“Mmmhmm,” I grunt, dipping the mop into its bucket.

“I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time with Piko,” he says.

I don’t trust this. I know he will tell Piko anything I say. I just shrug, like I don’t care. But I do. I care with all my heart.

“You look so unhappy!” he says with a weird smile, then comes toward me.

I ignore this, but when he places his hands on my shoulders and attempts a massage, my whole body tenses.

“You should try to relax,” he whispers in my ear.

Next thing I know, I feel his lips on my neck. I whirl round and slap him across the face. He falls back, clutching his cheek and looking at me like I am mad.

“What’s the matter with you, chickie? Piko was right. You’re a stuck up bitch!”

Panicking, I grab a knife from the counter. It’s a bread knife, and not sharp, but I don’t care. I need to defend myself. I’m in a den of animals.

“Stay away from me. Don’t touch me.”

“Piko!” he shouts, his eyes turning hard.

So typical. A girl rejects him and he has to call for backup. He’s so pathetic. I don’t lower the knife though. I mean business.

Piko enters.

“You need to teach this girl some manners,” says Lizo.

Piko looks at me in disgust. “I’ll take it from here,” he says ominously. “You guys clear out.”

Lizo is pleased. He licks his lips. “That’ll teach you,” he mutters as he leaves the kitchen.

The gang files out of the front door. Piko shuts it after them. He then comes back into the kitchen. His face is stony. There is an electricity in the air, the calm before the storm.

I fear. I fear for my life.

***

Tell us: What choices did Khwezi have in her response to Lizo’s sexual advance?