A Hero Can Save Us

San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
9:35 AM

I found myself standing in the corner of a hotel room similar to one I was staying in but empty. I stared blankly forward, fear tickling the back of my neck. I looked down to find I was naked and quickly tried to cover myself.
"Abbey," two voices called simultaneously.
I looked up to where the voice where coming from. Milo and Travis stood in each opposite corner. Once again, I became painfully aware of my nudity.
"Come here," the two demanded.
I was overcome with confusion.
"Come here, girl," Travis called making smooching noises.
"Abbey, come to me," Milo called waving me towards him.
I had become the proverbial dog, which they were both vying for my attention. I shook my head, in mortification.
"Abbey, over here," Travis called to me, as if very far away. I began to step toward him only to nearly fall, I found my left ankle shackled to the wall.
"Abbey, this way," Milo called, his voice distant.
I took a step towards him before realizing my right ankle had been shackled as well.
"ABBEY!" they both yelled.
"What the hell do you want from me?" I cried, falling to my knees.
"Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want. So tell me what you want, what you really really want. I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want. So tell me what you want, what you really really want. I wanna, I wanna, I wanna ha, I wanna ha, I wanna really, really, really wanna zigazig ah," Travis began singing in a strange tone.
I shook my head in disbelief.
"Abbey," Milo called to me his image blurring at the edges, "Wake up."
I sat up in bed with a start, my cell phone on the bed side table ringing out 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls. I grabbed it quickly. I flipped it open.
"Hello," I grumbled into the receiver.
"Abbey?" a familiar voice asked on the other side of the line.
"It's Milo," he told me, nervousness in his voice.
I sat up straighter, trying to wake up, "oh, hey, I didn't remember giving you my number."
He laughed into the phone.
"You didn't," he admitted, "I didn't think you were going to call so I kind of looked you up."
It was I, who laughed this time, "I was going to call, I just hadn't woken up yet."
He became quiet for a moment as if embarrassed before asking, "Do you want to go to breakfast with Russ and me? We've got time to kill until the Convention opens today."
I smiled to myself.
"Sure," I told him, "where at?"
"Do you know where Marina Kitchen is?" he asked me, joy replacing the embarrassment in his voice.
"Yeah," I told him with a laugh, "I'll meet you there in 15."
Once off the phone, I changed my ring tone to something a bit less haunting. I was annoyed to find that all I had to wear once again were plain black T-shirts. I attempted to make myself presentable before heading out. As I stepped in to the elevator I was surprised to find my fear somewhat assuaged as I remembered the protective way Milo spoke to me and held my hand, the night before.
I made my way through the lobby, which was filled with tired looking Convention-goers.
As I headed towards the exit, someone yelled, "Hey!"
I turned and saw a man dressed as Mario. He waved me over.
"Yeah?" I asked with confusion.
He pointed to the front page of the tabloid in his hand, "is this you?"
The photo showed Milo on top of me on the sidewalk in what appeared to be a compromising position. My face flushed with embarrassment.
"Yeah," I squeaked, "that's me."
Mario laughed before yelling, "Tim it's her!"
Suddenly the lobby burst into whoops and applause. I felt my face burning as I headed toward the exit. The man dressed as Luigi who I assumed was Tim yelled, "You go, girl!" I pushed through the door and headed towards the harbor, tears threatening to crush my demeanor.
I stood outside the Marina Kitchen for a moment trying to regain my composure. When my breathing returned to normal, I headed inside. I stood inside the door looking for Milo, before heaving a sigh. Russ sat at the far end of the restaurant alone.
