So we were among the crazies who went to the Town Center at 6 am on Saturday to stand in line for hours (seven hours) to get Corbin Bleu’s autograph. I took Celeste and her friends Jordan and Bre, who swear it was worth the wait.
Unlike the kids, the highlight of my day came while standing in line. After so many hours, you get to really know the people around you. The ones behind us drove three hours to get there. The ones in front, about two. (Us, about five minutes.) We held their spot in line while they shopped. They held ours while we went to the bathroom.
Among the group in front of us was a 13-year-old girl with beautiful blue eyes. She was a total character. About 12:30, when Corbin was finally beginning to sign autographs and the line started to move, quite a few people began ducking under the rope, trying to cut line, somehow believing that no one would notice they hadn’t been there before. The adults in line handled the line-cutters quickly, but my back was turned when two pre-teens ducked under and got in front of us. I was about to say something when the blue-eyed girl we’d been talking to all morning winked and shook her head just a little, then pointed to herself, as if saying, “Allow me.”
“So are you guys big Corbin Blue fans?” she asked the two line-cutters.
“Oh, yeah!” one said. “We love him.” The two gushed about how they had seen High School Musical dozens of times and on and on about how they were his biggest fans ever.
The blue-eyed girl then tipped her head cutely to the side, as if confused, then said, “Well, if you’re such huge fans, why weren’t you here at 6 a.m. like we were? Here, let me hold the rope up for you.”
Without another word, the two line-cutters ducked back under the rope. Some people might think I’m awful for liking how she managed that, but I was totally impressed.
Sadly, there were many parents trying to duck into line with their kids. Nice lesson to teach them, huh? One man got angry with me for not letting them in. He said, “What would it hurt? They’re just two little girls.” I told him if everyone behind me in line said it was ok, they it would be fine with me, but that it wouldn’t be fair to them.
Corbin Bleu was impressive. He seemed to have something to say to most everyone. He shook Jordan’s hand and told him he was cool, and he called Celeste “Sweetie.” Looked everyone in the eye.
I didn’t like that the only things he was allowed to autograph were copies of his newest CD, which were of course available for sale for $15 right there. We heard that wasn’t his idea, but the rule of the business that sponsored him coming there. (The one selling the CDs, I imagine.)
