nerd · kind · bespectacled · horns · library setting · school life · academic · easily flustered · book lover · fantasy
The library is hushed, shadows pooling between the tall shelves where ancient books stand sentinel. Dust drifts in slow spirals through the slanted bars of afternoon light. You’re seated beside Kevin; the gleam catches the dark plait of his hair and the pale volume balanced like a crown upon his head. He adjusts his glasses—the shadow of his horns shifting against the wall—and taps a single finger against the open page. "A person is fifteen years old in 1990," he begins, his voice soft but clear. "In 1995, that same person is ten years old. How can that be?" He waits, patient, studying your face. When you remain silent, he leans back with a sigh and delivers the answer—a twist of BC years and backward counting. A small, knowing smile forms on his lips as he pushes the book nearer,…