Authors: Nikki Carter

It's All Good (3 page)

BOOK: It's All Good

9.55Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

ads

“He wanted me to tell you to mind your own business.”

Sometimes it's cool having a younger sister, although I'm still getting used to it. But other times, I just want to tell her to step. You know what I mean?

Kevin and I are planning to get as close to perfect scores on our SAT exams as possible. We're both trying to get full scholarships to college, because we're not exactly from privileged families. Ricky will probably get an athletic scholarship, although he really wants to go to Morehouse to study medicine.

I haven't decided where I want to go yet. I might go the Ivy League route and take all this fabulousness up to Brown or Columbia. Or, I might do the whole historically-black-college thing. If I go to Spelman, Ricky and I can kick it like on that old-school television show
A Different World.
That would be the hotness.

Candy and I walk out of the gym and Ricky is waiting outside for us. He's posted up on his rusty Pontiac like he's been waiting all day.

I stop in front of him and say, “I didn't know you were picking us up.”

“I'm picking
you
up,” he says with a smile. “Candy's going with Valerie.”

“Wha ... ?”

I turn around to see Candy jogging toward Valerie's car. I know she thinks she's doing me a favor and getting out of the way. Normally I would appreciate it, but with the way Ricky's been acting, I don't know.

“Come on, Gi. We're meeting Kevin up at the mall. He wants us to go shopping with him.”

“Shopping? For what?”

“Gear. He got his birthday money from his grandparents, and he's trying to maintain his new look. He liked the attention he got at Homecoming.”

Well, of course Kevin got attention at Homecoming. I totally dressed him. Kevin, Ricky, and I had a little color scheme going, because we had a dance step. Kevin didn't actually dance, but he hyped everyone up. It was bananas.

Ricky opens the car door for me. “Get in.”

I stand here for a moment, trying to figure out if I appreciate this bossiness from Ricky.

“Are you coming with me?” Ricky asks.

“If you ask nicely.”

A smile creeps up on Ricky's lips. “Will you please get in the car, Gia? Kevin is waiting on us.”

“Sure.”

I climb into the car and allow Ricky to close the door. I have an inner chuckle when I see the little cherry air freshener hanging from Ricky's rearview mirror. That's the only thing in this car that's new. Everything else is about twenty years old. I'm actually surprised that this hoopty even runs.

“Gia, I need to ask you something,” Ricky says as he puts the car in drive.

Is this it? Is this when he's going to cut the games and ask me to be his girl?

“Ask away.”

“You're not going to start acting all weird because of that bracelet, are you?”

I swallow hard. This is so not what I was trying to hear. “What? No! Why would I act weird?”

“I don't know. The bracelet doesn't mean that we're kicking it or anything like that. I just thought you would like it.”

I roll my eyes to the sky. Who knew that Ricky was a huge coward? He can lead the football team to the state championship, but can't even admit he has a crush?

“Yeah, cool, Ricky. I get it.”

I blow air out of my cheeks and look out the window. I really want to throw something and spazz out, but I refuse to let Ricky see me sweat him.

“Are we cool?” Ricky asks.

“Yep, it's all good.”

“Great, because I have another question.”

I roll my eyes. “Go ahead.”

“Are you going to get a driver's license anytime soon? You've wasted your entire sixteenth year!”

So here's the thing about the whole driver's license debacle : I am afraid to drive. The thought of pressing the gas pedal and several tons of metal and rubber speeding down the street at my command is absolutely terrifying. I'm perfectly fine bumming rides from Kevin and Ricky. I don't
need
my driver's license.

“I'll get it sometime this year, I guess.”

“Do you want me to teach you to drive?”

“Um, no!”

Ricky smiles. “Gia, it's not hard! Let me just take you up to Easter Hill Park and you can get a feel for the car.”

“Naw, I'm chill right now, Ricky. I'll get it before I leave for college! Don't sweat it.”

Even if I did want Ricky to teach me to drive, I'm not agreeing to it right now! Not when he just burst my fragile little crush bubble. Asking me if I'm going to start acting weird!

Wow! He gets the I-hate-you-so-much-right-now side eye. How could he?

“I
don't think so, Kevin. Step away from the overalls,” I say as I grab the stonewashed farmer pants out of Kevin's hands.

“What's wrong with overalls?” Kevin asks. “I like them, because they're kind of like shirt and pants at the same time.”

Ricky laughs. “Kev, that's exactly the problem. Listen to Gia on this one. Trust.”

“How about these?”

I hold up a dark pair of Sean John jeans. Not the baggy kind, because that's so not Kevin. He was raised by old people, so he won't wear a pair of pants that don't sit on his waist. I'm surprised he doesn't wear suspenders.

Kevin takes the jeans from me and looks at them. “I guess these are okay,” he says.

“You guess? Kevin, these jeans are hot to infinity. Go try them on.”

Kevin smiles. “Wow, you're bossy!”

“And?”

“Nothing. Boss me anytime.”

“E www, Kevin. Just go try on the jeans!”

Ricky and I stand near the fitting room while Kevin goes inside. I haven't said a word to Ricky since we were in the car because I cannot believe the foolishness that was the conversation we just had. I want to take this
nothing
bracelet and throw it at Ricky.

“Gia, are you mad at me?” Ricky asks.

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“I don't know, but you seem angry.”

I shrug. “I don't know what you're talking about. Are you sure you aren't going to start acting weird?”

Ricky sighs and looks at the floor. “Nah.”

Kevin comes out of the fitting room wearing the jeans and they look really good on him.

“Gia, would you holla at me if I was wearing these jeans?” Kevin asks.

I laugh out loud. “Um ... the jeans don't make the man.”

