When we reached the convention center, we parked and walked in. Making a bee line for registration.
"You both have your exhibitors badges and id's right?" I asked softly.
"Yes, I do!" Sean said with a smile. Mark nodded.
We made it to check in quickly.
"Hi! Welcome! Can I help you with anything in particular?" the person behind the counter In the office said.
Mark was looking around, with a look on his face that said this was different than last year.
"Hello, we're here to check in for the convention." I said with a smile.
The guy nodded and pulled open a drawer, pulling out three sheets of paper.
"These are front and back, they need to be as completely filled out as possible I know there will be things that don't apply to any of you but please try your best." He said in his best business tone, as he passed the papers to us.
The three of us nodded, borrowing some pens we left the room.
"That would have been more convincing, had we not walked in and he was rocking out to random game music." Sean said with a laugh as we all sat on the benches to fill out the forms.
Mark and I both laughed at that. We all looked at the forms.
"We literally can't fill out the front besides our name." I said with a soft sigh.
"That's because the front is mainly for the sales exhibitors besides the name section we're on the back." Mark told us.
All three of us gave a soft sigh, this was going to be annoying.
"Does anyone have an internet connection?" Sean asked about five minutes later.
I passed him my cell. Then filled in the number of subs I had into the form.
"Can I use that after him?" Mark asked a minute later.
"Yeah, sweet! Almost done with this damn thing!" I said with a small smile.
Sean passed Mark my phone and happily filled in his sub count, Mark passed my phone back to me and filled his in as well. We all finished our forms five minutes later and headed back into the office.
"All done?" the guy asked.
"Yes, we're all done." Mark said as we handed our forms in.
"Alright I just need to see your exhibitors passes and id and you're all set." He said with a smile.
We pulled out our badges and id's and passed them over to the guy who checked to make sure everything was in order. He passed them back a couple minutes later.
"Alright all is in order! Just remember to be here by Seven tomorrow morning so you can get the rest of your tags." He told us.
We happily agreed and walked out of the center. When we got into the car we all sat back and sighed.
"I think it's to the hotel for a couple hours for a nap, because where supposed to have dinner with the others tonight." Mark said softly.
"A nap sounds lovely." I replied.
"It really does." Sean said agreeing.
We pulled out of the convention center parking lot, and drove to the hotel. We grabbed our small bags and walked in for check in. Mark, Sean and I decided to take the easy route we decided to all share a room. When we finally finished check in the bell boy came over and helped us bring the bags in from the car and up to our room.
"This is going to be great!" Sean said bouncing a few steps ahead of Mark me and the bell boy.
"Hahaha yeah it will!" I said with a smile.
Mark just laughed softly. We made it to the room and put our stuff up as best we could. We were really drained. We grabbed Norbert Sam and Tim and almost simultaneously flopped into the beds provided.
"You did set an alarm right?" I asked as I cuddled into the pillows.
"Mhm. I did, its set to go off in two hours since its already mmm almost one." Mark said.
Sean was already asleep. Mark and I quickly followed him into dream land. It was three o'clock when the alarms went off.
"Noooooo!" I whined into the pillow.
Sean groaned into his pillow. While Mark stood up and started shutting off all of the alarms.
"Come on you two it's time to get up, Aaron Wade and Bob should be here, and we all promised to meet up at four and hang out that's an hour from now." Mark said with a sigh.
"I'm up. Im going to need coffee but im up. I CALL FIRST SHOWER!" I said as I jumped up and ran into the bathroom, neglecting to get my cloths.
"You can have the shower, you might want your cloths though." Mark said with a laugh.
I mocked him lightly as I walked out and grabbed my cloths, then turned and headed back into the bathroom.
"Mark? Are we meeting them here?" I called softly.
"Yeah where all staying here so where all just going to meet up here." He called back.
As I started the water I heard a small thud. I tried not to laugh. When I got done in the shower and dressed in clean jeans and another t-shirt, this one a mid-green/dark green shirt and my dark blue hoodie. I stepped out of the shower and Sean ran into it.
"If you needed it you could have said something!" I called with a smile, feeling much more awake.
"I don't! I want a shower!" Sean called back.
