The JC meets Reality
Chapter 1
As the sun shone through the window of her medium-sized room, Gauri smiled as she opened her eyes and stretched out on her back. Today was the day, after much anticipation, the Star Wars Celebration III was finally here. She got up from her bed and looked at her calendar under Thursday, May 2nd 2005, it was circled and said, “Day we leave to Indy for SWCIII”.
After she got ready, she ran downstairs to eat her breakfast and watch the weather and news on TV. When she finished she called Charlene on the phone.
“Hello?” the person on the other line asked.
Gauri—already realizing it was Charlene—blurted out, “Hey Char! Guess what today is!!!” She was so ecstatic.
Charlene just sighs as she replies, “Gauri Gauri…you and your Star Wars…” She ends that with a low laugh.
Gauri laughs, “Ha ha, very funny…so, when are we going to leave?!” Gauri’s tone goes back into that ecstatic tone as she finds herself nearly uncontrollably jumping with enthusiasm.
“Well, I’m presuming you’re probably all set to go. Call Arielle and tell her to meet you at your place; Aaron and I will call you when we’re going to leave. Just give us about an hour to two hours.” Charlene told Gauri.
“All right. See you later then.” Gauri acknowledges as she hangs up the phone. She picks it up again to tell Arielle to be at her place before Charlene and Aaron come by.
After a much enthusiastic talk between herself and Arielle about their anticipated road trip—well, anticipated for Gauri at least, Arielle just had to shut her up after she had enough of her ecstatic mood—Charlene and Aaron were finally at her house. They packed their stuff in the car and were finally off to Indianapolis for the Star Wars Celebration III.
~*~
Chapter 2
~Part 1~
It was going to be a long drive. Gauri had a figure about how long it would be since she went to the Celebration II. She couldn’t wait. For two years, most of what she, Martin and Beth even talked about was their anticipation about the Celebration.
Everyone was doing their own thing quietly; Charlene and Aaron were in the front talking quietly to each other, Arielle was listening to her music and reading, and I, well, I was looking at the window thinking about when we get to Indianapolis, what will happen when Beth, Martin, Sam, Jon and herself finally meet. After awhile, she just smiled happily as she began to listen to her own music on her MP3 Player and read her book.
After a couple hours or so they finally reached the border. Gauri and Arielle gave their passports to Charlene. When they pulled up to the booth, Charlene gave the man sitting inside all their passports. The man looked them over and then looked back at everyone in the car, “Where are you headed?”
Charlene responded, “Indianapolis”.
“For how long, what’s the reason and are you taking anything with you?”
“Just the weekend, coming back on Sunday, it’s for the Star Wars Celebration convention and just our luggage mostly.”
Gauri was surprised at the man’s next question. Mostly because it was the same question one had asked her when she was going to the Celebration II, “Oh yeah, where’s your costume?” Gauri just smiled and shook her head at the memory of that.
Charlene just told him as she pointed to the back at her, “We don’t have a costume, it’s her that’s the Star Wars freak among us.”
The man now looked in the back at Gauri, “Oh really, what’s your costume?”
Gauri replied to the man, “I have different ones for all three days, one Obi-Wan costume, Padme and Talosian Jedi Robe.”
The man gave back their passports now and nodded, “Well, hope you have lots of fun.” As he said that they drove off, now on United States territory.
~*~
Chapter 2
~Part 2~
Gauri and Arielle decided to rest for a couple of hours. They drove for about four hours and then stopped by to get something to eat and take a break. They’ve driven for about five hours so far and remembering from her last trip there, Gauri had some idea they were still a good 4-6 hours to go. It was already about 2:30 in the afternoon. They finished their burgers and were off again.
After a while, Gauri woke up. She put her headphones on and began listening to music as she turned on her laptop because she felt in the mood to write another chapter to one of her stories. She then thought about everyone else and if they were already in Indianapolis. Martin, she knew must have got in the night before. Beth and Sam, probably on the plane close to their destination, and Jon and the rest of them, probably getting there if they’re not there already. This is going to be the best weekend ever! Gauri thought to herself as she smiled and continued typing away on her laptop.
