Читать книгу Cool Like That: A So For Real Novel - Nikki Carter - Страница 11

I’m completely stoked when the plane lands. New York City! I’m here!

Rashad stays close by when we get off the plane, which causes some inappropriate mean mugging by Ricky. But I think Rashad can sense that because he sticks out his hand right away for Ricky to shake.

After hesitating for a second too long, Ricky does shake his hand. “I’m Ricky Freeman. You are?”

“Rashad Moore. I met Gia on the plane. I had the pleasure of sitting next to her.”

Totally blushing right now. Ricky is giving me a blank stare too, like he’s trying to figure out what’s going on in my head. If I knew what was going on in my head, I would definitely let him know.

I spent the entire flight getting to know Rashad, and he’s cool as what. And fine as all get out. And we’re in the same program too? What the heck kinda coincidence is that? Especially since Ricky is in the engineering program and will be crunching numbers all summer.

Is it possible to have more than one crush at a time? I know I can have celebrity crushes and real-boy crushes and it’s okay, but two real-boy crushes? I don’t know the rules on that.

“Are you in the Columbia program too?” Ricky asks.

“Yep. This is my third year,” Rashad replies.

Why is Ricky looking like he wants to square up and chop Rashad down with a two-piece? Unnecessary roughness for real. Ricky and his big ego can go somewhere else. The funniest part though is that Rashad seems completely oblivious to Ricky’s macho-man routine. Ha!

“I guess we should go over to the baggage claim,” Rashad says.

Ricky replies, “Yeah, yeah. I knew that.”

Okay, Ricky is totally tripping with these caveman shenanigans. Rashad hasn’t done anything threatening yet. We’ve just spent a couple hours chatting. No harm there.

The baggage-claim area at this airport is a complete zoo. I’m used to the airport in Cleveland—that’s pretty tame compared to this. Ricky looks a little confused too, so Rashad leads the way.

“It might take a while for our luggage to unload,” Rashad says. “Depending on the airline, it can be kinda slow.”

“You travel a lot?” I ask.

“Yeah. My dad is the head lawyer for an export company that does a lot of trade overseas. I’ve been to Europe, China, and most recently Dubai. But we come to New York more than anything.”

“Sounds exciting,” I say. “I’ve never been out of the country, unless Canada counts. I’ve been to Niagara Falls on a church bus trip.”

“Canada is another country,” Ricky says.

Rashad smiles at me and brushes my long cornrows back. “Technically, you’re international, Princess.”

Ricky rolls his eyes and frowns. And with good reason now. Rashad is seriously moving in on his territory, and he’s bold with it too. His swagger is sick!

“Here come the bags!” I say. I’m totally happy for the diversion.

Thank God, our suitcases come up quickly. I had a little bit of anxiety about my luggage getting lost. That was a direct result of my mom’s brainwashing. Gwen made me put a whole set of clothes in my carry-on bag in case my suitcase disappeared and I had to wait days to get my stuff.

Ricky grabs my bag off the belt. “Gia, here’s your bag. You are straight tripping with the amount of stuff you have in here.”

“A princess has got to look the part, right?” Rashad asks.

I’m dead, y’all. I just rolled over on the floor and died! Rashad is really trying to start some drama.

Ricky gives Rashad some tight-lipped side eye. Jesus, be a let’s all just get along fence around me. And Ricky.

There’s a man holding up a sign that says “Columbia Summer Program.” He must be our ride.

“I think that guy over there is waiting for us,” I say.

“He is,” Rashad says. “They try to time the shuttles so they get a van full of us every time.”

We make our way over to the van driver, and he shows us to a long white van that’s already full of kids. I feel my stomach jump a little. It’s starting! My summer of fun is starting right now!

When we get on the van, everyone cheers. I’m guessing it’s for Rashad, because they don’t know me and Ricky yet. I mean, once they do get to know me, there will be cheering when I step up in the place. Okay, maybe not, but whateva to you and your hateration.

A very pretty, thick brown girl with a head full of curls looks Ricky up and down. “You’re new. And a cutie. I’m Sienna.”

I look at Ricky with my lips totally twisted. I want to see how he responds to this because this is going to determine the course of the summer, for real.

He grins extra hard and says, “I’m Ricky Freeman. Thanks, you’re cute too.”

