Cool Like That (14 page)

I
t’s crazy, but a week has gone by, and I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to Ricky yet. It feels like he’s avoiding me, but I can’t be sure. I’ve sent him texts asking to meet up, but he doesn’t reply or makes an excuse.

I know what Sushil said—about Ricky wanting to wife me—but I don’t see any evidence of that. I’m thinking this might be the end for us. I don’t know where to go from here. I can’t even see past here.

No Ricky and Gia sounds like peanut butter deciding it’s not teaming up with jelly anymore. That’s just unthinkable—do you know what I mean?

At least I haven’t seen or heard about him with some other girl. That would make me so crazy right now.

Melody says, “Snap out of it, Gia. Coney Island is fun. Once you get back home, and you and Ricky make up, you’ll hate that you missed it by moping around.”

“I’m not moping around.”

“Oh, my goodness, Gia. You haven’t been anywhere but to class for the past four days! This is our last week here! Don’t waste it crying over your boyfriend!”

He’s not my boyfriend!
That’s the problem. If he were my boyfriend, I would be laughing right now instead of feeling on the verge of tears.

“He’s not answering any of my texts, Melody. I asked if he wanted to hang with us at Coney Island, and he didn’t even reply. It’s not like him to be silent like that.”

“Well, Coney Island is kinda romantic! Maybe that’s the spot for y’all to make up.”

“Right. Are you bringing your swimsuit?”

“Girl, yes! We gotta go to the beach.”

Out of habit, I look down at my phone, expecting it to buzz with an incoming text.

“Stop looking at your phone. When he’s ready, he’ll text you. The group is leaving in ten minutes. So let’s roll. I don’t want to be separated from everyone.”

It seems like everyone from our entire dorm is standing downstairs. I try to spot Ricky in the crowd, but I don’t see him. Rashad is here; of course I’d see him. He has the audacity to wink at me, at which I shake my head. He’ll never quit.

“Hey, y’all,” Xavier says. “I can’t wait to get to Coney Island.”

“For real, Xavier? What are you gonna do when you get there?” I ask.

“First thing, I’m gonna score a coney hot dog with chili, cheese, and sauerkraut. Then I’m gonna get myself some Coney Island custard.”

“All that, Xavier?” Melody asks. “Then what?”

“Then I’m gonna rest my feet and ram you ladies on the bumper cars.”

“Is Ricky with you?” I ask.

“I don’t know if he’s coming. He hasn’t been talking much to me. He and Sushil are always whispering.”

Melody asks, “Why don’t they tell you stuff?”

“I don’t know. They act like I’m gonna tell, but whatever.”

I know why Ricky doesn’t tell Xavier anything. Out of all the boys, he’s the easiest to get information from. All you have to do is give him a brownie, and he’s singing like a canary.

Then I see him. Ricky and Sushil show up in the lobby, and guess what Ricky is wearing! My Titans jersey. That has to be a sign, right? Does it mean he wants us to get together and talk it out?

“There’s Ricky,” Melody says.

“I see him.”

He and Sushil don’t wait for the rest of us—they take off for the subway station.

“Should we follow them?” I ask.

“No. Gia, sweating him is not gonna help the situation. He’s got to get over it in his own time,” Melody says.

Xavier says, “Gia, if he doesn’t want to be your boyfriend, I’m available.”

He’s grinning like he’s just said the funniest thing ever. I give him a sad smile in return. “I’m not looking for a new boo, Xavier. But thank you for thinking of me.”

Melody puts her arm around my back. “Let’s just try to have fun, Gia. We’re gonna ride the bumper cars and the Cyclone. Then we’re gonna go to the beach and scope out the hotties. Think about Ricky later!”

“Okay, I’m stoked now,” I say.

“I don’t hear any stoke in your voice, but I’m gonna ignore your grumbles. We will have fun today!”

It’s a beautiful day—warm enough for the beach but not so hot that we’ll want to hide inside all day. It takes us over an hour to get to Coney Island; all of us are crammed into multiple subway cars.

“Are you having fun yet?” Melody asks as we set out walking down Surf Avenue.

“Not yet, but I’m sure you’re not gonna stop till I get enough.”

Melody narrows her eyes. “That is a quote from somewhere, right?”

“Are you kidding me, Mel? Michael Jackson!”

“Oh, right. I thought it sounded familiar.”

She gets the side-eye, lifted-eyebrow combination. How could she not know that?

Xavier says, “I feel like a mack! I’ve got two pretty ladies on my arm. Ladies, may I treat you to a Coney Island hootie dawg?”

