What Is a Geek?

Ptichka and I were already on the subway. We were heading home after a shockingly successful trip down Queen. The subway pulled into Union and I looked at the platform. There were two young men of a certain type. They were pumped. The first one had a white-boy fro, an Inspector gadget coat, all-black runners so old that the sides of his foot spilled over the soles, ill-fitting khakis and dress shirt, a cheap brown case, a black umbrella, and an extremely loud voice. His friend was the same, only shorter, thinner, and Asian. In their loud voices they conversed.

A: What did you answer for the question about someone who studies birds?
B: Ornithologist
A: Omigod! You're right! I put down "avianologist." You know from "avian" and "aviary."
B: Yeah.

Ptichka and I looked at each other but Ptichka could not look away. Neither could I as I prayed that they would get off at the next stop. Were they biology students?

B: Dammit! I should have answered "Mary Leakey." Louis Leakey was a man.
A: Yeah.

Ptichka and I, along with everyone else on the subway car was watching and listening. The larger young man kept swinging around a pole and coming very close to puncturing his foot with the tip of his umbrella.

"I think that they just auditioned for Jeopardy!," I told Ptichka.

A: So what did you write down for the question abour previous winners?
B: Ken Jennings and ....

At this point, my curiousity was sated. These boys had just come from a Jeopardy! audition. As they exited the train at Dundas, probably to go hang at the mall and pick up some bitches, A. said to B.: "We're in our early twenties, we have plenty of time to get on."