I laughed softly and put my dirty cloths into my bag. I looked to Mark.
"Are you going to get a shower too?" I asked wanting to make sure.
"Yeah, after Sean gets out." Mark said.
I nodded and grabbed my brush. I sighed softly.
"This is going to be hard, and annoying." I said quietly standing in front of the mirror.
It took ten minutes to get my hair straight and by that time Mark had gone in the bathroom and Sean had come out. I turned with my brush in my hand to see Sean putting on his customary hat. I stopped. I took a second to actually see him off screen, and apparently my fan girl crush had turned into a full blown one, yay. I blinked and turned back to the mirror.
"Hey, Sean?" I called softly.
I saw him turn towards me in the mirror.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Would you by chance, know how to braid hair?" I asked taking part of my long red hair in my hands.
"Yeah, why?" He asked as he took a few steps closer to me.
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Could you help me with my stupid hair?" I asked.
"Of course!" He said, and I passed him my brush.
When Mark came out of the shower it was, im sure, to an interesting sight.
"What's this?" he asked with a laugh as he walked over to his bags, to put his cloths in.
"Just my hair...you should be used to this sight!" I said with a laugh.
"Yeah, just usually im the one on the other side of the red sea." Mark said with a smile.
"How do you, hair so long!" Sean called with a laugh.
"I haven't cut it in maybe three or four years besides like a trim." I told them.
"Sean, if your arms are getting tired I can take over." Mark said as he grabbed one of his beanies from his bag.
"My hair is NOT that long!" I said with a shocked laugh.
"It's long enough it reaches your knees." Mark said with a deadpan look
"Maybe a little cut is needed but I love my long hair." I said with a sigh.
"Almost done!" Sean, said with a triumphant sound.
He managed to finish my hair. It was still insanely long but it was better than it is loose.
"How do you tie it back before filming because I know you do." Sean asked.
I pointed at Mark.
"I usually tie it back for her." He said, with a small sigh.
I walked over to my bag and grabbed a headband. I slipped it on grabbed my wallet and my key card and looked at the boys.
"We should be going we have five minutes to get down and meet them, don't forget your wallets boys, I have my key card to so don't worry if you don't want to bring yours." I said with a smile as I turned and stepped out the door.
I sighed softly as I stood in the hall and waited for them, this week was going to be hard, fun but hard. Not as hard as going back to Cali will be though. I sighed again. Then the door opened, and the guys stepped out.
"Come on where meeting out this way instead of the front" Mark said and took the lead.
"So wait, what happened the day that..." Sean asked looking at me.
That simple question started a long story.
"...and I grabbed at my desk to try and save myself, and it didn't work. That's how I cracked my camera lens." I said with a laugh.
I finished that story just as we hit the back lobby. We walked out into it and saw our group.
"Hey guys!" Mark called waving and Sean and I just kind of stood there.
"That's Sean and that's Kaley..." We heard from Mark as we walked closer.
"So, how does it feel to be a female game-tuber?" Wade asked.
"Uhm...normal? Like I don't really see what difference there makes between being male or female in gaming. You know besides the obvious differences and the differences in character art and minor story line changes." I told him softly.
"Yeah, but it's almost like you have it all." He was saying.
"What?" I asked confused.
"Well I mean, and molly don't get defensive, but let's face it you're an awesome YouTuber and your also really hot." Wade said, I just kind of stared.
"Well, I hope some of my fans pay attention to the games I play instead of just what I look like." I said softly with a light glare, I turned to Mark.
"Are we taking your car?" I asked.
"Uh, yeah." Mark said.
"Good, I'll be out there waiting then." I said quietly.
I turned and walked towards the door, I heard Mark from back with the group.
"You idiot! She hates being seen only for her beauty. She rather be seen and heard for her gaming skills. You seriously fucked up." Mark told him.
I walked out the door then. As I got a couple steps from the car, I heard someone calling my name. I turned it was Sean.
"I'm not going back in there if that's what you want, Sean." I told him softly when he reached me.
"Nope, just figured I'd better hold up my end of our deal." He told me with a large smile.
