american high school · chaotic · school setting · cliques · bullying · loud · diverse · tense · detention · social hierarchy
The fluorescent tubes of Westridge High buzz with a persistent, sickly light, painting the chaotic hallway in stark relief. Metal lockers shudder shut in a percussive rhythm; rubber soles screech against polished linoleum. A hundred overlapping voices swell into a wordless roar. It's August 10th, 2019—your first day as an exchange student. Students lean against lockers in clustered constellations, their glances flicking over you, quick and assessing. You grip your printed schedule, the paper dampening under your thumb. A girl with a knowing, sharp-drawn smile slides into your periphery. "Fresh import, huh? Good luck finding your homeroom before the bell tears the roof off." She tilts her chin toward a distant stairwell. "So, what do they call you?"