Ntokozo Makhubo was excited; it was her first day in high school. She knew what she was there to do; she wanted to do wonders from Grade 8 to Grade12. She had what it takes. She was very smart; her biggest advantage was hard work. She was beautiful, although she didn’t know that.

She was fine; she had glossy skin and attracted whoever was looking at her. She was an adorable and modest beauty. She didn’t even know how beautiful she was.

The very first day in high school was unusual. She didn’t know anyone there. This was a school that was in town, and it was her Grade 7 results that made her parents feel like she deserved something better than what her location school offered. She watched others who looked so free while she was nervous.

She didn’t know how hard it was there but those kids acted as if it was like walking in the park. It then dawned on her that their interests weren’t the same. Some were there to make friends, others were there to find love, she was there to study. She was like a cow that eats alone; she was someone who enjoyed learning a lot.

Towards the end of the first week Ntokozo was really getting used to most things but she still had no friends. It was starting to be clear that she was going to be a maths master and her maths teacher already expected a lot from her.

Her school uniform was always clean and nicely ironed, she was neat. In the second week she hadn’t created a space for a friend in her heart, she hadn’t craved for one yet. During break, her classmates Zama and Thabisile came to her.

“Hi, Ntokozo,” Zama greeted.

“Zama and Thabi,” said Ntokozo.

“Ntokozo look, we were thinking that it would be fun if the three of us would be friends. You need swag and we can give you that,” Zama said doing a quite funny pose.

Ntokozo laughed as she shook her head.

“For real?” Ntokozo asked still laughing.

“For real, and we could be unstoppable,” Thabi said and did her own pose.

“Okay cool, friends forever,” Ntokozo sighed.

“Friends forever!” they all said together.

And that’s how Ntokozo made her first best friends.

The friendship had been going for about a month. Ntokozo felt like she had known her friends all her life. They clicked. They were more like a slice of bread and butter, saliva and a tongue and a spoon and a mouth. Ntokozo started to understand what they mean when they say your best years are in high school.

She was sure that she could never enjoy life like she was enjoying then. In class Ntokozo concentrated, outside class Ntokozo played and at home Ntokozo studied. One would swear her head was meant to solve x because she was so good with mathematics. Her friends benefited a lot from this. She was not someone who would ask her friends to go to the library to study together but she was always available when her friends did ask. Although Ntokozo was an introvert her friends changed her, she was then an extrovert.

The first term was good and Ntokozo did beat every Grade 8 leaner. Her friends also did well.

Right after the first term Zama and Thabile found boyfriends.

“Zama do you really love that Mlu boy?” Ntokozo asked curiously.

“Love is too strong a word my friend, let’s just say I’m having fun,”

Ntokozo kept quiet for a while.

“And you Thabi?”

“Well he is cute. But I don’t think love is the right word for what I feel for him, yeah let’s just call it fun. You also need to find a boyfriend now Ntokozo,”

Ntokozo had a serious look on her face for a moment.

“Maybe,” Ntokozo said sadly.

She knew in her heart that she didn’t want to play around; she wanted to love. There were a lot of guys asking her out, but she didn’t love any of them. She was just not sure if she’ll be able to bare this game.

Time went on and Ntokozo still didn’t have a boyfriend. She couldn’t do it, her heart wouldn’t let her. Something inside her kept on telling her to wait, it’s not like she wanted to rush anyway. But the pressure she was getting from her friends was too much.

Ntokozo looked stupid whenever Zama and Thabile were with their boyfriends.

June exams began and Ntokozo performed as expected. Her friends also did well but not as well as the first term. Ntokozo got used to the fact that she didn’t have a boyfriend and her friends did. Time went on and the final exams came.

Ntokozo became the highest learner in Grade 8 and she got 8 certificates for her hard work. Her friends passed but, they just barely passed.

***

Tell us: Did you ever get pressured into being in a relationship by your friends? How did you handle it?