Later at break Joseph bumps into Nozi outside the classrooms.
JOSEPH: Hey, Nozi! Why did you walk right past me earlier? You didn’t even greet.
NOZI: Are you even allowed to talk to me?
JOSEPH: Allowed? I don’t need permission to talk to my friends.
NOZI: From what I hear, you have new friends and a new girlfriend.
JOSEPH: What? Lerato and I? We’re just going to the dance together – maybe. We’re not dating.
NOZI: (laughing) You’re in a relationship and you don’t even know it. Check Facebook.
Joseph takes his phone out and a notification says he’s in a relationship with Lerato.
JOSEPH: This is not right. We didn’t speak about this.
NOZI: You don’t get it, do you?
Silence.
NOZI: Lerato gets what she wants and you have no say in it. Why do you think Keenan broke up with her? She’s a control freak.
JOSEPH: She’s …
NOZI: Goodbye, Joseph.
Nozi walks away and Lerato walks towards him.
LERATO: What did the freak want?
JOSEPH: Why do you have to be like that?
LERATO: Like what?
JOSEPH: So mean?
LERATO: I’m not mean; I’m just honest. And if you’re gonna be with me you can’t hang with those people.
JOSEPH: What people?
LERATO: Those freaks you hang out with – the ugly boy and the loser with glasses.
JOSEPH: Lerato, those are my friends.
LERATO: Not any more. They’ll only hold you back.
JOSEPH: Hold me back from what?
LERATO: From being the star that you are. You’ve been hiding under your big blazer and slouching – trying to shrink yourself and fit in their world. But you don’t belong to their world. You belong up here, with me.
JOSEPH: But you’re asking me to let go of a friendship I’ve had for years.
LERATO: It’s like a band-aid, you just rip it off. It won’t hurt that much. Now I’m done talking about this. Remember we have a fitting later today.
Lerato flounces off.
Tell us: do you think Joseph and Lerato’s relationship will last?