Anyway, I’m on a sort of date tonight, with Chris – the guy from the Cosplay get together. It’s nothing official really but we both fancied seeing Dark Shadows with Jonny Depp in it, so we agreed to go. I really quite like Tim Burton’s stuff. I love how he manages to put quite an eerie twist on fantasy – it’s uncomfortable to watch in a kind of refreshing way – I almost can’t describe it, but it’s good! Anyway, Depp plays a vampire in this film, which is absolutely fine by me, considering my track record with appreciation for vampire films, but it will be interesting to see if his character Barnabus Collins is any match for the one and only Edward Cullen.

Anyway, as it turns out, things weren’t awkward at all with Harry. In fact, my plan to buffer any advances actually sort of backfired. He was unbelievably pleasant to me, and I simply couldn’t ignore him. He was pretty sober, and made a big point of telling me how gutted he was things had got off to such a bad start between us. He said it was rare to find a girl that is also into her online gaming – as I am, and that he felt we really were on the same page, but understood totally if I didn’t want to see him again. I did remind him that he had in fact found my Cosplay and Twilight fantasy loving stuff a little bit on the strange side, but he didn’t seemed fazed. He simply said that everyone’s different – everyone’s entitled to have their interests.

To cut a long story short, I have agreed to meet Harry again this weekend. I already have my head set on the fact that this will be the deciding date – if I’m unsure after it I won’t see him again, at all, ever. There’s just one problem – my Edward Cullen alike – Chris – has also asked me to meet up with him sometime, just me and him. Honestly readers, this is ridiculous. I spend the majority of my time glued to my laptop or television enjoying online blackjack, Rainbow Riches and Twilight, not dating more than one guy at once, what on earth is going on in my life…

So Friday night with Amy it is, then. We’re hitting The Alchemist apparently – a very suave cocktail bar in Manchester. This one is a bar in Spinningfields, which is quite an upcoming and trendy area in the city, with loads of lovely apartments and places to go out dotted around. Amy has assured me it’s not going to be a huge night out with all her work folk, but deep down I think I’m well aware she’s just placating me. She doesn’t want me to panic that Harry will turn up. It would be quite awkward as I’ve ignored his last two text messages. My very own Edward Cullen (aka Chris) has kind of steered my attention away to be honest – he seems very sweet.

Anyway, I’m no fool, so I am fully prepared to have to face Harry on Friday. I have my plan of action. I’m going to simply be pleasant, say hello, and politely inform him I’m on a night out with the girls. I’m pretty sure that translates as ‘I’m not interested,’ doesn’t it?

I’m sure you’re burning with anticipation to know why exactly I’m of such a sunny disposition today. Well, it’s to do with last night, really. I attended the Cosplay get together. I had the best evening I’ve had in absolutely ages. Unfortunately, Chloe didn’t enjoy herself that much. She was accosted by an Edward Cullen wannabe who frankly struggled to resemble so much as Edward Cullen’s little finger. Chloe actually looked fantastic as little Alice Cullen from the Twilight films, but this guy could not stop cracking the world’s most inappropriate jokes about wishing she wasn’t his ‘sister.’ Just strange, really strange.

I managed to catch up with the girls I’d been emailing – Sammy and Jess. They’re good friends already. Both are Twilight fans but they’re more into The Hunger Games and they love their action/sci-fi style Cosplay. The guy I was emailing – Chris – was there also. He was no where near as gorgeous as Edward Cullen (then again, who is!?), but not bad looking by any stretch of the imagination. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Chloe and I are meeting up with Sammy, Jess and Chris this Sunday in a Liverpool bar. We’re going in early for a bite to eat and perhaps just a couple of drinks, and I can’t wait. Now, what to wear…

As I was saying, I’ve decided to get in contact with a few of the addressees for the event. I’ve been emailing them in work – a tad bit naughty I know. Yesterday I thought I’d been caught mid personal email (totally forbidden, FYI) when I heard my line manager shriek. I jumped out of my skin, ready to turn and face the music. I could literally feel the verbal warning washing over me, until I realised he’d just got wind of some dog racing results and pulled in a nice little win. Phew!

There seems to be a couple of nice – and, thankfully, normal – sounding people going. I’ve been emailing two other girls and one guy. I have no idea what he looks like, but as he too is quite into his fantasy films, you never know, he could turn out to be my very own Edward Cullen.

