It's All Good (18 page)

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Authors: Nikki Carter

BOOK: It's All Good
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30
O
peration Cotillion is in full effect. We've got Sascha's dress (borrowed from a bridal shop), shoes (snuck from Aunt Elena's closet), and accessories (donated from the rally girls). She's still broken up about her breakup with Chase, so we've decided against a formal escort. We also decided that it was best for Sascha to try on her dress over at Hope's house. Gwen's mess radar is still in full effect and Aunt Elena is at church, so it should be cool.
“I'll look stupid,” Sascha says as she tries on her dress in front of Hope's mirror. “Everyone else is going to have an escort. I'll just stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe I just won't go at all.”
“You're going!” Candy says. “After everything we've done to help you, you're going.”
I have a total brainstorm. “What if we all walk in together? Kevin, Ricky, and Brother Bryan can walk in behind us, but we can all walk in, arm in arm.”
Hope's eyes widen. “Your mom is going to be mad.”
“She's going to be mad regardless. But I don't agree with her, so whatever.”
I'm over my mother's ridiculous decision to keep Sascha out of the cotillion. She broke up with Chase and begged for forgiveness. There's no way they should've kept her out.
“PGP belongs to us, right?” I ask.
Candy nods. “Yeah. It's powerful girls and not powerful grown ladies!”
“Since this is our cotillion, I think we should say who stays and who goes. I'm happy that Sascha kicked Chase to the curb, so I say she stays!”
Sascha asks, “Aren't you afraid you'll get grounded?”
To be honest, the thought had occurred to me. Especially, since I'm waiting on the acceptance letter to the summer enrichment program. It would not be fresh if I couldn't go to New York City. Not fresh at all.
But this is more important. This is about doing the right thing. And whether my mom realizes it or not, this is totally the right thing to do.
Hope asks, “Sascha, are you happy you broke up with Chase?”
“Sometimes. But I miss him, you know? I really thought he was going to be my first.”
“It's good that he wasn't, because he is a dog!” Candy says.
“Not all the time. Do y'all know he bought me a dozen carnations a month ago on Valentine's Day?”
“We know, and we're not impressed,” I say. “Those little raggedy carnations are not something to get excited about!”
Hope laughs out loud. “This coming from the girl who carried five dead carnations in her bag for a week.”
Those were from Ricky. No explanation needed. Next!
“I just keep thinking about how sweet he can be when he wants to,” Sascha says. “But I know it's just an act because he always goes back to being mean.”
In the back of my mind, I wonder if Sascha would've broken up with Chase if she hadn't caught him kissing another girl in the hallway. Maybe she would've kept letting him hit her as long as his kisses were only for her.
“It's okay,” Hope replies. “You'll find another guy that really deserves you.”
“And maybe he'll marry you!” Candy adds.
Marriage? Wow, I can't even believe we're having this conversation. Getting married seems like it should be light-years away—no—millions of light-years away. We're still in high school, for heaven's sake.
“Y'all tripping, talking about getting married. We've still got college!”
“Isn't that where you're supposed to find your husband?” Hope asks.
“In the name of everything that is good and pure!” I exclaim. “Hope, please tell me you're not planning on going to college to find a husband.”
“Of course, I'll get a degree while I'm there too, but my mom told me to find my husband in college. She knows what she's talking about. That's where she met my dad.”
So, Aunt Elena and Uncle Robert met while they were in college. Aunt Elena ended up never finishing because they got married their sophomore year and she had Hope the same year. Aunt Elena's always talking about how she should've gotten her degree, and it sounds like Hope is planning to follow in her mother's footsteps. Wow.
Candy walks across the room and puts her iPod into Hope's iStereo. “Enough talk about getting married and college! Ugh! I need some music up in here.”
Rihanna's “Take a Bow” flows from the speakers. Of course we all sing along, because we know the words.
Sascha sings along too, but there's a look of sadness in her eyes. Maybe we shouldn't be listening to a song about a breakup. But, for real, it's more than appropriate.
