(I have an intense hatred of being touched in certain places, such as my inner elbows and my wrists, with my neck and collarbones being the worst. Just being touched on my neck can cause me to have a panic attack, but this is usually not a problem, as I am careful to explain to anyone likely to get that close to me what my boundaries are. My boyfriend is completely understanding of this, and very aware of my limits. This takes place while we’re shopping one day, and I feel a hand on the back of my neck. I immediately freak out, and go to pieces, while turning to see a man standing behind me, looking pleased with himself.)

Man: “Your tag was sticking out.”

Boyfriend: “What?” *realizes I’m having a panic attack* “Oh my god, are you okay?”

Man: “The tag was sticking out of her shirt, but I got it.”

Boyfriend: “Can you give her some space? She needs to see you aren’t a threat so she can calm down.”

Man: “Is she seriously not even going to thank me?”

Boyfriend: “Take a step back. She hates being touched on her neck.”

Man: *getting angry* “Stupid b***, are you really going to say nothing? I was doing you a favour. I can’t believe you’re being so rude.”

(My boyfriend eventually calmed me down, and we moved away from the man, who continued to insist I owed him a ‘thank you.’)

(I am a 17-year-old girl, and have been a huge comic fan since I was about 12. A friend and I decide to see ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ together in full cosplay just for the h*** of it, but he bails at the last minute. I’m dressed as Black Widow, and as I’m standing in line for popcorn a guy wearing an Iron Man t-shirt approaches me.)

Guy: “Hey, where’s your boyfriend?”

Me: “Uh… what? I don’t have a boyfriend. Actually—”

Guy: “Lol, then who paid you to dress up like that?”

(Yes, he actually said ‘lol’ out loud.)

Me: “Nobody paid me. Natasha’s my favorite Marvel character, so I thought it’d be fun to cosplay her.”

Guy: “Yeah, right. I bet you only watch the movies because of all the hot guys.”

(By now, it’s my turn at the counter. As I’m trying to order, the guy keeps pestering me.)

Guy: “You fake geek girls are so f****** pathetic. You just want the D. Hey! Hey, b****, are you listening?”

(The (female) cashier looks at me, then at the guy, and sees what’s going on.)

Cashier: *to me* “Hey! Nice cosplay! What’s that from, the civil war ‘verse?”

Me: “Yeah! Good spotting!”

Cashier: “Here’s your popcorn, Miss Romanov. Enjoy the movie.”

(Later, after the movie, I saw the guy leave the theatre as soon as the credits started rolling, when every fan knows that Marvel movies always put extra scenes at the end of the closing credits. Who’s the fake geek now?)

This story is part of our Awesome Girl Gamer roundup!

Read the next Awesome Girl Gamer roundup story!

Read the Awesome Girl Gamer roundup!

(My friend, who generally does not like to read, has suddenly been inspired to read a Jane Austen novel after watching the movie ‘The Jane Austen Book Club.’ Since I love to read and love the fact that he’s actually going to try it, I tell him I will read one with him and he can choose it. We are in the bookstore and have read all the summaries on the back of the books to determine which Austen novel we will read.)

Friend: “I just don’t know which one…”

Me: “Well, are there to you have it narrowed down to?”

Friend: “Hmm. Emma or Sense and Sensibility.”

Me: “Okay. I’ll put them behind my back, mix them up, and whichever one you choose is the one we read. Unless you decide you truly want the other.”

Friend: *laughing* “Okay.” *he turns away and not looking at me he picks a hand* “Left.”

Me: “Alright, Emma it is!”

Friend: “Oh my God, that’s a big book!”

Me: *laughing* “Do you want to start with Sense and Sensibility since it’s shorter?”

Friend: “Yes!”

(I walk out to my car after buying one item in a supermarket. A lady parked next to me sees me get into my car as she finishes putting her last bag into her trunk. She then pushes the large metal shopping cart behind my car as I am about to back out. I open the window and ask:)

Me: “Do you mind moving your shopping cart? I’m about to pull out.”

Her: “NO! I CAN PUT IT WHERE EVER I WANT TO!”

(I then exit my car, grab the metal shopping cart, and yell back at her.)

Me: “I CAN ALSO PUT THE SHOPPING CART WHERE EVER I WANT!”

(I put it behind her car and flipped it upside-down. As I pulled away. I saw her struggling to turn the cart upright so she could move it and back out.)

(I get a Spanish-English dictionary for Christmas.)

Friend: *reading S/E dictionary* “What does i-dot mean?”

Me: “Huh?”

Friend: “I-dot. It says i-dot here.”

Me: “Lemme look at that.”

(They point out the entry they’re looking at.)

Me: “…that says ‘idiot.'”