Caleb woke up to the sound of his brother's voice, shaking him roughly. He groggily opened his eyes to find Lucas standing over him, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Lucas!" Caleb exclaimed, sitting up in bed. "What are you doing here?"

Lucas chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'm home, little bro. And I'm starving."

Caleb threw off the covers and got out of bed, stretching his tall, athletic frame. He was happy to see his brother, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

As they made their way to the kitchen, Caleb's mother, Maria, greeted them warmly. But the atmosphere in the house was tense, and Caleb could sense that his father, Mr. Michael, was not pleased to see Lucas.

Sure enough, when Mr. Michael emerged from his bedroom, his face was thunderous. "What is he doing here?" he growled, his eyes blazing with anger.

Maria intervened, trying to calm her husband down. "Kola, please. Let's not fight. Lucas is our son, and he's welcome in our home."

But Mr. Michael was unmoved. "He's brought shame and disgrace to our family," he spat. "I don't want him here."

Caleb felt a surge of anger and protectiveness towards his brother. He stood up to his father, his voice shaking with emotion. "Papa, please forgive him. He's sorry for what he did."

But Mr. Michael was unyielding. "Get out of my house," he told Lucas. "You're not welcome here."

As the argument escalated, Caleb's mother suggested that they seek the help of her brothers, Job and Mathew, to mediate the situation. But for now, the atmosphere in the house was tense and volatile.

Caleb grabbed his schoolbag and headed out the door, feeling anxious and unsure about what the future held. As he walked to school, he ran into his friend Joshua Sam, who was eager to catch up on the latest gossip.

But Caleb's mind was preoccupied with his family drama. He couldn't shake off the feeling that things were about to get a lot worse.

Caleb and Joshua walked into Uphills High School just before the morning assembly was about to start. Caleb left Joshua to join the other prefects, while Joshua made his way to his class.

The morning assembly took place in the large hall that stood in the center of the school. Students lined up according to their classes, and the school band played softly in the background. A few teachers stood outside the hall, waiting to punish latecomers.

At eight o'clock, John Mike, the head boy, stood up on the stage. He was a bit chubbier than before, and his smooth cheeks looked like they had been well-fed during the holidays. With his hand on his chest, he smiled with a hint of smugness. He loved being the head boy.

"Attention, everybody!" he called out. "The national anthem."

The school band struck up the tune, and the students joined in, their voices ragged and uncoordinated. The juniors were eager and enthusiastic, while the seniors seemed uninterested.

As the assembly came to a close, Principal Pius gave a brief talk welcoming everyone back to Uphills High School. He was a small, wiry man with an odd accent, and the students loved imitating him.

After the assembly, Caleb and Joshua walked to their classrooms. The corridors were crowded with students chatting and laughing. Caleb was mobbed by his classmates, who were eager to catch up with him.

Meanwhile, Joshua stood aside, watching as Caleb effortlessly charmed his way through the crowd. He felt a pang of envy, but he was also happy to see his friend so popular.

As they walked to their classrooms, they ran into Mary, a plump girl with short plaits framing her round, gentle face. She lived on the same street as Caleb and Joshua, and she was one of their oldest friends.

"Hi, guys!" she exclaimed, her voice light and pretty. "Glad to see you. When did you get back, Caleb?"

Caleb grinned. "Yesterday. I was just about to call you when Joshua here dragged me off to assembly."

Mary laughed. "I'm glad you're back. By the way, do you remember anyone called Deborah? She's a relative of Mrs. Beatrice, who lives on our street."

Joshua wrinkled his forehead. "No, I don't."

Caleb shook his head. "Me neither. But I'm sure we'll meet her soon enough."

As they continued to chat, Caleb's mind began to wander. His brother, Lucas, had returned home unexpectedly, and Caleb was still trying to process his emotions. He had always been close to Lucas, but his brother's behavior had become increasingly erratic over the years.

Caleb's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the school bell, signaling the start of the first period. He bid farewell to Mary and Joshua, and headed to his classroom.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, with Caleb struggling to focus on his lessons. His mind kept wandering back to his family drama, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that things were about to get a lot worse.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Caleb gathered his belongings and headed out of the classroom. He was looking forward to going home and trying to make sense of the chaos that had erupted in his family.

But as he walked out of the school gates, he was confronted by Joshua Ansa,

"Hey, Caleb!" Joshua called out.

"Hey, Joshua!" Caleb replied, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. Maybe, just maybe, this unexpected encounter would take his mind off his family drama.

As they walked together, chatting and laughing, Caleb couldn't help but feel that his life was about to take a dramatic turn.

As they strolled through the school gates, Caleb noticed a strange car parked outside. It was a sleek, black sedan with tinted windows, and it looked out of place in the school's parking lot.

Caleb's curiosity was piqued, and he found himself wondering who the car belonged to. But before he could ask Joshua, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to face him.

Joshua's eyes darted to the side, and he gasped in shock.

"What's wrong?" Caleb asked, following his gaze.

And that's when he saw her - a girl with piercing green eyes and long, curly brown hair. She was standing by the strange car, looking like she owned the place.

"Who is that?" Caleb asked Joshua, feeling a sense of curiosity.

But Joshua just shook her head, looking like he was about to faint.

"I don't know," he whispered. "But I think she's trouble."