Chapter 8 - the downtrend

"Zinhle, this is uncharacteristic of you," Max said with a teasing smile, watching Zinhle and Tristin engaged in a heated conversation. As usual, Mdu and Kenny were with Max, the trio known for their troublemaking.

Zinhle realized their conversation had gone on much longer than planned. Baffled by Max's words and unsure how to respond, she remained silent. Ignoring her, Max turned to Tristin with a smile. "Tristin, my brother, you made the front page again today."

"Yeah, so I've heard. Zinhle was just filling in the blanks for me," Tristin replied, an amused smile on his face.

"Yeah, bro, from what I've seen in the school stock market, your stock is on a gradual downtrend. But some people are still willing to invest in you, and for what it's worth, you're still among the best in school. You can take pride in that," Max continued.

Tristin chuckled, amused by Max's analogy comparing school popularity to the stock exchange. "This guy is smart. If he could be more serious, he could do great things," he thought. Then he said, "I appreciate the lowdown, but honestly, this doesn't bother me at all."

Max's tone shifted from joking to serious. "Honestly, Tristin, I'm sorry for your loss. To us, your background doesn't matter. We like hanging out with you, and I hope this won't change anything between us." Mdu and Kenny chimed in, "Yeah, Tristin, let's be friends."

Tristin was touched by this show of support. Despite his few ghosts keeping him awake at night, he was still a 17-year-old kid who enjoyed goofing around. With gratitude, he said, "Thanks, guys. If you don't mind, let's be friends." At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the start of the first class.

The whispers around the school didn't cease. Some students sympathized with Tristin for his loss, but the fact that he came from a poor background meant he was no longer superior in every aspect.

Girls were more divided than before. Some didn't care about his background. "Dating a dashing guy like him will make my high school days fun. Just imagine walking hand-in-hand to the movies. It's not like I'm going to marry him," one girl said.

"But Thembi, how will he even pay for your lunch dates? You'll be taking a bus for dates, and he won't be able to buy you a birthday gift. I can't date someone like that. My man needs to take care of my needs," another girl replied with pride.

"I don't care about that!" Thembi retorted. "I'll let him drive my car. He can drive; I saw him driving Ella's car yesterday."

"That Tristin sure moves fast," another girl interjected. "In just a few days, he managed to get himself a rich girl."

"Yeah, I heard that when Thomas tried to pick a fight with Tristin, Ella protected him yesterday."

"Wait! Doesn't that make him Ella's gigolo? That's despicable. A man needs to fight his battles," one girl said.

Such topics raged throughout the school, but Tristin paid little attention to them. To him, Thomas had done him a favor. Now, any student who befriended him wouldn't have ulterior motives. Ella felt the same way; she now had less competition and was the only one who knew Tristin's true identity.

Before they knew it, lunchtime arrived. Thomas and other students were eager to see how Tristin would react. Meanwhile, Tristin's classmates were baffled by his composure, wondering if he was faking it or truly didn't care.

Lerato's situation was worse than she had imagined. She had to apologize to Thomas today, a request from her mother. But she never imagined Thomas would be this vengeful and post Tristin's information on the school's page. If she consoled Tristin and Thomas found out, it would mean more trouble for both of them. If she didn't, Tristin might think she only cared about him for his wealth. Caught in a dilemma, she decided to apologize to Thomas first and then find a way to earn Tristin's forgiveness.

"Lerato, let's go to lunch. The cafeteria will soon be full," Zinhle pleaded, sensing something was troubling Lerato.

"You go ahead. There's something I need to do. I'll catch up with you later," Lerato said casually, leaving the classroom and heading to Thomas's class.

Zinhle, left behind, couldn't understand Lerato's behavior. She decided to go to the cafeteria alone. With the trio of troublemakers hanging out with Tristin, she didn't have the courage to join them.

Back at the cafeteria, Max took it upon himself to treat everyone. Just as Tristin and the guys were about to start their lunch, Lerato entered Thomas's classroom.

The classroom was nearly empty, with only a few students lingering in their seats, packing up their belongings. The walls were adorned with posters of sports teams and upcoming events. Desks were scattered with textbooks and notebooks, remnants of a morning's worth of classes.

Seeing her approach, Thomas walked a few steps toward her with a sadistic smile and met her halfway. "Are you willing to be my woman now?" he asked, his words revealing his lack of genuine feelings for Lerato.

Lerato's heart sank, but she skillfully evaded his question. "Thomas, I'm here to apologize. Miss Megan tasked me as her class rep to show Tristin around the school. If Tristin was too much for you, I'm sorry for putting you in a difficult position."

Lerato knew that when the odds were against you, it was best to leave a way for retreat. By mentioning Miss Megan, she provoked Thomas's inferiority complex, giving herself an out.

"Tristin is just an insignificant bug to me. I can squash him whenever and however I want," Thomas said confidently, unaware he had stepped into Lerato's trap.

"Well, if you say so, then I'll leave you to it." With that, she turned and left the classroom. She knew dealing with Tristin wasn't as simple as Thomas claimed. With Ella's protection, Thomas would have to face her first, and Ella was no easy target.

Thomas was baffled, anger rising from deep within him. He threw a chair against the wall, leaving marks. His well-laid plan was shattered by a few sentences from Lerato.

He knew he'd been outsmarted but consoled himself with the thought that there was still one chance left: when Lerato and her family came to apologize at his house, he would hit a home run.

Unfortunately for Lerato, her troubles weren't over. News of her apologizing to Thomas had already begun spreading across the school campus.