Page 5 of True to You

Chapter 3

Matt

Spending a week in New York is awesome, but I’m too excited working on my costume to really go out and have fun. My mom took a couple extra days off and took my brother and me out, doing touristy stuff around the city. Since we only come to the east coast a few times a year, I don’t mind doing them. My little brother, Isaac, gets a kick out of the Empire State building and all the stuff downtown.

Isaac is just as excited as me for the convention. He’s using a Michelangelo Ninja Turtle costume to go dressed up. Being ten, he looks up to me like I’m some kind of superhero. It annoyed me when I was younger, in middle school, but since my parents got divorced, I really took it upon myself to look after him. It’s not like we’re lacking anything with my dad, except maybe an actual father figure in our life. He works around the clock, so we’re usually left to ourselves, and the housekeeper usually makes dinner for us and picks Isaac up from school. I’ll normally drop him off, which I don’t mind. Since the divorce, I’ve grown really close to him. Plus, he’s the only one I geek out to about comic books, video games, and other nerd stuff.

When Friday rolls around, he’s really bummed that I’m not wearing my costume. I tell him I’m just wearing it on Saturday for the cosplay contest, but he just shrugs his shoulders and dresses in his Michelangelo costume anyway.

We get to the convention center and to say it’s packed is an understatement. I thought arriving early would help, but I didn’t think the line to get in would wrap around the building. Which it does. It takes us nearly an hour to get inside, and we are packed in there tighter than a can of sardines. It doesn’t dampen our spirits though.

Isaac races across the floor, bobbing and weaving through attendees, trying to make his way over to the Nintendo booth first because he wants to check out the new video games that are coming out.

“Matty, hurry up!” Isaac radios to me on a two-way radio.

I bought them for us before the last convention we went to. My dad had gotten him a phone to use for emergencies, and we tried using it a couple times, but half the time he or I wouldn’t hear it or feel the vibrations. With the walkie-talkies, we just clipped them to our waists, and they’re super loud.

“Calm down, iBoy,” I radio back to him, using his nickname. “You’re smaller than me. I gotta wait behind all these slowpokes.”

A guy I’m behind turns around and flashes me an annoyed frown, and I give him an apologetic smile.

“Take note if they talk about any new Zelda games,” I radio.

“Oh, man! They’re playing Splatoon! Hurry, Matty!”

I just chuckle. I can see the Nintendo booth and the video monitor he’s talking about, as they start demoing the game. I finally catch up to him, and we spend nearly an hour at the booth, checking out all the new games.

Afterward, we start walking around the Javits Center, taking it all in. There are tons of people who are dressed up, and Isaac seems to want a picture with everyone. My phone is filling up with pics of him with a Harley Quinn, Darth Vader, Batman, Captain America, and so many more. And then we see someone dressed up as War Machine.

“Matty!” Isaac tugs at my arm as he points at the black and grey Iron Man armor. “That suit looks awesome!”

“I know, right? I hope he’s not in the cosplay contest tomorrow.”

He looks up to me with a frown. “Oh, come on; your Iron Man armor is way better than that. Yours looks all shiny and stuff.”

“Thanks, kiddo.” I ruffle his hair.

Yep. That’s my costume I’ve been working on. Iron Man. Iron Man armor, MarkVI design, to be specific. Remember, I’m a nerd? It’s the Iron Man costume Tony Stark makes in the second Iron Man movie at the end, with the triangular chest piece. I’ve been working on it for over a month now, knowing that we were coming to New York and the convention, and I really went above and beyond—if I do say so myself. Not so much to try and win the contest, just because it’s so cool. The helmet slides up and down, and I have light reactors on the palms I made with tiny light bulbs, but the kicker is the chest piece. It’s the heaviest part of the costume.

Most of it is made from PVC pipe, aluminum, and plexiglass, which makes it light. Not that it’s easy to lug around, but it’s light enough that I’m not going to die in it. But the chest piece is the pièce de résistance. I really wanted the triangle light piece to shine brightly, for an awesome effect. So, I found the brightest flashlight I could and tore it apart and altered it so it could fit inside the chest piece. Of all the costumes I’ve designed, the Iron Man costume is by far my best one yet. I don’t know if I’ll win the contest, but I’m definitely proud of it.

And, because I really wanted to go for that Tony Stark look, I tried to not shave at all leading up to the convention. It’s not like I can grow a full-on, lumberjack beard or anything, and the mustache on my lip leaves something to be desired, but I have a nice goatee going on.

By the end of the day, even Isaac is exhausted. We take a cab ride back home, and mom has pizza waiting for us. Even though I’m ready to hit my bed, I’m still totally excited for the contest. Tomorrow is going to be epic.

* * *

IZZY

* * *

Big Apple PopCon does not mess around. We get to the guest-attendees registration line, and they have my ticket waiting for me. I wasn’t sure if Cindy was going to have to wait in line, but I was hoping she wouldn’t. We got to the convention center an hour early, and the line was already huge. I ask the girl who helped me with my pass if there was some way she could get Cindy’s ticket as well.

“I don’t know; we’re not really supposed to do that.” She gives me an apologetic smile.

“Oh, okay.” I frown.

“Who are you again?”

---