The following Monday, the heat in the ZIA courtyard felt heavy, like it was waiting for a storm to break. Leya kept her head down, weaving through the clusters of students toward the library. She could still feel the phantom weight of the shilling in her pocket—Zazu had pressed it back into her hand before dropping her off on Friday.
"Check it out! The Prince of Lusaka has a secret hobby," a voice boomed across the quad.
Leya froze. She knew that voice.
Near the fountain, Musi was standing on a stone bench, holding a black Moleskine sketchbook high above his head. A crowd was already gathering, buzzing with the kind of cruel energy that only teenagers can manifest.
"Give it back, Musi," Zazu's voice was low, but there was a dangerous tremor in it.
Leya pushed through the crowd. Zazu was standing five feet away from Musi, his face pale, his fists clenched at his sides. He looked stripped bare.
"Why? The people deserve to know their future leader is actually a sensitive soul," Musi sneered. He flipped the book open. "Wow, Zazu. These are… dark. Who's the girl with the sad eyes? Oh wait."
Musi turned the book toward the crowd. It was the charcoal sketch of Leya from the music room. The lines were raw and intimate, capturing a version of her that no one at ZIA was supposed to see.
The laughter that rippled through the quad was like a physical blow.
"Looks like our Golden Boy has been spending time in the slums with the Exiled Queen," Musi laughed. "Does your mother know you're hanging out with the daughter of the woman who tried to bankrupt the country, Zazu? Or is this part of some new 'charity' project?"
Leya felt the blood rush to her face. The "Ice Queen" mask she'd spent years perfecting in London was cracking. She looked at Zazu, expecting him to do something—to shout, to fight, to deny it.
But Zazu was looking at her, and the look in his eyes wasn't anger. It was shame.
"It's just a book, Musi," Zazu said, his voice sounding hollow. "Give it here."
"I don't think so," Musi said, his eyes glinting. "I think the Headmaster should see this. Or better yet, I'll just post the highlights on the school forum. 'The Tembo-Kapiri Merger.' Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Leya couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward, her British accent disappearing entirely, replaced by a sharp, cold clarity. "Give him the book, Musi. Now."
Musi blinked, surprised by her sudden presence. "Or what, Kapiri? You'll play a sad song on your cello?"
Leya didn't blink. "Or I'll remind everyone in this quad that your father's 'consultancy fees' from the 2012 audit are currently being reviewed by the Anti-Corruption Commission. My aunt still has the files. Would you like me to leak the PDF to the school board, or would you like to hand over the sketchbook?"
It was a total bluff—Leya's aunt didn't have the files—but Musi didn't know that. The color drained from his face. His father's career was built on a very fragile foundation of "new" money.
The crowd went quiet. The power dynamic in the quad shifted in a heartbeat.
Musi looked at the book, then at Leya. He hopped off the bench and shoved the sketchbook into Zazu's chest. "Keep your trash," he muttered, trying to salvage his dignity as he backed away. "You're both freaks anyway."
The crowd began to disperse, the entertainment over.
Zazu stood there, clutching his book. He looked at Leya, and for a second, the silence between them was agonizing.
"You didn't have to do that," Zazu whispered.
"I didn't do it for you," Leya lied, her voice trembling. "I did it because I'm tired of people talking about my family like we're a ghost story."
She turned to walk away, but Zazu grabbed her arm. His touch was light, but it stopped her instantly.
"He's going to tell everyone now," Zazu said. "The 'secret' is out. They'll think… they'll think there's something between us."
Leya looked down at his hand on her blazer. She felt the weight of the debt, the history, and the terrifying newness of the moment.
"Let them think what they want, Zazu," she said, looking him in the eye. "At least they're finally looking at us and not our parents."
She pulled away and headed for the library, her heart racing. She had just declared war on the social hierarchy of ZIA to protect a boy she was supposed to hate.
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