Upon nothing

Ch 3

"I definitely should've brought a hat."  I thought to myself as we walked down the street. 

After waking up early, the three of us began getting ready for the event today.  My father did rush us even though we had more than enough time before we needed to go.  We then went to the small buffet in the hotel, and all I could say was that they should've considered having a better variety of cereal.  After finishing breakfast, we left the hotel and started walking to the event we were here for. 

Outside, the temperature wasn't bad as it was neither too hot nor too cold.  As long as it didn't rain, it could've been perfect for a picnic or for a simple walk.  My only problem was that the sun was very bright today.  I was looking nowhere near it, yet I found myself squinting my eyes. 

Since the hotel was near the event, it was only a few minutes of walking until we arrived.  The building was one of those places that were rented for a limited amount of time.  From showcasing events like today to whatever else could be thought of, if a person could pay the money, they could use it however they wanted to.

The parking lot surrounding the building was surprisingly crowded.  A number of them probably belonged to students participating, but many of them belonged to others.  Some cars were driving around the building in search of an open spot, which was going to be near impossible.

"You see this?"  My father said as he pointed at the parking lot.  "This is why you listen to me.  Otherwise, we'd be the ones in that mess." 

"I never had any objections to the plan you had.  If anything, the only thing was about me staying home instead of coming along."  I replied.  For events like these, my father usually spent a few days planning out how to do things, and they end up working a majority of the time.  There was the occasional moment where something unexpected would happen, but they were minor and didn't stop anything. 

We approached the building in a straight path forward.  I looked at the parking lot to see if I could see my brother's car anywhere.  I knew what I was looking for unless he got a new paint job.  After seeing many different brands of cars, I was unable to pinpoint his car anywhere.  The thought of his whereabouts disappeared as we walked through the entrance. 

Inside the building, the event was slowly starting up.  There was a small line in front of us for checking in, and beyond that were many, and I mean many, tables.  Each one had something that was made either by a group or by a single individual.  Some were still moving things around and setting up their areas.  Everyone here was ready to show off what they made, hoping to gain the most attention from those that were here to look at their ideas. 

The wait was short and after we checked in, we (or specifically my mother) began heading towards my brother's table.  He'd told them yesterday where he planned on having his group's idea, and seeing him was the one thing in her mind.  Hopefully, after seeing him, I could go and explore the area.  Who knows, maybe there was a table offering food somewhere. 

Surprisingly, we didn't have to go too far as we stopped at a table.  Already at the table were two people, only one of them being recognizable to me as one of my brother's friends.  The only thing that I knew about him was that he was with my brother since middle school, and everything else was unknown to me. 

"So this should be the table..."  my mother said as she was about ready to call him again.  The group looked at us with confused looks, and I honestly couldn't blame them.  A random family walked up to their group out of the blue looking for someone, and I would've felt the same way. 

"Okay guys, did you get it plugged in yet?"  Someone approaching the table said to the group.  I turned around to see that the source of the voice was none other than my brother Alex.  A few months had passed since I last saw him, but I knew it was him without a doubt.  He noticed us here, but he didn't have time to react as my mom caught him in a big hug.