The North

Chapter 27: F*ck that hoe

"Do you want to tell KB what's going on?" Tau asked Mbali as he drove his vehicle. He kept his determined eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Mbali, who was seated in the passenger seat of Tau's car, turned around to face KB, Senzo, and Thato sitting together in the back seat.

"Mihlali is making her official return tonight... with the help of Kamo and the Come-ups... I suspect the Stars will be there too to try and win her favor. If we let Mihlali and Kamo have this moment... then all of us are ruined." Mbali began to explain.

"It's already over... The truth is already out." KB said, looking out the window. He was wearing a dashing black suit which Thato had lent him, and the expensive material glistened in the light of the passing streetlamps.

"Tau is going to tell everyone that he knew we weren't bankers." Mbali quickly responded.

"Why?" KB asked, tuning to face Mbali.

"To change the narrative..." Mbali responded. She brushed some dust off the expensive black cocktail dress she was wearing as she talked.

"Mbali is right." Thato interjected. He was also wearing an expensive suit which seemed to be identical to the one KB was wearing. Senzo had on a similar suit too. "Remember the picture of you and Tau in the McDonalds parking lot? The one that was leaked to NorthernBrew? Tau will tell everyone that you told him everything that night..." Thato finished.

"Everything?" KB repeated.

"Yes..." Mbali responded "The story will be that you confessed about us not being bankers that night at McDonalds... and that you also told Tau about Lesedi and everything she did to get to the top... Tau will tell everyone that Lesedi was blackmailing you, KB... and that he was the one who gave you the order to leak her video...Tau will take responsibility as the one who wanted to get rid of Lesedi."

KB felt a shiver run down his spine. Was Tau seriously prepared to throw Lesedi under the bus just to stay relevant in the North? But despite all the objections KB had, he also knew that everything that had happened had been his fault. He owed it to Tau to help make things right again. It was the least he could do.

"You've destroyed everything I've ever known, KB." Tau said in a low voice, as if he had read KB's thoughts. Tau's eyes remained fixed ahead on the road as he drove. "And what little I have left will disappear if Mihlali and Kamo have their way tonight... I'm not going to sit back and let that happen...I'm not doing this to save you. I'm doing this to save myself. You owe me this. All you have to do is follow my lead tonight. Okay?"

"Okay..." KB heard himself agree. "But whose idea was this?" he asked.

"It was Tau's idea." Mbali answered. "He contacted me and asked for help after you leaked Lesedi's video... He knew what was coming next. You still have a lot of social power, KB... And people love nothing more than a compelling story in the North. A scandal. If we pull this off we might be able to make everyone forget about our lie. We might be able to fix things..."

"Why didn't you contact me directly, Tau?" KB asked.

"Your phone was off..." Tau responded flatly after turning the car into the parking lot of the Sumo nightclub.

"Sumo? We're back here?" KB commented after realizing where they were.

"Yes." Tau said while pulling hard on the hand break of the vehicle. "Remember... just follow my lead." He finished.

***

The club was already full when KB, Tau, Senzo, Thato, and Mbali made their way to the entrance, which was manned by the same bouncers who had been there the last time they partied at Sumo. But unlike KB's last visit to Sumo, there was no crowd waiting at the entrance of the club. Everyone had already made their way into the building which – from the sound of things – was at full capacity. The bouncer let the group enter without asking any questions.