Ghosted

By Dayna Evans Bennett

Disclaimer: Based on real people and experiences. Events, names, and descriptions are changed for both entertainment and for the respect and privacy of individuals.

To: The love of my life.

Chapter 1: The Con

There was a bustling of people all around me scurrying to the booths and scheduled panels on the comic fest floor, as I walked slowly to our booth with my souvenir cup full of a golden-brown caffeinated beverage. My favorite, diet coke it was fizzing, and the ice was clunking against the cup. My fellow volunteers greeted me as I had taken my place at the donation table. I've been told I can sell ice to an Eskimo, so my place was always at the front selling items to raise money for charity. My costume Holtzmann from the twenty-sixteen hit Ghostbusters answer the call was tucked away in its costume crate under the table. Yes, I know it wasn't a hit to most, but it always was for me. I had decided to wear my nineteen-eighty-four Ghostbusters flight suit from the movie in which our favorite female heroes took their moniker from. My white pistol belt laden with props like the PKE meter, a radio, all was missing was the computer attached to the belt and the yellow fire safety alarm. I eagerly told passersby about our group a non-profit Ghostbuster's costume charity group raising money for the other charities in the state of California. Many non-profits benefitted from out group over the years, Children bereavement camps, heart foundations, groups trying to help children have better accessibilities to books all over the course of the 5 years the group had been around. I had joined only three years prior.

My red hair dyed using 6I ion brilliance in the color "dark red-blonde", a huge departure from my natural golden-brown color, kept getting into my face as I explained in an animated way what our group's focus was. My amber brown eyes trying to make eye contact with as many people I could to help them connect to the cause. I wiped my oval glasses on my shirt under my jumpsuit and as I put them back on, I noticed a woman of average height, short boyish brown hair approach us with two male friends. She was wearing a light grey bi color Columbia dark grey almost black on the bottom half of the jacket looked like a windbreaker material. She was observant at first as her taller friend tried to explain how the twenty-sixteen movie was an abomination to the franchise. A "fact" I've heard from men for the past 3 years. He didn't really know where my loyalties lay. I coyly turn to this shy cute stoic woman and say "Little does he know the reboot it actually my favorite" she chuckles and agrees I add on "Kate McKinnon is hilarious, and I loved her in the Big Gay Sketch Show on Logo" this blue eyes freckles stranger agreed "Kate McKinnon is the best SNL cast member" she added. "Do you do these events often?" she inquired. "Yeah, I go to almost every single one" "How did you join this group?" he eyes fixed on mine as we talked " I saw an Ecto-1 ,the car from the movie, at the ren fest I already loved the movie and had made a costume for Halloween so I reached out to the two groups here and joined this one shortly after and its been fun ever since.". Mentioning the ren fest piqued her interest "The renfest is so much fun I have only been once, but I had a blast." Her friends motioned it was time to go "It was nice talking to you" "You too".

The conversation ran through my mind all day I was a bit sad because usually you run into non costumed people at con and never see them again. This wonder woman and her friends were gone. I had to focus I was there to connect to network to raise money for charity. Things were selling like crazy I couldn't keep up at times of restocking the table. My friend DJ saw I needed a break and told someone to cover me as we walked the convention floor. DJ is one of the kindest people you could ever know, just don't let anyone else know. She is like a big sister to me and always wants to protect me from things. She is my mentor in life and my best friend. But if you cross her oh boy, she has this toughness and a I don't give a shit about jackasses' attitude. She was the first person in the group I connected to. We walked the floor seeing Captain Marvel art and merch we had seen the movie over 10 times in theatres. Brie Larson was one of my current crushes back then. When we got back to our booth I was rejuvenated. "What is your favorite character?" I asked a small kid shyly he pointed at me "Me, really I think you made a good choice" I handed him a sticker and played a round of peek-a-boo. He giggled like crazy and left with a smile with his parents. We raised over one thousand dollars and some change that day for multiple sclerosis. And the best thing happened, and I didn't realize it til later that I just met the love of my life.