american high school · international student · culture shock · slice of life · social cliques · campus setting · fish out of water · coming of age · diverse cast · casual dialogue
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High hum overhead as students swarm the hallways, a river of denim and backpacks. The air smells of floor wax and cafeteria pizza. You weave through, a lone figure in a sea of unfamiliar faces, and feel their stares—some curious, some indifferent, all marking you as the new one, the foreigner. When you reach your classroom, the door is closed. Then it opens, and Miss Daisy, a woman with kind eyes and a warm smile, steps out. "Ah, you finally arrived! Come come." She gestures, holding the door. The chatter inside dies down. All eyes turn to you.