A Beautiful Mess.

39.

"Excuse me? Are you talking to me?" I asked and looked behind me to make sure that what was said was directed to me.

"Yes wena, I'm talking to you, you home wrecker" Nonhle said trying to size me up. I stood up so that I looked at her from eye level and slowly felt my blood boiling. How dare she come throw insults at me when I did nothing.

Just keep your composure. Nonhle doesn't know what she's talking about.

"Nonhle what are you talking about?" I asked her with an irritated look on my face.

"So it's you, huh? You're the one who's responsible for my relationship with Senzo ending. You're the one that ruined things between us!" she yelled and a crowd was now surrounding us.

I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous Nonhle was sounding right now. Was she really blaming me for their relationship ending? I mean last I checked the break up was somewhat mutual so I just couldn't understand why she was acting like this was all my fault when I had nothing to do with their relationship ending.

"What makes you think I'm the one who ruined things between you and Senzo?"

"Oh, so are you trying to say I made this all up in my head?"

"That's not what I said Nonhle" I replied and rolled my eyes. I didn't have the energy to deal with her insecurities and petty behavior right now.

"Then explain this. Wasn't this you and Senzo yesterday?"she said pulling out her phone and showing me a picture.

"So maybe it is but this doesn't mean anything—"

"—I'm not crazy Melokuhle, I know exactly what this means. Wow so little Miss 'innocent' isn't so innocent after all going around stealing people's men. Sies, who do you think you are? And to think that I was actually warming up to you because I thought you were a nice person but you were nothing but a fake. A fake that was just trying to stab me in the back" she said and she started to push me. I tried my outmost best to keep calm and be in control of my already raging emotions . I didn't want to give her a reaction because I knew that's what she wanted. I needed to stay calm.

"Nonhle, have you even bothered to sit down and ask yourself why your relationship ended. It was because you were controlling and selfish and everything was about you. You think you managed to fool everyone into thinking that your relationship was 'perfect' when in fact it was toxic because YOUR'E toxic Nonhle" I stepped back and she pushed me again.

"Take that back" she demanded and her voice broke.

"Ukhohlakele Nonhle. So if anything, you're the one to blame for your own relationship ending, not me" I said and started to gather my things to go sit somewhere else. Somewhere where there was no Nonhle and I started to walk away.

"And your nothing but a piece of trash that's been after everything I have since day one. First it's my boyfriend, then my opportunity to go to a prestigious youth empowerment camp, what's next huh, my debate captaincy" she said and I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face here.

"Angizwanga (excuse me)?"

I couldn't fully process what she had just said to me. Is she really claiming I stole her opportunity to go to that youth camp when in fact she practically begged me to go? I didn't know whether it was me or Nonhle who was confused but none of this made any sense.

Is this really happening to me?...Satan is testing me shem...

"You're a nobody Melokuhle, you think you're somebody when in fact you're nothing but a stray feeding off of my crumbs. My leftovers."

"Say that one last time Nonhle, I dare"

"In these gates, you're a nothing sisi. A nobody. Just a poor rat from the township that only gets opportunities by making people feel sorry for her" she laughed and continued to taunt me.

I was slowly losing my composure and my hand was already shaking. I had glasses in my eyes and was ready to cry there and then.

"Argh shem, do you want to cry? Aw bakithi." she said and continued to laugh along with the rest of the crowd with a laugh that would continue to ring circles in my head if I didn't do anything about it. Nonhle had crossed a line and I had reached a point of no return. I couldn't hold it any longer. I had to do it. And before I knew it her cheek was finally met with the back of my hand.

"Ah!" She screeched and tried to slap me back but I stepped on her foot and slapped her back and had her limping. She pushed me and I felt a blow to the stomach. We had been going back and forth and I had her on the ground and I just couldn't stop. I needed her to feel my pain. It was finally time she learnt her lesson and I was glad that I got to do the honours. I just kept throwing fists at her and she did the same back until we were both bruised. It was only when she hit my head against the ground that reality hit me and all sense began to return. Literally.

I hit Nonhle. I hit Nonhle and I didn't hold back one bit. But little did I know that the second the back of my hand touched her cheek I flushed my entire scholarship down the toilet. My life.

I let go of her and got up from the ground and looked around me to find a crowd surrounding us with the cameras already out. My vision was a bit blurred but I could still see their faces laughing at me. Those smiles taunting and making fun of me. I looked at Nonhle on the ground trying to get herself together and then the world started spinning around me. I didn't know if it was because of the blow I took to the head but everything started to look different. The more I thought about what I had done, how I threw my scholarship away just like that or how I basically did to Nonhle what Bradley did to Mak yesterday, the more I felt my chest closing up and feeling more and more nauseous. I was trembling and slowly losing my balance. Reality hit me hard. So hard that the room went dark and then...I-was-out.