by Nikki Carter
“Tell me about it. But it is November, so what do you expect?”
“True. Did you see the rally girls and those lame signs? They so are not the spirit ambassadors. I don’t know how anyone got confused.”
“This whole hate-the-rally-girls thing you’ve got going has to stop. I heard you’re even terrorizing rally girls on Facebook. What’s up with that?”
Valerie tilts her head to one side. “Who said I was terrorizing rally girls on Facebook?”
“Nobody important,” I reply, not willing to give out any sources.
“I thought you knew me better than that, Gia. I guess not.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t think anyone cares about this whole spirit ambassador mess but you, Valerie. You and maybe Hope.”
“Of course I care. This is my last time wearing the Hi-Stepper boots. Not like anyone cares about that either!”
I put one hand over my mouth! I totally forgot that this is Valerie’s last game. Unless we do a parade or something in the spring, this is it for Valerie’s Hi-Steppers reign of terror.
I wrap my arms around Valerie and give a little squeeze. “Aw, Valerie. I’m gonna miss you next year.”
“Yeah, right. You’re gonna be so happy that I’m gone.”
“I’ll only be happy about being the captain all by myself. Senior year is gonna rock.”
“Well, I won’t be missing y’all. I’m gonna be too busy scoping out the college guys and trying to pledge a sorority.”
“I didn’t hear anything in the mix about learning and education.”
Valerie laughs. “Girl, please. I’m going to college to find my husband. It’ll either be an athlete or a nerd. Both make the long dough. You know what I mean?”
“No, and I don’t think I want to know.”
Are we actually having a real friend-like conversation with no ulterior motives attached? Have Valerie and I moved to a new level in our friendship?
Valerie asks, “So, do you know what’s up with Kelani? Is she really mad at me about Chris?”
I should’ve known there was something.
“I don’t know what’s up with Kelani. But I do think she thinks you’re after her boyfriend.”
Valerie shakes her head and sighs. “Okay, so here’s the thing. I did let him kiss me, and then he got all sprung and started acting stupid. He actually broke up with Kelani until I said I didn’t want him. Then her little desperate self took him back.”
“What? Are you serious? Where in the heck have I been? I didn’t know all this was happening.”
Valerie chuckles. “You were in Rickyland, drooling over your little almost-boyfriend.”
Almost-boyfriend!!!! Grrr ...
“I was absolutely not drooling over him. I’m too fly to be drooling over anybody.”
Valerie high-fives me. “I know that’s right, chica. Do you think I have time to go holler at some of those cute Finley boys? A couple of them are looking real nice.”
I shake my head. “You better hurry up! If the game starts and you’re not back, Ms. Vaughn might go ballistic.”
“True, true, and true. I think I do have time, though.”
Valerie hops up from the bleacher and pops her booty through the crowd, making the signature Hi-Stepper call, ooo-OOO! She sounds pretty lame doing it alone, but for some reason, I don’t think the boys care.
The football team comes out onto the field with Ricky leading the way. The crowd goes wild as the future state champions wave at the crowd. I watch Ricky scan the stands for his parents and a huge smile bursts onto his face when he sees them. I wait for him to look my way, too. We make eye contact and he holds one fist in the air. I pump my fist in reply. We’re like a teenage Barack and Michelle Obama! Can you see me rocking a fly afro in the White House? That would be hawt!
Would I be a bad BFF and almost-girlfriend if I tell you that I am not paying attention to this football game? I mean, they’re running up and down the field and scoring points, but I’m thinking ahead to halftime. I always get a little nervous right before we do a new routine.
When the halftime buzzer rings, the Longfellow Spartans are barely ahead, 14 to 12. But we’ve got more momentum because we scored two touchdowns, and the only points the Finley Sabers put on the board were field goals.
The Finley marching band does their halftime show first, and it is not the bidness. First of all, the band has about thirty members, and the drill team looks like a bunch of hoochies. I’m serious. I would describe their routine as exotic dancer meets Beyoncé.
Like I said, not the bidness.