You can’t have a conversation with Xavier and not end up laughing. He reminds me of Adam Sandler with his crazy voices.

“I’ll take a hootie dawg!” I say. “I’m hungry.”

“I will not take a hootie dawg. Do you know that they put pig lips in hootie dawgs?”

Xavier laughs. “Then pig lips is mighty tasty!”

He goes into the restaurant while Melody and I wait for him outside. I can’t stop my eyes from darting back and forth over the groups of people, hoping for a glance of that Titans jersey.

“Relax, Gia.”

“What? I’m cool!”

Melody chuckles. “You are the opposite of cool, girl. But I know you’re trying, so I’m not going to trip.”

“Taste this!” Xavier hands me a hot dog smothered in mustard and sauerkraut.

I close my eyes and take a bite. “Mmm! Thank you, Xavier.”

“Let’s walk over to the bumper cars,” Melody says.

“Y’all can eat those in line.”

“Okay.”

Between Xavier’s clowning, Melody’s pep talks, and hootie dawgs, I am actually having a good time. It’s not enough to make me stop thinking about Ricky, but at least it’s in the background of my thoughts.

We’re standing in line for the Cyclone roller coaster when my phone buzzes. I almost drop it on the ground snatching it out of my purse.

“Calm down before you break it,” Melody says.

“It’s a text from Ricky!” I squeal.

Meet me on the boardwalk in an hour.

“He wants me to meet him on the boardwalk,” I say.

“Is that all he said?” Xavier asks.

“Yes. Is that good or bad?”

Melody says, “I think it’s good. He wouldn’t ask you to meet with him if it wasn’t something good.”

“What if he wants to break it off for good?”

Melody asks, “Is that what you really feel deep down inside?”

“I don’t know.”

Xavier says, “As soon as we get off the roller coaster, we’ll walk you over there.”

“Shouldn’t I go alone?”

“I think so,” Melody says, “but we’ll point you in the right direction.”

I’m so nervous I can barely contain myself. I keep telling myself that this is Ricky, but it doesn’t help. There are about a million butterflies in my stomach all flitting around at the same time.

Melody and Xavier walk me to the boardwalk entrance. I don’t need them to take me all the way there, because I see Ricky standing there looking out at the water.

I walk toward him, first slowly, but then my steps quicken. Suddenly, I can’t get to Ricky fast enough. I step up beside him.

“Ricky.” My voice trembles, and I don’t even try to hide it.

“Gia.”

Ricky pulls me into a tight hug. Like he’s never gonna let me go.

“Come on. Let’s walk,” Ricky says.

We walk in silence for a few moments. We’re not holding hands, but we walk closely enough that our bodies touch.

“Gia, I need to ask you a question.”

“Okay…”

“But before I ask it, I want you to know I won’t ask it again.”

“What’s the question?”

“And if you say no, I don’t think I can be friends with you at all. It would hurt too badly.”

“W—what do you want to ask me?”

“Gia, will you be my girl?”

I want to yell out yes at the top of my lungs, but my voice is stuck in my throat.

“Say something, Gia. I can take it if the answer is no.”

“No! No. My answer is yes! I want to be your girlfriend.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Senior year, prom, Homecoming. I want to share all that with you too.”

Ricky hugs me again, and this time when we separate, he leans in and puts a sweet, chocolate-flavored kiss on my lips. My head spins, my stomach churns, and my heart melts. Just like I thought it would!

“You know, I had a dream you took someone else to prom,” I say to Ricky as we start to walk again, this time hand in hand.

Ricky shakes his head and laughs. “What? I’ve never wanted anyone else but you. Senior year is gonna rock.”

Umm, yeah! It totally is!

COOL LIKE THAT

Nikki Carter

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The following questions are intended to
enhance your group’s reading of
COOL LIKE THAT.

1. Is Gia wrong for liking Rashad? Why or why not?
   
2. Have you ever been caught between two crushes? Did you pick one and ditch the other? Were someone’s feelings hurt?
   
3. What did you think of Gia’s adventures in New York City? What big city would you like to visit?
   
4. Should Gia and Melody have reported Sienna when she came into the dorm intoxicated? Would it have helped or hurt Sienna’s situation?
   
5. Gia learns a lesson in forgiveness—namely, you have to forgive people if you want to be forgiven. Who have you forgiven lately? How did it make you feel?
   

Gia’s got a soundtrack playing in her mind at all times! You can rock with Gia by listening to some of her favorite tracks.