The shop

“Um,” you say after giving it some thought. “You will for sure find some people who are going to the con if you go to Bill’s Comics tonight.”

“Bill’s Comics,” Yuki repeats, making a face.

“There’ll be stuff going on there,” you assure her. “It’ll be crowded.”

“You go there a lot?” Athena asks.

“Not really. It’s not stuff that I do much of,” you admit. You like a lot of stuff in the comfort of your home: watching shows, reading stuff on your tablet, you know. Playing video games. But going out and participating in tournaments? You don’t really do that. You’ve been to this store plenty of times, though.

“Hmm,” Yuki says, going back to sitting normally in her seat. “Maybe I should just go to the hotel’s fitness room and seduce a MILF.”

That makes Athena laugh. “You’re spicy today.”

“She got stood up last night,” Nancy says without looking from her phone.

“What?” You can’t help yourself.

“Shut it,” Yuki growls.

“What? You did. I saw you at the diner,” Nancy says. “By yourself.”

“Who were you meeting?” Athena asks.

“None of your business,” Yuki grumbles.

“I heard it was that freshmen art major,” Nancy says.

“Where did you hear that?” Yuki demands angrily.

“I dunno,” Nancy replies absently, not even paying attention. She hears everything. It’s weird. You have to be careful what you say around her because she won’t hesitate for a second before talking about your business in front of strangers. So that’s why Yuki’s grumpy: she’s feeling insecure. And now everyone knows. Way to go, Nancy.

You arrive at the hotel, which is shiny and vast. It’s dark out, but the city is bright, and you love seeing the buildings reflected in the windows. You help Yuki and Nancy with the stuff from the car while Athena checks you in. A few minutes later you’re all crammed in the elevator with your luggage. You’re getting nervous again. You know that you’ll have a roommate; you just don’t know who it will be. You can’t believe that it’s going to be Athena… you have a feeling that it’ll be Nancy. Athena likes Nancy, of course, but her constant gossip can get tiresome. Yuki is a good roommate; if Athena wants peace and quiet, that is how she’ll get it.

Well… you would be a good roommate too. You watch Athena hopefully, but she’s looking at her phone.

She leads you to a door, then hands out card keys.

“We over here?” Yuki asks, pointing at the door across the hall.

“Nope,” Athena says, opening the room.

“What the shit?” Yuki asks, following her in. It’s a huge suite. Like a… honeymoon suite or something.

“I thought we were broke,” Nancy notes, looking around as she pulls her suitcase behind her.

“Turns out one nice room is cheaper than two normal ones,” Athena says with a shrug, tossing her phone on the bed. The one bed. It’s huge, but there’s only one. Your heart races. Did all your sleepover dreams just come true?

“Feels like middle school,” Nancy says, confirming your suspicions. She obviously had a better childhood than you. She’s looking into the bathroom, which is enormous. It has a big, round, jet tub and a big walk-in shower. Two sinks. Beautiful.

Everyone’s hungry, so your next stop is dinner. Nancy and Yuki fight a bit, but you end up at a steakhouse, eating a salad as Yuki devours chicken strips, Nancy eats a shockingly serious burger, and Athena elegantly spools pasta around her fork.

“Can we party tonight or do we have to be good?” Yuki asks Athena, who shrugs.

“I don’t care. We’re selling T-shirts tomorrow, not taking finals.”

“We’ll need something to drink then,” Nancy says.

“If I can pick up a cutie, you’ll all let me have the room, right?” Yuki asks, and it’s impossible to tell if she’s kidding.

“No. Your MILF will have her own room,” Athena says with a laugh.

“What if her husband’s there?” Yuki asks.

“Then it’s a real party,” Nancy tells her.

“I mean a nerd. I want to go seduce a nerd,” Yuki says stubbornly.

“Why are you so hung up on that?” you ask her. You’re a nerd, kind of. Why doesn’t she seduce you if that’s what she wants? It’s not like it would be that difficult. You don’t have a crush on Yuki, but she’s fun and her body is certainly fascinating… the thirst wants what the thirst wants. If she likes nerds so much, it hurts your feelings that she hasn’t even flirted with you really.

“I like cosplay. I want my nerd game on point tomorrow,” Yuki says. “In case I see someone dressed like my goddess.”

“Your goddess?” you say.

“Raven from Teen Titans,” Yuki says gravely, nodding. “My sexual awakening.”

You **** on your water as you laugh. “OK.”

“Laugh if you want. I’ll be the one fingerbanging superheroes tomorrow. You’ll be so jealous,” Yuki goes on, ignoring the waitress who just heard that as she walked by.

“So we’re going to that nerd store?” Nancy asks uncertainly.

“If you pick up a girl, you’ll just have to share her with us,” Athena says with a yawn, perusing the dessert menu. “Because I have a date with that tub and that bed. But we can go to the nerd store. I don’t mind.”

“I don’t either,” Nancy says, surprising you.

Yuki is being ridiculous on purpose, but it’s clear that she just wants to keep busy and have some fun while you’re away from the house. You have finally figured out why they’re acting this way: they’re nervous about the con. It’s not a big deal, but as people who know nothing about it, it must seem kind of intimidating. The girls want a preview. They think that this might help them be more prepared for tomorrow. Maybe there’s a chance for some entertainment here. Or to flirt with Yuki. Yuki… never refuses a challenge. She always doubles down.

Provoke Yuki?

Or explain to the girls that there’s nothing to be nervous about?