I don't own Naruto.
This chapter doesn't really have any Naruto in it, but that will come in the next chapter. The reason I wrote this is because racism is effed up.
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Vusi stared at her friend in disbelief. "You must be joking. Please, I'm begging you. Tell me you're joking." Fabienne just shook her head 'no' before lowering her gaze to the sidewalk. "Fabi! How could you? I thought you said you were getting better!" Vusi cried out. She stopped walking and Fabbienne did the same. "I'm really sorry..." Fabbienne replied quietly. Her voice was a bit scratchy and her throat hurt. Talking any louder was completely out of the question. "I didn't mean to get sick in the first place. I didn't even know it was getting worse. I'm sorry." Fabienne let a slight grimace twist her face. Vusi sighed as she looked at her friend. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I was just really looking forward to going on the camping trip." Vusi started walking at a slow pace. Fabienne followed quietly. "You can still-" "I'm not going on this trip without you. You're my best friend, Fabi." Vusi said, casting a warm smile at a shocked Fabienne. They were nearing the bus stop now. Fabienne smiled back at her friend, choosing not to further question her friend's decision. "Thank you, Vusi." she said, ducking her head to try and hide her blush behind her curly, light brown hair. Vusi laughed at her friend's embarrassment. Fabienne always seemed to turn red at kind words and actions. Sometimes she was just too easy to read.
The white and green bus stood at the bus stop as children, all wearing different uniforms, climbed on one at a time. Vusi slowed her pace, Fabienne did the same. They wouldn't be late for the bus. Not with so many people still waiting to get on. Vusi turned her head to her friend, who was staring off into space. Vusi sighed. She was always day dreaming. Vusi flicked her friend on the head with her index finger. "You should be awake when you're on you're feet." she told Fabienne. Fabienne gave her a lazy, dreamy smile. "I know..." Fabienne said quietly. They finally approached the entrance to the bus. Not many people were left. They were right on time. Vusi climbed on first, handing her card to the bus driver, and Fabienne followed almost immediately. There wasn't any place for both of them, only a few single seats. Vusi smiled at Fabienne, who reurned it with a nervous one. Tomorrow they would be getting on the bus earlier.
Both girls took their separate seats as the bus started moving. The trip to school was the same as always. People everywhere chatted loudly with their friends. Some listened to music. The bus was rather old, rattling and banging at every corner and every stop. It was the same as always.
Fabienne shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She glanced at Vusi, who was three rows ahead of her. Vusi, as if sensing the other's eyes on her, turned to look back at her best friend, dark brown eyes promising that they'd be there soon. Fabienne nodded before looking at her hands that were neatly folded in her lap. It was just a trip on the bus to school.
...
Vusi looked at the clock against the front wall, ignoring her teacher completely. Next to her, on her right, Fabienne was sleeping soundly, lying with her head on her arms. Fabienne sat behind Josh, a humongous boy on the rugby team. His large body completely covered her from Miss van Vuuren's view.
Vusi counted the seconds as they passed. She knew all of this would be on their next test, but she didn't exactly care. She never really liked this class. Afrikaans was one of her worst subjects. Fabienne passed this class with her eyes closed(literally) and always helped her study. Fabi had always been more of a 'smart' girl. She was good at studying - something Vusi couldn't do to save her life. Fabienne rarely ever did her homework, or even paid attention in class. As she put it: "Our textbooks already have all the info, so I just need to study for tests and I'll pass with flying colors."
For Vusi it didn't work that way. Nothing ever seemed to stick to her brain. Except anything Naruto related. Vusi sighed. If only everything else was as interesting as anime.
"Daarom sê ons dat die man..."(1) Miss van Vuuren continued the lesson. Vusi glanced at Fabi, seeing her still fast asleep. Miss van Vuuren was busily writing the notes of the story on the board, not once even turning around to the class. Vusi grabbed her pencil and leaned over closer to Fabienne, poking her with the pencil eraser. Fabienne slightly shifted, but refused to lift her head even slightly.
Vusi grumbled a bit before turning the pencil around and poking Fabienne with the sharp tip of the pencil. Fabienne groaned in annoyance. She lifted her head to glare at Vusi, who tried to look as innocent a possible. Fabienne took a piece of eraser that had been cut into tiny little pieces out of her blue pencil case. She flicked it at Vusi, hitting her best friend on the cheek. Vusi blinked and grinned deviously at Fabienne.
Fabienne sighed and laid her head back down on the cold wooden desk, closing her dark brown eyes. South African summers were a bitch. And she was also the only one that had somehow managed to get a cold right in the middle of the heat.
She and Vusi had been very excited about the school camping trip. They had decided that they wanted to share a tent, just so they could stay up all night and eat many packs of cookies. They were even going to pitch the tent right next to the dam so they could be the first ones to go swim every morning, but now she couldn't go.
Fabienne sighed as something hit her head. She looked right at Vusi. "C'mon. Let me sleep..." she whispered, but Vusi just shook her head and grinned. Fabienne looked at her friend with a bitter expression. Vusi opened her mouth to say something.
"Vusi!"
