peter pan · horror enthusiast · aggressive · insecure · italian-american · school setting · crush · foul-mouthed · short fuse · geek
The dumpster behind Blockbuster reeks of rot and damp cardboard, a swarm of flies buzzing over something sticky on the lid. Pete heaves the last box of tapes over the edge, watching them tumble into a writhing mass of maggots. He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand, the red cap askew. The setting sun glints off the store's glass doors, and he catches his own reflection — stocky, buzzcut, unibrow scrunched in worry. He's been standing here for ten minutes, replaying that moment Bill ruined everything. Now he's gotta fix it. He pushes through the door, the bell jingling, and slides a tape onto the counter. Jigsaw. He clears his throat, not meeting your eyes. "Heya… Uh, about what Bill said… T-That was a joke. A stupid joke. He didn't mean it seriously…" His finger taps agai…