Close Friends.

The Necklace.

The last bell of the day finally
rang, notifying us that school was over. All I simply wanted to do was go home, change into my pyjamas, scroll through Instagram and completely ignore my maths homework.

Walking through the overly crowded corridors of my school, I hurried my pace to my maths teacher's class to get my sports bag before he left because that man wasted no time when it came to going home. Bumping into people on my way there, I carried on without an apology or so much as a backwards glance. You're in MY way bro.

"Billy, what time are you changing for the photoshoot?" My friend Zinzile asked. Woah amiga when did you get here?

"As soon as I get my bag from Mr Swanepoel's class."

Yup, you heard it perfectly clear. Billy, that's my name. I cannot express how much I hate having this name as a girl. I have come to the conclusion that my parents did not love me enough to give me a decent name because why would they give me such a ludicrous name?

I have tried to get them to change my name for the past 16 years to something more stylish and most definitely girly but to no avail. I think I should sign myself up for adoption.

Running up the stairs, I soon reached my maths teacher's class and ran inside just before he switched off the lights in the classroom.

"Billy!" He smiled.

I returned the smile. "Just fetching my bag sir. Have a good day."

"You too, don't forget to do your homework." He reminded me with a playful smile, I nodded my head knowing very well that I will not bother opening that thick ass textbook.

Running down the stairs I bumped into one of my many acquaintances together with one of his friends who I was totally unfamiliar with. He must have been new here because I knew everybody in my school. Well more like everybody knew me because of my name, it is so different that everybody wanted to know the girl who carried the name.

"Billy."

"Neo, you good?"

"I'm good, you?"

"I want to go home." I laughed, looking over at his friend. "Don't you talk?"

One thing about me, I am very outspoken. I always speak my mind and that has proven to be a very big problem for a lot of people but I simply do not care.

The boy looked over at me. "Uh...I do but you were focused on Neo." Nice voice.

"I was...I like your necklace." I said, touching it. It was one half of a heart, pink, with the word "BFF" engraved inside. Found it funny that a guy was wearing this but at the same time I found it cute.

He looked down at his necklace. "Thank you."

"Where's the other half?"

"My little sister has it."

I stared at it harder. "May I please borrow it for my photoshoot?" I looked into his eyes.

He looked back into mine. "Sure, you want it now?"

"Wait for real?" I placed my hands on his chest.

Did I mention that I have a habit of touching people and invading their private space? Nobody complains though so I'm not the problem here and it means that they like it.

He simply chuckled and took his necklace off placing it around my neck. I looked at it and squealed giving him a hug before saying a quick thank you to him and a bye to Neo, running off to the bathrooms to change.

Upon arrival I met my friend Zinzile already changing with a couple of other girls and I joined them.

"Where were you?" She asked.

"I was getting my bag like I told you mos." I took off my school dress.

"For that long?"

"Oh then I stopped by the stairs there by Mr Victor's class to speak to Neo and his friend who's necklace I happened to borrow for the photoshoot." I showed her the necklace.

She stopped putting on her jeans and stared at the necklace. "Which friend is that?"

I blinked. "Wait shit! I didn't even ask for his name." I face palmed making Zinzile and all the other girls around us laugh.

"Typical you. Next thing you wake up with one eye that's bigger than the other seeing as you like to take people's things without even knowing them." She shook her head. African people and their beliefs.

I laughed. "It's a cute necklace though."

Right on cue our friend Lihle walked into the bathroom and looked around until her eyes landed on us. She walked towards us and leaned against one of the sinks. She was about to say something when her eyes landed on the necklace around my neck and she froze.

"Who gave you that necklace?" She asked, inspecting it.

"Neo's friend. I don't know his name." I frowned.

"I can't believe he gave you the necklace when I've been asking for it for so long now."

The entire bathroom went quiet. "Oh." Was all I managed to say.

"Just be careful." Lihle said, fixing her bra strap.

I looked around confused. "Careful of?"

"No he likes me so I don't want you to catch feelings for him only to get disappointed, I'm trying to protect you." She looked up at me.

I let out a laugh. "Girl what? I don't even know this guy's name. I simply liked the necklace and I asked to borrow it. I don't care about all of that stuff."

She laughed too. "Oh okay. I was just trying to protect you."

I shook my head and carried on changing followed by putting on some makeup and onwards to the photoshoot.

For the rest of that afternoon I hoped to see the guy but I never did and so I made it my mission to return his necklace the very next day because I was not trying to throw hands over a stranger.

CLOSE FRIENDS: CHAPTER 1.