It’s kind of weird having someone else in the house all the time. It was just my mom and me for so long that it’s been hard getting used to another person in our space.

 It was different when we were staying with my granny. Her shack has always been noisy and smoky and crowded. That’s just the way it is. But our little house in Wynberg used to be so peaceful.

Now Kabelo is around the whole time – sometimes even when my mom’s out.  Mom started doing admin work at his rental agency so she goes off to the office every morning, just like she used to before she lost her old job.

Kabelo, on the other hand, never seems to have anywhere to go.  He says he’s good at delegating and so doesn’t have to go into the office every day.

I can’t even get mad at the way he hangs around all the time because it’s thanks to him that we’re back in this house at all – he’s helping to pay the expenses and he gave Mom a job. 

“If we find someone at home, it’s just my mom’s boyfriend,” I explain to Jayden as we walk the last half kilometre from the taxi stop to my house.

Jayden’s coming home with me to borrow my history notes because he was off sick last week. Which at least meant that Refilwe wasn’t able to put her plan into action and ask him out. Thank goodness.

I’d like to believe that he asked me for my notes because he still likes me, but it’s probably just because I’m good at history. Ever since I lost my temper and told him to back off out of my life, we’ve been on friends-only terms. It’s like the kiss we shared never happened. Sometimes I wonder if he even remembers it.

I’d love to ask Jayden to stay and hang out for a while, but there’s Kabelo sitting at the kitchen table as usual, with his newspapers spread out all around him. So Jayden thanks me for the history notes and heads off.

I go to my room to change out of my school uniform. Just as I’ve taken all my clothes off and am standing in front of my cupboard wondering what to wear, Kabelo opens the door and walks in.