As Above and So Below

4: Beginnings

"Today we have three new young girls joining us today, Capucine, why don't you introduce yourself first?" Mr. Ocampo said warmly, a bright smile on his face, motioning for me to move forward.

Eyes were glued to me, but I ain't scared, "Hey, uh, my names Capucine Laveau, I practice voodoo, I was born here, in New Orleans..." I looked towards Mr. Ocampo, giving him the 'what in the hell do I say' type look.

"That's good, Miss Laveau, you may sit down next to Giovanni," He said, glancing towards a tall, brownskin boy with curly hair in the third row of the class. He smiled, moving his bag off of the chair beside him.

"Aight," I say, moving towards the seat, sitting beside him with my big pink tote filled with books on my lap.

"So, you new, new, huh?" He whispered to me, letting out a laugh, "I'm Giovanni, but call me Vanni, thought I'd do the introduction myself." He added quietly so Mr.Ocampo couldn't hear us.

I smiled a little, nodding, "aight, polite, polite... The names Capucine, but my friends call me Uci since it's a bit of a mouthful," I said chuckling right quiet so Ocampo won't call us out.

" That's right unique, you french or something?" He asked, raising his brows.

I giggled, "yeah, something like that... My momi and birth father are both Haitian, my true dad's Chitimacha, born and raised in New Orleans in the french quarter, so yeah, I guess I'm French." I looked at him, "Giovanni, you Italian or something?" I mocked him in his voice, making my voice fake deep.

He nodded, "nah, my parents just creative," he said, putting his hands up like I'm a cop. "But what I am is straight out the Dominican baby," He said, repping his country.

"Okay, Okay, I see you," I said, smiling until Mr. Ocampo began introducing two other girls in our homeroom, "So class, these two young ladies are Koza and Cachiche... They've traveled far to come here today, so make them feel welcome!" He told the class.

Koza walked forward first with a snake around over her shoulders, "I'm Koza Mirga, I am Calo Romani from Portugal and I practice Shamanic Magic, and this is Deslizar, my familiar." She told us and waited for Cachiche to speak.

"I'm Cachiche Muñoz-Viuda de Diaz, I'm from Lima, Peru and I practice Brujeria," she said, right shyly as she and Koza quickly sat down at the two desks in front and behind me. Koza was in the desk behind me and Cachiche was in front.

About 3 minutes into Ocampo's rambling on accepting new students and why we shouldn't be intolerant when they come here, I feel a tapping on my shoulder from behind me. I turned around discretely, putting on a semi-real smile. And there she was, Koza. Big dark brown eyes, a defined nose, full lips. She's right pretty, not going to lie. The snake put me off a little though, not gonna lie.

"You know anything bout' Omens?" She asked in no shame, right forward, right random. It shocked me, my brows raising immediately. No way that another girl coming to the same school on the same day got an omen. But I put the assumption behind me... Maybe she has an upcoming project on omens... But who knows. After she said that, her snake hissed at her. Are you tellin' me this snake understand us?

"Uhh... Not the most educated on it, why?" I asked, biting the inside of my lip a little in curiousity.

"Oh, nothing, thanks though," she replied, "you pretty, just saying." She told me, letting out a sweet smile.

"Thanks, sis, you too," I say, "We gotta stop talking though, Ocampo gonna throw a fit if we don't, talk after class?" I ask, winking playfully.

She smiles. "Aight sounds good," she says as her snake slithered down her arm, just chilling.

I turn back towards Mr. Ocampo, resting my chin on my hand, feeling like I'll fall asleep. Like, I love his passion for acceptance, but it's been 10 minutes already... Like, damn, when is this class going to end?

"What she ask you?" Asked a firey voice coming from beside me like the sparks coming from a vivid orange fire during winter solstice or as dad calls it; Christmas.

I shrugged, "just about Omens, she didn't say why though, it was just kinda coincidental since I got one this morning..." I whisper to him, worry in my eyes of which met his.

Vanni put his hand over his mouth, leaning closer, "wait, wait, wait, wait, you received an Omen? Like an Omen, Omen. Not just some coincidence?" He asked, moving his hand from his mouth to my hand. "Please, what was it, if you did receive one tell Ocampo, he teaches Prophecies and Omens outside of homeroom..." He added, "Omens are right serious here..."

My eyes widened, "yes, Vanni, an 'Omen, Omen' real shit. 13 dead moths placed in a perfect circle with a dead snake in the middle... My grandmaman thinks it means there's a metaphorical snake, like a dishonest person in my mother's coven... Perhaps her murderer..." I told him, being as quiet as possible so no one else could hear us.

Giovanni frowned, "damn, Uci, I'm sorry bout' ya mami..." He said, holding his head, he looked back up at me, "just be careful, though, tell Mr.Ocampo," he told me, as I looked forward towards Ocampo, my eyes narrowing a little.

I hope he has answers for me, if not, I'll be at a loss...