Cool Like That Read online

  Now is the appropriate time for a blank stare.

  “I’m Melody Brookstone. Something tells me we’re going to be BFFs by the end of the summer.”

  I give her my friendliest smile. “Cool! Are you going to the barbeque?”

  “Yes, even though I don’t eat meat.”

  A real live vegetarian. Wow on top of wow.

  “Is this your first summer in the program?” I ask.

  “It’s my second year.”

  “So you know a lot of people already?”

  Melody nods. “Some, but I try to keep my clique intimate. More people equals more drama.”

  “Don’t I know it,” I say in agreement. “I need this summer to be drama free.”

  “See!” Melody exclaims. “I knew we were going to be close.”

  Truth be told, it is my turn not to have drama. My high school years have been drama to the infinite power. I’ve had a shoplifting little stepsister, frenemies, unsuccessful makeovers, boys playing me out, and friends with half-naked pictures posted on Facebook.

  So seriously, can a sister get a break?

  My phone buzzes in my purse. Before I even look at the caller ID, I know it’s my mom.

  “Hi, Mom,” I say.

  “Gia, why haven’t you called to let me know you’re safe?”

  “I’m sorry. I was just about to call you. I’m in the dorm now with my new roommate, Melody.”

  “Mmm-hmm. Don’t make me get on a plane and fly up there, Gia. You better keep in touch.”

  “I will, Mom. But I’m about to go to a barbeque with all the students and the resident advisers. So can I call you back?”

  “Yes. Have fun, okay, and tell Ricky I said hello.”

  “I will.”

  I press “end” on my phone and open my suitcase on the little stand at the end of my bed. Melody walks over with a look of interest on her face.

  “What are you going to wear?” she asks.

  “I don’t know. What’s appropriate?”

  “You should probably go with resort casual.”

  Resort casual? What in the world is the difference between resort casual and regular casual? I need an answer pronto. This is soooo not a rhetorical question.

  Melody laughs. I guess she can tell by the befuddled expression on my face that I’m completely clueless.

  She starts pulling clothes out of my suitcase. “These khaki capris and this pink baby tee. This works. Do you have any heels?”

  “Heels? I have flip-flops. Is that resort casual?”

  Melody’s eyebrows rise almost all the way up to her hairline. “Flip-flops? Have mercy on my soul. No. You may not wear flip-flops. Please tell me you have an acceptable pair of sandals.”

  “I do have a few pairs.” I toss the shoes into the center of the floor.

  Melody taps her chin as though in deep thought. “These will do,” she says as she picks up a pair of Nine West wedge heels that Hope put in my luggage. “Do you have a bag to match these?”

  “I have this little pouch and a mini backpack.”

  “There’s no time to go shopping, so I guess you’ll have to borrow one of mine.”

  Why is it that everyone wants to give me a makeover? Why can’t they just allow Gia to be Gia?

  “I’ll pass on the bag, Melody. My backpack works for me.”

  Melody looks totally wounded. “Sorry. I just wanted you to look hot for the barbeque.”

  “I really appreciate you for that, but I’ve got my own style.”

  Melody plops down on the bed. “Was that too much? I can pump the brakes if you want.”

  “It’s cool, Melody. You can pick out a bag for me just this one time.”

  “Really?” She claps her hands together, jumps up, and hugs me.

  “Umm, Gia…you need a shower, sweetie.”

  I burst out laughing. “Pretty much. I’ll go handle that, and you can choose a bag while I’m in there.”

  I’m glad for the shower and a few moments away from my brand-new BFF. It’s funny—I’ve never made friends with anyone this quickly, but this Melody Brookstone seems determined to have me in her clique.

  After I’m fresh, clean, and dressed, I turn around in a little fashion-model pose for Melody.

  “A great improvement,” she says as she hands me a big leopard-skin purse.

  “Leopard skin? This doesn’t match anything I have on.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to match your bag anymore, as long as it’s hot.”

  “If you say so.”

  I rub my tummy, which is definitely on empty. I haven’t eaten anything since the little pack of peanuts the flight attendant gave me on the plane.

