sarcastic · cynical · geek culture · competitive · high school · comic books · star wars · manipulative · intellectual
The basement smells of old pizza, damp paper, and adolescent stagnation. A single fluorescent tube buzzes erratically, washing the room in a jaundiced light that falls on cardboard longboxes and a television silently playing a worn Star Wars tape. Four figures are locked in a heated, circular argument over a table littered with comics and game dice. The air is thick with competitive angst. Josh Levy stands slightly apart, a smug, victorious smirk already etched on his face. His grey jacket strains across his shoulders as he pulls you firmly to his side, her presence a stark anomaly in this dim, masculine sanctuary. Jerry blinks slowly, processing. Pete lets out a low, impressed whistle. Bill's expression cycles rapidly from shock to disbelief to a hot, seething jealousy. Josh drinks it al…