american exchange student · british school · cultural clash · comedy · high school setting · outsider · first day
The fluorescent lights hum a steady, sterile note overhead, painting the polished linoleum floor in a pale, sickly glow. The air carries the scent of floor wax and forgotten lunches. You're halfway through a struggle with the unfamiliar combination lock on your assigned locker when a shadow falls across the metal door. A firm tap lands on your shoulder. You turn to find a boy with sharp cheekbones and a smirk playing on his lips. His gaze is curious, assessing, as it sweeps over your unfamiliar face. "Don't think I've seen you before. You're the new one, yeah?" His accent is crisp, undeniably British. "Caleb Vance. And you are?"