  “Are you ready to go now?” Melody asks.

  I’m about to say yes when my phone rings. The caller ID says “Hizzle-Pizzle.” Ha! That means it’s my cousin Hope. And you know she was furious when she found out about her nickname in my address book.

  “This will take only a sec,” I say to a now-impatient-looking Melody. “Talk to me,” I speak into the phone.

  “Why have I not received any texts or Facebook messages yet, Gia? What’s up? You are supposed to be keeping me posted.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve been a little busy since I got here.”

  “Well, you need to get unbusy and tell me what’s going on,” Hope fusses. “Have you met anyone cool yet?”

  “Yeah, my roommate, Melody, this girl named Sienna, and a cutie named Rashad.”

  “Rashad Moore?” Melody asks.

  I nod at Melody and listen to Hope squeal. “A cutie? What’s up with him? Wait a minute, what’s up with Ricky?”

  “Rashad is cool, but I haven’t gotten a chance to know him yet. Ricky is, you know, Ricky. It’s all good.”

  “Oooh, drama! Gia, I never pictured you being a female mack, but it’s possible. Was Ricky hating on the new dude?”

  “Is Tweety bald and yellow?”

  I hear Hope suck her teeth. “It would be too much for you to answer a question with a simple yes or no, wouldn’t it?”

  “You know you like being treated to my wit.”

  “Whatever, Gia.”

  Melody clears her throat and flares her nostrils. She mouths the word barbeque to let me know she’s ready to go.

  “Okay, Hope, I’ve gotta go to this barbeque thing with my roommate. She’s waiting for me. I’ll call you later.”

  “You better not forget, Gia.”

  “All right, bye.”

  “It’s about time,” Melody says.

  Melody leads the way to the patio where the barbeque is being held. The party already seems to be in full swing. Ricky’s here already, and Rashad is too.

  “So, you were talking about Rashad earlier. Are you crushing on him?” Melody asks.

  I shrug. “Not sure yet. He seems cool though.”

  “Beyond cool. He’s hot to death.”

  “Wait a minute. Are you crushing on him? Because if so, I’ll step out of the way.”

  “Umm, no,” Melody says. “I have a boyfriend back home in Boston. We’re totally getting married after college.”

  “Really? I haven’t thought much past which college I should attend, and I haven’t even really decided on that either.”

  “Well, I’ve dated Wilson ever since ninth grade. I think we’re soul mates.”

  “Wow, okay.”

  Is it weird for teenagers to be exclusive like that? If it is, there must be something wrong with me. I can’t even decide if I want to have a crush on both Ricky and Rashad, but Melody already has her husband picked out.

  “Rashad is really nice though, Gia. And cute too.”

  “I know, right.”

  Ricky waves over in my direction. “Come on, Melody,” I say. “I want you to meet my best friend Ricky.”

  As we walk toward Ricky and his new friends, he flashes us one of his really cute smiles. I so hate myself for this, but the butterflies are flitting all over my stomach.

  “He’s a hottie,” Me
lody whispers. “How is it that you can be best friends with him and not have a crush?”

  “Who says I don’t have a crush on him?” I respond with a giggle.

  “Ooo, multiple crushes!”

  “Hey, Gia!” Ricky says when we get to his group.

  “What took you so long?”

  “You know us girls,” Melody says. “We had to get beautiful. I’m Melody, Gia’s roommate.”

  “I’m Ricky, and this is Xavier and Sushil, my roommates.”

  “Why are there three of y’all in a room?” I ask.

  “Sushil signed up at the last second,” Xavier says, “so we got stuck with a triple.”

  Melody gives Sushil a hug and her funny air kisses. “Hey, Shil. I didn’t know you were coming back this summer. Didn’t you graduate?”

  “Yes, but I am attending Columbia in the fall, and my father thought it was best if I spend another summer in the program.”

  Sushil’s accent catches me completely off guard. He looks Indian (not Native American, but from the country India), but he sounds British.

  “Shil is from London,” Ricky explains like he’s reading my mind.

