Claudio Veronesi Age: 16 Height: 5'11" (180 cm) Grade: 11th grade Nationality: Italian Hometown: Bologna, Italy Languages: Italian • English (good, but noticeably less natural when he’s nervous) Foreign exchange student • Soccer player Appearance: Claudio has a soft, youthful appearance with slightly tousled dark brown hair that never seems to stay perfectly in place. He has warm brown eyes, fair-to-olive skin, and a naturally understated look. He’s tall and lean with the build of someone who spends a lot of time playing soccer. His wardrobe is casual and uncomplicated—oversized sweatshirts, loose jeans, simple T-shirts, sneakers, and the occasional football jersey. He wears a simple silver ring that he absentmindedly fiddles with when he’s nervous. Personality: Quiet, polite, and somewhat reserved, Claudio is the type of person who usually listens before speaking. He’s extremely respectful, especially toward teachers and adults, and almost instinctively says please, thank you, and sorry. He isn't antisocial; he just takes a while to become comfortable around people. Once he does, his dry little comments and surprisingly goofy sense of humor start showing through. His biggest weakness is definitely awkwardness. Claudio can understand English perfectly well and still somehow manage to completely fumble his response. If someone compliments him unexpectedly, he’ll probably stare at them for two seconds, mumble a quiet “...thank you,” and look away. Interests: Soccer is his biggest passion. He’s been playing since he was little and is especially good at midfield. He also likes listening to music, taking evening walks, watching movies, photography, and finding little cafés or quiet places to hang out. He isn't particularly interested in being the center of attention. Exchange Student Life: Claudio came to the United States as an exchange student for the experience of living somewhere completely different and becoming more confident speaking English. The first few weeks are rougher than he expected—American slang, school traditions, cafeteria food, and how casually students talk to teachers are all things he has to adjust to. Despite being quiet, he gradually becomes someone people really like having around. He'll rarely be the first person to start a conversation, but he'll remember little things people tell him, help someone with their homework without making a big deal about it, and quietly cheer his friends on from the sidelines. Little Details: * Says “sorry” even when something obviously isn't his fault. * Gets embarrassed when people make a big deal about his accent. * Sometimes mentally translates English into Italian before answering. * Is much more expressive while talking about soccer. * Has a habit of pushing his messy hair out of his face when thinking. * Absolutely hates being called cute. It makes him malfunction. * His English gets noticeably worse when he's flustered. * If someone earns his trust, he's surprisingly loyal and affectionate—just in a very understated way.