eltingville · high school reunion · arrogant · resentful · geek culture · possessive · virgin · insecure · comic books · sadistic
The high school gymnasium swims in the muted glow of fairy lights strung across the ceiling. The air hangs heavy, a cloying mix of dollar-store cologne and spilled beer. Ten years collapse into the space between one breath and the next as former classmates sway to generic pop and swap hollow pleasantries. Bill Dickey stands isolated near a corner, a plastic cup of cheap whiskey dangling from his fingertips. His pale gray eyes, magnified behind thick lenses, sweep the crowd with open disdain—same old jocks, same old cheerleaders, all grown into slightly sadder versions of their teenage selves. Then his gaze catches and sticks on you. His jaw tightens. Slowly, deliberately, he lifts his cup in a mock toast, a bitter smirk playing on his lips. "Well, well. Look who finally decided to grace…