AN: Here's a short lil' chapter

CHAPTER 7

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin

Huey and Mọremi strode down the hallway, confidence in their steps. It'd been a week since the meeting at the Freeman residence and they had put together a list of reasons as to why the school should allow them to have a BSU. After practicing how they'd pitch their idea, they were on their way to Principal Williams' office. He was the only person in school who had the authority to give school clubs and activities the okay. If they wanted a BSU, they'd have to convince him first.

Once they reached his door, the pair stopped. Huey glanced over at Mọremi. Her hair was neatly sectioned into bantu knots, a hairstyle Huey thought made her look extremely cute. A look of determination was etched upon her face and, at that moment, Huey was so glad he had her by his side.

After a slight pause, Huey knocked on Williams' door.

"Enter," came from the other side. Huey and Remi exchanged a look, took a deep breathe, and entered the room.

Principal Williams had moved from being principal of the elementary school to the senior school at the same time Huey went to middle school. Williams was all he'd known in Woodcrest and he hated it. The man watches black trauma movies to 'prepare for Black students', so the hatred is justifiable. Williams felt as though making the school sing negro spirituals at an assembly was enough for Black History Month. The man was out of touch, focused more so on blowing school funds on Botox and hookers than actually caring about the students.

"Ah, Huey, Mọremi, good morning! I trust you're settling in well, Mọremi. I've heard great reports about you. You're just like Freeman here, a hard worker. Just…difficult, at times."

The aforementioned duo shared questioning glances with each other as the principal continued to talk."

"Anyway! What can I do for you? Anything you like, I'll try and make it happen."

Mọremi looked at Huey, who nodded, and sighed. "We want a Black Student Union, Sir. Huey, I, and some other students were talking and -"

"– I'm going to stop you right there," Williams interrupted.

"I know you feel as though you need a space for your kind to meet up but isn't that what lunch time is for?"

Huey glared at the man.

"What do you mean, 'your kind', Mr. Williams?"

"Oh, well I'm just saying. A Black Student Union seems very divisive. You can sit and talk about the latest rap song and ghetto drama in your own time. I know you've had complaints about racism so why not try to embrace the racists instead of separate?"

The obviously out of touch man smiled, causing Mọremi and Huey to become even more annoyed. Before they could even pitch the idea, they were shut down and told it was divisive despite them never saying that it was for Black student only.

After trying to argue their point with Principal Williams who, after being argued to a crisp by Huey and Remi, said that there just wasn't enough funding, the defeated pair walked out the office in low spirits.

Huey leaned against the wall with one foot up, glancing at the visibly upset girl before him. She looked so defeated.

"Remi, are you okay?"

The dark-skinned girl looked towards him and shook her head.

"I really thought we had a chance, Huey."

She shook her head and laughed.

"At my old school, I couldn't even get other students to agree with me about a BSU. They were all too scared or content. I felt it would be the same in America. Then I met you, the creator of some of my favourite organisations. You were my beacon of hope, of light. And I really thought we had a shot. But who am I kidding? We both heard that dunce in there. Just from the way he speaks of us you know he'd never let us. God, I feel so deflated right now and I don't even know why."

Remi started to rub her eyes which were starting to get teary, and, without a second thought, Huey quickly took her into his arms. Remi wrapped her arms around the tall boy's torso as he squeezed her tight and tried his best to avoid her knots with his chin. The two stayed like that, content as they comforted each other, neither aware of their surroundings in that moment.

"It's going to be okay," Huey whispered softly.

"I'm not going to let you give up – let us give up. We'll find a way to convince him. Let me text Riley and see if he has any ideas. It will all work out, I promise."

Mọremi smiled to herself and closed her eyes. She'd never felt so safe in the presence of a man not related to her. It felt…nice.

As the two were hugging, a young DuBois was walking down the hall excited. She'd spent the week thinking over what Michael Caesar told her that night outside Huey's house. She decided that it was true; the worse Huey could say to her asking him out was no. He'd rejected countless girls relatively nicely, albeit bluntly, and since he was her friend if he wasn't interested, she was sure he'd let her down kindly.

Jasmine had always hoped that Huey liked her. There'd been countless moments she thought they'd had at the tree, only for Huey to say or do something to crush her optimism. A tiny part of Jasmine's heart hoped that there was a romance between the two, and that Huey was just too afraid to admit it.

However, when she neared the Principal's office, Jasmine stopped in her tracks. The tiny part of her heart seemed to have suddenly gotten even smaller as she watched Huey and Mọremi embrace. Tears started to form in her eyes as she watched the boy she loved be more intimate with the girl she really didn't like than he'd ever been with her in their almost a decade of knowing each other.

The young DuBois turned, the spring in her step gone as she power-walked towards the nearest bathrooms, trying to prevent herself from crying, trying to tell herself that she still had a chance. A chance she grew less sure of with each step away from Huey.

Huey and Mọremi were walking together when Riley texted back, saying he and Tami had an idea and that they should all meet up together after school.

At the mention of this news, Huey took Mọremi's hand into his and squeezed it. In turn, Mọremi leaned in closer to Huey. As they walked down the hallway together, the two both felt that everything would be okay, as long as they were together.