COLOR ME

EPISODE SEVEN

I finally fell asleep around midnight after reading several articles online and watching videos about people's experiences with witchcraft.

In my dream, I found myself at the Prom at school, dressed in a beautiful gown and dancing with Tendai. We were both crowned Prom Queen and Prom King, respectively. Everyone around us was happy, celebrating the night. Suddenly, a large snake fell from above. The crowd screamed and scattered in different directions. Mae, Andrew, and Jensen were the only ones who stayed calm.

Mae, Andrew, and Jensen tried to kill the snake, which was a cobra and raised its head menacingly. It bit Mae and Andrew and pushed Jensen away with its tail. The snake then attempted to wrap itself around Tendai, but his clothes were too slippery. Tendai transformed into Kemi before disappearing. The snake turned towards me, but Grayson appeared out of nowhere and killed it. He then removed the crown from my head.

I woke up with a start; the dream had been so vivid it felt real. I turned on the light and went to my parents' room, knocking softly before entering. Mom was already awake.

"Mom, I had a nightmare!" I exclaimed.

I recounted the dream to her. "Ade, we need to pray," she said urgently. "There's an attack on your life. Someone wants to hurt you! This girl who put a rat in your sauce—how well do you know her?"

I told her more about Kemi and what her mom had revealed to me.

"That woman is dangerous. How could she threaten you? You're just a child!" Mom said angrily. "I will give her a piece of my mind when I see her. I want you to pray every night before you sleep and stay far away from this girl Kemi and her boyfriend."

Mom and I prayed for some time. Afterward, she told me to go back to bed. I couldn't sleep anymore, so I decided to watch some YouTube videos until it was time to wake up.

As I showered in the morning, I couldn't shake the memory of my dream. Why was I with Tendai in it? I found him attractive, but I knew he was out of my league. I decided it was best not to mention the dream to anyone—they might think I liked Tendai. The most important thing was to avoid Kemi and her crew at all costs.

"How are you feeling?" Mom asked me at breakfast.

"I didn't sleep a wink after I returned to my room," I replied.

"What happened last night?" Soren asked.

"I had a nightmare; Mom prayed for me," I said.

I didn't want Soren to know what I had dreamt about. He would likely tell me that dreams reflect what I wanted, and I wasn't ready to accept or even imagine that could be true.

Mom dropped Soren and me at school. She wanted to talk to HM Smythe about Kemi, but Soren and I begged her not to.

"Mom, we will stay out of Kemi's path!" Soren pleaded. He was worried Mom would discover the real reason he didn't participate in the Spelling Bee competition.

Mom relented. "I will come for Waldon next time anything happens between you and Kemi," she said, getting into her car and driving away. Both of us were relieved.

As I walked towards the school entrance, I could feel the tension slowly easing from my shoulders. The thought of Mom intervening in my conflicts with Kemi was reassuring, even if it was something I hoped to avoid. I tried to focus on the day ahead, but my mind kept drifting back to the unsettling nightmare and the uneasy feeling it left behind.

I needed a book from the library, so I left class and went there. I headed to the English book section and began scrolling through the shelves, looking for "To Kill a Mockingbird."

"Hi, Darkie!" Grayson said, startling me.

I was so engrossed in the pages of "To Kill a Mockingbird" that I hadn't noticed him until now.

"Grayson, leave me alone!" I snapped, pulling my attention away from the book.

"Or else what?" he challenged, stepping closer with a smirk.

I struggled to keep my composure. "Just go away, Grayson. I'm not in the mood for your shenanigans."

He sneered, clearly unfazed. "What's wrong, Darkie? Did I hit a nerve?" His tone was mocking, laced with malice.

"Leave me alone, or else," I said.

"Or else what?" he interrupted with a taunting smirk, cutting me off before I could say anything further.

"Or else I'll report you to the librarian for harassment and bullying," I threatened, trying to sound braver than I felt.

He smirked. "I sent her away. I told her that some students in Year One are drawing in her precious books, so we're alone for now."

My heart raced with worry. "What do you want from me, Grayson?"

"You're always surrounded by friends and people. I've always wanted to get you alone," he said, moving closer and pinning me against the shelf. My hands trembled as I dropped the book I was holding.

