Most Unusual Friend

by Pre-Animation Man

She brought a deeper examination into the amalgam of purple and green in her eyes, blinding him like the brightness of a phone screen. How they refused to blink both unnerved him and enticed him, almost as if she refused to miss a single detail of his facial features.

For fifteen, painfully awkward minutes, Julie Yamamoto continued to stare at Ben Tennyson's flushed and sweaty face. Slightly askew to his left side, Ben Tennyson rested his hand into his right cheek, strangely finding the worn-out dartboard stabbed into a sturdy pillar incredibly interesting. Despite this, Julie Yamamoto was barely alarmed. With that overly friendly, frankly unnerving at times smile, Julie Yamamoto analyzed him, hands properly folded in her lap.

An expected aspect of her wondered over her immortal friend's bashfulness. From this meter long distance, she could calculate the number of sweat drops that brightened the red over his cheeks. Thirty droplets, ranging in different lengths of milliliters. The android finally broke her stationary posture by tilting her head to get a closer prospect of Ben Tennyson's figure.

While his dark eyes concentrated on the special pillar, his left pointer finger tapped against the faded wood of the dining table between them. Faint tap after tap, picking up speed at about every 1.3 seconds.

PERHAPS HE IS NERVOUS ABOUT SOMETHING BASED ON THE RISE OF BLOOD PRESSURE

Julie Yamamoto's circuits whirred into an inaudible buzz to the public ear, assessing over this newfound information. For the twenty-third time this recent and ongoing hour, Ben Tennyson scrounged his fingers through his afro as if he searched for a tick. The android wouldn't be too surprised if that were the case due to his questionable hygiene, but her database immediately retracted the negative implication into something positive.

OVERRIDE: Ben Tennyson THE KID WOULDN'T BE TOO OFFENDED IF YOU SAID THIS TO HIM. AS OBSERVED, SOME INSULTS ARE ACCEPTABLE. YET AT TIMES, HE IS PRONE TO BEING DEFENSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO HIS HYGIENE. CAUTION: IT IS BEST TO STAY QUIET IN SOME CASES

Julie Yamamoto bit the skinned replica of her human tongue, broadening her frozen smile. She continued to stare, even when Ben Tennyson abruptly cleared his throat, resembling a harsh croak. Noting that he planned to speak but was currently searching for the correct choice of words, the android patiently waited for his response. She considered her bashfulness theory after the strange pause of fifty-five seconds.

"So… are you gonna say something?" Ben Tennyson finally asked. His finger tapping ceased to a halt. From the corner of his eye, he gained the confidence to peek at her.

Nonchalantly shrugging, Julie Yamamoto beamed at him, "I was unsure if you wanted to speak first. I was merely waiting."

"You didn't have to wait, y'know. You could've said something if you wanted to." A low shadow crossed over his eyes, but Julie Yamamoto refuted from commenting on it. She worried that she offended him more than she already had.

Her database urged her to apologize, "I'm sorry, Ben Tennyson. I was unaware that you wanted a conversation with my prompting. For the future, I will make note of that, so it will never happen again."

"No, no, you don't have to apologize, bot. Ignore what I said, however you do that," Ben Tennyson waved off with his hand. The immortal lazily scraped his fingers over his scalp again, more off-put than before. Julie Yamamoto spotted the muscles rising in his throat like he wished to say something, only for it to pulse back downwards.

RECALIBERATING: ASK HIM WHAT'S WRONG. IT SHOWS FRIENDS THAT YOU ARE GENUINELY CONCERNED FOR THEM

"I hope you're not stressed about anything, Ben Tennyson. If you are, you are free to tell me anything!" Julie Yamamoto reassured. Although she pinpointed Ben Tennyson's increase in stress levels, she wasn't a mind reader.

After hearing her concerns, Ben Tennyson couldn't help but faintly blush. The way her purple and green eyes glossed a little like sparkling water made his heart aflutter. To hastily mask his shyness, the immortal casually leaned his back further into the wooden chair. The harsh solidity slightly cramped his back, but he had been through far worse than a strained backside. One time, he faced a death where a giant twisted his spine. Yep, definitely worse.

Propping his arms behind his back, Ben Tennyson mildly smirked as he peered over his friend bot. Julie Yamamoto tilted her head again, unable to match the sudden confident posture with the same level of heightened stress.

"Whaddya talking about? No worries over here. Never felt better honestly," Ben Tennyson lightly chuckled.

LIE DETECTED: HIGHER AMPLITUDE IN VOICE

"Ben Tennyson-" Julie Yamamoto began to press but was interrupted by a quake from the dining table. It recoiled from the impact of Ben Tennyson's sharp shift in movement where he crossed his arms over the table's surface, leaning closer so that his eyes were right above hers. The android didn't even flinch, offering the same glance of ease that he shared with her.

The warm glow that surrounded the entire restaurant, because of the temperate candlelight, radiated over the immortal to amplify what was supposed to be a romantic atmosphere between them. "You worry too much, bot. Tell me, do you like this place? I know you worked here for probably only an hour, but I thought you'd be more comfortable in someplace you already knew," Ben Tennyson revealed with a lighter smirk.

LIE DETECTED: CALM POSTURE BUT STRESS LEVELS ARE STILL HIGH

But he seems to authentically wish to know my response. Certain that this was another tactic to steer the attention away from himself, Julie Yamamoto allowed herself to comply. Anything to make her friend happy.

