创客小说网

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第26部分（第3页）

They　wanted　her！　Vanessa　could　finally　shake　the　bitchy；　shallow　shackles　of　Constance　Billard

for　good　and　focus　on　her　craft　at　a　place　for　serious　artists　like　herself。

Dan　was　gazing　up　at　her　from　the　bed。　His　sweet　brown　eyes　seemed　to　be　shining　a　little　less

ecstatically　than　they　had　been　before。

？I？m　so　proud　of　you；　sweetie；？　Ruby　crooned　in　her　most　motherly　voice。　？Will　you　be　home

for　dinner？　I？ve　been　reading　Eastern　European　cookbooks。　I？m　thinking　of　making　pierogi。？

？Sure；？　Vanessa　answered　quietly；　suddenly　concerned　about　Dan。　He　hadn？t　applied　anywhere

early；　so　it　would　be　a　couple　months　before　he　found　out　where　he　was　going　next　year。　Dan　was

so　sensitive。　This　was　just　the　sort　of　thing　that　could　throw　him　into　an　insecurity…induced

depression；　the　kind　where　he　locked　himself　in　his　room　and　wrote　poems　about　dying　in　a　car

accident　or　something。　？Thanks　for　letting　me　know；？　she　told　Ruby　quickly。　？I？ll　see　you　later；

okay？？

Dan　was　still　staring　up　at　her　expectantly　as　she　clicked　off　the　phone　and　dropped　it　on　the

bed。　？You　got　into　NYU；？　he　said；　trying　but　failing　to　hide　the　note　of　accusation　in　his　voice。　Oh；

how　skinny　and　stupid　and　inadequate　he　was！　Not　that　he　wasn？t　happy　for　her；　but　Vanessa　was

already　into　college；　and　he　was　just　this　scrawny　guy　who　liked　to　write　poems　and　who　might

never　get　into　college　at　all。　？Wow；？　he　added　hoarsely。　？That？s　great。？

Vanessa　flopped　back　on　the　bed　and　pulled　the　sheet　up　around　them。　The　room　felt　colder　now

that　the　sweat　of　passion　had　cooled　on　their　bodies。　？It？s　really　no　big　deal；？　she　argued；　trying　to

play　down　the　excitement　she？d　exuded　when　she？d　heard　the　news。　？You？re　the　one　with　a　poem

about　to　e　out　inThe　New　Yorker　。？

Over　Christmas　break；　Vanessa　had　submitted　Dan？s　poem　？Sluts？　toThe　New　Yorker　without

his　knowing；　and　it　had　been　accepted　for　publication　in　the　Valentine？s　Day　double　issue；　which

would　be　out　later　that　week。　？I　guess；？　Dan　agreed；　shrugging　his　shoulders　dubiously。　？But　I　still

don？t　know　anything　。　。　。　I　mean；　about　myfuture　。？

Vanessa　encircled　Dan？s　waist　with　her　arms　and　pressed　her　cheek　into　his　pale；　ribby　chest。

She　still　couldn？t　believe　she　was　going　to　NYU　in　the　fall。　It　was　a　sure　thing；　her　destiny。　Still

trembling　with　excitement；　she　tried　to　focus　on　consoling　Dan。　？How　many　other

seventeen…year…old　kids　have　you　heard　of　with　poems　published　inThe　New　Yorker　？　It？s

amazing；？　she　murmured　gently。　？And　as　soon　as　the　admissions　officers　at　the　colleges　you

applied　to　find　out　about　it；　you？re　going　to　get　in　everywhere　you　applied；　and　maybe　even　places

you　didn？t。？

？Maybe；？　Dan　responded　hollowly。　It　was　easy　for　Vanessa　to　sound　so　confident。　She　was

alreadyin　。

Vanessa　propped　herself　up　on　one　elbow。　There　was　one　sure　way　of　making　Dan　feel　better；　at

least　for　a　little　while。　？Remember　what　we　were　doing　right　before　Ruby　called？？　she　purred　like