YOU’RE CUTE TOO!!!!!!

Let me take a deep inhale and exhale before I explode on this boy. I know he feels pressed and all about Rashad, but this is full-fledged flirting. While Rashad was openly flirting with me, I totally danced around any real flirtations myself. Ricky is trying to catch a beat-down.

Sienna says, “Too bad for you, I have a boyfriend who lives in New York, so you’ll just have to gaze upon this cuteness, wishing you were my boo.”

Ricky laughs. “I guess I’ll just have to live with that.”

Sienna giggles and turns her attention to me. “What’s your name? Love your braids. Is that your real hair?”

I force myself to reply, “I’m Gia. Yeah, it’s my real hair.”

“That’s hot.”

I feel my icy glare melt away. Sienna is truly friendly, and of course she has no idea about the history I have with Ricky.

Sienna leans up over her row in the van and gives Rashad a hug around his neck. “What’s up, Rashad! It’s gonna be crazy when we go to college and don’t get to see each other in the summers anymore.”

“I know, right! That’s why we have to have a blast this year,” Rashad says. “I don’t know if I’m coming next summer. Might try to do some stuff at home with my friends and enjoy the end of my senior year.”

“I’ll be here next summer because my boyfriend lives in New York! I’ll probably go to college here too,” Sienna says.

After a few more kids pile into the van, we pull away from the airport. Finally, I get to see New York, even if it is through the windows of the van.

“So are you still gonna do spoken-word stuff this summer, Rashad?” Sienna asks.

Rashad replies, “If I get the opportunity. There are a few new spots I want to check out over in Harlem. My boy Leo hipped me to them.”

I listen to their conversation intently, trying to learn more about Rashad. One thing I’ve noticed off the bat is that he hasn’t called Sienna a princess yet. He told me he says that to all the girls. I’m thinking not.

His confidence is off the chain though. I love how his body movements go with what he’s sayng. He’s so animated it looks like the beginnings of a dance routine when he really gets going.

I see Ricky checking out Rashad too, like he’s scoping out his competition. But it was Ricky’s idea to have this whole “crush on hold” thing going on. So he can’t be mad at me if I’m enjoying some attention. Can he?

Yeah, I was extra heated when I thought Sienna was pushing up on Ricky. I think that was just some kind of instinct though. Maybe Ricky has the same kind of thing going on. I don’t know.

“We’re here!” Sienna squeals.

The van driver drops us off in front of a large building. He helps us unpack our bags and leaves us to fend for ourselves. Thankfully, there are a lot of kids out here, and we’ve got Rashad and Sienna to show us where we need to go.

“This is Lerner Hall,” Rashad explains. “This is where we sign in and get our rooming assignments.”

“It’s also the hangout spot!” Sienna says.

Rashad nods in agreement. “Yep. There’s a cool restaurant on the upstairs level that stays open late. It’s where everybody goes to hang on campus.”

“Off campus is another matter entirely! We can go to the artsy spots in Harlem, some jumpin’ teen spots in the Bronx and Brooklyn, or the VIP joints that pop in Manhattan,” Sienna says.

It sounds like Sienna really knows something about how to par-tay! I’m gonna have to limit my kicking-it time with her. Shoot, I know I’m all the way in New York, but Gwen’s mess radar can cross state lines.

Yep, I am one hundred percent afraid of what my mother would do if she heard about me partying VIP style in Manhattan. Can anyone spell B-E-A-T-D-O-W-N? My mama does not play.

Ricky tries to grab my suitcase for me to take it into Lerner Hall. How sweet and cavemanly of him.

“I’ve got it, Ricky,” I say. “Thanks for helping me, but you’ve got to get your own stuff. I can handle mine.”

Rashad breezes past us to meet up with some other people he probably knows from the previous summers. I watch as he hugs girls and guys alike, and I feel a little jealous that I’m not already in their clique.

“Are you coming, Princess?” Ricky asks.

I laugh out loud. “Is somebody hating? All you had to do was let Rashad know I’m your girl.”

“I’m not pressed. Dude is lame anyway, with that chick hair hanging down his back. Looking like Simba from The Lion King.” Ricky waves his hand to emphasize his point and starts toward the building.