The next stop they made was in a rest area on the outskirts of Indiana. The more they got closer, the more Gauri got even more excited. After their couple minutes break, they drove on again without any stops. It was already about 5:00 in the evening and after calming herself down Gauri was getting slightly bored. She then remembered all those years ago whenever Charlene and her were walking back from school they talked about the Celebration III and about how if I were to try and touch Aaron she would somehow sense it and stop me before I could even touch him. That made her get an even more evil idea and considering she was bored anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to try and do it to pass the time.
Behind the driver’s seat where Charlene was, Gauri sneaks—while still trying to look as if she’s just sitting there not doing anything—her finger to poke at Aaron’s arm. Just as she gets close to poke him though, Charlene somehow does sense it and grabs her finger. “Damn it! And I was so close too!” Gauri cried.
Charlene sighs and shakes her head as she gives her a smirk, “Gauri Gauri, I did warn what would happen, didn’t I?
“I know…” Gauri sighs, “…was worth a shot though” she finishes in a defeated tone.
Charlene just shakes her head and continues talking to Aaron as she drives.
~*~
Chapter 3
After about two hours, they reached the hotel that was across from the convention centre. It was about 7:30 when they got there. They checked into the rooms they reserved ahead of time and got settled.
Gauri went down to the lobby to walk around a bit. She was too excited to rest now. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow on the first day of the convention. She walked out of the hotel and across the street to the convention centre.
She walked around for a bit until she noticed a group of people crowded around each other. Gauri walks up to them. She notices Martin and Jon easily, mostly because she’s met them before, back when they came to Canada for Spring Break in 2004. In between the two stood two girls, one tall, but not taller than the guys, and the other just shorter than the other girl. She realized they must be Beth and Sam.
Martin and Jon turn to look at the approaching person that they notice as they yell and wave, “Hey Gauri!”
Gauri waves back and hurries over to everyone else, “Hey you guys…Beth, Sam! Finally, eh?” Gauri gives both of them a hug as a friendly gesture. After the introductions, they walked around and talked for awhile.
“So, when did you guys get in?” Gauri asked them all.
“I got in around this morning, left yesterday evening from Amsterdam,” Martin replied.
“Yeah, Sam and I were here in the afternoon, and I think Jon came in just a bit afterwards,” Beth tells her and turns to Jon. He nods.
“Yeah, we just got in just awhile ago. Friends are in the rooms getting settled, I just felt like taking a walk. Glad I ran into you guys too, at least I don’t have to walk a lone now,” Gauri said as she ended with a low laugh.
They talked and laughed along as they walked back to the hotel. They all sat in the lobby for awhile until they decided to go up to their rooms.
“So, what rooms are you all in? Sam and I are in 515.” Beth asked.
Gauri replied first, “510.”
“520, same with Jon too, right Jon?” Martin was the second.
“Right bro,” Jon nodded.
After a couple hours or so, they all go back to their rooms and rest for the day of the convention.
~*~
Chapter 4
The next morning Gauri was the first one—out of Charlene, Arielle and Aaron—to wake up. It was about 6:00 when she heard a knock on the door. She answered to find Beth and Sam there.
“Good morning Gauri. Sleep well?” Beth asked.
“I slept all right. Is everyone else up too? Do you know when we’re going to head to the convention?” Gauri replied.
“Mart’s awake and ready, we’re still trying to get Jon awake though,” Sam told her.
Gauri comes out and silently closes the door behind her as to not disturb Arielle, who was still sleeping. The three of them walk to Martin and Jon’s room together.
Sam knocks on the door and Martin lets them in. After a couple minutes with trying to wake Jon up and to no avail, they sit on the bed and just talk until Jon awakes.
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