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,” Melody 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