Raz's POV
Chapter One: First Day Back
"Raz… Raz! Hurry, you're getting late for school!" my mum called from downstairs.
"I'm coming, Mum!" I shouted back, already rushing around my room.
That was my mum—always the early bird. I couldn't wait to get to school and see my friends again. It had been two weeks since school reopened, but I hadn't been able to attend because of a health issue. Now that I was better, I was eager to catch up. I grabbed my bag, zipped it up, and dashed downstairs.
"What took you so long?" she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
"I was packing my stuff," I replied, trying to sound innocent. "Anyway, I'm ready now. Let's go." I smiled at her, hoping to ease her frustration.
She chuckled lightly. "Yeah, sure."
As we pulled into the school compound, my friend Simon and my girl, Clara, noticed my mum's car and immediately came running toward us.
"Good morning, Ma," they greeted politely.
"You're both welcome. How are you two?" my mum responded warmly with a gentle smile.
"We're fine, ma," they said in unison.
"Mum, I have to go now. Thanks for the ride," I said, opening the door.
"It's okay, my son," she replied, holding my cheek softly. "Just look after yourself, alright?"
"I will, Mum. Bye." I waved at her as I watched her drive off. She waved back, smiling.
"Bro! Why haven't you been coming to school?" Simon asked almost immediately.
"I guess he didn't even miss us," Clara added with a slight frown.
"Oh, come on, guys. It's just been two weeks! Nothing more," I said, laughing.
Just then, two girls walked past us. Clara noticed and immediately switched to her usual self.
"Hey! You two—come here," she called out, her tone firm.
The girls stopped in their tracks and walked over hesitantly.
"So you girls don't have any respect?" Clara said sharply. "You saw us standing here and just walked by without even saying hello?"
"We're sorry, ma. We didn't notice you," one of the girls replied nervously. "It won't happen again."
Simon leaned toward me and whispered, "Bro, I think Clara is starting to be Clara again."
I sighed. "That's enough, Clara. Just let them be. For goodness' sake, it's a new academic year—why not try being kind to people for once?" I turned to Simon. "You know what? Let's get out of here."
"Raz… wait! Please, wait now," Clara called out, running to catch up with us.
I turned back as she approached, slightly out of breath. "You walk too fast," she muttered, falling in step beside me.
We headed toward our classroom just as the bell rang. Everyone settled down, and shortly after, our class teacher, Mrs. Olive, walked in with her usual calm but firm presence.
"Good morning, class," she began. "It's been two weeks since school reopened, and now that you're the senior students, we expect the best behavior from each one of you. Be examples to the juniors. Lead with dignity."
The room went silent, her words sinking in. She continued.
"Before I forget, next week we'll be selecting our school prefects for the academic year. As usual, the top ten students will be considered."
At the mention of prefect selection, whispers buzzed around the room.
Mrs. Olive picked up a sheet of paper and began reading.
"I'll now call out the names of those who made it into the top ten. If you hear your name, please step forward."
The room tensed.
"Mustapha Bangura – 72.5%
Zainab Mansaray – 73.4%
Eustace Wilfred – 75.8%
Easter Kamara – 76.4%
Sarah Kallon – 77.8%"
The classroom gave a light round of applause as each name was called.
"Now for the top five," she announced, looking up.
"Simon Hardin – 79.6%
Julius Menson – 82.4%"
The excitement was building.
"And our top three," she said, pausing slightly for effect.
"David Wilson – 85.8%
Clara Sam – 87.2%
Raz Morgan – 92.6%"
The class erupted into cheers and applause. I felt a rush of pride as I stepped forward. Clara stood next to me, flashing her confident smile.
"These students are your coming leaders," Mrs. Olive said. "They'll be considered for Head Boy, Head Girl, and other key positions."
But just as everyone was celebrating, the moment shifted.
As soon as Clara's name had been announced, a strange silence fell across the room. A group of boys sitting at the back—Aaron and his sidekicks, Michael and James—began to snicker.
"Finally, the Queen Jaguar has become Queen," Aaron said mockingly, loud enough for everyone to hear.
The whole class burst into laughter.
Clara didn't flinch. She just smirked, a fire in her eyes. That kind of smirk that said Laugh now, but when I become Head Girl, all of you will bow.
Simon leaned toward me and whispered, "This year is going to be wild."
I couldn't agree more.
The bell had just rung for lunch.
As usual, Simon and I, after grabbing our meals from the cafeteria, stood at the corridor outside our classroom, overlooking the school grounds. It had become our little routine—watching students pass by, laughing, chatting, living their high school lives. But today felt different.
From a distance, I spotted Clara with her two closest friends, Sarah and Easter. They were surrounding a girl from our class, clearly intimidating her.
"Simon," I said, narrowing my eyes, "do you see that?"
"Of course," he replied, smiling faintly. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I think we should go over there," I said, already stepping forward.
"Alright, man," Simon agreed, following my lead.
We walked toward the scene. The energy shifted as we approached. Clara and her friends turned to look at us but didn't say a word. The girl in the middle looked tense, eyes lowered.
"What's going on here?" I asked, my tone calm but firm.
Clara and her friends didn't respond. They just smirked, arms folded, eyes fixed on the girl.
I turned to her. "And you? What happened?"
The girl hesitated, then said quietly, "I was heading to the cafeteria... then they stopped me."
"She's in our class," Simon added, concern showing on his face.
I looked directly at Clara. "Come on, Clara. Why are you treating your classmates like this? What will you do to the junior students if this is how you act now?"
She rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "Raz, I'm the next Head Girl of this school. You don't get to tell me what to do just because you're my boyfriend. That's the reason no one respects me—because they think I'm soft when I'm around you."
Then she turned to her girls. "Let's go."
But I wasn't done.
"If that's how you plan to treat people in this school, then maybe I need to rethink this relationship," I said firmly.
She froze mid-step. For a moment, her tough expression cracked. That hit her.
Without a word, she turned and walked away with Sarah and Easter trailing behind.
Simon placed a hand on my shoulder. "Bro... calm down. It hasn't reached that level yet. Let's go."
I nodded, but deep down I knew — something was changing.