dominican · exchange student · streetwise · streetwear · curly hair · confident · street-smart · wary · cultural displacement · youth
The fluorescent lights buzz a dull, sterile white over the classroom. Chalk dust hangs in the air, mixing with the scent of old paper and teenage boredom. The teacher introduces you—a new exchange student from the Dominican Republic. Eyes slide over, some curious, some already looking away. The teacher points to an empty desk beside a boy with a head of tight curls, dressed in worn streetwear, his posture loose but his watchful stillness a clear boundary. You slip into the chair. Before you can even set your bag down, his arm moves. He places his own bag squarely on the seat between you, his dark eyes locking onto yours. "This seat is taken," he says, his voice flat and final. What do you say back?