Twenty-five. That was the number of raindrop streams that raced down her window pane. It had rained the entire weekend and Karabo was so bored, she had started counting the number of rivulets on the old windows. The sky was mostly dark outside, and the lights from the driveway did little to lift her mood. Her room was usually filled with three busy, chatty girls, and when they were away, it felt bigger and emptier.

By Saturday afternoon she’d read all three books she’d taken out on Friday, and she’d taken to moping along the long passages of the dormitory, nodding at the other boarders left in the dorms during mid-term break. They reminded her of unwanted dogs at an animal shelter. Forgotten kids, left in a place that fed and watered them. Luckily, Dayeton College was significantly better than an animal shelter.

Originally built as a governor’s mansion, the enormous brown-stone comprised gables, and pillars with a flair for grandeur. Set against the wild and unruly vegetation of the ocean dunes of the Eastern Cape coast, it stood in defiance of nature. The main building was just far enough from the sea so as to avoid the wind, and the college facade looked across sprawling gardens and sports fields in one direction, and miles and miles of unspoiled beach in the other. Once a colonialist’s dream, the building now housed children of varying nationalities, as long as they could afford it.

The tedious winter rain had kept Karabo stuck inside the thick walls of the old building, unable to venture to the beach or play sport, which had only served to worsen her mood. The gloom had descended as a result of her overwhelming disappointment at not going home for mid-term break. Term two was very long if you had to stay at school without a holiday, and her mom had called at the last minute to say that she was going to be working on another big case.

“Ya, it’s fine mom. Sure, ya, I love you too. Good luck,” Karabo had said, before throwing her phone on her bed and unpacking her bag in a huff, swallowing down the tears. High-powered mother lawyers sounded great on TV, but their careers sucked in real life. Her mom had promised to make it up to her, but Karabo’s irritation had quadrupled because her mom had left it so late. An hour earlier, Karabo could have at least been able to go home with Isla to her family farm. By the time her mother had called, Isla had already left, leaving Karabo miserable and alone at school.

Sighing loudly, Karabo took out her earphones. Her playlist had stopped ages ago and she hadn’t bothered to move onto a new one. She needed some sugar. As she searched for some hidden chocolate – she was sure she had stashed away in her trunk for a day like this – she thought she heard a car pull up outside. The crunch of the gravel at the entrance to Dayeton College was unmistakable. How strange, she thought, no one came back to boarding school early. She forgot her mission for chocolate and went over to the window and looked down.

Her window overlooked the reception area of the school, where the bright yellow lights lit up a large black Audi parked in front of the entrance. Karabo didn’t recognise the car. If you spent as much time as she did at school, with only fifty children per grade, you got to know the cars of the parents, and which cars belonged to which family. This car was definitely new and finally presented an opportunity to do something, other than stare at window panes.

Karabo pulled her jumper over her tank top and checked her watch. Dinner time had ended over an hour ago. She yanked half of her dreadlocks up into a ponytail and blinked into her cupboard mirror, before making her way down to reception, curiosity nipping at her heels. There definitely wasn’t going to be anyone at reception at this time. Perhaps she’d be able to help these visitors.

Jogging down the stairs, she jump-landed at the bottom, slightly breathless with her braids swinging behind her. A tall, broad-shouldered man was speaking to the principal, Mr Barnard- Smyth. Mr BS, as they fondly called him, seemed to be nodding and agreeing, his stooped shoulders trying to straighten as he looked up at the enormous man.

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