something。
Jenny had thought Dan？s graduation would be relatively painless and boring。 She hadn？t even
minded when her dad had changed her ticket to Prague to leave tomorrow morning instead of
yesterday so she wouldn？t miss it。 He？d get his diploma while she and Rufus whispered to each
other and heckled his nerdy classmates。 Then they？d go eat Chinese at Dan？s favorite place on
Broadway； and later she？d drag Dan out to that party Blair Waldorf was rumored to be hosting at
the Yale Club？a party that she was absolutely determined not to miss。
Instead； their whole family was falling apart； and she was freaking out。
She and Dan had basically stopped being nice to each other when Jenny had spent the night in a
Plaza Hotel room with the members of the Raves and then proceeded to record a song with them
on the same day they fired Dan。 At home it seemed like Dan could do no wrong。 He was a
published author and an A student。 He？d had his pick of colleges to go to； including Brown； Colby；
NYU； and Evergreen。 Their dad boasted about his achievements all the time。 Jenny was an even
better student； but ever since Mrs。 McLean had requested that she not return to Constance next
year； she？d felt like Dan？s naughty little sister。 The fact that overprotective Rufus had actually
agreed to let her go to boarding school made it even more clear： Dan was the good one； and she
was the bad one。
But now here she was； holding her dad？s hand and pretending to be totally calm and mentally
stable while she was really wondering what was going to bee ofher next year。 If only she
could take Dan？s place at Evergreen。 It was supposed to be arty？she？d probably do fine。
Too bad they don？t have a tenth grade。
A reads v like a book
Even though she？d been totally two…timing him and a cross…country road trip really wasn？t her
idea of a good time； Vanessa was ready for Aaron when he pulled up in his red Saab； right on time。
She just couldn？t let him down； because if she did； she？d have to explain her outrageously heinous
behavior； which she wasn？t prepared to do； because she honestly didn？t know why she？d behaved
so heinously。 Maybe she was just ？
Psycho？
？I？ll be down in a sec！？ she called when he buzzed from downstairs。
？Nah； buzz me in； I？m ing up；？ he responded。
Vanessa should have known that something was up when he walked in and didn？t kiss her。
Downstairs； Mookie； Aaron？s huge brown…and…white boxer； barked eagerly out of the Saab？s open
sunroof。
There were green beads in Aaron？s coarse brown hair。 All of a sudden Vanessa noticed that he？d
grown it out into inch…long little dreads all over his head。 When had that happened？
？Thank God Blair？s graduating today too；？ he remarked。 ？My dad was totally fine with going to
her thing instead of mine。？ He patted his green army…issue…shorts pockets。 ？Um ？？ he began； his
dark eyes darting nervously around the room。 ？Hey； nice dress！？
The Morgane le Fay dress hung all by itself in the living room closet。
Vanessa shrugged。 ？I？m returning it。？
Aaron went over to the dress and pulled the hanger off the rail； twirling it around to get the full
effect of the dress。 ？Put it on；？ he suggested； holding it out to her。
She shook her head。 ？I already tried it on a couple of times。 Besides graduation； I don？t have
anywhere else to wear it。？
Aaron hung on to the dress。 ？Look；？ he began。 ？I kind of don？t think it？s a good idea for you to
e with me。 First of all； with Mookie I kind of don？t have any more room in my car。 Second of
all； I？ve kind of known for a while that you and Dan have kind of been hanging out a lot。？
Kind of。
Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest； all of a sudden feeling a little too large or a little too
stupid or a little too something she couldn？t quite place。 Heknew ？ But hadn？t she and Dan been
totally discreet？
You call having sex in broad daylight on a rooftop discreet？！
？I？m sorry；？ she managed to utter。 It was all she could think of。
？It？s okay。 But you should have told me when I tried to give you this。？ Aaron held out the corny
silver joined…hearts love/friendship ring。 ？I found it in a drawer with the serving spoons。？ He
didn？t even look that upset； which made Vanessa feel even worse。 Obviously she？d been paying
so little attention that he？d had time to think about this and get over it。 But aside from feeling
terrible； she was also totally relieved。
Aaron held up the dress again and twirled it around on its hanger。 ？I also kind of think you don？t
want to miss graduation。 You love those girls；？ he added gently； sounding only slightly gay。
？Yeah； right；？ Vanessa agreed sarcastically； but again she felt totally relieved。 She could wear the
dress even though she was supposed to hate white。 She could sit next to Blair and make fun of Mrs。
M and finally graduate； and the whole class would get drunk together afterwards； even though
they were all supposed to hate each other。
Okay； maybe she did love those girls just a little bit。
Aaron waggled the dress in front of her。 ？You know you want to。？
Vanessa snorted and snatched it out of his hands； catching him in a hug as she did so。 ？Don？t
think you？re getting away without kissing me good…bye。 I don？t know when I？m ever going to see
you again。？
She kissed him quickly on the lips and then pressed her forehead into his warm； familiar shoulder；
her body a bundle of nerves。 She was breaking up with her boyfriend； she was about to graduate；
there was a party to go to； and a whole four years at NYU awaited her； with no more stupid
