“Yeah it is because she should have been gone. All of the shit she did last year?! Come on now! Solomon’s word was barely enough to save her ass, and they weren’t gonna let her come back this year until he stepped in.”
“What are they saying?” Isis asked. I began to recall the warning of being watched as Souxie’s face grew stiff before slowly poking her lips out in a deep thought.
“Then this year, let’s just focus on getting you caught up,” she said. I looked up at her while Isis used a napkin to wipe the corner of my eyes. “No distractions. No side missions. Let’s focus on getting you together first.”
“This year is only going to be harder anyway,” Isis soothed with her hand rubbing my back. “We don’t have to do anything. We can just focus on being students for once.”
“What about Maggie?” Quan asked.
“I don’t want her to know,” I blurted out suddenly. “I don’t want Maggie to know about this. I’ve been going to class. I haven’t been late. I’m doing the work. I’m doing what I need to do. Her more than anybody, I want her to see I’m doing what I need to do and pulling my weight. She has enough going on already anyway.”
“But they’re still watching you,” Isis said before looking at everyone. “Which means they’re probably watching all of us.”
“Because of Maggie,” Souxie concluded before sighing. Quan cut his eyes suspiciously at Souxie before sneering with a twitch of his whiskers. “Last year was a lot.”
“I know!” I exclaimed. “I only think they’re keeping me here because of what I found out! I could own this damn school if I wanted!”
“Okay so what do we do?” Isis asked. “What can we do to help get you back on track?”
“Annnd what about Maggieeeee,” Quan sang with a messy tone. “You all promised this girl to help her with her parents.”
We stared at one another just as Souxie usual tranquil face, brightened with a smile. You could see the sun lifting against her features like a gold shadow until I heard the familiar exotic accent.
“I tried a taco for the first time!”
I looked back to see Ayira walking over with her long hair swinging underneath the satin scarf while Maggie got caught up talking to a teacher. Souxie tapped the blanket for Ayira to drop down with a dramatic collapse only to lay right beside Souxie with a sigh.
“It was wonderful,” she concluded. Isis laughed.
“Always food with this girl!” I exclaimed with a tap of her thigh, trying to lighten up the mood. Maggie dropped her bag down before sitting next to me with a loud obnoxious groan.
“Asha was just telling us about her boyfriend,” Souxie started as my eyes grew wide. Ayira sat up with intrigue while Isis nodded in the middle of chewing.
“Yeah…how none of us really met him either, talk about that,” Isis demanded.
“Asha has always been private with her intimacy,” Souxie said.
“You have a boyfriend?” Ayira asked. “What is he like?”
Maggie started texting on her phone and I could tell it was Namir based on the heavy paragraphs, so I cleared my throat and prepared the generic response.
“He’s…”
“Solomon’s half-brother,” Quan cut in. Souxie’s eyes widened. Even Maggie turned to look at me while I pointed at Quan.
“And who the fuck told yo fat ass that? Since you can’t keep yo mouth shut! Damn!”
“Solomon told me. In passing of course, he said it in a joking way.”
“Is that true?” Maggie asked. “What’s he like? Does he look like Solo?”
“Well he’s more–––”
“A nymph. He’s half nymph,” Quan went on as I reached over to swipe at him. He hissed back at me in response before jumping up and taking off like a stray getting lost.
“Don’t let me see you around here again, Quan!” I shouted after him. “Anyway, his name is Silas and that’s all I’m saying for now. He’s very private about his family, and I don’t like talking about my business like that.”
“But be the first one in ours,” Maggie said as I raised my chin.
