all aboard on this love train

chapter 1

SATURDAY, 03 FEBRUARY

I have a rugby game today and I can not wait! This is my first game for this season and being in the first team gives me all the more reason to look forward to it.

I am currently at my boarding house, packing all that I need for the game today.

Enzo: you good, bro?
Me: yeah. I am proper, you?
Enzo: proper.

Enzo is my homeboy. We have been friends since the beginning of high school and we climbed the 'cool jocks' ladder together.

Me: what happened between you and your girl last night?
Enzo: that girl is crazy, bro.
Me: crazy in love with you. what do you feed these girls?
Enzo: I have nothing to offer but looks and the fact that I am a popular first team boy.
Me: that is all they are after anyway, right?
Enzo: right. are you being sarcastic?
Me: me? no.

I totally am. This guy bags all the beautiful girls, they are popular too but he messes it up every single time.

Enzo: you could be bagging girls like I am if you could just reply to their messages.
Me: I am not interested in those types of girls. I need a genuine thing.
Enzo: nothing in high school is genuine, bro. just bag a bad girl and they will all be throwing themselves at you more than they are right now.
Me: Enzo, where does that leave you everytime you do that?

He always ends up with those overly obsessed girls that are very pretty but are rotten in the mind. They lack mere knowledge about small things going on around us.

Me: besides, one of us has to be the good guy.
Enzo: dude, come on. Nkomo, all of these girls want you! I am just second option to most of them because you are not replying to them.
Me: okay?
Enzo: you're missing my point. live life, boy.
Me: no.

We get a text from our coach saying that the bus has arrived so we rush to the bus because it does not wait too long.

Me: stop speaking nonsense and coach better not hear you talking like that.

Coach Mondlana is like an older brother to us and I am grateful that we have that in this place. He is our advisor too so we will never fall under peer pressure as long as he is around. Obviously, his advice flys over Enzo's head.

We all get on the bus and off we go. The school we are playing again is 45 minutes away so after 45 minutes, we finally arrive.

We get off and we relax for a little while because the first team only plays at the end which is a few hours away from now.

Enzo: I want water.
Coach: water and not girls?
Enzo: no, coach.
Coach: that is a first. I have been praying for this day.
Enzo: funny.

Coach chuckles while Enzo is being sarcastic. Coach is really just our brother from another mother.

Me: we will go buy water at the shops.
Enzo: okay, let us go then.
Coach: please keep an eye on him, Nkomo.
Me: you already know I will.

We get up from the grandstands and go to their tuckshop. We get there and find a whole lot of girls standing in line.

Enzo: now, this is what I want.
Me: no. buy water and let us go.
Enzo: you are so uptight.
Me: and you are so stupid.

I say giving him a fake smile and he goes and buys his water.

Enzo: let us go then.
Girl: hey, you dropped this.

She says handing me my wallet.

Me: thank you.
Girl: what is your name?
Me: Nkazimulo Nkomo.
Girl: I am Katlego Mabelane.
Me: nice to meet you.
Girl: nice to meet you too.

She's really pretty. She is petite and light skin and when I see lightskin, I mean very light.

Enzo taps my shoulder.

Enzo: we are playing in a few minutes.

We run to the changing room and run in time for our tunnel. We do our tunnel and the game proceeds after the other team does theirs.

Some time later, the game ends. Our team won by 5 points and I hurt my ankle. It is nothing severe though. I will be fine if I just apply some rubbing stuff and a bandage.

We then head to the bus and we go back to boarding. I was planning on going on a morning jog tomorrow but I guess I will not be doing that now.

We get to our dorms and I take a shower and after dinner, I wrap my ankle with a bandage after applying rubbing stuff. I then lie in bed while scrolling on socials.

Enzo: did you see how that girl looked at you?
Me: no.

I say in my deep, low voice, trying to dismiss him.

Enzo: come on. anyway, my parents called and they asked whose house we are going to during the holidays.
Me: we are going to my house.
Enzo: are you sure?
Me: what is that supposed to mean?
Enzo: I mean your parents have been fighting a lot lately and it makes things a bit awkward for the both of us.
Me: Enzo, we are going to my house. you have known me my entire life and who else would I share those awkward moments with other than you? you are my best friend and you go where I go so we are going to my house for the holidays. do you agree?
Enzo: I agree. I love you, man.
Me: I love you too, bro.

He also gets in his bed and we switch off the lights as we scroll on our phones. A few minutes later, I get a new follow notification and a direct message.

Me: Enzo.

I say as I sit up and he sits up too.

Enzo: what is going on?

I throw the phone and he catches it.

Enzo: is this not that girl from the school we went to?
Me: I mean it obviously is.
Enzo: I knew she liked you and you dismissed me because you are crazy!
Me: I am not crazy. I just believe that my life should not revolve around woman.
Enzo: your life will never revolve around woman because you do not have any.
Me: will you shut up and reply to her text?
Enzo: me?
Me: I will pay you.
Enzo: okay.

He says and he gets up very quickly and climbs on my bed. I then reply to the messages while he watches to make sure that I do not mess up.

Kat: hey. I heard you got injured at the game. are you okay?
Me: yeah, I am good. I just hurt my ankle a little.
Kat: oh. I hope you feel better soon. it was really nice meeting you today.
Me: it was nice meeting you too.

She begins typing and stops. What did I do wrong?

Enzo: you idiot! how do you think she is going to reply to this text? she stopped typing because she tried thinking of what to text to you but had nothing to say.
Me: what should I do?
Enzo: do not do anything.
Me: what do you mean?
Enzo: if she really wants you, she will try to make conversation with you.
Me: Enzo.

She then texts me, speaking about her day.

Enzo: I told you. Nkomo, I am going to sleep. I am not going to deprive myself of that because of you and your girl.
Me: she is not my girl.
Enzo: mhm.

He says before going to his bed. The two other gents that we share our dorm with went home for the weekend. The guys are Hlompho Mokeona and Boikanyo Zwide.

Me: I can not wait for the boys to come back.
Enzo: so you can cheat on me?
Me: what?

I say before we both burst out laughing.

Me: just go to sleep, Enzo.
Enzo: okay. goodnight.
Me: goodnight.