Free Cool Like That by Nikki Carter

“Is that all? Tracy made it sound like a date.”
    “No, I didn’t,” Tracy whispers.
    I lean toward Tracy and cup my hand to my ear. “What was that you said?”
    “I said that I never said it was a date.”
    I shrug. “Oh, I must have heard you wrong. Since you’re all just riding the subway together, we’ll go along too.”
    Ricky’s face bursts into a smile. “Cool!”
    Ha!!! Tracy doesn’t want it with me!
    We all ride the subway and walk a few blocks to this hip warehouse-type spot. It’s huge and has three levels all for our partying pleasure.
    As we stand in line, Ricky and Xavier hang back like they’re not really with our group. I don’t know what that’s about, but it probably has something to do with the mean side-eye combinations coming from both me and Tracy.
    Once we’re on the inside, and there’s tons of people around, Ricky taps me on the shoulder and pulls me to the side. “Where’s your friend?” he asks.
    “Rashad? Don’t know. Didn’t invite him.”
    “You do know I’m definitely not on a date with Tracy.”
    I nod. “I understood it the first time you said it. Anything else?”
    “You look good.”
    Dang my hide! Why am I smiling? I’m supposed to be punishing him with indifference! “Thanks. You too,” I reply, totally against my will.
    “So you want to dance?”
    I give Ricky a mischievous grin. “No, but it looks like Tracy does.”
    “Wow! Okay, Gia. I’m-a get back at you later.”
    “Holla!”
    Melody and Sienna run up on me as Ricky walks away.
    “Did he ask you to dance with him?” Melody asks.
    “Yes.”
    “Then why are you still standing here?”
    “Because he can’t play me and get away with it. I don’t roll like that.”
    Okay, so that’s only partially true. I will not allow Ricky to play me. No how, no way. But the real reason why I didn’t dance with him is because these ankle boots are pinching the hades out of my toes.
    It’s not easy being a fashion icon.

8
    I ’m doing a countdown to my date tonight with Rashad. I could barely keep my attention on my classes this week because all I could think about was holding hands with Rashad or kissing Rashad. That’s all bad. What’s worse is that I haven’t been thinking about Ricky. Not as much as I should.
    I don’t think I’m a player. I think I’m a one-guy kinda girl. And that one guy I’m digging right now is Rashad.
    I’m sitting in the computer lab at our dorm uploading pictures to Facebook. Most of the pictures are of me and Rashad hanging out in New York. A couple are from our first night in Times Square, and some are of Melody and Sienna.
    As soon as I post, Hope starts instant messaging me.
     
    Hope: Who is that cutie in the pictures?
    Me: Which one?
    Hope: The one with the locs.
    Me: That’s Rashad.
    Hope: The dude you were telling me about?
    Me: Yes.
    Hope: Ricky is in trouble. That dude is all up on you in half those pictures.
    Me: He is, isn’t he?
    Hope: Ricky called me.
    Me: What? What is he calling you for?
    Hope: He didn’t want me to tell you.
    Me: So why did you even tell me he called?
    Hope: You know I can’t keep a secret, Gia.
    Me: That’s what I’m counting on.
    Hope: Shut up! I’m really not telling you now.
    Me: Well, then, change the subject. What’s up with Kev and Candy?
    Hope: The same. I think Kevin has decided to marry Candy. He told her they were courting.
    Me: ROFL. You know when Kevin pulls out words like courting , it’s all bad.
    Hope: That’s what I thought.
    Me: Well, I gotta go.
    Hope: Why?
    Me: I have a date.
    Hope: A date? With Rashad?
    Me: Yep.
    Hope: Gia, I’m praying against that player spirit you’ve got.
    Me: N E Way…
    Hope: Gia, you need to decide what you really want.
    Me: Okay. Holla.
    I log off the computer and think for a second about what Hope said. Yes, I would like to decide what I really want. But do I know what I really want? Not when it comes to crushes, I don’t. I knew I really wanted to have fun this summer, and