It Is What It Is

by Nikki Carter

  Hope sighs. “I might be a little jealous ... okay, a lot jealous.”

  “Oh.” This might be complicated.

  “But I would get over it. It’s always been you and Ricky. Seriously.”

  I don’t believe her.

  “It’s not gonna happen, Hope, so it doesn’t even matter.”

  A little smile dances on Hope’s face. “Okay, but when it does happen, I really, really won’t be mad forever, just for a few days ... okay, weeks.”

  I refuse to respond to Hope’s comment, because Ricky and Kevin are back with the snacks. So why do both of them try to hand me a cup of juice? Kevin frowns, and Hope takes the cup from Kevin’s hand and grins.

  Never, ever have I been more happy to see Valerie. She is so crazy, though. Why is she walking around with a tiara on and a pink dress? The word for the day, boys and girls, is loca!

  “Ooo-OOO! Hey, Hi-Stepper!” Valerie says. And then she kisses my cheek. I really think she’s lost it now.

  “Hey, Valerie ... cute crown.”

  Valerie smiles and touches her tiara. “Thank you! My mom bought it for me when I told her these losers didn’t pick me for Homecoming queen.”

  “I see you didn’t let that stop your reign,” I reply.

  “My rain? Gia, what are you talking about? Is it supposed to rain later? Thanks for telling me, because I don’t think this tiara is real. I don’t want it to rust.”

  I grab my forehead and shake my head back and forth. “Not that kind of rain, Valerie. Reign, like what a king does over his subjects.”

  I’m totally getting the blank stare from Valerie. She’s getting a membership to the Sylvan Learning Center for her next birthday.

  Valerie looks me up and down and scans my outfit. “I see you, mami! You are looking very trendy. That bow is hot!”

  “Thanks, Val.”

  Next Valerie checks Hope out. “And look at you, looking like a Disney princess.”

  “Ha, ha, Valerie.”

  Valerie completely disses Kevin and Ricky by pretending that they aren’t even there. They don’t seem to care. We all struggle not to laugh when Valerie walks away humming the theme song to Mulan.

  “I can’t stand her,” Hope says in a huff.

  “Your dress is nice,” I say. “Don’t let Valerie get to you.”

  “Whatever! I’m going over there with the rally girls. You three are making me stand out more with those jack-o-lantern shirts on.”

  As Hope storms away, our laughter continues. “Should I tell the DJ to play your song?” Kevin asks.

  “Kev, trust, they are gonna play that song soon. We can’t go through a school dance without hearing Ne-Yo,” I reply. “Just chill. Maybe you can ask someone to dance.”

  Kevin stares at me like I’m speaking Japanese. “Gia, will you dance with me?” he asks.

  “Okay, Kevin, but you better not step on my feet.”

  Ricky says, “So, I’ll just stand over here on the side and look like a lame.”

  “It’s only for a few minutes, Ricky. We’ll be right back,” I say.

  Kevin pulls me by the wrist to the edge of the dance floor. It’s a fast song with a reggae beat. Not a song that someone with two left feet would choose. But it’s cool. As long as he just moves from side to side, he’s cool.

  “Gia,” Kevin says over the music, “if you like Ricky, I understand. I won’t be angry about it.”

  Why is everyone giving me permission to like Ricky just because he gave me a bracelet? I wish he had done that privately. This whole permission thing is getting old.

  “Kevin ... I don’t want to think about liking anybody at this point. Just shut up and dance, please.”

  He smiles. “Okay, Gia. Whatever you say!”

  I think I see a glimmer of wishful thinking in Kevin’s eyes. This is too complicated for me. All of this who-likes-who stuff is, well, it makes me tired. I like things the way they were before hormones got all involved.

  Kevin and I dance for the entire song, and then the DJ spins a slow cut. I’m ready to walk back over to Ricky until I notice that Kevin’s hands are outstretched. Does he seriously want to attempt to slow dance with me?

  Okay, in what world would I ever want Kevin to be my first slow dance?

  But it’s cool, because above everything else, Kevin is my homeboy. I won’t count this as a real slow dance. I will count it as a practice. I’m pretty creative about how I count stuff ... and I don’t care what you think!