Soon after we walk in, everyone gets into lines organized by their last name. Sienna stands behind me in line.

“Last name Thompson,” she explains.

I nod. “I didn’t know there were gonna be so many kids here. This is great.”

“Yeah. Seems like there are more than the last two years, so it’s really gonna be popping this year.”

Sienna’s cell phone rings, and she answers it on the first ring. “Hi, baby.”

I hate hearing only one side of a conversation, so I look around the room at my fellow students. This is really different from home. I thought I went to a pretty multicultural school at home. At Longfellow High, we’ve got Black, white, Latino, and a few Asians sprinkled in. But here there are people who really look like they come from other countries. Hotties from all over the world. Nice!

It’s finally my turn in line. There’s a bubbly girl sitting at the table, cheesing up at me. I can’t help but smile back.

“Hi! I’m Felicity Barrow. Welcome to Columbia University.”

“Hi. I’m Gia Stokes.”

Felicity scans her page and smiles. “Guess what, Gia?”

“Umm, I don’t know. What?”

“I’m your RA.”

She says this with such excitement that I’m thinking RA stands for “really awesome”!

I ask, “And RA is short for…?”

“Resident adviser. It means I’m your fun ambassador for the summer, and I’ll help you with any issues you might have.”

“So you’re like a camp counselor?”

Sienna whispers, “More like warden.”

Felicity giggles. “I guess it is something like a camp counselor! We’re going to have a great time.”

She gives me a huge stack of papers and tells me I’m in dormitory A. It’s a coed dorm! How cool is that? My mom will most probably have a coronary if she finds out about this, so we’re just not going to tell her.

“Now, you go stand in the line at the rear to take your ID photo,” Felicity explains. “When you’re done with that, you’ll receive your key card for your dorm.”

I groan on the inside when I glance back at the photo ID line. It’s super long, and I’m tired of dragging this luggage. But I’m not gonna let it get me too twisted, because why? I’m in New York City, baby!

After a really long and exaggerated sigh, I walk over to stand in line. Rashad walks up at the same time. Niiiice. “What dormitory are you in, Princess?” he asks.

“Dormitory A.”

“Me too. I’m looking forward to having pillow fights with you.”

I laugh out loud. “Seriously? Dude, I don’t pillow fight, but I will annihilate you in some Xbox.”

“You play Halo or something?” Rashad asks.

“Uh, no. Do I look like I play shoot-’em-up games? I’m a Rock Band girl.”

Rashad bursts into a flurry of giggles. “Man, you are funny.”

“Thank you.”

It’s funny watching people pose for their ID photos. One girl just tried to give that “I’m a supermodel” tight-eyed glare. Fail. Then, a boy who probably has a 4.0 GPA attempts a hardcore hip-hop-artist nod. Epic fail!

When it’s my turn, I’m feeling the pressure of the photo too. As I sit on the little round stool, I hope I don’t look like a nerdbomb in my picture.

Just as the photographer tells me to get ready, I look up and see Rashad smiling at me extra hard. I totally lose focus and end up not smiling but making what I’m sure is some completely goofy expression. “Can I get a do-over?” I ask the photographer.

“Sorry. It’s one and done. We’ve got a long line.”

Rashad clutches his stomach, doubles over, and laughs.

“Nice pic, Gia.”

I narrow my eyes and drag my suitcase over to the ID table. I wait until Rashad is about to take his picture, then blurt out, “That’s why you look like Simba from The Lion King!”

Rashad opens his mouth in shock just as the flash goes off. Ha! That’s what he gets for rumbling with the princess.

After Rashad picks his picture up from the table, he shows it to me. “Are you satisfied?” he asks. “You’ve got me looking foolish.”

I nod. “Yep, absolutely satisfied. Mine actually turned out cute.”

“Do you really think I look like Simba?”

“No.”

He sighs. “Good.”

“More like Mufasa.”

“Hater.”

“All day, every day.”

We both fall out laughing and head outside, where I meet up with Ricky and Sienna. Rashad goes off with a group of his friends.

“See you later, Princess!”

“Not if I see you first!”

Ricky gives me a blank stare. “Seriously, Gia?”

“What?”

Ricky shakes his head and asks, “What dorm are y’all in?”

“Dormitory A,” Sienna replies.

“Me too! Sweet!”