flicking uniforms！
Yippee！ Except； hasn？t she sort of forgotten about someone？
Vanessa changed into her dress right in front of Aaron； feeling almost sisterly toward him now
that they were broken up。 She still loved him and probably always would。 But the great thing
about love was that itevolved 。
Let？s make sure she remembers that。
？What do you think？？ she asked； doing a Barbie…esque spin in Blair？s white wedge…heeled shoes。
Aaron flinched； as if it hurt to see her looking so incredibly gorgeous。 He held out his
hand。 ？e on。 I heard on the radio the subways are a mess。 I？ll drive you。？
Aw。 How e boys get so much cuter after we break up with them？
V？s first love note of the day
To：vabrams@constancebillard。edu
From：aaron。rose@bronxdale。edu
Subject：idea of the day
Okay I know I just kissed you good…bye like an hour ago； but I had an awesome idea on the way
up to school？man that？s a long…ass subway ride！ Anyway； what if we just get done with our finals
and skip graduation because a） it？s going to be boring； b） our parents could care less； and c） you
said yourself you？re not really a white…dress kind of gal。 We could take off in the Saab； drive to
the Grand Canyon； watch the sun set； eat some one hundred percent organic wild mushrooms； and
dance naked with the coyotes out under the stars。 I want to spend the summer exploring the
country and holding you in the glorious moonlight。 Damn； there？s the bell。 Anyway； think about it。
You？re my girl。
Love you；
A
Who？s that girl？
？And that is why I？m standing here today in a pair of limited…edition Manolo Blahnik dancing
shoes and an Oscar de la Renta suit that was tailored just for me；？ Blair told her audience with an
indulgent smile as she wound up her speech。 ？Don？t ever let anyone tell you should be happy with
what you have。 There？s always more； and there？s no reason you shouldn？t have it all。？
Everyone in the church remained politely silent； as if they weren？t quite sure whether she？d
finished her speech or not。
Not that anyone was actually paying attention。
？Hey； is that who I think it is？？ Kati Farkas whispered to Isabel Coates。 The two girls craned
their necks to see over their classmates？ heads as Vanessa appeared in one of the church？s side
entrances。 Her face was a happy pink and her dress a stunning white。 Her wedge…heeled shoes
were awesome； and her little white fishnet gloves were outstanding。 She looked so different from
her normally black…clad； frowning self； she was barely recognizable。
？Yeah； and she actually looks kind of ？good ；？ Isabel remarked reluctantly。 ？Of course； Blair
picked out her dress。 Otherwise she probably would？ve e wrapped in a white sheet or
something。？
Actually； Vanessahad flirted with the sheet idea； but the Morgane Le Fay dress was so much
more flattering。
？Um； that？s all；？ Blair announced from her place at the podium。 She looked around for Mrs。 M；
and that？s when she noticed Vanessa。 First Blair narrowed her eyes to show that she was pissed as
hell at Vanessa for being so late。 Then she gave her friend and former roommate a thumbs…up for
looking so pletely amazing。 The audience broke out into weak applause as she made her way
back to her seat。
？Thank you； Blair。？ Mrs。 M said； taking her place at the podium。 ？And now； the moment you？ve
all been waiting for。 It is my pleasure to hand out the diplomas to the graduating class。 Vanessa
Marigold Abrams； don？t bother finding a seat。 You？re first。？ She flashed Vanessa one of her rare
and famous warm smiles； forgiving her most alternative graduating senior for missing half the
ceremony。
Marigold？！That？s what you get when you have hippie artist parents。
Vanessa strutted to the front of the room in her awesome shoes； ears burning at the sound of her
ridiculous middle name and eyes shiny with tears； full of love for everyone there； including Mrs。
M。 She couldn？t believe she？d almost missed this。 Clasping the burgundy…leather…bound diploma
case in her hand； her big brown eyes shiny with happy tears； she hugged the headmistress like she
was her long…lost grandma。
？I？m also extremely proud to bestow on you； Vanessa Marigold； the Georgia O？Keeffe Award for
creative excellence；？ Mrs。 M announced。 She placed a light blue satin ribbon around Vanessa？s
neck。 From it hung a gold…plated medal embossed with one of Georgia O？Keeffe？s vaginalike
poppies。 ？Congratulations。？
Vanessa hopped offstage and walked down the center aisle of the church to Blair？s third…row
pew。 ？Can I sit here？？
？Move over；？ Blair told Rain。 Rain was wearing a white tulle dress that looked like an oversized
tutu fromSwan Lake 。 ？Your dress doesn？t needthat much room。？
？Isabel Siobhan Coates；？ Mrs。 M called； holding up Isabel？s diploma。
Vanessa wedged herself in beside Blair and grabbed the graduation program out of her
hands。 ？Shit。 Sorry I missed your speech。？
No she？s not。
？That？s okay。？ Blair tugged on Vanessa？s dress。 ？Tell me you don？t love this and I？ll totally kill
you。 You should wear white； like； every day。？
Vanessa blotted her tears with her thumbs and flipped open the burgundy leather case holding her
diploma。 ？Check it out；？ she breathed。 Both girls studied the gold…embossed piece of parchment
paper upon which was printed Vanessa？s name； followed by the date and the name of their school；
and then a whole bunch of stuff in Latin。 It was totally official looking and totally worthless
looking at the same time。 All those years of uniforms and too much h