The break bell rang and she was forced to bend down and pick up her bag. As she did, two quick sobs escaped her mouth and she stayed bent over, her hair hiding her face. She was a liar – to the guy who actually cared about her. She wished the afternoon with William and the sangoma had never happened. She wished she’d never agreed to have coffee with him, get into his car or learn his family’s terrible history. She wished she’d never met him, and that he’d never arrived at Dayeton College.

For the rest of the day, she moved robotically from class to class. Unable to think clearly, she was convinced that it was just a matter of time until Buzz would dump her and never speak to her again. Perhaps if he did dump her it would be better. Then she wouldn’t have to do it. She had been thinking about him going to Plett Rage after school. She’d heard the stories and she didn’t want to be thinking about who he’d be hanging around with on holiday. She didn’t want to break up with him. That’s why she hadn’t said anything and now he was so cross, she was sure it was inevitable.

As she plodded through her afternoon classes, she could hear Isla chatting to her as they walked along the passages. She saw her teachers’ mouths moving, like guppy fish, but she heard nothing. The world seemed to be moving along without her, as if she was in a glass cage, with Buzz’s face imprinted on her mind and a desperate feeling of guilt sitting in her gut.

Isla had repeatedly asked Karabo what Buzz had wanted to talk to her about, and she’d successfully managed to dodge the questions until the end of the day. Unfortunately, Isla had become a dog with a bone and eventually cornered Karabo in the library.

‘Hold on a minute. You…you,’ stuttered Isla, sticking her index finger into Karabo’s chest. ‘You got into William “the creepo’s” car on the weekend? And you haven’t told me!’ said Isla, her face not too dissimilar to Buzz’s face. Karabo blinked back at Isla. Isla was on the verge of completely freaking out and Karabo wasn’t sure if knocking over a bookshelf was something she should consider doing to save herself.

‘Yes,’ said Karabo tentatively, stepping back from Isla and leaning into the bookcase behind her. A hard, thick book cover dug back into her spine in retaliation.

‘Are you stupid or insane?’ asked Isla. But before Karabo could answer fast enough, Isla continued, ‘That guy is really dangerous, and you got in his car! Do you have a death wish Karabo?’ spat Isla. Karabo continued to blink and without warning, tears began to push out of her eyes. Isla backed away, staring at Karabo, who crumpled to the floor, shaking from the uncontrollable sobs that had overcome her. Isla hadn’t meant to upset her best friend to this extent. She was just so surprised that Karabo had been so foolish and irresponsible. It was as if Karabo had fallen under some William spell and she couldn’t see what a dangerous, reckless fool he was.

‘Karabz,’ Isla said, barely audible above Karabo’s muffled sobs. ‘Karabz, I didn’t mean to upset you, this much. I just can’t believe it, that’s all. You’re so good at getting people. I just don’t understand why you would put yourself in harm’s way with that guy,’ she exclaimed sitting next to Karabo on the old scratchy library carpet floor, putting her arm around her.

‘I’m sorry, Karabz, I really am,’ said Isla again, scratching in her bag and handing Karabo some frayed tissues.

Karabo took the tissues and blew into one loudly, before looking at Isla, her dark eyes sad. ‘It’s not you Isla,’ Karabo explained, ‘It’s the whole thing!’

‘The whole thing?’ asked Isla, her face twisted with confusion and concern for her friend. Karabo never burst into tears for no reason.

‘Yes. From the time we went to the sangoma’s hut,’ said Karabo. ‘Everything has been turned upside down since then. I had to go back and try and figure out what it all meant, so when I saw William in town, I asked him to take us back there. That’s where I went with him. I wanted the sangoma to tell me what the images in the smoke meant.’

Isla stared at Karabo, her mouth hanging open. Karabo blew her nose loudly into the tissues again, before explaining to Isla what the sangoma had told her about William, and what William had told her about Mzi, and the connection between their two families. She even told Isla about the sangoma’s final comment – that she, Karabo, was some kind of key, which made absolutely no sense, and that the sangoma was her teacher. Isla’s mouth was still hanging open when Karabo finished and she gently lifted Isla’s jaw and closed her mouth. Isla blinked.

‘Mzi is a king,’ Isla eventually said. Karabo burst into laughter. Trust Isla to focus on Mzi. Isla started to laugh too, realising what Karabo was laughing at. ‘Seriously Isla, after everything I tell you, all you can think about is Mzi!’ Karabo finally managed to say.

Isla shook her head, ‘I’m sorry Karabz. But that’s about as much as I can wrap my head around at this stage,’ explained Isla.

‘It’s bizarre. No wonder you don’t want to tell Buzz the whole story. He would think you were mad.’ Isla sighed ‘Poor Buzz. Do you think he is going to break up with you?’ asked Isla, voicing Karabo’s fears.

‘Probably,’ said Karabo. ‘He was livid when he spoke to me. I don’t think he trusts me anymore,’ explained Karabo. ‘I wish I could tell him everything. I can tell he knows there’s more to it, but he would never believe the truth,’ she said.