Sienna says, “I think they pretty much try to group us by age, which is cool because we do not want a lot of freshmen up in our bidness.”

Ricky and I pull out our handy-dandy campus maps from the registration packets. Sienna laughs.

“Put them things away!” she says. “Follow me.”

“The itinerary says there’s a barbeque thing later,” I say. “Is that usually fun?”

Sienna nods. “Yeah, it’s cool. It’s where you get to scope out all the hotties and pick your summer crush. Unless you already have one.”

Why did she look at me when she said that? I haven’t demonstrated anything to Sienna to let her know about Ricky and I, other than a little bit of mean mugging in the van. So what is she talking about?

Okay, am I over thinking this or what? Maybe it was just a simple statement, with no deeper meaning at all.

“So you’re gonna go to your room and change for the barbeque?” Ricky asks.

“Yeah, but you don’t have to wait for me, because I don’t know how long it will take me to get dressed. I’ll meet you there.”

Ricky looks stunned by my response. It doesn’t have anything to do with Rashad, although I know he thinks it does. I want to meet my roommate and take my time getting dressed.

Now, if I happen to run into Rashad on my way over to the barbeque, it’s all good.

What? Don’t give me a blank stare. Ricky is the one who started this “no-crush summer” mess. It’s all his fault.

Sienna drops me off at my suite. “I’m right upstairs in room four-oh-nine-B. You can call from room to room by dialing seven first and then the room number.”

“Get the heck out of here! Like in a hotel?”

She nods. “Yep. They have maids who come in every day to clean the rooms too.”

“Shut up!”

Sienna laughs and leaves me to go to her room. I open the door to my suite with a swanky little key card. Already, I’m adding Columbia to my college list. I could get used to this.

The first thing I notice when I step into my bedroom is a strong coconut scent. It’s nice—kind of earthy, but sweet, like how a day spa might smell.

“I hope you like coconut,” says the girl I’m assuming is my roommate.

“I do, it smells nice. Hi, I’m Gia Stokes.”

The girl walks up to me swinging her pin-straight, obviously salon-straightened tresses. Her skin is the color of butter-pecan ice cream and completely acne free (hate her). She moves like a supermodel, deliberately taking wide strides and swinging her arms as if on a runway. She stops in front of me and kisses both my cheeks. Well, she doesn’t actually kiss me. She makes kissing noises in the air.

Now is the appropriate time for a blank stare.

“I’m Melody Brookstone. Something tells me we’re going to be BFFs by the end of the summer.”

I give her my friendliest smile. “Cool! Are you going to the barbeque?”

“Yes, even though I don’t eat meat.”

A real live vegetarian. Wow on top of wow.

“Is this your first summer in the program?” I ask.

“It’s my second year.”

“So you know a lot of people already?”

Melody nods. “Some, but I try to keep my clique intimate. More people equals more drama.”

“Don’t I know it,” I say in agreement. “I need this summer to be drama free.”

“See!” Melody exclaims. “I knew we were going to be close.”

Truth be told, it is my turn not to have drama. My high school years have been drama to the infinite power. I’ve had a shoplifting little stepsister, frenemies, unsuccessful makeovers, boys playing me out, and friends with half-naked pictures posted on Facebook.

So seriously, can a sister get a break?

My phone buzzes in my purse. Before I even look at the caller ID, I know it’s my mom.

“Hi, Mom,” I say.

“Gia, why haven’t you called to let me know you’re safe?”

“I’m sorry. I was just about to call you. I’m in the dorm now with my new roommate, Melody.”

“Mmm-hmm. Don’t make me get on a plane and fly up there, Gia. You better keep in touch.”

“I will, Mom. But I’m about to go to a barbeque with all the students and the resident advisers. So can I call you back?”

“Yes. Have fun, okay, and tell Ricky I said hello.”

“I will.”

I press “end” on my phone and open my suitcase on the little stand at the end of my bed. Melody walks over with a look of interest on her face.

“What are you going to wear?” she asks.

“I don’t know. What’s appropriate?”

“You should probably go with resort casual.”

Resort casual? What in the world is the difference between resort casual and regular casual? I need an answer pronto. This is soooo not a rhetorical question.

Melody laughs. I guess she can tell by the befuddled expression on my face that I’m completely clueless.