I hesitantly walked over and sat across from him. He sat quietly adding sugar to his coffee.
"Um, where's Milo?" I asked nervously, avoiding his eyes.
"He's in the bathroom," he told me, stirring his coffee, "look; I think I owe you an apology."
I stared a moment in disbelief, "what for?"
He gave me an odd look, "I've been a total ass."
I stifled a chuckle, "you haven't been a total ass."
He shook his head, "I have. I disrespected you before I even knew what kind of person you were."
I couldn't deny that much.
"Milo likes having you around and he's my best friend," he admitted, before taking a drink of his coffee, "I want him to be happy."
"Did he put you up to this?" I asked seriously, before taking a sip of water.
He laughed heartily, "No, but he did tell me, that he tried to kiss you and you didn't let him. I'd say that makes you different from the other women he's fallen for."
"Fallen for?" I asked nearly spitting out my water.
Russ slapped a hand over his mouth, "I've said too much."
I just stared at him, as if saying, 'Really?!' He sighed.
"Milo falls in love easily, he has a big heart," he admitted, "so don't you dare hurt him."
At the moment, I wished I could promise Russ that I'd never hurt Milo the way I'd been hurt but no one could honestly make that promise in this life.
At that moment Milo reappeared. He took the chair next to me before looking with appraisal from Russ to me. I felt my face reddening.
"Did I miss something?" he asked, smiling crookedly.
Russ and I shook our heads a bit too profusely.
"Just talking about food," Russ told him unconvincingly.
Confusion filled his hazel eyes, "oh, okay?"
We sat eating breakfast, in awkward silence when Milo's cell phone began to ring. He looked at us apologetically before answering it.
"Hello?" he asked.
He smiled crookedly as whoever it was replied.
"At the Convention Center?" he asked with a laugh.
I heard words of assent from the other line.
"Hell yes," he told them, "Add another to head count for me."
After he got off the phone, Milo smiled widely before saying, "Kevin Smith is having a party."
"Like Silent Bob?" I asked with a chuckle.
He nodded excitedly, "want to go?"
He had a childlike wonder in his eyes that I couldn't say no to even if I had wanted to.
"Of course," I assured him, with a toothy smile.
For the first time since I'd met him, Russ genuinely smiled at me.
"What time?" he asked Milo, anticipation in his voice.
"7:30," he told us uncertainly.
Russ looked disappointed.
"That's hours from now," he groaned before chugging the rest of his coffee.
"Well, I've got to do a panel for L.A. Noir," Milo admitted apologetically.
"I thought you were on hiatus," I told him, my face screwed in a confused expression.
"I was," he said honestly, "but Jon Bernthal has the flu and they asked me to fill in."
For the next few hours Milo, Russ and I walked around the Convention Center nerding out and causing shenanigans until Milo headed to his panel, leaving Russ and I to get to know each other a bit.
"So, you were left the day of your wedding?" he asked as we sat down on a bench, to drink our coffee.
"Yeah," I told him with slight discomfort, "then I took every penny I had out of the bank and flew here."
"How long had you and the guy been together?" he asked, before blowing on his coffee, before taking a sip.
"Eight years," I admitted.
Russ spit his coffee out, "eight years?!"
He regained his familiar skeptical look.
"Don't look at me like that," I told him, handing him a napkin, "it's not as if I chose for things to end the way they did."
"Eight years, is a long time though," he said his voice gruff, as he wiped coffee off his shirt, "does Milo know?"
"We've talked about it," I remarked, "He doesn't seem to hold it against me."
His face softened, "sorry, I just worry about Miles."
I laughed, thinking of Autumn.
"I don't blame you," I said with grin, "I have a best friend who would likely behave the same way.
"Is she hot?" he asked with a chuckle.
I burst out laughing, "You could say that, but she has a kid."
"I'm good," he replied with a laugh.