“So that's a no?”

“It's a no.”

“Do you think Candy would holla at me?” Kevin asks, suddenly sounding quite serious.

Why would he want to talk to Candy? First of all, she's a freshman. Second of all, she's got a little shoplifting habit. Third, and most importantly, she's not me. How could Kevin go from loving me to crushing on Candy? That's a significant downgrade, on the real.

“Kevin, when did you get so girl crazy?” Ricky asks.

Kevin replies, “Dude, you are cool enough to say that you don't have a girlfriend because you don't want one. But people think I don't have a girl because I can't get one.”

Kevin is referring to Ricky's declaration that he doesn't want a girlfriend, because he doesn't want to be pressured by fast girls. Yeah, I was down with his decision and all, when he was talking about Valerie, but there would be absolutely no pressure if he dated me!

“Who cares what people think?” Ricky asks.

“Only cool people don't care what people think,” Kevin replies. “The little people care.”

I hand Kevin a shirt to go with his jeans. “Oooh, that's fiyah! You like?”

“Yeah, that's cool. I'm gonna wear this on the bus when we go to state.”

The band is big enough that they get their own school bus when we go to the state championship. The Hi-Steppers, the band's front line and
Longfellow spirit ambassadors
(cheerleaders hahaha), get to ride on the band bus.

I say, “If you wear that, then I'll sit next to you on the bus.”

Kevin's eyes light up. “Seriously? You're not kidding, are you, Gia? Because if you were, that would be mean.”

“I'm not kidding.”

“Cool. Are we sitting up front or in the back? I like sitting in the front, because that is the safest, but if you want the back, I'd be totally cool with that, too. You know what? I'll get there early to save us a seat.”

“Kevin ...”

“Yes, bus partner?”

“Don't make me change my mind.”

“H
e actually said that?”

Hope is perched on the side of my bed listening to me rant about Ricky's foolishness. I called her and she came over once I got back from the mall. All I want to do is take this Tweety bracelet off and throw it across the room. I mean, why shouldn't I? It doesn't mean anything.

And it totally kicks rocks that I don't have anyone but Hope to talk to about this. Just a few weeks ago, she was all up on Ricky, so any advice she might give is suspect, to say the least. But it's either Hope, Candy, or Kevin.

Candy is an absolute no, because she's a freshman. What the heck does she know about complex relationship questions? And Kevin is just a no. There is no explanation needed.

So, yeah. It's Hope.

“Yes, he actually said that,” I reply. “Can you believe he asked me if I was going to start acting weird?”

“Well, you are acting kind of weird, Gia.”

See what I mean! Suspect beyond belief.

“How am I acting funny?”

Hope explains, “You're all stressed about this Ricky crush. It's not like you haven't always kinda dug him, so why is it such a big deal now? Why can't y'all just be the same?”

She is so dense. How can it ever be the same? Ricky has taken a step into boyfriend territory. You can't just come back from that. It's like saying you've never tasted pizza after you've already taken a bite and have cheese hanging off the side of your mouth.

“I'm not stressed. I just need to know what's going on. You don't just buy someone jewelry and then start tripping.”

Hope nods. “I do agree with you on that. Ricky shouldn't have given you that if he didn't want to send out the wrong signal.”

“I don't think he sent out the
wrong
signal. I just think he's not ready to handle it yet. He sent out the right signal, but now he wants to take it back.”

Hope is wading very close to the hater side of the swimming pool. She's just mad because Ricky wasn't sending her any signals at all.

Hope shrugs. “Well, whatever, Gia. You know Ricky better than I do. I don't know why you asked for my opinion anyway, because you definitely don't want it.”

“You're right, I don't. Change the subject before I kick you out of my room.”

“You are evil,” Hope says.

“Right back at cha, ma.”

There is a light knock on my bedroom door. It has to be Candy because Gwen does not knock. She doesn't believe in teenagers having privacy.

“What do you want, Candy?” I ask through the closed door.

Candy replies, “Stop being mean and let me in! I'm bored.”

I roll my eyes and flop onto the bed in
my
room. When Gwen and LeRon first got married, this was LeRon's office and he was not trying to give it up. I had to share a room with Candy, and I most definitely did not appreciate that ridiculousness.

We had bunk beds and everything.

Me no likee!

Then LeRon found himself some “get right.” Yeah, I don't know exactly what this means, but my mom always says it when I'm acting crazy and then pull myself together. Bottom line is, I got my own room. Woo-hoo!

And guess what? Annoying little sisters are only admitted on a case-by-case basis.

Hope jumps up from my bed and opens the door. “Come on in, Candy. Gia's acting stank anyway, so I'm not sure if you want to come in.”

Candy narrows her eyes over in my direction. “What is your issue?”

“I don't have any issues. You and Hope can fall back immediately.”

“She's tripping because Ricky hasn't asked her to be his boo yet,” Hope responds, as if I've said nothing.

Candy nods. “Well, that's typical boy behavior.”

“And how do you know?” I ask.

“I watch
The Tyra Banks Show!
Guys put themselves out there and then they get scared. Ricky had an aha moment when he gave you that bracelet, and now everything else is brand-new. He's just scared.”

Hope and I stare at Candy in shock. Tyra show reference aside, she actually sounds credible. Could this be some sort of fear mechanism kicking in for Ricky? And if it is, should I let him off the hook or proceed? So many questions ...

“For real, though, Candy. Maybe you're watching too much Tyra,” I say. “An âaha moment'? Seriously?”

Candy laughs. “Actually, the aha moment is from my other mother, Oprah.”

See, this is why I keep the door to my bedroom closed.

BOOK: It's All Good

9.55Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Read Book Download Book

ads