Chapter Two #2
“Let me get this straight,” I said as I looked up at the sky with a twisted mouth, trying to gather my thoughts.
“You want me to knock on this woman’s door?
Tell her to follow me to this secret world where black people are magic and there will be a magical HBCU waiting for her.
She has no knowledge of the Underground and doesn’t know that magical black people exist? ”
Clementine bit into her apple, chewed with her lips pointed at me and her brows raised. She was like the annoying little sister who just happened to be right every single time she spoke.
“Precisely. I don’t understand the problem. How exactly did you discover Drew Collins University?”
My mouth fell open ready to state my case before going silent because she had me there.
I looked around the seedy neighborhood that seemed secluded from the main road.
It was a bunch of small homes that looked abandoned and the only sign of life being a dog barking.
A man in a torn shirt pushing a buggy up the hill towards the stop sign, and he was muttering to himself.
Whatever drugs he was on, it had him having a full-blown conversation out loud.
The house we stood in front of was no different.
A small one-story home with a crumbling driveway and overgrowth of kudzu vines that took over the structure.
You wouldn’t think anybody lived here until we saw a black car pull off just as we appeared.
“Her name is Danielle Jackson,” Clementine went on as she took another bite of her apple.
“Dr. Holmes specifically requested she attend Drew Collins and I’m specifically requesting she become acquainted with a member of Beta Nu.
If she’s important to the founder of the school, she must be a pretty big fucking deal, and before any of these other organizations come sniffing around, we have first dibs. ”
“Okay so the part where I have to tell a woman who is a complete stranger to follow me to a magical school like I’m a leprechaun is not registering with you or…”
“She’s from Atlanta, same as you so you’re practically neighbors–––”
“This is the hood!” I exclaimed with my arms stretched out. “I don’t…there are levels of blackness in Atlanta! This isn’t my level! I’m suburbia, usually one of five black girls in my class with one Latina named Janet, and a boy named Jose who only wears black Air Force Ones–––”
“I don’t know what any of that means,” she waved off. “I just know you’re both here in Georgia. She has a degree in psychology, and most importantly, she needs to be at her appointment in the next two hours. So…” Clementine began to walk off as I threw my hands up again. “Chop chop!”
I stared at the house, unsure of what I was supposed to do to convince a stranger to follow me.
“This isn’t Alice in Wonderland you know!” I argued back without turning around. “What am I supposed to say to her?”
“You are Maggie Grey, granddaughter of the Civil Rights leader above and Mythical Advocate for the Magical Negroes Association, Dr. Marvin T. Holmes–––.”
“He’s currently being tried in court for crimes against humanity,” I cut in dryly. “Not to mention the man who cursed my parents into forgetting about me.”
Clementine ignored me.
“Founder of The Drew Collins University and Soror, and VP to Beta Nu Pi. You are the last standing First Family member with some sort of dignity. You are a full moon on a good day. You’re working on your doctorate and will probably become the dean of this damn school one day.
You’re one of the most powerful mythics and you’re dating the hottest man in the Underground who is just as famous and maybe one day?
You’ll have cute little freakishly strong vampire werewolf children that will be the new it family.
It’s really not that hard. Tell her who you are, how you started, and she’ll see what you’ve become.
Again, her name is Danielle Jackson. Her mother, Marani Jackson.
She is to report to Drew Collins today. All you need to do is get her there, the school will handle the rest. Drew Collins never fails to bring the exact students it wants to its grounds.
It’s pure fate. All the notes about her are in the email I sent, check your phone. ”
I tightened my mouth with a twisted expression.
“Kidnapping,” I finally said as I whipped around. “I’m literally…kid…napping…”
Clementine was gone. Just like that. No sign or trace of her presence anywhere.
Turning back around, I stared back at the house with hesitation before brushing my pleated skirt down and adjusted my tucked in white blouse.
I looked like an overgrown girl scout with the sorority pin tucked in the corner.
When I rang the doorbell, I found myself looking around the suspicious neighborhood again before glancing at my phone to read the brief info about this woman.
Danielle Jackson…Mother passed away. She received a letter from–––
“Helloooooo?”
My head popped up at the abandoned looking door with worn down wood and vines covered in webs and bugs. I did hear a voice call out from inside. Right? Surely nobody was comfortably living here.
“Please don’t make this anymore awkward than it already is…” I muttered to myself. When I heard nothing else in response, I decided to chalk it up to the high heavens. Welp! She didn’t answer in time and now I can go back home and…
The door suddenly pulled open as if being torn from the house itself.
I whipped around, startled. For a moment, all I could see was the sun reflecting just beyond the home with the rays covering her face until she finally appeared from the light.
The first thing I noticed was the sadness that sat in her eyes.
Her deep complexion, her dark eyes, and full face attempted to mask her emotions with her own natural beauty.
She was definitely living in this damn house, but why?
This neighborhood looked like the old version of Atlanta where they’d show improvements made on the local projects in order to gain funding.
This place looked forgotten in the past. Did she even have WIFI?
Don’t make it weird Maggie Grey. If Drew Collins is specifically asking for her, there must be a reason.
“You’re…” pausing as I stared her over. She seemed normal but you could never tell these days. “Not like on any drugs or anything, right?”
Danielle cocked her head back before leaning forward with raised brows. Yeah, I just made it weird.
“Excuse me?” She countered with an attitude. “You knocked on my door asking if I’m on drugs.” She stepped further out as if she was ready to fight, but that’s when I noticed the letter and familiar seal from the university in her hand. “Are you?”
“The letter!” I exclaimed with relief. “You got one! Oh thank God! I thought I would have to explain this, okay so look.” I cleared my throat, feeling a bit more confident now.
Maybe I can be the star pupil who champions this school.
“My name is Maggie Grey. Vice President of Beta Nu Pi, and student secretary at Drew Collins University,” I stated proudly with a raised chin.
I attempted to channel my inner Clementine, she always seemed so convincing when obnoxiously proud.
“Home of the Ancestral Mythical and Magical and the leading institution in the Underground. I’m a second-year grad student in the teacher program.
Your meeting is scheduled within the next,” looking at my phone with a pout of my lips, “hour.”
Shit, time is flying. When I looked up with a smile, it fell flat when Danielle just stared at me like I grew two heads, and she was trying to decide which one is real or not.
Yep. Just like I knew. I sound like a crazy overgrown woman child talking about a black Hogwarts. Today is going to be one of those days.
I was better off asking for drugs.