The hallway felt like it was a million miles long. Doors surrounded your every direction. You felt dizzy with stress, your legs shaking and your arms tightly clutching the Jigglypuff plushie close to your chest. Your breathing was heavy and shaky with fear.
"Oh," you sigh to yourself, "How did I get in this mess in the first place?..."
"Come on, it'll be fun!" your friend on the other end of the phone whined.
"I've already told you, I…" you answered nervously.
"_, you're probably the most insecure person I know," your friend speaks, "You shouldn't be scared. It's not like something bad is going to happen!"
"How would you know, Miranda!?"
Miranda and you had been friends since middle school. You had moved in from another town and she was the first one to ever speak to you. The two of you met at lunch and, despite your shy nature, found a bond between you two from your mutual love for anime and video games. It was the middle of summer and an anime convention was going to be rolling into town and Miranda wanted you to come with her.
"It's just an Anime Convention, _!" she assured you, "Look, I even got you this cute little Blue cosplay! Comes complete with a trainer belt, Pokeballs, and even a Jigglypuff plushie!"
Yeah, Jigglypuff was your favorite Pokemon since you were three. You had memorized the melody of her lullaby to heart and even wrote your own lyrics to it once.
"Well, that sounds nice, but…"
"Oh come on! LeetStreet Boys will be there!"
"Lee-who?" you cock an eyebrow.
"LeetStreet Boys is like the greatest boy band EVER! They've played at a lot of conventions! Seriously, you'd love them! The lead singer is super cute with brown hair, green eyes, and an Ouran High School Host Club uniform! The guitarist is an elf that looks kinda like Legolas! The bassist is this girl with pink hair who looks super pretty! And the drummer is a DRAGON! A. FREAKING. DRAGON! Come on, PLEEEEEAAASE!?"
"Okay, okay!" you finally give in, "I'll go with you…"
"Oh yeah…"
You had gone there in the Pokemon Blue cosplay that your friend loaned you. The two of you had arrived some time ago that day since she wanted to go see the band perform later today, however when you saw how large the crowd was you ran away from there and back to your hotel. Sadly you forgot where your room was and now you were lost. "Okay… just keep it together _," you told yourself as you were going to another corner. You heard voices coming from the other end. You didn't know who they belonged to, and you felt too scared to face them. You lean against the wall, taking a few deep breaths. 'Okay…' you shut your eyes and think to yourself, 'On the count of three, turn around the corner and head for the stairs…'
Each second you count felt like an eternity. 'One… two…'
You hear whoever it was just an inch away from the corner, your eyes still closed.
'THREE!'
"OOF!"
Almost immediately when you began running, you collide with someone. You feel your forehead crash into another as the two of you fall to the floor. Your face experienced pain from the impact as you held your mouth in your hand. You hear whoever it was you ran into groan a bit.
"Woah!" you hear someone say, "That was fast."
"Are you okay, Matt?" another voice, this one of a woman, speaks as you get off of the person you fell on. You finally open your eyes and have a look at the person you knocked over… and you couldn't believe your eyes.
"Yeah," the man with spikey brown hair, bright green eyes, and wearing a familiar looking Ouran High School uniform replied to his friend, "I'm alright…" With wide eyes, you look back up at the people he was with. The first of them that catches your eyes was a tall, muscular man with long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and pointed elf ears wearing a pink shirt and white pants. The second one was a woman with pink hair and eyes, wearing a blue shirt, white coat, and white pants. The third was a green dragon with red eyes, wings, and wearing a drummer's attire. One good look at all four of them, and you easily recognized them as the very same boy band that your friend told you about…
… AND YOU JUST RAN INTO THE LEAD SINGER.
"Hey, are you alright, miss?" he speaks to you. You found yourself unable to respond. Your heartbeat was pounding in your ears, your face was a deep shade of red, and your breath was caught in your throat. What were you supposed to say? What COULD you say!? The singer's expression changes from curious to frighten as the red in your face mixes with a bit of blue. "B-BREATHE! BREATHE!"
At his command you start breathing again, regaining control. "I-I'm sorry!" you apologize profusely, "I-I didn't even see you coming! I-I got scared and I'm lost and my friend is back at the convention and-"
"Woah, calm down!" the man puts his hands on your shoulders, "It's okay… I take it this is your first convention?"
"Y-Yeah," you reply nervously, still clutching your plush close to you, "I-I'm sorry, I'm probably wasting your time…"
"Oh, it's perfectly fine!" the blonde man helps you onto your feet, kissing your hand, "In fact, I'm happy we ran into someone as beautiful as you,"
"B-B-Beautiful?..." you blushed even harder.
"Justin, you're making her nervous!" the woman says, pulling the blonde elf away, "Sorry about that."
"I-It's okay… I-I'm _," you bow a bit.
