Read It's All Good Online

Authors: Nikki Carter

It's All Good (6 page)

BOOK: It's All Good
10.57Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads
9
“L
ook at your boy!” Hope exclaims.
I know she's talking about Ricky so I don't even want to look. He's spent this entire week being the celebrity of Longfellow High. In my opinion, he's enjoying it too much, but basketball season is here and Ricky doesn't hoop. Soon he'll be old news and maybe we can get back to normal.
“I'm not looking at him,” I reply. “He's on some other stuff right now. It is so not a good look for him.”
Hope laughs. “The cheerleaders think it's a good look.”
Okay, why does it feel like Hope is having way too much fun with this? I know that she's still a little (or a lot) irritated that Ricky wasn't feeling her. I'm glad to see Candy walking up, because the subject needs changing quick!
“Hey, Candy. Cute outfit,” Hope says.
Candy's smile beams in Hope's direction. “Thank you!”
The state of Candy's freshman fashion has been severely shattered by our parents' punishment. Any and all compliments on her limited apparel are greatly appreciated by Ms. Candy.
“Do you think Mama Gwen would be mad if I skipped the purity class tonight?” Candy asks.
“Do bears sleep in the woods?”
Hope sucks her teeth. “Gia, why can't you ever just answer a question?”
“Don't hate me because I'm witty,” I reply. “Candy, why are you trying to ditch the meeting tonight?”
“Spartans Singers auditions are after school, and I don't know how long I'll be.” Candy twirls the end of her long, thick braid. The twirling is a sure sign that she's up to something. This girl
stays
messy!
“Spill it,” I say.
“Spill what?” Candy asks.
“The reason you're trying out for the Singers.”
“I like to sing.”
I twist my lips to one side. “And what else?”
“Oh, Gia, you get on my nerves!” Hope fusses. “Why does it have to be something else?”
I ignore Hope and lock eyes with Candy. “Spill it.”
“All right! Chase asked me to try out.”
Hope's eyebrows rise in surprise. “Sascha's boyfriend, Chase?”
“Yes. Sascha's Chase. That's why I didn't want to tell y'all. I knew you would jump to conclusions.”
“We're not jumping to anything,” I reply. “But when did you and Chase get to be cool?”
“One of his boys was trying to get with Valerie about a month ago. We all went out for pizza a couple of times.”
Wow! Candy is sneaky as all get out. She's not supposed to have any social outings without me, but she's been kicking it with seniors behind my back.
“It sounds kind of shady,” Hope says.
Candy replies, “Well, it's not, and I really hope that you two don't go running to Sascha, getting her all twisted about this.”
“I'm not saying anything, but you better watch your back,” I say. “Sascha says she's in love with him, so trust that she will bring the drama.”
Candy rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”
Candy sashays down the hallway, so I guess she's off to the audition. I'm about to continue my semi-rant to Hope, but she's clicking away on her new Sidekick. Can Gia get any technology? Yes, I did refer to myself in the third person right then, but I was having an out-of-body experience.
“Who are you texting?” I ask. “James?”
Hope and Longfellow Spartan, James, hit it off while we were in Columbus for the championship. They've been texting each other back and forth ever since. James is a cool dude. He's always full of jokes, and has a big linebacker cute kinda thing going on. He wouldn't be
my
first selection, but we are not talking about me. We're talking about Hope.
Hope's mouth hangs open, and her eyes widen as she looks at her screen. “Oh, my goodness! I do not believe this!”
“What is it?” I ask, not appreciating the suspense one bit.
“I can't believe Valerie would be this mean!”
“What!” I demand.
“Valerie posted some pictures of Susan Chiang on Facebook, and they are foul!”
I snatch Hope's phone. “What kind of pictures?”
Now my mouth is hanging open, too. The pictures look like they were taken in the shower. Most of Susan's goodies are covered, but her face looks crazy seductive, 'cause she's got her lips all pouted. When did Susan get to be one of
those
girls? She's smart, nice, and everybody likes her.
Hope says, “Valerie is pure evil. All this because she didn't get to be the Homecoming Queen?”
I rack my brain, trying to think of another reason why Valerie might hate Susan. I'm coming up with nothing but blanks. Outside of her little shower-scene photo shoot, Susan is one of the nicest people I know.
“But how do you think she got the pictures?” I ask. “Do you think she took them? She and Susan are nowhere near cool enough for that.”
Hope frowns. “That's a good point. Maybe she stole them.”
“Come on, Hope, Valerie is not a thief. It's not her style.”
Jewel and Kelani come running down the hall. “Have y'all seen?” Jewel asks.
“Susan's pictures?” I ask.
“Yes! I hear they're talking about taking her Homecoming queen crown away,” Kelani says.
Hope gasps. “No way!”
“I totally heard Ms. Vaughn talking about it in the teachers' lounge,” Kelani replies.
I'm gonna need someone to explain to me how our teachers know what's posted on Facebook.
“Ms. Vaughn's got a Facebook profile?” I ask.
Kelani shrugs. “I don't know. But there are teachers on there perping as students. They are usually trying to get the scoop on cheaters and stuff.”
Hmmm ... This sounds suspicious to me, and no matter what anyone says, it doesn't sound like Valerie. Valerie is mean, but she would never do something that could be traced so easily back to herself. She's all about making people miserable without getting in trouble.
“Has anyone seen or talked to Valerie?” I ask. “Because it seems like everyone is just jumping to the conclusion that she did this.”
Kelani's thick eyebrows crumple into a frown. “I didn't know you and Valerie were tight like that, Gia. You're defending her?”
I shake my head. “No. Not defending her, but I don't think we should accuse her without proof.”
Jewel snatches Hope's phone and shoves it beneath my nose. “The proof's right here! It's on her Facebook profile and it says she posted it. Case closed!”
Hope takes her phone back, shuts it off and puts it in her purse. “As much as Valerie and I are mortal foes, I kind of agree with Gia. The last thing Valerie is trying to do is get in trouble and miss out on being prom queen. It's her last shot at a high school tiara.”
Kelani looks super frustrated. A little too frustrated if you ask me. I mean, why is she trying to convince us that Valerie is the devil? We already know she's got issues, but dang.
“Hope and I have a meeting at our church, so we gotta go,” I say.
Jewel asks, “Oh, is that the virgin meeting?”
She and Kelani burst into a flurry of giggles. I reply, “It's our PGP group at church. Stop being haters.”
“What in the world does PGP stand for?” Kelani asks.
In a voice barely louder than a whisper, Hope answers, “Powerful Girls are Pure.”
“What?” Jewel asks. “I didn't hear you!”
“Oh, good grief! It stands for Powerful Girls are Pure. Now step so we can get there on time.”
Kelani purses her lips and puts one hand on her hip—confrontation style. “Step? Girl, you better quit playing. You aren't dismissing anybody. You're taking that cocaptain mess straight to the head.”
I exhale slowly. Why must these dimmers always try to steal my shine?
 
