High School Life

Story Description: High School Life
HIGH SCHOOL LIFE
By Bennett
Northwood High isn't a school; it's a labyrinth. A colossal, humming machine built of brutalist brick and populated by thousands of terrifying, organized cliques. For Alex Bennett, a freshman whose survival strategy is meticulous planning and strategic invisibility, the first day feels less like an educational milestone and more like a high-stakes military operation.
Armed with an oversized backpack and a schedule that reads like a cryptic map, Alex must navigate the intricate social contract of the "territorial biome." His biggest challenge isn't mastering quadratic equations or identifying the turning point of the Byzantine Empire-it's learning the unwritten laws of the orange cafeteria tables, avoiding the judgment of the varsity "Predators," and simply trying to open his stubborn locker.
Only his childhood friend, the cynical and effortlessly cool Maya, serves as his guide through the echoing halls, warning him away from the "death traps" of the senior staircases. Together, they are "The Observers," cataloging data on the complex ecosystem of high school life in a bid for survival.
But when maintaining anonymity becomes impossible, Alex is forced to confront his fears-not of getting lost in the building, but of finding himself in the wrong social orbit. High School Life is a sharp, witty, and intensely relatable journey through the chaotic, exhilarating, and utterly exhausting territory of freshman year, where finding the "power button" on the machine might just mean accepting the detour.