• Chapter 3: Fighting for Affection
    I met up with Max and still had Andrew following behind me. “So who’s this?” Max asked concerned. I looked at him and told him that Andrew wasn’t really human but that he had to keep it a secret. He promised he would and the day went by fast.
    Max walked me home with Andrew following behind and before he left he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I smiled to myself and went inside leaving Andrew to follow me to my room. We talked and then he looked up at me with a confused look in his eyes. “What is it?” I asked. He looked back down and then looked up again with a tensed look in his face. “well…whenever I see you with the other boy…I get this feeling of…I don’t know what it is but I feel like I want to hurt him…and when I see you I feel weird like I want to…want to…I don’t know…like…never leave you but stay with you.” He said. I was shocked that he liked me and I immediately felt a feeling of strong remorse for being here dragging Max along. It reminded me of when I told my ex boyfriend in freshman year about liking Max.
    “You can’t be like this Marni. You can’t move along life trying to figure out if you like your boyfriend or your new friend more.” He said hurt that I told him the news. I looked at him. “I’m sorry.” I said regretting I ever brought it up. He sighed and lifted my chin with his two fingers. “It’s over.” He said holding back tears as he said my eyes water. Then… he left.
    I looked at Andrew and had to choose fast… did I want Max? Or Andrew? I scooted closer to him and our forces were about 2 inches apart. I could feel his breath on my lips and was so tempted as to just tell him how I felt when all of a sudden… “AHHHHHHH!!!” my mother screamed. I ran downstairs with Andrew on my heels and found her looking dead at Simon and his mistress. He pulled out a gun and held it to her head. Just then he started pointing it to me. Andrew came in front of me and held my waist so I would stay back there. Simon’s face turned to disgust as he put the gun down and looked at the other woman. “Get out.” He said. She looked at him. “I love Carry and I don’t want to lose her. How could you drug me?” he said exasperated. She was clearly confused. She walked out and I saw my foolish mother kiss him and hear him apologize made me sick since he was lying. I started to cry and sat on my bed. Andrew came in and shut the door making sure it was locked. “Marni? Marni I’m really sorry.” He said. I looked up at him. He came over and something went wrong….he grabbed my shoulders and tightened his grip on them as he looked into my eyes with his own pleading ones. “You need…need….need to help…help me.” He stuttered out as his head swung left and right. I was scared and I struggled to get out. “M…my creator…he…he…wants…me…to…to...K…kill….y…you” he stuttered out again. I gasped and struggled even more. He came closer to me and I saw his eyes turn to a black shade. Simon came through the door with a remote and started to smile. “This remote doesn’t control him completely you know.” He chuckled. “I can control him if I want but his mind cannot be controlled at all.” He continued. Andrew turned his head at him and the more he tried to let go and run to Simon, the more he hurt me. “AHHHH” I screamed from the pain. He immediately stopped trying and looked at me with a hurt expression. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. I looked at him and struggled until I eventually pried two of his fingers off of my shoulders. He soon got free of the remote. He grabbed it and threw it to the ground leaving it to break to pieces. I looked at him and couldn’t remove the expression of shock on my face. Simon was long gone from the house by now and I watched in shock as Andrew walked over to me and sat down. “Marni…don’t think of me any different than you already have…I want to be your friend and help you, care for you, and be there for you.” He said. I nodded and he came closer to me. He was 2 inches from my face again. “What does love mean?” He whispered. Even though he was an android he was given nice breath because his breath was cool and it smelled like mint. I was going to faint from smelling it and not breathing on my own when I forgot about his question and came back to reality. “It means…a tender feeling for…to go to any limit for…to want in a way…” I whispered back. He smiled. “Then I guess I love you.” He whispered.
    I was sitting on his lap. He was holding me close and whispering sweet tings to me in my ear. “You are the most gorgeous, kindest, smartest girl I’ve ever met.” Max whispered in my ear making me shiver. “I love you.” He said with sincere whispers. I smiled to myself and looked at him. “I love you too.” I whispered. He smiled and kissed me tenderly on the lips as I played with his hair.
