On the Come Up

Since Bri was almost killed by a Crown, “[she] call[s] [her] aunt, the Garden Disciple” (319). Pooh and Scrap arrive quickly, and Bri tells them what happened. Scrap points out that the Crowns have wanted that chain for a long time, and as soon as Pooh learns that the Crown “pointed [the gun] in [Bri’s] face” (320), she decides to take care of the situation. Bri begs Malik not to tell his mother about what happened because “she’ll tell [Bri’s] mom, and [Jay] will bring a halt to anything” (320-321). Malik is angry with Bri for deciding to get mixed up in gang activity but agrees to lie to his mom. Pooh takes Bri home but implies that she will kill the Crown who threatened Bri. Bri wants to go too, but Pooh says she can’t be involved because “a Crown will kill [Bri] in retaliation, or somebody will snitch and the cops will take [Bri] down” (322). Bri realizes that Pooh is taking the same risks with her own life, and she is overwhelmed with grief at the thought of Pooh throwing her life away for her. The next morning, Bri and Jay discover that the power has been turned off, and all of the food in the refrigerator has gone bad.