"So how much did Mark ream him out after I walked out the door?"' I asked softly when we reached the car and it was locked.
"Well I know you heard part of it, but after Mark told him he fucked up, he was like 'shit! I didn't mean to! I was just complementing her! It's like second nature!' and Mark was just like 'Well complement her gaming skills it usually works a lot better!'" Sean told me and I had to laugh.
"I can't believe that though! I know it makes no sense to be upset over a complement but, I used to compete in live competitions for certain games, and I'd used to always get accused of using my looks to win. With YouTube I thought it'd be different. That I could do what I love and everyone who liked my channel or me in general would like me for my game play not my looks. It's just so frustrating." I told him with a small soft sigh.
"I understand, I mean obviously I've never had it happen to me but, I understand. YouTube and YouTubers should understand that it's the games or whatever they do on there that the person wants noticed." Sean said with a sigh himself.
After that we stood silently, it was a comfortable silence though. We saw Mark walk out the doors fallowed by everyone else. Wade made a beeline straight for me.
"I wanted to say sorry, I should have worded that differently or kept my big doofy mouth shut. I love your game play though it's amazing well done, also congrats on the recent growth in the channel." Wade told me.
"It's fine." I told him then looked at Mark.
"It's more believable when it doesn't sound like you told him to though Mark." I told him with a soft smile.
"I didn't want you to be mad all night, and I didn't tell him what to say! I told him he should apologies and comment on the game play like he ALWAYS does and congratulate your channel growth." Mark said when he unlocked the car.
Wade had gone back over to his car with molly.
"I don't see why its congratulations to us, we sit at our computers and play video games, and scream like little girls sometimes. Its them that makes the difference, so it should be congrats to them." I told Mark.
We were only taking two cars so I sat in the back and let whoever wanted to sit up front sit up there. Sean climbed into the back with me, so Aaron climbed into the front with Mark. Bob and Mandy road with Wade and Molly. When got to where we were eating it turned out to be a bar and diner kind of place.
"The bar Mark? Really?" I asked with a laugh.
"It's also a restaurant, I figured this way there was an option of things to have." Mark said back with a smile.
I just laughed as we all unbuckled and headed inside. We waited to order until the rest of the group got there. When we finished eating we all just hung out and talked. I laughed at Bob and Wade's antics while Molly and Mandy looked murderous. They were being way to loud. I looked over at Mark, right as he went to take the sip of his first beer.
"Mark!" I called to him just loud enough for him, and Sean who was sat next to me, to hear.
"Huh?" He asked as he pulled the bottle away from his face.
I made a hand gesture and his eyes widened.
"Shit! Thanks." He said with a smile as he reached into his pocket.
He pulled out the pill bottle and quickly took one with the soda left from his dinner. I nodded and turned back towards Wade and Bob in time to catch the failed breadstick toss. I gave a look to Molly and Mandy as I laughed silently hoping they knew I couldn't help it. About an hour later Molly and Mandy where dragging Bob and Wade out of the Bar/restaurant so they could all get some sleep. Aaron wasn't fairing to well in keeping his eyes open and Sean looked about two minutes from slipping into dreamland as well. I looked to Mark. He'd only had two beers, but that was two to many for my liking.
"Mark it's time to go where all exhausted, and I think one of the ones who haven't been drinking ought to drive." I told him carefully.
He sighed and nodded, passing me his keys. We paid and headed to the car. I got into the driver's seat and Sean got in the seat next to me. Leaving Mark and Aaron to the backseat. We pulled into the hotel and parked. Aaron had fallen asleep so Sean stood up and woke him up. I stood up and stretched, Mark Sean and Aaron fallowing suit. We headed into the hotel and up to our rooms quickly setting our alarms for six that morning. We all fell asleep relatively fastly.
I woke up at four and sat up with a soft sigh. Normally when I couldn't sleep I'd get on my computer and start a video. I couldn't do that here. So I sat there leaning against the wall and looked out at the city. I heard movement from the bed next to mine and turned my head.
"What are you doing up?" I whispered to Sean who had sat up.
"I could ask you the same thing." He whispered back as he stood and stretched.
