High school: A cheesy love story

6

As soon as my mother drops me off, Sindi is in my sights. She seems to be impatiently on the lookout for someone.

"Hey."

"Hi." Her quick, short and indifferent reply highlights the depth of her distraction.

"Can I ask you a quick question?"

"Yup." More indifference.

I let out a sigh and with that realisation hits me. I don't need her to be focused, I just need an answer. She probably knows Luke better than anyone. She can probably tell him apart by his scent or something.

"What do you think about Luke?"

"Is that a trick question?" She scoffs in a mocking way. She's quite the multitasker.

"Uhm... No."

She turns a bit. It seems slow to me. The look she gives me says, "tell me more."

"I'm his best friend. I think only good things and bad things are only reserved for me so that I can be the only one who teases me. What's more intriguing though, is why you want to know."

"He asked out on a date. A family date." I confess so quickly as if Sindi was hypnotizing me with her speech.

She snorts.

"I'm sorry..." She's trying very hard not to laugh but the tears in her eyes are contradicting her. She snorts again before painfully pursing her lips.

"Sweetheart that is not a date. It's an interview." There's still hints of restrained humour in her tone.

"What do you mean?" Her laughter doesn't offend me much.

"It's an evaluation. The children of that house are allowed to date. Their father allows them to ..."

I stop her in her tracks with my question.

"Why can't you say his surname? I'm sure everyone knows it." I look around. The number of fellow pupils has increased and the sun has risen much higher than it was earlier on.

"It's not my place to say but it's irrelevant. So the kids are allowed to date but they are bring their dates for an evaluation or assessment done by their father..."

I stop her again and her frustration is clear as she shoots daggers with her eyes.

"All of them?"

"Not all of them but that's also irrelevant. Ficelle is free spirit who doesn't care about her father's approval. She brings whoever she likes and if her father dislikes them, that's his problem. Luke on the other hand is too much of a people's pleasure, especially where his father is concerned, so that means you have to be perfect."

"Good thing I don't seek people's approval either."

I'm afraid she doesn't hear me and soon come to know why. Her entire attention is instantly snatched away from me and directed towards the person she was eagerly waiting for.

I turn around and I see her embracing a very distressed Ficelle. Her eyes are puffy and fresh tears are pricking her sensitive cheeks.

I don't know what to do so I remain frozen in my spot.

"Nothing's working!" She says as they approach me.

"Not the bloody pills! Not the bloody therapy! I hate seeing him like that Sindi. I know I usually have it together. For his sake. But I'm slowly losing it." She continues to sob. "What fuck are you looking at?!" She shouts at the uninvited spectators.

"Bloody hell!" Ficelle shouts again and the number of spectators grows.

Our mathematics teacher approaches. She hugs Ficelle, ever so warmly.

"Hey, I heard about the incident. How are you feeling?"

"I don't want to loose him, ma'am. He's in pain, I know but I don't want to loose him." Her cries are so painful I'm almost touched.

"Sindiswa." The teacher calls out.

"Yes ma'am " Sindi stands upright as if she's a soldier.

"Take her to the sick bay and stay with her. I'll vouch for you." She nods.

"Yes ma'am." She gives her the salute.

"And you... To class." She gives the command and I mimic Sindi's behaviour.

"All of you! To your classes right now, the show is over."

***

The first half of my classes for the day go past me like a blur. I keep thinking that maybe I was wrong or misinformed about the teacher and Luke. I don't have enough details and Sindi is quite relentless on not letting on what she knows. I'm going to have to try harder. I hate not knowing anything.

I decide to get lunch for both Sindi and Ficelle. Ficelle is still sleeping when I get to the sick bay. Siyabonga follows right after me. He seems to have rushed here just to bring food for the love of his life.

"We should give them some space. It can't be too crowded in here." Sindi announces to me as she stands up. She gives Ficelle a kiss on her forehead and she stirs awake.

"Is it my funeral already." Her voice is thick but her chuckle is warm.

"Please don't say that. I was worried sick when I didn't see or hear from you." Siyabonga places his forehead on hers and they both smile at each other.

"How's he?" Siyabonga asks the question that has been on my mind but I wouldn't exactly place it like that.

Ficelle swallows hard. Her smile along with her amusement dissappears.

"He..." She lets out a deep sigh.

"He's resting. He was sleeping peacefully when I left this morning. I shouldn't have left him..." She blinks a couple of times. There's deadness in her eyes, a slow drifting of her thoughts and all I can think about is a painting.

"He's all alone." Her eyes quickly return to us.

"Hey, he's not alone. Your mother's there, remember?" Sindi assures her.

"Yes she is. With ocean eyes as blue as his. He's never afraid of the ocean, with it's huge and majestic waves." She chuckles and in an instant her smile is back.

"We should go." Sindi pulls me by arm. I follow her even though I wish to stay.

***

Outside...

"What is wrong with Luke?" I attempt to break the iceberg between us.

"It's. It's not my place. Just focus on the date." She bites into her lunch, chewing slowly on her thoughts.

"I believe it to be quite relevant if I'm to go on a date with him." I want to use the friendship card on her but I know this is a losing battle and Luke has better odds.

"And he will tell you when he's ready. Besides you have to get to know each other better before this date. You can't go into battle unprepared, it would benefit neither."

With that she deems the subject closed.