Memoir: Anime Fest

Waking up with frosting caked in my hair due to the kitchen fight the night before, I stretched and rolled onto my back. Staring up at the ceiling-that-wasn’t-mine, I remembered with excitement that today was the day I had been anticipating for months- the day my closest friends and I would go to Anime Fest! A convention held in the basement of a very nice hotel about forty minutes away, Anime Fest attracted many Japanese Animation fanatics from all around, and was the perfect place to get away from the family, be close to friends, and spend the summer’s earnings on rarities. Sitting, I remember seeing a large group of my aforementioned friends emerging slowly out from under piles of blankets, pillows, and a giant bear named Ziggy. Like a pack of wolves rising nonchalantly to hunt, we sluggishly forced our protesting bodies into action. We had a lot to do, and only two hours to do it in.

Three and a half hours later, dressed as our Anime character of choice and brimming with poorly-contained excitement, we grabbed platefuls of pre-bought donuts, sausages and eggs, shoveled it into our throats, and posed for pictures- most likely still used for tormenting and blackmail, as all embarrassing pictures are. We had somehow managed to fit all nine of us and our overnight bags into a white Expedition before taking off for an hour-long ride to Dallas (for we were sure we’d get lost, and we did.)

Arrival was hurried. Having called a friend and getting directions to the appropriate drop-off entrance, we unloaded our bags and headed in. Our hotel room would not be ready for a few hours, so we met the same friend that gave us directions and stored everything in his already-packed room. The way to purchasing the tickets was fairly awkward- I found myself between the guy friend- Kitaki- and Hokuto, and girl who had just been through a bad relationship with him. Despite having decided to stay apart, they both had harbored mutual feelings of affection towards each other- feelings that would not fade fast. I was stuck trying to control my own confessed crush on Kitaki, but since we weren’t able to see each other much as it was, it was rather difficult to do.

Once the passes were paid for, we made our way into the lobby. I remember letting out a yelp as my excitement finally burst and overflowed from me. Friends were spotted all around, costumed fans were everywhere, and tastes towards the rooms of merchandise were on display against the walls. We all gathered around, our group now larger, at a total loss as to what to do next.

Finally, we decided. “Okay, we’ll shop and look around for two hours, and then everyone staying in Tai’s room will meet her and Kitaki in the main entrance at three. Then, we’ll all regroup in the game room and have birthday cake.”

There was an unspoken rule in our group- real names didn’t apply. Kitaki’s name wasn’t Kitaki. Hokuto’s name wasn’t Hokuto. This being the case, they referred to me as ‘Tai’ at the time.

Shopping on the first day always consisted of wandering, eyeing, but rarely ever purchasing. The stand runners lowered their prices considerably on the last day- this was a well-known fact. The merchandise was very tempting, but nevertheless we each attempted to hold onto our money for at least half of the first day. It wasn’t a very successful attempt at times.

I had made a few purchases by the time my hotel room was ready. Everyone met in the main entrance, as directed, and we all rushed to gather the keys. Kitaki accompanied us so that we could move our luggage from his room to ours. Sadly, the only working elevator was packed and slow, and there was a large group waiting to use it. Our shopping would be postponed.

By the time we made it back to the convention rooms, the birthday cake was ready. Chocolate cake with white frosting, the cake was for Kitaki and I, who’s birthday was on the same day, and another friend. Eight cut-outs of our favorite characters decorated it. Not thinking, we had no silverware, nor any plates of any kind. To substitute, another friend, Sei, cut and dealt the cake using cardboard slips from inside a box of figurines I had purchased. Afterwards, the shopping, wandering, and posing for pictures continued.

Evening came, and as the day had progressed, we began to notice our lack of food. There were free booths for small amounts of dinner food, but there weren’t enough to go around. I was sporting a stomachache, so I stayed behind in the hotel room with KaiRay, Hokuto, and Kitaki. While KaiRay rested, Hokuto and her friend Kohi, Kitaki and I played ‘Spin the Cell Phone’ with my abnormally brick-shaped temporary phone. The game was short-lived, as the gang had returned.

