On the Come Up

by Angie Thomas

Poetry’s Mrs. Murray’s religion.

Me too

Usually I’m cool with an entire hour of not knowing what the president tweeted.

PLS NO SERIOUSLY PRESIDENTS TWEET SUCH WEIRD THINGS

I narrow my eyes at his little light-skinned Hobbit-looking behind—he’s got the curly hair and the big ears.

she DRAGGED him omg

“You didn’t even do your practice test.” “Yes, I did!” Kinda. A little. Sorta. Not really. Nah. “Girl, you didn’t submit any answers until a minute ago.

get her ass

I’m surprised they haven’t renamed Midtown “The Trey Jackson School of the Arts Because We Love His Ass That Much.”

The cops constantly drive by, but that’s the new normal in the Garden. It’s supposed to be on some “Hi, I’m your friendly neighborhood cop who won’t shoot you” type shit, but it comes off as some “We’re keeping an eye on your black asses” type shit.

ooh lord

That’s when I learned that when people die, they sometimes take the living with them.

Shout-out to Michelle Obama.

Now I gotta worry about the cops too? Yeah, people get killed around here, and nah, it’s not always by the police, but Jay says this was like having a stranger come in your house, steal one of your kids, and blame you for it because your family was dysfunctional, while the whole world judges you for being upset.

It’s an internal struggle, being annoyed by his ass and being mesmerized by his face.

felt this frlio :(

“Don’t worry, Bri,” Jay says. “God’s got us, baby.” The same God who let her get laid off from a church?

ooh.

As much of a hard-ass as my aunt is, her hugs are the best. They somehow say “I love you” and “I’ll do whatever for you” all at once.

The best hugs always do

“I hope you use that money for my grandbabies and not some of the other mess you probably into,” Grandma says.

the SHADE?? shut up gramma

“Thank you, girl,” Grandma says. “My niece bought this at one of them outlet malls she likes.” “I can tell.”

the SHADEEEEE

“Probably to help her momma out,” says the expert in all things Bri. Surprise! It’s apparently not me.

“You know what they say, folks ain’t ever truly clean once they been on that mess.”

She wouldn’t put me and Trey through that again. But. She put us through it in the first place.

“Damn, Bri. He talked to you like a human being, now all of a sudden you’re thirsty for him? What kind of heterosexual bullshit is that?”

pls

Gift. One word, one syllable. I don’t know if it rhymes with anything because it’s a word I never thought could be used when it comes to me.