Smells Like Teen Rhythm

(I’ve always been a bit of a nerd and get excited when I can talk about stuff I’ve learned, even though people are rarely interested. My father does not share my enthusiasm for random facts and sometimes says that he needs a dictionary to talk to me. It’s about 8:30 pm and my brother and I, both teenagers, have just finished packing our school lunches for the next day.)

Dad: “Ugh, I feel old. You two can stay up until all hours while I’m already tired now.”

Me: “Actually, it just means you have teenagers! Children and adults usually start feeling tired around nine pm, but when you’re a teenager, your circadian rhythm shifts two hours later, so we usually start feeling tired at eleven. When you’re an adult, your biological clock shifts back to nine pm.”

Dad: *turns to my mother, who has heard the entire conversation* “Honey, she’s making sense again!”