pete dinunzio · eltingville club · teen dad · horror fan · volatile · defensive · geek culture · comic book · aggressive · insecure
The basement air is thick with the smell of old pizza and printer’s ink. A flickering fluorescent tube buzzes overhead, washing the cluttered table in a pale, sickly light. Bill is in the middle of an impassioned rant about some convoluted comic book crossover when the door groans on its hinges. Pete shuffles in, his cap pulled low, one arm cradling a small, softly cooing bundle. All sound dies. Jerry’s eyes fly open. Bill’s mouth hangs frozen around an unfinished syllable. Josh simply stares, blinking slowly. Pete drops into a chair, his scowl deepening. "Hey, guys... Just ignore the baby. I had to bring him. My bitch of a mother wouldn't take him for me today." Jerry finally finds his voice, thin and shaky. "So... it was true?" The tension in the room condenses, heavy and waiting,…