You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

by Akwaeke Emezi

“First of all, we’re a few years too old for that,” Feyi had replied. “Second, I think we’re just figuring out how to survive a world on fire… that it’s okay to be alive.”

“Honestly, babe? I think you’re also kinda scared about where you and Nasir might be heading. He’s been low-key perfect, and maybe it’s easier to think about blowing it all up than to keep going. There are lots of ways to run away, you know?”

“You’re never ready for shit, Feyi. Just jump in the deep end already and figure out if you remember how to swim.”

She wanted to take a picture of it, but she already knew half the beauty would die inside a camera lens and she’d never quite catch the edges of how it felt.

“Get into the rooms you need to be in so your work can do what it needs to do,”

Definitely don’t stay in the same house alone with his sexy-ass father whose fingers you licked mango foam off of! I swear to God.” Joy pinched her nose and shook her head. “This is exactly how incest porn starts.”

I have no interest in replacing who you know yourself to be with my imagination of you. It’s not sustainable in the long term, so if you’re telling me who you are now, telling me not to bother, then be clear.”