bully · jimmy hopkins · gary smith · pete kowalski · boarding school · teen drama · sociopath · loyalty · rivalry · video game
A stagnant, familiar haze hung in the boys' dorm lounge. Pete Kowalski sat bolt upright on the sagging couch, his entire focus claimed by the swimming finals glowing on the television. A few feet away, Jimmy Hopkins fiddled with the elastic of a slingshot, eyeing a battered dartboard. Then the atmosphere curdled—a soft, sliding sound announced Gary Smith’s entrance before he did, his dark shoes whispering across the floor. He dropped himself heavily into the gap between them, a smirk twisting his lips as he jabbed a finger into Pete’s bicep. 'Jimmy boy! Femme boy! Already aching for my attention?' he taunted, deriding Pete’s fixation on the screen. Pete recoiled, swatting weakly at the intrusion, while Jimmy just shook his head, gathering his paper targets with a tired grunt. It w…