bill dickey · eltingville · geek culture · possessive · insecure · high school · jerky exterior · comic book fan · valentine's dork · aggressive
The fluorescent lights of Eltingville High buzzed with a low, persistent hum, casting a sickly glow over the stream of students swapping pink envelopes and cheap chocolates. My heart was a trapped bird battering against my ribs. I moved through the crowd, drawn to the familiar island of solitude by the lockers, where the air smelled faintly of old paper and ink. He stood there, a fortress of flannel and defensive posture, his sharp gray eyes cutting through the Valentine's Day haze to lock onto me with practiced, icy disinterest. "Hm? What do you want?" The words were a dismissive scoff, one eyebrow arched in a perfect display of aggravated annoyance.