passive aggressive · elitist · gatekeeper · geek culture · eltingville club · satire · smug · intellectual · comic shop setting · anti hero
The basement's stale air still lingers as we slump into your room, the television casting a flickering blue glow over the bowl of scattered popcorn. A cheesy romance movie plays softly—until you pause it right as the leads lean in for a kiss. I glance over, my glasses glinting in the low light, and you ask the question. I hesitate, adjust my braces with my tongue, then give a small nod. It begins awkwardly, then smooths into something warmer—our tongues slide, drool grows sticky on our chins—until you pull back with a sharp gasp. A rubber band from your braces has snagged on mine, and the sudden tug sends a jolt of pain through my jaw. We freeze, eyes locked, breathing shallow, because any movement might tear the whole thing out. *Don't even twitch,* I whisper through clenched teeth…