She starts pulling clothes out of my suitcase. “These khaki capris and this pink baby tee. This works. Do you have any heels?”

“Heels? I have flip-flops. Is that resort casual?”

Melody’s eyebrows rise almost all the way up to her hairline. “Flip-flops? Have mercy on my soul. No. You may not wear flip-flops. Please tell me you have an acceptable pair of sandals.”

“I do have a few pairs.” I toss the shoes into the center of the floor.

Melody taps her chin as though in deep thought. “These will do,” she says as she picks up a pair of Nine West wedge heels that Hope put in my luggage. “Do you have a bag to match these?”

“I have this little pouch and a mini backpack.”

“There’s no time to go shopping, so I guess you’ll have to borrow one of mine.”

Why is it that everyone wants to give me a makeover? Why can’t they just allow Gia to be Gia?

“I’ll pass on the bag, Melody. My backpack works for me.”

Melody looks totally wounded. “Sorry. I just wanted you to look hot for the barbeque.”

“I really appreciate you for that, but I’ve got my own style.”

Melody plops down on the bed. “Was that too much? I can pump the brakes if you want.”

“It’s cool, Melody. You can pick out a bag for me just this one time.”

“Really?” She claps her hands together, jumps up, and hugs me.

“Umm, Gia…you need a shower, sweetie.”

I burst out laughing. “Pretty much. I’ll go handle that, and you can choose a bag while I’m in there.”

I’m glad for the shower and a few moments away from my brand-new BFF. It’s funny—I’ve never made friends with anyone this quickly, but this Melody Brookstone seems determined to have me in her clique.

After I’m fresh, clean, and dressed, I turn around in a little fashion-model pose for Melody.

“A great improvement,” she says as she hands me a big leopard-skin purse.

“Leopard skin? This doesn’t match anything I have on.”

“Oh, you don’t have to match your bag anymore, as long as it’s hot.”

“If you say so.”

I rub my tummy, which is definitely on empty. I haven’t eaten anything since the little pack of peanuts the flight attendant gave me on the plane.

“Are you ready to go now?” Melody asks.

I’m about to say yes when my phone rings. The caller ID says “Hizzle-Pizzle.” Ha! That means it’s my cousin Hope. And you know she was furious when she found out about her nickname in my address book.

“This will take only a sec,” I say to a now-impatient-looking Melody. “Talk to me,” I speak into the phone.

“Why have I not received any texts or Facebook messages yet, Gia? What’s up? You are supposed to be keeping me posted.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been a little busy since I got here.”

“Well, you need to get unbusy and tell me what’s going on,” Hope fusses. “Have you met anyone cool yet?”

“Yeah, my roommate, Melody, this girl named Sienna, and a cutie named Rashad.”

“Rashad Moore?” Melody asks.

I nod at Melody and listen to Hope squeal. “A cutie? What’s up with him? Wait a minute, what’s up with Ricky?”

“Rashad is cool, but I haven’t gotten a chance to know him yet. Ricky is, you know, Ricky. It’s all good.”

“Oooh, drama! Gia, I never pictured you being a female mack, but it’s possible. Was Ricky hating on the new dude?”

“Is Tweety bald and yellow?”

I hear Hope suck her teeth. “It would be too much for you to answer a question with a simple yes or no, wouldn’t it?”

“You know you like being treated to my wit.”

“Whatever, Gia.”

Melody clears her throat and flares her nostrils. She mouths the word barbeque to let me know she’s ready to go.

“Okay, Hope, I’ve gotta go to this barbeque thing with my roommate. She’s waiting for me. I’ll call you later.”

“You better not forget, Gia.”

“All right, bye.”

“It’s about time,” Melody says.

Melody leads the way to the patio where the barbeque is being held. The party already seems to be in full swing. Ricky’s here already, and Rashad is too.

“So, you were talking about Rashad earlier. Are you crushing on him?” Melody asks.

I shrug. “Not sure yet. He seems cool though.”

“Beyond cool. He’s hot to death.”

“Wait a minute. Are you crushing on him? Because if so, I’ll step out of the way.”

“Umm, no,” Melody says. “I have a boyfriend back home in Boston. We’re totally getting married after college.”