 
“Gia, I got the letter!” Kevin is screaming so loud into the phone that I can barely understand him.
“What are you talking about, Kev? What letter?”
He slows down and takes a deep breath. “From the summer enrichment program. I got in! I got in!”
“Oh, sweet! Now at least I know if I get in, I won't be up there by myself.”
“Did you check the mail? The letter came today.”
“I don't think our mail has been delivered.”
“I hope you get to go, Gia. This will be fresh to infinity! Can you imagine the fun we'd have in New York City? We'll go to Broadway shows, we'll see the Statue of Liberty, we'll go jogging in Central Park!”
Excited much?
“Kev, I'll call you back when I find out, okay?”
“Okay.”
Here's the thing: I don't know if I really want to be in the program now. They're only accepting two people from each grade in each participating school. So that means that if Kevin got in, and I get in, then I'll be spending the entire summer without Ricky. That would be a total bummer, especially since we've been getting closer over the past few months.
What if I'm gone for the summer and his crush fades? Or worse, what if he meets some hot girl over the summer and starts crushing on her? That would be all bad.
So as much as I want to be in the summer program, I'm hoping that I don't get that letter.
Dang, I sound almost as bad as Hope talking about finding a husband while she's in college. I would be totally dogging her out if she was even considering not taking an opportunity like this one because of a boy. That is such an un-Gia-like thing to do.
My cell phone buzzes on my hip. It's a text from Ricky. Didn't make it into the summer program. Did u?
Oh, no. Now it's totally possible that I'm going to get a letter telling me that I'm going to New York. The worst part is going to be breaking it to Kevin that I'm not going. But, real talk, what would be even worse than that would be coming back home and Ricky kicking it with someone else.
My mom walks through the door with an armful of bags. “Gia, will you give me a hand?”
I take two of the bags from her and set them on the table. Immediately, I start peeking in to see if she bought anything good. In the bags I have, I see only generic-brand cereal. Someone needs to explain to Gwen that Fruity-O's do not taste like the real thing. Not at all.
“You got a letter, Gia,” my mom says.
Of course. I take the letter from my mother and turn it over in my hands. It's from Columbia University, so I know it's the acceptance letter into the program.
“Aren't you going to open it?” she asks. “I see it's from the college. Is it about that summer program you all signed up for?”
I slowly rip open the envelope and take the letter out. I bite my lip anxiously when I read the very first word—
Congratulations.
“You didn't get in? Maybe next time, honey,” my mom says in her consoling tone. “Do you want to go up to the mall later to get job applications?”
“No, I did get in.”
“Then why are you looking so sad?”
Okay, it's completely and totally impossible for me to share this with my mom without all of her parental unit radars going off. I don't want her to trip, nor do I want a mother-daughter bonding chat.
“No reason! I'm cool. Can you take me to get some new outfits to rock over the summer?”
“Sure. Kevin's going too, right?”
“Yep. He's already got our travel itinerary all mapped out.”
“Perfect! I knew he would.”
“Who says I'm gonna hang with him for the whole summer? I might meet some hotties up there with some Jay-Z swagger.”
Gwen frowns. “You better make sure you're going up there for educational purposes, not boys. I'm going to have Kevin give me a weekly report.”
“Ma, you're playing, right? You can trust me.”
“I know, Gia. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be letting you go.”
It's irritating to me how pumped my mom is about the summer program. She would not be this cool if Ricky was the one going. This summer is soooo
not
going to rock.
31
“Y
ou two look beautiful!” LeRon gushes as Candy and I stand in the living room in our cotillion gowns.
“Thank you, Daddy!”
“Thanks, LeRon.”
My mom has tears in her eyes. She's had them in there since we started getting ready this afternoon.
“Mama Gwen, why are you crying?”
“Because you all are just growing up so quickly and I can't do anything to stop it.”
“Duh! You're not supposed to stop it!” I reply with a laugh.