"You are so pretty. I've always wanted to kiss you," he said.

"If I'm so pretty, why are you always insulting me?" I demanded.

I didn't give him a chance to answer. I pushed him away with all my strength. He hit the opposite shelf, causing books to fall. I ran out of the library.

I encountered the librarian coming from the Year One class with some books. "I haven't taken the book I needed," I told her. "I'll come back later for it."

She was so annoyed with the Year One students that she didn't bother to respond.

Back in class, I didn't tell Mae, Jensen, or Andrew about the incident with Grayson. I didn't want to create a scene. I had taught Grayson a lesson, and that was all that mattered. Grayson returned to class later, looking unusually subdued. He went to his seat and remained quiet during the lesson.

After break, the four of us decided to skip class and discuss what Jensen had mentioned in the group chat last night. We met in the empty auditorium.

"Jensen, tell us more," Andrew urged.

"I can't say much because Daddy told me to watch my words," Jensen said.

"We're your friends; we won't betray you," Mae assured him.

After a few moments, Jensen finally caved. "My dad is a Freemason. Most powerful people in society are part of it," he confessed.

I had heard of Freemasons but knew little beyond conspiracy theories.

"He joined during his university days. He and the brotherhood control the government and the world," Jensen continued. "My father is a highly ranked Freemason. In fact, I'm becoming one as soon as I join university later this year."

"You always think you know someone until you discover you don't," Mae remarked.

"So, your father got where he is because of this organization?" Andrew asked.

"Yes," Jensen replied.

"Jensen, I've heard rumors that they do human sacrifices and rituals," I said.

"That's a lie; it's spread by people who don't understand the organization," he argued.

"I don't believe in witchcraft, magic, or any religion. I'm all about science," Mae said.

"Were you ever going to tell us you were becoming a Freemason?" I asked.

"No, it was supposed to be a secret," Jensen said.

"Can I also join?" Andrew asked.

Mae and I looked at Andrew in shock. He clearly didn't understand what he was getting into.

"I'm just joking," Andrew said. "My family are staunch Protestants; my parents would disown me if I joined."

"How would they know? You're not supposed to tell anyone about it!" Jensen said, sounding almost encouraging.

"Don't look at me like that, guys. I'm still the same person," Jensen said. "I'm not evil. Daddy says he got to where he is because of them—opportunities he would never have received as a black man."

"He wants me to have those opportunities and be someone great in my life," he added.

"So, you're basically following in your father's footsteps?" Mae asked.

"Yes. Mae, you're white; you'll never understand the struggles that black people face," Jensen said. "My dad would never have become the Mayor of London without his Freemason brothers. I'm starting university this semester and will be initiated."

"What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul, Jensen?" I asked, quoting a scripture from the Bible my mom had used to teach me about greed.

"Don't preach to me, Addie. I'm just trying to ensure I make something of my life," Jensen said.

"I know I'm white, but you can't blame me for the sins of all white people," Mae said.

"I didn't mean that, Mae. I was emphasizing a point about the injustices in the world," Jensen said.

Mae stormed out of the auditorium, clearly upset. None of us had expected the conversation to end this way. We waited until the lesson we missed was over before heading to lunch with the others. Mae refused to join our table and sat with Eloise McKinley and Janine Martin instead.

"Jensen, you need to apologize to her," Andrew said.

"No, I didn't actually say anything mean to her; she's just insecure because we're people of color and she's white," Jensen said. "She needs to get over her insecurities."

Jensen and Mae weren't speaking. It was becoming difficult to be around both of them because they were each speaking ill of each other. Andrew and I decided to spend more time with Jensen and Mae separately until they were ready to resolve their issues.

Mr. Ngonzi hadn't come to class for weeks, but he arrived today to check on our projects. Tendai and I hadn't made any progress because I had refused to talk to him.

Mr. Ngonzi called out different teams before reaching Jensen and King. "Jensen and King, what ideas have you come up with?" he asked.

"Our idea is an app that does background checks on people," King said. "The app will search all websites using a person's phone number and email and inform you if they are trustworthy."

"Isn't that app breaking many privacy laws?" Mr. Ngonzi asked.

"Yes, but who cares? It's all about passing," King replied.