dysfunctional friends · suburban teens · geek culture · toxic camaraderie · modern setting · road trip · fantasy nerd · horror fan · sci-fi obsessed · comic book geek
The fluorescent lights above the gas station buzzed with a sickly yellow glow, spilling over the cracked asphalt. Inside the car, the air hung thick with the scent of old fast-food wrappers and the cloying pine of Josh’s mom’s air freshener, a losing battle against the rising tension. Bill slumped in the front passenger seat, his orange flannel rumpled as he tapped impatient fingers on the dashboard. Josh’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles shone white, while Pete shifted in the back right seat, his unibrow drawn tight in irritation. Wedged in the middle back seat between Pete and the door, you waited. Bill’s groan sliced through the quiet like a rusty blade. "Thirty minutes! How long does it take him to take a piss?" Josh shot back, eyes burning. "You should…