& Gabbana Light Blue perfume。
？Seriously； though； what are youdoing here？ You almost gave me a heart attack。？ Dan leaned
back on the couch and gazed at his sister； still unable to believe she was really here。
？Hello； I？m going to school in a few days too。？ She dropped a bulging； dark green Coach duffel
bag on the floor。 ？And； besides； it was kind of sad to be so far away when the family was all
together for the first time in； like；years 。 I wanted to e home and be here while Mom was
around。？ ？So how was Europe？？ Dan ran his hands through his hair so that it stuck up in mousy
brown clumps all over his head。 He knew he should be mad at Jenny for telling his mom he was
gay； but all of his anger dissolved the second he saw his little sister？s sweet； angelic face。 ？Have
any beret…wearing Europeanlovaaaahs ？？ Jenny stuck her tongue out at her brother and reached
down to pull off her sneakers。 ？Nope； but if I meet anyone who fits that description I？ll be sure to
pass him along to you；？ she retorted。 ？I didn？t know that was your type。？ She smirked at her own
wit。 ？Seriously though？how？s it feel to be gay？？ Dan； realizing he was naked to the waist； grabbed
a dirty gray sweatshirt from the other side of the couch and pulled it on。 ？It？s 。 。 。 I？m not sure；？ he
said； his head getting stuck in an armhole。 ？I？m kind of confused about the whole thing；？ he added
once he finally got his head out。
？Well； duh！？ Jenny exclaimed； repositioning herself on the couch。 ？Shove over！？ She pushed his
body with her hip。 Dan noticed that her face seemed a little more grown…up to him？or maybe it
was just that he hadn？t seen her in a while。 It seemed less 。 。 。 round。 ？I mean； that？s normal； right？？
she asked。
？How should I know？？ Dan flopped back against the arm of the couch； exasperated。 ？It？s not like
I have a lot of experience with this whole thing。？ He turned his head toward the window； his voice
wistful。 ？I just wish I could find someone to justbe with； you know？？ He wasn？t even sure what he
meant by that？he was with people all the time。 All he knew was that he？d felt really 。 。 。 lonely
lately。 Sure； every man was an island； but this was getting ridiculous。
？Don？t worry；？ Jenny said quietly； reaching over and patting her brother？s hand。 ？You？ll find
someone。 I mean； any guy would be totally lucky to have you。？
It was sweet of her to say that； but Dan wasn？t entirely sure it was true。 ？Yeah； I guess；？ he
mumbled。
？Well； what kind of guys do you like； anyway？？ Jenny reached up and pulled her relentlessly
curly hair into a knot。 ？I？m pretty sure it？s not the ones who wear berets。？ Dan laughed despite
himself。 ？I don？t know。？ He picked up the TV remote from the floor and fiddled with it。 ？How
many kindsare there； anyway？？ ？Uh；a lot ；？ she giggled； pulling off a thin purple sock； balling it
up and throwing it at his face。 ？What about the hip…hop guys who hang out by the Christopher
Street PATH station？？ Jenny held up a hand as if she was going to start counting the types on her
fingers。 ？Or the Chelsea dudes with too many hair products who always wear those fantastic Marc
Jacobs shirts？ Or the nerdy intellectual…but…still…hot…hipster Brooklyn guys girls always wish were
straight？ That？s probably more your scene。？ She smiled knowingly and stretched her arms over
her head。
Dan shook his head in disbelief。 He felt like he？d just landed on Planet Strange。 Who was this
person pretending to be his baby sister？ ？Since when do you hang out onChristopher Street ？？ he
muttered； pletely astonished。 Even his little sister knew more about being gay than he did。 It
was totally depressing。
？Never mind about that。？ Jenny giggled； reaching down and unzipping her bursting…at…the…seams
L。L。 Bean duffel bag。 ？Is Mom in your room？？ She whispered； gesturing toward the closed
bedroom doors on the other end of the apartment。
？Yeah；？ Dan replied； sitting up and scratching his arms sleepily。 Jenny had apparently cured his
insomnia。 ？Vanessa and I are sharing your old room。？ ？Then I guess it？s sofa city for me。？ His
sister sighed； pulling out a bulging floral toiletry case from her bag。 Dan stood up； raising his arms
over his head and yawning loudly。 As weird and unexpected as it was to have both his mother and
Jenny home； it felt kind of nice to have everybody under one roof。
Well；almost everybody 。 。 。 there？s one roommate still missing。
Just then； the door to his room creaked open； and their mom shuffled out； picking sleep from the
corners of her eyes。 Her voluminous pink robe billowed out behind her as she moved； her fuzzy
slippers scraping the floor。 Dan watched as her eyes focused on her youngest child； and her face lit
up with surprise。
？Jenny！？ she exclaimed rushing over and folding her daughter into her tentlike arms； ？You？re
here！ You didn？t burn my apartment down； did you？？ ？Nope。 I just wanted to be with you guys。？
She squeezed her mother back。 Dan watched as his mom smoothed back Jenny？s unruly nest of
hair and kissed her on the forehead。 He couldn？t help but be touched at Jenny？s optimistic； girlish
enthusiasm。 If his being gay had brought his family together； maybe it wasn？t such a bad thing
after all。
？Such a sweetheart。？ Jeanette touched Jenny？s face with her palm。 ？I？ll make some oolong。？ She
breezed past Dan； stopping to smooth his hair like a mother who？d been smoothing hair all her
life。
Tea？ That probably meant girl talk。 And Dan wasn？t sure he was ready to be one of the
girls。 ？I？m going to bed；？ he announced； shuffling toward his room。
？See you in a few hours；？ Jenny replied with a yawn； stretching as she followed their mom into
the kitchen。
？？Night； baby！？ Jeanette called out from the kitchen sink； where she was busily filling the kettle
with water。
Dan walked into his room and shut the door； then climbed into the empty bed。 He could hear his
mom and sister chattering away in the kitchen； whispers interspersed with the occasional giggle。
How could they have so much energy this late at night？ He？d never understand women。 But then
again； he barely understood himself。 Dan sighed and watched the night change from purple to gray
in the early morning light as he finally drifted into sleep； still wondering sleepily where Vanessa
was and if she was okay。
Aren？t we all。
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ABC Amber LIT Converter v2。02
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Disclaimer： All the real names of places； people； and events have been altered or abbreviated to
protect the innocent。 Namely； me。
hey people！
The end of summer is almost here； and the Waldorf Rose farewell party at the Met is rapidly
approaching。 If you haven？t heard？if you？ve been； say； camping in Siberia； for instance？Davita
Fjorde； public relations guru to the cr？me de la cr？me （otherwise known as you and me）； is
planning the party and probably clicking her rhinestone…heeled Jimmy Choos right at this very
moment； making amazing things happen。 So break out those spanking new Christian Louboutins
and a barely…there Zac Posen cocktail dress and book your hair and makeup a