San Diego Convention Center
Upper Floor
Ballroom 6F
7:45 PM

Milo, Russ and I had practically skipped down the hallway of the upper floor as we headed to the party. Outside the door a bouncer stood unsmiling before asking for our names, then let us inside. Once inside the music was blaring, hidden from outside eats thanks to sound proof panels. I looked around the ballroom in awe; the ceiling must have been 25 feet above us.
I turned to Milo, who was smiling brightly, excitement and joy shining in his hazel eyes. Russ disappeared as he usually did into the large crowds. Milo took my hand once more.
"Milo!" a familiar voice called, with a slight slur.
We both turned toward the voice to see Jason Mewes, standing with a beer in hand, looking like he started the party without us.
Milo squeezed my hand before pulling me toward him.
"Mewes," Milo yelled before shaking his hand.
"What's up, sir?" Mewes asked, the alcohol thickening his Jersey accent, "you ready to get fucked up or what?"
Milo laughed, "I tell you every time, Jason, I don't drink."
Mewes became distracted and walked away toward the bar in the back before yelling with a laugh, "your loss!"
Milo chuckled before pulling me toward the bar to find Russ drinking a beer with who else but Andy Samburg.
"Andy Motherfuckin' Samburg!" Milo yelled letting go of my hand to hug him.
"Hey, it's you!" Andy called drunkenly smiling when Milo let go of him.
Russ sat looking amused by this. Milo pushed me forward suddenly.
"This is my friend Abbey," Milo told him, as I stood blushing at the feeling of his hand on my lower back.
"Hey Gabby!" Andy yelled, knocking his shot on to the bar, "want a shot?"
"I-I don't drink very often," I admitted with a laugh.
"You should have a shot," Andy told me, before yelling to the bartender, "two more shots of Whiskey!"
"I don't know if I should," I mumbled, no one seemed to hear me.
When the bartender sat the shot glasses on the bar, Andy grabbed one and shoved it into my hands.
I looked to Milo for guidance, only to have him shrug and tell me with a grin and a laugh, "I guess you should have a shot."
I hesitantly brought it to my lips, before practically throwing the burning liquid down my throat. Andy yelled cries of celebration and Russ chuckled loudly as I groaned from the taste. Milo looked down at me his crooked smile wide, looking impressed. That's all I remember from that night.

San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
8:30 AM

I woke to the sun glaring through my window and groaned. My head was pounding, my skin felt sticky and I was wearing the same clothes I had been wearing the night before. As I got up to shut the curtains I realized not only did I not remember how I got home, I didn't remember anything after taking that first shot with Andy. Just then, I tripped and fell over a large object in the middle of the floor.
"Ouch!" Milo yelled sitting up quickly.
"Milo?" I asked with shock, "What are you doing here?"
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before saying groggily, "Russ and me brought you back from the party, last night and kind of just passed out."
Then Russ burst from the bathroom before yelling, "There she is!"
I grabbed my ears before shushing him.
"Hung over, huh?" he asked sitting on the sofa, before saying with a laugh, "I'd understand why."
"What are you talking about?" I asked drawing a blank, looking from Milo to Russ in confusion.
"You really don't remember?" Milo asked seriously.
I shook my head profusely, forgetting momentarily about my screaming headache.
"Oh, man," Russ said bursting with an amount of excitement which was nothing but annoying at 8:30 in the morning, "then I have something to show you."
I looked at Milo with curiosity, but he just nodded toward Russ, wearing a small smile, his hazel eyes tired.
Russ pulled him cell from his pocket, fiddling with it before shouting, "I've found it!" This earned a shush from both Milo and myself.
Milo and I threw ourselves on to the sofa next to Russ, who had loaded a YouTube video on his phone. The title read: 'Awesome drunk girl at Comic-con!' I instantly felt my cheeks flush as Russ pressed play.
The first thing I saw was Andy Samburg and I drinking shot after shot to the tune of LMFAO. The next part was me absolutely schooling Jason Mewes at beer pong, leaving him ranting angrily off camera about how he was already drunk. The third, last and by far most embarrassing part was a grainy film of me drunkenly dancing the cabbage patch to 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls, to my surprise and embarrassment.
"This chick is crazy!" Kevin Smith yelled into the camera, over the music.
Milo appeared on camera smiling madly, covered in sweat as if he'd been dancing, "Yeah, she is! Crazy awesome!"