Part 1: The Party
This could not be happening. I stared as my soon-to-be-ex best friend, Gabisile snuggled into the arms of my soon-to-be-ex crush Alake. What made the situation even worse, was Gabisile smirked at me, before nonchalantly twisting and kissing him not so innocently. It was obvious he returned the kiss enthusiastically. Gabisile knew about my crush, which made the taste of the betrayal unbelievably bitter in my mouth.
“Oh shit!” Jande, my soon-to-be only best friend, took in the scene, grabbed my arm and dragged me away in another direction. Somehow we stumbled through the throng of half stoned nineteen- to twenty-three-year-olds without falling over. I think I was still too stunned to resist. My head and mouth felt like they were stuffed with cotton wool, and the blare of drum dominated music seemed loud but distant. We stopped by the drinks table where Jande let go of my arm, and proceeded to slosh kingwaji rapidly into a glass, before turning to me.
“Drink.”
I stared uncomprehendingly at the proffered drink, "Huh?"
“Drink”, Jande repeated, shoving the drink under my nose, whilst fixing a determined glare on me. She expected no argument. I took the glass and sipped.
I wrinkled my nose in disgust, “Ugh! What is this?”
I tried to hand her back the glass. Jande pushed it back to me.
“Dragon-apple juice, soda and lime. Drink up and finish.”
“Jande, it's vile!”
“Trust me, you need it.”
“You're trying to get me drunk?”
Jande winced, her eyes darting unwittingly in the direction of Gabisile and Alake, then back at me, “No, just mellow enough to enjoy the party.”
I eyed her, and Jande nodded at the glass. With a sigh, I said a silent prayer that I would not regret this and gulped down the contents of the glass. I never had a strong head for alcohol, that is why I have always stayed away from it. Well, first time for everything.
“Yuck! That was bleuhh! How do you know that won’t get me drunk?” I spluttered, handing her the empty glass, this time she took it and placed it on the table.
Jande smiled and gave a shake of her hair, “Because I helped make the kingwaji, remember. How do you feel?”
I already felt a sensation of loosening creeping over me and a tingling warmth like flames starting in my belly, the dragon-apple juice no doubt. I shook my head, “I'll be fine, I guess,” I smiled weakly at Jande.
She sighed and began to pour a different drink into two tall glasses, “You know he's half stoned,”
I shook my head again, replying, “It's not him. I mean, he doesn’t know how I feel---felt about him. It's--,” I stopped, unable to continue.
“I know. Gabisile. she's a-”
“Don't curse.”
“I wasn't going to,” protested Jande, then she snorted, “Alright, maybe I was. A little. but you know she is one though.”
“What?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
She handed me a glass, and took a sip of her own, “You know, what you won’t allow me to say. Calling her a mbwa-hog is an insult to that demented, demonic creature.”
I pursed my lips. There was no love lost between Jande and Gabisile. They only tolerated each other because of me, being both my friends. Since our teen age years, it has been a low-key ongoing feud between them. I guess, now with the current development, the fangs, metaphorically and literally, would be out.