  I’m so glad when the song is over. It’s just painful. No ... literally ... painful, because Kevin has mashed every one of my toes.

  And yes ... I just said “mashed,” like Mother Cranford.

  Romeo slides up on the side of Kevin and me and says, “You wanna dance, lil’ shorty?”

  He already knows that I don’t want to dance with him. I don’t even know what possessed him to ask. “No thanks, Romeo.”

  “You gonna hold that little grudge forever, lil’ mama? Romeo is all about forgiving and forgetting,” he replies.

  “Seriously? Well, Gia is all about keeping it moving when someone plays Gia. Especially when the someone is named Romeo.”

  “Suit yourself, shorty. Dance with a lame if you want.”

  “Kevin’s not a lame,” I say in Kev’s defense.

  “It’s cool, Gia. You don’t have to argue over me,” Kevin says. “I don’t get mad about stuff that’s not even true.”

  “Still, Kevin. He has no right to call you names.”

  Romeo laughs. “Gia, you shouldn’t associate with lames. That makes people just think you’re a lame too.”

  “So will people assume that I’m illiterate if I hang out with you?”

  Before Romeo has a chance to answer, Ne-Yo blares out from the speakers. Ricky jogs across the floor and grabs my arm. “Come on, Gia! Kev, you know what to do!”

  Ricky and I start our fluid dance step, and can I say that it is hot? This is the first time we’ve actually tried some real video choreography, but we’ve adapted it to our dance style.

  It is completely awesome.

  Then it really, really hits me. I’m always in perfect sync with Ricky. Not just with dancing but with everything. The only time we’ve ever even had anything close to an argument was when I was trying to kick it with Romeo.

  It has always been me and Ricky. Everything about him is perfect. He’s completely handsome and not conceited, because he doesn’t even know how hot he is. And he actually cares about my feelings too. He’s so perfect for me.

  But, what if we do this whole dating thing and it’s horrible? What if someone gets hurt ... mainly me? What if someone’s heart gets broken?

  That would be all bad.

  Kevin is doing his job as our “hyper man.” He’s got everyone saying, “Go, Ricky! Go, Gia!”

  That’s completely hot! I love hearing the crowd screaming my name. And I definitely like hearing it in the same sentence with Ricky’s name.

  Yeah, that sounds awesome ... Ricky and Gia.

  That’s hot like fiyah!

  A READING GROUP GUIDE

  IT IS WHAT IT IS

  Nikki Carter

  ABOUT THIS GUIDE

  The following questions are intended to

  enhance your group’s reading of

  IT IS WHAT IT IS.

  Discussion Questions

  1. Should Gia feel happy about having a new stepsister? How would you feel if you were in Gia’s shoes?

  2. What do you think about Candy’s shoplifting? Do you think it’s a big deal? Would you have told on Candy?

  3. What do you think of how Gia dealt with both her friends digging Ricky? Would you have handled it differently?

  4. Why do you think Valerie didn’t win the Homecoming Queen title? Would you vote for her?

  5. It was totally cool of Gia to reach out and invite Valerie to go to the Homecoming dance with her crew. Have you ever been really kind to someone who’s not a nice person? How did it make you feel?

>   6. What do you think of Kevin’s semi-makeover? Does he have potential? Would you holla at him?

  7. Do Gia and Ricky make a perfect couple? Why or why not? Do you think it would ruin their friendship if they became a couple?

  8. What do you think is next for Gia’s crew?

  A Discussion with the Author

  1. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi.

  2. What are your favorite TV Shows? Friday Night Lights, Smallville, Grey’s Anatomy, and Heroes (Save the cheerleader, save the world!!! Yeah!).

  3. Bath or shower? Both.

  4. What’s your most embarrassing moment? I was at a house party in my good friend’s basement. I went upstairs to get a snack and when I headed back downstairs, I slipped and fell down the flight of stairs. The music stopped, but I just hopped up and started dancing. Trust ... it was ALL bad!

