Obey

Chapter 7: Djedi Hall - Part 2

Inside Djedi Hall's Student Café - 01:10 P.M.

"Dr. Jade's class was way too long. I'll be forever thankful for coffee," Ashley said as she alternated between playing on her phone and burning her tongue with the scalding liquid.

Taking a swig of water, Roscoe made a toast to the circular table. "Thank you, Kaldi, the 9th-century Ethiopian goatherd who discovered coffee."

Hearing smacking lips, a mortified Dee looked at her Protected. "Close your mouth! Jesus!"

"Hmmm?" Denzel continued chomping on his poorly prepackaged delicacy, some lopsided egg rolls he'd obtained from the back of an open café freezer. Disgusted, Dee chopped the man in the back of his head. "What the hell, ya tryna to kill me?"

"Were you raised by animals?"

"Mmm-be," Denzel grumbled and coughed. "Judgy much?" he asked after clearing his airway.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, you beast! And what are you doing to your poor rolls?!"

"Don't knock it 'til you try it," he said as he sprinkled his food in a hot sauce and salt blend. "Just think of them like those deviled eggs we had last summer. And who are ya, my ma?"

Dropping her head to her hands, Dee sighed, "I need a nap."

"Remember ya manners," Denzel chided when he saw Dee go slack-jawed with a yawn. She flipped him off in return.

"Our 1:30 class is centered on the occult, right?" Hailey's resting head rose from the table, effervescent eyes shining as they devoured their literary feast, a newly published magic work.

"Yes, partially." Roscoe nodded. "We are appropriately placed in the Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim hallway."

"That's a long name." Ashley looked at her boyfriend.

Roscoe smiled, grabbed his girlfriend's hand beneath the table. He read her eyes, knew the question she was silently asking. "He was a lot of things, including an occult writer."

"Ah. Cool."

"Ugh," a sideways sitting Monáe groaned, and finally looked up from her sketchpad. Another tingle at her spine alerted her to an increase in strong negative feelings, those of the Enemies pair sitting opposite each other. She shivered, feeling like the air was slowly becoming too thick to breathe.

"Mo, you know I love you"—Hailey, woozy and beginning to see double, hung her head in defeat—"but please get a grip. You're giving me a wicked headache."

"Sorry. Trying," Monáe said detached, focused on controlling her gift's strength to lessen both her own and her Guardian's discomfort.

Suddenly, Ashley got up and headed to the bathroom with Tina following shortly behind.

When the girls reached the multi-stall lavatory, Ashley did a preliminary check of the premises. Deciding the coast was clear, she locked the main door.

As the woman backed her into a corner, one of Tina's eyebrows rose. "You know this is starting to resemble the beginning of a bad porno, right?"

Ashley looked her friend over, stared her down. Looking into dark eyes, the Guardian could no longer fight her instincts. "Spill. Now."

"What are you-"

"Cut the bullshit, babe. You know what I mean, you and that man, what happened?"

"Now which man are we-"

"I'm not doing this with you right now." Ashley retaliated.

"Then don't. You texted me to meet in here, not the other way around," Tina snapped, recognizing the bite in her words and Ashley's stunned face a few seconds too late. She uttered an expeditious apology. "Just stop worrying. Everything's fine."