“Foreigner!” Thabiso hits the back of my head.

I don’t mind. I just look up at him. He laughs loudly, swinging his expensive Puma bag over my head, it lands with a thud on my shoulder.

“Why don’t you go back to Zimbabwe? You’re polluting our country.” He tells me.

It’s the math period, our teacher isn’t in yet. I’m in grade 10.

“They’re just here to make a living, like you Thabiso!” Ofentse comes to my rescue. She always does.

She’s so pretty and smart.

“They should make a living in their own country! We also don’t have jobs!” Thabiso smacks my head again. “And if I didn’t know better, I’d say you want him. The way you’re always defending him.” Thabiso shakes his head.

“Mxm!” Ofentse says, then reads her novel.

Thabiso smacks my head again. “Mxm umubi saarn. (You’re ugly, man)” he says. 

His friends laugh.

“And, they’ve invaded our community boy! Did you see them? Setting up shacks. Ah these people will kill us.” Jabu says.

“I saw that! Hee boy! Now we can’t even play soccer, they live in our field.” Thabiso takes my textbook and throws it down.

“Bruh! Mxaa” jabu shakes his head.

“They should leave.” Thabiso chants. “Or else, we will burn it down. Burn those shacks down” Thabiso sings.

“Burn! Burn! Burn!” The whole class strikes.

I stand up and pick the book from the dirty floor, then walk out. 

When I reach the boy’s restroom, I sob quietly.