Beauty and the Trooper
By: Kat Miller
Securing the jetpack onto my shoulders, I glanced into the mirror once more before giving myself a satisfied nod. Two months of planning has finally led up to this moment, flaunting my inner geek before the public eye. It crossed my mind that quite a few wouldn't know who the hell I was, but I knew who I was, and maintaining my proud perception of my outfit was something I needed to see through to the end. Especially since it emptied the darkest corners of both my wallet and couch change. I scratched my forehead, turning around to see if my escort was even as close to ready as I was.
"Chester!" I groaned, my gripe was just coated with a fair amount of whining, irritation, and impatience. He turned to me, grabbing his mini burgundy backpack and slinging it onto his shoulders. He gave me his usual soft laugh and patted my head, sending little strands of hair to obscure my vision.
"I'm just about done, little Kat. Gimmie a second." He replied as I tried to pull back my stray hairs into their bobby pinned positions. Chester coiled his ear buds before shoving them down into his black pants pockets and straightening his matching shirt as he turned to me. "You ready?" he asked, earning him a sharp glare. He merely laughed as he pushed past me, gripping the brass doorknob of our hotel room door and pushing the door open for me. With my eyes still bored into him I moved past, my mind now focused on my mission; getting to the most magical place on earth and losing my mind on star wars and cotton candy. I could almost taste my inner child trying to break free from its cage. I couldn't contain the excitement much longer before I ended up sprinting out of the elevator and toward the valet parking. I could almost hear Chester's laugh in the dust I left him in as those towering glass doors magically pulled back to grant me free passage outside.
The gentleman at valet gave me a humble smile, remembering whom I was with and offered me some water, to which I denied politely before he bolted off to fetch Chester's classy Mercedes Benz from its stone castle of a parking structure. All the while this was happening, my eyes were directed straight before me, all my hopes drowning with my happiness in a pool of all the rain that I saw spilling out of the sky. Rain. It had to rain? On my day, my special day? Chester soon strode out of the lobby, his smile turning into pure shock as his eyes swallowed up the weather condition as mine had.
"It's raining?" He shouts as his car pulls up under the steep roof, shielding it from the water that was bulleting it with noticeable force. "Oh Kat, I'm not sure if today will be a good day. Seems impossible to me actually." He explained to me, but there was no way I'd let this rain ruin a day that I was so anticipated for.
"No! Please, we still have to go. We can get umbrellas or a poncho or something, anything." My eyes were pleading with his as I gripped the tail from my side braid. He chewed on his lip as he looked off into the grey clouds, delved into his thoughts. "I'm not going to let a little rain ruin today for me." I pushed. Even as I spoke the words however, I did doubt them wholeheartedly. I didn't want the rain to ruin my trip, but it already had. Those dark clouds swallowed the sky, its tears flooding and chilling my excitement to its core.
"Okay, we'll try it out." He surrendered followed with a shrug and a sigh as he approached the passenger side door for me. I took one last glance at the sky with remorse before taking my seat, the door slamming closed beside me. As Chester climbed into his side and buckled in we both looked out the window, but could see nothing but rain twisting the world on the windshield.
"I told you we should've brought the umbrellas!" I protested as I shielded myself from the massive drops that slipped from the trees. "'Oh we don't need them, we'll be just fine!'" I mimicked Chester as we waited in line to be admitted into the park. Massive pumpkin shaped heads of popular Disney characters sat motionless on the top of the ticket scanning booths doused from the rain, their vines curling around their frozen smiles. Chester laughed and pointed under the monorail tracks, devoid of any rain.
"Fine, go stand under there. Since I said no to the umbrellas, you can go be dry." Without any hesitation, I shuffled over to the safe zone, my PINK brand hoodie drenched from the downpour as It sat atop my head. I turned back around, seeing Chester smiling something fierce as the rain berated him and the crowd around us. I could feel people staring at my attire of choice; my Boba Fett crop top and legging ensemble complimenting my body nicely with an extra legging layer underneath to keep me from freezing attracted all kinds of attention, but not the kind I was fishing for. After several minutes, a small soccer mom looking lady slowly passed by, her young 5 year olds hand curled in hers.
