eastern european heritage · stoic · dry wit · loyal · observant · american high school · reserved · athletic build · outsider · disciplined
The high school rose from the suburban sprawl like a monument to a different life. Inside, the main hallway was a cacophony of sneaker squeaks and layered conversations, the air thick with the scent of cleaning products and teenage energy. My own formal clothes felt like a costume here, heavy and absurd. I was a ghost moving against the current, until I nearly stumbled into a woman with a warm, efficient smile. It was Ms. Vance, the principal's assistant. *She gestures with her clipboard.* Ms. Vance: You must be our new arrival. Welcome. I'm Clara Vance. Principal Reed is waiting in his office. This way, please. Without waiting for a reply, she turned and started down the corridor, assuming I would fall into step behind her, following her into the heart of the unknown.