"I can't believe today's exam was this easy! The questions were so simple, I was actually expecting something tough enough to make me call on my late grandmother for help," Martins exclaimed joyfully as he stepped out of the physics lab with his best friend, Prince.

"I was surprised too. The moment I saw Archimedes' principle in question one, I didn't even think twice before answering it," Prince added with a grin.

"But if WAEC is this easy, why is it always so overhyped?" Martins asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"See, that's their personal problem," Prince replied. "Right now, the only thing I'm concerned about is how to get garri into my stomach because I'm starving." They both burst into laughter.

"By the way, where's Rex?" Martins asked, scanning the surroundings.

"He's probably with my mum," Prince replied confidently, though uncertainty crept into his voice.

Rex, Martins, and Prince shared a unique, unexplainable bond that set them apart from everyone else. As senior prefect, Rex led with a calm authority that earned him respect from both students and staff. Martins, the computer prefect, was the tech wizard of the trio, always the first to crack a joke or come up with a clever innovation. Prince, the library prefect, was the intellectual one, balancing his serious demeanor with moments of playful humor. Together, they had weathered countless highs and lows, growing stronger with each challenge. Their bond was forged in mutual respect, trust, and countless shared moments of joy.

"Where on earth is this goat called Rex?" Prince grumbled, frustrated after searching nearly every corner of the school for their missing friend.

"Speak of the devil," Martins said, pointing toward Rex, who approached them with a confident stride. His lean, athletic build and dark brown skin gleamed in the light. He wore a white t-shirt paired with wine-colored pants and casual bathroom slippers. A black backpack with bold white stripes slung over his shoulder completed his relaxed, yet stylish, look.

"Where have you been, scumbag?" Prince asked, irritated.

"Somewhere quiet, cooling my head," Rex replied calmly.

"Bro, you won't believe this!" Martins said with enthusiasm.

"That the questions in the video I sent you were exactly the same as those on the exam?" Rex guessed with a smirk.

"I knew it! You're a wizard," Martins declared, shaking his head in mock disbelief.

"And I've always known you'd be my apprentice one day," Rex retorted with a grin.

The trio grabbed their belongings and headed toward their lesson center.

"As soon as we get there, I'm stopping a bike man and going straight home," Martins announced.

"And I'm going with him," Prince added.

"Ah, come on! You guys should at least wait five minutes," Rex pleaded, trying to pull off a puppy-dog face, which he was notoriously bad at.

"I don't know why you still attend extra lessons when we're almost done with WAEC," Prince remarked. "Don't overdo it with all the studying."

"And what makes you think I go there to study?" Rex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What else would you be doing there?" Prince questioned.

"Isn't it obvious?" Martins said with a smirk. "He's got eyes for a girl there and doesn't want us to know."

That was all it took for Rex to drop his cool facade. Letting out a growl, he chased Martins like they were kids playing on a field.

"Tell us who she is and stop all this drama!" Prince shouted, joining in the teasing.

"You're both donkeys," Rex shot back, laughing. "The only reason I go to lessons is to find a quiet corner to rest my brain and wait for my two brothers to finish school. You don't expect me to trek all the way home alone, do you?"

"What's the time?" Prince asked, looking to Rex, the only one with a watch.

"12:40," Rex replied, glancing at his wrist.

"Bush boy! 12:40 a.m. or p.m.?" Martins teased.

"I can see you're high on something. Obviously, it's midnight," Rex replied sarcastically.

"Let's go to Rex's house," Prince suggested out of nowhere.

"You're joking, right?" Rex asked in disbelief.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Prince replied with a serious expression.

"My house is far—really far," Rex warned, but his friends were persistent, so they set off toward his home.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes stretched into what felt like hours as they trudged along the path.

"Jeez! Bro, do you live in the woods?" Prince groaned, feeling the ache in his legs.

"No oh! I live in a big iroko tree," Rex joked. "Don't worry, we're almost there."

"And if my memory serves me right, that's the 20th time you've said that," Martins chimed in, laughing. "And each time, we seem to get farther."

"I'm serious this time."

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they arrived at Rex's house.

"Don't tell me you trek this far to school every day," Prince said, collapsing onto Rex's bed.

"Well, yeah. Welcome to my humble abode," Rex replied with a grin.