Chapter Sixteen #3
The sound of the drumline gearing up echoed as the snares teasing the sheep skin.
I adjusted my sunglasses against my nose with a scrunch of my nostrils.
Cedar Park was exceptionally hot today as the start of the parade and march of schools was just about to begin.
The shoving of shoulders and scuffling of feet was constant as students, alumni, and just viewers came to spectate.
Isis was nowhere to be found as she had another lab to attend.
Something that was a definite lie since classes were canceled.
I figured she was already starting the secret process of pledging a sorority on the Grounds, and she was no longer allowed to attend any school events.
Everyone had a day off and most were coming in from above ground to view the second biggest day of the week, aside from the games. The Parade of Excellence.
“I can barely see!” Someone shouted from behind.
I looked back at the young teenage girls anxiously trying to look over Quan’s height, but he stood like a building in front of everyone with a mean face.
Simple black t-shirt and black basketball shorts with a small slither of a gold chain around his neck.
We were lined up just at the entrance of the iron gates of the university.
The small intimate town of Cedar Park was filled with vendors sitting underneath white tents, parked cars along the street and buses, and shuttles belonging to the different schools.
The Underground was lined up with everyone wanting to watch the parade as police kept a close eye on everything happening.
Flyers fluttered through the air of Maggie Grey and her grandfather; Dr. Marvin T.
Holmes’s face plastered on the front. Anybody seen protecting and covering for The First Family would be taken in for questioning. Quan suddenly leaned in for my ear.
“Do you see your boyfriend over there?!”
My eyes went to Harmless Harvey standing on the other side of the parade talking to another man.
His arms were folded across his chest, glasses on right, and in the middle of what looked like an intense conversation until I saw the man smile and laugh.
A man simply showing interest in another.
Harvey was more than allowed to move around and have his freedom. What do I care?
“He’s not my boyfriend!” I shouted back as Quan rolled his eyes. “Never will be either! You’re my only real man Quan Mittens–––”
“Whatever,” he scoffed as I laughed.
“The Parade of Excellence has officially begun!” The announcer shouted as the loud booming sound of drums being hit went off like bombs in the distance.
“Remember!” A woman shouted as she marched through the center with a stack of flyers. “The First to see the First, report it here to the Coven Council! No mythic carrying the white mark is allowed in the Underground!”
The woman suddenly flicked the stack of papers high in the sky as they scattered, darting in different directions and slowly floating down, facing the ground as everyone looked up.
Maggie’s face was everywhere at this point.
Quan reached to grab one flyer as I held on to his thick arm and leaned in.
“This is sick.” He said with disgust in his voice. A looping image of Maggie looking innocent and beautiful in the face with a head full of white hair before suddenly turning into a fanged red eyed creature chomping at the page.
“Vampires have become dangerous to our community,” I read out loud. “If you see any signs of this predator, please report to…Coven Council Authority. The CCA…”
“Not even the damn police but a bunch of witches,” Quan spat as he balled the paper up and tossed it on the ground. “That’s how you know all of this is for show.”
“Ms. Drew Collins herself! A welcomed sight for tired eyes on this lovely morning!” The announcer shouted.
I watched Clementine Harold prance on her toes with her hands on her hips, wearing a green dress.
Her hair was straightened, reaching halfway down her back, she wore a white headband with heels.
A white scarf tied around her neck and black shades.
She stood in the middle of the parade as the drumline continued to beat from behind, waiting to make their grand entrance towards the iron gates.
“What is she doing?” I asked. Quan snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.
“The stupid greetings they do…”
Clementine suddenly raised both hands to pull her shades off as she looked around, hearing the screams and chants. She began to take a step before resting back on her hip with attitude.
“GREETINGS!” She shouted; her head scanned the crowd like a laser. “I SAID GREETINGS TO MY SIBLING UNIVERSITIES OF THEEEE UNDERGROUND!”
Everyone began cheering and clapping as she waited with a knowing and confident smile.
“ON THIS?!” She squeaked with a puff of her chest. “FINE MORNING! WE ARE HERE TO CELEbrATE?! EXCELLENCE IN ALL SHADES OF BLACK!”
“That’s right, Ms. Harold!”
“Yesssirrrr!” A man clapped from behind.
“You better work, Clementine!”
