Free Not A Good Look by Nikki Carter Page A

and differential equations?
    When I’m about halfway through the exercises, my phone rings. I hesitate before answering because it’s Romell’s ringtone. I don’t know if I feel like verbally sparring with him right now. And why does he even still have his own ringtone? I need to dead that, for real.
    â€œWhat’s up, Romell?” I ask, wanting him to get right into the conversation.
    â€œHow you been, Sunday? You haven’t called or texted me in a minute.”
    â€œWe broke up, remember?”
    â€œYeah, I thought we were gonna get back together, though.”
    Something about this conversation doesn’t sound right. First of all, we have never talked about getting back together. Second, Romell is never this nice. I can’t ever remember him just calling to ask how I’m doing. He does not roll like that.
    â€œRomell, what’s up? I’m doing some homework, so could you hurry up and get to the point?”
    â€œWhy you gotta be like that?”
    I let out a loud sigh. “What is it, Romell?”
    â€œI just heard your cousin singing on the Internet,” he says.
    â€œSeriously? What’s the name of the song?” I ask, hoping that it’s none of my stuff that’s leaked.
    â€œShe’s just singing the hook. It’s some new rapper dude. ‘What Ya Gonna Do,’ or something like that.”
    â€œWow, for real? Did you like the song?”
    â€œIt was fiyah!” Romell says. “Dreya’s ’bout to blow up.”
    â€œHow do you know it’s her?”
    â€œSomebody posted the link on Facebook and said it was her.”
    â€œWhat Web site is it on?”
    â€œMediatakeout.com.”
    â€œThanks. Lemme call you back, okay?”
    After I press End on my phone, I boot up my slow, raggedy desktop computer and hope I can get a good Internet connection. While I’m waiting for it to come on, I dial Sam’s number.
    â€œHey, Sunday. I didn’t think you’d miss me this soon.”
    I crack up laughing. “Sam, you are silly. I don’t miss you, boy.”
    â€œSure you don’t. What’s up?”
    â€œThis boy from school called and told me that he heard Dreya singing on the Internet.”
    â€œYeah, I know.”
    â€œYou know and you didn’t tell me? That’s my work out there on the Internet being listened to for free!”
    â€œCalm down, calm down. Big D leaked the track himself—it’s cool.”
    Okay, now I’m confused.
    â€œWhy would Big D leak his own track?” I ask.
    â€œPublicity. Nobody really knew who Truth was, outside of Atlanta and a few underground circuits in New York. Now teenagers all over the country are bobbing their heads to your hook, girl. You should be happy!”
    â€œI should be happy?”
    â€œYeah, toughie. Your cousin’s life is about to change.”
    Everybody keeps telling me about Dreya’s life changing. Well, mine has been changing, too, and not all for the better. How can I get excited about kids loving the track when nobody even knows that I wrote it?
    Sam asks, “You okay, Sunday? You don’t sound pumped about all this.”
    â€œI guess I’m still trying to get used to the idea of Dreya’s name being up in lights.”
    â€œI’ve got a feeling yours will be, too.”
    â€œI don’t even care about all that. I just want to go to college like a normal teenager.”
    Sam laughs out loud. “Normal? After Drama’s album comes out, our lives will never be normal again.”

10
    D reya decides to show up at school the day after the track leaks. Me and Bethany are standing next to my locker and watching Dreya’s Academy Award–worthy performance. She’s even carrying a leather backpack! I wonder what’s in there, because we all know it’s not books. Usually it’s clothes for when she spends the night over at her boyfriend’s house. But