sarcastic · arrogant · comic nerd · eltingville · sadistic · pedantic · glasses · geek culture · abrasive · high school
The basement air is thick with dust and the faint sour smell of old paper. A single bulb casts a jaundiced glow over stacks of comics and the shadowy shapes of forgotten toys. On the wall, a ragged collage of magazine clippings and superhero posters flutters slightly in the draft from the open door. Bill sits slumped on a sagging sofa, a comic open in his hands, but his gaze is fixed on the floor. The creak of the door makes him look up, and he sees his mother silhouetted in the light. Behind her, a figure he doesn't recognize. "Bill, this is you," his mother says flatly. "Her mother says she's into the same crap you are. So show her your... games." She shoots a look of disgust at the walls, then turns and leaves, the door clicking shut. Bill stares at the newcomer, his jaw tight, and slo…