It Is What It Is

by Nikki Carter

  Right before we get ready to march onto the field Hope jogs up to the Hi-Steppers’ line. I can’t think of anything that she would want, other than to rub Valerie’s face in her defeat. That is not cool, even if Valerie owns the title of mean girl.

  “Hey, Gia. What are you wearing tomorrow?” Hope asks.

  Okay, seriously. Is that the best thing she could come up with? “A blouse and some jeans probably. Why?” I say. Of course, I fail to mention my color coding with Kevin and Ricky.

  “Well, because I wanted to see if you wanted us to dress similar or something. Not alike, but just similar.”

  I watch Valerie’s shoulders shake up and down in silent laughter. She’s standing directly in front of me in the Hi-Steppers’ line, so there is no way that she can hide her inner giggles.

  “What is so funny, Valerie?” I ask.

  “Nothing, except that dressing like twins went out in, like, 2002. So completely and utterly lame. I can’t believe I’m rolling with y’all to Homecoming.”

  I bite my lip because I don’t want to have this conversation right now. I’ve got to get my head in the game and remember the step, so I’m truly not trying to have an argument with Hope.

  But, of course, it looks like she has other ideas.

  “Is this true, Gia? Is Valerie going with us? Since when?”

  “Yes, yes, and since two days ago,” I reply. “Any more questions?”

  Hope crosses her arms and narrows her eyes in Valerie’s direction. “I won’t go anywhere with her.”

  “Suit yourself,” Valerie says with a chuckle. “Then I won’t have to worry about you trying to ride shotgun with Rick.”

  Hope’s lips form a tight little O. “You are soooo not riding shotgun with Ricky.”

  I respond, “Well, I guess you have to go with us to keep that from happening, right? Plus, I thought we were clear on the whole not a date thing. Who cares who rides shotgun with Ricky? It doesn’t mean anything.”

  Hope sneers angrily in Valerie’s direction. “If I can’t have him, then you definitely can’t have him!”

  “Boo, you don’t tell me who I can and cannot have! Anyway, I don’t want Ricky. I was just messing with you. It’s obvious that he and Gia like each other, and Hi-Steppers don’t share boys.”

  Hope looks from me to Valerie and storms away. Why do they have to keep making this about me and Ricky? It’s like they’re both trying to force the issue of Ricky and me getting together. If it’s gonna happen, it’ll happen, but dang, we don’t need any help. Especially not from certified haters!

  As we get ready to march onto the field, I watch Valerie pull Kelani by the arm and say, “Are you ready, chica?”

  Kelani nods grimly, like she doesn’t appreciate what Valerie said. It kind of reminds me of when a teacher asks you if you’re ready for a test, and you aren’t really ready, but you can’t say no because it’s the teacher.

  “What’s going on?” I ask loud enough for both of them to hear me.

  Valerie replies, “Nothing. I’m talking about the step. What did you think I was talking about?”

  Before we march onto the field, the Homecoming court rides across the field on floats made by the rally girls and the Student Council. The decorations are decent, but seriously, those floats look hazardous. They couldn’t pay me to ride on one of them.

  As the floats make their last lap around the field, the Hi-Steppers follow the marching band out to the fifty-yard line. Since it’s Homecoming, we are stepping to the school song. I know it’s boring, but it’s a tradition.

  Immediately, I can tell that something is off with Valerie, because she’s not even attempting to do our step. She’s marching forward, separating herself from the rest of the Hi-Steppers. At the end of the school song, she pulls something out of her pocket.

  It’s a whistle.

  She blows three times on the whistle and the band stops playing. The drum major throws his baton into the air and as he catches it he points at Valerie. Her back is to us, but I can almost guarantee she’s smiling.

  After a long pause—long enough for everyone in the bleachers to stare down at the field—Kelani runs over to the drum major and takes the cape and top hat from his outstretched hands.

  Okay, what’s really going on?

  Next Kelani places the hat on Valerie’s head and drapes the cape over Valerie’s shoulders.

  The drum major takes his megaphone and shouts to the band. “Who’s the real queen of Longfellow High?”

