The Secret World of Maggie Grey (Drew Collins, #1)

by Granger

“I am Dr. Marvin T. Holmes…great grandson of Gaia.” He waved his hand to the people standing behind him. “As you all know, we are the founding family of the Magical Ancestral Rights Society. We are the first family of magic and direct descendants of Gaia herself.”

“And why is this white girl allowed to question me on whether Black people can fly or not? Why can’t we have magic abilities?”

I don’t botha’ nobody. I don’t talk to nobody and they keep messing with me!”

“Without touching her, Dr. Holmes managed to pin her down, undress her, silence her screams, and force himself on her and into her. I don’t know how he did it, she just said she felt restrained to the bed and her mouth was closed shut, and he hadn’t even touched her yet but when he did, he bled and fed on her. Of course…the Civil Rights Movement kicked off, and he was seen marching alongside the greats with his now wife and children; pretending to be this outstanding man with morals but it was all a lie. By day he was a mythical savior, by night he was harassing, and holding my grandma’s body hostage for his own feeding supply until he was done with her for good. My grandma swore off men after that night, never allowing another to touch her but nobody believed her when she turned up pregnant fifteen years later and gave birth to my mom.”

“So are you like a vampire descendant or something?” Miranda asked like she was trying not to laugh. I reached up to pull at my skull cap as I shook my white curls loose. You could hear the shocking gasps while others sucked their teeth. “You tell me.” I grinned.

“Historic Black Ancestral Mythical & Magic College and University… System of Georgia…Drew Collins University…School of Mythics and…”

“Hell you mean, bruh?! Fuck you talm bout?! On God!” On God, On God, if I ever heard that shit again, On God, I would lose my damn mind.

The way you can tell a woman is ugly is not by her looks but by how she looks at you. A woman will use another woman as a reflection to project her insecurities onto you.

A siren that didn’t know how to swim.

“There are four schools within Drew Collins University. The School of Elements which is the study of magic based on the four main elements…Air, water, earth, and fire.

“School of Elements…those who are able to manipulate nature’s law of elements. The School of Intellect…those who are seekers of knowledge, historians, and want to gain a better understanding of just how vastly different we are from one another. Regardless of your magical ability or mythical ancestry. This is most likely where the majority of you will be placed so you can learn about your culture, your family, and people. We are NOT the same and our Black ancestors are not the same as those taught above. “The School of Spiritual…in my opinion, the hardest degree to maintain. These are my witches, priestess, the study of voodoo, hoodoo, and so much more…and the School of Mythical Magic which most of you think you would get chosen for but it's the hardest school to get accepted into.

“I mean…” Asha said with a suggestive smirk on her face as she waved the flyer around. “What y'all tryna do tonight? I don’t know about y'all, but…he had me at free.”

“You have your Intellectuals which is where you’ll be…they wear maroon, black, and white, pretty much everyone here.”

“Scarface don’t have shit on me. I should have been in Lion King, huh?! Maybe I could have been an extra. I heard ALL OF THE FUCKING JOKES, BRO! I HEARD THEM ALL! NOTHING YOU CAN SAY TO ME THAT I HAVEN’T HEARD BEFORE SO EVERYONE GET YO SHIT OUT NOW BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME A BITCH SAY SOMETHING, I’MA POP YOU IN YO SHIT!”

I stepped right up to the desk where Solomon was and began to put my bra on, never breaking eye contact because I DARE YOU. I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU TO SAY SOMETHING. Nope. Instead, he just watched me get dressed,

“Taluwi Tribe…hunters of lakes and rivers…They are the first, and oldest tribe to touch the sea and the first tribe to touch land.

I’d seen more than enough to realize this place was magical, right? I get it. Black people, weird magical shit…Ooo ahhh. Okay? Fuck it. I’d accepted my fate.

“He’s seen you naked before…when you tried to undress a few times for him, that Friday night you passed out–––” “WHA–––” “Scuze me,” Coach called out, voice deep and commanding

“This yo pops speaking like this?” Asha checked, looking incredulously at me. “Address me, boo, not my daughter. Who raised y'all mothafuckas?” he asked again as everyone stared at the phone. “Instead of being Karens and running to the office to tattletale…you handle it like a boss bitch. Next time you see him, you need to look like him and everyone else is beneath you. I wouldn’t let not nan mothafucka see me sweating and crying over him because now they think they have power over me. Nah, boo. I’m in control, always. What’s done to me, I will do twice as hard to you. You understand?”