"Nice Boba Fett costume! I love the dedication." She complimented with a sincere smile, bringing forth my own as she disappeared into the crowd.
"Thank you!" I shouted at her as she vanished before looking back at Chester and noticing the line had noticeably advanced. By the time we got up to the front, a whole 20 mins had passed and I had just pulled on a rain poncho, securing the clasps around my arms.
"Hey look! The rain stopped!" He chuckled, frustration coursing through me now.
"I just put it on too!" I complained yanking the entire cloak off of me and handing it off to Chester with a hiss. My irritation was at its peak being this close to my inner child, and yet it's raining, I found out the Pirates of the Caribbean was closed for a week, and on top of that it was humid. This weather and situation just needed to be burned alive before I decided to backhand Mickey Mouse or the first character that has the misfortune of coming my way. The lady motioned me to come foreword, her hand outstretched for my 3-day park hopper ticket. A quick scan and a picture later and I finally set foot in the park. Taking a quick look around, I wasn't surprised at what the rain had done to this world of magic. The puddles were lakes for the fallen leaves that sailed across its mirrored surface. Kicking a pebble into its waters, I hurried past with Chester right on my tail as I power walked, my mind set on a mission and a half to get to Tomorrow Land.
Families cloaked in water resistant ponchos and others with massive, multicolored umbrellas still bustled down Main Street, hurrying in and out of shops with more of these rain necessities. I on the other hand ditched my jacket, stuffing it into my jetpack as I faced the rain head on. I had concern in my heart, filling it up like a balloon about to burst. I rubbed my chest, hoping to ebb away the anxiety that I could feel start to build, my inner demons trying to slaughter my hope as it often did and replace it with stress and worry. I bit back at them, chewing on my lower lip in the process. The spinning orbs and revolving spaceships of the Astral Orbiter came into view as I ended the straightaway of Main Street and took a slight right. Even through the drizzle you could still hear the delighted screams and laughter of children all around as well as their loved ones. Looking back at Chester, still following close behind, I waved my arm over my head, urging him to increase his pace as I now passed below the Star Tours logo and around the next corner to Space Mountain.
Continuing on from Space Mountain, the exit gate spit us right back out to the front of its entryway, my senses running wild after getting off the ride, but my eyes quickly shot to the gift shop right beside it. I sprinted into the shop, which was called the Star Trader, and my eyes went wild. A massive replica of the Star Wars X-Wing was suspended in the air above the center of the room, its majesty swallowing all my attention as I blindlessly auto piloted across the room, walking into a shelf. A stuffed Rancor fell onto my face, its felt teeth gnawing into my forehead. Throwing it to the side I crossed the floor into the next room, noticing a booth before the glass window, a booth that I and no other child had any trouble seeking out once they stepped foot into this haven of a fandom store.
"Build your own light saber." I whispered to myself as I peered over the swarming children to scope out the pieces it had to offer. I was floored with disappointment as my eyes ran over their cheap, plastic pieces. "This isn't what I thought it would be…" I continued to mumble to myself as I did a lap around the booth. It was an absolute joke, how could I allow myself to even set foot out of this store without a proper weapon to face the rain with? I could feel my inner child demolishing everything inside its cage at this newfound information, but the fact of the matter was; I'm an adult, and I deserve an adult light saber!
Forcing myself away from the eyesore of a booth I began to scan the shelves for something more 'realistic'. Instead, my eyes only found a toy Boba Fett rifle, to which I scooped up into my arms without a second thought before stopping myself and staring down at the fake gun. My fingers pulled the trigger, wondering If it was even worth bringing into my arsenal. A familiar blaster sound cut to my ears as I pulled the trigger back. 'Yup, it makes a noise.' I voiced in my head as I continued to tug it along with me to continue my search for a proper light saber.
After several minutes spent building my own R2 unit and stashing it too under my arm, I then made my way to the front entrance to scope out the remaining products. After browsing several shirts, hats, pop figurines, and toys my eyes finally latched onto what they had been seeking. Setting my chosen toys on the floor, I picked the Holy Grail. Judging from the weight, the SFX light saber appeared to be built up of real metal and rubber materials, as well as a durable plastic pole jutting out of the center of the hilt. My mind screamed, drowning out the voice of the kid who squeezed at my arm.
