Souxie Lafayette
“So you pay for this expensive ass school and can’t even get some damn tickets to the games happening at the school?! The same school you go to?!” Jean Lafayette fussed through the phone. “Honey, they scamming these mothafucking students and the parents who pay for this shit.”
I could hear him run his mouth to one of my aunts in the background as I looked through the packed crowds all heading towards the round dome.
The sun was already settling in the sky early Saturday morning as music played throughout the grassy parking lot filled with cars, trucks, tents, and folding chairs.
Grills were going and tables were set up where people were selling merch for the different schools.
Everybody and their mama were here from above to below, and in between.
This is the biggest event in the Underground and by far one of the most important events. Once it was over, there was a committee that started the planning all over again as they prepare for the next one in a few years.
“Souxie got her lil friends now. She’s gonna act like she can’t sneak us in,” Jean went on with an attitude. “I told her ass; she can act brand new all she want…I made yo lil pretty ass. I brought you into this world and I know how to take you out!”
“DCU flags and banners!” Someone shouted. When I heard the click, I knew Jean hung up in the middle of hollering about the school. “Society Hill Knight helmets! Yasuke swords! Rep yo school!”
The dome had several entrances for ticket holders as the lines trailed outside of each like tentacles.
Weaving and curving as those who were VIP or security made their way through, the rest of us were made to stand out in the heat and wait while the seats filled.
The drums could be heard from inside as I stood in line to hold the spot.
A mother and her two children stood before me jumping up and down with excitement while she wore her alumni Belmont University t-shirt with the orange and black colors bright against her skin.
I smiled when I saw the thick fur trickle down the back of her neck and into her shirt before disappearing.
It was normal to see a partial shift or even hints of it when someone was half shifter or even a quarter.
I once knew a man who had hairy feet and claws that constantly grew within days of clipping, and it was normal here.
I couldn’t imagine having to now hide that above ground where people weren’t used to seeing it.
Today cannot happen, no matter what.
“Sorry I’m late!” Isis breathed as she quickly rushed to my side.
She was fully decorated in grey and white colors with hints of maroon hidden in the creases of her pleated grey bubble skirt that barely covered her ass.
The thick white socks had charms all the way up to her knees, her wet curls were pinned back with grey and maroon hair clips, and her makeup was dramatic around her wide eyes.
Her tank top was split in the middle and the boobs were pushed upright with no visible bra that I could see.
“You’re always late,” I told her. She pulled out a small plastic spray bottle to spritz herself in the face before nervously looking around. She made it so obvious that we knew something we shouldn’t. “Are your parents still coming?”
“No. The entire family is sitting this out, and my mom got a call last minute so she’s working along with my Aunt,” she said as she anxiously spritz herself again with the misty water.
“Everyone is so anti-Maggie…Just hearing people talk casually about her with hate is so unnerving to me,” she whispered. “I don’t like it.”
“Yeah well fuck this place after today,” I told her as we moved up in the line. “Where is Quan? I’m sure he spent the night with you.”
Isis cut her eyes at me but didn’t deny it. I knew a good after sex glow when I saw one and she had it. She always had it after Quan spent the night.
“They’re going all out this year,” Isis said as she looked around. “I remember when it was purely just the Olympics, the trials…regular sports with magic…Now…They’ve put in a lot of money behind this.”
“Have you seen Asha?” I asked.
“Asha is–––”
“Scuuuze meee!” A high-pitched voice let out as everyone turned around.
I smiled so hard when I saw Asha walking up with her locs hanging down against her shoulders, finally seeing its true length.
Her scars that were now normally hidden were vibrant and deeply embedded into her skin.
Her eyes were decorated with outlines of fish scales looking translucent against her brown complexion.
She glowed and wore a crop top, cut denim shorts that came to her knees, a gold hooped belt that draped around her hips, and forever her combat boots that were laced up.
It was always the one dead giveaway about people from up North when they came down south.