    I looked out the bus as I was going the library. Andrew was being worked on…again. I sighed to myself. I arrived at the library and walked in. I was picking a seat when I found Max at a table. He waved me over and I took the offer. “Hey” he whispered. “Um hey” I whispered back. He smiled and showed me the book he was reading. “Ripley’s” I asked in a hushed voice. He nodded and silently chuckled leaving me to giggle a little bit. “Um well I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight.” He whispered. I looked down at my library card since I didn’t have a book yet. “Um well I don’t know.” I whispered back. He frowned. “But…Marni I want to do this right. I want to be us again and not just me and my friend Marni, I love you!” He shouted. I stared in shock at him and so did others. I got up. “I have to go…now.” I said disappointed by the scene that just happened. I sat down on the bench waiting to be picked up and my phone went off. “What do you want” I said into the speaker. “Marni just please don’t do this…” he said almost crying. I sighed into the phone. “Where are you” I asked. I heard a pause and then he gave a sigh of relief. “Right behind you” He said. I looked behind me and jumped. He WAS right behind me. I stood up. “You have until the bus gets here. Speak.” I said. He looked at the ground and then back at me. “Marni…what I feel for you is not something I can say the same about past girls…I love you and I always will…when that…thing came and went to school with us I wanted to just splash water on him and hope he shocks.” He said. I gawked at him and glared. “That thing happens to love me and saved my life…TWICE! And he went against his own creator to help me…he is part human and feels the same so if you’re going to down him like that then don’t even dare talk to me.” I yelled and walked on the bus as it pulled up. I sat down and looked off to where the street was.

    Chapter 4: Taking a Chance
    I got home and went to my room. I sat on my bed and then decided I should go and see Andrew. I know who I want now. Andrew had only known me for a little while but he was always there for me. I knocked on his door and he opened it. He put on his black suit today and let me in. I sat on his couch since he didn’t sleep…he just recharged his body and mind by a plug. I smiled at him and he smiled as he sat down next to me. “Hello” he said as he was still smiling. I looked down at the floor and then back up at him. His smile faded and he instead looked concerned. “What is it Marni?” he asked. I looked back at him in his eyes and somehow it was like a magnetic force pulling us together as we were centimeters away. I could feel his breath and I felt very anxious. “Um well… I’ve seen it on TV and there’s something I wanted to see.” He whispered. “What is it?” I whispered. “It’s…called…a…um…a…kiss? I think?” he whispered. I nodded. “Oh ok.” I whispered back. “Can I try it then?” he whispered. I nodded. I closed my eyes and felt him come closer and push his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt his left hand rest on my waist and his right holding my chin. I was waiting for this ever since I started to talk to him and now I got it. But something felt wrong…this kiss…it felt so right but it also felt so wrong. He pulled away and looked at me waiting for an answer to what he just did. “Wow” I said. He looked down. “If you don’t want that I promise I won’t do it again…I just wanted to see what it felt like.” He said still looking down. I brought his face up with my hands and smiled. “No…I liked it.” I said and then giggled. He brought me in for a hug and it felt nice being almost welded to his chest. I looked up at him and smiled as he looked into my eyes and smiled at me as well.
    It was raining. After school when I was walking with Max. He pulled me under a tree and brushed my hair from my face as he smiled and shook from the wind. I looked at him and before I knew it he took my face in his hands and kissed me crushing his lips against mine.
    A few days passed by and I was walking to the park with Andrew at my heels. We sat at a bench and he wrapped his arm around my waist leaving a warm feeling come to my heart. He was always smiling now and I liked his smile. We saw the children playing in the playground and I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I would want to spend my life with Andrew but knew he couldn’t have kids with me. My heart ached at the thought so I quickly let it go. I looked up at Andrew and he kissed me lightly on the lips. While he was coming back from the kiss I heard running coming to our direction. I looked over to see Max standing there with a look of fury in his eyes. His eyes started to water. “So this is why you wouldn’t go out with me? Because you fell for a stupid bucket of bolts?” He yelled. Andrew stood up and they were 1 inch apart from each other’s faces. “Get away from us Max” Andrew warned. “Why don’t you make me then Robot?” Max hissed. I stood up. “Max gets away from him! And Andrew! Don’t you dare to anything stupid?” I yelled. They stared at me and then Andrew sat down while Max grabbed me, bent me down, and kissed me. I slapped him. “What is with you?” I screamed. He glared and walked off while I and Andrew went home. We went into his room for once and sat on his bed. He looked down and then back up at me. “Marni…something’s wrong with me…I’m feeling more human than android and I’m not allowed with that…I could overload…” he said. I stared at him. ‘What are you saying?” I croaked. He sighed heavily and looked down at our feet. “I’m not programmed to have my system deal with this much emotion and feelings…meaning…if I want to continue seeing you I have to leave you as well…” he said not looking back up at me. I looked at him and then started to cry as I got up and went to my room.
    July
    August
    September
    October
    November
    December
    It was about a month away from when my birthday would be. Every time I saw him I just gave a half smile and went on. He didn’t know though that I cried at night from what could’ve been.
    I was sitting on my bed and was thinking about the cheap apartments I saw for rent when my door opened. It was my mother. “Um honey?” she asked. I looked at her to show I heard her. “Since Simon moved out…he wants to come back and get Andrew…he did it again…What did I ever do wrong?” she said. I got up and looked at her. “What? Nothing mom…When’s he coming?” I asked. “Now” She said and went out of my room.