  I nod. “Cool. You’re coming all the way to New York for college?”

  “Yes. My father went here and has a medical practice back home. One day I’m going to join him,” Sushil says.

  Xavier says, “I’m not coming here for college. It’s too cold in the winter. I’m going to USC. What about you, Ricky?”

  “I don’t know. Probably a football school though. Maybe Georgia Tech because my best friend here is talking about going to Spelman.”

  I feel my mouth drop open a little. I didn’t know he was trying to go to college near me. We’ve never even talked about it.

  Wait a minute. Is this Ricky’s sneaky little way of claiming me? I can see why he’s putting that out there because Sushil is a hottie for real with his coffee-colored skin and big dark curls. Xavier, not so much. He reminds me of Kevin before his makeover.

  But back to the matter at hand. Ricky claiming me? What’s up with that?

  Rashad walks over to us and hugs Melody. “Hey, Mel. Long time, no see.”

  “I know, right! How was junior year in the A?”

  Rashad laughs out loud. “Listen at you trying to use slang. Junior year in the A was good, Mel.”

  “Hey, Gia.” Rashad hugs me too. “Melody is a cool person to have for a roommate. You scored with this one.”

  Rashad’s hug has got me feeling completely uncomfortable. One, he held me just a little bit too long, and two, Ricky is glaring at me like he wants to explode. This is not a win-win situation for me. I guess I’m not cut out to be a player.

  “Hey, Rashad,” I say in a nervous tone. “Is anybody hungry? I’m hungry. Oh, look, there are some hot dogs.”

  I can’t race away from them fast enough. Melody is on my heels as I rush away.

  “Are you okay, Gia? You’re acting weird.”

  “Yep, I’m cool. Just hungry.”

  I grab a hot dog from the table and take a huge bite so I don’t have to answer any other questions. Rashad, Ricky, Sushil, and Xavier continue talking and getting to know one another until the resident advisers get up and start going over the rules for the summer program. Midnight curfew during the week, and one in the morning on the weekends. Score! This will cause my mom to have another meltdown if she finds out. So you already know what it is—we’re not telling her.

  No members of the opposite sex are allowed in sleeping rooms, but we can all chill in the common areas. Of course, the advisers point out that no drugs or alcohol are allowed. They also have zero tolerance for violence.

  After the cookout, everyone goes back to Lerner Hall to hang. I haven’t said much of anything because I’m afraid I’ll put my foot in my mouth. Ricky has been strangely quiet too.

  “So who’s up for a walk in Times Square?” Sushil asks.

  Melody looks up from the chessboard she’s setting up. “I don’t know, Shil. It’s late.”

  “We can all stay together,” Rashad says. “And of course we won’t stay out after curfew. It’s Saturday night, so we’ve got until one in the morning. Gia, you have got to see Times Square at night.”

  I nod. “Okay. What do you think, Ricky? Do you want to come?”

  “Sure. It sounds like fun. Wait—how are we going to get there?”

  Sushil replies, “The subway, of course!”

  We all head back to the dorm so Melody can change her shoes. She told us there was no way she was marching around Times Square in four-inch heels.

  As we wait in the lobby, I ask Rashad, “Is it true what my mama says about the subway?”

  He laughs. “Maybe. What does your mama say?”

  Should I tell him Gwen thinks every criminal in New York City rides the subway waiting for unsuspecting teenage girls? Nah. I think not. He’ll just think she’s crazy. Yes, she is crazy, but he doesn’t need to know that. “My mom just thinks it’s dangerous.”

  “It can be, but we’ll all be together, and we only have to ride one train to get to Times Square.”

  I can’t read the look on Ricky’s face as he stares at Rashad. I want to think that Ricky is jealous, but that wouldn’t be necessary, because Rashad hasn’t made any real moves.

  Melody steps out of the elevator with Sienna. Oops. Why didn’t I think to invite her? I had her room number and everything.

  “I asked Sienna if she wanted to go too. I hope you all don’t mind, but Gia and I were totally outnumbered by boys.”