"Nice to meet you, _!" the woman replies, "I'm Rose," She introduces the other band members to you, "These guys are D-Dos, Justin, and I believe you've already met Matt."
"A-A pleasure to meet you," you smile a bit, "You guys wouldn't… um… happen to be the band that's playing at the convention today, would you? The LeetStreet Boys?"
"I see you've heard of us."
"Oh!" you blush a bit in embarrassment, "M-My friend is a huge fan of you guys!"
"Ah~" Justin replied, "So where is she?"
"Back at the convention… I-I kinda got scared off."
"By what?"
"Just… I'm not used to large crowds of people like that!" you shake a bit, tears forming in your eyes, "I ran out of there as fast as I could trying to get to our hotel room and I got lost!"
"Hey, you're not completely lost!" Matt assures you, "I mean you found us!"
"Actually, we were kinda hoping to get away from the crowd, too," Rose comments, "We were just heading to our room."
"Since you're lost, want to come hang with us for a bit?" Matt offered you his hand. You froze in place again. Hanging out with a boy band? A simple ordinary girl like you spending time with people who were far above you? Immediately you wanted to run away. Still, that would be rude… Miranda's right. You really needed to calm down.
"S-Sure," you nervously reply, taking Matt's hand.
The five of you spend time in the band's hotel room for most of the afternoon playing games. You found yourself oddly enough calmer with the four of them. Despite being a boy band with most likely fans in the thousands including your nutty friend Miranda, you seemed to see them as more like… well, people. It honestly did take a load off of your shoulders and you weren't as nervous about being around them as you originally were.
"HA!" Matt shouted, holding his Wiimote up high, "Won again!"
"No fair!" Justin whined, "Toon Link sucks!"
Matt and Justin were in a heated series of battles in Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Rose went out to hang out with her girlfriend Violet and D-Dos went out for a flight and possibly a smoke. You chose to stay behind in the room with Matt and Justin. You weren't quite ready to head back to the con yet, but you did send Miranda a text to let her know you were okay. You didn't DARE tell her about the fact you were hanging with her favorite boy band – she'd go nuts and most likely break down the door… if D-Dos didn't do that first, anyways. You simply told her you headed back to your hotel room and that you'd meet her at the concert later. You had been watching Matt and Justin play and been keeping score in your head. So far it was Matt 5, Justin 2.
"Hey, _?" Matt calls out to you, snapping you out of your thoughts, "You've been quiet for a while. Something on your mind?"
"Hm? Oh, it's okay, Matt," you assure him.
"Wondering how your friend is doing?"
"Kinda, yeah," you fidget a bit with the plush in your hands, "I feel bad for running off on her… I really hope she's not mad…"
"You told her you're okay, right?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, I told her," you reply, "I didn't say where I was though… for obvious reasons."
"Well if she knows you're okay, then don't worry – I'm certain she won't be mad."
"A-Are you sure?"
"Positive!"
You smile a bit, "Thanks…" You watch Matt and Justin play another round. Once again, Matt is the victor. You suddenly feel the urge to join them… it was just a game. "Um… can I play with you guys?"
Justin looks back at you and smiles. "Sure! Pick up a controller and come sit by us!"
Timidly, you walk over and pick up a Gamecube controller, taking a seat between Matt and Justin.
"This game's winner is… JIGGLYPUFF."
You squeed a bit as you heard the announcer say those words. You smile widely and your (color) eyes gleamed.
"HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?" Justin exclaimed, "How – I –HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A PINK PUFFBALL TO DEFEAT ME!?"
"Wow!" Matt smiles at you, "You're really good!"
"T-Thanks!" you sheepishly reply, your face turning light pink, "I've used Jigglypuff as my main fighter since the first game! I… kinda have a bit of an attachment to her."
"How do you know it's a girl?"
"Well when you look at it, it kinda makes sense, doesn't it?"
"Hmm… Point taken."
You look back at the Jigglypuff plush laying in your lap and pick it up. "This doll came with the costume I'm wearing… Jigglypuff's always been my favorite Pokemon since I first saw it in the anime. She always had a sort of confidence I never had before. Never afraid of showing the kind of person she is, never afraid to give her all… I wished that I could be like her."
"And have people fall asleep every time you want to perform to them?" Justin smirked.
"Well that never stopped her before! No matter what she faced she always found a way to get back up and try again!"
Matt smiled a bit at you, "I'm certain you could be like that if you just believed in yourself."
"But I'm just a lily-livered girl… whenever I have someone take a picture of me I feel like crying. I can't stand being around huge crowds… I'm a coward."
"Well that's just because you're constantly putting yourself down," Matt brings an arm around you, "If you stop doing that and start believing in yourself, heck you could be something great!"
"You really think so?..." you say meekly.
"Positive."
