Get Over It by Nikki Carter

at?”
    â€œI am staying out of your stuff! That’s why I’m sneaking candy . . . and working out . . . and eating more candy!”
    â€œShut up, boy!”
    I mix the caramel in with the salty popcorn and my dish is complete. Easy peasy. I wish someone else would pay attention to how to make it so that I don’t always have to be the person in the kitchen stirring stuff.
    My phone buzzes in my pocket as I put the final touches on the bowl of popcorn.
    â€œYou done?” DeShawn says as I check my phone. I nod and he takes the bowl away and into the movie room. I know there better be some left when I’m done.
    I look at the text. It’s a picture message from Sam that has the caption, Is this why you wouldn’t go out on a date with me? I gasp when I click the picture. It’s of me and DeShawn kissing at Starbucks. The picture looks way more intimate than it actually was.
    The first thing I wonder, of course, is how did Sam get a copy of this photo?
    You’ve got spies? I text.
    No, but it looks like I need to have some. You tripping.
    I am not tripping. The picture is not what it looks like.
    A long pause before Sam replies. So you tripped over your feet and landed in a kiss?
    It didn’t mean what you think , I say.
    Tell me what it meant then.
    I don’t want to pause too long because then Sam is going to really think something’s up. But for the life of me I can’t figure out how to answer this, and have Sam actually believe what I say.
    I decide to just be honest. He’s giving me an ultimatum. Wants me to choose between you and him.
    This time no text answer, but in less than thirty seconds, Sam’s ringtone goes off on my phone. He had to call on this one, I suppose.
    â€œHow is he giving you ultimatums if he’s just your friend and tenant?” he fusses when I answer the call.
    â€œDon’t act like nobody else can give me attention just because you’re trying to win me back. He feels like he has just as much chance as you do.”
    â€œSo he’s trying to get with you?”
    I shake my head in irritation. “Don’t act like you didn’t know, Sam. It wasn’t a secret when we were on the red carpet.”
    â€œI thought you were doing that to make me jealous,” Sam says. “I didn’t know you were actually digging the dude.”
    There is a long period of silence, because I don’t know how to respond, and I’m sure Sam just wants to throw the phone.
    â€œSo are you planning on choosing him? Tell me now, so I can stop wasting my time,” Sam finally says.
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œYou don’t know? So do you expect me to compete with him or something? What is this, the girlfriend Olympics or something?”
    â€œIt wouldn’t hurt you to put in a little work, Sam. You are the one who’s got us at this point anyway. If you hadn’t been trick or treating then our thing would’ve never been interrupted.”
    â€œI will put in some work, but not to beat another dude. I’m not about to have a duel with this dude.”
    Now I’m irritated. “Nobody’s asking you to have a duel, but I bet if I asked DeShawn to have one he would.”
    â€œIf you got dude’s nose open like that then maybe you ought to go ahead and get with him.”
    â€œMaybe. I. Should!” DeShawn’s ultimatum is sounding better and better the longer this conversation progresses.
    After another long and deadly silence, Sam says, “You know I don’t mean that, right?”
    â€œYeah, I know it. You can’t be proud and apologetic at the same time. The feelings don’t match. It makes me think one of them is fake.”
    â€œReally? Which is fake then? The apology or the pride?”
    I shake my head and sit at the bar stool. That is exactly my dilemma with Sam. I have no idea which emotion is genuine. I know that he’s missing me, but that’s