Chapter One
Morgan
Chewbacca.
There is a dancing Chewbacca twelve feet in front of me. And when I say dancing, I mean like full out break dancing. What the…
Ok, so I knew to expect this, but we haven't even made it into the convention yet, and Chewy is already busting moves and has gathered quite an audience too. Ruby had warned me that I was going to see some strange and crazy things, so I shouldn’t be surprised. But still, this is my first Comic-Con, so I guess I really didn’t know what to expect.
One of my closest friends, Ruby, asked me to attend the San Diego Comic-Con with her. I was a little shocked when she told me that the trip was already paid for. Her brother had a last minute work crisis and couldn’t make their annual trip. So why wouldn’t I say yes? A mini vacation with one of my favorite people for next to nothing? Totally.
But to Comic-Con? Not really my scene. I’d much rather go to the beach, or better yet, a book conference and then a beach, where I could lay out in the sun and read the books I picked up at said conference. I’ve never actually been to a book convention, but from what I read from other book lovers, it sounds amazing. I’m a total book nerd, almost obsessive. And beach reading has always been at the top of my list of obsessions. Comic-Con is totally Ruby’s scene. While I nerd out when it comes to everything books, she nerds out to everything...well, nerdy. She loves it all, but mostly she has a thing for comic books. The one nerdy thing we agree on is cult TV. Mostly, we find ourselves binge-watching Netflix.
When I was checking into the details of the event, I must admit I got pretty excited about attending. Once I found out that there would be a lot of actors from the shows I enjoy attending the Con, I was sold on going. But now, as we are standing outside this huge event center, I’m a tad overwhelmed. I didn't realize how enormous this Comic-Con actually was. Call it a side effect of my naiveté.
This line we are standing in is rather impressive in size. From what Ruby tells me, the dancing Chewy is typical and to be expected. There are a lot of people dressed up as well-known characters from pop culture, and I'm told it's called cosplay. So, I kind of feel out of place here. I think more than anything, I’m tagging along with Ruby just for fun. This is going to be quite an experience for sure.
As we finally start to move slowly in line, Ruby squeals, "Oh my gosh! Morgan, I'm so excited for you to partake in your very first Comic-Con!"
"I know. I’m excited too,” I cautiously reply, “but maybe a little bit nervous. There are some really strange, uh, people, er, characters here. I can’t even imagine what we will see when we get inside."
"Look, it's probably going to be overwhelming, but who doesn’t love people watching? And trust me, this is the perfect place for people watching! We’re going to see all walks of life here," Ruby says. "Plus, seeing the stars of our favorite shows is so worth bumping elbows with pop culture weirdos."
I chuckle and shake my head and continue to scan the crowd. Yup. I definitely see some weirdos... and palm trees. I've never actually seen palm trees. I've never really been anywhere exciting. My first time on a plane was yesterday when we flew out of Chicago, and it was a long five-hour trip.
I'm from a small central-Indiana town, and my family never really traveled much. We went on a few car trips to Chicago, Michigan, and Nashville, but that was it. After my mom passed away, any and all trips, no matter how close the destination, abruptly ceased. So, little ol' inexperienced-traveler me, is excited to actually be seeing real palm trees and flying on an airplane.
We flew into California last night around 10 p.m., and the time difference caused killer jet lag. I didn't have a chance to really check out the scenery when we arrived. But now, in the light of day, I find that this large courtyard shared by the hotel and convention center is beautiful, despite the horde of fans milling about.
As soon as we walk out the sliding glass doors of the hotel, we are greeted by a multi-level courtyard, scattered with palm trees and flower beds. People are everywhere. There isn’t an empty picnic table in sight. People are even lined up leaning or sitting against the half brick walls that provide height to the flower beds. Past the courtyard is the grand convention center which looks to be made of only windows. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows line the outside walls of the building. And already, a long line of people waiting to fill the center looks unbelievably massive when reflected off the windows. A line so extensive that I didn't even realize it had grown by a thousand in the fifteen minutes it took us to navigate from one side of the courtyard to the other.
"Ruby, thank you for inviting me to come with you. I don't think you realize how much it means to me that you asked me to come," I say as I continue to scan the crowd.
"Girl, I love my brother, and I'll definitely miss my time with him this year, but I’m also excited that we finally have a reason to travel together. I’ve been dying to take a girls’ trip and experiencing your first flight was pretty awesome. You did a lot better on the plane than I thought you would,” Ruby replies.
It’s true, Ruby’s been pestering Gia and me for a year about planning a girls’ weekend somewhere fun, but we just haven’t done it yet. And I have to admit, I handled the plane a lot better than I thought I would too. I was totally prepared, though. I had a bag full of bubble gum and a bottle of Dramamine.
“And I know work is getting stressful for both of us with the management change, so this was a well-needed vacation. Plus, bringing you here and witnessing all the expressions and reactions you're sure to have is totally worth it,” she adds.
I laugh and fold my arms, "Oh, I’m sure you are in for a treat when it comes to my reactions."
I love my friends, but sometimes I think they get a kick out of throwing me into new and sometimes awkward situations just to see how the "sheltered-girl-next-door" will react. Ok, so honestly, it doesn't really bother me. I know I've lived a sheltered life. I’ve done everything in my power since I graduated college to rectify that.
I had a great life as a kid. I enjoyed school, and I loved my friends, and I even loved my part-time job as a check-out girl at the local grocery store. My parents were amazing. They were the kind of parents that insisted on dinner as a family every night, family game nights once a week, knowing my friends and their parents, and being at every softball game and school event of mine. And they loved me to no end.
I grew up with parents that weren't afraid to show each other their love. They were always holding hands and telling the other they loved each other. Needless to say, I came from a very loving household. But that all changed the day my mom passed away from cancer. I was sixteen.
While my mom had spent the better part of her diagnosis preparing us for life after her death, it didn't change the fact that once she was gone, my dad became a different person. He lost the love of his life, his best friend, his soulmate. It devastated him. He became a workaholic.
It didn't happen right away, but by my eighteenth birthday, I was on my own for dinner almost every night, I saw him for about fifteen minutes every morning before school, and then I'd watch football with him every Sunday. He still tried to be at significant events, and he always made sure I had everything I needed, but when it came to being emotionally there for me, he just shut down. He didn't want to talk about mom, and if I tried to talk to him about anything that had to do with being a teenage girl, he'd just find an excuse to hide from me for the rest of the night—that is if he had even made it home before I went to bed. Not that I blamed him or anything. What dad understands his teenage daughter? We never talked about our new way of life; it was just our new normal.
I focused more on school; getting to college was my primary goal. I secretly hoped that by going to a school a few hours away, my dad would realize that he wanted me around more. Unfortunately, by the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college, I realized that nothing changed, and there was no point in my sticking around.
I knew he loved me, but being at home by myself sucked. I hated it. I missed my mom like crazy but felt that my dad just abandoned me. That's when I decided that my future was wide open and that I could go anywhere I wanted. While I knew, I would still visit my dad, there wasn't anything holding me to Indiana anymore.
We visited Chicago the summer before my mom passed. We did all the typical sightseeing: the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, and Navy Pier. My mom said she had always wanted to spend more time in Chicago, so I fell in love with the city. After I graduated from college, I moved to Chicago with my best friend, Gia. We rented a small, two-bedroom apartment on the North Side, found jobs, and called it home. I loved Chicago.
I still do.
Next to me, Ruby elbows me in the side and says, "Maybe we'll even find you a hot nerd to hook up with."
My jaw drops slightly before I can recover from her declaration. "What...uh. Ruby, no way," I reply.
She chuckles, "We are going to have so much fun.”