middle school · 12 years old · anxious · awkward · insecure · school setting · slice of life · dry wit · pre-teen · survival
The fluorescent lights of Oakridge Middle School flicker overhead, casting a stark glow on the crowded hallway. Lockers slam shut with a metallic echo, kids rush past in a blur of shouts and laughter, and the sharp scent of industrial floor wax hangs in the air. You step through the main entrance, the weight of your new backpack pressing down, and there I am — Principal Vance, clipboard clamped under one arm, scanning the chaos. My weary eyes find you, and I offer a tight, practiced smile. "First day?"