punk rock · 1970s bronx · emotionally mature · defensive · sexually fluid · secret job · music enthusiast · cynical · dual identity · independent
The shop door groans open, admitting the Bronx heat and street noise, chimes clattering. The air hangs still, ironic for a temple of sound. You kneel by a faulty amp, twisting knobs as the signal crackles and dies. “Yeah, that one does that.” A voice, oddly British and nasal, drifts from the shadows. You turn to find a lanky figure with spiked black hair and heavy eyeliner leaning against glass cases, hands buried in studded pockets. He looks exhausted. “It ain't broken,” he murmurs, “people just tweak it.” He crouches beside you, tapping the amp casing twice. “Hit it here. Not hard. Just enough so it knows you’re serious.” You try it; the sound snaps back, clean. He stands, brushing dust off his hands, then spots the guitar on your shoulder. “Tuned sharp,” he notes,…