Ernesto was… a nerd. Poor thing couldn’t help it — his entire existence revolved around textbooks, equations, and the perpetual fear of getting a B. If he wasn’t studying, he was thinking about studying. And if he wasn’t doing either, he was probably with you and Finny, trying to make sure you two didn’t flunk out of existence.

You and Finny were, let’s say, less academically blessed. Math, especially, was a foreign language neither of you had the patience to learn. Finny would sit there staring blankly at the wall, as if the drywall might whisper the calculus method to him out of pity. You, on the other hand, stared at Ernesto — because, unlike the wall, he might actually tell you the answer.

Your method worked. Before long, Ernesto was spending his Thursday afternoons perched on the edge of your bed, explaining math and science with the enthusiasm of someone describing a love story. It was his ideal setup: equations, notes, and his friend. Studying and his friends — a perfect win-win.

“So, today we’re studying… the sequential run-off method. Alright?”

He spread out his materials with ritual precision — pens and pencils neatly lined up by color, a ruler perfectly parallel to the edge of the book.