I turned away from him, back to the windows. I had forgotten he had gone to sleep in only a pair of sleep pants.
"I just can't sleep anymore." I told him.
"Mmm me either, mind if I join you looking out the window?" He asked with a smile.
I nodded my head that he could join me. I heard his footsteps then felt the bed dip as he settled next to me.
"What's wrong?" Sean asked me softly a couple minutes later.
"Hmm?" I asked.
"You've been acting weird since we woke up from nap time. So what's up?" He asked.
I shrugged my shoulders not sure what to say. Then I just said something that sounded right.
"I think it's just surprise, that wow this is really happening. It's just weird. That's all." I said with a smile.
He nodded his acceptance, and we were quiet. The next thing I know I can hear the alarm going off but im warm and don't want to move.
"Hmm." I sighed as I wiggled around.
I felt something behind me, so I slowly turned my head. Sean and I had fallen asleep last night looking out the window. I closed my eyes and heard Mark stand up and turn off the alarms.
"Isn't that adorable!" Mark commented softly.
He walked over to us and laying a hand on each of our shoulders shook gently. I opened my eyes, and looked at him. I felt Sean move behind me.
"Morning you two! Its six o'clock and time to wake up. We have an hour to get ready and to the center.
I sighed and stretched moving to stand. The arms around me tightened.
"Oh no not today! The bathroom is mine!" Sean called as he jumped up.
I laughed.
"I was only going to get my hairbrush and cloths! And damn it! I've got to be in there to change! So make it fast!" I called snuggling back into the warm blankets.
Mark gave me a look.
"What was that about?" He asked and I knew he meant Sean and I.
"We ended up waking up at four and talking looking out the window together. We must have fallen back to sleep." I said with a little yawn.
Sean came out of the bathroom then, and I jumped up and ran into it after pausing briefly to get my cloths.
{3rd person}
After Kaley got into the bathroom, with the door locked. Mark turned to look at Sean.
"Are you going to tell her yet?" Mark asked Sean drawing the Irish man's attention from the bathroom door.
"Are you kidding? No!" Sean said looking Mark in the face.
"You should! I mean look at you! You're going crazy!" Mark said as he sat next to him.
"I know. It's not like..." Sean broke off with a sigh.
"You still doubt it could happen don't you?" Mark asked softly.
"How could it? I mean really look at my history alone!" Sean said with a small frown.
"Don't frown, and don't think like that either! Just because it hasn't happened or didn't work before, doesn't mean it can't or won't." Mark said as he patted Sean's back.
Sean just sighed and shook his head as he stood up to grab his hat.
"You can say that all you like, but it doesn't change anything." Sean said with another sigh walking over to the bathroom door.
"Come on! We have to go get our tags!" He called with a happy voice.
Mark just sighed and shook his head.
"I'm coming, im coming give me a minute, stupid hair!" Kaley called.
{1st person}
"I'm coming, im coming give me a minute, stupid hair!" I called, struggling to pull the hairbrush threw it.
"Kaley just come out here let me help with it." Mark called through the door.
"Fine!" I called with a sigh as I grabbed the brush hair ties hair band bobby pins and my dark blue hoodie.
I stepped out of the bathroom, and almost right into Sean. We both stepped back.
"Come here, we have to leave in ten minutes." Mark said patting the bed next to him.
I stepped over to the bed and passed Mark the hair stuff, I sat and he got to work. I sighed.
"That's it! The day we get back Mark...im getting a haircut! I can't do it anymore!" I said with an annoyed look on my face.
"That sounds like a good idea just not to short." Mark told me, as he tugged my hair into place.
"There we go! All set!" Mark said maybe five minutes later.
I stood up to look in the mirror.
"What about my hair band?" I asked.
"You can put that on after your hoodie. Along with the bobby pins." Mark said as he passed the items to me.
I pulled on my hoodie and then slid my hairband into place, attaching the bobby pins to keep it in place. I looked in the mirror one last time, and grabbed my wallet and key card.
"Come on you two! All that primping! We're going to be late!" Sean called from out in the hall.
