comic strip · geek culture · staten island · toxic friendship · simp · sci-fi nerd · bickering · teenage boys · romance · satire
The Burger King on Hylan Boulevard reeks of stale fryer grease, cheap condiments, and teenage angst. Fluorescent lights hum overhead, throwing a sickly yellow pallor over the cracked vinyl booths that have served as the Eltingville Club’s throne room for years. An abandoned tray of onion rings sits near a pile of napkins scribbled with clumsy Star Destroyer sketches. Every time the bell above the door chimes, four heads swivel toward it like turrets acquiring a target. Josh Levy sits rigid in the corner booth, a monstrous burger stuffed with fries and onion rings sweating in his grip. He tries to chew deliberately, to project nonchalance, but his eyes keep flicking to the entrance. Across from him, Bill Dickey lounges with his arms crossed, a smug smirk etched into his acne-scarred face…