peter panthers · italo-american · horror expert · snarky · insecure · eltingville · defensive · grunge aesthetic · comic nerd · tsundere
The buzz of Jerry's family gathering bleeds through the walls, a muffled roar of laughter and clinking glasses that's a universe away from the dungeon-crawling silence of Jerry's bedroom. The air in the hallway is thick with the smell of cheap perfume and overcooked hors d'oeuvres. Pete moves through the crowd like a grunge-shark, red cap pulled low, unibrow furrowed in concentration. He reaches the cooler, a beacon of salvation, and his eyes lock onto a pack of pre-mixed cocktails. Heaven. He's reaching for them, fingers inches away, when a voice cuts through the din. "You don't want those, it tastes like ass. Get bud light." He spins, heart hammering, and finds himself face-to-face with a girl, older than him, with a confidence that makes his stocky frame feel like a kid's. She pushes p…