''Gossip Girl'': Psst...Did You Hear?

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High school dramas, as a rule, do not age well. The actors' hairlines may recede too quickly, or fans may tire of the characters and their endless hookups and freakouts. Schwartz knows this all too well, having watched The O.C. go from best show ever! to whatever in four short seasons. The trendiest of shows can only stay cool for so long. ''Hopefully, people watching now will grow up with the characters,'' says Schwartz. ''The key is not blowing through the great story lines right away. We worked really hard to pace ourselves this year.''

This time, Schwartz and Savage are confident they've planned enough plots to sustain Gossip Girl for multiple seasons. In the next few months alone, a lovelorn Chuck will skip town, Serena's alcoholic past will be revealed, and someone will have a pregnancy scare. (Because of the Writers Guild strike, the network has only five episodes left to air, which will take the show through January.) And when it comes time for college in a few seasons, there won't be any silly California University (for those of us ancient enough to remember 90210's alma mater). ''In New York, we're lucky — they could all go to college within a couple of hours of the city,'' says Savage. ''We worked to try to have high school be a touchstone without living and dying in the hallways. We'll be able to move out of that relatively easily.'' And fortunately for The CW, not all of Gossip Girl's fans are gearing up for the SATs. ''Older people come up to me and whisper, 'I know I shouldn't be watching, but I have to. I'm addicted,''' says Lively. ''It's a great guilty pleasure.'' Even our unscientific sampling of teenagers yielded evidence of budding adult addiction. ''My parents watch it because they saw me watching it,'' says Ulmer, the New York City sophomore. ''It was really uncomfortable. They watch it in their room and I watch it in the other room, because I'm embarrassed.''

But if the show's obsessive viewers eventually outgrow it — or simply can't deal with the horror of watching with Mom and Dad any longer — Badgley, for one, won't be too disappointed. ''I'm settling in for the long haul,'' says the 21-year-old actor, who signed a seven-year contract. ''But it's taxing to play the same guy for that long. Come season 3, 4, 5, and, God forbid, 6 and 7, I'm sure I'll be tired of Dan. But I'll always be grateful to him.''

Back in the middle of Central Park, Meester doesn't seem anywhere near ready to give up her alter ego, as a stylist touches up her ballerina-pink lipstick and refluffs her hair. ''There are worse ways to spend a day,'' Meester says. ''I love being able to put on ice skates and be a little bitch all morning.'' When this episode airs in December, a few million fans will revel in her character's cattiness. Some will download the show. Some will watch it with friends. Some will tune in with their shame-filled spouses. Whoever they are, they will all have one thing in common: The next day, they'll be talking about Gossip Girl. Meester looks like she knows it. She flashes a devilish grin, grabs on to a costar, and skates off in a whoosh of cool air.

(Additional reporting by Leah Greenblatt and Vanessa Juarez)

Want more Gossip Girl? See:
Leighton Meester and Blake Lively: Exclusive behind-the-scenes video
The Gossip Girl Guide to New York