“I’ll make sure she does,” Thembi said to Zac. “Keeping hydrated is important, especially when you’re as hot as us.”

“Why are you hot? Do you have temperatures?”

I turned and smiled at him. “It’s just an expression.”

He scrunched his face up. “I hate expressions. They confuse me.”

“Well, then we won’t use them anymore.” Thembi walked over to him. “They confuse me too. I don’t know why people can’t just say what they’re thinking, right?”

“I think you have too much black stuff on your eyes.” Zac pointed at Thembi’s face before turning and walking away.

“Sorry, he’s blunt,” I said.

“I like it. I’m kind of blunt.”

“Yup. You are.”

“He’s cool, and damn, he’s right!” She leaned in and looked at her face closely in the mirror. “I went way too smoky.” She started removing some of her eye shadow.

I laughed. I liked her. And I was glad I was going with her. Our relationship had started out as a transactional one, mainly from her side, really. She’d needed a mannequin to make a dress for, turned out I was the one she needed. But somewhere along the way, it had stopped feeling like that. We actually had so much in common: we both had a dysfunctional family, we were both artists, we both had big ambitions and dreams.

I didn’t know where this was going, or whether it would grow beyond what we had now, but it felt good to have her in my life, in whatever capacity it was going to be.

The doorbell rang and I turned to Thembi. “Who could that be?” I walked downstairs and when I opened the door, tears overwhelmed me.

“Oh my God, what are you guys doing here?” We immediately fell into a group hug.

“We’re taking you to the dance,” they shouted at once. I ran my eyes over them. They looked dapper as hell in their suits, and Andile was wearing a bright-pink bow tie.

“How did you arrange this?”

“We have our contacts.” Guy winked at me.

“What contacts?”

“You’re here?” Thembi walked downstairs and I turned.

“Wait, how do you guys know each other?”

“Wow, you are even more gorgeous IRL!” Andile stepped forward.

“So are you guys,” Thembi said after a little Miss Universe–style wave.

“Wait.” I gestured. “What’s going on here?”

“We found Thembi on Insta after we chatted and asked if we could take you guys to the dance. Thembi organized us tickets and here we are.”

“And you flew here just for this?” I asked, choking back the tears now.

Guy and Andile wrapped their arms around me. “Of course,” Guy said.

“Don’t cry!” Thembi screeched from behind us. “Makeup!”

I pulled away, and Guy and Andile both started fanning my eyes frantically.