Because I'm Worth it by Cecily von Ziegesar Read Free Book Online

Aaron’s wrist. “Hey, chill out, Mook.”
    Serena tucked her free hand into Aaron’s black North Face parka pocket. “Blair was acting really weird during peer group, that new thing we’re doing with the freshmen at lunchtime. After that she just disappeared. She didn’t even show up for gym.”
    Aaron shrugged and sipped his drink. “Maybe she had cramps or something.”
    Serena shook her pretty head. “I’m worried she’s a little jealous. You know, of
us
.”
    Aaron didn’t say anything. Over Christmas he’d developed a huge crush on Blair, even though she was his stepsister. Being with Serena had made him forget all about it, but it was still odd to think that Blair might actually jealous of
them
, when he’d been pining over
her
all those weeks.
    “So, are we going to the Empire State Building?” Serena asked, stopping at the next corner and turning to peer back up Fifth Avenue. A fleet of buses roared by. “If we are, we should grab a cab.”
    Aaron looked at his watch. It was ten after four. “I was kind of thinking I’d like to stop by my house to check the mail.” He grinned bashfully, embarrassed by how nerdy he sounded. “Early acceptance letters were mailed this week.”
    Serena’s long-lashed dark blue eyes opened wide. “Why didn’t you say so?” She tossed her paper cup in a nearby trash can and took off at a run. “Come on, Mook!” she shouted as the boxer bounded happily after her. “Let’s go home and see if your smarty-pants daddy got into Harvard!”

b does j a little favor
    Jenny had always been shy and had trouble making friends, but she had managed to make one in peer group that day.
    “You know, I never really noticed your, um . . . bra size,” Elise murmured shyly as they were packing up their book bags to go home. On either side of them girls slammed their metal locker doors closed and shouted to each other as they ran downstairs and out the school doors.
    “Yeah, right,” Jenny responded sarcastically, trying to wedge her geometry notebook into her red-and-black-striped Le Sportsac bag in between her French textbook and
Anna Karenina
.
    Elise giggled as she wound a fuzzy pink scarf around her neck and buttoned the black velvet buttons on her nerdy tweed coat. She definitely looked like her mother still dressed her in the mornings. “Okay, I noticed. But I never thought it bothered you.”
    Jenny tucked her curly dark brown hair behind her ears and squinted at Elise. “It
doesn’t
bother me.”
    Elise pulled her fuzzy pink hat down over her blond bob and hitched her backpack up on her shoulder. She was nearly a foot taller than Jenny. “Um, are you busy now? Do you want to, like, do something?”
    “Like what?” Jenny zipped up her puffy black parka. Now that she no longer hung out with Nate or her older brother, Dan, she really needed some new friends, and it might be kind of nice to hang out with a girl for once, even though Elise seemed kind of prissy and immature.
    “I don’t know. Like go buy some new makeup at Bendel’s or something?” Elise suggested.
    Jenny cocked her head, pleasantly surprised. For a minute there she’d thought Elise was going to suggest buying an ice cream cone or visiting the zoo. “I’d love to,” she agreed, slamming her locker door closed and starting to walk toward the stairs. “Come on.”
    Blair couldn’t believe how a simple haircut could change everything so drastically. She’d already tried on every flirty empire-waisted top and A-line skirt Bendel’s had in stock— exactly the same types of pieces she’d always worn and looked good in, but now they were all wrong. Her new crop was preppy and sophisticated and gamine. It was going to require a whole new wardrobe.
    “From now on I’ll wear only solid colors,” Blair whispered as she buttoned up her uniform and hung the last unwanted dress on its hanger. “And everything must have a collar.” She pulled open the red velvet curtain and dumped six wildly