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The crowd waited while the blonde angel guided VIP people to the proper place before Stephen was about to come on stage. Even though the disability section is better than the section for normal losers, it’s full of people in wheelchairs that feel they deserve to be where the VIP people are. Yes, a disability should get you special treatment but not the same treatment as rich folk that pay hundreds of dollars for close up seats. Or, assholes like me. A few moments later I heard the voice of a blonde angel on the speakers. “Ok, everyone, Stephen’s panel is about to start. We still have empty VIP seats. Who wants one?”

I could feel it in my bones, this was the moment I had spent five years and seven conventions prepping for. I grabbed my “Team Robbie” hat, shot it up into the air, and started screaming. “Ok, guy with the Team Robbie hat, come on down!” WHAT?!? I looked at my friends and they looked back at me with their jaws on the floor. I started screaming, then pointed and laughed directly at Travis and Heather. “I TOLD YOU SO, MOTHER FUCKERS!” My friends were shocked, jealous and thrilled for me all at the same time. The battalion of handicap wheelchairs around me were furious, so I climbed over them and the VIP barrier and strutted my way to FOURTH ROW SEATS!!! I turned to the crowd, waved to my friends in the poor people section, took my seat, and prepared for the panel. Justice had been served.

The blonde angel asked, “Anyone else?” I raised my hand again and pointed back to the disability section. The angel looked at me and then to where I pointed. “Is the woman in the ‘Team Stephen’ hat your friend?” I nodded with a big smile and she said “Team Stephen” could join. Michelle started screaming and ran to me. I thanked her again for letting me join her $100 Stephen/Robbie Amell double photo and for letting me crash her hotel room for free. She then thanked me for getting her into the VIP section and said, “This is why we always invite you.” I smiled, held her hand and watched Stephen Amell’s panel from my spot in VIP heaven.

After the panel, I left the convention. I had no money and I didn’t imagine lightning would strike twice for me. What started as a simple gesture of one man giving a woman some weed in exchange for the kindness of a discount turned into the greatest convention upset in the history of me caring about such things. I pissed off a crowd of handicap people in wheelchairs and a crowd of rich people who paid tons of money for something I was able to sweet talk my way into. Not only was it the greatest convention moment in my history of Con-ing but it validated one very important thing: you should always be who you are. Only by being myself and ignoring the (slightly rational) advice of my friends was I able to win big. Autographs and pictures will never compare to the joy I felt when $20 worth of weed was able to make Fest Fest magic.

I don’t suggest you smoke weed. I don’t think you should bring illegal substances into a police-controlled environment. I don’t think you should stalk celebrities. What I think is you should do what makes you happy, as long as it’s legal in at least a few states. Be who you are, be good to your friends and pay it forward when someone does something nice for you. Do your best to keep a filter on with celebrities because they don’t deserve your harassment. Then again, neither do you. Don’t beat yourself up if you embarrass yourself or say something stupid. The convention gods are watching and your good intentions could be rewarded at any moment. If you want proof, check my Fan Fest pics out on Instagram (@RoseByAnyName); it’s where all the memories of my epic Heroes and Villains adventure will live on forever.

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