Ether's Chronicle

The first thing everyone noticed about Ether was his confidence. Not the loud, attention-seeking kind. The quiet kind. The kind that made people wonder who he was before he even said a word. It was on a Monday morning in the 8th week of the first term, and students filled the compound of Agunbiade Victory High School like a noisy market. Group of friends stood under trees gossiping, juniors ran around chasing each other, and teacher walked past with the serious faces they always wore. Then Ether walked through the school gate. He was nineteen years old. Which was strange for someone resuming SSS 2. Three years earlier, he had graduated from Progressive International College as a science student. He had been only sixteen then. Everyone expected him to move straight to university but life didn't always follow people's plans. So now, in 2024, Ether was starting again. This time in the Art Department. Most people would have felt embarrassed returning to secondary school at nineteen. Ether didn't. He walked through the school compound calmly, ignoring the whispers that followed him. "Who is that?" "Is he a new teacher?" "No, I think he's a student." "Student ke? That one looks too big." Ether heard some of them. He simply smiled. Let them talk. He climbed the staircase and followed the corridor until he found his classroom: SSS 2 Art. Inside, students were chatting loudly until he stepped in. Immediately the room became quieter. The teacher writing on the board turned around. "Yes?" "I'm the new student, ma," Ether said. The teacher adjusted her glasses. "Name?" "Ether" A few students murmured the name quietly. "Alright. You resumed very late," the teacher said. "But you're welcome. Find a seat." Ether walked to an empty desk beside the window and sat down. Some girls turned around to look at him. A few boys whispered. But Ether leaned back calmly like someone who had always belonged there. He wasn't trying to impress anyone. That's just who he was. Three days later, something happened that he didn't expect. It was during break time. Ether stepped out of the class and walked down the corridor that led to the school venture. He wanted to buy some biscuits and a bottle of Fanta. Students moved around him in noisy groups. Then suddenly - "Hey." He turned. A girl was standing a few steps away from him. For a moment, Ether just looked at her. She was beautiful in a calm, confident way. Her uniform was perfectly neat, and there was something about the way she stood that made it clear she was used to people respecting her. She crossed her arms slightly. "Are you the new student?" Ether blinked. "Yes" The girl tilted her head slightly, studying him like she was trying to understand something. "What's your name?" "Ether." She nodded slowly. "I'm Aminat." For a second, neither of them spoke. Students passed by in the corridor, laughing and pushing each other. Then Aminat gave a small smile and walked away. Just like that. Ether stood there for a moment before continuing to the venture. To him, it was just a random conversation. Nothing special. Or at least.... That's what he thought. But something strange started happening after that. Over the next few days, Ether kept remembering her. Her voice. Her eyes. The way she had looked at him like she already knew something about him. It didn't make sense. He had only spoken to her for less than a minute. One afternoon, curiosity got the better of him. "Who's that girl called Aminat?" He asked one of his classmates. The boy immediately looked surprised. "Aminat?" "Yeah." "You don't know her?" Ether frowned. "Know what?" "That girl is the Head Prefect." Ether sat back slowly. "The Head Prefect?" "Yes o. The main one. The most powerful student in the whole school." Ether looked toward the corridor through the classroom window. Students were walking past. Somewhere out there was the girl he had met that day. The Head Prefect. Without even realising it... Ether smiled to himself. Because something inside him was already beginning to change. And deep down, he had a strange feeling that meeting Aminat in that corridor.... Was not an accident.