MINE

CHAPTER 1

Narrated

It had been a week since Tintswalo's ex-boyfriend, Maitse, had broken up with her, and she still felt devastated. She sighed heavily as she stared at his break-up text for the 50th time that week. The message read: "I love you so much, but I can't keep lying to myself. We won't last, and I'm not good for you. I'm addicted to cannabis, and I want what's best for you." Tintswalo rolled her eyes, knowing it was a complete lie. After all, he had already moved on and was posting about his new girlfriend - her cousin, Ntsumi! She realized he had just used that as an excuse to get rid of her. As usual, she cried herself to sleep, but just as she was about to drift off into a deep slumber, her phone rang, disturbing her peaceful escape from the pain. Tintswalo groggily answered, " Argh! Why can't I ever have peace?"

Babalwa's loud voice boomed on the other end, Babalwa : "Wake up!!!"
Tintswalo rubbed the sleep from her eyes, Tintswalo : "What now?"
Babalwa : "What the hell, Tee?! I told you about the house party at Ntokozo's place!! It's tonight! You have to come!"
Tintswalo sighed, her mind racing. She knew that Ntokozo, Babalwa's boyfriend, was trouble. She had a feeling that the party wouldn't be just a fun and games kind of night. Ntokozo had a reputation for being reckless and wild, and Tintswalo didn't want to get caught up in any drama. But she also didn't want to disappoint her best friend, Babalwa. "

Tintswalo : but I'm sleeping

Babalwa: "Tintswalo, you can't keep crying and hiding indoors just because of Maitse, who's probably living his best life right now! I mean, he's already moved on and dating your cousin Ntsumi! You need to move on, girl! There are so many people out there who would love to have you in their lives."

Tintswalo: "You don't understand, I truly loved him..."

Babalwa: "Okay, okay! I get it. But I'm not letting you wallow in sadness anymore! I'll be there in 10 minutes, and we're going to get ready together. We're going out, and we're going to have fun! It's time to move on, Tintswalo!"

She ended the call without giving Tintswalo a chance to react. Tintswalo got out of bed and chose an outfit: comfy black jeans, a bright blue top, a edgy black jacket, and black boots. Babalwa burst in with a makeup bag
Babalwa : "Sorry I'm late, let's get you glammed up!"
Tintswalo : "No makeup for me, thanks!" Babalwa : "Oh, come on! You'll look stunning, I promise!" And with that, Babalwa started her makeup magic.

Tintswalo sat down in front of Babalwa, who started working her magic with makeup. Before long, Tintswalo looked amazing! She couldn't help but smile at herself in the mirror. After they finished, they let Tintswalo's aunt know that they'd be going out and would be back late.

Then, they hailed a cab and headed to Ntokozo's house. When they arrived, the music was blasting! It was so loud that it hurt Tintswalo's head, and she got a headache right away. She wasn't expecting it to be that loud!

As they stepped inside, the room fell silent, with all eyes fixed on them. Babalwa flashed a radiant smile before promptly disappearing into the crowd, leaving Tintswalo feeling bewildered and abandoned. Tintswalo's gaze scanned the room, searching for a familiar face, and her eyes landed on her friend Khanyi. She began to make her way over, but before she could reach her, she accidentally bumped into someone. As their eyes met, Tintswalo's heart skipped a beat, and she felt an unexpected jolt of electricity run through her body. The stranger's gaze seemed to hold hers, and for a moment, time stood still.

To be continued...