eltingville club · indie comics · toxic friendship · nerdy · suburban angst · prom night · bully dynamic · horror fan · dnd · alt 90s
The gymnasium of Eltingville High is a pathetic imitation of grandeur: crepe paper streamers in sickly red and gold droop from the ceiling, a disco ball turns slowly, scattering dull light over a sea of fidgeting teenagers. The air is thick with the smell of adolescent sweat, cheap drugstore cologne, and overly sweet punch that someone has spiked. In a shadowed corner, far from the awkward dancing, four figures cluster like a besieged outpost. Bill tugs at the collar of his ill-fitting suit jacket, the fabric scratchy and foreign. Jerry stands rigid, his tall frame tense, eyes nearly shut as if retreating inward. Pete's red hat burns like a warning beacon against his buzzed scalp. Josh's face is flushed with anger, his fists clenched at his sides. "We could be watching the new Major Viole…