On the Come Up

by

Angie Thomas

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On the Come Up: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
The next morning, Bri realizes that Supreme was right about the altercation at the Ring being good for publicity. People call Bri all sorts of things like "ghetto, ratchet, [and] a hood rat." She wonders if he's right about Aunt Pooh too, though she feels guilty for thinking it. As Jay gives Bri a pancake made with the last of their flour and says that Pooh will bring groceries later, Bri thinks that she can't drop Pooh, since Pooh feeds her. Trey sighs about Pooh's drug money saving them. Bri thinks that it's messed up that Trey is getting nowhere doing everything right, while Pooh is doing everything wrong and supports them.
The way that Bri sees things working out for Trey and Pooh respectively continues to make it clear to her that getting bigger with her song and doing what Supreme says is the best way to get her family out of this mess. Bri's sense of loyalty toward Pooh reminds the reader again that Bri cares deeply for her friends and family and wants them to be happy, healthy, and safe. At times, she is willing to sacrifice her own success for them.
Themes
Identity and Individuality Theme Icon
Racism and Prejudice Theme Icon
Trauma, Poverty, and Childhood Theme Icon
Control, Image, and Fame Theme Icon
Quotes
Jay comforts Trey and suggests he look at grad school. Trey admits he already applied and got in, but he can't leave. Jay puts a platter of pancakes on the table, wishes Trey luck on his interview, and shuts herself in her room. Bri starts to panic: this is what Jay did when she used drugs. Trey assures Bri that Jay isn't on drugs and says she just needs a minute. Bri congratulates Trey on getting accepted and tells him he'll get to go soon. He asks if that's because of Bri's song, and says he knows about the Ring—Kayla texted him links immediately after it happened. He reminds Bri to not involve herself with Pooh's mess.
Because of Bri and Trey's close relationship, Trey is able to level with Bri in a way that nobody else can. He's been there for her throughout her life and hasn't abandoned her like Jay and Pooh have. This also means that he has a great deal of responsibility, since there are so few adults that Bri trusts to be there for her no matter what.
Themes
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Trauma, Poverty, and Childhood Theme Icon
Glumly, Bri says that both she and Pooh were just defending themselves, but Trey says this isn't the way to do it. He also says that he's listened to Bri's song. He admits that there are some good lines, but people aren't going to look deeply at it. He points out that Bri certainly doesn't know what a clip on a gun is, and says this is a distraction from school. Trey rolls his eyes when Bri says this could be their way out of poverty. He reminds Bri that getting famous doesn't mean she'll be instantly rich, and asks her to consider what getting rich might cost.
Trey definitely has a point: getting a record deal doesn't necessarily mean that Bri will walk away with a big check with which to solve all of her problems. This begins to show that Bri's idea of what fame means and how it's going to benefit her is fundamentally flawed and simplistic; she doesn't understand that there's more to it and that her manager will also want a cut.
Themes
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Control, Image, and Fame Theme Icon
Quotes
When Bri gets on the bus, Deon immediately starts asking Bri if she really got kicked out of the Ring and if she's a member of the Garden Disciples. Curtis stands up for Bri. Bri thanks Curtis, thinking he's way more tolerable now. She asks why he's already on the bus, and he says he spent the night with his dad. Bri knows that her face betrays that she had no idea he had a dad. Curtis says his dad is a truck driver, which is why he lives with Sister Daniels. Bri asks Curtis if he ever gets to see his mom in prison, and Curtis says that he used to see her weekly but hasn't visited in a while. He explains that she stabbed an ex-boyfriend who beat her, but it wasn't self-defense.
The truth about Curtis's mom shows again how living in poverty and in abusive situations can harm more people than just the victim. Because she's in jail, Curtis is mostly on his own; he's lucky to have a grandparent around willing and able to care for him. Bri's desire to find out about Curtis's life, combined with Curtis's willingness to share this personal information with her, shows that both of them understand that being vulnerable and trusting each other is the best way to form a relationship.
Themes
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Trauma, Poverty, and Childhood Theme Icon
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Bri asks why Curtis doesn't see his mom, and he says that she's "a shell of herself." Bri offers that she saw Jay like that when Jay was on drugs, and it was a terrifying and also strangely happy experience. Bri assures Curtis that his mom would love to see him. Curtis changes the subject and asks about Bri's favorite rappers. Bri is thrilled to not be asked about Lawless. She introduces Curtis to one of her favorites, Rakim, who she insists is the Dumbledore of hip-hop. Curtis is impressed with Bri's knowledge and tells her she looks cute. They flirt, and Bri blushes. When Curtis says he's growing out his hair for locs or cornrows, Bri offers to do them for him.
Bri's happiness at not being asked about Lawless shows again that carrying around his identity in addition to her own is exhausting and difficult. At this age, what Bri wants is an identity that's entirely her own, which she can begin to experiment with by sharing these things that she loves with Curtis, and sharing things about herself—like that she can braid hair.
Themes
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When Sonny and Malik get on the bus, they raise their eyebrows. Malik sits next to Shana and Sonny sits down in front of Bri and wiggles his eyebrows. Bri gets off the bus and meets up with Sonny. He teases her about naming her kids with Curtis after him, but stops when Bri suggests that Sonny and Rapid give their kids ridiculous names. Sonny admits that he ghosted on Rapid after he wasn't able to focus on a practice SAT test. Bri sees him starting to panic and tells him to breathe. He says that he and Malik also found out that Rapid isn't from Garden Heights. They notice that the crowd at school seems thicker than usual. When they reach Malik, he says that Long and Tate are back.
Sonny's panic attack makes it even clearer how desperately he wants to get out of Garden Heights and how afraid he is of all the things that might keep him from doing so. Like Bri, he feels like he has to be constantly on guard so that he can stay safe and on the college-bound track, two things that he knows could be jeopardized by beginning a relationship with anyone, let alone someone on the internet who may or may not be who he says he is.
Themes
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Control, Image, and Fame Theme Icon