  Sienna smiles and goes around the group getting hugs. She spends an extra amount of time with Ricky. She needs to stop tripping with that. Didn’t she say she had a boyfriend anyway?

  “Let’s go before it gets too late,” Rashad says.

  We all follow Rashad’s lead to the subway terminal. Gwen totally exaggerated. There is absolutely nothing scary about this so far. I’m still not one hundred percent convinced, so I’m holding my purse extra tightly. I wish I had put down Melody’s giant leopard-skin monstrosity and gotten my backpack.

  Rashad sits next to me on the subway car. Ricky pretends not to care and sits chatting with his roommates. Melody and Sienna catch up on gossip about people I don’t know yet.

  “So is Ricky cool with us sitting hugged up like this?” Rashad whispers.

  “We are not hugged up, boy. Stop playing.”

  Rashad leans back in his seat. “The best friends with secret crushes on one another spend their first summer alone in the big city.”

  “Ha-ha. You trying to write a story?”

  Rashad grins. “I am here for the creative-writing program, Princess. That’s what I do.”

  “Well, your story is fiction.”

  “I don’t know, Gia, Ricky seemed to be throwing a lot of shade in my direction earlier.”

  “He’s not throwing any now,” I protest.

  “That’s a male-ego thing. He can’t let me know he’s pressed. But he is very threatened because he thinks I’m interested in you.”

  Dang! Why can’t I wipe this stupid grin off my face? And why doesn’t he stop flirting?

  “Well, are you?” I ask.

  “Am I what?”

  “Interested?”

  Rashad laughs out loud. “Why don’t we just let the summer write the story. This is our stop.”

  Are you kidding me? Let the summer write the story? Wow on top of wow. This dude really is a writer because nobody talks like this in real life. I mean, for real.

  We get off the train, and immediately, I see a difference. The subway station at this stop is darker, and some of the people milling around are beyond special. I feel myself step just a little closer to Rashad. Oooh, wait a minute. How is it that I didn’t notice his muscular arms before? Nice!

  Rashad says, “Listen, when we get to street level, everybody stay together. We don’t want Ricky or Gia to get separated or lost on their first time out.”

  Okay, sidebar. Isn’t it gre
at how Rashad is totally taking control of the situation? I wish you could see how irritated Ricky looks. Not that I want him to be irritated, but he needs to step his game up: Rashad’s swagger is eclipsing Ricky’s.

  Melody loops an arm through mine. “I won’t lose her,” she says. “Come on.”

  Oh, my goodness! They told me Times Square was awesome, but they so did not tell me it was like this!

  Everything is lit up, there are a ton of people walking around like it’s the middle of the day, and it’s loud like we’re at the flyest house party ever.

  “This is too for real, Ricky!” I squeal.

  Ricky shouts, “I know, right! Times Square, baby!”

  I untangle myself from Melody and grab Ricky’s jacket. How awesome is it that I’m sharing this experience with my best friend?

  “Kevin would so love this, Ricky. Take some pictures.”

  “Tourist alert,” Xavier says with a giggle.

  Ricky and I totally ignore Xavier teasing us about looking like tourists. Whatever! We are tourists.

  I point up the street at a brightly decorated storefront. “There’s a souvenir shop! Let’s stop—I want to get a T-shirt.”

  “First rule of shopping on the streets of NYC,” Rashad says. “Never buy from the first store you see. I guarantee you’ll see the same shirts up the street for cheaper.”

  “Whatever! This is cheap. Two for ten dollars! Let’s get one each, Ricky.”

  Melody interjects. “Even though I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything on that table, I’m gonna have to agree with Rashad.”

  I look to Ricky for his input. He shrugs. “The night is young, right? Let’s keep going.”

  I can’t keep my eyes from bouncing back and forth. Everything is so bright! I mean, seriously, there’s a Jay-Z video playing on a huge video screen mounted on the side of a building. Are you kidding me?

  “I’m hungry,” Xavier says as we walk past a pizza parlor.

  “Didn’t you eat at the barbeque?” Sienna asks.

  “I’m a growing boy, and my stomach is saying yes to a slice of pepperoni pizza!”