An Unexpected Haven

It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Cars lined around the building, wrapped in vinyl, incessantly honking their horns with delight. Zombies leaned out of ice-cream-truck windows, groaning at the passersby as their flesh dangled from bone. A large woman... or was it a man... clunked around in a hot pink furry suit that resembled a fox on acid, eyes as big as the moon, carrying his tail close behind. The sun beat down on the pavement as beads of sweat dripped down my back and into my trenchcoat. I spotted a herd of space soldiers, proceeding in unison to the sound of the Imperial March, their odious master leading the way. A young woman in a business skirt and blazer clung to the arm of a man made of iron, his chest radiating with a haunting blue light. Crowds gathered around them, begging for a picture. One, two, three, four-- twelve cameramen anxious to capture the moment. I grabbed my partner's hand as we attempted to weave through the sea of bodies. Thrilled and mesmerized, shocked and apprehensive, we made our way to the corner of 3rd Ave and K Street. My heart swelled at the sight of the structure in front of me.

Heavenly white pillars stretched into the sky, lining the never ending staircases and escalators to the upper concourse. Turquoise windows shined in the sun, mirroring reflections of the Gaslamp Quarter. Media vans were parked outside in rows, massive satellites and flood lights adorning their vehicles. I stopped for a moment, just to take it all in. I took a deep breath, hoping to inhale the grandeur of the moment. My partner's voice brought me back to reality.

"Hurry up! We don't want to be late!"

No, we wouldn't want that. The skip in my step returned. A teenage boy held a sign in front of us that read "FREE HUGS" -- we declined. Opting for the stairs in order to control our speed, we made the descent into the lower floor of the hall. As we reached the bottom stair I clenched my fists tightly, attempting to contain my excitement, but let out an unintentional shriek. The volunteer directing traffic cocked his head as he glared in my direction.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I'm just ... happy to be here." I turned the corner, slightly embarrassed but highly amused, and made my way into the exhibit hall. I couldn't believe it! I had arrived! San Diego Comic Con International.

Six months earlier, on a whim, I had suggested to my friends that we make the drive and go to the world's largest comic book and pop culture convention. My idea was met with everything from hesitant stares to mocking and downright refusal. I was sincere! I had seen something online about this festival-like event that was getting more and more popular every year. It took me weeks, but eventually I had convinced my circle of friends, in their entirety, to join me on the road trip. Though they weren't excited per se, they chose to believe in my resilient hope. As we prepared for the trip, I carried enough excitement with me for the whole group. Ironically enough, the least enthusiastic member of our travelling party was my boyfriend. David couldn't be bothered to convey even feigned joy at the prospect of going to this event.

"I hate crowds. I hate lines. I hate big buildings full of geeks and weirdos. Why are we going to this?"

"Because you love me," I replied, "and I am a geek and a weirdo." He grunted in annoyance. "Besides," I grinned, "...I already bought your ticket."

Now here we were. One could hardly believe, looking at my boyfriend, now my "partner", that he had not been excited for this. His hair dyed a dark brown, parted in the middle. His black trenchcoat down for the floor, covering his shirt and tie underneath. His sunflower seeds in his pocket, prop gun holstered on his side. To see him now, with his customized FBI prop badge clipped to his collar, my Fox Mulder, and to be standing next to him as his Dana Scully, red hair and all... it was a dream come true for me. The fact that I had convinced him to come in costume to this thing made me believe I should have considered a career in politics. I obviously had a knack for making people change their minds. I had turned him into the very geek he had despised, and man did he look good.