Souxie Lafayette
“Please take your seats! Quickly now!”
The auditorium began to fill up as the building stretched to accommodate the incoming students.
I crossed one knee over the other when Asha walked in with a trail of colorful girls with exaggerated glam make up behind her chewing gum and twirling their hair.
They always caught the attention of the young boys who found themselves attracted to shiny things like that.
When Asha locked eyes with us, she frowned with a helpless expression on her face as the girls continued to crowd around her like a school of fish.
She was slowly becoming the new Solomon whether she wanted it or not.
They were naturally paired together as king and queen of their kind.
“She secretly loves that they follow her around like that,” Isis muttered before she waved at a few girls from her class.
A row of dapper men dressed in suits and ties were sliding across the seats in front of us when Isis stood up and hugged one of them.
I smiled at the others with their lingering eyes.
“I’ll text you later on tonight,” Isis said as she sat back down.
She leaned in close against my ear. “So the first two guys are having a small get together…but I can’t tell if they’re just trying to be nosey about Maggie or if they’re for real.
Either way, we could probably score big on weed.
” Isis continued to smile and wave like a politician.
She’s absolutely perfect.
“Quickly students! Please take your seats! We won’t be long!”
I watched as the new dean; the head bitch herself came walking in with her parade of assistants as they stepped on stage where the chairs were laid out.
I leaned forward to check my bag seeing a quiet Quan tucked in my tote bag like a curled-up ball of fur.
He’d been unusually quiet these days and would disappear for hours at a time.
Not that we claimed him or anything because I know he lingers between different girls, but it was curious.
His relationship with Namir seemed to be growing.
“Shit!”
I looked up to see Harmless Harvey dropping his bags as he brushed his khaki pants down with his hand.
He adjusted his glasses with his upper lip curling up, squinting down below at the stage only to look at the seat next to me.
It was a guy who sat down after attempting to talk to me before deciding to stay once he realized I wasn’t interested.
I looked at Harvey’s things that were right there at the man’s feet before looking up at him with an amused smirk.
He’s a psychopath if I ever met one.
“What’s good my man?” The guy said as he looked up at Harvey. “You lost? You need help finding a seat?”
“No, I found one. You’re in it,” Harvey said.
He adjusted his glasses before taking them off altogether to clean only to put them back on.
His features were always so staggering to see with his thick brows, curly lashes and expressive eyes that suddenly blinked black.
“Are you going to get up or do you need me to move you?”
I snickered as the man got up with his things.
Harvey promptly sat down with his knee crossing over the other while he propped his elbow on our shared arm rest. Isis leaned forward to wave before digging into her phone to distract herself.
I just stared at him, seeing his eyes were still black as he looked around.
“I wish you would leave me alone,” I told him softly.
“I wish I would too,” was all he said, eyes scanning the auditorium.
I fought a smile when he suddenly cut his natural brown eyes towards me.
“Unfortunately as the world goes to shit…and this school falls apart with unexplained deaths and other bullshit made up by the higher ups in this…fucked up society. You and I will be the only ones left,” he said as his finger came to lift my chin ever so slightly with a raise.
He lowered his eyes at me as they flickered to black in that moment.
I moved his hand out the way, trying to hide my own smile as he chuckled while leaning back in the seat with his legs spread.
“If I get married?” I asked without looking at him.
“You will still be underneath me.”
“I will have a husband.”
“He can get fucked by me too. It doesn’t matter. He can be our husband, and we can take turns having our way with him.”
I felt a pull in my lower stomach as I tightened my legs, squeezing my thighs shut.
I would never admit that he’s the type of crazy I couldn’t resist but I refuse to be out done.
The professor from last year hid his crazy but Harvey was so bold, so cocky with it when he spoke, even if his nerdy appearance didn’t quite match his demeanor and tone.
I looked at Harvey as he watched people continue to search for their seats.
It was a mere game of a cat and mouse with Harvey.
Just a matter of what I felt like being, at the moment.
The issue only came when I felt like being the cat and he was meant to be my submissive mouse, somehow it switched, and I wouldn’t realize it until it was too late.
“You think I would allow you to disrespect my husband like that?” I asked. “You think I would allow you to take advantage?”
Harvey looked at me with his hand gripping his chin as he pulled at the tiny dark curls.
“You scared I’d take him from you?”
I smiled before leaning in close with my eyes on his perfect mouth. He reached up to move my hair from my face but never took his eyes off of me.
“You, Harmless Harvey, will always be the one standing on the side of the bed watching, hoping, and waiting your turn. You’ll never truly be with, understand, or get to know a woman like me outside of sex.
That will always be your place in my life.
Sex. Don’t you ever forget it,” I said before smiling.
“So no, I’m not scared you’ll take him from me because all you’re good for is all you unfortunately have to offer. ”
My smile fell flat as I sat back in my seat unbothered while he stared at me with a growing grin.
“I have more to offer than sex, Souxie. You never ask.”
“Because I don’t care.”
Silence fell between us as he gently gripped my knee with a pat and chuckled to himself. Harvey didn’t care. He liked when I spoke to him like a pure dog.
“Good evening students…”
The rest of the auditorium repeated it back.
Dr. Joy Vaughn stood at the podium with a bright smile plastered across her face.
I looked around at the crowd that stretched high in the back and wrapped around like a leveled theatre with balcony seats.
I could see Solomon and Asha sitting on their thrones with their entire population of sirens surrounding them while the rest of the student body sorta seemed to sit together.
The school of spirituals in their black uniforms all sat together, mostly witches, warlocks, root workers, and priestess…
The elemental students in their gray and white sat in their own section.
The mythical was split between the sirens and shifters, and intellectuals sat in the front with their khaki, and maroon colors.
Each banner hung in the back against the wall representing the four schools and the presenting colors.
It was only a few of us that didn’t adhere to the standards, but I had a feeling that was going to change soon.
“Good evening students, good evening,” Dr. Joy Vaughn said as she looked around.
“My this is only just the first round of students. We will have two more after this since we weren’t able to fit everyone in this time around.
I’m calling this meeting because there are a few things happening on the ground that you should be aware of… Changes…”
Her lips curled into a grinch-like smile as she gripped the sides of the podium. There were still a few guys coming in trying to find a seat when a girl from the row behind us leaned in between Harvey and I to whisper against his ear.
“Hey Harvey, what are you and your brother doing tonight? Me and my girls were looking to get into something.”
I tuned them out as I uncrossed my legs before crossing them again to let them rest against his in a silent claim of territory. Just letting my foot rest inside his leg for a gentle bounce of my knee. It didn’t matter that I just disregarded him.
“I’m sure you all have heard several rumors floating around about an attack or several attacks happening on and off the Grounds.” Dr. Vaughn said as everyone became eerily quiet. Harvey leaned in on our shared arm rest as he bit at his thumb nail.
“I want to allow that student a chance to speak before I say my peace so if you will, Xavier Martin. Please lend him your eyes and ears and the utmost respect as this is a traumatic memory to hold.”
She stepped back as a few people clapped but the rest remained quiet.
Xavier Martin adjusted his tie and cleared his throat as he looked out at the crowd.
His light complexion almost blinded by the lights above didn’t hide the fact that he was still indeed handsome.
His pink lips were dark from the sun and most likely recent smoking, sharp dark brown eyes, and athletic build made him appealing.
Women wanted to be with him and men probably aspired to be like him, given that he is a member of the most prestigious witch family in the underground.