  “VALERIE!” the band shouts in unison.

  “I can’t hear you!”

  “VALERIE!”

  The drum major yells, “Spell it OUT!”

  “V-A-L-E-R-I-E!” The drummers pound the snare drums with each letter.

  I’m convinced that Valerie has lost her entire mind. If I needed any more proof, she gives it to me by strutting across the field, waving that cape from side to side. No one in the bleachers claps or cheers. In fact, some of them boo, but I guess Valerie doesn’t need their approval.

  After she’s done showing off, Valerie marches off the field with the rest of the Hi-Steppers and the band behind her. Mrs. Vaughn is not one of Valerie’s fans, because she snatches the cape from Valerie’s shoulders.

  When we’re seated in the bleachers I ask, “Valerie, how did you get the drum major to go along with that?”

  Valerie laughs. “Gia, I thought you knew me! I happen to be irresistible to boys, chica. It was actually pretty easy. I told him I’d go to the Homecoming dance with him.”

  “So you’re not going with us now? Why did you mess with Hope then, if you knew you weren’t coming with us?”

  “Well, I had to make sure everything went down as planned before I cancelled my plans with you guys.” Valerie gives me a weak smile. “Truthfully, though, your friends aren’t really my cup of tea.”

  “Since when? You were just trying to holla at Ricky a few weeks ago.”

  “That was before I realized he was truly a lame. And that Kevin ... Gia, you can’t expect me to show up anywhere with him.”

  This time I laugh. “Okay, I’ll give you that. Kevin is a bit extra. But he’s one of my best friends, so I can’t let you talk bad about him.”

  Mrs. Vaughn glares at us from the field. “You better hope you’re irresistible to Mrs. Vaughn too!” I say. “She looks like she’s about to explode.”

  “She’ll be all right,” Valerie replies. “Plus, it was totally worth it!”

  I will say this about Valerie; she definitely goes after what she wants. Sometimes she gets it and sometimes she doesn’t, but she never sits on the side waiting for someone else to do something.

  Out of all her qualities, this is the only one I actually admire. Go figure.

  “Gia ...” Valerie says.

  “Yes?”

  “I didn’t get to really thank you for inviting me to Homecoming with you guys. That was cool of you, and you didn’t have to do it.”

  “It was nothing!”

  “Well, thanks anyway.”

  Mrs. Vaughn walks toward us and Valerie jumps to her feet. “Tell her I had to go to the bathroom!”

  “Okay,” I reply with a giggle.

  Now who would’ve thought that Valerie would appreciate a random act of kindness?

  29

  It’s Saturday, and of course, the Homecoming dance is today. Yay! My first high school Homecoming dance. I was banned from attending during my freshman year, and last year there was a series of unfortunate events.

  But this year, I’m going and I’m going to be extra fresh, extra clean, and supa dupa fly!

  Gwen and I are sitting at the dining room table in chill mode. LeRon took Candy out for a father-daughter breakfast. I guess they needed some bonding time. Whatever. I’m just glad to have them out of the house.

  I’m also glad that Gwen didn’t try to force any of those grits on me. I don’t think that grits are supposed to be a solid, shiny lump. They look like a special effect from a horror
movie, especially the way Gwen is stabbing them with a fork.

  “So, Homecoming is tonight, right?” Gwen asks. “What are you wearing?”

  “Ricky, Kevin, and I are wearing orange tops and blue jeans.”

  Gwen scrunches her nose. “Jeans at Homecoming?”

  “Yeah, Mom. It’s not really a formal thing at our school. Everyone dresses kinda casually.”

  “If that’s what you want, I guess it’s okay. Have you thought about how you want to decorate your new room? LeRon is really excited about shopping for your furniture.”

  “I haven’t really had a chance to think about it.”

  “Well, don’t wait too long! You better get it while the getting is good.”

  “Okay, got it.”

  Gwen smiles at me. “With LeRon and Candy out of the house, doesn’t this feel like old times?”

  “Yeah, it does.”

  “As happy as I am to be married to LeRon, I do miss our alone time.”

  There’s no way she can miss it more than I do. At least she got a husband out of the deal. All I got was extra roommates.

