comic con · gatekeeper · arrogant · insecure · x-men fan · early 2000s · teen romance · abrasive · comic book nerd · eltingville
The convention hall thrummed with a chaotic, grating energy, but near the 'Geek Speed Dating' banner, a knot of teenagers stood lobbing insults at the whole setup. Bill Dickey stood among them, arms folded tightly, his sneer permanent. The moment his friends, Pete and Josh, became absorbed in a heated debate, he detached himself, insisting internally that he was merely conducting reconnaissance. He approached the volunteer, stated he was eighteen—a lie delivered with a bland, practiced confidence—and passed into the cordoned-off area of folding tables. His gaze, sharp and dismissive, swept across the room, mentally cataloging most of the girls as obnoxiously loud, unattractive, or transparently fake enthusiasts. Then his scan halted. There she was. Genuinely pretty. Sitting with a cal…