“Really? I haven’t thought much past which college I should attend, and I haven’t even really decided on that either.”

“Well, I’ve dated Wilson ever since ninth grade. I think we’re soul mates.”

“Wow, okay.”

Is it weird for teenagers to be exclusive like that? If it is, there must be something wrong with me. I can’t even decide if I want to have a crush on both Ricky and Rashad, but Melody already has her husband picked out.

“Rashad is really nice though, Gia. And cute too.”

“I know, right.”

Ricky waves over in my direction. “Come on, Melody,” I say. “I want you to meet my best friend Ricky.”

As we walk toward Ricky and his new friends, he flashes us one of his really cute smiles. I so hate myself for this, but the butterflies are flitting all over my stomach.

“He’s a hottie,” Melody whispers. “How is it that you can be best friends with him and not have a crush?”

“Who says I don’t have a crush on him?” I respond with a giggle.

“Ooo, multiple crushes!”

“Hey, Gia!” Ricky says when we get to his group.

“What took you so long?”

“You know us girls,” Melody says. “We had to get beautiful. I’m Melody, Gia’s roommate.”

“I’m Ricky, and this is Xavier and Sushil, my roommates.”

“Why are there three of y’all in a room?” I ask.

“Sushil signed up at the last second,” Xavier says, “so we got stuck with a triple.”

Melody gives Sushil a hug and her funny air kisses. “Hey, Shil. I didn’t know you were coming back this summer. Didn’t you graduate?”

“Yes, but I am attending Columbia in the fall, and my father thought it was best if I spend another summer in the program.”

Sushil’s accent catches me completely off guard. He looks Indian (not Native American, but from the country India), but he sounds British.

“Shil is from London,” Ricky explains like he’s reading my mind.

I nod. “Cool. You’re coming all the way to New York for college?”

“Yes. My father went here and has a medical practice back home. One day I’m going to join him,” Sushil says.

Xavier says, “I’m not coming here for college. It’s too cold in the winter. I’m going to USC. What about you, Ricky?”

“I don’t know. Probably a football school though. Maybe Georgia Tech because my best friend here is talking about going to Spelman.”

I feel my mouth drop open a little. I didn’t know he was trying to go to college near me. We’ve never even talked about it.

Wait a minute. Is this Ricky’s sneaky little way of claiming me? I can see why he’s putting that out there because Sushil is a hottie for real with his coffee-colored skin and big dark curls. Xavier, not so much. He reminds me of Kevin before his makeover.

But back to the matter at hand. Ricky claiming me? What’s up with that?

Rashad walks over to us and hugs Melody. “Hey, Mel. Long time, no see.”

“I know, right! How was junior year in the A?”

Rashad laughs out loud. “Listen at you trying to use slang. Junior year in the A was good, Mel.”

“Hey, Gia.” Rashad hugs me too. “Melody is a cool person to have for a roommate. You scored with this one.”

Rashad’s hug has got me feeling completely uncomfortable. One, he held me just a little bit too long, and two, Ricky is glaring at me like he wants to explode. This is not a win-win situation for me. I guess I’m not cut out to be a player.

“Hey, Rashad,” I say in a nervous tone. “Is anybody hungry? I’m hungry. Oh, look, there are some hot dogs.”

I can’t race away from them fast enough. Melody is on my heels as I rush away.

“Are you okay, Gia? You’re acting weird.”

“Yep, I’m cool. Just hungry.”

I grab a hot dog from the table and take a huge bite so I don’t have to answer any other questions. Rashad, Ricky, Sushil, and Xavier continue talking and getting to know one another until the resident advisers get up and start going over the rules for the summer program. Midnight curfew during the week, and one in the morning on the weekends. Score! This will cause my mom to have another meltdown if she finds out. So you already know what it is—we’re not telling her.

No members of the opposite sex are allowed in sleeping rooms, but we can all chill in the common areas. Of course, the advisers point out that no drugs or alcohol are allowed. They also have zero tolerance for violence.

After the cookout, everyone goes back to Lerner Hall to hang. I haven’t said much of anything because I’m afraid I’ll put my foot in my mouth. Ricky has been strangely quiet too.

“So who’s up for a walk in Times Square?” Sushil asks.

Melody looks up from the chessboard she’s setting up. “I don’t know, Shil. It’s late.”

