Free On the Flip Side by Nikki Carter Page A

in a penthouse is better than shared bathrooms and crummy kitchen space, because when I finally get a check from Epsilon Records (it’s supposed to be soon), I’m buying some property.
    â€œYou’d want me to live off-campus with you?”
    â€œI mean, unless you’ve got some secret life I should know about ...”
    Piper jumps off the bed and literally tackles me with a hug. “You really are my friend, aren’t you?”
    Gia walks into our room and shakes her head when she sees us. “Piper, you have got to be the huggingest person I know. Good grief. What did Sunday do? Tell you your hair was cute?”
    We all bust our guts laughing at Gia. Then Piper says, “No. She said we’re moving off campus with her next year.”
    â€œThat’s what’s up!” Gia says. “But did you talk her into driving to the game on Saturday?”
    â€œHalfway. I talked her into going, but she wants Kevin to drive.”
    â€œSo y’all just scheming on getting my car, huh? Do y’all even want me to go, or do y’all just want the keys?”
    Gia and Piper surround me in a hug sandwich. “Of course we want you to go,” Gia says. “We loooooove you!”
    Looks like I’m going on my first college road trip! Score!
    â€œLook at this mess. Y’all got me hugging folk too!” Gia says.
    Sister love! The only thing that would make this picture complete is if Sam was here too. Seeing him for just two days wasn’t enough. It’s been a week since I’ve seen him, and already I miss him.
    I know that if I want to enjoy kicking it with my friends that I have to put all of that sadness out of my mind. I’ve got to be strong until the next time I see my boo.
    I just hope Sam is missing me as much as I’m missing him.

9
    â€œS unday, are you going to let me put these eyelashes on you or not?” Regina, my makeup artist, hovers over me in the cramped House of Blues dressing room looking ready to attack me with a pair of mink eyelashes.
    â€œMy vote is no,” I reply. “Those things look like caterpillars.”
    â€œThey’ll make your eyes pop when you’re on stage.”
    â€œThen my eyes shant be popping!” I say. “I’m not getting those things glued on me. Then they’ll still be stuck to my eyes tomorrow when I go to the football game. No thank you.”
    Regina sighs and turns to Mystique for support. “Mystique, will you do something? She’s impossible.”
    â€œWell, she doesn’t have to wear them. Do something really dramatic with her eye makeup. Line the bottom and top lids, and put something glittery on top. That should make her eyes pop too.”
    Regina puts her hands on her hips and scowls at Mystique. She’s chewing her gum so hard I think she’s gonna break a tooth. I’ve never seen her this irritated, although I have gotten on her nerves plenty of times with my refusal of all things glam.
    â€œYou think I don’t know how to make her eyes pop? You want to do the makeup now too, Mystique? Don’t you do enough already? Let me do what I do, and you do what you do.”
    Mystique leans back as if the words are blows. “No one is questioning your skills! I’m just trying to make sure my artist isn’t stressed out before her show.”
    â€œAm I stressing you out, Sunday? Huh? Am I really stressing you out?” Regina asks.
    I let out a small chuckle. “You are stressing yourself out, I think. I’m straight as long as you don’t try to put those caterpillars on my face.”
    Regina sighs and gingerly places the mink insects back in their plastic container where they are a safe distance from my eyes.
    Mystique talks to me while Regina works on my face. “Sunday, are you sure you want to do your show with a live band? There’s still time to do the tracks if you want.”
    I furrow my eyebrows in a frown and Regina