Here's the thing that I don't get with us girls when it comes to relationships with boys, especially the ones that turn sour because of cheating. I respect a person who asks a question instead of accusing before knowing the facts but the most irritating thing about relationships is cheating boys whom when found out have absolutely nothing to say. You know, they just become ‘by-standers’ and watch the poor girls fight over them. I refuse to be part of that norm, so when this girl Sarah confronted me about my 'supposed' relations with what she terms her 'better half', boy she had another thing coming.

For starters she follows me home with a bunch of her friends. You see after school I don't have time to stop and chitchat I have places to be and things to do.

So there she was spitting insults behind my back, like literally behind my back so I stopped and …

Aowa sister, if you have something to say, say it to my face.

Yah I will! Do you know Sol?
Who wants to know?
At that her friends start to enclose us in a circle and she moves into my personal space and breathes 'my better half' into my face.
Chomi you can't leave her, she disrespected you chomi!
The chubby one with a lopsided school dress puts her two cents in, working very hard to be menacing.

I'm loosing interest in this girl quicker than she could say finana. So, as I force my way passed them a thought occurs to me, maybe I should just slap her silly and she'll know not to mess with me ever again, after all her scrawny figure would topple over at the slightest push. But then again I'm much classier than girls from Di-16.

I decide to keep my dignity intact because the first and only fight I've ever been in was just stupid, so I'm not doing that again.

Suddenly I'm on the ground, she's pulling at my braids with her disgusting fingers and chubbiness over there is pulling at my kicking legs.

Oh my God! Get off, get off me!

I will teach you not to mess with other people’s boyfriends …
I'm struggling for air and she won't let up while her friends cheer her on.
Hey hey hey! What's going on here?
Finally I get up for some air, gather my school bag and thank goodness for Mr Matlala. Usually I hate the fact that he walks down my way but today I could hug him to the end of the world. Creepy, I know but eish right now I'm so relieved.
I dust myself into whatever little bit of poise I have left and look Sarah in the eye with renewed but shaky pride,
Sis man, you should be ashamed of yourself!
But they all just giggle at the defeated girl and pay no attention to my words.

I want you both in my office first thing tomorrow morning

Yes Meneer, 

Sarah and I finally united by schoolgirls' fear of the grown up authority.

As everyone go in their different directions, I stand up taller, shoulders back, eyes towards the horizon where instead of seeing the blue of the sky meet the earth I see shiny and colourful tin shacks from the relatively new shantytown Mshenguville that has recently adopted the name Mandela Village. The sky looks particularly blue and I can feel serenity overcome me but I'm forced out of this wonder by laughter from a group of young boys about 6 or 7 years of age who are covered in dust all over their threadbare shorts, tops and stick figure legs that are kicking a soccer ball made of plastic bags. I wonder if they're laughing at my little incident that just transpired and to my dismay they are not the only ones laughing. It seems everyone saw what happened, you'd think people would have helped but no instead these two mamas just give me a quick glance and resume their conversation over the fence and two junior girls from my high school giggle and point at me.

Ashe!

I say confidently to the two mamas. They greet me back and probably wonder what's with me but I'm made of strong stuff and no amount of dust is going to slow me down until my puzzled eyes transform the air under my feet into concrete slabs and suddenly my feet refuse to carry me further than where I stand. I give up trying to walk as Jack jogs my way wearing his broad smile.
Hey...
He plants an unexpected kiss on my lips.
Oh! 
Oh sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I'm so sorry.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen him loose his cool and I instantly feel bad, so bad that I now move in to plant a kiss of my own on his lips. I can see he's relieved but for what seems like eternity we stand there awkwardly.
Pointing at my fresh battle wounds,
What happened?  
I brush the dust off a little and tell him that it's nothing.
How was the baby shower?
Pardon?
Last Sunday, the baby shower?
The penny drops. Shoot! I forgot my own lie.
Yes the baby shower, that’s so last week. 
I do my best casual impression and I think he falls for it.

Once again we fall into a pregnant silence and Jack gets a little closer as we start to walk toward my house and his hand brushes past my hip and I feel something but I'm not sure if I like it because I'm not suppose to fall for him. He's a sweet guy shame and I think he deserves a proper girlfriend not whatever it is that we're doing here. <<<>>>