“We can all stay together,” Rashad says. “And of course we won’t stay out after curfew. It’s Saturday night, so we’ve got until one in the morning. Gia, you have got to see Times Square at night.”

I nod. “Okay. What do you think, Ricky? Do you want to come?”

“Sure. It sounds like fun. Wait—how are we going to get there?”

Sushil replies, “The subway, of course!”

We all head back to the dorm so Melody can change her shoes. She told us there was no way she was marching around Times Square in four-inch heels.

As we wait in the lobby, I ask Rashad, “Is it true what my mama says about the subway?”

He laughs. “Maybe. What does your mama say?”

Should I tell him Gwen thinks every criminal in New York City rides the subway waiting for unsuspecting teenage girls? Nah. I think not. He’ll just think she’s crazy. Yes, she is crazy, but he doesn’t need to know that. “My mom just thinks it’s dangerous.”

“It can be, but we’ll all be together, and we only have to ride one train to get to Times Square.”

I can’t read the look on Ricky’s face as he stares at Rashad. I want to think that Ricky is jealous, but that wouldn’t be necessary, because Rashad hasn’t made any real moves.

Melody steps out of the elevator with Sienna. Oops. Why didn’t I think to invite her? I had her room number and everything.

“I asked Sienna if she wanted to go too. I hope you all don’t mind, but Gia and I were totally outnumbered by boys.”

Sienna smiles and goes around the group getting hugs. She spends an extra amount of time with Ricky. She needs to stop tripping with that. Didn’t she say she had a boyfriend anyway?

“Let’s go before it gets too late,” Rashad says.

We all follow Rashad’s lead to the subway terminal. Gwen totally exaggerated. There is absolutely nothing scary about this so far. I’m still not one hundred percent convinced, so I’m holding my purse extra tightly. I wish I had put down Melody’s giant leopard-skin monstrosity and gotten my backpack.

Rashad sits next to me on the subway car. Ricky pretends not to care and sits chatting with his roommates. Melody and Sienna catch up on gossip about people I don’t know yet.

“So is Ricky cool with us sitting hugged up like this?” Rashad whispers.

“We are not hugged up, boy. Stop playing.”

Rashad leans back in his seat. “The best friends with secret crushes on one another spend their first summer alone in the big city.”

“Ha-ha. You trying to write a story?”

Rashad grins. “I am here for the creative-writing program, Princess. That’s what I do.”

“Well, your story is fiction.”

“I don’t know, Gia, Ricky seemed to be throwing a lot of shade in my direction earlier.”

“He’s not throwing any now,” I protest.

“That’s a male-ego thing. He can’t let me know he’s pressed. But he is very threatened because he thinks I’m interested in you.”

Dang! Why can’t I wipe this stupid grin off my face? And why doesn’t he stop flirting?

“Well, are you?” I ask.

“Am I what?”

“Interested?”

Rashad laughs out loud. “Why don’t we just let the summer write the story. This is our stop.”

Are you kidding me? Let the summer write the story? Wow on top of wow. This dude really is a writer because nobody talks like this in real life. I mean, for real.

We get off the train, and immediately, I see a difference. The subway station at this stop is darker, and some of the people milling around are beyond special. I feel myself step just a little closer to Rashad. Oooh, wait a minute. How is it that I didn’t notice his muscular arms before? Nice!

Rashad says, “Listen, when we get to street level, everybody stay together. We don’t want Ricky or Gia to get separated or lost on their first time out.”

Okay, sidebar. Isn’t it great how Rashad is totally taking control of the situation? I wish you could see how irritated Ricky looks. Not that I want him to be irritated, but he needs to step his game up: Rashad’s swagger is eclipsing Ricky’s.

Melody loops an arm through mine. “I won’t lose her,” she says. “Come on.”

Oh, my goodness! They told me Times Square was awesome, but they so did not tell me it was like this!

Everything is lit up, there are a ton of people walking around like it’s the middle of the day, and it’s loud like we’re at the flyest house party ever.

“This is too for real, Ricky!” I squeal.

Ricky shouts, “I know, right! Times Square, baby!”

I untangle myself from Melody and grab Ricky’s jacket. How awesome is it that I’m sharing this experience with my best friend?

“Kevin would so love this, Ricky. Take some pictures.”

