Ace of Spades

As Chiamaka walks home from school after detention, Belle approaches her. Chiamaka is surprised when Belle asks for her side of the story with Jamie. Chiamaka admits that she and Jamie did have sex, but only before she knew he was dating Belle. Belle tells Chiamaka that she broke up with Jamie and that she wants to be Chi’s friend instead. Chiamaka is very confused, but she invites Belle over to her house.

After finishing detention, Devon is surprised to find Terrell outside waiting for him. The two boys walk to a nearby playground. Devon tells Terrell more about what is happening to him and Chiamaka, and Terrell suggests that Aces’s attacks are motivated by racism. Devon wants to dismiss this theory. He tells Terrell that he does not believe that every white person is bad and asserts that people at Niveus have been nice enough to him over the years. Terrell reminds Devon that racism is not about being nice or mean; it is structural and influenced by history. Devon tells Terrell that he should go to college, but Terrell says that the world is not ideal, so he does not want to “poison [his] mind with thoughts that don’t make a difference” (172).