When it’s our turn, we storm the field like an army. Our band is huge, and that’s not counting the twenty-two Hi-Steppers. We’re fierce, for real.
As usual, our routine is flawless. Or, I should say, mostly flawless. Kelani missed a crossover and a few of her claps were late. Maybe if she paid attention to the music instead of mean mugging Valerie the whole time, she would’ve done better.
Valerie is tripping, too. She’s got her normal Hi-Stepper’s smile on, and girlfriend went overboard with the Vaseline on her teeth. But she’s got tears streaming down her face. A www ... she really is sad that her Hi-Steppers era is over. Who knew she could be so emotional?
As we march off the field, I tap her on the shoulder and ask, “You cool?”
She nods, but stays silent.
Someone from the stands shouts, “Ooo-OOO!”
Valerie grins, pumps her fist and hollers back, “Ooo-OOO!”
The rest of the Hi-Steppers follow Valerie’s lead and yell back at the stands. The tears still run down Valerie’s face, but she’s smiling extra hard.
Since she can’t leave her fans without a little extra, Valerie pops her behind the rest of the way off the field. Boys from both schools show their appreciation by cheering and whistling.
What part of Powerful Girls are Pure is this? Gwen would not be pleased. I’m just saying.
Now that we’ve got the halftime routine out of the way, I can be a real BFF and pay some attention to my boy Ricky and the rest of the team.
The second half of the game starts off with a bang and an early turnover by the Finley Sabers. The Spartans return it for a touchdown because they got it like that.
On the next Spartans possession, Ricky leads the team up the field, but the drive only gives them a field goal. Are you impressed by my football knowledge? Yeah, me too. Ha!
The Sabers aren’t going down without a fight, though. They get a touchdown the very next time they get the ball. The Spartan defense better pull themselves together real quick. Coach Rogers must be reading my mind because he takes a timeout.
While the team is on the sidelines we start a “Spartans fight” chant. And the Sabers fans counter us by yelling, “Sabers roar! Grr!!!”
Grrr? Are you kidding me? We should win the game just based on the lameness of the Sabers fans. Boo!
The rally girls have pulled out flags and streamers and are lighting up the stands with red, white, and gold—the Spartans’ colors.
When the team takes the field again, Ricky turns and looks into the stands. Since he’s looking over in our direction, I yell, “Go Ricky!”
A huge smile bursts across his face and before I can catch myself the thought crosses my mind that he looks totally hot. Wow. My best friend is a hot boy, and apparently I’m not the only one who appreciates all his fineness. A lot of the girls cheer when Ricky smiles up at me.
My heart sinks a little as I have a second revelation (Ricky being a hot boy was the first). Ricky can have any of these girls. Why should he settle for me when he can have anyone else?
What if Ricky’s reluctance to date has nothing to do with purity and everything to do with playing the field? That would be all bad.
“What are you thinking about?” Kevin asks, snapping me out of my worst-case-scenario daydream.
“Nothing. Y’all did good at halftime.”
“Thanks. This is fun. I hope we make it to state again next year
.”
“Let’s get through this game first,” I reply.
As if the team hears me, Ricky throws a touchdown pass to Romeo. Every Longfellow Spartans fan jumps up because it’s pretty much a wrap! The Sabers are trailing by eleven points with less than two minutes in the game. As long as the Spartans defense handles their business ...
Oh snap! Somebody missed a block because the Sabers just did a forty-one-yard run up the field. Me no likee. And neither does Coach Rogers, ’cause he’s blowing whistles and carrying on like he’s lost his mind.
Even from the stands we can tell that Coach Rogers is letting the defense have it, but he soooo has a good reason! We’re like two minutes away from being the state champions! This is not the time to start falling apart.
The defense runs back onto the field with the Spartans fans screaming in the stands. I think we all want this as badly as the team does.
On the next snap the Spartans do what they’re supposed to do! They’ve got the Sabers quarterback scrambling for a receiver and he can’t find one.