  5. Who’s your favorite actress? Sanaa Lathan! Love and Basketball is one of my favorite movies!

  6. Who’s your favorite actor? I have more than one. Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington, and Idris Elba!

  7. Who’s your favorite singer? This changes a lot. Right now, I’m feeling Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson. I also like fun gospel artists like KiKi Sheard.

  8. Have you ever been in love? Yes!

  9. If you could be a celeb for a day, who would you be? Hmm ... Kimora Lee! She is running thangs. So fabulous!

  10. Flip-flops or Crocs? Umm ... neither.

  11. What should readers learn from the So For Real series? The lesson is that it’s okay to be unique and fearless! You can be a Christian and fab. Also, the people who appreciate you for doing YOU are the ones that you want in your life!

  Want More?

  Check out

  IT’S ALL GOOD

  by Nikki Carter.

  Available in November 2009

  wherever books are sold.

  1

  The answer is no, ma’am. Actually, the answer is a big, fat no, ma’am. There is no way I’m going to say yes to this foolishness, no matter how much my mother, Gwen, begs. No matter how much my Aunt Elena gives me that puppy dog stare.

  The answer is no, and that’s final.

  What is the question, you ask? Well, Aunt Elena has a big idea. She calls it a big idea, and it’s big all right. A big fat hot mess. But since she’s the pastor’s wife, everyone, including my mother, is going to back her up.

  Aunt Elena wants to start purity classes at our church and she wants me to recruit girls to be a part of them. And not just girls from our church, but girls at school too. How about she just ask me to make a sign that says LAME and stick it on my forehead?

  Of course, I’m down for being a member of the purity class. Because the flyness that is Gia Stokes is also the purest of pure. But I don’t have any plans to go around the school announcing my virginity! That would be social suicide.

  So I’m sitting here on my mother’s favorite couch with my arms folded and a fierce frown on my face, while Gwen and Elena try their best to tag-team me.

  “Gia, you are a youth leader! The younger girls look up to you,” Elena says.

  “She’s right, Gia,” Gwen agrees. “You would be good at this.”

  “Did anyone ask Hope to do this?” I ask.

  I pose this question because Hope is the obvious choice. It would make sense, seeing that she is the pastor’s daughter. Shouldn’t she be required to endure the embarrassment of being part of the pastor’s immediate family? She certainly gets to enjoy the perks!

  “I did ask Hope, but she didn’t want to do it,” Elena replies.

  I look to my mother for help. “So she gets to refuse, but I don’t?”

  Gwen says to Elena, “You neglected to mention that you asked Hope and she said no. I thought the two of them were going to work together.”

  Elena laughs. “You can’t expect Hope to do something like this. She’s not really cut out for it. It would come across better from Gia. She’s more studious.”

  So my aunt is pretty much calling me a lame. And lames are supposed to be virgins, right? If I close my eyes tightly and concentrate really, really hard, will I be able to stop time and escape this madness?

  “Are boys going to be in the classes too?” Gwen asks.

  Aunt Elena laughs. “Of course not. This purity class will culminate in a debutante ball. I’ve never heard of a boy debutante.”

  “Well, boys should learn about purity too,” my mother argues.

  “That will have to be something for the men to address.”

  You’ve got to be kidding me! So, not only are we going to have a purity class (which I’m sure will be uncomfortable and embarrassing) but they’re going to parade us around in poofy white dresses to prove that we graduated.

  Good grief.

  How about we talk about the reason my aunt came up with this ridiculous idea to begin with? This all started when my cousin Hope decided that she was going to go stark, raving boy crazy. Now Aunt Elena is all twisted, thinking that her precious daughter is going to be a teen pregnancy statistic or something. Hence, purity classes.

  Hope pretty much flipped her wig at the beginning of the school year when she chose my best friend Ricky as her first big crush. She and Valerie, my co-captain on the Hi-Steppers, both competed for Ricky’s affection. It was utterly ridiculous.

  And, holla! He didn’t pick either of them. I think he actually picked me! I say that I think he picked me because we haven’t worked out all of the details on that. But, on the night of the Homecoming dance, he gave me a Tweety charm bracelet.

  And that was totally something.

