Operation Falling | Operation Series Book 1

Chapter 1

There's a big difference between falling in love and being in love. There's a big difference between infatuation and falling in love.

Phil McGraw

Present day.

Chapter One

CYNTHIA

I stare warily at the large green gate that has the words 'DREAMERS HIGH SCHOOL' written boldly on it as Lanre, our family driver, parks the car in front of the school.

Today is the first day of what would probably be another boring year and the only exciting thing about it is that it's also the last year I'll be spending in school. And even at that, I would have given anything to not have to be here at this moment but Nanny wouldn't have it.

No amount of explaining to her that coming to school on the first day of resumption is a waste of time convinced her to let me stay at home and that's why I'm currently seated here in the car, watching lazily as cars drive into the school to drop off sons and daughters of other wealthy families, instead of getting down and entering the school myself.

While I idly watch different cars drive into the school compound, I only hope to see a particular white BMW car. It's the car that drops my favorite person in the whole of this school and the only reason I had finally given in to Nanny's insistence on coming to school today. I can't wait to see her bubbly self and maybe get infected by her aura of happiness so I can get through the day with a better mood. 

But after ten minutes of waiting and seeing no white BMW car belonging to her drive into the school, I start to feel a bit disappointed.

I begin to think that she might have decided to not come to school today anymore, probably thinking being present in school today will be a waste of time just like I had thought, but then I remember the text she had sent me this morning out of excitement, telling me how delighted she is that school is finally resuming and how she can't wait to see me and I know I was wrong.

Concluding that she is probably already in school since I arrived pretty late, I finally decide to get down from the car. I smile apologetically at Lanre who has been waiting patiently for me to alight from the car for the past few minutes but he only smiles back and tells me to have fun.

I simply wave in response as I step down from the car and walk into the glamorous school that is Dreamers High, noticing immediately how well it has been groomed and maintained during the holidays.

The first thing that probably comes to mind of guests or new students who enters Dreamers High for the first time is 'elegance' or 'class' and it's no surprise since Dreamers High School is a huge school that is situated on the Island of Lagos and is attended by the children of the wealthy and affluent from all parts of Nigeria. It is also known for its grand hall that is used for hosting the school's social events and its large stadium - that is sometimes rented to other organizations - for sporting events.

The bizarre amount of money that is being paid every year as school fees can definitely be seen in the school's beautiful structures and surroundings. The school management has a penchant for the colours 'green and white' and you can easily see that in the painting of most of the buildings across the school.

Thankfully, the person who designed our uniform wasn't as patriotic as the person in charge of choosing colours for the buildings and that's why the colours of our uniforms are white, black and ash.

We are currently in the Harmattan session so it had been announced on the WhatsApp group for SS3 students that the management had ordered all students to put on the school's winter uniform and in accordance to that I'm currently putting on a white shirt, black plaid skirt and a white or cream coloured sweater with designs of black in the neck and sleeves. Students can choose to wear the long sleeved sweater or the short sleeved sweater and I had chosen the latter, deciding it's better to start the first day of the new term fashionably.