Hexed | ✔

two

"You do call at the worst time possible." Officer Carter said as he slammed the door of his car close, well, it wasn't his car, but the police car he cruised around with. There was another office in the passenger seat of the car, Mariam could see, it was an older looking man who bit into a burger with gusto. He raised his head, looking Mariam in the eyes, he soon quickly looked away and she unconsciously touched her hand to the hijab around her face.

Sometimes she really hated Howard University.

Office Carter swaggered to where she stood at the steps. He took one look at the door behind her and raised an eyebrow.

"Is that why you called me?" He asked. One look at his swaying body told Mariam that he had probably been drinking.

When she said nothing, he sighed.

"You're a good kid, Mary, real quiet, " He said, using the unsolicited nickname he'd dubbed her despite her rebuff many times. "Nothing like the rest of your people."

Mariam's fists clenched of their own accord. Her people, Muslims, he meant, Pakistani.

"But you can't keep calling at the slightest trouble, me and my buddy here were just going to grab a drink at the pub." He said.

"Can you see the fucking initials on the door, officer?" Mariam asked, her voice deathly quiet. Officer Carter flinched.

He chuckled a moment after he peered at the door. "GPD?"

"Gamma Pi Delta." She added when he was quiet.

"Hell, there's a pub outside campus with that name, you want me to arrest them?" He slurred. "I cannot go around making arrest because someone with similar initials wrote some shit on your door."

Mariam sighed, the same words she'd told Kylie were manifesting. The precinct was tired of her complaints, Carter was tired of being her hero.

"You're not going to do anything?" Mariam asked.

"There is nothing to do, you can go file a report at the station if you want, Mary, but I'll tell you the same thing they'll tell you. I bet you that there will be similar reports like yours and they were all told the same thing, it's bleeding Halloween, this is probably just some kids messing with ya."

He had the guts to reach out and slap a meaty hand on her shoulder.

"Just lock your doors, there hasn't been a break in on campus since forever."

"You aren't the first girl to spread her legs for some boy," He chuckled. "You are just unfortunate that you got snapped and have your shit on the internet."

He burped and gave a nervous giggle, ignorant of the glinting anger in her eyes. Do not act on it, her mind warned her, or they'll brand you as another terrorist.

So she sucked in a sharp breath and marched toward the door, yanking the knob forcefully and then yelling a sob when she realized she was yet to unlock it. Mariam heard the car engine start and then peel away into the night as she fumbled for the keys between her fingers.

When she finally kicked the door open, she scurried inside like her tail was on fire. Then she shut it behind her and slid down to the floor, thoroughly shaken.

It wouldn't be the last time though, and she knew it. It was only over when Gamma Pi Delta said it was. So Mariam took out her phone and sent a group message.

Φ Φ Φ

Autumn leaves trailed the path up to the University stadium and as Fiye strolled past the security, she pretended not to notice how they began to whisper amongst themselves. Just last week when she resumed, she'd had a public row with her now ex boyfriend, she'd screamed all the curses she could think off at the time, including some involving his male anatomy, the guards had cheered her on. Nobody really liked Malcom Floyd, superior douche bag, soccer captain and president of GPD but he lived in a different world and chose to interpret their fear of him as adoration.

The track team were already warming up and the soccer players did hurdles on the field. As usual, the cheer team were always the last to arrive and Fiye was always the earliest. She ignored the catcalls from the soccer players and headed straight for the bleachers where their coach stood, clipboard in hand and jaw clenched tightly.

Fiye halted in her steps, feeling her confidence shake. It was her first cheer practice in a long while, she'd spent several months ago in rehabilitation and although she'd never say it, it was coach who had been one of the first pushes that sent her spiraling. Coach was a tough middle aged black woman who had won several trophies as a cheerleader while she'd been in college too, she wasn't the kind of coach who had personal relationships with the team, the woman spoke unfiltered, she said things how they were and sometimes her words and assessments crossed the line to cruel.

It was the little jabs that hurt the most, cut down on the food a little, Johnson. I could fit two girls in your body, Johnson.

It had come as a shock when Coach had been one of the first people from school to reach to her when she was in rehab.

"Your place in the team is not threatened, Johnson, frankly, you're one of the best flyers I've ever had."

Now, Fiye feared that Coach might have just said that to assuage her guilt.

One step at a time, Fiye, she recalled one of the first things she'd been told in rehabilitation, it was okay to fear, to falter, progress didn't come at once.

With a new gait in her step, she walked briskly to Coach who was still waiting, eyes narrowed.

"You came?" Coach asked sarcastically. Fiye was taken aback, it wasn't quite hostility, but it was close, it didn't feel directed at her anyway.

"I — we have practice now."

Coach gave a snort of derision. "I suppose you wouldn't know." She said although she didn't say what Fiye was supposed to know.

"Did something happen?" Fiye finally asked.

"The girls took the personal decision not to attend practice this evening." Her words were dripping with disdain.

Fiye was taken aback. The team might be tardy but they never skipped practice and always made up for it with extra hard work.

"They were here you know, an hour earlier, imagine my surprise, I thought they'd finally come to their senses. But instead, they took the liberty to pick up bats from the baseball room, and rackets or any thing they could fight with."

Fiye still didn't understand. Although it wasn't the first time that the girls ganged up to fight someone on behalf of a scorned teammate.

Coach sighed. "They are going to the Greek Row, mentioned something about fighting Gamma Pi Delta frat boys."

Fiye's jaw dropped.

"Those girls are going to be the death of me."