Sphesihle and Nosipho were the hottest girls at Zwane High School. Every boy wanted to try their luck with them.

Nathi had been quiet ever since Sphesihle and Nosipho joined them. He looked at Sphesihle, admiring her beauty. In his mind, he noticed everything about her that was beautiful. Her well-shaped small nose, her soft pink lips and white small, sexy eyes. She was the woman of his dreams. He even forgot that he had been staring at her for a while until he heard Sphesihle calling his name.

“Nathi, are you fine? You’ve been quiet ever since we got here,” Sphesihle asked.

“What!” He panicked. “No, I’m fine, I don’t know what got into my head. I was just thinking,” Nathi said.

“OK, fine. Are you comfortable with us being here? I mean, we are not disturbing you. It’s just that you’ve been quiet and maybe it’s because of us,” Sphesihle asked with a soft voice.

“Yeah, I’m cool. I’m really sorry that I make you guys feel like you are disturbing me. But I can’t lie, I was a bit shocked when I saw you guys joining us. No one ever chills with us here,” Nathi replied.

“It’s because they don’t know you are the coolest guys in this school. We always wished to join you, but we were scared,” Nosipho said.

“We are the coolest guys?” Bheki asked and looked at Nathi. They both laughed. “You must be joking guys.”

“Yes, you guys are cool. We just like to hang with people who are not ashamed of who they are, people who don’t do crazy things because they want to entertain others. You guys are really cool if you ask me,” Sphesihle added.
The bell interrupted their conversation, they had to go back to their separate classes. Sphesihle promised them that they will spend more time together from that day on.

Nathi had a smile all over his face. This was something he felt in his heart, and he never felt the same way for any other woman. He didn’t believe that Sphesihle said she was going to spend more time with them during break times.

Zwane High School was short-staffed because the teachers were at the free workshop classes. Bheki joined Nathi at the desk at the back. Nathi was dazed in thought about everything that happened to him ever since he was born. Nothing good had ever happened to him, tears formed in his eyes. Bheki noticed that his friend was going through hard times.

“Dude, what is eating at you? Don’t tell me you are cool, look at the tears and I’m sure this is not about Sphesihle,” Bheki said, sitting next to him trying to comfort him.

“Dude, I have so much going on in my head. I have been hiding this from everyone. I can’t hide it anymore, I need someone I can talk to,” Nathi said with tears in his eyes.

“You know I’m here. You are like a brother to me, you can talk to me about anything,” Bheki replied.

“But I can’t talk right now, everyone is looking at me, wondering what going on with me. I need to go home now,” he tried to wipe tears.

“No, you are coming with me. We are going to my mother’s house. I can’t let you go through this all alone,” Bheki said, and they went to the principal’s office for a permission slip to leave school premises.

Bheki wanted to help Nathi, and his home was not far from the school. They walked to his mother’s house and nobody was home. Lizzy, Bheki’s mother, was a teacher, and his father worked far from the village. He came home on the weekends. They entered the big, green house and sat on the big black leather couch in the dining room. Nathi was still crying.

Bheki didn’t know what to do because he could see that whatever his friend was going through was painful. He had never seen him crying. He had no choice but to talk with him to try to understand what was bothering him and help him if he can.

***

Tell us what you think: Do you think Nathi will be able to share with Bheki his burden?