Chapter 10 The Return

Mr. Gilbert strode into GFC, flanked by his entourage of managers. Chima trailed closely behind, having arrived unusually early. As they approached, Mr. Ade emerged from the lift, his timing unfortunate.

Forcing a smile, he greeted Mr. Gilbert, "Good morning, sir."

Mr. Gilbert halted, his expression unreadable. With a subtle hand gesture, he dismissed his managers, who filed into the lift. The doors closed, leaving Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Ade, and Chima alone.

Mr. Gilbert's gaze turned icy. "Do you want to lose your job?" he asked Mr. Ade, his voice even.

Mr. Ade's voice trembled slightly. "No, sir."

"Then explain yourself," Mr. Gilbert's tone implied consequences.

"I'm so sorry, sir," Mr. Ade stammered.

Mr. Gilbert shifted his attention to Chima. "Has it been a month since Jason left?"

Chima responded promptly, "A month and three days, to be precise, sir."

Mr. Gilbert turned to Mr. Ade, his expression stern. "Ade, as Jason's manager, shouldn't you know his whereabouts? Jason's absence is unacceptable. No social media posts, unreachable... with his dumb best friend" Mr. Gilbert's tone turned ominous.

"Today's Tuesday. Jason must return by Friday, GFC's 20th anniversary is Saturday. His presence is mandatory. Fail, and consider yourself fired." Mr. Gilbert stepped into the lift, Chima following closely.

Mr. Ade hastily exited, phone in hand. "Hello, Jasmine," he said urgently.

Jasmine's sleepy voice responded, "Hi Ade."

"Jas, I need your help. Please, this could cost me my job."

********

Hazel entered her classroom, greeted by waves and smiles.

"Hi Hazel!"

"Hazeeeelll Hi!"

She returned the greetings with a forced smile, puzzled by the sudden warmth. As she took her seat, Eva turned around, offering a genuine smile.

Hazel's fake smile transformed into a heartfelt one as she smiled back at Eva.

Their Mathematics teacher entered, facing a two-hour teaching marathon. MG and Kelvin's empty seats puzzled Hazel.

As the bell signaled the next class, MG and Kelvin sauntered in, reluctant. The girls blushed, and Chris teased,

"Missing math class again, Kel!"

Kelvin retorted, "Mind your business, Chris!"

MG settled in, adjusting his hair in a mirror, scrutinizing his reflection. He then pulled out his physics textbook.

Kelvin fixed his gaze on Hazel, struggling with math problems. Her head buried in her book, she sensed Kelvin's stare.

Turning, she met his mocking expression. "Witch!" he mouthed.

Hazel looked stunned.

Kelvin sneered, rolled his eyes, and turned away. She shook her head, chuckling, returning to her book.

"He was so nice yesterday, why did he suddenly change?" she wondered.

The next teacher captivated Hazel's attention, making the class thoroughly enjoyable. With two classes left before break, MG and Kelvin departed early, as usual.

As Hazel packed her books, Amelia called out, "Hazel."

Hazel turned, meeting Amelia's gaze. "So, have you chosen an extracurricular?" Amelia asked.

"Not yet," Hazel replied.

Joan's tone turned condescending. "Weren't you in any extracurriculars at your last school?"

Eva intervened, "What's with the interrogation? How is it any of your business?"

Hazel smiled graciously. "It's fine. My previous school only had sports teams, and participation wasn't mandatory."

Mo snickered. "What kind of school is that? Sounds like a public school to me."

Hazel responded promptly, "Yup, it is." The group looked surprised. "I'm just privileged to be here," Hazel stated, her dignity unwavering.

"If you'll excuse me," she concluded, walking out of the classroom.

"Ugh, I can't believe I talked to her yesterday," Joan exclaimed.

"Must be from the slums," Amelia said, shaking her head. "We can't let her think she's better than us," Amelia said to her friends.

"Exactly!" Mo agreed.

Ethan taps his friends as he drops his phone, "Guys, we've been booked for Saturday - GFC's 20th anniversary!"

Eva squealed, "Oh my God! I can't wait to see Jason again!"

Theo raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure he's okay?"

Eva's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I saw a blog post... saying he's been offline for months due to a terminal illness," Theo revealed.

Eva gasped. "Jesus, God forbid!"

Ethan intervened, "That's not true. Jason's taken breaks from social media before. Let's focus on our performance."

Eva's excitement returned. "I'm super excited! This is huge, I need to post this on my Instagram story!" Eva exclaimed, already reaching for her phone.

*****

Timi woke with a yawn, gazing at Jason's furious typing on his phone.

"Uh, my head aches," Timi groaned, rubbing his temples.

Jason frowned. "You were wasted last night. Don't drink like that again; it was stressful for me."

Timi chuckled. "That's why you're my gee for life."

Jason warned, "Drink irresponsibly next time, and I'm leaving you at the party."

Timi laughed, heading to the fridge for water.

"What's up?" "We need to return," Jason said.

Timi's face fell. "Noooo! Why? This trip just started getting fun."

"GFC's 20th anniversary is on Saturday. My dad's already threatening Mr. Ade," Jason explained.

They shared a laugh.

"Jasmine begged me, not like I care if Mr.Ade loses his job, which I don't think he can ever lose. But I don't get it," Jason continued. "I don't own GFC; why must I attend?"

Timi grinned. "Mine wouldn't even notice if I showed up or not. Anyway, let's just honor your dad"

"Let's do this again soon!" Jason exclaimed.

"Definitely," Timi agreed.

Timi's eyes sparkled mischievously. "By the way, I got a pretty girl's number last night."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Is that the nineteenth girl you've met this month?"

Timi held up his hands. "Don't judge meeeee!"

***

Hazel embarked on a school tour, exploring extracurricular activities. She stumbled upon the Clinic Volunteers and decided to investigate.

The school clinic impressed her - spacious, with separate sections for students and outsiders. She smiled satisfied, it has always been her dream to be a doctor.

"A volunteer's role would focus on the outsiders' section," a nurse explained. "Primarily to build science students, but all are welcome. No knowledge is wasted."

Hazel opted for the stairs, unfamiliar with the lift. Rushing up, she missed a step, scraping her knee. Pain shot through her as she fell.

Sitting, staring at the injury, she wished for a magical cure.

"Too bad staring can't heal," a voice said behind her.

She turned to find MG, their eyes locking.