I guess he thinks he sees an opening or maybe he’s desperate, because he throws the ball directly into the hands of a Spartans defender, who runs a few yards up the field, but doesn’t come close to scoring.
We run a couple of plays to take up the rest of the time on the clock, but the Spartans have victory on lock! That’s what I’m talking ’bout!
When the time runs out, the entire team rushes onto the field to celebrate their victory. My heart sinks as I watch a cheerleader throw her arms around Ricky’s neck and kiss him on the mouth!
Ugh! I can’t believe she’s putting her random germs all over him! And let’s talk about how even though he finally pushes her away, it is totally not fast enough. I see right now ... somebody’s about to get hurt.
Let’s just hope it’s not me.
9
“Look at your boy!” Hope exclaims.
I know she’s talking about Ricky so I don’t even want to look. He’s spent this entire week being the celebrity of Longfellow High. In my opinion, he’s enjoying it too much, but basketball season is here and Ricky doesn’t hoop. Soon he’ll be old news and maybe we can get back to normal.
“I’m not looking at him,” I reply. “He’s on some other stuff right now. It is so not a good look for him.”
Hope laughs. “The cheerleaders think it’s a good look.”
Okay, why does it feel like Hope is having way too much fun with this? I know that she’s still a little (or a lot) irritated that Ricky wasn’t feeling her. I’m glad to see Candy walking up, because the subject needs changing quick!
“Hey, Candy. Cute outfit,” Hope says.
Candy’s smile beams in Hope’s direction. “Thank you!”
The state of Candy’s freshman fashion has been severely shattered by our parents’ punishment. Any and all compliments on her limited apparel are greatly appreciated by Ms. Candy.
“Do you think Mama Gwen would be mad if I skipped the purity class tonight?” Candy asks.
“Do bears sleep in the woods?”
Hope sucks her teeth. “Gia, why can’t you ever just answer a question?”
“Don’t hate me because I’m witty,” I reply. “Candy, why are you trying to ditch the meeting tonight?”
“Spartans Singers auditions are after school, and I don’t know how long I’ll be.” Candy twirls the end of her long, thick braid. The twirling is a sure sign that she’s up to something. This girl stays messy!
“Spill it,” I say.
“Spill what?” Candy asks.
“The reason you’re trying out for the Singers.”
“I like to sing.”
I twist my lips to one side. “And what else?”
“Oh, Gia, you get on my nerves!” Hope fusses. “Why does it have to be something else?”
I ignore Hope and lock eyes with Candy. “Spill it.”
“All right! Chase asked me to try out.”
Hope’s eyebrows rise in surprise. “Sascha’s boyfriend, Chase?”
“Yes. Sascha’s Chase. That’s why I didn’t want to tell y’all. I knew you would jump to conclusions.”
“We’re not jumping to anything,” I reply. “But when did you and Chase get to be cool?”
“One of his boys was trying to get with Valerie about a month ago. We all went out for pizza a couple of times.”
Wow! Candy is sneaky as all get out. She’s not supposed to have any social outings without me, but she’s been kicking it with seniors behind my back.
“It sounds kind of shady,” Hope says.
Candy replies, “Well, it’s not, and I really hope that you two don’t go running to Sascha, getting her all twisted about this.”
“I’m not saying anything, but you better watch your back,” I say. “Sascha says she’s in love with him, so trust that she will bring the drama.”
Candy rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”
Candy sashays down the hallway, so I guess she’s off to the audition. I’m about to continue my semi-rant to Hope, but she’s clicking away on her new Sidekick. Can Gia get any technology? Yes, I did refer to myself in the third person right then, but I was having an out-of-body experience.
“Who are you texting?” I ask. “James?”
Hope and Longfellow Spartan, James, hit it off while we were in Columbus for the championship. They’ve been texting each other back and forth ever since. James is a cool dude. He’s always full of jokes, and has a big linebacker cute kinda thing going on. He wouldn’t be my first selection, but we are not talking about me. We’re talking about Hope.
Hope’s mouth hangs open, and her eyes widen as she looks at her screen. “Oh, my goodness! I do not believe this!”
