“I see you haven’t changed,” I laughed as I reached to tickle underneath his chin. “Has it just been regular trains?” I asked.
“So far,” Asha nodded.
Friday night, the trains were moving like clockwork and with there being no service in this station, it was hard to contact anybody without having to step up to the ground level. Still, we could see a few lingering Drew Collins students getting off as I looked down at my email.
“Who the hell is the station attendant?” I asked as the girls leaned over my shoulder to read the email. We looked around watching a man shuffle with his skintight jeans that hung to his mid-thigh. He held his phone up to his ear rapping lyrics while an elderly woman sat down with her things, waiting for the train on the opposite end.
“It could be anybody,” Isis whispered.
“What does it mean, student guide?” Asha asked.
“She has to make sure everyone makes it to the school on time and introduce the school,” Isis nodded. “It’s an honor but I’m sure it's also because of who she is…Maggie is literally themost famous woman right now in the Underground outside of Dr. Holmes.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t ask to be famous!” I freaked before letting my head back with a dramatic groan. Just then, the sound of the train horn going off shot thick cool air into the station as the train came rushing out on screeching brakes. I felt my stomach drop at the sight of maroon, beige, white, black and gray clutter the windows.
“Oh my God,” I muttered. “I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can,” Isis beamed.
“This should be interesting,” Souxie said softly as the doors opened. The rush of men and women poured out with their things as the once quiet station suddenly became packed with first years. Souxie shoved me forward while Asha found a bench to stand on.
“FIRST YEARS PLACE YOUR LUGGAGE IN A PILE OVER THERE!” She pointed. “MAKE TWO SEPARATE PILES!”
I could see everyone look up at Asha who was a natural leader before following her instructions. Isis stood beside her and began to point while I took to the other bench and cleared my throat.
“DO NOT GET ON ANY–––Fuck,” I hissed. I looked down at Souxie who gave me a small nod of encouragement. Yet her gaze fixated on a man who came sliding up behind her, trying to lock eyes. Damn it Souxie! Focus! “LISTEN UP EVERYONE! ALL DREW COLLINS STUDENTS! DO NOT GET ON ANY TRAIN UNTIL IT’S TIME!”
“Aye, DCU in this bitch!” A guy shouted as a group of young boys cheered and clapped. I cringed, seeing the separation of old, young, and in between immediately take place. Looking back at the email again, I checked the times. There was one moretrain coming out this way so until then, students would have to wait until we could leave.
“Luggage this way!” Asha shouted before waving at a few sirens. “Hey boo!”
I watched as everyone looked up at me with some sneaking pictures while girls, I knew who wanted to be in a sorority suddenly stood by my bench to show their apparent worth. I glanced at Souxie who was already cornered by a second guy with her back against the cement column in the center of the station. The two men stared her down as she licked her lips. Quan slipped his black paw out, scratching at anyone he could find before dipping back into the bag undetected.
“All belongings go into the pile over here!” Asha shouted. “All my sirens! This way!”
They flocked to her like extras from a photo shoot for Fashion Nova. All flash with their uniforms and the random trinkets and charms lining their socks and long colorful hair. Isis bent down collecting a number from a guy with a tap of her lips signaling she was interested in smoking whatever. Which meant, I needed to do my part and make my presence known. Yet, as I turned, it was nothing, but camera phones stuck in the air and aimed at me.
“You know your granddaddy is going to jail for almost exposing the Underground?” A girl asked as her friend shoved her quiet. “You almost put our lives at risk–––”
“She didn’t do it… Her family did,” another said before nervously smiling at me. I took a deep swallow as my heart began to swell in my chest.
“And what good does it do to bring that up if she had nothing to do with it?” Another snapped as she stood in front of my bench with her arms folded across her chest.
“Because I heard she’s the reason we almost got exposed–––”
“MAGGIE?! DO I NEED TO COME OVER THERE?!” Asha shouted, already zoning in on the girls before me. One look at Asha and the sirens that gathered around her like schools of fish to their queen. The girls piped down as I cleared my throat. Slowly, I leaned down to face the nosey expressions and beady eyes of the gossiping brats before me.
“And if I did have something to do with it, what exactly are you going to do about it?” I asked, knowing my eyes began to seep with blood. The girls backed up while the others stood with a roll of their neck. I suddenly smiled. “Either way, you still chose to spend your first year here at Theeee exceptional!” I screamed. “WONDERFUL HOME OF THE BLACK ANCESTRAL MYTHICAL AND MAGICAL DREW COLLINS UNIVERSITY!”
Ayira the Princess
“Wake up! Hey!”
I heard a loud squeal of a whistle and felt the vibration of something from my feet shake my body to its core. I could hear the sounds, but I was still seeing darkness until the sight of wrinkled hands filled with painted markings on the skin suddenly clapped in my consciousness.
“HAAAAAA!” I gasped, body jumping wildly in the hard seat. Startled, I looked around as two girls I’ve never seen before jumped back. The smells. The first thing to hit my senses were the smells before I looked down at my body to see what I was wearing.
“What is this?” I murmured; voice raspy but it was my voice. It was still my voice just…My body…I looked at my hands, my nails and my skin, rubbing my fingers together to feel the natural heat build before snapping a small bright orange flame. The girls stepped back further as the flame suddenly burst into a blue bright heat before settling back into my skin.
