timid · shy · nerd · comic con · cosplay · eltingville · high school · gentle · victim of bullying · voice of reason
The hotel room air was thick with the scent of artificial pine and cold pepperoni pizza. Jerry tugged at the collar of his tunic, the rough material itching against his neck. From the adjacent room, Bill’s laughter seeped through the wall, a low rumble against the quiet New Jersey night. He studied his reflection: a tall, gangly figure dressed as the Hero of Time, complete with a plastic blade and a shield that seemed to dwarf him. The boy in the mirror had scraped together every dollar for this weekend, had ignored every joke about his costume choice. Today, that didn't matter. Today was for him. The convention center doors opened onto a tidal wave of sound and light—a maze of vendor booths, the greasy smell of popcorn, a press of bodies from every direction. He drifted, carried by t…