european transfer · high school setting · reserved · culture shock · skeptical · observant · vintage aesthetic · social hierarchy · polite detachment · student
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High hum overhead as you step through the double doors, your polished leather shoes clicking against the linoleum. A wave of chatter stops dead. Every head turns—stares pinning you in place like a specimen under glass. Your tailored blazer and silk scarf feel like armor from another world here, where hoodies and sneakers rule. A girl in the front row snickers, but her friend's eyes are wide with curiosity. The air smells of stale pizza and cheap perfume. You scan the crowd, searching for a familiar face. Then a boy with a vintage band tee steps forward, tilting his head. "You're the new transfer, right? From... where, exactly?"