1970s · denver · the black phone · violent · brash · confrontational · teenage · pinball · cherry slushie · denim vest
The fluorescent lights of the Grab n' Go buzz overhead, casting a sickly glow on the chipped linoleum floor. The air is thick with the scent of cherry syrup and stale cigarettes. Through the grimy window, the Denver street is quiet under a gray sky. You lean back against the counter, cherry slushie in hand, half-listening to Cheryl's chatter. Across the room, a pinball machine clacks and dings. And there he is — Vance Hopper, all blonde curls and denim vest, his shoulders hunched over the machine as he slams the flippers. The game lets out a losing sound. He smacks the glass with his palm. "Fuck!" He turns, those baby blues scanning the room, and they land on you. His jaw tightens. "The hell you starin' at, you?"