Gossip Girl: It Had To Be You

The hills are alive with the sound of s's beating heart

"Oops! Sorry!" Blair cried as she crashed into the three large men in front of her in the lift line. Even though she'd never tried it before, she'd insisted on snowboarding instead of skiing, so that she and Nate would be the same. She'd been skiing since she was four. How hard could it be?

"Bear, ride with us!" Her father grabbed the elbow of her white Bogner ski jacket and yanked her back into line as he was about to board the triple chairlift beside Giles. Blair hopped awkwardly up and down on one foot, clutching her father until she was seated securely on the lift's padded chair.

"She's nuts," Fenner observed. "There are no easy runs up there. She should be on Dollar Mountain, taking lessons."

Serena pushed her silvery poles into the snow as they advanced in the line. Then it was their turn to board the chair. Fenner was on her left, and she guessed Tyler would ride up with them, but then—whoosh!—Nate scooted in on her right on his nifty neon green Burton board.

"Hey," he greeted them breathlessly. "Sorry I'm late." The lift eased up behind them and swept them off their feet. Serena was wearing a navy blue Patagonia parka the same color as her eyes. Her blond hair spilled out from beneath a white hand-knit earflap hat, and her hands were bundled into a pair of gigantic black mittens. Next to her was a tall guy wearing a very professional-looking black North Face powder suit and orange goggles with no hat. "Hey, you're the guy from the hotel," Nate observed.

Fenner introduced himself. "Serena asked me to show her some untracked snow," he said, grinning at her. The chairlift rose up on its cable until their skis skimmed the treetops. The sky was blue, the mountain was crisp and white, and the air smelled like Christmas, even though it was March.

Nate tapped Serena's skis with his snowboard. "I never see you anymore," he told her accusingly.

"Well, I'm still here," she responded quietly. Their thighs and shoulders were touching, and Serena could feel the whole Nate side of her vibrate with a familiar, warm hum. Could he feel it? Was he humming too?

Actually he was humming, but that was because he'd smoked a joint before and after he'd gone swimming. Nate turned and looked at her and she looked back. His glittering green eyes were bloodshot from the pot and swimming in the lodge's over-chlorinated pool. Her dark blue eyes were big and hopeful. "Hi," he said tenderly, maybe even a little sadly.

"Hi," Serena replied, wondering if they would survive if she pulled him off the lift with her. It was at least a seventy-foot drop, but she was dying to kidnap him and tunnel way down deep in the snow so they could kiss in private. Deep down, he was dying to kiss her too. Wasn't he? Jump! She wanted to scream. Jump!

Emergency rooms are anything but private.

"I'm thinking of going out for ski patrol next year," Fenner told them, whacking his long skis together in a noisy display of skierly cool. "My dad's into it. He wanted me to go to medical school, but ski patrol is like being a doctor on skis, except all you need to know is first aid and CPR."

Dude, medical school is so yesterday.

"Cool," Nate responded, tearing his eyes away from Serena. Up ahead he heard Blair shriek as she attempted to dismount from the chair. That was one of the hardest things about snowboarding; it had taken him a year to get it right. The chairlift halted abruptly. Obviously Blair had wiped out.

Serena shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Fenner was even more good-looking in his black North Face ski clothes, but he was a little too old for her, and a little too much of a snow geek. "I totally love those red ski patrol uniforms," she gushed lamely, her attempt at girlish flirtation falling flat.

The chairlift started moving again. Nate lifted the toe of his snowboard, preparing to dismount. Just below the off ramp, Blair sat in a giggling, snow-covered heap. Her father and his French boyfriend stood over her looking like slalom racers for the Gay French Olympics in their matching black Bogner stretch suits.

"Natie!" Blair cried, waving her pink-mittened hands overhead. Nate dismounted from the chair and coasted effortlessly over to her. "My necklace broke," she told him, holding up the torn rope of black silk.

Maybe it's a sign, Serena thought, appalled by her meanness.

"I still have the heart, though," Blair explained, rising to her knees and patting her parka pocket. "The chairlift guy put in it here for me."

Nate pulled off his gloves and tucked the black silk rope into his own pocket. Then he coaxed Blair to her feet and strapped her free foot onto the back of her snowboard. He grasped her hands and put them on his waist. "Hold on to me," he instructed competently. "I'll get you down."

Serena stared after them as Nate led Blair out into the easiest section of the run. I'm still here! she shouted at them silently. Then Fenner blew by her, shredding the snow with his long racing skis. "Torque it!" he called over his shoulder like the snow-bum geek that he was. Blair's dad and Giles started down after him, making concise little figure-eight turns with their matching red Rossignol skis. Serena wiped her nose on her mitten, lifted her head, and sucked in a gulp of cold mountain air. She'd wanted Nate to be jealous of her and Fenner, but she couldn't exactly flirt with Fenner when she only had eyes for Nate.

"What's up, gorgeous?" A studly-looking snowboarder in an army fatigue print Burton snowsuit skidded by, flashing her a cocky smile. Serena watched him disappear down the slope and into the trees. Then she kicked up her skis and let out a loud, giddy whoop as she catapulted down the hill. The powder was fresh and she was surrounded by gorgeous boys on snowboards. She wasn't about to let a broken heart ruin her vacation.

There's something they don't teach you in private school: you have to be born to it—the art of the rally.