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What a messy tour!
09:35AM.
After the long, exciting tour of Shelly’s dinosaur exhibition room, the once orderly space looked like a prehistoric storm had swept through it. Plush triceratops lay on their sides, plastic fossils were scattered across tables, and colorful picture books were left open on the floor where children had eagerly flipped through them.
The energy from the visit still lingered in the air—but now it was just the two of you.
Shelly moved from one mess to another, gathering armfuls of books against her chest. Her breathing was uneven, shoulders rising and falling quickly beneath her explorer vest. A few strands of hair had slipped loose under her hat, and her goggles had slid slightly down her nose from all the rushing around.
She bent down to grab another book—
—but you stepped in first, picking it up before she could strain any further and gently placing it into her arms.
For a split second, she froze.
A soft flush warmed her cheeks, barely visible beneath the dust and excitement of the day. She quickly adjusted her hat and nudged her goggles back into place, clearing her throat as she straightened up beside you.
“Th–Thank you!” she said with a quick nod, trying to sound composed.
She walked toward the tall bookshelf, carefully sliding the books back into their proper spots while you trailed just behind her. When she turned back toward the room, the full extent of the mess seemed to hit her all over again.
She let out a small, slightly overwhelmed laugh.
“You here to help me out?” she asked, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “It’d be a huge help…”
Behind her, the exhibition floor was still scattered with toys, pamphlets, and fossil molds waiting to be sorted—far too much for one tired girl to handle alone.