Chapter 5: The Setup

 

Themba didn’t see it coming. It started off like any other Monday. The sky was clear, the air crisp, and the school corridors still half asleep. He arrived early, as usual, with his backpack slung over one shoulder and headphones plugged in, drowning out the world with soft beats. His mind was focused on the Maths test scheduled for later that day. He walked confidently, not bothering anyone, keeping to himself like always. He genuinely believed that if he stayed in his own lane, no one would bother him. But in another corner of the school, something darker was brewing. The Golden Girls Lulu, Zinhle, Amogelang, Kea, and Bonolo were already plotting. With exams out of the way and boredom kicking in, they were itching for something exciting. Causing chaos wasn’t new to them it was how they stayed entertained. And this time, they had chosen Themba again as their next target. “He’s too clean,” Amogelang said with a smirk, flipping her braids back. “Let’s spice up his boring life a bit.”

Kea, always the one with the hookups, reached into her blazer pocket and pulled out a small ziplock bag. Inside was a little bit of weed nothing major, just enough to ruin someone’s life. “My cousin in Brixton sorted me out,” she said casually, as if she was passing around gum. “We just need to plant it. He won’t see it coming.” They all laughed. It wasn’t personal it was just fun for them. A joke. When break time came, Themba left his classroom to fetch a file from the library. He wasn’t gone for long maybe five minutes. But that was more than enough time for Kea to slip in unnoticed. She walked straight to his desk, unzipped his bag, and placed the baggie neatly inside his pencil pouch. Her hands didn’t shake. She’d done worse things before. By the time Themba returned, everything looked normal.

Later that morning, Lulu made her move. She walked into the principal’s office, putting on her best fake-concerned face. “Sir,” she said sweetly, “I overheard Themba talking about selling drugs. I didn’t want to say anything, but it sounded serious. Maybe you should check his bag, just to be safe.” The principal raised an eyebrow. “Themba? Are you sure?” She nodded, eyes wide. “I wouldn’t lie about something like this, sir.” That’s all it took. Minutes later, Themba was called out of class. Two teachers entered the classroom, their faces stiff. The whole Grade 11 class fell silent, confused. “Themba,” one of them said, “please bring your bag. We need to do a quick search.” Themba blinked. “Huh? Why?” “It won’t take long.” The entire room watched as they unzipped his bag and pulled out the pencil pouch. When they opened it, time seemed to freeze. There it was the weed. A small plastic bag that looked harmless but carried massive consequences. Gasps filled the room. Phones came out. Whispers spread like wildfire. “Yoh! Not Themba!” “Haibo, I knew something was off.” “Even the nerds are slinging now?” Themba stood frozen. His mouth was open, but no words came out at first. His hands were shaking. “I don’t know where that came from,” he finally said. “That’s not mine! I swear!” But no one was listening. The teachers looked at each other. The evidence was in front of them. There was no way to explain it away.

The principal arrived shortly after, his face full of disappointment. He had always seen Themba as a promising student smart, polite, hard-working. But now? “We’ll have to call your parents and the police, Themba,” he said. “This is serious.” Just like that, everything crashed. Themba was suspended on the spot. His parents were called. Rumours spread faster than the speed of light. His name was everywhere on WhatsApp statuses, in Instagram captions, and on every corner of TikTok. Meanwhile, the girls sat at the back of the class, pretending to be shocked. Whispering. Smirking. High-fiving under the desk. But Themba wasn’t stupid. As he sat outside the principal’s office, his hands clenched into fists and his heart beating like a drum, he started to put the pieces together. The timing. The weird way Lulu had looked at him that morning. The nervous energy around Bonolo. The smug look Kea couldn’t hide. He knew. They wanted to ruin him. And they did. Or at least, they thought they did. Because in that moment, as he sat alone, humiliated and broken, Themba wasn’t thinking about saving his reputation. He was thinking about revenge.