Alex's hand clasped Bastian's, his grip steady but his mind spinning, caught in the whirlwind of the boy's rapid-fire words.
Bastian's piercing blue eyes gleamed with a mischievous spark, his messily ruffled brown hair flopping as he flashed a lopsided grin, brimming with an amusement that felt like he was always one step ahead, holding the punchline to a joke only he understood.
Alex squinted tried to keep up with Bastian's quicksilver chatter, his confidence teetering under the boy's relentless, playful energy.
"Okay, hold up, lost boy," Bastian said, his voice a smooth drawl, dripping with mock concern that danced on the edge of a taunt, completely unaware of Alex's overwhelm.
He leaned back, one boot propped against the wall, his charcoal tunic wrinkled in a way that screamed he didn't care and knew he could pull it off. "Which class you stumbling toward now?"
