CAPS Approved for English FAL Grade 9

Babalwa could not stop crying. Her whole body shuddered with quiet sobs. Everything had gone wrong. She wished she was a different person who didn’t make the worst choices possible. She wished she had never come to Cape Town. That was when it had all started…

Babalwa has always dreamed of the big city, but soon finds out that things are not as she imagined. Her aunt treats her like a servant and her cousin is unfriendly. Only Khaya, a new boy at school, seems friendly. So when a cool ‘gang’ of girls invite her to join their group, she’s overjoyed. But what kind of friends are they really? Will they manage to destroy her relationship with Khaya? And, what will happen if she dares to cross them? As Babalwa is forced to question her choices and take responsibility for her mistakes, she realises just in time the qualities that make up true friendships.