After a few days, Nakonia was now popular. She dated hot guys and changed them week by week. On weekends she would always go partying with her new friends. Her social life was great and every guy wanted to date her. She was the IT girl. Her parents saw less and less of her.

She would wear long sleeved clothes and she always hid her face from them. Her mum was worried about her but her dad just reassured her that Glenda was growing and she needed her space. The teachers noticed that Glenda had changed her name to Nakonia and that she was different too.

She was sent to the office.

She explained to them that she had skin problems. The teachers understood. She told them that she preferred using her birth name Nakonia, as she associated Glenda with bullying. They understood too. They wanted a letter from her parents and the doctor about her skin problems. She faked the letters and gave them to the principal. They believed her and she got away with that.

Her grades were dropping massively; she went from straight A’s to a total F. She didn’t study or do her home works. She bunked classes and started smoking outside. She went clubbing during school hours. She was starting to be too big for her tiny shoes. Her popularity made her mean; she got back at everyone who bullied her. It got to the point where some of them changed schools. She would prank them and post it all over the net. She humiliated every one of them.

Glenda was now a monster and everyone from school feared her. If you were not on her side, you were definitely in trouble. Everyone wanted to be friends with her out of fear of being bullied. She got away with everything and she was now the leader of her clique.

Things took a turn for the worse when she ran out of pills. She craved for drugs all day long. Her skin had dark spots, it was now returning to its normal way little by little. She made her way to Joburg for some more supplies. She still knew doctor Loko’s address. She got to his apartment and knocked.

She knocked for hours and got no answer. It was late so she headed back home disappointed. She continued going every day. One day her persistence paid off. There was a man across the passage who said he was the landlord. He asked who she wanted and she answered. The landlord was in shock.

“There is no Doctor Loko here. I’ve never heard of him.” The man said.

Glenda was now in shock too. She started crying, she didn’t know what to do. She remembered that she saved the ad on her phone so she showed the landlord. The man shook his head. He felt sorry for the girl and unlocked Loko’s room and they looked around.

There were pictures of Glenda all over the place. Pictures of when she was at school, at home and out with friends; it was like Dr Loko was stalking her.

She was shocked and felt invaded.

“This guy is not a doctor, he’s a drug dealer and he knows every drug around. They use people like you to experiment on to see if the drug works,” explained the landlord. “The guy was arrested a few weeks ago for scam. People laid charges against him for skin problems. Some even died. I’m so sorry dear!”

Glenda felt like the world was crumbling down. She didn’t know what to do. She collapsed on the spot.

When she woke up she was in a hospital bed. The landlord and her parents were there with her. Feeling so ashamed of herself, she couldn’t even face them. She tried explaining to her parents what had happened, but they said it was okay, she should get some rest.

Days passed and her whole body turned green. She looked like she was rotten. Her skin was disgusting and when she touched it, it bled. She had sores all over, even on her face. She couldn’t even get out of her hospital bed. She had to be put in her own room because her skin smelled. Her mum didn’t care; she came every day to check up on her.

The kids from school came to visit her too. They bought her gifts to make her feel better. One day the hospital had to discharge her because they thought she was going to die and they didn’t have treatment. Her parents were devastated, they were almost bankrupt. The hospital bills were too much for them. With luck, the kids from school gladly helped raise funds for her that took her overseas for treatment. Her parents were so grateful. Treatment was given overseas but Glenda’s body rejected it. Her condition was critical and she was in a bad state. The doctors struggled but never gave up on her.

***

Tell us: What do you think will happen to Glenda?