It's All Good by Nikki Carter

sweet, Sascha. I’m happy for you.”
    â€œYou are? I’m surprised, because a friend of mine told me you were all hugged up on Chase during Singers rehearsal.”
    â€œWh-what?”
    Sascha smiles. “It’s all good, though. I trust Chase and he told me that you were just a freshman crushing on him. A lot of girls are feeling Chase.”
    Candy opens her mouth to speak and I elbow her in the ribs. I say, “So I guess he’s gonna be your escort to the PGP cotillion, huh?”
    â€œOh, for sure. That is, if I don’t drop out of PGP.”
    Hope gasps. “Why would you drop out? Are you thinking of giving up the goodies?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Sascha replies. “I know that I love him, and I know we’re going to be together forever, so I don’t see why not.”
    â€œAre you kidding me?” I ask. “What do you mean, you can’t see why not? Two words: teenage pregnancy. Hello!”
    Hope pleads, “At least wait until after the cotillion. It won’t be the same without you there.”
    â€œI’ll think about it,” Sascha says. “There’s Chase now. Gotta go, see y’all!”
    Hope and I look at Candy and crack up. “Dang! You got busted macking somebody’s boyfriend,” I say.
    Hope adds, “You better be careful with that, Candy! I know some girls that wouldn’t just let that fly.”
    â€œWhatever! Sascha has got the story wrong,” Candy replies. “I wasn’t hugged up on Chase, he was hugged up on me. He asked me out, not the other way around. I wasn’t macking on anybody. Didn’t have to.”
    â€œI guess you just got it like that, huh?” I ask.
    â€œActually, I do have it like that. I don’t have to steal anyone’s boyfriend.”
    I roll my eyes at the sheer diva of it all. “All right then, fly girl. Ricky’s probably waiting outside for us now, so let’s roll.”
    â€œAre you sure you want to let her near Ricky?” Hope asks with glee in her eyes. “He might start uncontrollably macking on her or something.”
    Gotta love Hope and her random nukes! We give each other a high five and all three of us jog down the hall.
    Oh, and yeah, I’m totally not worried at all about Candy sticking her claws into Ricky. That would sooo never happen.

14
    â€œC an I have one of your fries, Gia?” Ricky asks.
    I roll my eyes and throw a fry at him. We’re at the mall food court and I’m trying to enjoy my favorite junk food dinner, a Philly cheese steak and fries with cheese sauce. Normally, I would not mind sharing, but Ricky already inhaled all of his food and now he’s working on mine too.
    Maybe that would be acceptable behavior if he was my boo, but in BFF world, a girl’s gotta eat.
    â€œDang, Gia. Don’t be so stingy,” Ricky says with a laugh. “One day you’re gonna be fat.”
    I laugh out loud. “I’m about a gazillion fries away from obesity, my dude.”
    He reaches for another fry and I slap his hand. “Can someone loan Ricky three dollars so he can get some more fries for his greedy self?” I ask.
    â€œI just want one of yours, not a whole thing of them.”
    â€œBut since you aren’t getting any more of mine you need to hustle yourself on up to the line and place your order.”
    Hope giggles. “Y’all fight like two married people.”
    â€œMy dad and Mama Gwen don’t fight like this,” Candy says.
    Ricky narrows his eyes at me. “All right then, Gia. Be like that. The girl at the counter is a hottie anyway. Maybe I’ll get her number.”
    â€œKnock yourself out, boo! Maybe she’ll give you some free fries!”
    Ricky swaggers himself over to the counter and the rest of my friends stare me down. Did I mention how cute Ricky is looking today? His haircut is fresh, sweater is fitted, and the faded brown jeans are