“I got what I wanted from Jenny. Now she’s useless to me,” Carlton said.

“Man, sources from school state that she slapped Sandy and that’s bad because she was–”

Carlton cut in before Nolan could finish. “Who cares? Those girls are crazy. I ain’t getting involved. All I wanted was to fuck Jenny and that’s all.” Carlton smiled as he lit up another Courtleigh cigarette.

*****

Alice lay on her bed. She was in cute pink pyjamas with small white spots. I did all the hard work, so I deserve most of the moola to myself. I ain’t going to share it with Sandy, she thought as she rose to dress.

She arrived at her class early and sat at her desk, writing the same sentences over and over again.

I love you Drake,

and

Please believe me.

Alice felt a wave of coldness blow into the classroom as the door opened. When she lifted her head she saw Drake. She wanted to run to him and hug him, but she couldn’t tell from his expression how he was feeling. She shivered, not from the cold, but from Drake’s aura. She sensed a change in him as he approached her desk.

She closed her diary before he could see what she had written.

“Hi Drake. How are you?” Alice asked, with a bright smile.

“I’m fine. What about you?” He sounded very calm.

“I’m OK. Before you say anything, Drake, I want to apologise. I … I love you. This whole thing made me realise that. I didn’t take the money for myself. I took it because it was worth it. I did it to show my feelings for you. Everything that occurred that night was real, Drake.” Alice touched Drake’s right hand but he snatched it back.

“The media and this consumer society has caused you to be who you are,” Drake said.

“Excuse me?” Alice was puzzled and a little shocked.

“C’mon Alice. Do you really think the girl who loves bling is the real you? You love money for the wrong reasons. I don’t think that you’ll like your future self if you continue living this way.”

“You weren’t telling me that when I was screwing you,” she said harshly.

“If you hadn’t distracted me I wouldn’t have slept with you at all,” Drake said.

“It was all Sandy’s plan,” Alice said, pleading with Drake.

“Take responsibility for your actions and for who you are Alice. The Alice that I remember knew what she wanted. But I never thought that you were a gold digger, until all of this,” Drake said.

Alice fondled his thigh. “I’ll always be the only girl that you think of when you go to sleep.” She winked at Drake.

His eyes grew dark as he looked at her. “I had a crush on you. I mistook it for love. Forget about the bling and focus on yourself or you will never find true happiness.”

“This is my life and I’ll live it the way I want to. Continue lying to yourself, but as time goes on you’ll crawl back to me. Your fling with Jenny won’t last. If you’re lucky she’ll still be your girlfriend by the end of the month.”

“I am willing to take the risk. Even if that happens I’ll move on. If she gets someone new then it’s fine. It’s part of life,” Drake said.

“Mxm. You’ll drown yourself with booze when that shit happens and I’ll be there to comfort you,” Alice said.

“Bye Alice. See you around.” Drake turned his back on Alice and started to walk away.

“Carlton broke up with me because of you,” Alice blurted out.

“What do you want me to do about it?” Drake turned to face her.

Alice picked up her small diary and opened it. “Can you see now that I truly want to be with you? I don’t write this for any guy, it’s only you,” she said as she showed him what she had written over and over again on her page.

Drake grabbed the diary from Alice and closed it. “Alice, I never loved you. I only had a crush. Get that through your skull. Besides, I’m sure you wrote all of that recently to try and trick me.”

“No, it’s true!” Alice called after Drake as he stormed out of the classroom.

During long break Drake saw Carlton laughing with his friends, Nolan and Kellen, at the big mango tree. “Don’t go there, Drake. He ain’t worth it,” Arnold said, realising what Drake was about to do.

“If you’re my friend then you’ll have my back,” Drake said, continuing. “Carlton!” he shouted.

Carlton spun around when he heard Drake calling him. “What the fuck are you guys doing here?”

“I’m here to settle the score.”

“I don’t fight with kids. Hard luck boy,” Carlton said.

“I am just a Grade below you. We are the same age, fool,” Drake said.

“When were you born, freak?”

“1996. Started schooling a year later than you and–”

“I didn’t ask for the background. Just your date of birth,” Carlton said as he clenched his fists.

“Hey, Carlton, let me beat up that little twerp for you. It’ll be simple,” Nolan threatened.

“Yeah. They don’t know that you fight like Floyd Money Mayweather. Let us show him what sort of bodyguards we are,” Kellen said.

“First of all, you’re not my bodyguards, and secondly I wouldn’t pay you even if you were my bodyguards. And thirdly, this boy will never fight me. It’s three against two. We can’t lose to these guys,” Carlton said as he turned to look at his friends.

“Is he really going to fight for a girl?” a voice said.

Drake ignored the comment, his attention focused on Carlton. “You use people. Doesn’t that bug you even a bit?” Drake challenged, looking at Carlton in disgust.

“Nope. I don’t care. If they were rich like me I’m sure they’d probably do the same shit,” Carlton said.

Drake felt a spark of fire light up in his heart. “You sabotaged my girl and me. The least you can do is apologise.”

“And I thought you’re here to fight me. You just want an apology.”

Drake turned to see a crowd of learners around the mango tree, and Carlton went on.

“All of these people like everything about me. I give them the time of their lives. They party and see what life has to offer when you’re rich. What can you offer them? What did you expect when you brought your girl to the party? That you could keep her all to yourself?”

Carlton walked past Drake towards the small crowd that was gathering up. “My fans! Boomshakalaka!”

“Ayeye boomshakalaka!” the crowd chanted back.

“As long as you treat people like garbage, the universe will always send someone like me to take you down. Even with all the odds stacked up against me I won’t lose!” Drake declared as he clenched his fists.

“Drake, what are you doing?” a voice from behind yelled and the frenzied crowd went silent.

Drake turned and saw Jenny, a shocked look on her face. “Are you going to fight him? Don’t you think that’s a little bit childish, and foolish?”

“Look, I didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t agree. I want him to pay for his ignorance and the way he sabotaged us. That’s not the way to live,” Drake said.

“Nor is violence,” Jenny said.

“Can you please go back and chill with the crowd. Please, we’ll talk about this in a couple of minutes,” Drake said.

“Couple of minutes? There’s going to be no fight here,” Jenny said as she walked past Drake. “Carlton. Put a stop to this nonsense!” Jenny demanded, but Carlton ignored her pleas.

Drake looked at Carlton with an expression that screamed ‘it’s game on’. Carlton didn’t look fazed.

“I can’t believe I ever thought that you were a nice person. You just use people for your own benefit.” Jenny spat the words at Carlton.

“I am the law here. I have a reputation to protect. I am your boss, until I finish my matric,” Carlton said with a cold look on his face that revealed the darkness of his soul.

“The whole school will know what really happened during the party,” Jenny threatened.

“So what? Do I look like I really care, bitch? Who do you think I am? Like really, do you think petty things like this are of any use to me? I’m this school’s fucking celebrity. My family owns the cafeteria over there.”

“Carlton! Carlton! Carlton!” the crowd chanted.

“I can’t wait to customize your face!” Carlton said as he stretched and tightened his fists.

“Oh snap! That hurts,” a voice from the crowd commented.

“Snap, that hurts! Snap, that hurts! Snap, that hurts!” To Jenny it seemed like the whole world was chanting.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt,” Jenny said to Drake, who was squaring up to fight.

Drake touched her hands. “I won’t get hurt. It’s not a promise – but it’s me telling you that I won’t give up,” he whispered in her ear.

***

Tell us what you think: Do you approve of what Drake is doing? Why or why not?