Once she was alone again in her bedroom Wani began to obsess about the two girls who had walked into Sibusile’s salon. Who exactly were they? Were they just making a comment in passing, or was there some truth in what they were saying?

“She thinks she’s white!” The words were etched deeply into her heart. Wani thought about some of the other black girls at her school. The truth was, her friendships with them had faded when she started to hang out with Chantal and Lisa. Omphemetse had tried to continue the friendship they had had at primary school. But Wani had ignored her calls after Lisa had said that Omphemetse had no dress sense. And then there was Refilwe – they used to be friends, but it all seemed such a long time ago. Refilwe also wasn’t with the programme: she didn’t even have a Blackberry.

Wani sat and considered, after what those Hillbrow girls had said, that perhaps she should contact her old friends. But when she scrolled through her contacts she saw that she had deleted their numbers. So, instead, Wani decided to do what she always did and she sent a BBM message to Lisa and Chantal:

Hey girlfriends, whatcha up2? I’m hanging out
@home 2day & taking it slow. How’s the mall?

A BBM came through seconds later from Chantal:

We @ food court, having a smoothie.
U standing us up again?

Oh no, thought Wani, I’m disappointing my friends. A second BBM came through:

Rob is here.

Oh no, a double disappointment! Robert was the first and only guy that Wani had kissed, and yes he was “W-H-I-T-E”. Wani had spelled the word out to her seventeen-year-old brother, to ensure her five-year-old brother wouldn’t know what she was talking about.

Another BBM message arrived from Lisa:

Rob wants 2 kno where u r, r u coming?

Wani thought about this for a minute; then decided not to give in to pressure. Ninety per cent of academic success was being able to prioritise your life, she decided. It was time to prioritise. She had to do well at school and she needed to study. But she would make it up to her friends.

She hit dial and called Chantal. “Hi there, are you missing me?”

“Yes, you stranger. December holidays were long enough! It’s time for the big catch up session, and um … we’ve got company.”

“Oh, Rob! Please tell him I say hi, and I’ll be having a big party in February for Valentine’s.” Wani had decided this on the spur of the moment. “Tell him he’s invited.”

***

Tell us what you think: What is your opinion of Wani deleting her old friends’ numbers from her phone? What does Wani value?