“Let’s walk in like the bad bitches we are…Asha the Bad Ass…Souxie the Babe, Maggie the Grey.”

I know a freak when I see one.

“I’m Quan.” “QUAN?!” Asha and I repeated at the same time before laughing. “So you’re a project cat!? A hood cat?!” Asha belted out with a loud laugh. “Ignore them.” Souxie smiled but she knew the shit was funny too.

So they put Asha and Solomon together…probably in the hopes that they would get together. The school couldn’t have been more obvious with their intentions.

Slowly, I turned over and tried to close my eyes. After a disastrous encounter with Asha and Solomon being roommates…with the help of security and other admins getting involved, she was able to switch to the house just next door that was vacant. She raised so much hell, they had no choice but to give in to her demands. Hillary, after a round of smelling salts, woke up and was taken to the clinic to be checked out before heading back to the room with Souxie and I guess now Quan, who kept close to Souxie’s heel. Maybe she was going to help change him back… A talking cat…fairies…vampires and a weird ass coach for a teacher. What a day it'd been and it was only the first day.

“You guys, please be serious… We need a club–––” “How about Club Dang-A-Lang,” Asha added. “No, what about Club Mandingo–––” “I’m done talking to y'all. Souxie?” Hillary pleaded with a pout as Asha and I slapped hands with our laughter.

“Where are your friends?” I questioned. Her eyes avoided the question before her mouth could get a chance to ignore it altogether. The bitch had none. That’s why she’s sitting here eating with me. Wait until I tell Souxie about this.

“Okay first of all… I told you, I would try…” “Might turn me into a ant fucking around with you–––” “I said I would try to help you,” I repeated.

“I know what’s real and what I grew up with. I never heard of this place until a few days ago…well…aside from what my grandma told me but I just thought…it was…” “Fake.” He nodded. “Nah…there is a whole world within a world. Most of us grew up here and have no desire to come up to the surface.”

Remove yourselves from my space and aura so I don’t have to.

A water nymph. I never thought I’d see one outside of the swamps and creeks. They were reclusive and rarely drew much attention to themselves due to how they look.

Maggie represented earth, stability, foundational…First Family…first of her kind…first of our kind… Asha was fire…having been through what she’s gone through…it only made her tougher…angrier, wilder, with an out loud personality that commanded attention. I was air…floating with the breeze…going with the flow until it no longer served a purpose and was able to switch at a moment's notice and now…Isis…timid and shy by nature…she represented the essence of water itself. North, south, east, west. Earth, air, fire, and water.

When a priestess finds her sisters, no matter the form they come in…hold on to them for dear life. They are the true magic and power you could yield.

Namir stopped on a page to read out loud. “Gaia is the full moon spirit…she represents divine feminine energy, nature’s cycles, and history is bound to repeat itself the way Gaia will once again come down on this earth to show herself and search for her mate…the one who reacts to the moon…he who instinctively balances human nature and wild beasts within…” Namir stopped reading as he looked at me.

Oop……

“I love how the men just gravitate towards you.” Hillary sighed with a pout. “I wish I had that ability…just having men drawn to me.” “When you realize all they want is what’s between your legs…you will see how tiring it gets,” Souxie said before waving her hand off with a roll of her eyes. “All of that pointless conversation for two-minutes of dick pumps. It’s exhausting and by no means a compliment to me.”

There were talks of removing Ty as the pack leader on account of him being too soft, too casual in his position. There were also rumors circulating amongst the family about Ty’s sexual preference but none of that mattered. He was obviously picked for a reason to lead us.

Yeah…that’s right, Maggie. Find your voice. Don’t get distracted by big bird chest over here. Find your damn voice, girl!

“Who the hell said I was scared of you?” he asked before laughing again. “Baby, I would eat you alive…” “Would you?” I questioned, eyes meeting his gaze. His smile dropped and his nose flared, taunting his face with each exhale. “That’s what I thought,” I said, walking off towards the field. “Eat me alive where? Boy get on somewhere.” I sucked my teeth with a wave of my hand. “I’m grown.

