Chapter Sixteen
Souxie Lafayette
“Where is Asha?” I asked.
The dining hall was particularly packed this evening as students who don’t normally eat here on the weekends filled the chairs.
It was the last official day before the games begin tomorrow.
Maggie still wasn’t here with no sign of her.
Asha finally responded with her typical it’s cool.
We’re cool. You’re good. Still…I hadn’t seen her since she left Maggie’s mother house, and we covered some new ground with this Ayira connection.
Isis sat across from me nibbling on her sandwich while Harvey texted on his phone.
He leaned back in his chair with one solid leg stretched out underneath mine and would occasionally look up as the commotion in the dining hall grew louder.
“She’s with the sirens,” Isis freely replied as she chewed. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and added, “you know how Solo is…”
I smiled
“I don’t know how he is…You probably know more than me.” Isis’s black orbs for eyes glistened as her face complexion darkened with embarrassment. “What’s going on with you two? Last year you avoided one another and now…”
“We’ve become cordial. Simple. Nymphs are starting to get more organized these days and my parents are at the starting point of it. That’s all it is. We’re looked at as a political threat or ally to the sirens. He’s playing nice because he has to.”
Harvey looked up from his phone with his eyes blacking out for a split second before pinching his nostrils together with a sniff.
“Y'all are fucking,” he plainly said. Isis gasped as I threw my head back with a laugh. “I can smell him on you.. If you aren’t he definitely wants to. He’s imprinting on you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she declared.
He looked tiredly at her before focusing back on his phone.
“He and I are not, and if that rumor gets out that we even looked at each other in that way, let alone slept together, it will start a war in the waters so let’s…
. let’s not. Okay? He wants access to my parents.
That’s all I know. Nothing to do with me. ”
“A war in the waters,” Harvey and I repeated at the same time before laughing.
Isis rolled her eyes and focused back on her food when we heard a loud applause go off.
I looked back as our chosen athletes walked in with Namir and the rest of the athletic department clapping and cheering them on from behind.
He suddenly cupped the side of his mouth and shouted out.
“WHOSE HOUSE IS THIS?!”
The students banged three times on the tables with their hands, cups or trays before shouting back in response to the battle cry.
“D.C YUUUUUUU!”
“WHOSE HOUSE IS THIS?!” Namir screamed out before looking around. I clapped three times to the beat before falling silent on the response.
“Make sure you come out and support our athletes this year at the games!” Another coach shouted. “Tickets go on sale tonight for students!”
Through the growing crowd in the center of the dining hall, I spotted the curly bob with the green polo shirt standing out amongst the sea of beige and maroon uniforms. Clementine Harold would always make sure she stands out wherever she goes and this time, when she saw me, she made a beeline straight for our table.
She smiled and waved at a few girls before coming to bring both hands down on our table and leaned in.
“Did you hear?” She whispered as her shifty eyes looked around. “Did you hear about Xavier? They’re trying to keep quiet about it.”
“What about him?” I asked.
“He’s missing.”
“Yeah and they’re going to blame the girl,” Harvey said just as he turned his phone to show his screen. Maggie’s face was plastered all over the screen with the label of being the most dangerous First Family member. When they showed a picture of our dean, he pulled the phone back and began to read.
“Drew Collins stands with the safety of its students, alumni, and staff. That is our number one priority. Maggie Grey is not welcomed on the Grounds before, during or after the games. We want to welcome our neighboring schools with open arms and assure them that we have everything under control with the tightest security, and students who are vigilant, strong, and understand what’s most important.
The Coven Council formed at our school managed to reach out to the Southern Five Families in the Underground as extra security.
We are blessed to have the support and backing of our magical families that matter. ”
“They’re slowly positioning witches and familiars to take over the Underground. All of the schools are in an agreement,” Clementine said as she looked around. “First family out, Southern Five witch families in. You don’t know who to trust anymore these days…”
“They didn’t mention Xavier,” Harvey noted. Clementine pointed at him.
“Exactly because nobody knows where he is…He just…disappeared and they don’t want to say anything. The problem will be when they start to blame Maggie for his disappearance.”