My cell phone rings in my purse. “Talk to me.”
“Gia, I have a code red emergency going on right now and I need your help!”
It's Kevin and he really does sound like he's having an emergency. He sounds scared and sick at the same time.
“What's wrong, Kev?”
“M-my grandparents aren't letting me go to New York.”
“What? Why not?”
“They said that they don't feel safe with me going to a city that's a target for terrorist attacks.”
“Wow. I'm sorry, Kevin. Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?”
“No, I'm not good, but there's nothing you can do to help. I just wanted to tell you that our fun summer is cancelled.”
“Aw, Kev. That's not cool. Try to chill, okay? At least until after the cotillion. We'll talk about it then.”
When I press End on the phone, everyone is looking at me. “What's wrong with Kevin?” Candy asks.
“Deacon and Mother Witherspoon are not letting him go to the summer program. They said it's too dangerous.”
“Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,” my mom says. “I know he was looking forward to it.”
“What does that mean for Gia?” LeRon asks.
Um, hello! Since when did the Witherspoon household have anything to do with Gia?
“Is anyone else from Longfellow High going to go?” my mom asks.
“I think they go down the list and pick the third person. But I don't know who else applied,” I answer.
“Let's discuss this later, after the cotillion.”
Umm ... yeah. Nothing to discuss.
 
The youth ministry has transformed the recreation room at our church into a ballroom. It looks fancy, just like a wedding reception.
All of the PGP girls are standing in the back of the recreation hall in our white dresses. Soon we'll have to line up with our escorts and walk in to be presented before our family and friends.
I whisper to Hope, “Have you seen Sascha?”
“No. She's not here yet. She sent me a text saying that her parents were running late.”
“She better hurry up before this whole rebellion was for nothing.”
Just then, Sascha and her mom rush in through the rear door.
“Are we too late?” Sascha asks.
“No, girl. Come on and get in line.”
Aunt Elena and my mom come out into the foyer, and Sascha's mom goes into the room with all the other parents. They both look excited, and so far neither of them has noticed that Sascha is here. Wouldn't it be great if they didn't notice until the ceremony starts?
“Excuse me, Sascha. Why are you here?” my mother asks.
So much for wishful thinking.
“Mom, we all decided that it was unfair for Sascha to be left out of the cotillion,” I say.
“You
what?”
My mother is taking very short breaths through her nose, and it almost makes her look like a bull that's getting ready to charge.
“We, the members of PGP, accept Sascha and applaud her for making the decision to walk away from a tough situation,” Hope says, repeating the speech that I wrote for her.
“And as a collective, we have decided that if Sascha is not allowed to participate, that none of us will participate,” Candy says.
My mother looks about ready to explode, but Aunt Elena seems very calm. She says, “I appreciate the fact that you all have come together as a unit to solve a problem. One of the goals of PGP is for you all to discover your inner leader. That said, it would've been more appropriate for you all to approach us prior to the cotillion.”
“You wouldn't have listened to us if we'd done that,” I reply.
She knows that it's true too. The only thing we have going for us right now is the element of surprise. Also, the embarrassment factor for the grown folk.
My mom sighs. Hopefully that is a sign of defeat!
“I, too, agree that you all have learned a valuable lesson about leadership and about dating violence,” my mom says. “I do not think that Sascha should participate, but I do want the rest of you to enjoy this special moment. So, we will allow Sascha to be presented.”
Everyone cheers in the foyer like we're at a football game. Sascha is close to tears.
“Calm down, ladies,” Aunt Elena fusses. “You're supposed to be debutantes, not rowdy sports fans!”
My mom opens the door and allows the boys to come in to line up. Yes, Ricky is looking really good. I catch a few girls giving him double-take side eye. It's all good, though, because he's not looking back.
Sascha whispers to me, “I thought we were all walking in together. I don't have an escort.”
“Yes, you do! You can share mine,” I say. “Ricky, come here. Stand between us.”
