Cosplay Loser

Chapter 2: Vengeance Boffin

While sitting in his chair in social studies class, Norbert quietly makes drafts using his laptop for a turbofan engine that he is planning to build for the Malaheim Academy Science Fair. All of the components are in place in his schematic diagram: the casing made of metallized ceramic alloy, the streamlined crisscross of bars that will hold the magnetic bearings for the power shaft, the intake fan, the compressor blades, the fuel inlets which will be fed by a propane gas tank, the starter motor for the intake and compressor stage, the power turbine, the bypass ducts and the exhaust nozzle. All of them have brilliantly converged onto a detailed schematic diagram.

This is it! I may not be good at cosplay but I will show these people what I can really do! I am a fan of Evangelion and I wanted to see Rei Ayanami's beauty displayed in the flesh but I never expected Jane to be so condescending about herself and her so called cosplay elite! They will soon realize that science fiction would be nothing without the actual science and the wonders it has provided for the producers of science fiction programs! Norbert thinks while saving a copy of his diagram.

"And so women have struggled over the years for gender equality, social justice, and political correctness." Jane says to Norbert as she walks up to him and eyes his laptop since he is not paying attention to her social studies report.

"How about I pour my soda onto your laptop if you don't keep your fucking face glued to the board?" Jane whispers to him as she naughtily dangles her tumbler above Norbert's laptop.

Norbert's anxiety once again builds up. It seems she will not be giving me a rest. Day in and day out she would probably harass me if I make even one false move every time we are in class. I now regret attending that accursed costume party!

Norbert then nods to Jane and faces the board for the remaining few minutes of Jane's report.

Jane smiles and mischievously clutches the tip of the stick she uses to point to the presentation that she has displayed on the whiteboard using a projector. "Through years of peaceful protest women have made gains in gender equality but prejudice still remains from evil right-wing misogynists and it is up to us to crush these fascist bigots for the good of creating a social justice utopia."

The social studies teacher dismisses his students. "That's very good Ms. Sandia, now that our time is over, we will continue with social studies reporting tomorrow. That is all for today class."

The bell rings and the high school students all exit the room.

This is the most nerve wracking part of the day! Norbert thinks as he quietly exits the room and will do everything in his power to avoid Jane.

While walking through the modern silver and white concrete halls of Malaheim Academy, Norbert watches out for Jane, careful to avoid even bumping into her. He walks at a slow pace and keeps his head down in the hopes that he can just slip through the school unnoticed just like he always did before he attended Jane's costume party. Just then Norbert's hairs stand up as he hears an all too familiar and ghastly voice.

Jane Sandia! Norbert thinks as he tilts his head up slightly to confirm his findings and he sees her with her elbow rested on a wall and her right foot placed over her left.

So, fashionable in and out of the cosplay world eh?Norbert thinks as he scans Jane's outfit from head to toe.

She is dressed fashionably as usual, sporting blue, high heeled boots rising just above her ankles, tight white short slacks rising a few inches above her knees, a shiny purple leather belt with a silver plated buckle, a loose purple blouse, and a white sweater. She smiles and makes some small talk with the gang that attended her costume party.

She is so two faced, only acting friendly and charming to people who she thinks are cool and worthy of her attention! Norbert thinks while looking disdainfully at Jane.

After laughing off with her friends about her latest victim of costume humiliation, Jane slowly averts her eyes from her friends to eye her surroundings. A few seconds before making eye contact with Norbert, Norbert speedily turns away from Jane and dissolves into the crowd and into an alternate exit from the high school building. As Norbert walks along the yard outside the school, someone suddenly taps his shoulder and he gasps in surprise.

"Hey Norb! You can take it easy, it's me Jake. You've been really edgy ever since that incident at Jane's house. Why don't you come and walk with me for awhile before getting into your car?"

Norbert fearfully observes his surroundings. "Alright, what is this about Jake? You had better make this quick before Jane and her gang of cosplay elites comes after me again!"

Jake gestures with the palms of his hands while explaining himself to Norbert. "You're not the only one who got stumped by that bitch last night. She scared and humiliated the pants off of me too right after you left. She insulted and threatened me in a violent fit that made me look like some pussy boy licking dirt off her shoe!"

"So what do you propose?" Norbert asks.

"After I got humiliated, for inviting you over, I lost my status as cosplay elite so it's just you and me against the world buddy! And in my opinion these goddamn uppity costumers and their bitch ring leader Jane Sandia have gone too far. We have got to get back at them for all the shit they have done to us!" Jake explains.

"You are certainly right, they have gone too far. One by one each of Jane's inner circle, namely the four costumers who followed her when I had soda poured upon my shirt and those Gungrave costumers will all be taught a lesson and it will be a uniquely painful one for each of them." Norbert's resolve starts to rise after this statement.

Jake begins to elaborate details on their enemies. "First off you gotta know the names of the people who did this to you. The four people who accompanied Jane follow her almost wherever she goes. The one who did Legato is Matt Grinsfield and he's as psycho as psycho gets because he inserts hypodermic needles near his kidneys for fun, the Utena girl with the short shorts is Mary Atwood, she'll spread all over you like peanut butter with her loose sexual morals but not before choking the life out of you with a garrote wire, the Solid Snake costumer is Pratt Killem, he's the gun freak of all gun freaks this side of Malaheim, just change the last letter of his family name and you'll get what I mean. And of course the Karen costumer is none other than the sexy and suave Saire Lahaska she's also into high fashion and is a master of disguise and deception just like Jane though Jane takes the lead in this respect."

"There were also these Gungrave costumers who harassed me as soon as I parked near Jane's house." Norbert adds.

"Oh, those guys are the J.D. Diamond Gang; they're a bunch of high school dropouts with unlimited allowances from rich but never-present parents hanging around Millcouver's downtown. They're very much obsessed with cars and have an underground racing circuit downtown. I think I know what they'd hate the most and since they harassed you first we'll get 'em before we get Jane, besides Jane's gang spends most of their time in rich bitch suburbia where security is tight. So there you have it, we'll e-mail each other about our plans and make the schedules for our little revenge schemes." Jake replies to Norbert while checking his smartphone for a text message from his father.

"Alright then, this is an act of war!" Norbert declares.

Jake shakes hands with Norbert. "Yeah it is indeed! Alright then, we are brothers in arms and we'll fight till our last…"

"Hi there Jake! Aren't you forgetting something or do I have to remind you whose crotch I've taken ownership of?" A cool and chilling voice reverberates through the airwaves as Jane Sandia draws near.

"It looks like I will have to make an expedient departure! We will be talking more about this through electronic mail!" Norbert hisses as he makes a break for his car.

"Is there anything you need Ms. Sandia?" Jake replies, shrinking back to the tone of a tired out manservant.

"Of course, after that wild party we had last night I've been thinking of having my pool cleaned but since my house's pool cleaner has been busy with cleaning the broken down and I must say shitty little public pool just a couple of blocks away, I was thinking you could do it." Jane crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow.

"But Ms. Sandia, I have a family reunion to attend and I cannot possibly miss out on it." Jake explains.

"Do you seriously think that I freaking care if your family's alive or dead? You know if you're going to be the stubborn little dick-wad that I think you're trying to be, I could just make you clean the pool tiles with your tongue while Pratt has you held at gunpoint and throws firecrackers at you! Or, we could do this the easy way and you could just use a tiny little brush. Take your pick dick-wad!" Jane yells, throwing a hysterical fit.

"The brush it is." A bead of sweat rolls down Jake's face as he writes an excuse letter in his smartphone for not attending his family reunion.