On the Come Up

On the Wednesday that Bri’s school suspension ends, she sits on the morning bus with Sonny and wonders if Curtis is cute. Bri has been thinking about Curtis more since talking to him on Sunday, and she admits that “that conversation made [her] look at him a little different” (147). Sonny begs Bri to play the song that she recorded, and after some hesitation, she agrees. The bus explodes with excitement, and the other Garden Heights students love the song. They are especially thrilled that she called out Long and Tate in the song. Bri is “cheesing super hard” (150) until the bus pulls up to the school. Sonny tries to distract Bri by telling her that he has been talking to a guy online, but they haven’t exchanged names or pictures yet. Bri is happy for Sonny, but he explains that he has to focus on college and “set the example for [his] little sisters” (154). As they approach the line for the metal detectors, Bri becomes nervous, thinking of what happened with Long and Tate. There are two new guards, but Bri feels these new guards could make the same assumption about her that Long and Tate did.