I laughed softly as I joined him in the hall. We only had to wait a minute for Mark to join us. Then we made the quick journey to the center where we met up with Bob Mandy Molly Wade and Aaron. We all walked back to the 'YouTube' area. Where we grabbed the dog tags with our names and YouTube names. I looked over at Wade then turned away with a laugh.
"I can't get it on!" Wade called with a laugh.
"You're supposed to unhook it!" Molly told him.
Sean and I were laughing too hard to be of any help to him.
"Alright, this is where we all split up." Mark started to say.
"Wait who's with who?" Sean called.
"Aaron Kaley and you are together until mine Bob's and Wades panel then Aaron joins us and it's just Kaley and you until the Polaris panel then, we'll regroup. And that's all after we do our signing tables at eight nine and ten" Mark said, and we all groaned.
After that was said and we found out where we had to sign we all just wandered around a bit. Somehow we all, the entire group, ended up outside the center dancing.
"Oh come on! Haha dance with us!" Sean kept calling over to us.
Mandy Molly and I had all decided that we weren't dancing. Well Molly was filming, So she couldn't dance. I sighed and passed Mandy my phone and backpack.
"Oh fine! But your dancing with me!" I said with a smile as I walked over and grabbed his arm.
I pulled him in close and let him set the dance. With a laugh he twirled me. I laughed with him and we danced like that until Mark called out to us.
"Kaley! Sean! It's time to go for our signings!" Mark called to us, and with a small sigh we pulled apart.
When we were separated, I grabbed my bag and my phone from Mandy and then fallowed Sean and Aaron to our tables.
"We'll be fine Mark! Now you three...five go or you really will be late!" I called back to him with a laugh.
The three of us ran off to find our table.
"It's over there!" Aaron called, pointing to our table.
"Yes! We made it!" Sean called happily as we sat down and settled our bags.
"Just, we just made it." I said with a laugh after checking my phone.
"Making it and just making it are the same thing! At least we weren't late!" Aaron said with a laugh.
Sean and I laughed, nodding. I looked at the security guard that was there.
"Hey can you talk to us? Or are you just there to make sure we don't get rowdy?" I called to him.
"I can talk to you, why?" The guard asked.
"Is there a chance of coffee in the next two hours? Or is there no hope in that?" I asked calmly.
"Uh, yeah yeah sure, uhm...I can run quick and get you some...either of you two want some?" the guard asked.
After getting all the coffee orders, the guard took off. Then the signing opened. The guard got back just in time with the coffee and the next three hours flew past, with presents pictures and signing. When our line ended we felt bad because we hadn't gotten to everyone, we knew there would be another signing tomorrow and hopped that more people got threw.
"Off to Marks panel!" Aaron said as we all stood and stretched.
Grabbing our bags we set off, the guard having come with carts to take the gifts to the exhibitors room, where we could pick them up later.
"I almost feel bad for him." I said with a soft sigh as we got to the room where Marks panel was.
"Hahaha yeah. Almost." Sean said.
We got to the room and walked in to see people still setting up with Mark Bob and Wade standing off to the side. We headed over to them.
"How was the signing you three?" Mark asked when he noticed us.
"It was...interesting." I said.
"Yeah, especially when she sent the guard for coffee!" Aaron said with a laugh.
"Wow you didn't!" Bob said.
"She did! But to be fair we all got coffee too." Sean said with a laugh.
"I can't believe it!" Mark said with a laugh, Wade was already laughing.
"I hadn't had any and I needed some. So yes Mark I did." I said with a straight face.
"Alright alright. I'll stop" Mark said with a laugh.
I just rolled my eyes and walked over to sit in one of the seats set aside for Sean Aaron and I. I pulled my phone out and checked my subs, it was still rising steadily. I lifted my head when I heard footsteps.
"What?" I asked with a hard look.
Mark sat next to me.
"Look, im sorry. I wasn't thinking. I was all caught in con madness and I wasn't thinking. I knew you needed it and I should have stopped and gotten some coffee from the shop before we got here." Mark said with a sigh.
I looked at him and new he was sorry.
"Its fine, really I shouldn't have reacted like that. I should be sorry. Not you. I just...I don't know how to react to this it's all too much." I told him with a sigh of my own.
