v-day turned d-day for b

Blair kept her hand clapped over her mouth and her mind clear of any thoughts of Owen the whole way home to keep from being sick all over the back seat of the taxi. But when she stepped off the wood-paneled elevator and into the penthouse, her nostrils¹ were bombarded with the putrid² scent³ of roses, causing her stomach to churn ominously⁴ once more. The entire front hall was packed with them. Yellow roses, white roses, pink ones and red. She dropped her bag on the floor and read the notes on the bouquets⁵. A?You?re my honey-pie. Love, S,said the note on the yellow roses. Audrey, my favorite little aristocrat⁷, will you please be my Valentine? Love, Cary,said the note on the red roses. My darling Mrs. Rose, May our tiny daughter be as lovely and as wonderful as you are and as hopelessly happy as I am every day I spend with you. ?Your loving husband, Mr. Rose,said the note on the pink-and-white bouquet⁶. As if one of those notes wouldn?t have been enough to make Blair puke out her already puked-out guts⁸, she had to be bombarded withthree uniquely repulsive⁹ missives. Throwing her coat down on the floor, she staggered into the nearest bathroom to empty her stomach again. ?Mom!? she shouted, wiping her mouth on a parchment-coloredR -monogrammed guest towel. ?Blair?? her mother called back. Eleanor Waldorf wandered slowly down the hall wearing a pink boiled wool Chanel suit that had been let out at the waist to accommodate her five-months pregnant belly¹⁰. Her highlighted blond bob was pulled back into a neat ponytail and she was wearing white rabbit fur slippers¹¹ and carrying her portable phone. Like most Upper East Side hostesses, Eleanor spent all the time she wasn?t having lunch or getting her hair done on the phone. ?What are you doing home?? she asked her daughter. ?Are you sick?? Blair clutched her stomach and tried not to look at her mother. ?I saw the note from Cyrus,? she croaked¹². ?You?re having a girl?? Her mother beamed back at her, her blue eyes sparkling ecstatically. ?Isn?t it wonderful?? she cried. ?I found out this morning.? She flip¹³-flopped up to Blair in her fur slippers and threw her arms around her daughter?s neck. ?Cyrus has always wanted a girl. And now when you come home from college you?ll have a little baby sister to play with!? Blair grimaced¹⁴ as her stomach did another back flip at the mention of college. ?I hope you don?t mind,? Eleanor babbled¹⁵ on. ?But we?re planning to turn your room into a nursery since we?re running out of bedrooms. You and Aaron will be going away to school soon anyway. You don?t mind, do you, sweetheart?? Blair stared at her mother blankly. She hadn?t wanted a stepbrother or a stepfather and she certainly didn?t want a baby sister, especially not one who was going to take over herroom . ?I?m going to go lie down,? she replied weakly. ?I?ll have Myrtle send in some bouillon,? her mother called after her. Blair slammed her bedroom door and dove onto her bed, burying her head in the depths of her extrasoft goose-down pillows. Kitty Minky, her gray Russian Blue cat, jumped onto her back and kneaded his paws into her black-and-white Fair Isle¹⁶ sweater. ?Help me,? Blair moaned miserably¹⁷ to her cat. If only she could lie there until late August and then be helicoptered to her new dorm room at Yale, skipping all the bad parts in the script of the movie that was her life, the parts that needed to be rewritten. Out of habit, she reached out and punched the playback button on the answering machine on her bedside table, keeping her eyes closed as she listened. ?Hello, Blair, it?s Owen. Owen Wells. Sorry I couldn?t call earlier. What happened? I woke up and you were gone. Anyway, Happy Valentine?s Day, gorgeous. Call me back when you have a moment. Bye-bye.? ?Hello, Blair, it?s Owen again. Did you get my flowers? I hope you like them. Call me back when you have a moment. Thanks. ?Bye.? ?Hello, Blair. I know it?s short notice, but would you like to have dinner with me? Um, this is Owen by the way. Plans on the home front have changed and I?m all freed up. So how ?bout¹⁸ Le Cirque this evening, gorgeous? Give me a call.? ?Hello, Blair. I got a table at Le Cirque?? Blair kicked her answering machine off the bedside table and it came unplugged. She didn?t care that Owen had the sexiest voice and was the best kisser in all of New York. She couldn?t play Audrey to his Cary anymore, not when Cary had turned out to be a lying, cheating, son-of-a-bitch, scumbagdad . She didn?t even care if Owen told Yale she was a stupid flake¹⁹ who wouldn?t last more than two weeks there. Fuck Owen, and fuck Yale. She grabbed