  Clearly it was something because you don’t just buy your best friend jewelry and it’s nothing. Especially when that best friend is the perfect choice as a girlfriend! But it’s been two weeks since Homecoming and there have been no can-I-be-your-boyfriend follow-up activities. Not a note, not a wink, nothing! Not even one of those distressed “I hate that I like you” looks, like that teen vampire on Twilight.

  Nada. Zilch.

  Gwen says, “I think that both Gia and Hope should recruit girls for the purity class. Y’all need to start with that fast-tailed Valerie.”

  Can you tell that Gwen no likee Miss Valerie? My mother has had beef with Valerie since she gave me a makeover when I was in the tenth grade. She also helped me sneak out on a date and other assorted foolishness. So yeah, Gwen has her reasons.

  I want to remind Gwen of what Jesus would do in this scenario, but I also want to continue breathing so I decide against it.

  “Mom, Valerie will not want to be in the purity class. Plus, I don’t know if she qualifies. Do you have to be a virgin to be in it?”

  Because if the answer is yes, Valerie is sooo not on the recruit list. I mean, I don’t think she qualifies as an actual skank or anything, but she’s pretty close. We’re talking major nonvirginal activities.

  “Absolutely!” says Elena. “The whole point of the class is to encourage young ladies who haven’t taken that step yet.”

  I almost laugh out loud. Unfortunately, I think Hope and I are gonna have a hard time finding anyone in the junior class who will qualify. Maybe we’ll start with the freshmen.

  “Okay, Aunt Elena. I’ll pass out a few flyers, but I’m not making any promises.”

  Elena kisses my cheek. “Thank you, sweetie!”

  “But only if Hope has to help!” I add.

  “Oh, all right,” Aunt Elena says. “I’ll tell Hope that she needs to assist you.”

  Gwen says, “Candy will help too. All three of you should be a great team.”

  I groan loudly. Candy is my all-around irritating stepsister. I spend enough of my downtime with her as it is, seeing that she macked her way onto the Hi-Steppers squad. Now I have to take purity classes with her too! So not the bidness.

  My phone buzzes at my hip, taking my attention away from Gwen and Aunt Elena.

  I read the text message from Ricky. Hey You!

  See, this is what I’m talking about. What exactly
does hey you even mean? Is that a greeting for a homegirl, or for someone you’re trying to holla at? I think Ricky is purposely being ambiguous (go find your dictionary, boo) so that he doesn’t have to deal with the possibility of us.

  Since I don’t know if I want to deal with that either, I understand his pain. But I’m going to need him to snap out of it and declare what the whole mystery of the Tweety bracelet means.

  The Tweety bracelet that I’ve been rocking every day, like my boyfriend gave it to me!

  I text Ricky back with an equally ambiguous:

  Take that, Ricky Ricardo.

  “Who are you texting?” Gwen asks.

  Mmm ... kay. Why is Gwen all up in my bidness? “Ricky.”

  Gwen narrows her eyes and shares a glance with Aunt Elena. “Good grief. You girls are going to ruin Ricky with all of this attention.”

  “I agree. He’s not the only boy on the planet,” Aunt Elena adds.

  “Uh, I’m only responding to a text that my friend sent me. You two are completely out of control.”

  Why is it that when I’m finally getting my little shine on, everybody wants to throw powder on it? Nobody, especially Aunt Elena, had any problem with Hope’s desperate chasing of Ricky! Did anyone tell Hope to pump her brakes when she was writing him twenty-page letters?

  The answer is no.

  Did anyone tell Hope to stay home when Ricky made it abundantly clear that he was not trying to be her date for the Homecoming dance?

  Yeah ... that would be another no.

  So they can absolutely save the hateration. They can save it for some time in the hopefully not-too-distant future, when Ricky is actually my boo.

  Oooh, hold up a second. I’m going to have to give myself a lame citation for using the early-2000 term, “my boo.” Womp, womp on me!

  Gwen sighs and says, “We are not out of control. You young ladies are out of control, which is exactly why I’m one hundred percent for this purity class. All this boy chasing and carrying on must cease.”