"That's the plan."

"Cool. Have fun. I don't want in, though, you two go nuts. I'm still reeling that Darren made a friend on his own."

Darren rolls his eyes.

"I have no evidence that this is as weird as you seem to indicate."

"Mhm. But he's my brother, so I've got tons. I'll summarize - he is a nerd."

"My understanding is that this means he should make friends with other nerds, not that it's a curse that renders him permanently friendless such that my presence is a miracle."

"He's also shy! Have I mentioned he's shy? It's not that he's cursed with nerdiness and he's permanently friendless because of it, it's that he is nerdy but does not seek out nerdy friends because he is shy and so normally he doesn't meet them."

"I'm not actually seeing that? I mean, I believe there is something in his personality you're labeling that way, but he talks to people, I have seen him do it."

"Behold, talking to people is a thing I can do," says Darren dryly.

"... I think I'm mussing up the wording. Whatever, doesn't matter anyway. Keep up the good work, Darren."

"Sure," he shrugs.

"Perhaps in the future you can aspire to have multiple friends."

"Let's not go speaking crazy talk, now."

"Okay. I will feel extra super special about it, then."

"Feel free," replies Darren brightly.

"I am unique in all the world," singsongs Bella.

Darren laughs. "Congrats. Unless you count the hordes of people that borrow my notes as friends, in which case... You are part of a long line."

"I haven't borrowed your notes since the first couple days. I take great notes. If you're ever home sick you will be borrowing my notes. I am much specialer than all those people."

Darren snorts with laughter. "I don't think that's a word."

"Shakespeare invented hundreds of words. I am in good company."

"Lots of people try to invent words. It only counts when people start accepting them as actual words."

"Are you claiming not to have successfully understood what I meant when I said 'specialer'?"