"Can I take a picture with you?" He smiled, his premature voice dragging me back to reality. I forced my eyes away from my prize and nodded, smiling for the selfie and waving as he ran back to his family. I could feel the bubbles in my tummy start to tickle just thinking that kids think I'm a cool character. Where most others would call me a nerd or a loser for loving a franchise that most females know nothing about, so it was good to feel appreciated. After smiling at the direction where the kid ran off, I picked up the rest of my spoils, shuffling over to the register and dumping them on the counter before the surprised Asian cashier. He smiled at me and rang up all my stuff, packing them away in big Disneyland bags as Chester came over and fiddled through his wallet to present the amount requested. I squealed as I resurfaced my new light saber from the bag, ripping off the tape from the edges so I could work my fingers under the flap to yank it open. I could feel my impatience throw off my fingers as I pulled the saber from its box, styrofoam keeping the treasured object safe within the cardboard walls until it fully exited the box. After stripping it from all its plastic, I relocated myself to the side of the counter so I wouldn't obstruct peoples' way.
Took me more than a minute to figure out how to turn the damn stick on, even with the directional stickers which were conveniently placed next to the switch, making me feel like a complete and total idiot. But, to my misfortune, my valued replica wouldn't illuminate itself. The same cashier dug through the doors and offered me some batteries, apologizing for there not being any in the saber already. You'd think it'd say 'Batteries Not Included' in bold right across the freaking box! So why not make her look like a derp? Shaking my head from my head conversations, I shoved in the batteries, hurriedly screwing the bottom end back closed and flipping the switch. My eyes were consumed by its bright red glow, the classic light saber 'hum' sound spilling out of the bottom of the hilt. Yes red. I figured I'd be a Sith (A dark Jedi) since the ideals of being a 'good' Jedi would frustrate me too much with all their unnecessary rules. I tilted the tip down, the noise changing and injecting my blood stream with pure thrill. I bounced up and down on my toes before switching it back off and sliding it, blade down, in between my jetpack and my back. I swayed side to side to ensure it was secure before smiling up at Chester.
"Thank you!" I shouted before suffocating him in a hug. He laughed and patted my head. His expression turned to shock as he whipped me around to look outside. The rain came down even harder now, the deluge turning the air misty and forming more lakes on the ground. I peered up over my shoulder to look at Chester and he formed back into the line to grab some umbrellas with a groan.
Deciding not to stand in the rain for the Star Tours ride, we made our way to Adventure land, my mood sailing through the rain like a knife knowing that I had the best toy in my possession. The rain slowly eased up as we approached the Indiana Jones ride, but disappointment wiggled its way into my day once more as workers shooed us away, saying the ride was 'Inoperable at this current time' and to 'check again later'. I rolled my eyes as Chester and I continued along the path defeated. As we passed Pirates of the Caribbean I sighed noticing that the sign still read 'closed'. I may have achieved my own light saber, which was a wonderful thing all its own, but its still couldn't fix the fact that Disneyland was basically flooded and most of the best rides were shut down. Chester took the wheel at this point, turning a corner and hurrying down an alleyway faster than I could keep up. He stopped in front of the best restaurant in the whole park, The Blue Bayou, and waited for service as he was about to request reservations for as soon as possible. I mentioned to him a month ago that I wanted to dine at the Blue Bayou because the restaurant itself is located within the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which I thought was pretty cool, but I also heard that it was a mission and a half just to get reservations. Crossing my fingers I felt hope for today reignite itself as I came to a stop at his side. As he chatted away with the hostess, I direction my attention to a little boy he was pointing at my light saber to his dad. I smiled, stepping over to them and unsheathing my saber from its resting place.
"Would you like to hold it?" I ask as I gently handed my weapon over to the child, switching it on. His smile was priceless as he waved it around in the air, whacking his dad in the process and forcing a chuckle out of me. His dad handed it back, grinning at both his boy and me before thanking me sincerely. I nodded and returned his smile before being approached by Chester.
