Foreign Exchange by Abby Knox

Cian
For a shy lad from Dublin, my year as a foreign exchange student at an American high school was strange and exciting.
What sticks out most in my mind is one person: Serenity. She was my first crush, and my only friend at that school. To everyone else in the class, she was a geeky drama student with shabby clothes. For me, Serenity was the strongest person I’ve ever met. So imagine my surprise when I receive an invitation to a class reunion across the pond. And I have it on good information that Serenity will be there. I was too shy to tell her how I felt when I was a teenager, but now, not even the Atlantic Ocean can hold me back.

Serenity
As a rule, I don’t keep up with anyone from high school. In fact, I’d prefer never to see any of those people again. My classmates bullied me for my off-brand clothes, tragic hair, and my dreams of making it in Hollywood one day. Yeah, they were all pretty much jerks — all except for Cian. The foreign exchange student from Ireland was the sweetest. There’s probably no chance he’ll be there, but wouldn’t that be fun if he was? Plus, as I gaze at the Golden Globes on my mantle, I feel tempted to be a tiny bit petty toward my former bullies. Am I actually going to shock everyone and attend? Yes…yes I am.