“Tourist alert,” Xavier says with a giggle.

Ricky and I totally ignore Xavier teasing us about looking like tourists. Whatever! We are tourists.

I point up the street at a brightly decorated storefront. “There’s a souvenir shop! Let’s stop—I want to get a T-shirt.”

“First rule of shopping on the streets of NYC,” Rashad says. “Never buy from the first store you see. I guarantee you’ll see the same shirts up the street for cheaper.”

“Whatever! This is cheap. Two for ten dollars! Let’s get one each, Ricky.”

Melody interjects. “Even though I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything on that table, I’m gonna have to agree with Rashad.”

I look to Ricky for his input. He shrugs. “The night is young, right? Let’s keep going.”

I can’t keep my eyes from bouncing back and forth. Everything is so bright! I mean, seriously, there’s a Jay-Z video playing on a huge video screen mounted on the side of a building. Are you kidding me?

“I’m hungry,” Xavier says as we walk past a pizza parlor.

“Didn’t you eat at the barbeque?” Sienna asks.

“I’m a growing boy, and my stomach is saying yes to a slice of pepperoni pizza!”

We all crack up laughing because Xavier rubs his stomach with longing in his eyes. He looks hilarious!

“You haven’t had pizza until you’ve had it in New York,” Rashad says.

Sienna rolls her eyes. “Whatever! Chicago is the spot for pizza, Rashad. You haven’t had a pizza pie until you’ve had a five-meat, deep-dish pie from Chi-Town.”

Ricky laughs. “Man, now I’m hungry!”

“We might as well stop then,” Melody says.

We pile into the tiny restaurant. There are pockets of teenagers and artist types. And in the corner a couple sits sharing a slice of pizza.

Rashad scores a table for us near the window. This whole evening so far has been cool to infinity. I feel so free, like I’m almost an adult or something. No Gwen calling to tell me to get my butt home or interrogate me about my new friends.

This is hot!

We order a large pepperoni pizza because most of us are not really hungry, and one slice should be enough for everybody except Xavier.

“So you two are from Cleveland, right?” Melody asks.

“What do you all do for fun?”

“We roller-skate or go hang out at the rec,” Ricky says.

“Gia is on the step squad at school, so she hangs with that clique.”

Sienna high-fives me across the table. “Step squad! I know that’s right.”

“Uh, chill with the step sisterhood. Cheerleaders rule at my school,” Melody says.

“Are you a cheerleader?” Ricky asks.

“I’m not just a cheerleader, I’m the captain.”

The boys burst out laughing. Ricky says through his giggles, “Cheerleading is not a real sport, Melody. You don’t have to be so militant about it!”

“Hi, haters,” Melody says with a neck roll.

This just makes the boys laugh harder.

The waitress brings the pizza to the table, and on first glance I don’t see anything special. The crust looks super thin, definitely not like the thick pan pizzas I’m used to eating at home.

“It looks kind of flimsy to be the best pizza ever,” Ricky says, mirroring my thoughts.

“Taste first, talk second,” Xavier replies as he snatches a slice and bites it in one swift motion.

I take a slice for myself. The taste totally surprises me. The sauce is tangy but really good. The crust, though thin, manages to be crispy on the edges but chewy in the middle. It’s delicious.

“You like?” Rashad asks.

All I can do is nod as I swallow the tasty morsels. After everyone eats a slice, we all wish we’d ordered more than one pizza.

Melody says, “Come on, y’all. We don’t want to be late for curfew on our first night out.”

On our way back to the Times Square subway station, we see a street vendor selling the same T-shirts I wanted to score earlier. Guess how much they’re charging? Four shirts for ten dollars!

Rashad nods over at the vendor. “Gia, you want to get your shirt now?”

“Are you happy that you were right?” I ask.

Rashad rakes his hand through his locs and grins at me. “Nah. I’m not any happier because of that. But maybe you’ll trust me next time.”

“It’s gonna take a lot more than a shopping trip to get me to trust you.”

Rashad hooks his finger under my chin and laughs. “Okay, Princess.”

Ricky narrows his eyes and glares at me and Rashad. At first, I was thinking that all Ricky had to do was claim me, and I’d be totally over this new crush on Rashad. But now I’m not so sure.