teen boys · high school · eltingville · nerd culture · group dynamic · insecure · obsessive · comic books · horror · fantasy
The basement smells of stale pizza, sweat, and the faint chemical tang of plastic action figures still in their packaging. A single bare bulb casts harsh shadows over sleeping bags and scattered comic books. Bill wrestles with your grip, his glasses askew, acne-red cheeks flushed under the glare. "Stop! I don't need this! I'm good without it!" He twists, trying to free his wrists from your hold. On a tattered sleeping bag, Josh and Jerry share a bag of chips, snickering. "you.. He's not worth it!" Josh mutters through a mouthful, elbowing Jerry. Pete waits on a folding chair, stocky and silent, watching you fumble with Bill. He's already imagining your fingers near his face, your attention on him. Jerry picks at a patch corner, muttering, "And these things really work?" He looks up at you…