Stormz on the Horizon

A New Thing pt. 1

Diamond King, 14

June 2020

Coming up I've always been quiet and to myself. I would much rather read or stay inside. Being active wasn't something that was foreign to me though. Since I was six I've been trained in Russian ballet and West African contemporary, so I don't just read and do homework like most people think.

Some people know that I can dance, very few, but I try to keep it quiet as possible. I don't need extra hype. That's all there is to it and kids love to treat me like an alien because of my hushed demeanor. In school I've been the "nerdy-weird-black-ballerina". Over the years people have sort of let go of the nerd word.

I had braces not long ago to complete the full package, but now they are off and I wear contacts when, I'm not home that is. Call me Velma Dinkley at the house. I have moderately straight teeth and built kinda athletically because of my training. Thank god for the slim down, I used to be a little chubby as a youngster.

My mama said those things may become problems for me as I get older and she's positive it will now that I am going into my freshman year of high school. I think she's being dramatic, I feel like I look regular. Nothing special going on this way.

Moving on..

North Arabia High School is only one of the two high schools in this city, the other being Both cross town rivals are ghetto as hell. There are several middle and elementary schools here and my parents tried to keep me enrolled in the "nicer" ones. They did what they could up until it was time for me to go to high school. It was one or the other, neither more or less ratchet.

I stay on a farther side of town, but that can't save me from having to attend Hoodlum Academy...it's the closer school. Somehow it has an eighty-nine percent graduation rate which is shocking given everything that the students dabble in.

Although it's full of amazing thugs and amazing fighters, the spirit is crazy. Everything about the school's programs scream black excellence, from the band to the football team. If I'm not mistaken, it was founded by freed slaves and black abolitionists, so that completely explains it. Sad that so many scandals and behavior issues taints it a bit. They have a literal reputation on World Star.

This might be a small, faulty city, but the amount of talent that lives here is incredible.

I'm gonna put mine to use. North Arabia's Pursuit of the Pack Marching Band is what the people come to see at the games. The best part about them is their dancers, The Arabian Dolls, the main attraction.

I had been given technical training forever and I told my parents that I want to try something different. I mean, I have the background so it's worth a shot.

I'm trying out for the team today I'm VERY nervous. Apparently they cram a lot of tests into one whole day which is also nerve-wracking. Thanks to the training I'm very fit, but lord knows when the time comes for the running outside I will not be leading the pack. I think it's a mile or something, I don't damn know. We already live in hot ass Mississippi and 85° weather in June is practically considered a cool day because of how hot it can get. Arabia, specifically, can get up to 110°. VERY HOT. You can fry a rollie pollie on this ground.

9:30 a.m.

"Are you excited? Nervous?" asked my mama. We're driving through the huge roundabout at the front of the school. "I don't know. I just hope the other girls are nice," I said worried.

We pulled up to the parking lot of the gym and I peered out the window. We were told by an Instagram post to wear compression clothing and bring a bag of necessities, so I immediately knew what some of the girls walking in were here for.