When the bell rang we were dismissed, with a warning to finish all our homework if we didn’t want to end up in detention. As I reached my next class I heard somebody behind me shouting: “Hazel!” I ignored the call, but then someone pushed me from behind and I stumbled.

“You will answer when we talk to you,” the girl said. She seemed to be the leader of the bitchy girls, and the others were just her puppets. Her name was Letitia.

“My name is Chwayita,” I said, feeling anger start to rise inside me. The other girls had joined her, and they were standing in a circle around me now.

“You will answer to whatever name we choose for you, do you hear me? Or we will report you.”

“Report me for what?” I asked. I couldn’t believe these girls; they couldn’t be serious! “I haven’t done anything wrong,”

“Well, your hair for one, is an abomination according to the school’s Code of Conduct,” Letitia said, putting her hand on my hair and ruffling it up. I jerked my head away. “So, if you don’t want to get in trouble, you will answer to Hazel.”

They were now closing in like vipers and I was anticipating a punch from Letitia. She wouldn’t, would she?

“Leave her alone Letitia.” The girl from assembly, whose name was Jasmin, pushed through the circle. “Come on Chwayita, we don’t want to be late for class,” she said pulling my hand.

“Well if you don’t like ‘Hazel’, I’m sure we can find something else for you,” said Letitia, as she pushed past me into class.

“Yeah, like you changed Nomthandazo’s name to Beatrice, mnxim,” my defender, Jasmin shot back at Letitia.

“Beatrice likes her new name, don’t you Beat?” said one of the bitchy girls, giving Nomthandazo a threatening look. “Beatrice, tell Jasmin how you feel about your name.”

“I like it,” said Nomthandazo, almost in a whisper.

The girl was terrified; she was shaking. I felt so bad for her. Why would anyone want to change their name to something they didn’t even like? This was cruel and these girls were mean. Why was she part of their crew? I felt sick.

“Well then, you have your puppets, but you are not getting Chwayita to be one of them,” Jasmin said. “See you later,” she shouted to me, as she ran off down the corridor.

I wanted to ask her where, so I could find her at break.

***

Tell us: Why do you think Nomthandazo agreed to change her name? Is it common for pupils to have an English ‘school’ name?