Both Fabienne and Vusi snapped their heads to the front of the class to look at miss van Vuuren. The old woman had her hands on her hips, glaring at Vusi. "Sorry, ma'am." Vusi tried to apologize. Miss van Vuuren's glare became even more harsh. Vusi gulped as she remembered which subject they were in. "Jammer, juffrou. Dit sal nie weer gebeur nie." (2) she said slowly, trying not to mess up her words like she always did. Most people in South Africa could speak and/or understand Afrikaans, and Vusi was also capable of that. She just had more trouble with it than most others. "Nee, dit sal nie. Detensie, vanmiddag."(3) the woman said as she turned around, going back to writing on the board. Vusi's jaw dropped. Detention? That was so unfair!
Fabienne looked at her friend, mouthing the word 'sorry' over and over. It was sort of her fault that Vusi got into trouble. Fabienne looked at the worksheet in front of her. It was a boring language exercise. She made quick work of folding the paper until only a little paper jet was left. Vusi looked at her questioningly. Fabienne then leaned a bit to the right so she could see past Josh and threw the paper plane. It hit the board right next to their teacher. Miss van Vuuren whirled around. "Who threw this?!" No one answered. "Answer me! Who threw this?!" Fabienne raised her hand and stood up. "Me." she said with her scratchy voice. The teacher didn't even realize she was speaking english. "You will serve detention along with Vusi! I expected better from you!" the woman yelled. "They all do." Fabienne muttered as she sat back down and grinned at Vusi. Vusi grinned back at her. "Looks like we'll be having a fun little tea party this afternoon." she whispered. Fabienne nodded and gave a thumbs up. Vusi laughed.
"VUSI! HOU NOU OP!" (3)
Vusi scowled as the teacher turned around once more. "Cow..." she mumbled, causing Fabi to laugh silently.
Vusi and Fabienne smiled and laughed as they walked home. Detention had caused them to miss their bus, but that was okay. They often sat detention together and they enjoyed walking home together. "Wanna come to my house? My mom's been telling me to invite you over again. She's making stew from one of the cows my sister's new fiancé gave us." Vusi said as she smiled. Fabienne looked thoughtful. "Is he a farmer or something?" she asked. Vusi laughed. "No, he has to pay lobola. In our culture, when a man wants to marry a woman he must pay her parents with cattle. That's what we call lobola." Vusi stated. "Oh? I didn't know that. But it sounds really cool. And I'd love to come over for dinner. Your mom is awesome!" Fabienne said softly, throat still burning.
Fabienne and Vusi walked through the gate into the small yard. The grass was as high as their calves, scratching their bare legs. The house looked rather small from the outside, but Fabienne knew better. The house was old and was chalky white with some paint peeling off of the walls. It had one broken window in the front. Vusi and Fabienne walked in the door.
"We're home!" they called together, though Fabi's voice was barely even heard. "Welcome back, my girls!" Vusi's mother called as she rushed out of the kitchen to embrace both girls very tightly. "Fabi, dear, are you staying for dinner?" she asked kindly.
Vusi's mother was a beautiful woman. She had chocolate brown skin, which Vusi had obviously inherited from her. She also had short, curly black hair and the same kind brown eyes that Vusi had.
"Yes, mrs-" "Now, Fabienne. How many times have I told you to call me Mama?" the woman said sternly. Fabienne smiled. "Yes, I'm staying for dinner, Mama." she said with a smile. Vusi's mother smiled warmly at her and gave Fabi another hug, which the pale-skinned girl returned almost immediately. After all, Fabienne considered this her home, and the people here her family.
Unlike her family, Vusi's family wasn't rich. Vusi's father was an artist, a good on too, while her mother walked dogs for a bit of money. Vusi and Fabienne sometimes helped out with walking the dogs, just because it was fun and the more dogs they walked, the more money they got. Fabienne never considered Vusi's family poor. Vusi had two brothers, one older and one younger than her, one older sister, two loving parents and three cute dogs - all of who were loving and kind. Vusi's family wasn't swimming in the rands(4), but they were happy. And when she was with them, Fabienne was happy as well.
The main problem with her own family was Fabienne's mother, Esmaralda. She was always out with some man, 'making money to keep them alive'. Fabienne hated the fact that her mother was a prostitute. How could she tell other people about her parents?
Her dad wasn't any better either. An alcoholic that didn't do anything except drink the day away. Her father at least wasn't an abusive drunk, so that was an up side, but coming home to find your dad unconscious and lying a puddle of his own vomit wasn't exactly very fun. In fact it had gone from disgusting to annoying and pathetic.
But her family definitely wasn't poor. On the contrary, they were swimming in cash thanks to her mother's...job. She could have anything she wanted, when she wanted it.
Vusi and Fabienne decided to help in the kitchen, following all the instructions that they had been given. Making food was a family affair and even Vusi's father had put down the paintbrush and picked up a knife to start chopping some veggies. Dinner always tasted better when you helped make it, he believed.
"This tastes so great! Thank you, Mama!" Vusi said as they all dug in. Fabienne smiled, also thanking her 'Mama'. This was the meaning of family, she thought as she continued to chat with her second family.
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(1) "Daarom sê ons dat die man..." - Afrikaans for: "That is why we say that the man..."
(2) "Jammer, juffrou. Dit sal nie weer gebeur nie." - Afrikaans for: "Sorry, ma'am. It won't happen again."
(3) "Nee, dit sal nie. Detensie, vanmiddag." - Afrikaans for: "No, it won't. Detention this afternoon."
(4) "VUSI! HOU NOU OP!" - Afrikaans for: "VUSI! STOP IT NOW!"
(5) rands - South African currency. Our money.
Should I continue?