It was the second week of September, and the air buzzed with anticipation. Across the country, kids were dusting off their uniforms and prepping for the new school year. The rains had finally eased, leaving behind sunlit streets and the scent of fresh earth.
Upstairs, Isabelle sat cross-legged on her bed, carefully arranging her books and pens into a blue, leathery backpack. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Today wasn't just any school day—it was her first day of secondary school.
She had it all planned out. First, she'd find her way to the legendary library tucked away on the west side of the school. Then she and Beatrice—her bestie since Primary 3—would sneak off to explore the massive auditorium everyone talked about.
"Mom!" Isabelle shouted from her room. "Where are my favorite socks? I'm gonna be late for my first day!"
Rachel's footsteps echoed up the staircase before she appeared at the door, holding a pair of striped socks in her hand.
"Here they are, darling. You left them under your bed last night," she said, crouching to toss them onto the mattress.
She gave Isabelle a knowing look. "You'll have to start keeping better track of your things. You're a secondary school student now, remember? Time to start acting like one."
Rachel turned to leave, then paused in the doorway. "Oh, and breakfast is ready. I had Bolu make your favorite—pancakes with honey and butter. Just the way you like them."
"Thanks, Mom. You're the best." Isabelle grinned, throwing her arms around Rachel in a tight, heartwarming hug.
From downstairs, Ruth's voice echoed through the house.
"Michael! Where are you? We're gonna be late!"
There was no answer—only the steady hum of the television. The unmistakable voices of Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly drifted up from the living room, narrating the morning headlines on CNN This Morning.
Ruth sighed loudly. "Let's go already, Isabelle. I swear, if we wait for Michael and his grumpy attitude, you'll miss your first day. And I am not dealing with that drama today."
Isabelle looked up toward the indoor balcony, eyes scanning for any sign of Michael. Nothing. His door remained shut, the hallway eerily quiet.
With a sigh, she followed Ruth out to the white BMW X5 parked in the driveway. The engine purred to life, and within moments, the car screeched out of the compound, tires whispering against the cobblestone path.
Upstairs, the sharp sound of departure jolted Michael awake. He shot up from his bed, hair tousled, eyes wide.
"Wait for me!" he shouted, scrambling toward the window—but the car was already a blur down the road.
He turned to the alarm clock on his nightstand. The screen was black.
"Dammit," he muttered, picking it up and smacking the back. "Stupid alarm clock."
It was a twelve-minute drive from the estate to Brandol High, nestled in the bustling heart of Ikeja — the vibrant capital of Lagos. The school stood tall, a fusion of modern design and colonial elegance, its architecture both grand and inviting.
Brandol High wasn't just another school; it was a symbol of prestige, known across the state for its academic excellence and rigorous standards. Its legacy echoed through the halls, carried by the achievements of its alumni — among them, Rachel Ofor, now the respected manager of Zenith Bank's Ikeja GRA branch.
Rachel pulled up into the driveway of Brandol High, the car gliding to a halt beneath the tall palm trees that lined the front entrance.
"I was once in your shoes," she said softly, a nostalgic smile tugging at her lips. "I remember staring at these same buildings, in awe, as my dad dropped me off one Monday morning..."
But Michael wasn't listening.
His eyes were glued to his phone screen, scrolling through WhatsApp chats that hadn't changed in weeks. Zahra's name still sat there — unread messages, no replies. He had called her again just that morning. Still nothing. A dull ache pressed at his chest, though he tried to mask it with indifference.
Maybe she didn't want to talk anymore. Maybe he shouldn't care. But he did.
Rachel's voice, muffled beneath the lo-fi beats in his headphones, cut through again — warm, motherly, distant.
"Enough, please," Michael said flatly, not looking up. "Can I just get to class without another lecture or one of your old stories?"
Silence fell between them like a curtain.
"Please, Mom?"
"Yeah, of course," Rachel replied softly. His words stung, but she didn't respond to them. Deep down, she knew she couldn't blame him for how he felt. She had left him behind, and even though she thought it was for the best, it didn't make it any easier.
She sighed quietly as she brought the car to a stop in front of the school gate.
A security officer approached the car and led them toward the principal's office — a simple, blue-painted building near the security post. The meeting was brief. After some paperwork and introductions, Michael was handed over to a student who would take him to his class, with the principal following closely behind.
As they stepped inside, the class fell silent for a moment. Michael looked around — there were about twenty-one students, all dressed in neat sky-blue shirts. The girls wore navy-blue skirts, the boys had matching trousers. It looked smart, more formal than what he was used to.
"Hey class, I want to introduce Michael Richards. He's the newest member of the class. You guys should give him a warm welcome," said the principal, Mrs. Teresa, before turning and leaving the room.
A middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile walked toward Michael. "I'm Mrs. Efiong, the Biology teacher," she said.
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Michael replied politely.
She nodded, then gestured toward the classroom. "You can take that empty seat in the middle row."
Michael made his way quietly to the spot, slipping into the seat while a few curious eyes followed him. He kept his head low and avoided too much attention, just wanting to get through the day.
Mrs. Efiong picked up a list from her table and glanced over the class.
"As we all know, every term we assign a project to students here at Brandol High. But this time, we're kicking things up a notch," she said, holding the paper with both hands. "For the first time, you'll be working in pairs. Your task is to take care of a young animal for one week and write a joint report on its behavior and development."
