Pride

by Ibi Zoboi

But that’s exactly what they would expect. I curse under my breath and follow my sister, my heart pounding in my ears.

OMGGG not this part. “You separated a young couple” part. Poor Janae. And why did Darius do that?! Evil bastard. Why do you care so much?!

He thought it was all fun and games, like the stuff he sees in movies.

But his parents were not trying to have their son spend the night with some financial-aid kid at his welfare-queen mother’s roach-infested apartment.”

“They didn’t have to say it. I knew that’s what they were thinking. Me and D were cool for a while, but then I got into a fight outside school. And Mr. Darcy tried to get me kicked out. He thought I was a bad influence on his son. But the worst part of that was that Darius didn’t even have my back. He was all about coming to my house and seeing how it is out here, but when he came face-to-face with

that shit, he straight up violated.

That’s street code numero uno: Have your friend...

“The Darcys are bougie, but they don’t like drama. They’re real protective about their reputation.

My mother had to come up to the school and practically beg for me to stay. She threatened to sue for discrimination. After that, Darius wouldn’t dare look me in the eye.”

She’s bought me a round-trip bus ticket to D.C. To Howard. For tomorrow!

Awwww sweet 🥰

I text Janae one giant THANK-YOU in all caps followed by smiley faces, hearts, and balloons.

Alpha Kappa Alpha?”

“The AKA scholarship group? These seats are reserved for them,” she says with an even brighter smile. “Oh” is all I say, even though I want to know what an AKA is and how I can get into their scholarship group. But I decide that girl doesn’t need to know that—I can look it up online later.

“HI, I’M SONIA,”

Darius Darcy is looking directly at me.

WTFFFFFFFF IS HE DOING HERE

“Carrie? No way,” she says. Then she calls out to Darius, who is a few steps ahead of us. “Hey, bro! Zuri thought Carrie was your girlfriend!” “Not in a million years,” he says. And in that moment, something stirs deep in my belly. I’m not supposed to care. But part of me is relieved that Darius isn’t into someone so shallow and insecure.

So far, I know that they’ve gone skiing in somewhere called Aspen, go to somebody named Martha’s Vineyard every summer (except for this one, because of the move), and how they are still hoping to take a trip to some place called the Maldives.

“Are you sure you can get me home tonight?” I ask. “I told you,” he says, turning to me. “I got you.”

Back home, when we say we’ve “got somebody’s back,” we’ll look out for them. But “I got you” is something else. It means that you’re willing to fall back and know that the person will catch

you.

Mrs. Catherine Darcy.

“Thank you,” he says. “For what?” I say. “For calling out my grandmother on her bullshit.” “I didn’t mean to disrespect her, it’s just that . . .”

“I know. You held your own.”

I let the quiet swell between us

for a moment. He never puts on any music and doesn’t say another word. Neither do I. But the time is moving slowly, even though the car is zooming past miles and miles of trees and road. I sink into my leather seat and watch Darius because he can’t watch me. He’s more comfortable driving a car than I expected, using his turn signal to switch lanes and keeping his hands firmly on the steering wheel. Everything about him looks . . . confident. He knows who

is. He knows this road. He knows this world. His skin looks extra smooth in the dim light of the setting sun. His face and whole body are relaxed. So I let my guard down a little bit. He glances at me for a quick second and shoots me a smile. This time, I don’t look away. I keep watch...

“I know I’m different. That was my point.” “You’re more than different. You’re special, Zuri. I mean, damn. I’ve never met a girl like you.”

“Okay. You’re creeping me out. For the record, my father knows I’m with you, he knows where

😂😂😂😂😂

your parents live, and he owns a machete,” I say.

He smiles in a way I’ve never seen him smile before. I only shake my head and wait for him to open the car with his remote-control key thing. But instead he walks around to my side and is coming closer to me. I don’t step back. I just stand there as he inches closer and closer, and before I know it, we’re face-to-face. Still, I don’t s...

mine. He pauses as if making sure it’s okay, and that’s when I finish what he started. I fall into his kiss, making sure that I’m still in the lead, that I’m still in control, and he slips his hands around my waist and pu...

And in that moment, I can’t believe this is happening. This kiss, this hold, never crossed my mind as something that would be real. I hated him. I hated ever...

Gigi is in boarding school because Warren took sexy pictures of her He sent them to his friends “What the fuck?” I gasp. Then they got around to the whole school

That’s why she’s staying with our grandmother He fucked up her reputation But please keep this a secret I really don’t want anyone to know

And that’s when I know for sure that those boys moving onto this block has changed everything.

Wait so you’re not even going to get Warrens side? Or Darius’ side? You’re just going to take his side just like that?????

And right before my eyes, he reaches over the podium in front of Charlise and kisses her on the lips. I throw my hands up. “Oh, hell no!”

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW NOPE GROSS

I’m about to move to another rack when I feel Darius tug at my dress. I stop as he gently pulls me toward him. He takes both

my hands in his hands. I step closer to him until our bodies touch. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot our reflection on a fitting-room mirror. I turn to see just how perfect we look together. He’s way more put together than I am. His clothes are newer, more expensive. I look cute, but still a little hood, a little less polished. He watches us too. And he slips his arms around my waist while still looking at us. I lean in to his chest. “Perfect,” he whispers.

His breath reaches the back of my neck, and my whole body tingles. So I face him again and reach up to kiss him. We kiss right there in the middle of the vintage store, in front of a fitting-room mirror, for all these hipsters to see. Someone says, “Awww!” Still, we don’t stop. And I melt. Darius hugs me so tight...

a logo of Hillman College from that old TV show A Different World—and

That old CLASSIC show A Different World excuse you lol

When I open my eyes, I can tell from Darius’s face that he feels it too. His eyes are in another place, even though they’re staring right at me. His smile is so soft that it looks like it’s in a deep, deep rest. Finally he kisses me one last time for the day.

And I don’t care one bit who sees us. In fact, I want my family, my block, and my whole hood to see us.

“I like you a lot, Zuri Benitez,” he whispers. I smile. “Then you got my back if something goes down between me and Carrie, right?” He laughs. “You’ll fight over me? I didn’t think you were that type of girl.” I laugh too. “I didn’t say I’d be fighting over you.

I’m only throwing jabs if she come at me with some nonsense.” “Okay, but don’t underestimate bougie rage. That’s on another level.”

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Darius and I walk out of the bodega like two old friends, or new friends. Or something else, something better and different.

It all feels like the end of a game that we didn’t even know we were playing. And we’ve both had the ball

stolen and thrown back, played defense and offense. And from the way he kisses me—easing his bruised hand around my body and pulling me in close, almost swallowing me with his whole self—I know that I’ve won this game. And he’s won too.

I once asked Madrina how she knows so much about the strangers who come down to the basement for her love consultations. She told me that thoughts and feelings are vibrations. They move the air like a light breeze, and if I pay close enough attention, I can feel those thoughts in my own body. So even with the white sheet covering her whole body and her face, I already know. And I’m the first to

fall to my knees and start crying.

I was on the roof with Darius when Madrina’s spirit left the world. Our bodies were glued together and I was happy for a little while, but I didn’t know that this deep sadness was waiting for me like an open door. And then I think that it was maybe Madrina, priestess of the love goddess Ochún, who made it so. She gave me that little bit of happiness.

The ones who wear black are just following the Catholic tradition. The ones who wear white are following the Santería tradition.