“Our session today is about the one thing none of you want to talk about,” Aunt Elena says.
We're in our PGP meeting and my mom and Aunt Elena have started yet another fun lesson. I happen to know that today's talk is going to be about the dangers of dating, because I saw Gwen's notes. My plan is to stay silent, not make any eye contact with my mother and get through these two hours without having to make any comments.
Yep, it's my plan and I'm sticking to it.
My mother says, “Today we're talking about dating.”
Everyone groans, because nobody wants to talk about this. Most of these girls want to talk about the dress they're wearing to the cotillion, or maybe even their escort for the cotillion. Dating rules ... not so much.
Aunt Elena holds her side from laughing so hard. Why is the lack of enthusiasm funny?
She says, “Girls, I promise this is going to be fun. I have a question for you. What is your idea of a date?”
Valerie's hand immediately shoots up and Aunt Elena points to her. “I think a date involves food—paid for by the boy, a movie—also paid for by the boy, and maybe if it's past date number three, a kiss.”
Gwen raises an eyebrow, so Valerie continues. “A very chaste, good-girl kiss, Ms. Gwen. Nothing that would get me kicked out of PGP.”
“So it's not a date if the boy doesn't pay?” Aunt Elena asks.
“Not in my opinion,” Valerie says.
Sascha raises her hand. “Well, I've been on a date and we each paid for our own stuff. But we were alone, so I think it was a date.”
My mother asks, “So being alone makes it a date?”
“I think so,” Sascha replies.
“What about you, Gia?” Gwen asks. “What do you think constitutes a date?”
Me no likee being put on the spot. My mother must've noticed my gradual slide off the church pew and onto the floor.
I clear my throat and respond. “Um ... I think a date is whatever
you
say it is.”
A slight smile teases the sides of Gwen's lips. “I'm serious, Gia.”
“Well, I think a date is like a one-on-one kind of thing with a boy. But you've both got to have a crush, because that's important, too.”
I had to clarify that, because I do all kinds of one-on-one stuff with Kevin, and we have not, and shall not ever be, anywhere close to having a date.
Aunt Elena replies, “I like where Gia's going with that. The whole dating ritual is about making that one-on-one connection. As adults it leads to the union of marriage.”
“What do y'all think it leads to with teenagers?” my mother asks.
Someone yells out, “Baby mamas.”
Gwen laughs. “That's what it led to with me! But what else? Hope?”
Hope sighs. “I guess it leads to heartbreak, because high school boys don't seem to last very long.”
Aunt Elena replies, “Good answer. That's something we'll talk about later. Is there anything
good
about teen dating? I'm sure you all have begged your parents to go out on dates. What's the good part?”
“Going to the prom with an upperclassman!” Valerie blurts.
Sascha says, “Holding hands, first kisses, and finding your soul mate.”
I totally give Sascha the are-you-kidding-me side eye. I think she needs a teenage love intervention. Especially when her “soul mate” is somewhat suspect.
Even Gwen is giving Sascha a blank stare. “Um, okay ... well yes, those are all good things. We had a point to asking you all of these questions.”
“We wanted to demonstrate how different people's opinions are about dating,” Aunt Elena says. “Not all parents think the same and not all teenagers think alike either.”
Hope raises her hand. “Well, how do you convince your parents to let you date if they don't want you to? I'm sure a lot of y'all have the same question, right?”
Everyone except Valerie answers by nodding or saying yes. She's probably the only one in our group who is actually allowed to date. The rest of us are operating in some kind of group date limbo, where we get to have a crush but only in a group setting. That kinda sucks when you're about to turn seventeen.
Sidebar. My birthday is rapidly approaching. I'll be seventeen in two weeks and not one of my friends has even mentioned the blessed occasion. I missed out on having any kind of sweet sixteen because I was totally still on punishment for sneaking out on a date with Romeo. This year, there better be some kind of celebration, or a sista like me is gonna be heated.
BOOK: It's All Good
10.57Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

Fated for Love by Melissa Foster
Pack Up the Moon by Herron, Rachael
The Missing Chums by Franklin W. Dixon
Smuggler's Glory by King, Rebecca
Anything For Love by Corke, Ashley
Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler


readsbookonline.com Copyright 2016 - 2024