“AND WHAT BETTER PLACE?!” She let out, pausing for the dramatics as she flipped her hair back. “WHERE BLACKNESS IS DEFINED BY MAGIC! ANCESTRY! CULTURE AND REGIONS! MY BLACKNESS?!” She questioned with a roll of her neck. “GOES BACK SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME!”
“Yesss ma’am!” Someone shouted.
“WHERE BLACKNESS?!” She screamed with a whip of her hair. “IS ME! FROM MY SKINNNN! TO MY VOICE!? MY SOUL! MY HAAAAAAAIR! DOWN TO THE DEEPEST OF THE ROOTS WHERE MY FAMILY LAID WORK DOWN! TO THE WAY I…” Clementine suddenly let out a series of steps and claps. “STOMP INTO MY STEP FROM THE MOTHERLAND!”
“Yasss queen! Preach!”
“THE WAY MI,” swaying her hips in a slow wind. “WINE SLOW PON DI RIDDUM FROM THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS!”
The cheers were constant. She slowly brought her hips back to the center and grinned before letting her arms stretch out with a sway.
“THE WAY I SWAG WHEN I SURF BECAUSE IT’S FOREVER A.T.L.A.N.T.A IN THIS THANG!” Everyone began to scream before she barked back. “HOE!”
“ATL HOE! ATL HOE!” They chanted. Clementine whipped her hair from side to side, settling the noise as everyone became quiet.
“SO GREETINGS TO MY BLACKNESS FROM UP NORTH! MY BLACKNESS OUT WEST! MY BLACKNESS BIRTHED AND FOUNDED IN THE SOUTH! BLACKNESS IN THE ISLANDS AND MY BLACKNESS FROM THE MOTHA! WE?! ARE?! PROUD!? TOOOOO!” She squealed with a shimmy of her shoulders before her hands clapped at her hips in unison to stand upright.
Men began barking, shouting while the girls screamed.
I couldn’t help but smile because she was good, she was damn good with including bits of culture from different regions.
“TO HOST SUCH EXCELLENCE AT THEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”
She dragged on as everyone began to chant behind her, building up to the hype and name of our school.
“THEE DREW COLLINS UNIVERSITY!”
The drums grew louder as the trumpets started to blow in the distance as colorful confetti blew out and trickled in the air.
Clementine did her march into the school with the rest of the sorority girls in green and white following behind her from the crowd.
I could see the drum majors in their maroon and white uniforms marching down as they began to dance.
“No other band does it like the Maroon Machine! The Official Sound! The Half time is Game Time marching baaaaaaaannnnnd of Drew Collins University!” The announcer screamed.
“The games this year will be a mental and physical test of the elements! I give you our hosting school! DREEEEEEEEEW COLLINNNNNNNNS. The OFFICIAL HOME OF THE SPIRITUAL AND ROOTS! All your spell binding needs that a witch may ever need!”
“The home of the what?!” Quan let out as he looked around.
It was too much excitement to hear the change in title of our school.
Either nobody noticed or nobody cared. The rest of the crowd just began cheering.
The drum majors came marching down with their jumps and gold batons swinging in the air.
I could see the giant float of a black trojan warrior positioned to fight as the four decorated athletes waved to the crowd.
The students usually wore their designated school colors but this year, everyone was in all black.
The women had their tall pointy hats which is something of a mockery more than an actual witch.
No real witch, priestess or root woman wears a pointy black hat.
It was foolish. The women, in long black dresses with the dramatic sleeves teasing the ground, the men tall, and strong in their black suits and shades.
Where are the rest of the colors? Even the athletes were dressed mostly in black.
“Where is Namir?” I asked out loud, seeing the other coaches walking behind their chosen athletes for the game. The announcer went on to state their names and where they’re from as everyone began to cheer.
“They are slowly replacing everything and making this a witch’s school.
” Someone said from behind us. Sure enough, there were students, mostly women, pranced behind the witches’ blowing kisses at the crowd when they all shifted into an assortment of felines walking on all fours.
Their tails stuck up in the air with her chins held high as they daintily walked on their toes.
Another group of witches walked behind them as they used their hands to create a cloud of black smoke in the shape of athletes running in the air, charging towards a goal.
There was no hint of the other schools present at Drew Collins.
Just witches, priestesses, root workers and spell binders.
There were no sirens, no obvious shifters, nothing to show the diversity in mythics.
Just…witches and their familiars. Even Quan looked turned off by the idea and he was a feline.