A Beautiful Mess.

35.

Wednesday.

Sindi was braiding my hair while I did my maths homework while on a video call with Luniko. I know, talk about multitasking.

"But tell me you're considering it right?" he said from the other side of the line.

"I don't know, I guess. I mean it looks like it could be quite informative so why not"

"She's going to find a way to avoid it Luniko, watch" Sindi budded in and I nudged her. "Just go on the camp Melo, this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity, a life changing opportunity"

"...Okay fine, fine I'll go but if I hate it, I'm calling you to come pick me up" I said and then I sighed.

"Oh hallelujah, she finally said yes" Sindi said and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, by the way did you get my email?" Luniko asked and I looked around in confusion.

"What email?" I asked.

"Look in your inbox"

I opened my emails on the laptop and found Niko's email at the top of my inbox I opened it and a collection of pictures which looked like they were pictures from the day we were together popped up.

"Ah these look beautiful" I said as I scrolled through them.

"Wow, you've got some serious talent" Sindi complimented him and gave him her nod of approval.

"Thank you. Our school is having this art festival event thing so I wanted to run these pictures by you first you know, and get the 'Melo stamp of approval"

"That's amazing, I'm so proud of you. Well, you definitely have it. They won't believe that an amateur did this" I said as I kept scrolling and then boom, there it was.

I looked at the picture and my eyes literally wanted to pop right out of my head.

"Ah, you found it", he said with a proud look on his face like he had been waiting for me to find this picture.

"Niko...wait...no...oh my gosh, I'm so confused right now, is this me?" I asked, still in disbelief.

"Ya, do you like it?, I took it while you weren't looking"

"Damn, Niko, this is just beautiful, I mean I am jealous" Sindi said and I just kept quiet.

"Don't you like it?" Luniko asked as his mood dampened.

"I...I love it Niko" I nervously chuckled, "I'm just...speechless, Wow"

"*Sigh* I'm glad you love it. I was really scared that you wouldn't like the picture. I mean when I took that picture you were laughing for some reason and the light just hit you perfectly, and I just thought to myself 'impeccable' and had to take the shot"

I still looked at the picture again and I was in awe. No part of me wanted to actually believe that it was me. It's like you couldn't tell that I was so crusty that day. I stared at it for a while and tried to recollect myself before I turned back to face him.

"So, I wanted to get your permission first to use the picture to be a part of my wall for the gallery...so what do you say?"

Yoh, I had to think about this. My picture, in front of hundreds of people. Mine? I mean the picture was just out of this world and it only showed one half of my face, so why not. I had many insecurities but I wouldn't allow them to stop the world from seeing just how talented Luniko was. For all we knew this could be just the big break that he needed.

"Go ahead" I smiled and he jumped up in excitement whiling doing a victory dance and I couldn't help but laugh and join in.

***

Thursday.

"Wow", Mak said as I showed him the picture. "Wait look to the side" he said and I did as he asked. "Are you sure this is you though?" he asked and I nudged him.

"Stop being silly" I said.

"This is beautiful, he's gifted. I mean his use of the colours from the sunset and the angles just capture the scene perfectly, almost evoking the feeling that model is radiating, happiness, laughter, calmne--"

"Okay 'Mr. Artist' we hear you" I interrupted and then took my phone back.

"When is the gallery?"

"About two weeks from now"

"Are you going to go"

"Ya I guess, I want to see everyone's reactions when they see his work" I said and Mak nodded.

"I'm just going to use the bathroom I'm going to attempt to wash this charcoal off" he said and I told him it was cool and then he left.

I looked at the picture one last time and that's when I realised how much I looked like my mother from this angle. And that's when it hit me. I couldn't believe I had forgotten what tomorrow was and I felt almost ashamed, guilty, that I had forgotten such an important date.

Has it been that long?

Tomorrow would've been my mother's 40th birthday and I just couldn't believe that she didn't get the opportunity to celebrate it. I remember how excited she was for this milestone and had already planned out how she would celebrate. Could this have been the reason why I felt like something was wrong this whole week? Was tomorrow why?

I felt that sinking feeling in my stomach again and then it felt like I had been kicked. I looked in my bag for my water bottle and my pain killers and downed them both.

All this felt weird and painful at the same time. So this feeling wasn't about Mak but about my mom.

I took a deep breath and wanted to get my mind off things so I stood up and took a walk to the grandstands, hoping that I'd probably meet Mak along the way but I knew that even if he didn't find me back at the bench then I was obviously at the grandstands.

I got to the grandstands and took a seat closer to the top as I watched the soccer team practise. I spotted Senzo and he spotted me and he waved. We barely spoke this week because he was quite busy with practice but we had spoken a couple of times in history.

"Where's Bradley?" Mr Neilson asked from the field and the team just shrugged. "Zulu please go look for him and tell him that I haven't been impressed with his behaviour lately.

"Sure thing, coach" Senzo said and he came up the grandstand to where I was sitting. "Chat along the way" he said and I nodded and walked with him.

We walked around the school looking for Bradley while talking and laughing but we couldn't find him anywhere. But to be honest we were taking our time with this search and weren't taking it seriously. We just wanted to take this opportunity to talk.

"I broke up with Nonhle on Tuesday" he said and I was shocked.

"You what? Tell me you're joking right?"

"I'm serious, after our talk on Saturday I realised that I've been blowing it off for some time. I thought you'd know by know, I mean this stuff was trending on the school gossip group"

"You know I don't keep up with gossip, but huh, it explains why she was acting weird on Tuesday. She looked really upset"

"It was bound to happen and it was actually more mutual than me being the one breaking up with her"

"So what about her party on Saturday, are you still going to go?"

"Don't have much of a choice, our mothers' are best friends so I'm basically forced to go."

'Well that's going to be awkward" I said as we approached the boys bathroom.

"Well, you're coming aren't you so it won't be as awkward. I'll be right back", he said and then went into the boys bathroom while I waited outside and then there was a screech which sounded like it came from Senzo.

"MAK!!!"