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Chapter 4
Matt
Today’s the day. The day I’ve been working toward for over a month. I throw some jeans and a shirt in a bag, just in case I have an epic failure and have to change out of the costume, but even in the test run I tried last night, everything seemed to work fine. I slip on the legs first because it’ll be easier to walk around in those, without putting on the chest armor and helmet. I sift through our suitcase, looking for a tank top to wear under the plastic armor.
“Dude,” Isaac says as he finishes tying his shoe. “You’ve got, like, more muscles than Tony Stark.”
I throw my head back, laughing. “Thanks, kid. You know what it’s from, right?”
“What?”
“Eating all those green beans dad’s always telling you to eat.”
“Gross!” He sticks out his tongue. “Hey, you never eat them either.”
“I know.” I grin. “I’m just super awesome.”
“I want to be super awesome.”
“You’ll get there.”
I throw on the tank top as our mom walks into the room.
“All right. You boys ready?”
“You really don’t have to take us, mom,” I say, holding the chest armor and helmet in my hand. “We can take a cab again.”
“Nonsense.” She waves for us to follow her as she turns around. “I’ll drop you off and hang out a little bit. Then just text me when you’re ready for me to pick you guys up.”
“The contest isn’t till later this afternoon.”
“That’s fine.” She walks over to me and puts her hand under my chin, rubbing her thumb over the goatee. “My baby boy, all grown up.”
I chuckle as Isaac grunts. “Hey!”
“Oh, you’re my baby boy too.” She kneels down to him. “And you’re not allowed to grow up.”
“That’s not fair.” He crosses his arms. “I’m trying to be cooler than Matty.”
“In your dreams, munchkin.” I look down at him with a smile, and he givess me a warning glare. “Just kidding, iBoy.”
Isaac finishes tying his orange mask across his eyes, donning the Michelangelo costume again.
Once we get to the center, we wait in the long line again. I slip on the chest armor after we get out of the car and now just hold the helmet. A lot of people keep checking out the costume, and I get a handful of thumbs-ups from people walking by. Some even ask to take a picture with me, even though I don’t even have the helmet on. It’s pretty cool. I’ve taken pictures with people at other conventions, but this feels so much freer. I don’t have to worry about anyone from school being here and someone seeing me and learning I’m a super-nerd. I can just be me.
Once we get our badges, Isaac and I hit the floor again, and I finally put the helmet on. That’s when the photo-ops really start. So much so, that it actually gets a little annoying. I’d never been asked to take this many pictures with my other costumes. The one thing I didn’t consider when I made the eye slits on the helmet, was it’s really hard to see past five feet in front of me. I’m talking directly in front of me. I can’t see off to the side at all. After twenty minutes, I lift the front of the mask up and I’m able to see clearly, along with taking in a much need breath of fresh air.
“Matty, let’s go check out the Lego booth.”
It’s more of a demand than a request as he doesn’t wait for me to follow him and we head to the booth. As we make our way over there, I receive more thumbs up and compliments on the costume.
“Sweet Iron Man!”
“Awesome, even the Tony Stark goatee going on.”
“What’s up, Shell Head?”
I stop and take a couple more pictures while Isaac looks back at me, more annoyed with every stop. We finally make it to the booth, and he’s totally geeking out over all the cool new Lego designs and sets that they are going to release.