  “Mom, sometimes I wish we could go back to the way it was.”

  “Life is all about change, Gia. Like Kevin, for instance ... he’s changing, right?”

  I burst out laughing. “How did this conversation get to be about Kevin?”

  “I’m just making a point,” Gwen replies, joining in on my laughter. “I noticed that Kevin is trying to come out of his shell.”

  “I don’t know about that, but he’s gonna be me and Ricky’s hype man tonight at the dance.”

  Gwen covers her mouth, trying to hold in her laughter. “Hype man? Does he even know what a hype man is?”

  “No! We had to tell him!”

  My mom and I are both laughing so hard that we’re bent over and holding our stomachs. This is what I really miss. How much fun we used to have when we lived in our little duplex. Even when I was in trouble or on punishment, and even when she was chasing after some guy, we still had some great times.

  I really miss that.

  “You know, Gia, sometimes changes are for the better.”

  I nod slowly. I agree that everything around me has definitely changed, but the jury is still out on if our life is better.

  Candy watches me as I stand in front of the mirror in our bedroom. I’m trying to make a perfect bow with the tie on my orange blouse. It’s not a really bright orange, but more the color of leaves in the fall. In addition to the bow, the collar has ruffles. It’s fierce and casual at the same time. And of course my skinny jeans and ankle boots are banging.

  Yes, I am totally feeling myself right about now. Deal with it.

  “Your blouse is cute,” Candy says.

  “Thanks.”

  “I wish I was going with you guys,” Candy says wistfully. “I saw the step you and Ricky are gonna do. It’s hot!”

  “If you keep your nose clean, you can kick it with us next year!”

  “Next year? How about the Winter Ball, the Valentine’s Day dance, Spring Fling, and prom?”

  I laugh out loud. “The prom? Who in the world is asking you to the prom? Did you forget that you are a freshman, boo?”

  “Don’t underestimate me! I could probably get a prom date before you do!”

  I’m not going to argue with her because number one, she might be right, and number two, Gwen has a rule. No prom unless you’re graduating.

  I can hear Ricky, Hope, and Kevin’s voices from the living room.

  “Well, my ride is here. You wanna come out of your prison cell and say hi?”

  “Sure, why not,” Candy says.

  Mmm ... kay, did I just step out of my bedroom and into the Twilight Zone? Can I just say—and it’s hard for me to say this without flinching—that Kevin looks extraordinarily fly.

  I’m not talking just a little change here or there. I’m talking major fashion overhaul. He has on some perfectly loose jeans with a rusty orange button-down shirt. He’s also got on a jean jacket and, hold up, some tan Timberland boots.

  “Kevin, boy, you look good.” Candy voices my opinion.

  And no, he does not have the audacity to blush. “Thanks, Candy.”

  Hope grins. “He does, doesn’t he?”

  Hope’s outfit is very, very ... umm ... 90210. She’s got on a silver dress with puffy sleeves and some black patent leather Mary Janes. I’m not feeling it, but it’s all good, I guess.

  “Well, what about me?” Ricky asks.

  Ricky looks nice too, but then he always looks nice. His outfit is similar to Kevin’s except he layered his blue button-down with an orange T-shirt underneath. He’s got a new accessory, too. It’s a fly silver chain that he’s wearing around his neck.

  “When did you start sporting silver?” I ask.

  Ricky’s hand self-consciously goes to his neck. “Oh, this? My mom gave this to me. Do you like it?”

  I nod. “It’s fresh, Ricky. Kev, you look great too.”

  “Thanks, Gia. You look really pretty,” Kevin replies.

  Gwen seems somewhat uncomfortable with this whole scene. Maybe it has something to do with how grown up we all are starting to look, even Kevin.

  Ricky reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little box. “Gia, me and my mom saw this at the mall, and my mom said you would like it.”

  My eyes widen (Gwen and Hope’s do too). I take the box from Ricky’s hand and open it slowly. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, and Ricky’s huge, proud smile.

  In the box is a little silver charm bracelet with a Tweety charm. I can’t contain my happiness. “Mom, put it on me! Thank you, Ricky!”

