“Shouldn’t you be learning how to get to the same classes from last year?” He asked instead with a tilt of his head. His thick locs laid easily on his shoulders before he turned around to focus his attention back on Ayira. “Ladies, ladies ladieeeees,” he playfully cooed as the group parted for the king of sirens. The only man on the Grounds to have a harem of women follow his every move.
“Danielle,” Souxie said as she introduced the two. “This is our resident king, Solomon… Solomon King with his many women…”
“Many,” Maggie emphasized. “Women.”
Solo shrugged as I stepped up with pursed lips and arms folded looking at this fool.
“What’s a king without his many women to please him?” He asked. “I can’t help that I was born into this life. He gave a small bow towards Ayira. “How are you? Doesn’t matter,” he sniffed as he licked his lips. “We can skip all of this. I normally can just look at a woman and she’s in my bed waiting on me. So what’s up?”
“Ohhh my God,” I groaned with a laugh. “Are you trying to be corny on purpose?”
“Nah, I just know I don’t have to work as much these days. Women freely give it up after a basic hey,” he said with his eyes darting towards Isis who avoided his gaze.Did I miss something between these two? They usually went out their way not to speak or deal with each other so what the hell was that?
“My father,” Ayira started. Her voice, soft and delicate as she raised her chin, almost looking down at Solomon. He immediately turned his attention back to her with a fake smile. “Would always tell me a man with many women and no queen is a little boy pretending to be a king.”
“Ohhhhhhh!” Maggie egged on with her hand flapping in the air. I laughed while getting in his face from behind.
“She said yo mamaaaaa,” I sang. Maggie and I playfully booed and laughed around him while Solomon forced another grin before nodding.
“Father sounds like a smart man,” was all he could say. For once, he looked like his rightful age instead of some charming 20 something year old trying to freak on the young girls. He didn’tlike being embarrassed. He chucked his chin up towards her in a defensive manner. “What are you?” Ayira’s eyes widened, surprised.
“I…am a student,” she replied. Souxie nodded while Maggie agreed.
I stepped in front of her on the stands and faced Solomon myself.
“She’s a student. That’s what she said, anything else?” I asked.
“I don’t want no beef with you, Asha. We’ve been there, done that. This isn’t about you,” he said with his hands in the air, surrendering to the conversation. “Don’t let her bully you. All the women aren’t as ruthless and cutthroat as her.”
“Don’t fill her head up with lies!” I yelled before rolling my neck. “I’m as sweet as can be.”
Solomon looked at me with a laugh while Ayira shook her head.
“There are women that look like her where I am from with the same personality. This is nothing,” Ayira said as I rolled my neck again, and playfully stuck my tongue out at Solo.
“And what?” I jokingly barked. “Say something now.”
He stared at Ayira, eyes twinkling with a hint of curiosity before licking his lips.
“Aight,” he sighed in defeat. “Asha’s sweet, and I’m the bad guy.”
He stepped down despite our protests as his eyes fell back on Isis. His face tightened up at the sight of her before turning to leave. Ayira wouldn’t stand out so much if she didn’t havethose chunky ass beads in her hair and wore clothes that looked comfortable. It was inevitable that she was going to be popular and given my priorities shifting this year, I was going to have to deal.
“Alright princess,” I started with a commanding tone. “We need to settle on a name.”
The princess looked at us as a few guys began walking down the steps with suggestive eyes on her.
“Call me Ayira,” she declared.
In the distance, people began cheering as the men ran the field before one was tackled to the ground. You could see Coach Namir shouting as he pumped his fist into the air with excitement.
“This year is going to be so much fun, I can feel it,” Isis said with a giddy squeal of excitement. “Ooooo I can’t wait! It finally feels like what the old Drew Collins used to be like.”
…
The four of us and Quan stood at the entrance of what was now the new Legacy Row. The tryout games were still going on well past midnight and with students still moving into their new dorms and housing, everyone was still outside.
“They’ve changed…everything,” Isis said in awe as Maggie dug into her bag for her house keys.