“What is it?” I ask, not appreciating the suspense one bit.
“I can’t believe Valerie would be this mean!”
“What!” I demand.
“Valerie posted some pictures of Susan Chiang on Facebook, and they are foul!”
I snatch Hope’s phone. “What kind of pictures?”
Now my mouth is hanging open, too. The pictures look like they were taken in the shower. Most of Susan’s goodies are covered, but her face looks crazy seductive, ’cause she’s got her lips all pouted. When did Susan get to be one of those girls? She’s smart, nice, and everybody likes her.
Hope says, “Valerie is pure evil. All this because she didn’t get to be the Homecoming Queen?”
I rack my brain, trying to think of another reason why Valerie might hate Susan. I’m coming up with nothing but blanks. Outside of her little shower-scene photo shoot, Susan is one of the nicest people I know.
“But how do you think she got the pictures?” I ask. “Do you think she took them? She and Susan are nowhere near cool enough for that.”
Hope frowns. “That’s a good point. Maybe she stole them.”
“Come on, Hope, Valerie is not a thief. It’s not her style.”
Jewel and Kelani come running down the hall. “Have y’all seen?” Jewel asks.
“Susan’s pictures?” I ask.
“Yes! I hear they’re talking about taking her Homecoming queen crown away,” Kelani says.
Hope gasps. “No way!”
“I totally heard Ms. Vaughn talking about it in the teachers’ lounge,” Kelani replies.
I’m gonna need someone to explain to me how our teachers know what’s posted on Facebook.
“Ms. Vaughn’s got a Facebook profile?” I ask.
Kelani shrugs. “I don’t know. But there are teachers on there perping as students. They are usually trying to get the scoop on cheaters and stuff.”
Hmmm ... This sounds suspicious to me, and no matter what anyone says, it doesn’t sound like Valerie. Valerie is mean, but she would never do something that could be traced so easily back to herself. She’s all about making people miserable without getting in trouble.
“Has anyone seen or talked to Valerie?” I ask. “Because it seems like everyone is just jumpi
ng to the conclusion that she did this.”
Kelani’s thick eyebrows crumple into a frown. “I didn’t know you and Valerie were tight like that, Gia. You’re defending her?”
I shake my head. “No. Not defending her, but I don’t think we should accuse her without proof.”
Jewel snatches Hope’s phone and shoves it beneath my nose. “The proof’s right here! It’s on her Facebook profile and it says she posted it. Case closed!”
Hope takes her phone back, shuts it off and puts it in her purse. “As much as Valerie and I are mortal foes, I kind of agree with Gia. The last thing Valerie is trying to do is get in trouble and miss out on being prom queen. It’s her last shot at a high school tiara.”
Kelani looks super frustrated. A little too frustrated if you ask me. I mean, why is she trying to convince us that Valerie is the devil? We already know she’s got issues, but dang.
“Hope and I have a meeting at our church, so we gotta go,” I say.
Jewel asks, “Oh, is that the virgin meeting?”
She and Kelani burst into a flurry of giggles. I reply, “It’s our PGP group at church. Stop being haters.”
“What in the world does PGP stand for?” Kelani asks.
In a voice barely louder than a whisper, Hope answers, “Powerful Girls are Pure.”
“What?” Jewel asks. “I didn’t hear you!”
“Oh, good grief! It stands for Powerful Girls are Pure. Now step so we can get there on time.”
Kelani purses her lips and puts one hand on her hip—confrontation style. “Step? Girl, you better quit playing. You aren’t dismissing anybody. You’re taking that cocaptain mess straight to the head.”
I exhale slowly. Why must these dimmers always try to steal my shine?
“Our session today is about the one thing none of you want to talk about,” Aunt Elena says.
We’re in our PGP meeting and my mom and Aunt Elena have started yet another fun lesson. I happen to know that today’s talk is going to be about the dangers of dating, because I saw Gwen’s notes. My plan is to stay silent, not make any eye contact with my mother and get through these two hours without having to make any comments.
