Eric Is Back (A Gossip Girl Novel)

10. 2007

I stared up at the ceiling, laying where Dan and I had kissed. I thought I might have gotten a text from him or something. Even if it was just to tell me that kissing me had been a mistake and that he never wanted to see me again.

But there had been nothing.

No texts.

No visits.

Nothing.

It was unbearable. That moment kept going around and around in my head like a carousel. I wanted a do-over. I wanted a second... and third... and fourth... fifth... sixth take!

When my fantasises got too intense, I forced myself to think of Damien Dalgaard. I wondered what life would have been like if he hadn't rejected me. Would we still have been dealing drugs together? Or would he have given all of that up for me? Would we have ditched New York and bought a nice, suburban house together – one with a crisp, green lawn and a white picket fence?

I had to see Dan again.

If he had forgotten about our kiss, then I had to make him remember!

*

"An art film?!" Vanessa squealed down the phone. "Hells yeah! I can totally help you make one!"

It was a lie.

I didn't need Vanessa's help.

Because there was no 'art film' in the first place.

I just wanted an excuse to see Dan again.

"Thanks, Vanessa," I said. "Um, I don't suppose Dan would be able to help out too, would he?"

"I'm sure he'd be down for it," she replied. "Why? What are you thinking?"

What was I thinking? Tricking Vanessa into making a fake art film so that I could get closer to my amnesiac stepbrother?

"Well, um... I'm not sure yet," I hedged. "I just thought we might need an extra pair of hands."

"That's true," Vanessa said. "Making movies can be a handful at times. We can make him carry the equipment!"

I forced out a laugh. "Y-yeah... sure."

*

Dan's face twisted when he saw me, making me insides whirl.

"Since when are you into art films?" he said suspiciously.

Vanessa smacked Dan's arms. "Zip it, Mr Judgemental! There's a first time for everything – right, Spielberg?"

I nodded quickly. "Right."

Dan stroked his chin. "Hmm... okay."

"It's for school!" I said quickly. "You know, extra credit and all that?"

"Right."

Last night, I'd had my head in a textbook, reading all about art cinema. I knew that I needed to make this look as convincing as possible.

"Cinéma vérité!" I blurted out.

"Huh?" Dan said.

Oh, crap...

I'd forgotten what that meant!

"Um... um..."

"Yes!" Vanessa squealed. "I've got it! I've got it! Dan, why don't we follow you around Central Park and just, like, embrace the moment?"

Dan rolled his eyes. "But we've done that so many times!" he complained. "Why don't we film Eric instead?"

"No, because it's his film! He is the director!"