Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the polished desks of Diamond Snow Secondary School's Class A. Celine, perched comfortably on her desk, devoured Bill Clinton and James Patterson's The President is Missing, captivated by the political thriller. Next to her, a boy with headphones bobbed his head rhythmically to his music, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk in time with the beat. On the other side, a girl with cascading dark hair flipped through her borrowed copy of Obama's Dreams From My Father. Her brow furrowed in concentration, she seemed lost in the world of the book.
Celine had shared the intriguing story of Dreams From My Father with the class, piquing the interest of many students. The memoir by Barack Obama detailed his early years in Honolulu and Chicago, leading up to his admission to Harvard Law School in 1988. The students were eager to explore the themes of race and inheritance depicted in the book.
The seating arrangement in every class of the school reflected the students' status rankings. As Celine's family held the highest rank, she had to sit in the first row. In the seat next to the window in the first row, a boy was absorbed in both playing with his tablet and reading Donald Trump's Think Like a Champion, which he had borrowed from a classmate. He had well-groomed hair, wore earphones, and alternated lazily between his tablet and the book.The sunlight illuminated his handsome, sculpted face, making him resemble a model on the cover of an international fashion magazine. He was Prince Ojukwu, the school's heartthrob and known for his intellect. His father had been the President of Nigeria since 2015. Prince's captivating looks had earned him the title of the school's heartthrob.
Hearing footsteps nearing his desk, Prince glanced up and, with a gesture, returned the borrowed book to the girl, indicating she could leave.
'You don't have to give it back if you're still reading it,' the girl remarked, placing the book back on the desk.
The students in Class A all came from influential backgrounds. Studying at Diamond Snow Secondary School was seen as a symbol of status, and being expelled from the school would bring disgrace to their families. In other words, attending Diamond Snow Secondary School elevated their social standing, and being in Class A meant they were among the top elite of the society.
Celine, immersed in her reading, instinctively glanced at Prince, who coincidentally looked back at her. They exchanged sweet smiles, creating a moment of connection between them.
Observing the smiles exchanged between Celine and Prince, the girl who had approached Prince glared at Celine before silently returning to her seat with the book.