You smile a bit, "Thanks, Matt… that means a lot coming from you."
You look back at the Jigglypuff plushie in your hands and look into its big blue eyes. "I learned Jigglypuff's song by heart, actually… I even made my own lyrics to it once."
"Really?" Justin sounded curious, "How does it go?"
"Oh, I… it's nothing special, it's just a little thing I made once in middle school…"
"I bet it's great," Matt smiled at you, "Why don't you sing it for us?"
"W-Well…" you think about what Matt told you earlier. Maybe it really wasn't as bad as you thought… it was worth a shot. On the other hand, you wouldn't want to hear them be disappointed… that was the part that scared you most. You take a deep breath and decide to wing it. "Alright… just a little bit…"
Matt and Justin look at you with curiosity and anticipation. You clear your throat, close your eyes, and began to sing softly.
"When the day is gone
When the moon shines so bright
When you hear me through the night
Don't you have a fear
For I will be here
Until you've been dried of your tears
Little one
Don't be afraid
When you hear this lullaby…"
You felt something lay against your shoulder. You stop singing and open your eyes, looking down and noticing Matt leaning against you, his head on your shoulder, his eyes closed, and smiling slightly. You look to see Justin laying back on the bed, one arm across his chest and the other beside his head. He too had closed eyes and a smile. You blushed a bit and smiled. "You don't have to tease me, you know…"
You watch as Matt opens an eye and looks at you with a cheeky smile, "What? It's super effective!"
The three of you couldn't help but laugh.
It was nearing the time for the band to get ready, so you headed back to the convention to find Miranda. You felt better than you did earlier that day, and found the courage to head back to the convention. You told them that you'd be in the audience at their performance before leaving. The place was huge, and you still felt rather scared being around so many people, but you managed to keep yourself from running off again.
"_!" You hear Miranda's voice call to you. You turn around, seeing her in her running towards you, tackling you and wrapping her arms around you, "Where have you been!?"
"Miranda!" you hug back, "Sorry for running off. I just got so scared and…"
"Oh, it's fine! What matters is that you're here now!" she says with a huge grin, "And best part is that there's still time to get a good seat for the concert! Come on!"
Before you could talk to her, Miranda tugged you by your arm, dragging you into the large room in the center. Almost immediately you feel afraid. There were seats spanning from the back of the room forward until they came to a large stage at the head of the room. The stage already had some of the band's equipment on it, spotlights, and a large banner saying "L33tStr33t Boys". Girls were all starting to fill the room as you and Miranda made your way to the third row to the front. You weren't one to be in the very front, but Miranda liked being as close as possible to the front. This was a happy little medium between the two of you. It didn't take long for the rest of the room to be filled up, and soon you watch the lights turn off. The room is quieted down to a few murmurs of anticipation as everyone waits for the performance to begin. Even you feel short of breath as the seconds seem to slow into hours. After what felt like hours, you finally see the spotlights turn on. Almost already a few fans were cheering for the boy band that was about to perform.
You clutched your plushie close to your chest, excited to see the band you befriended perform on stage. Miranda was among those who were cheering. "Leet-Street-Boys! Leet-Street-Boys!" she yelled.
You suddenly hear a guitar being played as a familiar voice begins singing.
"I went downtown today.
Met a girl on the way.
She asked me why I looked so lonely."
The crowd went wild with cheer at the sound of that voice. Miranda squeed, flailing a bit in her seat with excitement.
"As she changed her wig,
My heart danced a jig.
Think I found my one and only!"
You could see the silhouettes of the band behind the curtain in the spotlights. Matt was the front-most of them, with Justin as his right, Rose at his left, and D-Dos in the back with his drums.
"Now you're gone
I've moved on
Someone who understands!"
The curtains draw back, revealing the band. The crowd goes wild with squeals of excitement. The band smiles at the crowd as colored lights shine, lighting the room. You smile widely, cheering for them, squeezing your Jigglypuff plush in your hands.
"I've got a new Cosplay Girlfriend!
She's fun and she's better than you!
Feels like my whole life's a whirlwind!
Every time I see her she's always somebody new!
I'm in love with my Cosplay Girlfriend!
She's one that you've just gotta see!
Feels like my whole life's a whirlwind!
She knows just who she wants,
Who she wants to be!"
The four of them played flawlessly to your ears. With Matt at the mic, Justin on guitar, Rose on Bass, and D-Dos playing the drums, you almost forgot that these four were the same people you spent most of the afternoon with playing games. It was amazing how someone could be one person for a while and someone completely different the next while. As they played their song, the crowd cheered louder and louder. After a few minutes the song came to a close and everyone erupted in applause. Even you cheered for them.
"Thank you, (convention name)!" Matt yelled to the audience, "We're happy to be able to perform for you all!"
