In the heart of Lagos lies Stanford International School, where students are going about their day just like every other. Rose, a charming and intelligent student, was organizing her desk in preparation for the morning assembly. She paused for a moment, her thoughts drifting. "No, surely it can't be him," she thought, her heart skipping a beat at the mere possibility.
Then came her best friend Bella , walking over with a bright smile. She had come to greet her since this was their first day meeting since the weekend holiday. She was always the one to break the silence, and today was no different.
"Good morning!" Bella greeted, using her playful nickname for Rose—PixieCode.
"Morning," Rose responded, her voice a little softer than usual.
Bella didn't give her time to respond before launching into conversation. "So, what are your plans for the upcoming holiday?" Without wait for an answer. "Maybe we could go to the mall get some new stuff or we plan a trip to the Hawaiian Islands, or even the Bahamas. I heard they're even more beautiful this time of year."
Rose didn't respond immediately. She stared blankly at her desk, her fingers brushing over the books without really seeing them. The idea of an upcoming holiday, a break from everything, seemed too distant. Too disconnected from the whirlwind in her mind. She was trying to focus, to push the thought away, but it kept coming back. She looked
Lost in thought, Bella said, " Do these things don't interest hackers. What do you hackers even do for fun?" she added jokingly.
Rose thought to herself, Maybe Bella hasn't heard the news yet. "For the thousandth time," she said aloud, "we're coders. Saying 'hacker' just sounds off to me—we code ethically. We don't manipulate systems."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Duh, I know that. I was just pulling your leg."
"Okay, glad we're on the same page," Rose replied, glancing at her friend's enthusiastic face. "And yeah… I think a vacation sounds good."
She forced a smile, one Bella instantly recognized as fake. Sensing her friend's unease, Bella tried to lighten the mood—until she heard approaching footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw a tall figure behind her.
Oh Tony, she thought. Captain of the school's football team… and another member of the Coders Club.