Written by Nobuhle . N Nyoni
Sphe woke up that Monday feeling uneasy. If she could, she would skip everything else and head straight to school, but personal hygiene is a thing. She rushed through all her preparations, including eating. When she turned the corner, Ropa wasn’t there. Her stomach sank. She knew this feeling all too well. Ropa only did this when she was upset. But she could not figure out what would have upset her friend so much.
She went to the school grounds first, and Ropa wasn’t there. Then she went to class, and there she was, in her seat.
‘Ok, she is alive. Great.’
“Hi, Ropa. You weren’t at our usual spot. What’s wrong?” Sphe asked.
“Nothing. I just needed space,” Ropa replied.
Sphe couldn’t make out what this meant. Her face displayed joy, but her actions communicated something completely different.
“You needed space from me over the phone, too?”
“I was busy over the weekend, Sphe. That’s all.”
“Oh, ok,” Sphe said.
Ropa was not giving her anything to go by, so she decided to let it go. Her mood lightened up when Mandla walked in. He came straight to her desk and handed her a P.S. chocolate with the note ‘big hug’. She mouthed a thank you, and he winked back at her. Nothing else mattered at that moment. He understood what she was going through with her parents’ divorce, and all he wanted was to be there for her. She loved that about him. He had such a big heart.
Ropa and Sphe barely spoke. Ropa was on her phone most of the time, and Sphe could tell she was talking to someone new. Or that whatever was going on was more than just a chat. She could feel herself being replaced, and she didn’t know how to feel about that.
‘Why won’t she tell me what is going on? Even if she has found someone else and is moving on from our encounter, she should at least tell me. Do I not deserve to know that she found someone? Well, I guess it is fair. I never officially updated her about Mandla and me, either. She has a right to keep it to herself, but I hate it. I want to know. I want her to use her words.’
The day ended, and Ropa had not said anything. They walked home together and spoke about class and homework. Sphe couldn’t even bring up the party because she didn’t want to upset her friend. She also realised how hurt she was by the idea of her friend being in love with someone else. Yet there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t ask her to stop when she was in love with someone else. Ropa had respected her decision, and it was her turn to do the same.
‘If this is how Ropa felt when I started seeing Mandla, I owe her an apology. This feeling is horrible. I am moody ‘cause the person who isn’t my person is not talking to me. How do I explain that to anyone? I need to get over it and focus on the gift I am getting my boyfriend for his birthday this weekend. I wish Ropa were here to help me with this.’
She spent most of the night surfing the internet for a gift whilst chatting with him. She settled for a t-shirt and cap she had seen him looking at online. She was so excited to go and buy it and wrap it up. Wednesday after school, her Mom escorted her to the mall to buy the gift. She wished she could share the excitement with someone, but the best she could do was dance it out in her room. Her countdown to the party started that evening.
Every evening, she debated on the outfit she would wear to her boyfriend’s party. On Thursday night, when she crawled into bed, she felt frisky. She wondered why because it felt like it came from nowhere. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the desire, but her mind wouldn’t let her shut it off. She played back to Ropa kissing her in the shower, which made her even wetter.
She pinched her nipple and let out a little moan. She slid her hand into her panties and found she was very wet. She laced her finger just below her clit and moved her finger in and out of her vulva. She had never tried this before and was surprised at how good it felt. She wet her other finger and circled her nipple. It reminded her of when Ropa kissed her nipples, and it made her hotter. She moved her hips as she thrust her finger faster. Before she knew it, she was letting out little moans as she came.
‘That felt so good. I want to do it again.’
When she saw Ropa the following day, all she could think about was getting nasty with her. She had to keep reminding herself that the chapter was closed because she blew it. She was hornier than usual. When Mandla held her hand, she wanted to pull him into a corner and kiss him until his lips bled. But she didn’t want to get into trouble, so she kept her nasty thoughts tucked away for her bedroom, where she could play with herself.
Saturday finally came, and she couldn’t wait to attend her first party. It felt like a special day. She was sure she was going to have a grand day. She had opted for a black mini skirt paired with a green crop top and a pair of sneakers as her outfit for the day. Her mother had bought her a new perfume, and she couldn’t wait to try it. She had saved it for the party. She grabbed her crossbody bag and the gift bag. Her mother found her basking in the sun outside, snacking on some grapes.
“Shall we, first lady?” her mother said jokingly.
“When did you become funny?” Sphe replied.
Ever since her father moved out, she watched her mother loosen up more. She danced, talked and laughed more. It was like she had been freed from prison. Sphe wondered if she would have experienced this side of her Mom if the divorce had not happened. Her mother went from moving like a zombie to a human so fast. When they got to Mandla’s house, Sphe’s eyes widened with shock. She knew he was from a well-off family but she did not realise how well-off they were.
The yard was huge. The house was a double-storey that looked like it could house her entire class without falling apart. Outside was a beautiful garden adorned with sculptures of animals. When they drove in, there was a distance from the gate to the house.
“Are you dating a minister’s child, my daughter?” her mother asked.
“I just realised I have no idea who I am dating, mother.”
There was a sign that read ‘party this way’, so Sphe knew to follow the sign.
“Enjoy yourself, Sphe. See you later.”
“Thank you, Mom. See you later,” Sphe replied as she stepped out of the car.
Her heart started beating faster and harder when she heard the voices of people. She wanted to turn around and run after her mother’s car. She felt like she had made a mistake thinking she could play “girlfriend” in front of her schoolmates. She stopped and stood against the wall. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Just as she was getting calm, her phone rang. It was Mandla. She picked it up.
“Hello,” she said.
“If I didn’t know better, I would say you were at my party. But I don’t see you, so where are you, baby?”
“I am at your party, hiding near the parking lot. I…”
She didn’t finish her sentence. Mandla had hung up, and seconds later, he showed up. The moment he saw her, he opened his arms for her. It was like there was an auto switch because all the dread she felt melted away as she plunged into him. He kissed her forehead and said, ‘I am so glad you are here, baby. I missed you.’
She looked up at him and said, “Thank you for the invite. It feels good to be here, and I mean here, in this spot. Not over there where everyone is.”
“You look amazing. Allow me to show you off over there, where everyone is,” Mandla said, taking her hand and leading the way.
She followed him, trusting that she would be fine as long as he was around. To her surprise, nobody cared that she was at the party. Everyone was focused on having a good time. She eventually relaxed and got into conversation with other people. She talked to classmates she had never spoken to before and realised she could make friends outside of Ropa. That made her feel good about herself.
“Babe, have you seen Ropa? She is around, you know?” Mandla asked.
“Oh, I didn’t know she was invited; she never told me. Where could she be?”
“Check inside the house. I am going to let some people in. Are you going to be ok?”
“Yeah, I will be fine,” Sphe responded.
She got up and went on a search for Ropa. She wondered why she didn’t say anything about being invited.
‘If she is here and not speaking to me, then who is she with? Whoever it is must have her very entertained. I don’t like the idea of her being happy without me. There I go again, being selfish.’
As she walked around the house looking for Ropa, she decided to find a bathroom because she needed to pee and didn’t want to wait until it was critical. The last thing she wanted was to smell like pee around her boyfriend. She found a bathroom and confidently opened the door. Behind that door were two people, heavily making out. One of those people was Ropa. Next to Ropa stood a beautiful, light-skinned girl with a gorgeous afro. She immediately noticed the freckles on this girl’s face; so perfect.
“Sorry. I am sorry; I should have knocked,” Sphe said, as she retreated.
She closed the door and suddenly couldn’t move her feet. It felt like she had just been stabbed in the heart with a blunt knife.
