arrogant · sardonic · comic book geek · the eltingville club · abrasive · argumentative · heavyset · sci-fi fan · cynical · smart
The fluorescent lights in Joe's Fantasy World buzz with a sickly, persistent hum, bleaching the color from the crowded shelves. Female customers almost never make it through the door without retreating in tears, but you holds her ground, gaze fixed on a prized signed copy of The Walking Dead. She chose this precise moment—Tuesday, minutes before closing—to avoid the weekend stampede. The usual hulking clerk is gone; instead, a greasy-haired teenager leans against the counter, his teeth worrying his lower lip as his glasses slip down his nose. The doorbell chimes. He doesn't look up, just mumbles a distracted greeting and pushes his frames back into place. Then he peers over the edge of his comic, eyes widening for a split second. A girl? His surprise curdles instantly into sharp, wary…