I have to say, our night out in the Northern Quarter on Saturday was great. Chloe and I had a big old catch up over some cocktails, plus a little bit of a dance later on. As it turns out, she’s not having the greatest of times at the moment. Her parents have decided to get a divorce after her mum found emails from another woman on her dad’s iPad. Chloe didn’t even seem that upset, and bizarrely, she wasn’t surprised by it. I was pretty shocked, but she doesn’t open up too much about her family, so I can only assume by her reaction that she has either known for some time, or this kind of thing has happened before. I really feel for her, so I’ll do what I can to be the dutiful friend and quite simply be a shoulder to lean on.

Anyway, on a lighter note, there I am on Sunday evening back home, playing Rainbow Riches online, when an impromptu email pops up. It was from a friend I met in an online forum, inviting me to a new Cosplay group meeting type thing. I’ve never entertained anything like this until now really. I mean, I like it, but I’ve never been one to get too involved. The email had gone out to around fifty people, so who knows how many will turn up. It basically asks that if you’d like to, turn up on the first Monday of every month in your Cosplay gear, to meet and socialise with likeminded people. The address is a home one – I checked Google Earth – and it looks pretty safe. So maybe I’ll give it a go!?

Now I know what you must be thinking – that I’m going to see Harry again in my drunken state and that I’ll end up making a complete fool of myself. I’d say you were wrong, but I’m not sure you are. Usually my iPhone 4S is used for necessary texting, calling and online gaming when on the go, but once fuelled by a few vinos and vodkas, it becomes little more than a liability. On this note, I am deleting Harry’s number before I go out. I’ll write it down so that I have it the next day, of course, as he has been in touch a little bit. But I have decided that prevention really is better than cure, and the last thing I need Sunday morning is to try and have to cure the carnage from the night before.

We’ve decided to hit the Apotheca and the Hula Tiki Bar in the Northern Quarter. I love both of these bars. I don’t particularly dislike going out in Liverpool, but my long term aim is definitely to end up in Manchester. It just seems to have this buzz, this energy about it that I adore, and there always seems to be something going on – some great comedy night or specialist show somewhere. Watch this space, Mancs, there could be a new girl in town…

The bad news (I think), is that he may just not be for me. After watching The Hunger Games (very impressed, by the way, very impressed), we decided to grab some late night pizza and coke (sans vodka, obviously). Whilst we got on amazingly well as we talked about our online gaming habits and his job at a digital media agency in Manchester – which sounds every bit as interesting as I thought it would be – he, as expected, seemed a little taken aback when I informed him I’m quite into my fantasy stuff. I explained that I’m a massive Twilight fan, and through that I’ve started indulging in a little Cosplay activity. I dressed it down (excuse the pun), by explaining that it’s actually relatively normal clothing with accessories to make things fantasy-esque. He just couldn’t get his head around it being any different to me being nine and raiding my mother’s wardrobe. It’s such a shame – he seemed so open minded and relaxed, hence the reason I felt comfortable enough to share a fair bit of detail about myself.

In fairness, he has texted me since and so the possibility of another date mightn’t be so nonexistent, but I do just feel my guard is up a little with him now. I can but see how things develop though, can’t I?

I have just a couple of snagging points when it comes to Harry. Firstly, I don’t want him to think that I’ve entertained going out with him simply to get my foot in the door on the Manchester digital media scene. Secondly, the last two times we have met have ended in some form of drunken stupor, which just gives me bad vibes about the whole thing.

On an aside note, I’m not sure he really gets who I am and what I’m about. The Cosplay thing – it’s weird, even I know that. It’s not everyone’s bag, and even Chloe ribs me about it. The thing is I love it, and I can’t change for anyone. I’m not sure Harry’s ‘out there’ enough to accept I’m a little different than your average girl. We’ll have to see how, and if, things develop, I suppose. So, further to last week’s disaster dinner date at Australasia, let’s see how Sunday evening pans out watching the feisty (so I hear) Katniss strut her stuff.

Sick aside, Australasia was nice. It was different to what I am used to on all accounts – fancy fusion food just isn’t my thing, but I managed to navigate my way through their maze of a menu and ended up with a fairly safe chicken based main. My starter was a little more adventurous – yellowfin tuna sashimi – there really is a first time for everything! It was…ok.

Saturday afternoon I received a rather apologetic phone call from a certain somebody whilst enjoying my Edward Cullen fix with Breaking Dawn: Part One. I told Harry it was fine and that we’ve all been there. He sounded mortified, and wanting nothing more than to make it up to me with an alcohol-less follow up. He said my idea for The Hunger Games would be ideal. Well, I wasn’t even going to entertain the idea of a second date, but when he mentioned The Hunger Games, my ears pricked up, so maybe I might just see him again…