“Eleven!” I shouted from behind him. “Somebody come eat me alive if you’re not scared!” “What the hell is your problem?!” Namir snapped, turning to face me as I laughed. “You said it, not me…Baby, I’ll eat you alive,” I mocked before snorting out loud. “Negro, one look from me and you’re pissing on yourself with fear, since day one.” “I’m not afraid of you–––” “You’re afraid of what I can do though–––” “You don’t even know what–––Go run the fucking drills!” he snapped suddenly as I laughed before casually walking off with a flip of my ponytail. I heard Maze laughing in his face from behind me.

Isis looked back, hearing Quan’s remarks before glancing at me. She suddenly glared at Quan. “That’s a bad kitty!” she fussed. “You don’t say that about friends. Bad kitty–––” “Bitch…” Quan let out before hissing and showing teeth. “Bad kitty these nuts–––” “Ooo such a naughty kitty.” She shook her head.

“I want to be bold…and brave enough to walk in my own shoes knowing I just had the best sex of my life and nobody is going to judge me for it. I want to go and have dreamy fantasy sex with my teacher who is part siren, part witch…a switch!” I laughed as she laid back on my bed.

Only you…” I pointed at her. “Can control the level of respect your body deserves. Not anyone else. When your standards are set, your needs are met…”

“I’m telling you, dealing with me… I’m different. I’m not like these other men out here.” That much is obvious.

“All day long its bruh this, bruh that…Twin, twin…fuck shit, type shit,…all damn day…Just dumb shit.

“Sit cho’ gothic wanna be Panic at the Disco head ass the fuck down bruh! Lame ass!” one yelled as they all cackled. “I’on even know what the fuck that means but I do know y'all know what this means,” he said, pulling his gun out as the entire side of the Waffle House began scraping tables and chairs across the floor trying to duck.

“I may not look it, but I’m the last person you would wanna try…”He pushed his shades back up. “I’m the least safest option, but the quickest way to end your life.”

“I guess I didn’t really grow up thinking I was any different,” she said with a frown. “So I can’t really relate to…how you feel honestly. I’m not ashamed about how I look because it's…how I look…”

“All you had to do was ask me…come,” playfully licking his lips in an upward motion as he stared, breath growing heavy along with something else against my thigh. “Directly to the source and ask me instead of running yo bitch ass, pussy ass, I get no bitches on my own because mothafuckas think you can fight, wanna be with Asha but run yo mouth like a hoe, ol hoe ass bitch. So I make a group chat with all my people!” waving my hands in the air, “and all my dumb bitches, where they can pick apart the one woman who don’t play into NONE OF THIS SHIT!” I clapped. “I’m NOT the ONE! I don’t believe in this siren fuckery! Instead of putting a hit on me? Is that what it's called?! Step to me like a man wanting to talk to a woman! That’s all I know! Real men! Real grown ass men! Not boys playing Under the Sea lil Mermaid Sebastian from South Florida don’t know if I wanna be Haitian or Jamaican bum ass bitch ass fuck ass, pussy ass–– FUCK YOU!” I spat as I stepped back, not realizing I was once again crying in front of this man. “I DON’T LIKE YOU BECAUSE YOU MAKE ME FACE THE ONE THING I DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH! I WILL NEVER LIKE YOU!” I looked around at the rest. “ANY OF YOU! I rather have the white men who assaulted me as a child, fucked with my scars, tried drowning me hours on end then to see a group of….Whatever y'all wanna call yourselves, have the nerve to speak about me and my pussy in a group chat! Invite me next time! Send me a link! Hit me up! We’re neighbors! Right?!” ...

“There is no hit on me. Whatever it is, I lifted myself so…please…grow some balls and maybe I’ll do you a favor by sitting on your face,” I said as Isis laughed.

“You take Drew Collins a little too seriously,” James chuckled as he stood beside me

“I rather eat a jean jacket with a plastic fork and knife in the middle of hell with Satan eating my pussy out than sit in this room looking goofy in front of you,” I said as I started for the door. “Keep my name, and body out of yo mouth.”