Ricky smiles. “Okay. Wow, I get two pretty girls.”
“Watch yourself,” I say.
“Shh!” Candy hushes. “We're starting!”
Next we hear my mother's voice on the microphone. “These girls have worked really hard to exemplify qualities that will bring honor to God. Above all, these gems are pure and ready to be presented to the world. We give you the PGP debutantes!”
There is a loud round of applause as the doors open! Aunt Elena reads off each of our names, ending with Sascha. Everyone stands and claps again as we circle the room on the arms of our escorts.
They look so proud of us! And I'm most definitely proud too. I'm happy that I can hold my head up high and shout out that I'm pure. That's just a ridiculous amount of hotness right there.
Sascha and I are each holding one of Ricky's arms as we circle the room, but he's only looking at me.
After we're finished walking, all of the debutantes sit at a long table with our escorts. We've got people waiting on us hand and foot, serving our dinner. It's kind of like we're a huge bridal party, but nobody got married.
My mom leans behind me and whispers in my ear. “Congratulations, Gia. I'm proud of you.”
I look up into her face to see if there's any hint of retribution or an impending punishment for our rebellion. But she's nothing but smiles and joy. Whew! Why do I feel like I came super close to losing my life today?
After the dinner is over, we get to have a dance with our escorts. I let Sascha have Ricky and I dance with my uncle. Hope looks like she's in heaven dancing with grown Brother Bryan. I think Aunt Elena needs to check that immediately, but I'm not getting in that one! I've had enough drama.
Pastor Stokes says, “Thanks for the dance, Gia. I was sure you'd want to dance with Ricky.”
“Oh, it's just Ricky.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Just Ricky? I was led to believe that it was a little bit more than
just
Ricky.”
“I don't know who you're getting your information from. You need a new source.”
Pastor holds his head back and laughs. “One day I'll be dancing with you at your wedding.”
“That's a long way off! I've got college!”
“College. It seems like I was just burping you on my shoulder. You know your mom and aunt used to leave me with you and Hope when you were babies.”
“Really?”
“What? I was pretty good at it.”
I laugh out loud. “Umm ... I'm talking about my mom and Aunt Elena hanging out.”
“Don't let them fool you! They were almost best friends until I became a pastor.”
“Wow. I learn something new everyday.”
Ricky walks up and taps Pastor Stokes on the shoulder. “Can I steal your partner, Pastor Stokes?”
“Well, Gia. It's
just
Ricky. Am I being kicked to the curb?”
I'm smiling hard. “Sorry, Pastor.”
Ricky takes my hand. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“I'm going to New York!”
“What? How do you know?”
“Because my letter said that I was the third candidate and that they would contact me if there was a cancellation.”
I feel my hands tremble. “I can't believe this! Oh my goodness, this is gonna be so fun.”
“I know, right.”
“But my mom is gonna trip if she thinks we're dating. She might not let me go.”
Ricky nods. “Maybe we should chill on the crush thing for now. That way we can make sure there's no blocking.”
As much as I hate to agree, I know this is the truth. If Ricky and I start skipping through the dandelions holding hands, my mom will put the halt on the summer program. And faking it won't work either, because my mom is nearly impossible to fool.
“Cool.”
Ricky grins wickedly and says, “So does that mean I can holla at the fine ladies I'm going to meet at Columbia University?”
“What are you asking me for? I'm your friend, right? But if you can't find me around campus, I'm probably at Coney Island with my new boo.”
“Jokes, I see.”
“Are they jokes? Really?” I ask. “If you don't claim me, then I'm free, right.”
Ricky pulls me in a little closer, but still far enough away to not raise any red flags to my mom. “I might not be claiming you out loud, but you know what it is, Gia.”
He looks so serious when he says this, that my heart skips a little. But still, Ricky always comes short of really laying it all on the line, even when it's just between us. Now, like every other time, he almost makes me his official boo.
And everybody knows ... Almost doesn't count.

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