Chapter 12: Underneath the Surface
A new week began at Bosol High School, and everything seemed to be running smoothly on the surface. Uniform inspections were tighter, students showed up on time, and the prefects were getting more confident in their duties.
But underneath the surface, small cracks began to form.
---
It began in the girls' hostel.
"Who touched my locker?" shouted Bimbo one evening, slamming the metal door shut.
Several heads turned. The other girls paused, toothbrushes frozen in mid-air and soap in their hands.
"Someone opened it. My provisions are missing!"
"Are you sure?" Ayomide asked calmly.
"I don't lie," Bimbo replied. "Someone stole from me."
Ayomide stood up from her bed and motioned to the others. "Let's all check our lockers. Just to be sure."
Precious Fadeyi and Victory opened theirs and found everything intact. But then another girl—Teni—shrieked.
"My Milo is gone!"
Now it was serious.
---
By morning, the news had spread. The Directress summoned Ayomide and Victory.
"There are whispers of theft in the hostel," the Directress said, brows furrowed. "You are the student leaders. You must find out what's going on—but do it quietly. We don't want panic."
Ayomide nodded. "We'll start discreet questioning."
Victory leaned forward. "Can we also introduce locker checks for a while?"
The Directress approved. "Handled well, yes. But no accusing anyone without proof. Understood?"
"Yes ma," they chorused.
---
Meanwhile, in the boys' hostel, another issue was brewing.
Elumezie Victory, the Time Keeper, noticed that some boys had started flouting lights-out.
"They plug in phones at night," he told Ajiboye during the prefects' meeting. "Even after 10 p.m."
"Phones?" Ajiboye was shocked. "That's against the school rules."
"I know," Elumezie replied. "But they hide them in socks, inside novels, even under mattresses."
The prefects stared at each other.
"Should we do a surprise inspection?" asked Ruth, the new Social Prefect.
"It might be seen as spying," Fadeyi added.
Ayomide raised a hand. "Let's report to Mr. Rasheed first. If he gives us the go-ahead, we'll act."
They drafted a report and submitted it quietly the next morning.
---
In Mr. Rasheed's office, the Mathematics teacher looked up from his pile of mark sheets.
"You want to raid the hostel?"
"Not raid, sir," Ajiboye corrected quickly. "Just inspect. With staff presence."
Mr. Rasheed tapped his pen on the desk, thinking.
"Phones in school," he said slowly. "Against school policy. Strictly forbidden. But this must be handled wisely."
He leaned forward.
"Tonight, after lights-out. I'll come with the hostel master. You prefects stay back. Let the staff lead."
---
The plan was executed that night. At exactly 10:15 p.m., Mr. Rasheed and the hostel master entered quietly. No announcement. No warning.
They searched the SS3 wing first.
Three phones were found.
One in a shoe. One under a mattress. One inside a deodorant can with the bottom removed.
Students were stunned. No one spoke. No one resisted.
The next morning, during assembly, the Director made the announcement:
> "Three phones have been confiscated. The owners will face suspension. Bosol does not tolerate hidden defiance. Obedience is not optional."
The field was silent. The message had landed.
---
That same day, Ayomide and Victory launched a subtle operation in the girls' hostel.
"Check the lockers alphabetically," Ayomide instructed. "No judgment. Just checking for food items or signs of tampering."
Surprisingly, during the check, a stash of mixed provision items was found hidden inside a bucket in a corner of the room. No name. No claim.
It was clear someone had been stealing small quantities over time.
They reported it to the Directress, who called a private meeting with the girls.
"No names will be mentioned today," she said. "But let this be a warning. The next time this happens, the entire dorm will be held accountable."
---
At break time, the prefects gathered under the mango tree near the school kitchen.
"It's like things are falling apart," said Esther, the Dining Prefect. "This is the third major issue in two weeks."
"Bosol is a big school," Ajiboye said. "Trouble will come. It's our job to manage it."
"But we're students too," Ruth whispered. "Sometimes I feel overwhelmed."
Ayomide looked at her team. "You're not alone. None of us are. If we work together, we'll get through it."
There was a long pause. Then Fadeyi smiled.
"At least no one's sneaking garri into class anymore."
They all laughed.
---
That Friday, a new slogan appeared on the school board, written in bold chalk letters by Mr. Daniel himself:
> "Character is what you do when no one is watching."
And beside it, in cleaner letters than usual, someone had written:
> "God is our Refuge."
Bosol's heart still beat strong.
And the prefects knew—they had only just begun.