Slob

Owen goes to the nurse’s office and calls his mother, getting permission to go home. He goes home and snacks, bingeing on five Oreos.

He works on Nemesis, noting the device needs improvement and some specific parts. He goes out in search of a part, passing stores and avoiding particular areas. He stops at a shoe store, looks inside, and compares them to the kind his father wore, when a clerk notices him. Mr. Boscana, the shoe store owner, looks at him with pity and calls out, but Owen runs away. He rushes through the streets, bumping into people who insult him. Owen notes that he is hungry now and far from home.

Owen goes to Nima’s food cart nearby. Nima notices that Owen is upset and gives him several momos despite grumbling from customers. After serving his customers, he sits by Owen and laments his need for help to keep up. They discuss what Nemesis needs to work, and Owen explains he got the idea for Nemesis from a show called Skeptical Minds that investigates supernatural phenomena. One episode mentioned a haunted site near their apartment where a pub owner captured images of ghosts through a wireless surveillance camera. Owen states that ghosts aren’t real and is surprised and disappointed to learn that Nima believes in ghosts.