A Hero Can Save Us

San Diego, California
Harbor Drive
3:15 PM

Milo's eyes grew wide.
"It's the light saber, I swear," he shouted jumping to his feet, light saber in hand.
I looked around us. Jedi robed fan boys stared from all around us. I felt my face flush in mortification. Milo reached a hand out to me, pulling me to my feet.
"Here ya go," Milo said to Yoda, as he handed his light saber back to him. We walked a bit down the road before mutually bursting into laughter. I was overcome.
"Hahaha, their faces!" I exclaimed, my cheeks hurting smiling too much.
When we made it back inside the Convention Center, Milo said, "We should head to Artist's Alley to see if Russ is there with Mark."
We headed to the end of the Convention Center, stopping only to take a picture with some hilarious, dancing Storm Troopers.
"This is the coolest thing, I've ever seen," I told Milo as looks down the rows of hundreds of comic book artists, signing autographs and talking to fans.
"Hey, there's Russ," Milo said pointing down the Alley, where Russ stood laughing with a bespectacled, old man.
As we got closer a revelation hit me. I grabbed Milo's sleeve.
"T-that's Stan Lee," I cried, a smile plastered to my face. He just smiled and pulled me forward.
As we arrived Stan Lee's face brightened into a smile, "Milo, long time, no see."
Milo smiled his crooked smile.
"Stan, you look great," Milo told him pulling the man into a friendly hug.
As they separated Stan's eyes fell on me, "who's this young lady?"
Milo grinned back at me, "this is my friend, Abbey, and this is her first Convention."
Stan smiled kindly, "is that so, anything interesting happen so far?"
I smiled shyly.
"Y-you're Stan Lee," I stammered, "You're a Legend. This may just be the most interesting thing that has ever happened to me."
Milo and Stan laughed, while Russ stood quietly, unsmiling. Stan then reached out to shake my hand, by then my cheeks were on fire.
"Well, my friend, duty calls," Stan proclaimed, gesturing to the line of fans behind us. We waved to him as we walked back down the Alley.
"Milo, I gotta take a leak, let's go to the men's room," Russ said, his voice flat.
"Since when do you need me to chaperone you while you pee?" Milo asked with a laugh.
"Just come with me," Russ quietly demanded. We made our way to the restrooms, where I stood near a payphone bank, absent-mindlessly tapping my foot.
After a minute or two, I heard Russ on the other side of the door, "better be careful, introducing that chick to Stan Lee, she might think that you're into her."
My face flushed as I wondered, 'Why does he dislike me so much?'
As they began through the door Milo told him, "then she might think right."
They both stood looking at me from the doorway of the bathroom.
"So, where to now?" I asked attempting break the awkwardness.
For the rest of the night we walked around the Convention, Russ in tow. Milo introduced me to several people including Mark Powers the artist who drew Rest. Eventually, we ended up hiding at the Starbucks because a group of Gilmore Girl's fan girls chased us through the Convention Center, after catching a glimpse of Milo. By that time, it was 7:30 PM.
Milo, Russ and I sat on bench panting finally having lost the group of women following us.
"I am way too old for this," Russ groaned, holding his side.
Milo laughed, "And I'm not?"
"You work out twice a week," Russ remarked, "the most exercise I've gotten before this was riding the escalator at the mall."
I chuckled only to receive a reproachful look from Russ. Milo was looking at his phone.
"Abbey, you said you like Green Day, right?" he asked looking attentively at his phone.
"Of course," I told him with confusion, "why?"
Russ was once again looking between the two of us with an odd expression.
"They're playing at the House of Blues in a half an hour," he revealed, his piercing eyes focused on me.
"Are you shitting me?" I asked with excitement.
"I'm definitely not shitting you," he informed me with a laugh, "you wanna go?"
I jumped up and clapped my hands, "fuck yes!"
Once again all costumed fans in the vicinity turned to look at me.
"Sorry!" I yelled my cheeks flaming as began heading toward the exit.