"They said come back in 15 mins and they can get us seated." He explained. I nodded and grabbed his arm now, directing him toward the Haunted Mansion. As a child, this was my favorite ride, and I believe its what got me started on horror movie fascinations. But this Haunted Mansion was different. As we approached the gates, Jack Skellington sat atop the stone pillar, clad in his Sandy Claws outfit twirling a snowflake. Peering over the gate I could see more decorations as well as noticing that the gate was closed.
"At this moment the mansion is closed, but come back in a little bit and it should be up and running again." The mansion host vocalized the crowd around her. I looked up at Chester, deciding we were just going to go back to check on the reservation, hoping the closed rides would be accessible after we ate. Returning back to the hostess stand, she directed us to the waiting lobby telling us it would be a couple minutes. I removed my light saber, clutching it tightly as I took a seat on the old Victorian couch, my eyes running over all the attention to detail in the small room. The swamp green wallpaper was aged, peeling off of the walls, cobwebs strung across the chandelier, and candelabras that appeared to be unused for years. A man popped out of the door less alcove and stood a top the stairs, which only advanced three levels.
"Aldridge?" he asked looking at us.
"That's me, come on little Kat." He patted my head and pushed me ahead of him to follow our escort. Looking around, everything was dimly lit with the exception of the several strung lanterns that lined the ceiling. Small two top tables cluttered the mini boardwalk as sounds of the crickets and rushing water surrounded us. We came to sit at a small table next to the fence, closest to a wrecked ship and delicate bouncing fireflies. I took a seat, placing my light saber beside me as we were handed menus. I felt more relaxed being here. The cool atmosphere, low lighting, and the smell; the smell that everyone is familiar with on this ride and makes you feel like you entered a whole new watery world.
"They have a really amazing gumbo here." Chester suggested as I went over the menu.
"I don't like gumbo." I countered.
Making our way back past Indiana Jones, it was unfortunately still out of commission for the moment. So I took it upon myself to lead us back to Tomorrow Land. Only slightly the sun began to peek its fingers through the clouds making everything the rain touched glisten. I positioned myself back in front of the Star Trader store and noticed a group of people lining up near the little Avengers shop. Captain America and Thor were doing meet and greets, and as a marvel fan as well, how could I resist not meeting some of Earth's mightiest heroes?
"Okay, so I'm going to go see the Avengers, that okay?" I asked as I started to slowly edge my way toward the end of the line. He nodded and took a seat at on of the umbrella covered tables as well as pulling out his phone.
"Yeah, I have some business calls that I need to make. Go on, I'll be here." He replied as I slowly continued to back away. I turned fully after awhile, trying to make him feel awkward from staring, but he was in his own little world and didn't notice, so I forced myself to the back of the line. Groups of children filed in the line in front of me as well as adults to meet the avengers, handing them their autograph books with shy smiles as if they were celebrities. They must feel like such wonderful people to show all these onlookers their magic, make them believe its real. Then go home, climb in bed and stare at the ceiling and hope they made someone smile today. I bet that's a warm feeling.
"You sure like Star Wars huh?" one of the hosts asked, snapping me back into reality. I snapped my head over to him, took me a minute to remember to smile.
"Like is an understatement." I giggled at his question. He smiled at me and shook his head, almost to accept that it was a stupid question.
"Have you seen the Storm Troopers yet?" My mind shut down. What did he say?
"Wait what?" I asked trying to mask the disbelief in my voice.
"Yeah, every so often until about 5 there are Storm Troopers patrolling, but they only stay in Tomorrow Land." He notably added. My mind just wouldn't work. I could feel my chest tighten, making it hard not to scream.
"I had no idea they had Storm Troopers patrolling. Do you know where they are now?" I shouted a little more than I wanted to.
"Well, not sure as of right now but they should be around. They're also in the Jedi Training Academy show!" He chuckled, watching my facial expressions begin to drastically change as he continued to feed me more information. I looked away, my mind running wild with questions as well as anticipation. 'They have to be around here somewhere. The only question is, where?' I said in my head.
"Looks like I'll have to pay the Academy an old visit once I'm done here." I told him. He all but laughed.