her phone and dialed Owen?s cell phone number. It was the only number he?d given her, probably because it was the only phone he could be sure of answering himself. ?Blair?? Owen answered eagerly on the first ring. ?Where have you been? I?ve been trying to get ahold of you all day!? ?In high school?? Blair shot back. ?I know it was a long time ago for you, but it?s this place where you go during the week where they teach you stuff. I?m only home now because I?m not feeling well.? ?Oh. I guess you?re not up for dinner then?? Owen?s voice didn?t sound nearly as sexy now that she knew what a complete asshole he was. Blair walked over to the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door and examined her hair. It already looked a little longer. Maybe it wouldn?t take that long to grow back. Or maybe she?d cut it even shorter. She pulled her hair back severely²⁰ from her forehead to see what it would look like supershort. ?I know your daughter,? she hissed²¹ into the phone as she walked over to her dresser and dug around in the top drawer until she found the little pair of silver antique sewing scissors she?d inherited from her grandmother and never had much use for.  ?B-Blair?,? Owen stammered²². ?Fuck off.? Blair clicked off the phone and threw it onto her bed. Then, grabbing a handful of hair, she began to hack²³ away with the tiny silver sewing scissors. Good-bye, Audrey Hepburn, hello Mia Farrow inRosemary?s Baby ! ================================== ABC Amber²⁴ LIT Converter v2.02 ================================== Disclaimer: All the real names of places, people, and events have been altered or abbreviated²⁵ to protect the innocent. Namely, me.  hey people! The least painful way to say good-bye Sad but true, the reality of Valentine?s Day is that it makes demands on relationships that those relationships may not be able to handle. What do you do when you both know it?s over and you just want to move on so you can start maxing out your credit cards on presents for yourself instead of for someone else? In my vast experience with painless breakups, the less you say the better. Don?t hash things out. A simple gesture means so much more. An invitation to do something ?with the gang? instead of alone together. A tender kiss on the cheek. A good-bye wave. And don?t you dare return any gifts. They?re yours! Keep ?em. One thing you may not have realized about me Iam real. That means I have a birthday. Next Monday I turn eighteen and I?m having a party and you?re all invited. I know what you?re thinking, it?sMonday . But really, what else have you got to do on a Monday night? Your Latin homework? A do-it-yourself facial? Plus, the week willfly by afterwards, I promise. When?Monday, 9P.M. till dawn. Where?Gnome²⁶. Don?t worry if you?ve never heard of it. No one has. It?s a brand-spanking-new club on Bond Street celebrating its opening night with my party. Isn?t that sweet? What to bring?Yourself, your most beautiful friends, and of course,a present !  Sightings Babsent from school for the second day in a row.D waiting around in the lobby of thePlaza Hotel looking nervous in his spiffy new Agn?s B. suit.S at theLes Best atelier trying on a gorgeous sunflower yellow dress for a photo shoot.J riding the Seventy-ninth Street crosstown bus back and forth through the park forhours .A playing guitar on the train back from Scarsdale, where he?s been hiding out for days.N jogging around Central Park?so much clean living gives a boy energy! Your e-mail Q:? ? Dear Gossip Girl, I kissed a girl (I?m a girl too) but I didn?t mean anything by it. Actually, there?s a boy I like. What should I say to this girl without hurting her feelings, because she?s my friend? ?doubletrouble A:? ? Dear double, I?ve never been a big believer in the theory that kissing someone is a promise you won?t kiss anyone else. Kissing is fun. Why limit yourself to just one kissee? The trick is telling the person you?re just having fun, you?re not planning to get married or anything. BTW, it?s best to do thisbefore you kiss them, not after. ?GG Q:? ? Dear GG, I?m stuck in rehab and I?m allowed to log onto the Web but certain e-mail accounts are blocked so I can?t send a message to this boy I?m hung up on and miss so much. He even sent me roses! Luckily I can get on your site so I can tell the world that I?m in love. Maybe when I get out of here we can have a drink to celebrate. It?s on me.  ?rehab babe A:? ? Dear babe, Instead of us having a drink when you get out, you should start a site of your own. Or write a book. Just a suggestion. ?GG Don?t forget my party?wish list to come! You know you love me. gossip girl