There were murmurs around the class, some excited, others less so.
She began reading out the pairings and their assigned animals, moving down the list quickly. Then she paused, glancing at Michael.
"Olivia Ibeh, you'll be working with the new student, Michael Richards. Your assigned animal is a chameleon. Both of you are expected to monitor its growth, behavior, and response to its environment. Submit a detailed report at the end of the week."
She stacked the books and papers on her desk neatly, preparing to move on.
"Make sure you all visit the lab to collect your assigned animals before leaving school today. That will be all for now. If there are no questions, open your textbooks to page 245."
Michael glanced around the room, trying to spot Olivia. He wasn't really paying attention to anything else—his mind was on finding his partner for the animal project.
A voice from the back caught his ear.
"She's the fair-complexioned girl wearing Ghana braids in the last row."
Michael turned toward the voice and saw a guy in glasses leaning back in his seat.
"I'm William," the guy said with a grin. "And don't let these glasses fool you, your project partner? She's the real nerd. They call her the 'All-Knowing Goddess.' If you need help with anything, from algebra to mechanics, she's got you. But fair warning—she's an introvert. You might as well give up now while you still can."
Michael raised an eyebrow, unsure how to take the information. He glanced at Olivia, wondering how much of what William said was true.
It was exactly three in the afternoon when the school bell rang, signifying the end of the day. The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily in the gentle breeze. The afternoon sun bathed the buildings in warm light.
Students hurried through the hallways, heading for the gates of Brandol High. Meanwhile, Michael was searching every corner of the school for Olivia Ibeh — his project partner. He had looked everywhere but couldn't find her.
As he made his way across the hallway, he spotted William standing with a group of guys — about six of them.
They were gisting and giggling like goblins when he walked over.
"William, you haven't seen Olivia, have you?" Michael asked, trying not to sound too desperate.
William turned to him. "I saw her heading for the gate a few minutes ago. You can still catch up… if you're fast enough."
"Thanks bro, you're a lifesaver."
As Michael turned to leave, William called out, "Hey! Tayo here is throwing a pool party this weekend at his place. We'd love for you to pull up."
"I'm good, bro… Some other time."
Michael broke into a run, weaving through the crowd of students flooding out the gates. But by the time he made it there, she was gone.
"She's probably left," he muttered, catching his breath. "I gotta get going too."
Then it hit him—Mrs. Efiong's words from earlier: "Make sure you collect your animal before leaving the school premises."
He spun around and made his way to the Biology lab.
The door creaked slightly as he pushed it open. There, under the warm yellow light, stood a girl polishing a few glass jars on the shelf. She was shorter than he'd imagined—focused, quiet. No doubt it was her.
Olivia Ibeh.
He gently closed the door behind him. "Olivia, is that you? I've been scouring the whole school for you."
Before she could respond, Mrs. Efiong entered the room, carrying a clipboard.
"Michael," she said with a faint smile. "I'm guessing you've come to collect your animal?"
"Yes, ma'am." He dropped his backpack on one of the desks and glanced around.
"I've actually been looking for Olivia for the past twenty minutes… Shocked to find her here." His eyes flicked to her—still focused, still quietly polishing the jars like he hadn't spoken at all.
"Well, she's my lab assistant," Mrs. Efiong explained. "She was just helping me finish up here."
"Oh…" Michael scratched the back of his neck, unsure what to do next. "I'll wait for you guys to finish then."
With that, he stepped out and took a seat on the bench just outside the lab, letting the quiet hum of the school settle around him.
Roughly five minutes later, Olivia stepped out of the lab alongside Mrs. Efiong. From the way they were engaged, Michael figured they were probably talking about Biology—whatever that entailed.
After walking the middle-aged, dark-complexioned teacher to the hallway exit, Olivia turned and headed back toward him. In her hands was a small wire cage. Inside, the green creature clung to a twig, blinking slowly.
Michael leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees as he peered into the cage.
"He's cute, isn't he?"
Olivia didn't say a word. She only gave a slight nod, her eyes lowering to the animal as if acknowledging both the question and his presence.
Noticing her oddly prolonged silence, Michael let out a sigh.
"Hey, you're gonna have to talk to me if we're actually going to do this project together."
She seemed to hesitate, then finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm.
"Look… we don't have to do this together. I work better on my own. Just give me your number—I'll send you my findings when I'm done, and you can edit them or whatever. I think it's better that way."
Michael raised a brow. "What do you take me for? Some spoiled rich kid who doesn't care?"
He took a step back, voice sharpened by frustration.
"I do my own projects. I take school seriously. So it's simple, either drop whatever issue you've got and work with me, or don't—and we both tank the grade. Your call."
He turned to leave.
"Wait."
Her voice stopped him. "Okay, fine. I'm ready to work with you."
She pulled out her phone and held it out to him, eyes still avoiding his.
"Here's my number… and my address, in case you'd rather come over."
Michael shook his head gently, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"Nah, I'll give you mine. My mum owns a dog, so we already have everything we need to take care of little animals. Plus, my estate's just a few minutes from school — makes it easier."
She looked at him for a brief second — the first real eye contact since they started talking — then nodded slowly.