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input. He shrugs. “The night is young, right? Let’s keep going.”
    I can’t keep my eyes from bouncing back and forth. Everything is so bright! I mean, seriously, there’s a Jay-Z video playing on a huge video screen mounted on the side of a building. Are you kidding me?
    “I’m hungry,” Xavier says as we walk past a pizza parlor.
    “Didn’t you eat at the barbeque?” Sienna asks.
    “I’m a growing boy, and my stomach is saying yes to a slice of pepperoni pizza!”
    We all crack up laughing because Xavier rubs his stomach with longing in his eyes. He looks hilarious!
    “You haven’t had pizza until you’ve had it in New York,” Rashad says.
    Sienna rolls her eyes. “Whatever! Chicago is the spot for pizza, Rashad. You haven’t had a pizza pie until you’ve had a five-meat, deep-dish pie from Chi-Town.”
    Ricky laughs. “Man, now I’m hungry!”
    “We might as well stop then,” Melody says.
    We pile into the tiny restaurant. There are pockets of teenagers and artist types. And in the corner a couple sits sharing a slice of pizza.
    Rashad scores a table for us near the window. This whole evening so far has been cool to infinity. I feel so free, like I’m almost an adult or something. No Gwen calling to tell me to get my butt home or interrogate me about my new friends.
    This is hot!
    We order a large pepperoni pizza because most of us are not really hungry, and one slice should be enough for everybody except Xavier.
    “So you two are from Cleveland, right?” Melody asks.
    “What do you all do for fun?”
    “We roller-skate or go hang out at the rec,” Ricky says.
    “Gia is on the step squad at school, so she hangs with that clique.”
    Sienna high-fives me across the table. “Step squad! I know that’s right.”
    “Uh, chill with the step sisterhood. Cheerleaders rule at my school,” Melody says.
    “Are you a cheerleader?” Ricky asks.
    “I’m not just a cheerleader, I’m the captain.”
    The boys burst out laughing. Ricky says through his giggles, “Cheerleading is not a real sport, Melody. You don’t have to be so militant about it!”
    “Hi, haters,” Melody says with a neck roll.
    This just makes the boys laugh harder.
    The waitress brings the pizza to the table, and on first glance I don’t see anything special. The crust looks super thin, definitely not like the thick pan pizzas I’m used to eating at home.
    “It looks kind of flimsy to be the best pizza ever,” Ricky says, mirroring my thoughts.
    “Taste first, talk second,” Xavier replies as he snatches a slice and bites it in one swift motion.
    I take a slice for myself. The taste totally surprises me. The sauce is tangy but really good. The crust, though thin, manages to be crispy on the edges but chewy in the middle. It’s delicious.
    “You like?” Rashad asks.
    All I can do is nod as I swallow the tasty morsels. After everyone eats a slice, we all wish we’d ordered more than one pizza.
    Melody says, “Come on, y’all. We don’t want to be late for curfew on our first night out.”
    On our way back to the Times Square subway station, we see a street vendor selling the same T-shirts I wanted to score earlier. Guess how much they’re charging? Four shirts for ten dollars!
    Rashad nods over at the vendor. “Gia, you want to get your shirt now?”
    “Are you happy that you were right?” I ask.
    Rashad rakes his hand through his locs and grins at me. “Nah. I’m not any happier because of that. But maybe you’ll trust me next time.”
    “It’s gonna take a lot more than a shopping trip to get me to trust you.”
    Rashad hooks his finger under my chin and laughs. “Okay, Princess.”
    Ricky narrows his eyes and glares at me and Rashad. At first, I was thinking that all Ricky had to do was claim me, and I’d be totally over this new crush on Rashad. But now I’m not so sure.

4
    L ater, after our Times Square adventure, Sienna hangs for a while in my room. Curfew means you only have to be off the