House of Blues
8:45 PM

As we piled out of the car I wasn't too surprised to see a large line of fans beneath the marquee. I was positively bubbly as we stood at the end of the line. Milo was smiling brightly as if channeling my excitement. Russ stood indignant, tapping his foot in impatience. When the line began to move, I eagerly hopped from one foot to the other.
When we reached the attendant monitoring the door yelled, "Russ!"
"Hey, Vince," Russ shouted, smiling for the first time in hours, shaking Vince's hand.
He whispered something in his ear as Milo and I stood looking at each other with confusion. Vince suddenly laughed heartily and nodded before stepping aside, clapping Russ on the back as he passed.
Once inside, I was practically bouncing up and down as I looked around the smoky venue. An unknown band played on and the dance floor was alive with inconceivable energy. Russ disappeared to the bar, leaving Milo and I alone.
I looked into his hazel eyes, "thank you."
He smiled sweetly before asking with appraisal, "for what?"
I looked toward my feet shyly, "for showing me a different side of the world and pretty much changing my life."
I heard him chuckle over the music, "you changed my life, too."
I looked up at him, with surprise, "I-I changed your life?"
"You showed me that everything happens for a reason," he told me honestly, "I was beginning to wonder if there any purpose in anything, if fate really existed."
I felt my face turn pink, "I did all that?"
He placed a hand on my shoulder before saying seriously, "when I see the happiness on your face, I know I was supposed to show you these things and we were supposed to meet."
Just then the opening act finished their final song, before thanking the crowd after being met with generous applause.
Milo grabbed my hand and pulled me into the crowd, once again using me as human battering ram, to get close to the front. The audience bounced around with anticipation, pushing Milo and I closer.
After a few minutes, the crowd burst into exaggerated applause as the curtain rolled back revealing Billie Joe, virile as always, behind the microphone, Mike Dirnt patiently awaiting his first notes and Tre Cool, sitting behind the drums twitching with excitement. I looked to Milo, who was gazing dreamily toward the stage, his face mysteriously handsome in the artificial lights. I cheered along with the crowd for a moment before Billie Joe gestured for the crowd to become quiet.
"San Diego, you're fucking beautiful," he shouted eagerly, "alright, this one's called 'Let Yourself Go!' Uno! Dos! Tre!" Upon the first notes the crowd instantly began moving as if a singular being.
As Billie sang the chorus the crowd was a harmony of voices screaming, "Let yourself go! Let yourself go! Let yourself go!"
I found myself bouncing up and down to the music, singing along at the top of my lungs and looked over to find Milo jumping excitedly along with me. I smiled so widely my cheeks hurt.
From there they launched straight into 'Oh Love' starting the crowd screaming all over again. In two and a half hours, they had played nearly the entire trilogy of Uno! Dos! and Tre! Milo and I were drenched in sweat.
"This last one is called 'The Forgotten'," Billie announced to the crowd, wiping the sweat from his brow, "we fucking LOVE you, San Diego!"
When Jason Freese began playing the first notes of the piano, a hush settled over the crowd and everyone began swaying slowly. I felt a hand touch mine and glanced over to see Milo smiling sweetly at me.
I slipped my fingers between his, smiling like an idiot, singing out loud with the audience as we swayed, like a gentle wave. Milo gave my hand a squeeze as he sang with me.
As Billie rang out the last line, "Don't look away from the arms of love," I thought, 'I could fall for him if things keep going at this rate. I need to be careful' When I looked to Milo, he was smiling down at me with admiration, his normal pristine hair disheveled, sweat glistening on his skin. 'I may be fighting a losing battle,' I thought uncertainly as the audience broke apart, heading for the exit, Milo still holding my hand, 'but maybe that's not so bad.'

San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
11:45 PM

It was quiet inside the car as Russ parked. I was feeling pretty awkward, I hadn't let go of Milo's hand until I noticed Russ staring reprovingly, even Milo seemed to pick up on it because he didn't question my reasoning.
"Well, here we are," Russ said roughly, "nice knowing you." Milo turned to me from the passenger seat and gave me an apologetic look.
"I'm gonna walk her up, Russ," Milo told him simply, "wait here."
I couldn't hide triumph in my voice as I said, "good night, Russ."
When we were inside the lobby, he took my hand in his once more. A shiver overtook me as we stepped on to the elevator.
His smile turned into a look of concern, "you okay?"
I laughed nervously, hoping my palms weren't sweaty, "I'm fine. I just really hate elevators."
He smiled his crooked smile, his eyes filled with understanding, "I've got you."
We stepped out of elevator once it reached my floor and headed down the hallway hand in hand. Once we reached my room, he pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote on the back of my hand. I looked down; it seemed to be a telephone number with an area code I didn't know.
"What is that?" I asked feeling a bit of an idiot.
He laughed quietly, "It's my cell number. Call me tomorrow."
I smiled at him as he let go of my hand and began to walk down the hall.
"Milo," I called after, following him down the hall.
He walked back towards me, a confused look on his handsome face, "yeah?"
I pulled him to me and hugged him, tightly, my head on his chest, "thank you, for everything."
We looked each other in the eyes, his glittering with emotion as he stroked my hair. He leaned in to kiss me. I pulled away suddenly, my cheeks burning hot. He smiled knowingly.
I slid my key card into the lock, before opening the door, "good night, Milo."