The shadows behind the prefect badge

Chapter One: The Assembly The first bell at Saint Catherine College never rang politely. It screamed across the compound, dragging sleepy students from noisy hostels and quiet classrooms alike. Shoes scraped against the tiled walkways as students hurried into neat lines, adjusting ties, smoothing skirts, and praying they wouldn't be noticed by the prefects. The school looked peaceful from the outside. Tall trees shaded the cream-colored buildings, flowers lined the paths, and the morning breeze carried the scent of fresh rain. To visitors, it was the perfect boarding school. The students knew better. Rumors traveled faster than the wind at Saint Catherine College. Some whispered about missing exam scripts. Others spoke of secret meetings that took place after lights-out. But there was one rumor everyone knew better than to repeat too loudly. The prefect badge. It wasn't the gold badge itself people feared—it was the stories behind it. Every year, strange things seemed to follow those who wore it. Friendships ended. Trust disappeared. Secrets surfaced. Yet everyone still wanted the position. Because power always came with a price. "Stand straight!" Joshua's voice sliced through the morning chatter. The Head Boy walked confidently to the front of the assembly ground, his polished shoes reflecting the early sunlight. His uniform was flawless, his prefect badge gleaming against his chest. Students immediately fell silent. He wasn't smiling. Behind him stood the other prefects, each wearing an expression that revealed nothing. Among the sea of students, Zainab tightened her grip on her notebook. Unlike everyone else, she wasn't staring at Joshua because he was Head Boy. She was watching him because she'd caught him doing something strange the night before. Something she couldn't explain. Their eyes met for the briefest second. Joshua looked away. The principal stepped onto the podium and cleared his throat. "Welcome to another academic year at Saint Catherine College," he announced. "Some of you will leave this school with memories you'll treasure forever." He paused. "And some of you... will uncover truths you wish had remained buried." A strange silence settled over the assembly ground. Nobody laughed. Somewhere behind the crowd, a prefect badge slipped from someone's pocket and hit the ground with a sharp metallic clang. Every head turned. No one moved. And for reasons none of them could explain, the morning suddenly felt much colder. The metallic sound echoed across the assembly ground. Clang. For a few seconds, the entire school froze. Even the birds perched on the mango trees seemed to fall silent. A junior student finally bent to pick up the badge, but before his fingers could touch it— "Leave it." Joshua's voice was calm, yet firm enough to stop the boy instantly. "I'll take it." He walked toward the badge with measured steps, every eye following him. When he picked it up, his expression remained unreadable, but his fingers tightened around the small piece of gold for just a moment. It was almost as if he recognized it. Zainab noticed. She noticed everything. Being one of the youngest members of the Press Club had taught her that people often revealed more in silence than in speech. A twitch of the hand. A hesitant glance. A smile that arrived too late. Joshua had just done all three. The principal continued his speech as though nothing had happened. "This term, discipline, excellence, and integrity will remain our watchwords. I expect every student to uphold the values of Saint Catherine College." The students chorused, "Yes, sir." Assembly was dismissed. Immediately, the compound erupted with chatter. "Did you see Joshua's face?" "It was just a badge." "Then why did everyone go quiet?" "I heard the owner graduated last year." "No, someone said it belonged to a prefect who disappeared." "You people believe anything." Zainab scribbled the conversations into her notebook before they faded from memory. "You're writing gossip now?" She turned to see her best friend, Amara, grinning beside her. "It's called gathering information," Zainab replied. "It's called looking for trouble." They laughed, but Zainab's smile didn't last. Across the courtyard, Joshua stood alone beneath the old almond tree. He wasn't speaking to the other prefects. Instead, he stared at the badge resting in his palm. A shadow approached him. Deputy Head Boy Daniel. The two exchanged only a few quiet words before Joshua slipped the badge into his pocket. Daniel didn't look convinced. Neither did Joshua. "What are you staring at?" Amara asked. "Nothing." "You've been saying 'nothing' since last night." Zainab hesitated. Last night she had been returning from the library after finishing an article for the school magazine. She had taken the shortcut behind the administrative block—a place students rarely visited after evening prep. That was when she saw Joshua. He hadn't been alone. Someone dressed in a black hoodie had handed him a small brown envelope before disappearing into the darkness. Joshua had looked around nervously, unaware that someone was watching. Or so he thought. Zainab had hidden behind a pillar until he walked away. She had promised herself she would forget what she'd seen. Now, after the incident with the badge... She wasn't so sure she could. As students made their way toward their classrooms, Joshua briefly looked over his shoulder. His eyes met hers again. This time, he didn't look away. He held her gaze for a second too long. Almost as if he knew. Almost as if he had seen her that night. A chill crept down Zainab's spine. She closed her notebook. For the first time since joining Saint Catherine College, she realized she wasn't just reporting a story anymore. She had become part of it. "let's go" Amara said dragging her away as she kept her eyes fixated on Joshua........ Amaka Okafor stood in front of the science lab staring at the big plated sign which said 'KEEP OUT!!' she had a look of confusion plastered to her face, " what's happening in this school" Amaka says silently....... while she's pondering in her thoughts Vanessa interrupts her. "oh Amaka ur still here!?" she says, "yes I am?" Amaka says almost trying not to sound perplexed, Vanessa gives her a light smile. " didn't u hear about the new science lab?" Amaka raises an eye brow, " new science lab??" "yeah.....the principal says this one's out of order" Vanessa says again, " I can take u to the new one, but lemme just let u know it's not as standard as this one but it works" . Amaka nods then follows Vanessa with a confused look....... Chapter Two: Whispers in the Hallway By first period, the story had already spread across the entire school. Nobody knew who had dropped the prefect badge. Nobody knew why Joshua had looked so unsettled. But everyone had an opinion. "The badge is cursed." "It belonged to a former Head Girl." "My cousin said a student was expelled because of it." "You people watch too many movies." Laughter filled the hallway, but beneath it was something else—fear. Zainab walked quietly with Amara toward their English class, hugging her notebook to her chest. She wanted to ignore the rumors, yet every word only reminded her of the previous night. Joshua. The envelope. The badge. Nothing about it made sense. "Earth to Zainab." Amara snapped her fingers in front of her face. "You've been staring into space for five minutes." "I'm thinking." "That's dangerous." Zainab laughed. "You joke too much." "And you worry too much." Before either of them could say another word, a group of boys came rushing down the corridor. At the center of them was Daniel, the Deputy Head Boy. "Move!" someone shouted. Students quickly stepped aside. Daniel wasn't smiling. He walked straight into the principal's office without knocking. The hallway fell silent. "What was that about?" Amara whispered. "No idea." But Zainab couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with Joshua. --- At exactly 10:30 a.m., the bell for break rang. The school transformed instantly. Students flooded the courtyard, the canteen, and the football field. The smell of meat pies, fried rice, and puff-puff filled the air. Normally, Zainab would spend break interviewing students for the school magazine. Today, she had another mission. She wanted answers. She found Joshua sitting alone behind the school library, a place most students ignored because of the giant almond tree that blocked the sunlight. He looked different without the crowd around him. Less intimidating. More... tired. For a moment, she considered turning back. Then Joshua spoke. "You've been following me all morning." Her heart skipped. "I haven't." "You have." "I was just passing by." He finally looked up. "You should work on your excuses." Zainab folded her arms. "You should work on not looking suspicious." To her surprise... Joshua smiled. It wasn't the confident smile students saw during assembly. It was smaller. Almost genuine. "You ask too many questions." "I'm in the Press Club." "Exactly." A silence settled between them. The breeze stirred the leaves overhead. Then Joshua's expression changed. "If you value your peace," he said quietly, "forget whatever you think you saw last night." Zainab froze. He knew. He had seen her. Before she could respond, footsteps echoed from the path leading to the library. Joshua stood immediately. "We'll finish this another time." He walked away without looking back. Hidden behind the nearby bushes, someone lowered a phone. The screen displayed two blurry photographs. One of Joshua. One of Zainab. The mysterious student smiled. "Perfect," the voice whispered. "Everything is happening exactly as planned." CHAPTER TWO – The Boy Behind the Badge The dormitory bell rang at exactly 5:00 a.m. "Wake up! Morning prep!" the hostel prefect shouted as she banged a metal ruler against the iron doors. Groans echoed through Emerald House. Girls reluctantly dragged themselves out of bed, searching for slippers and uniforms while others fought over the bathroom buckets. Zainab didn't move. She lay on her bunk, staring at the ceiling. The image from the previous night replayed in her mind like a broken film. Joshua. The brown envelope. The whispered conversation. And those chilling words... "If anyone finds out... we're finished." She sat up abruptly. "No," she whispered to herself. "There's more to this." Across the compound, the boys' hostel was unusually quiet. Joshua stood alone in front of a cracked mirror, buttoning his perfectly ironed white shirt. Every movement was precise. Every breath controlled. No one would ever guess he hadn't slept. A soft knock came at his door. "Head Boy?" It was Daniel, the Assistant Head Boy. "They're waiting for you at assembly." Joshua picked up the prefect badge from his table. For a moment... He stared at it. The silver badge reflected his tired eyes. People saw authority when they looked at it. He saw chains. "I'm coming." Assembly began with the school anthem. Hundreds of students stood in neat lines beneath the rising sun. The principal paced slowly across the stage. "This term," he announced, "discipline will be tighter than ever." A murmur spread through the students. "And one more thing..." He adjusted his glasses. "Our annual Founder's Week exhibition is in three weeks." Cheers erupted. Every club would compete. Science. Drama. Debate. Press Club. Sports. Everyone was excited. Everyone except Joshua. Because Founder's Week meant visitors. Visitors meant questions. Questions meant danger. After assembly, Zainab hurried toward the Press Club office. Their adviser, Mrs. Nnadi, clapped her hands. "This year," she smiled, "I want the best investigative magazine Saint Catherine College has ever produced." The room buzzed with excitement. "You'll be interviewing prefects, teachers, old students..." Zainab's pen froze. Prefects. An idea sparked instantly. If she couldn't ask Joshua directly... She would investigate him. Elsewhere... Joshua walked through the corridor. Students greeted him respectfully. "Morning, Head Boy." "Good morning, sir." He nodded at each of them without slowing down. Then... He felt it. Someone was watching him. He turned. At the far end of the corridor stood Zainab. Notebook in hand. Eyes fixed on him. Neither of them spoke. For a few seconds... The noisy hallway seemed to disappear. Joshua's jaw tightened. Zainab refused to look away. A silent battle had begun. Joshua finally broke eye contact and walked off. But as he disappeared around the corner, he murmured under his breath— "She's going to get herself hurt." Zainab couldn't hear him. Someone else did. A figure hidden behind the staircase smiled. "Good," the stranger whispered. "Let her keep digging."