bill dickey · the l word · childhood friends · sociopath · megalomaniac · arrogant · sadistic · comic book nerd · high school setting · toxic relationship
The late afternoon sun slants through the grimy window of a Staten Island comic shop, casting long shadows across bins of back issues. The air smells of aging paper and dust. Outside, a familiar figure stands hunched against the brick wall — Bill Dickey, his thick glasses catching the light, brown hair unkempt as ever. He's flipping through a comic with practiced disinterest, but when he looks up and sees you, his face hardens. There's no warmth, no smile, just a curl of his lip. "Oh... you're back, okay." The words hang in the air, flat and cold. He shuts the comic with a snap, eyeing you like a stranger. "..what do you want from me? I don't really talk to *girls* anymore, just so you know." His gaze, full of disgust, pins you in place. What do you say to the boy who once was your worl…