Praise for Nikki Carter
“Gia makes me want to holler out loud—she knows how to think for herself and she definitely has enough drama to fill a thousand pages! I soooo loved Gia’s voice. She’s real, and I know readers will love her, too!”
—Michelle Stimpson, author of Trouble in My Way
“Gia Stokes might be a Hi-Stepper, but this teen role model has both feet on the ground as she meets life’s challenges with style and grace.”
—Melody Carlson, author of the Diary of a Teenage Girl series
“Step to This is hot, it’s new, it’s now…with characters that leap from the pages, it’s absolutely a must-read.”
—Monica McKayhan, Essence bestselling author of Indigo Summer
“Step to This is a wonderful, witty tale that is full of laugh-out-loud moments and great lessons.”
—Victoria Christopher Murray, author of The Divas series
“Nikki Carter is a fresh, new voice in teen fiction! Step to This has it all—drama, humor, and a lesson that everyone can learn from. Full of fun-loving, unforgettable characters that readers will love, Nikki has written a page-turner that will leave the reader wanting more!”
—ReShonda Tate Billingsley, author of The Good Girlz series
“Step to This has alluring characters, wonderful scenes, and a fascinating premise. Nikki Carter has a real talent for writing stories that deal with real issues, but are gripping to read by teens and adults alike.”
—Jacquelin Thomas, author of the Divine series
“Filled with smart and witty characters, Step to This is a fun, fast-paced read teens will love.”
—Ni-Ni Simone, author of A Girl Like Me
“Nikki Carter steps up and delivers a home run with her debut novel, Step to This. It’s a real winner.”
—Chandra Sparks Taylor, author of Spin It Like That and The Pledge
Also by Nikki Carter
Step to This
It Is What It Is
It’s All Good
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
cool like that
A So For Real Novel
nikki carter
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
To my nieces Kenisha and Sierra
Acknowledgments
I always thank God first, because it’s because of Him that I have the ability, tenacity, and opportunity to write. This is the dream I’ve always wanted!
Thank you, family, for missing days at the pool and real dinners while I finished this manuscript. I appreciate and love you (even when I’m fussing)! Brent, my love, thank you for not complaining too much when I hog the laptop.
Thank you to all my friends who encourage me daily! Afrika, Tiffany T., Myesha, Shawana, Kym, Brandi, Leslie and J-Vizzle, Krystal, and Andre: Hollerations!
I’d like to thank the staff at Kensington—Mercedes, Adeola, and Mickie: You rock! Mercedes, thank you for extensions and for Happy Monday e-mails.
To all the educators like Ms. Carol Missry, in Wall, New Jersey—thank you for sharing my books with your students! Last but not least, I’d like to thank a few of my young readers: Quinn, Brandice, Kahjanee, Ayana, Kaneesha, and Lady J! Thank you for enjoying my books!
—Nikki
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
A Reading Group Guide
Discussion Questions
Gia’s Girl-Power Summer Playlist
A Discussion with the Author
1
“Mom, come on! Mrs. Freeman is going to be here in a minute.”
I seriously think that my mother, Gwen, is trying to make me miss my flight. Where am I going, you ask? To a summer enrichment program in New York City! How hot is that?
What’s even hotter is that my bestie, Ricky Freeman, is going too. We get to stay on a college campus all summer long, taking classes and kicking it all over the Big Apple. Man, that’s hot to the touch, okay!
My mom has been tripping since she found out Ricky is going to the program instead of my other bestie, Kevin Witherspoon. Kevin got selected first, but his grandparents are really old-fashioned, and they wouldn’t let him go away for the entire summer. That’s how Ricky got a chance to roll.
I know what you’re thinking. Why would my mom have a problem with Ricky if he’s my bestie?
Well, the problem is not with Ricky per se. She’s known him since he was a baby, and we’ve been best friends since elementary school. We even go to the same church.
The issue is with the fact that it seems like, overnight, Ricky got superduper fine. He’s tall, with caramel-colored skin and big brown eyes, he keeps a low fade, his acne’s disappeared, and he’s got muscles he’s never had before. And check it: all that extra fineness is crushing on little ol’ me.
My mom wants the truth, but she can’t handle the truth.
She’s been asking me questions ever since our debutante ball this past spring. Ricky was my escort, and I think that made her even more paranoid.
The killer part is we aren’t even dating. Not openly or secretly. Ricky suggested that we put our crushes on hold while we go to New York so my mom could trust us.
In theory, it sounds like a good plan: Gia and Ricky, buddy-buddy, without a crush in sight. In reality it might be somewhat hard to execute, especially with all the alone time we’re gonna have.
Honestly, I think my mom didn’t want to let me go, but she couldn’t give me a good reason why I shouldn’t be allowed to, after she’d already given me permission. She tries to be fair most of the time. Sometimes she comes up short, but mostly she’s good.
The only thing that kicks rocks about this summer is the fact that my cousin and other bestie, Hope, won’t be in New York either. I’ve promised to keep her updated by text, e-mail, and Facebook. With all our technology, she shouldn’t miss one second of all the action.
“Gia, do you have extra underwear?” my mom asks.
She’s