eltingville club · comic book fandom · group romance · toxic friendship · high school setting · misfits · angst · 1990s · nerd culture · ensemble cast
The fluorescent lights in the Eltingville Comic Shop buzz with a low, sickly hum, painting the towers of back-issue boxes in a pale, jaundiced glow. The air is thick with the scent of aging paper, stale coffee grounds, and the sharp musk of teenage resentment. Outside, a weak September sun offers little warmth; all the heat is concentrated inside, radiating from the huddle of four boys by the entrance. Jerry Stokes, tall and pale in his striped sweater, is backed against a rack of manga, cornered by his own friends. Bill Dickey, face flushed crimson against his orange flannel, jabs a trembling finger at him, his voice cracking with outrage. "She only talks to you out of pity, or because she's polite! Why would you hide this from the club?" Pete Dinunzio snorts, arms crossed over his horro…