"Oh, didn't I TELL you they were amazing?" Miranda whispered to you as Matt continued to speak to the audience.
"Yeah," you reply. You think for a minute before speaking, "Uh, Miranda, there's… something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"It's about when I ran off…" you decided to tell her the truth.
"Oh, it's fine, really! I'm not mad at all!"
"It's not that… when I told you I was in our room I… kinda lied," you looked away, "I actually forgot where our room was and got lost."
"Then where were you if you weren't in our room?"
"Now," you hear Matt speaking, "For this next song, we're going to be doing something a little different. I'd like to ask someone from the audience to come up and sing!" The audience became a sea of raised hands as nearly every girl there wanted a chance to go on stage and sing with them.
"Shhh shhh shh!" Miranda shushed you before you could speak, "They're going to pick someone!"
"But it's important that you know!"
"Let's see…" Matt points his finger out, as a spotlight shines down on the crowd.
"Alright, what is it?" Miranda asks.
"When I ran off, I… I was with…"
"With what?
"I-I was… I was… with…"
"With WHAT already!? Spit it out already before he picks-"
"YOU!" The spotlight shines down on your seat as you and Miranda look at Matt who was looking at you, pointing a finger, "The one in the Pokemon Blue cosplay!"
Your heart stops. The moment that passed felt like time had suddenly stopped as all eyes were on you. What was Matt doing?! Why didn't he tell you that he was going to call up someone to the stage!? Was… did he plan to call you up all along?
"Come on up!" Matt gestured his hand, calling you up onstage.
"Just watch," you whisper to Miranda, whose eyes were wide with disbelief before you get up and walk on stage. Frankly the whole thing was terrifying to you, knowing everyone was watching you. Matt's calming gaze, however, welcomed you forward, putting you slightly at ease. Knowing that he knew you did help relieve the tension a bit.
"Hello, miss!" he greets you, "Would you please tell us your name?"
"My name is _." You greet him nervously, not sure why he'd call you up onto the stage to sing.
"A pleasure to meet you, _!" Matt smiles at you, "Great Blue cosplay! And great plushie to go with it!"
"Thanks," you blush.
"I'm saying this, because I've got a very special treat for you!" Matt turns back to the crowd slight, "You'll be singing… a human rendition of Jigglypuff's Song!"
The audience gasped along with you.
Matt suddenly whispers in your ear, "Just sing the song you sang to us earlier today. Don't worry. Remember; believe in yourself!"
"A-Alright!"
The five of you get into position with you at the mic, Justin at your left, Matt and Rose at your right, and D-Dos still on drums. Matt's words of encouragement ring in your head as your hands grasp the microphone. You kept telling yourself not to get scared. Be brave. Believe in yourself. You can do this!
The music starts as you begin to sing.
"When the day is gone
When the moon shines so bright
When you hear me through the night
Don't you have a fear
For I will be here
Until you've been dried of your tears
Little one
Don't be afraid
When you hear this lullaby
Don't you worry
My words are true
I'll always and forever love you
When the day is gone
When the moon shines so bright
When you hear me through the night
Don't you have a fear
For I will be here
Until you've been dried of your tears"
As the song concludes, you can already hear the audience cheering. You look back, seeing everyone clapping for you. Your friend Miranda sat in her seat, her eyes as big as plates and her jaw hanging and her expression showing complete disbelief. You smiled widely, relieved that the audience enjoyed your song. Matt walks over to you.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for _!" he shouts to the audience, evoking another loud cheer. "You did amazingly, _! As a thanks, take these two backstage passes for you and a friend for our next show!"
"T-Thank you!" you smile widely in gratitude before you walk off the stage, Matt waving goodbye. You found your way back to your seat.
"T… That was… those were YOUR lyrics!" Miranda whispered to you, "How did…"
"Yeah, as I was saying…" you whisper back, "I was hanging with them in their room."
"W- SERIOUSLY!?" Miranda managed to keep herself from screaming.
"Seriously. It was a lot of fun!"
"Dude… I am SO jealous of you right now!" Miranda continued to look at you in disbelief.
"Sorry…"
"Girl, don't apologize for it! It's awesome! And you got Backstage passes!"
"Yeah… thanks for talking me into coming here with you."
"No prob!"
You pass one of the passes to her with a smile, but as you do, you notice a slip of paper that was hidden between them fall to the floor. You look down at it and curiously pick it up.
"What is it?" Miranda asks.
You unfold the piece of paper, noticing some writing on it.
Meet us back in our room after the show!
-L33tStr33t Boys
You turn the paper over, noticing more writing on the back… a phone number with Matt's name beside it. You stare at the number with wide eyes.
"Dude…" Miranda gasped, "You should get lost more often!"
"I think I'll pass on that…" you reply sheepishly.
It was the greatest day of your life.