ANDREW'S POV
Watching Jane hold the medal in her hands was strangely satisfying.
She kept staring at it as though she could not believe it is now hers, though my name was boldly engraved across the front.
I smiled to myself before turning around.
Why am I smiling? I thought, squeezed my face then walked away,
Just then, the familiar school alarm echoed through the compound.
The long, metallic sound bounced across every building, immediately drawing students and teachers away from whatever they had been doing. Founders' Week had officially begun.
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and followed the crowd toward the main hall.
The atmosphere inside was completely different from the usual morning assemblies. Teachers moved around with clipboards, assigning responsibilities while students hurried from one corner of the hall to another. Some were already carrying chairs, decorations and sound equipment, while others stood in groups waiting for their names to be called.
After waiting for a few minutes, one of the teachers looked down at his list before calling out,
"Andrew."
I raised my hand.
"You'll be coordinating the Junior Music Presentation alongside Daniel. Your group consists of the Year Eight students."
I nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Not surprising. It is what I do every year. It was like I was stuck with it nad it is unavoidable.
The teacher handed me a folded sheet containing the rehearsal schedule before calling the next name.
As I stepped away from the crowd, someone suddenly walked into my path.
Nafisat.
She walked beside me for a while and it seemed like we were heading the same direction so I didn't bother to say a word, though it seems like she was expecting me to.
"Andrew…"
I stopped walking.
"I know you're still angry."
I remained silent.
She swallowed before continuing.
"I just want you to know that I'm not part of any cult."
Her voice was almost pleading now.
"I've never attended any meeting. I don't even know why everyone suddenly believes I did."
I looked at her quietly, searching her face for something that would convince me she was telling the truth.
Unfortunately...
I found nothing, or maybe I just didn't like her and because of that I would believe nothing she said.
"I didn't do it, Andrew," she said again, her voice cracking slightly. "Please believe me."
I sighed softly.
"I honestly don't know what to believe anymore."
The words came out calmer than I expected, but they were true.
There was a long silence between us before I finally spoke again.
"I have somewhere to be."
Without waiting for her response, I walked past her.
A part of me wanted to turn around.
Another part told me not to, well, I chose the second one.
A few minutes later, I arrived at the Music Hall where almost thirty students between the ages of twelve and fourteen were already waiting for me.
Well…
the music hall looked so much like a mess and it is very scattered.
Waiting was probably the wrong word.
Half of them were chasing one another around the room.
Three boys had somehow started drumming on the chairs.
A girl was singing loudly into a broomstick she had decided was a microphone, while the others cheered her on as though she were performing at a concert.
I stood at the entrance for a few seconds.
Then I smiled.
"So..."
I muttered under my breath.
"This should be interesting, new sets of animals."
Those who I taught the last time were among but the issue is that some new set of students were added to the list and the new set....
it was so certain that they would be nothing but trouble.
A man in his mid 40's entered, Mr. Rasidin, the music teacher.
"Andrew my boy. Welcome back." He said then walked up to me and hugged me so tight even though his big belly was a big obstruction.
"I am so glad you got this slot." He said smiling so wide.
"Yeah, not like you intentionally planned it." I replied sarcastically.
"Follow me." He said then started walking and I followed. He then continued.
"so, someone else will be joining you this time because I will not be."
"Why?"
"Cause your old man is getting old." He said then opened the door to the exit of the music room.
We stepped out together.
"You are just 44!"
"Mann, I am so old." He said shaking his head,
"Sanig will assist you, since you know…He will be here in a bit." He said then walk away.
Normally, it was always Nathan and I that coordinated it but now it got to be me and a weird guy names Sanig.
A guy in glasses walked up to me stretched out his hand for a handshakes then said;
"Hi Andrew, I am Sanig."
I looked at him form his head to his toes and from the toe to the head.
He reminded me of Nathan.
I hurried over to where Mr. Rasidin was.
"Are you trying to replace Nathan?" I asked angrily almost raising my voice
"No!"
"Then why bring someone that somehow looks and act like him?"
"That was the person I was given. Just try and also, heal up." He said then walked away.
'The person he was given' he said? That's so not true, he never let the school decide anything for him.
I walked back defeated and then, yh Sanig was waiting for me at the entrance.
"Those children are monsters." He said as he walked up to me.
"Looks like we'll be spending the next five days together." I replied.
"I've survived worse" He replied.
I looked through the glass doors at nearly forty junior students running around the rehearsal room like they had been set free after years in prison.
"Are they always like that?"
"Na, they are a bit calm and more relaxed today." I replied then opened the door and step in.
He followed.
"Everyone arrange yourselves." I said, the student arrange themselves. "Very good. So, you know the rules, anyone who misbehaves...."
"No lunch." The chorus it,
"Good. We have a new person joining us. His name is Sanig."
They all clapped.
"Is he Nathan's brother?" Someone asked.
"Please introduce yourself." I said to Sanig ignoring the question.
" Hello everyone, I am Sanig. I am in my first year of my senior year. I look forward to working with you." He said
"Now let's start."
We had the rehearsal for like an hour or two then went on a break.
"What are we doing for the founder's day programmes? Which programmes are we preparing for?" He asked me.
"So, like we both know, the founders day is a five-day event held every year in honour of the school's founders. We have a performance on the first da, that is tomorrow for the opening ceremony. Then the third day, the drama and storytelling night and then the closing ceremony."
"That is a lot of work to be done within a very short period of time."
"I know right."
"How about this, we divide the students into two major groups, one for the singing and the other for the drama. I will coordinate the drama group." Sanig offered which was a very nice idea actually.
"We will do it your way, but how are we going to divide them?" I said then placed my hands on my waist.
"When next is their rehearsal?"
"After the break."
"That when we will do that." He added then began to walk away and I was like
'who is this guy and why is he acting all so bossy?'