I heard there's a girl in school growing wings. No, she's not graduating or anything. She's legit growing wings, just like this other oke in school. He's doesn't have wings though. He's growing a tail and he keeps skipping class. They probably think no one sees them but we're watching them. They keep getting closer and closer to each other so we all have to watch them. The sky and the sea. The rivers and the forest. Faeries and mermaids. It's hectic, I know. A thousand eyes watching you but I guess that's what happens to us as we grow up. We either grow a tail or wings and the world watches the ugly process unfold.

Mia Arderne is a Cape Town-based writer with bylines in New Frame, Mail & Guardian, The Vrye Weekblad, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, VISI, GQ, City Press and more. Her writing explores the politics of gender, race, identity, sexuality and mental health. Her debut novel, Mermaid fillet, has been long-listed for the Sunday Times-CNA Literary Awards. A thousand eyes on you is her first YA novel.