to　his　
feet；　throwing　his　arms　around　his　son　and　squeezing　tightly；　clapping　him　roughly　on　both　
shoulders　as　he　pulled　away。　Nate　felt　dazed；　as　if　he？d　just　woken　up　from　a　long　sleep。　What　the　
hell　was　going　on？　

His　father　sat　back　down　and　motioned　to　the　matching　leather　chair　across　from　him。　？Sit；　my　
boy。　We？ve　got　a　lot　to　catch　up　on。？　Nate　sank　down　in　the　chair　and　started　fiddling　with　the　
gold　lighter　in　his　pocket。　Blair　had　given　him　that　lighter　two　summers　ago；　and　the　smooth　
weight　of　it　under　his　fingers　calmed　him　down　a　little。　

？So；　you？ve　been　on　quite　the　sailing　adventure；　haven？t　you？？　Captain　Archibald　noted；　peering　
contemplatively　at　his　son。　It　was　more　of　a　statement　than　a　question。　

？Uh；　yeah。　With　Blair。　It　was　great。？　Nate　shifted　unfortably　in　his　seat。　It　wasn？t　like　his　
father　to　make　small　talk。　

？Tell　me；　son；　are　you　looking　forward　to　Yale？？　The　Captain　reached　up　and　loosened　his　tie