The final weeks of the term at Dayeton College went by in a blur. Karabo was either on the sports field, studying for July exams or sleeping. Weekends were no different. Karabo’s jam-packed schedule was relieved by the occasional gossip session with Isla, who was still walking on air since Mzi had asked her to the matric dance – which was still two months away.

Karabo hoped that Isla would eventually come down to earth – she wasn’t sure she knew how to deal with this fluffy version of her usually level-headed friend. Mzi was slightly more attentive to Isla, but he was still mostly just cordial. Karabo couldn’t help feeling sorry for the guy. He was always in demand and always behaving so perfectly. Must be exhausting to keep that up with all that perfection Karabo thought. Luckily for Karabo, Isla’s Mzi madness was dulled by the onset of their mid-year exams. Isla was forced to stop talking in order to study, and this afforded Karabo the opportunity to not listen to any more Mzi stories and predictions.

Karabo was excited to get through the exams and visit her mom. It had been ages since she had seen her, and she had promised time together since the last disappointing mid-term break that never happened. They would only be together for a few days because Karabo was going to join Isla and her family on holiday in Kenton-on-Sea. Karabo had heard about the Kenton holidays, usually the December ones, but she was still thrilled to be going away with Isla’s family. Isla’s parents were friendly and normal, and not so rushed like her mother. Karabo’s mom’s career was demanding and interfering.

The last day of school dragged into view and everyone packed their trunks and bags, before making their way down to reception to be collected. Karabo’s stomach twisted in a knot. She wondered if her mother would call her and tell her not to get on the flight to Johannesburg, and to rather go straight to Kenton. Isla’s parents were driving Karabo to Port Elizabeth airport and would be fetching her from there in a week’s time.

‘It’s so close to Kenton, we may as well drop her,’ she heard Mrs Hepworth say over the phone to Isla the previous week. Karabo would have happily gone with the other children on the shuttle to the airport. All the other Joburg kids had to fly from Port Elizabeth’s airport anyway. But the Hepworths weren’t having it. Isla was thrilled to have more time with her bestie, even though her younger brother Fab was in the car too. Isla pretended Fab didn’t actually exist, which meant he sort of didn’t. Luckily for Fab, Isla went to boarding school, otherwise his parents would probably forget he was alive too.

Karabo couldn’t help thinking that the reason why the Hepworths were so insistent on taking her to the airport, was because they were worried that her mother may change her mind again at the last minute. Then they’d have to come and fetch her anyway. She prayed that her mother would keep her word and not let work come between them again.

While the girls waited for the Hepworths to arrive, Karabo had the opportunity to watch all the families. She loved being able to watch how parents arrived, what they said to their children and how their children responded. She usually had the pleasure of watching from her bedroom window, but today she had to be careful how much she stared, as they’d be able to see her face as she watched them in the entrance hall.

Tiff’s mother arrived. A red Mercedes that spilled out long thin legs, covered in skin-tight jeans and leather boots. With spidery legs that stretched out to find their footing, Tiff’s mother clambered out of the car. Her long, dead-straight blonde hair lay perfectly on her black duck down Goldwin jacket, and Karabo noticed that her sharp nose and high cheekbones made her less attractive at certain angles. As she slammed the car door and walked around the front of the car, she peered across the sea of waiting students to see if she could see Tiff, hands on her hips. Staring at her from across the way, one of the dads ran a suitcase trolley over his wife’s foot, much to Karabo’s amusement.

Isla was on the other side of the courtyard saying goodbye to Mzi. She saw her hug him and then make her way back as Mzi’s father stepped out of his car. No special introduction to Mr Khumalo then, thought Karabo, disappointed in Mzi. At the other end of the reception parking stood the students going to the airport; their luggage was being piled into a trailer attached to the back of a small bus. Buzz was there and seemed to be looking for someone. Karabo waved to catch his eye. He saw her and beamed, that great Buzz smile covering his face.

She couldn’t help but smile back. She liked Buzz – he was easy to be around. She just wished he didn’t feel so pressured by what his friends thought. What harm could being friends with her do? She was pretty normal by most people’s standards – some may have even said boring.