They didn’t know how to dress for warmer weather while the women around her could easily blend into Miami nightlife.
She looked stunning though as she walked with a trail of women behind her, all dressed just as scantily, skin showing, scales, tattoos, vibrant makeup and colored hair.
They smelled like sweet body spray and perfumes.
They were stunning and caught the attention of everyone waiting in line.
Solomon was shockingly in the back dapping hands with a few people before walking along with the rest of the men following behind him.
Asha held her chin up high and walked with a siddity bop in her step, looking down on everyone until her eyes laid on us.
Widening with surprise, she quickly rushed over and leaned in with a low whisper.
“You see how these hoes staring? I got em maaaaaaaad…” She sang as I laughed.
She whipped her locs back and kept moving forward as the rest of the girls behind her followed, looking everyone up and down like they were scum.
They knew better than to stare at us that way.
Even Isis who didn’t break eye contact, they avoided her because they knew Asha would break character for her.
I suspect that probably had more to do with Solomon than Asha, but when he came up, he gave us a simple nod in acknowledgement.
They formed their own line that was just as long and pretty much cut in front of ours as security let them pass.
Asha stood on the side making sure everyone was able to get in with no problem while Solomon got them seated from the elders to the young teens, they moved like a seasoned couple.
That’s when Asha looked at us and nodded for us to come up.
Without hesitation, Isis and I quickly walked up to the line and squeezed our way past the overwhelmed security as the echo and crowd noise of the stadium filled the air.
“Y'all can find your seats okay?!” Asha yelled as we stood in the wrap-around hall that had multiple sets of stairs leading up to the top level. “We have our own section but let me know if you can’t get to your seats!”
“Go!” I waved off. “We got it from here! Just remember where we’re gonna meet up afterwards!”
She nodded as Isis, and I went in the opposite direction.
The stadium was surrounded by concession stands filled with food, merch, and bathrooms as we looked for our section.
We were shoulder to shoulder trying to move through the lines to the bathroom and food.
We found the stairs that led to level 6 as we began to scramble, hearing the stomping and cheering.
“I’ve never seen this many people!” Isis shouted over the noise as she gripped her boobs to keep from bouncing out of her top. “Maybe I should have secured the private booth my parents got!”
“Uhh yeah!” I let out with a laugh. “Instead of us being stuck in the nosebleeds!”
“Well I wasn’t thinking!”
“Excuse me! Coming down!”
We moved to the side to let a group of girls come down while trying to make our way up the zig zag stairs.
We passed each level of ruckus and chaos until we stepped out onto our main floor.
There was a sign pointing to the bathroom and an opening that showed a peek at just how big the stadium really is.
“Ohhhhhh! This is insane!” Isis screamed as we stepped out into our section.
The arena looked alive, stretching and accommodating as seats wrapped around the dome all looking down at the field below.
You could see the different screens projecting onto each balcony row that showed the coaches and show runners walking the field.
As if on cue, it began showing highlights of Namir’s previous games.
Him chucking a football across several fields to running in the forest, chasing after something, and finally his infamous swimming ability.
No one has ever seen a wolf take command of water the way he does.
Then it began showing highlights or previous games where I know Jean was somewhere in the crowd being fast at an early age.
“Welcome to The Olympic Games. The Trial of the Four Elements. This event is sponsored by The Southern Five Families. Preserving the proven legacy of future magical excellence above and below. Welcome to the Games.”
The eerie recorded message played throughout the levels of the stadium. Shifters of every different species you could think of sitting down as food was tossed, drinks were spilled, floors became sticky, and trash piled.
“Souxie!?” Isis called out as I watched her point down to our two red seats at the very end of our section.
Nobody was directly in front of us as we sat down in the folding chair.
Isis slipped her purse off her shoulder to place on her lap before digging into it while I looked down at the round field.
There was a large square that was built like a stage in the center with a set of stairs lined up against it.
The rest of the field was covered in grass with a single red door at the very end that stood by itself with a gold knob.