  The gigantic hug that I give Ricky happens completely by accident. And he’s going to need a napkin to wipe my lip gloss off his cheek. Yeah, that was unplanned as well ... completely accidental.

  “You’re welcome, Gi-Gi. I know Tweety is on hiatus, but I thought you’d like to have him at your first Homecoming dance.”

  Hope frowns. “That is so sweet, Ricky.” Okay, why do her words not match that crazy look on her face?

  Kevin also looks a little twisted. He is sooo giving Ricky the how-dare-you-one-up-my-makeover side eye.

  “Wait a minute!” Hope shouts.

  Could she be any louder? Good grief!

  “What?” I ask.

  “Why are all three of you wearing orange?”

  Candy giggles. “Did you not get the memo?”

  “Was this on purpose?” Hope screeches at the top of her lungs.

  Ricky replies, “Yes, it was planned.”

  “And you all conveniently forgot to tell me?”

  Since I feel completely justified in our deception, I respond. “We just didn’t want it to feel like a double date, Hope. It wasn’t anything personal.”

  But how about the fact that this does feel like a date? Not a double date, but a Ricky-and-Gia date. A let-me-give-you-a-gift-before-we-go kind of date.

  Ricky just gave me jewelry. My best and totally hot friend, who is a boy, just gave me jewelry. I’m trying not to let anyone in the room see how twisted I am about this, but I bet they can hear my heart beating because it’s about to burst right out of my chest.

  Why did I have to taint this moment? I should’ve waited on Ricky to discover his true feelings before I detoured down a horrible road named Romeo.

  Gwen pulls Hope into a one-armed hug. “But you all are still friends, right?”

  “Of course!” I reply. “Dance steps just look hotter if you’re wearing the same colors.”

  “You guys made up a dance step? Ugh! I can’t stand y’all.”

  Kevin says, “Hope, you know you can’t dance like Ricky and Gia.”

  “You can’t either, Kevin! What are you gonna be doing?” Hope asks.

  “I’m the hyper man.”

  Hyper man? Oh, good grief. You can take the lame out of his clothes, but you can’t take the lame out of the boy!

  30

  I don’t know why I feel r
idiculously nervous walking into this Homecoming dance. It’s not like super special or anything. Maybe I’m still excited about the little piece of jewelry on my wrist.

  I mean, I know it’s just Ricky, and he doesn’t think he’s feeling me or anybody else on that level, but could he kind of, subconsciously, like me? I mean like like me. You know. Because that would be really, really cool, but really, really scary at the same time.

  All the way to the dance, I’ve been thinking that maybe I missed some clues about Ricky. Like when last year he was mad about me dating Romeo. Was he just blocking because Romeo was a dog, or was he feeling me? And like this year, when he refused to go to Homecoming with Valerie or Hope. Was that just because he’s not trying to date anybody, or was it because he likes me and didn’t want to say anything? Or what if he hasn’t said anything because of Kevin’s undying love for me, or Hope’s crush?

  So many questions! And I have absolutely no answers.

  It’s not like it would be completely out of the question. Because I would sooo definitely holla at him. If Ricky was my first real boyfriend—I refuse to count Romeo—that would be completely awesome. What’s not to like? He’s fine and sweet, he plays football, he’s college bound! Okay, lemme fall back with all that. I don’t want to go off on some crazy crush spree when there’s no real evidence that my crush will be returned.

  “What is up with you and Ricky?” Hope asks when the boys go and get us some snacks.

  “Nothing. I love the way the rally girls decorated the gym. It totally doesn’t look lame at all.” Is it obvious that I’m trying to change the subject?

  “Quit playing, Gia. You are not getting off that easy. Boys don’t buy jewelry for girls unless they like them.”

  “Honestly, Hope ... I don’t know what’s up. Ricky caught me off guard with that one too. What do you think about it? It’s weird, huh?”

  “Well, like I said before, you and Ricky are perfect for each other. I think he likes you. Maybe he doesn’t know it yet, but he likes you.”

  “So, if he did like me, and I’m not saying that he does, but if he does, would you be angry if I talked to him?”