Page 109 of Lucky 22

Twelve-year-old me is losing her mind.

This is where everything started.

This is where I used to wander as a kid, imagining myselfunder the lights—dancing, singing, waving from a parade float as if I belongedhere. Standing here now feels surreal. Unreal. Perfect.

The crowd is wild. The lines go on forever. And they’re notjust here for the rides. They’re here for us. For the GalacticWars cast. For the galaxy that somehow became home not just to fans, butto me.

How is this my life?

This morning alone, I counted over two dozen fans dressed asAshla, and every single one made my heart squeeze. Knowing that the character Ihelped bring to life is becoming a beloved part of the GW universe is beyondanything I ever imagined. Especially after the rocky start—Ashla wasn’t exactlyeveryone’s favorite in the beginning. But she grew. She healed. And theaudience grew with her. Now, with season two coming out soon, she’s officiallya fan favorite.

I’m her!

She’s me!

And somehow…she lives in all of us.

That’s become my tagline for her. And honestly? It’scatching on. And it feels right.

I love the energy of the crowds. It feeds me in a way I’venever experienced before. This is a level of fandom I never knew existed, and Iwish this were more than a weekend event because I want to keepfeeling this way. Having a synergy with the fans, where they appreciate me andI appreciate them. I only wish Christian could be here with me. But since hecan’t, my family came into town, and the Lucasesshowed up, too. I have a big cheering section.

Baseball season is in full swing for him, and so far, ithasn’t been an easy one. He’s still dealing with injuries, and my travelingback and forth from LA to Florida to Toronto is exhausting and really taking atoll on me.

But I can’t focus on that right now.

Right now, I’m in the middle of something magical, and Iwant to just fully focus on it and appreciate every moment.

“Excuse me, Ms. Lucas?”

I turn and see a cast member wearing the same uniform I woreback in the day. “Yes?”

“I’m Tara. I’m here to take you to your parade vehicle,” shesays with a smile. “Will you come with me?”

Nodding, I follow, my smile so wide it hurts. I pass all ofmy Echo Wars co-stars, and we’re all a little dazzled by the receptionwe’re getting. Who knew this animated series would garner this much frenzy?

We stop at a red Pontiac convertible with a decal on theside that has my name (my actual name) above Ashla’s, and which seriesI’m in, along with her picture.

“This is so cool,” I say as I climb onto the backseat andthen up onto the trunk area. “Is this where I’m supposed to be?”

Tara nods. “Exactly. This way, the fans can see you and getpictures of you smiling and waving. But don’t worry, the drivers go very slow,so this is totally safe. They can only go three to five miles per hour.”

“Oh, okay. Wow. That sounds extremely slow,” I joke.

“It’s all for safety reasons,” she assures me. “This will beyour vehicle for all the parades—today, tomorrow, and Sunday. The parade startsat eleven, but we’ll need you here by ten-thirty, just like you were today.”

I nod.

“I know it’s a bit early, but by getting everyone hereearly, we can make adjustments as needed. Is there anything I can get for youwhile you wait? Water? Coffee? A snack?”

“No, thank you,” I say with a smile as I try to make myselfcomfortable.

“There are two bottles of water on the back seat, just incase you need them. Your driver’s name is Jeremy. He’s walking over now.”

Within minutes, we’re introduced, and he explains the speedlimit, the water, that he has a first-aid kit, and how I just have to let himknow if there’s anything I need.

I’m feeling very well taken care of, and by the time we’reready for the parade to start, I’m relaxed and excited.

The official Galactic Wars series music scoreplays, and I brace myself, my heart racing from the thrill of it all. It’s likewalking the red carpet, but bigger. There are costumed characters lined up, whoare actually cast members of Wonder Land. Anyone who is a live actor or voiceactor in the GW universe has their own vehicle to ride in.