Amidst the munching, we had struck another issue- what do we drink? The convention had water available for everyone, but it was shut down for the night and we had brought nothing. The large bottle of water on the television tempted us greatly, but we knew that opening it would consist of an added four dollars on the total of the room. We did not wish to do so, so we gathered the ice bucket, went down to the ice machine, and filled it up, with plans of waiting for it to melt. Upon calling my mother, however, I was informed that every hotel room has a sink in the bathroom, usually equipped with glasses for rinsing, and that we were all morons incapable of living together without sharing one brain amongst us all. To say the least, I was humbled.

The time had come for everyone to turn in. We still had much to do tomorrow! The group dispersed, and five of us remained- Katsumi, my best friend, Mishi, her sister, David, her sister’s sexy but very clueless and spacey boyfriend at the time, and I were rooming together, and Kitaki stayed to keep us company. Eventually, his group of friends called him away, and the lights went out.

Despite taking a sleeping pill, my body was too high-strung, and I spent an hour and a half trying to sleep. Eventually I gave up, stole Katsumi’s phone (for mine did not have text), and went into the bathroom. I played Bejeweled until I realized I was starving, so I snuck back out to grab the remaining chocolate cake. I scooped it out with my hands and ate enough to keep me full but not sick, which isn’t a lot, and then texted Kitaki. Are you still up?

He responded shortly, scaring me when the phone vibrated in my palm. Yeah, we’re at Wal-Mart, what’s up?
I frowned. So he wasn’t here. Waiting a few minutes, I finally texted back, I can’t sleep, I wanted someone to talk to.

Laying down on the floor, I felt his response and read, We’re back now, I’ll come hang out.

I started. Wait, no, stay with your friends, we kept you from them all day! Of course I wanted him to come, but not at the cost of depriving him of his friends.

He answered, I was with them all yesterday and before you got here. I need more free time. Before I could reply, he sent me another text. I’m outside your door, get out here.

Grinning despite my annoyance, I stood, opened the door, saw him sitting in front of the elevators right outside our room, and glared. “You’re a jerk,” I hissed. He was very confused.

I sat down next to him, and he questioned my comment. I laughed, and told him, “You came before I could convince you not to leave your friends.” At his confused stare, I added, “It’s a girl thing. You wouldn’t understand.” Giving up, he just nodded.

We sat out there the entire night. A few of his friends had gone to a rave, but returned and kept us company for a few hours. A cross-dressing overweight thirty-something year old man wearing a school-girl uniform and a paper-mache girl’s head with glowing red eyes sat down with us for, thankfully, only a few minutes, but walked past many times. From the shadows of a nearby hallway I had seen the eyes of this man’s false head, and to this day the creepy shiver down my spine returns whenever I think back on that stereotypically horror-film moment. A young man named Raphael (whom we later discovered working at a Best Buy near Kitaki’s neighborhood) was also frequent in his passing by. Apparently, late nights were common amongst convention-goers.

As the sun rose, so did my nerve. Turning my head, which was resting on his leg, I looked at him and asked, “Are you still in pain over what happened with Hokuto?”

I knew I was stepping into dangerous territory, but I was tired of waiting. I needed to know if I could bring up my crush again without dragging many problems with it. As I watched his emotions flow over his eyes, I felt sadness travel through me. The answer was obvious- yes, he was still in pain. In fact, if I weren’t so smitten with him at the time, I would have seen it every time he looked at her, every time he heard her name. He wasn’t open about it, but for someone who’s felt that kind of torment, the signs are blatantly obvious. I sighed.

But then, something changed. I saw a different emotion in his eyes. It seemed as if he was suddenly filled with strong curiosity and hope. He looked in my face, and said, "why do you ask?" Pretty damn casually, I'll add.

I couldn't speak right away. I tried to think of something to say, but my mind went blank. I grasped ahold to the first thing I thought of, and blurted out, "Do you think we could ever be together?"

He smirked. "I thought that was what you were getting at." Petting my head lightly, as I liked, he paused before replying, "Yeah, I think we could. I mean, we do a lot of what me and Hokuto did- just a lot of hanging out."

I grinned widely and rolled onto my stomach, looking up at him. "I really want to kiss you right now," I told him, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. He blushed and grinned slightly.

"I don't think so," he answered. I was disappointed, but acted as if I were more hurt than I was- in a childish way, so it would seem like I was joking. The talking went on.

I mentioned my desire to kiss him a few more times. I understood that he was so shy about it because he had never been kissed before, which made me want to even more.