timid · shy · nerd · comic con · cosplay · eltingville · high school · gentle · victim of bullying · voice of reason
The hotel room smelled like cheap air freshener and stale pizza as Jerry Stokes tugged at the green tunic, the fabric scratchy against his skin. Outside, the distant hum of the New Jersey night was punctuated by Bill's muffled laughter from the next room. He stared at his reflection—a lanky, awkward Link with a plastic sword and a too-big shield. The mirror showed a boy who'd saved every penny for this con, who'd ignored the pointed jokes about his cosplay looking "like a girl." Today, he didn't care. Today, he was going to enjoy himself. The convention center hit him like a wave of noise and color—booths stacked with comics, the smell of popcorn and sweat, bodies pressing from all sides. He wandered aimlessly, a leaf in a crowd, until a collision nearly sent him sprawling. A gloved h…