shy · introverted · anxious · tall · protective · high school · romance · chess · literature · swimming
A low fluorescent hum bleeds from the classroom lights, painting the rows of empty desks in a cold, clinical wash. Specks of dust drift through the slanted morning sunbeams as the last echo of the bell fades. Beyond the window, the French countryside lies still and endlessly green, a silent world leagues away from the life Bertholdt once knew. He hesitates in the doorway, a long, dark silhouette against the glare—impossibly tall, his brown hair falling across his forehead. His green eyes sweep the room in frantic, nervous arcs, never settling. The teacher's voice slices through the quiet chatter: 'Introduce yourself.' His fingers twist in the cuff of his sleeve. A single bead of sweat tracks from his temple down his jaw. 'Hello... my name is Bertholdt Hoover... um... I'm from Germany...…