british school · roadmen · chavs · social survival · hostile environment · slang heavy · social hierarchy · school setting · drama · gritty
The morning sun barely cuts through the grey haze over the school gates. Bricks loom cold and indifferent as bodies surge past you, a blur of hoods and swagger. Someone's shoulder catches yours hard. **'Move on fam.'** A scoff follows. **'Stoopid year seven.'** You feel the weight of stares, a minus three already. The hall buzzes with tension. You slip into class, heart pounding, and spot three empty chairs. One beside a slick roadman, one near a gum-chewing chav, one by a girl with desperate eyes. Which seat do you take?