Beautifully Broken

Black Dress, Gold Power

Chapter 2:

The Uber was late. Of course.

"Khocy, why did you order Uber Black? Siyafa yindlala la!" Khethelo complained, but she was already fixing her lip gloss in her phone camera.

Nomkhocy didn't even look up, she was helping Zamokuhle zip the dress. "Because, my love, if we want rich life, we must act rich. Fake it till you make it, baby."

Zamo looked in the mirror and froze.

She didn't look like the girl who was crying by the window 2 hours ago. The black velvet dress with gold flowers made her look... dangerous. Beautifully dangerous. Her wet hair was now curled, her eyes were sharp.

"Whoa," Lindokuhle whispered. "Zamo... u-look-a different. Like you don't need anyone."

"Because I don't," Zamo said softly, but she felt it. For the first time, she felt it.

Ayabongwa smiled, "Thats the Zamo we know. The Zamokuhle who was always good, always beautiful."

The club was called "Gold". In Umhlanga. The type of place where they charge R50 for water.

At the entrance, a tall guy in black stood with his friends, laughing. Minenhle Dlamini. Lwandle's best friend.

Khethelo grabbed Zamo's arm, "Oh s**t. It's Minenhle. Should we...?"

"No," Zamo said, her voice steady now. "We go in. Asifuni ukumbona, but if sibonwa, we shine."

Inside, the lights were gold, the music loud. The girls got a table — Khocy knew someone who knew someone.

Then they saw him.

Lwandle Nkosi. At the bar. With that same girl from the post. And next to him, Bandile Shezi and Olwethu Cele — the whole boys group.

Lwandle's eyes met Zamo's across the room.

His smile disappeared.

He walked over, confused, almost angry. "Zamo? What are you doing here?"

Zamo took a slow sip of her drink, looking him up and down like he was a stranger.

"Same as you, Lwandle," she said in perfect English, then switched, "Ngizokhipha i-stress. What, this place is only for you and your... new peace?"

His new girl looked uncomfortable. Khethelo was already recording on her phone, Lindo was pretending not to watch but watching everything, Aya held Zamo's hand under the table, and Khocy just smiled like a queen.

"You look... different," Lwandle said.

"I am different," Zamo answered. "You left a broken girl emvula. You came back and found a woman in gold. Sorry, but that broken girl... ufile. She died today."

She turned to leave, but Bandile, the quiet one of the boys, gently held her wrist.

"Zamo, you okay?" he asked, real concern in his voice.

And for a second, her beautiful, broken mask cracked again.

End of Chapter 2