“Are you okay?” I asked. “I know you probably got in trouble that night–––”
“Please,” she let out with her hand in the air to cut me off.
“My connections run deeper than anybody working at this school. I will always be fine and secure in my position. My issue I’m having now is where the hell is Maggie?
How long do we have to keep doing this? She told me she was going to see her parents–––”
“I’m sorry, what?”
Clementine’s eyes widened as if she realized she might have slipped up and said something she shouldn’t have.
“You spoke with her?” Isis questioned.
“Before she left I did. She told me she wanted to see her parents. I didn’t expect the other girl to go with her, but I guess somebody had to support her seeing as you all didn’t.”
“This is what she told you?” I asked. “You of all people?”
“I don’t know why she kept that a secret from y'all…Honestly, it never made any sense.”
“That she was leaving?”
“No. That she talks to me over you. Duh.” Clementine stood upright and turned to walk off with a flip of her hair. Isis twisted her water bottle open as she looked at me with a roll of her eyes.
The commotion of the dining hall suddenly erupted.
I looked back as a sea of siren girls walked in, clapping and singing.
They all looked identical with the faux locs, shortened pleated skirts with charms decorating their socks and bags.
It was somebody’s birthday and as the young girl sat down, they circled around as they began to slap hands, going around in the circle as they sang.
Down by the river where the moonlight gleams!
We sing for the siren, the birthday queen!
Down by the ocean where the water runs deep!
The girl’s hands began moving faster around her as I watched Asha come in from behind with the birthday cake.
That’s when it hit me. They all looked exactly like her.
The locs, the hippy grunge school girl look she always went for.
The makeup was even similar to Asha’s facial structure.
Some of the girls even wore colorful scarves to wrap around their faux locs.
They were mimicking everything about her.
“Make a wish girl but don’t fall asleep!” They cheered in mid laughter as the hands kept slapping from one palm to the next.
Call the tide, let the waves come through!
Tonight let the sirens sing for you!
Ohhhh mama, don’t you hear?!
Ohhh mama don’t you feel seeen!
The water chose you BECAUSE YOU’RE THE BIRTHDAY QUEEN!
They cheered as everyone in the dining hall clapped while the girl in the center happily laughed and cried.
When Asha looked our way, I smiled as she did a small wave towards us before focusing back on the girls around her.
Isis didn’t seem to notice nor care when she started texting on her phone, but I felt the tension still.
Tucking my hair behind my ear, I focused back on my meal when Harvey suddenly stood up with his things.
“Where are…”
He leaned down to a quick kiss on my cheek and said nothing more. Instead, I watched him meet up with his twin brother as the two started for the main doors to walk out. Something must be going on. I started to look at Isis, but her attention was buried deep in the phone
“What up tricks?”
I looked up with a smile as Asha came walking up with a freshly tied colorful scarf wrapped over her locs that hung loose in the back.
She had hooped earrings that probably weren’t uniform appropriate but it’s the weekend, and the games were upon us.
The school was probably relaxed about little things like that.
She had a white-collar shirt with a black tie and black pleated skirt when she pulled up a seat.
She smelled so good that I couldn’t help but smile because I was surely starting to miss her aggressive energy.
There will always be something missing when she isn't around, and right now? She had a calming aura about herself, like nothing can disrupt whatever peace she was experiencing right now. I didn’t want to do or say anything to disturb that, but I did plan on speaking privately with her to clear the air.
“I can’t stay long but I thought I’d update you guys while I can,” she said before leaning in.
Before she could say what she’s about to say, Clementine slammed her hand on the table and stared down at Asha who looked up, annoyed.
“Clem, my man is on the Grounds working hard so that you can look good at your work-for-food job this week. I don’t feel like arguing you down today–––”
“And I just KNOW your tuna for brains hard headed behind is not about to say what I think you’re about to say out loud. Not in a buzzing cafeteria full of students who are becoming anti-Maggie…”
Confused, I looked between the two as Asha looked back at Isis and I.
“What’s going on?” I asked. Asha groaned before getting up with a swing of her legs over the chair.
“Y'all come on. Let’s meet in the third hall. Isis, do you have a pen and paper?”