CHAPTER 8

As the morning sun rose, the dressed freshmen excitedly made their way to the assembly hall.

The sound of the siren ringing at 7 echoed through the campus, alerting everyone that it was time for the assembly.

Enthusiastically, all the students started streaming towards the impressive cream-painted large building.

Inside the assembly hall, it was grand and spacious, with rows of chairs neatly arranged and a large projector waiting to come alive. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.

The upper part of the assembly hall was divided into two wings, the east and the west. These sections were reserved for the form 2s and 1s, while the ground floor belonged to the form 3s. It was quite the sight, seeing the form 2s and 3s blending in with their sharp white shirts adorned with the school badge, paired with their brown trousers.

As they were all entering the hall, they realized that bags and backpacks were not allowed inside the assembly hall.

Unfortunately, the Form 1s were not aware of this rule, so they brought their bags along. They had to leave their bags outside the building, much to their surprise.

On the other hand, the form 2s and 3s, being more experienced, knew better. And had left their bags safely in their classrooms, fully aware of the bag-free policy. It was a little secret they held onto, knowing that the form 1s were still adjusting to the new rules and routines.

And speaking of which, poor form 1s didn't even have a classroom assigned to them yet! It added a touch of adventure to their first day, navigating the school without a designated space to call their own. But hey, it's all part of the journey, right?

Prefects were standing outside the assembly hall, keeping a watchful eye on everything.

These diligent prefects took their responsibilities seriously, making sure every student was in proper uniform and wearing the correct footwear.

They had an eagle eye for detail, checking that no one sneaked in with the wrong shoes or uniforms. And to top it off, each prefect proudly wore a name tag on their chest, displaying their position of authority. It was quite impressive seeing them all lined up, with their names visible for everyone to see.

So, as the students made their way towards the assembly hall, the dedicated prefects greeted them with a smile some with a stern look, and guided them ensuring that they were following the school's dress code. Their name tags served as a way for them to easily identify and approach them if the students had any questions or concerns.

As Jesse and Ben made their way towards the assembly hall, they couldn't help but notice the name tags worn by the prefects. Among them, they spotted Senior Kwesi and Senior Ronald, who happened to be Ben's school father. It must have been nice for Ben to have that connection!

Jesse, on the other hand, was searching for a particular prefect. He scanned the name tags, hoping to find the head boy, but his efforts were in vain. However, he did spot the head girl, who happened to be the assistant of Senior Kelvin. Her name was Rose, and Jesse couldn't help but notice her petite and beautiful appearance. She had a slight figure and lovely red lips that caught Jesse's attention.

Just as Jesse's eyes widened in surprise, he noticed Senior Kwesi looking at him with curious eyes. In a hurry, Jesse quickly flashed a smile and grabbed Ben's hand, urging him to move faster towards the assembly hall. They left their bags and lunch bags at the entrance, eager to join the rest of the students for the assembly.

As they entered, they were told to go upstairs, so they went and saw a lot of students, both boys and girls, wearing green checkered uniforms. It seemed like there were  Form 2 students among them since they were in the school's uniform. Jesse and Ben couldn't help but stare in awe at the sight of their classmates.

Ben noticed two empty seats and excitedly pulled Jesse along to sit together. As they settled in, the hall was still a bit noisy, but they could see the Form 3 students elegantly seated. Jesse, still trying to spot Senior Kelvin, had no luck so far. But just a few moments later, the hall began to quiet down as the headmaster, school chaplain, senior housemaster, and a few teachers made their way to the stage, where chairs were arranged for them.

Jesse finally caught sight of Senior Kelvin,  who was seated among the prefects at the left side of the stage Senior Kelvin was engaged in a conversation with another prefect. Unfortunately, Jesse couldn't read the name tag of the other prefect, as they were quite a distance away. Then, the school chaplain's voice boomed over the microphone, instructing everyone to stand up and remain quiet as they recited the Lord's Prayer.

After the students finished reciting the Lord's Prayer, the chaplain shared a few words of wisdom and then called upon the headmaster. The headmaster, a strict-looking man with a bald head and a few wrinkles on his face, stood up in his black pants and blue shirt. He confidently approached the stage and greeted the students with a booming voice, saying, "Good morning, future stars!"

He took a moment to appreciate the nice Monday morning before continuing, "I want to welcome all the incoming freshmen to Harmony High School. You have chosen one of the best schools in Ghana!" The headmaster paused, looking at the students intently, before continuing, "And to our Form 2s and 3s, remember to behave yourselves and be role models to the freshmen. Got it?" The students responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"

The headmaster shared a few announcements and then called upon the head prefects, Senior Kelvin, and Senior Rose, to take the stage. As they walked up, the entire hall fell into silence, with everyone on the edge of their seats. Senior Kelvin, with a confident demeanor, greeted everyone again, somehow managing to make  Jesse's heart beat faster.

The students respectfully responded, "Good morning, Honourable Kelvin," with the Form 2s and 3s adding the "Honourable" title, as the Form 1s were still learning how to address the prefects

The students sat with their whole attention on the head boy as he was about to give his speech.