1 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

2 putrid   

adj.腐臭的；有毒的；已腐烂的；卑劣的

参考例句：

• To eat putrid food is liable to get sick.吃了腐败的食物容易生病。
• A putrid smell drove us from the room.一股腐臭的气味迫使我们离开这房间。

3 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

4 ominously   

adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地

参考例句：

• The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mammy shook her head ominously. 嬷嬷不祥地摇着头。 来自飘（部分）

5 bouquets   

n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香

参考例句：

• The welcoming crowd waved their bouquets. 欢迎的群众摇动着花束。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• As the hero stepped off the platform, he was surrounded by several children with bouquets. 当英雄走下讲台时，已被几名手持花束的儿童围住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 bouquet   

n.花束，酒香

参考例句：

• This wine has a rich bouquet.这种葡萄酒有浓郁的香气。
• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。

7 aristocrat   

n.贵族，有贵族气派的人，上层人物

参考例句：

• He was the quintessential english aristocrat.他是典型的英国贵族。
• He is an aristocrat to the very marrow of his bones.他是一个道道地地的贵族。

8 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 repulsive   

adj.排斥的，使人反感的

参考例句：

• She found the idea deeply repulsive.她发现这个想法很恶心。
• The repulsive force within the nucleus is enormous.核子内部的斥力是巨大的。

10 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

11 slippers   

n. 拖鞋

参考例句：

• a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
• He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。

12 croaked   

v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说

参考例句：

• The crow croaked disaster. 乌鸦呱呱叫预报灾难。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• 'she has a fine head for it," croaked Jacques Three. “她有一个漂亮的脑袋跟着去呢，”雅克三号低沉地说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

13 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

14 grimaced   

v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He grimaced at the bitter taste. 他一尝那苦味，做了个怪相。
• She grimaced at the sight of all the work. 她一看到这么多的工作就皱起了眉头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 babbled   

v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密

参考例句：

• He babbled the secret out to his friends. 他失口把秘密泄漏给朋友了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She babbled a few words to him. 她对他说了几句不知所云的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

17 miserably   

adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地

参考例句：

• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。
• It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

19 flake   

v.使成薄片；雪片般落下；n.薄片

参考例句：

• Drain the salmon,discard the skin,crush the bones and flake the salmon with a fork.将鲑鱼沥干，去表皮，粉碎鱼骨并用餐叉子将鱼肉切成小薄片状。
• The paint's beginning to flake.油漆开始剥落了。

20 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

21 hissed   

发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对

参考例句：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

22 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

23 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

24 amber   

n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的

参考例句：

• Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗？
• This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。

25 abbreviated   

adj. 简短的，省略的 动词abbreviate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He abbreviated so much that it was hard to understand his article. 他的文章缩写词使用太多，令人费解。
• The United States of America is commonly abbreviated to U.S.A.. 美利坚合众国常被缩略为U.S.A.。

26 gnome   

n.土地神；侏儒，地精

参考例句：

• The Swedes do not have Santa Claus.What they have is Christmas Gnome.瑞典人的圣诞节里没有圣诞老人，但他们却有一个圣诞守护神。
• Susan bought a garden gnome to decorate her garden.苏珊买了一个土地神像来装饰她的花园。