"I sometimes forget it's your first con. You've just been so...not like you? In a new situation." Mark said softly.
I sighed.
"it's been a facade I haven't been fine since nap time yesterday? When I was actually awake enough for everything to hit. That this is really real. That where all here...that everything's happening." I said softly.
Mark moved the chair a little closer so I was the only one who could hear him.
"That Sean's here and the three of us are sharing a room?" He asked, my head whipped around to face him.
"What do you mean Mark?" I asked him softly.
"You like him. Don't you?" Mark asked with a small smirk.
"How did you figure it out? I'm not that obvious am I?" I asked, wondering if Mark knew, if Sean had noticed as well.
"No, I only noticed because you won't take your eyes off him when he's not looking." Mark said with a smile.
"I can't help it!" I said softly.
"You should tell him." Mark told me.
"Not going to happen in a million years." I told him with a straight face.
"Why not?" he asked me softly.
I glanced over at the subject of conversation and then turned back to Mark.
"Because he's amazing and im just me. There's no way he would ever like me." I told him softly.
Mark went to answer then sighed when the organizers came over to get him, Sean and Aaron walking over to us, behind the organizers. I sighed and leaned back in my chair. Mark stood and Sean took the seat on my right and Aaron took the one on the left.
"What was that about?" Aaron asked me softly.
"Nothing, really." I said softly back.
"They always have those kinds of conversations I swear it's because they live next to each other. They have this other language." Sean said with a laugh.
"It's not another language! It's just sometimes a small conversation can be nice. Besides Wade Bob and you two where over there being all jokey so we had a nice small conversation." I told them softly.
The panel started to fill up and we quieted then. As the panel went on Aaron Sean and I laughed and laughed.
"JACKSEPTICEYE DIDN'T GIVE ME A HIGHFIVE!" Mark yelled when he got back to the stage after running around the room.
Sean sighed with a big smile and a laugh and jumped up running up and highfiving him before he ran back and sat back down, causing me and Aaron to break into new laughter.
"Aaaannndddd now!" Mark called in his announcer voice as the lights went out and the big screen turned on.
"The return! Of Wiilllfffrrreeeeddd Warfstach!" Mark said happily as the clip started.
As the clip played threw people laughed as it showed 'Wilfred Warfstach' interviewing phone guy from 'five nights at Freddy's' obviously showing that the king was making a comeback. The last part of the clip with Freddy made me jump slightly and grab onto Sean's arm. When the screen went black, I released his arm quickly.
"Sorry, five nights just isn't my game." I told Sean softly, so I didn't interrupt the panel.
"Haha its fine, and don't worry I get you, five nights isn't really my game either." Sean told me just as softly.
I turned to face the panel and saw Aaron turning back as well nodding lightly. Obviously he had heard and agreed with what me and Sean had said. The panel ended shortly after that with Wade singing in his 'smegole' voice.
"So how did you three like the panel?" Mark asked hopping off of the stage, Bob and Wade fallowing behind him.
"Woulda been nice had you gave a little warning on the whole five nights thing Marki. I mean I understand you're the king and all...but come on man." I said with a laugh.
Sean and Aaron laughed with me, Mark just rubbed the back of his neck.
"Oops...sorry." He said with a small laugh.
"Don't worry man, it's all good." Sean said with a laugh.
Mark laughed along with him and Aaron, Wade, Bob and I just laughed at the funny shit that happened during the panel. After a couple minutes Mark, Bob, Wade and Aaron took off for their next thing, since me and Sean didn't have anything until our Polaris panel later that day we just wandered the different booths. We bought a few things here and there and just hung out and talked.
"So wait wait wait! Your telling me that THAT is the only reason you met Mark?" Sean said with a shocked laugh.
"Yeah, the shoes I had where old and second hand to begin with, but I couldn't get a new pair cause I was kinda broke from my move. So yeah I walked out to go to the dinner and next thing I know im on the ground with a small shout, and the guy who lived next to me opened the door, cause I didn't realize it was Mark at the time. it was great he actually wrapped my ankle grabbed me food and got me these." I said with a laugh of my own lifting my one foot up to show off my sneakers.