Sharp edges. S.A. Partridge

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      This one’s for you, Mom.

      *

      Prologue

      “BONANG!”

      “I’m over here, hurry up.”

      I wave from the front of the line and wait for the pop of recognition in my friend’s eyes. When she sees me, Ntombi­ and a girl I don’t recognise hurry over and join me in the queue. Ntombi is wearing a colourful short dress that shows off her long legs. The blonde girl is wearing black jeans and a button-up shirt. How boring.

      They push themselves into the line and we deliberately keep our eyes in front of us to avoid the angry complaints coming from behind.

      “Sorry I’m late. I had to pick up Ashley in Fourways,” said Ntombi, as she brushes one of her braids out of her face. I look at this “Ashley”. Her hair is very white, although the dark roots are starting to show, and her face is pocked with holes from previous piercings as if she took all the metal jewellery out in one go. She doesn’t meet my gaze.

      I turn to my best friend and give her a look that says “WTF?”.

      She shrugs. “Ashley is new to my grade. I thought I’d show her what the nightlife is like in Jozi. She’s from Cape Town.”

      It’s clear that Ashley doesn’t like being spoken about. She starts chewing her hair nervously. I sigh.

      “Just act cool, okay? If the bouncer asks how old you are, say nineteen.”

      The new girl nods, but her eyes are looking everywhere but at me.

      Ntombi shrugs again and links her arm through mine. “Don’t worry about Ashley; she’s alright. You’re looking fabulous, by the way.”

      I smile at the compliment. I had squeezed myself into the teeniest, sparkliest dress I own. I like looking good when I go out. Scratch that. I love looking better than everyone else.

      The bouncer scrutinises us, but lets us into the club without hassle. He probably recognises me from the previous weekend.

      As soon as we cross the threshold, I start to move. My hips start swaying and my arms stretch up to the sky. I might not be the smartest girl in class – Ntombi has enough brains for both of us – and I’m useless at most sports, but when it comes to dancing, I’m in my element.

      I sashay towards the dance floor, my fingers waving at all the familiar faces from recent parties. I spin on the spot, motioning for Ntombi to join me, but she isn’t looking at me. I watch as she and Ashley slip into a booth at the far end of the room.

      My good mood crumples a little. I’m not used to Ntombi having other friends. I turn back to the dance floor and lose myself to the hip hop beats, stamping my feet and waving my arms, determined to have a good time. I’m not going to let some girl with confidence problems ruin my night.

      A dance circle forms and guys take turns to stand in the middle and show what they’ve got. I applaud them on, making them dance harder and faster.

      This is the Joburg I love, the music, the culture, the excitement.

      By the time I join Ntombi and Ashley, I’m sweating and fanning myself with my hand. Turns out that tight dress I decided to wear isn’t very practical. I would have done better in tights and an airy shirt, which aren’t very glam, but would have been more comfortable to dance in.

      I squeeze into the booth, forcing Ntombi and Ashley to make space for me.

      “So what do you think of the city so far?” I ask the friend-stealer.

      She jumps a little in her seat, as if she wasn’t expecting me to talk to her.

      “It’s cool. It’s different. I guess it’s weird not having a moun­tain in the background.”

      “So why did you leave Cape Town?”

      Ntombi hisses at me. “Bonang!”

      “What? It’s just a question.”

      Ashley shifts in her seat and folds her arms across her chest. The question clearly upset her, or else she’s super-sensitive about it.

      Ntombi rolls her eyes. “Cut it out, B. Ashley’s Mom lives here.”

      Behind us, the DJ launches into another track. I resist the urge to get up and dance. I want to find out what this girl’s story is. Ntombi always tells me that I’m nosy and that I must keep out of other people’s business, but I can’t help it. How else am I supposed to react to a mysterious girl who just appeared in my life? She hasn’t smiled once since we got to the club and she’s showed no interest in the music. Next to her, Ntombi’s body is just itching to dance. She nods her head in time to the beat. I bet she’s only sitting there for the sake of her new best friend.

      I order a couple of Sprite Zeros from a hostess and slide one over to Ashley.

      Ntombi gets up and eases out of the booth. “I’m going to the bathroom. Don’t be too bitchy while I’m away,” she warns me.

      “Yeah. Yeah.”

      As soon as she’s gone, I turn to Ashley. “So what’s in Cape Town that you had to run away from?”

      Her head jerks towards me. “What makes you think I ran away?”

      I take a sip of Sprite to hide my victorious smirk. “You keep looking around. Is someone following you? Is it a boy?”

      She lowers her eyes. “No.”

      My eyes widen: “A girl?”

      She sighs and shakes her head. “No.”

      I lean forward, curiosity burning a hole inside me. I don’t care that my favourite song just started blasting through the speakers. I knew she had a story. No one can walk around like a ghost and not have a good reason for it.

      She turns away from me and stares at a spot somewhere in the middle of the room. I follow her gaze, but all I see is the backs of people going wild on the dance floor. What does she see?

      Her lips part to speak. I stare, not blinking, not even daring to breathe.

      “They found her in the lake.”

      “Who?”

      She doesn’t look at me. I suspect she isn’t even speaking to me any more. An involuntary shiver works its way down my back.

      “Demi.”

      *

      Dear V

      Surprise! D managed to get tickets for СКАЧАТЬ