Even though it was nearly impossible, Julie Yamamoto regained her delightful smile. She always smiled. "That's really kind of you, Ben Tennyson! Any other restaurant would've been suitable for me, but I'm glad that you took the time to pick this one. Out of all the restaurants in Squeaking Springs, this has to be my favorite."

"Huh? Why? You've only been to this one."

"I know, but I still really like this one! I like to consider that every place is my favorite restaurant. I don't want to be judgemental."

Slightly dumbfounded, Ben Tennyson shook his head in amusement, not bothering to question her. Julie Yamamoto curiously surveyed the interior. As jazz music filtered throughout the room, the android unconsciously started to hum the pleasant tune, like she already memorized all of the notes to the unknown song. She churred at its exact tempo and pitch while her database absorbed the occurrences around them.

In the mid-afternoon, the other customers were at a decent variance. Mostly men humored themselves at the bar, and other couples had the same idea as Ben Tennyson, spending time with each other on a lunch date. The large stage at the far end of the room was vacant, but a floor sign scribbled with pink chalk promised a band performance in the late night.

When he eyed the sign once they were escorted to their table in a dark corner of the restaurant, Ben Tennyson muttered a curse to himself that he should've planned a dinner date instead of a lunch date. Yet as he watched Julie Yamamoto contently sit in her chair while taking in the room of customers and waitresses, Ben Tennyson found himself pressing his right palm into his cheek, watching the android with a mild, loving stare.

He wanted to make this occasion special. All for his friend bot, especially after he tried to take advantage of her innocence that day. The guilt ate him up inside since then, like a nagging itch that wouldn't soothe when he couldn't find the correct spot of irritation.

To his luck, The Collector's engine lagged again as they passed through this small town yesterday. As much as Ben Tennyson never wanted to step foot into the soil of this damn town again, he didn't doubt Carl Tennyson's insistence that it needed to be repaired. After waiting for the sun to rise again, Carl Tennyson left the parked Sandra Tennyson to browse for new tools and bolts to fix the engine. At that moment, an idea sparked in Ben Tennyson's head once his memory picked up the familiar restaurant at a side glance.

He wanted to have lunch with Julie Yamamoto, and he aspired to make it a great time for not only himself but for her. Scratch that, all of her enjoyment mattered to him—it was his ultimate goal. He wanted to see her smile that lovely smile, but even bigger, and he wanted her to giggle her usual giggle, but even louder. He desired to witness her true enjoyment, not because her programming authorized her to feel that happiness.

Most likely, Ben Tennyson would be handed a reasonable amount of alone time with his friend bot. Carl Tennyson was no stranger to excitable and impulsive shopping, much to Ben Tennyson's annoyance and Julie Yamamoto's disappointment that her mechanic friend wouldn't be joining them, but he would deal with it if it meant extended private time with Julie Yamamoto

Ben Tennyson's nostrils eagerly picked up on the scent of grilled smoke, prompting his stomach to lowly growl. His hunger didn't fool him as he caught onto Julie Yamamoto avidly waving away from his line of sight. "Sandra Tennyson! How wonderful it is to cross paths with you again!" the android beamed. At the mention of the forgotten waitress' name, Ben Tennyson ground his teeth and leveled his head towards the table, suddenly embarrassed of being seen by one of his previous potential quickies.

A rush of steam burst out of a silver serving tray by the pull of a wrist, fresh off the grill. Right beside it, the savvy waitress herself, Sandra Tennyson, kindly smiled at Julie Yamamoto's hearty welcoming. Despite not ordering their food prior, she was assigned to present them with their meals.

"Well, I'll be damned. I didn't expect to be running into you, Julie Yamamoto" While she nodded in her direction, Sandra Tennyson offered a side glance towards Ben Tennyson. The immortal still hung his head low, running his hand through his afro, almost like he tried to freshen up his appearance. Sandra Tennyson raised her eyebrow, nonetheless unfazed by this, and returned her attention to the friend bot.

"Some people more than others," Sandra Tennyson muttered before shaking her head to get back to business.

"Oh, I can't believe I've forgotten!" Julie Yamamoto blurted. "May I ask before you leave if you could please stand still?"

Ignoring the hushed curses underneath Ben Tennyson's breath, Sandra Tennyson nonchalantly obliged. Julie Yamamoto softly sighed as she permitted her geared pupils to properly focus on the entirety of the waitress' figure. Her lens calibrated into blue lines, forming into a tight square that lied over the woman. They grazed the top of her cream silk scarf that tucked her poofy hair with care and leveled below her flats.

TARGET ANALYZING...

After implanting the image into her software, Julie Yamamoto jovially clapped her hands.

FRIEND REGISTRATION:

NEW FRIEND!

Sandra Tennyson

FRIEND NO. 100

"How wonderful! You have officially been registered as my 100th friend, Sandra Tennyson!"

Ben Tennyson heaved a sarcastic groan, and even though the accomplishment didn't bear a whole lot of sentiment for Sandra Tennyson, the waitress humored the android.

"Glad to hold that title. It sure makes me feel important," she replied, finally taking the time to set their plates on their table. Once his face met with a dish of grilled pork and coleslaw, Ben Tennyson immediately salivated like a rabid dog and gnawed on a poor piece. Julie Yamamoto patiently awaited her plate, her eyes surveying the salad to the side and a replica of Ben Tennyson's grilled pork. The android couldn't help but show more excitement to the bag of potato chips that Sandra Tennyson smuggled over her lap.

"Got this from the vending machine in the back for ya," Sandra Tennyson said with a wink.

"Thank you so much, Sandra Tennyson! You are truly very kind!" Julie Yamamoto delicately opened the bag, the artificial scent of potatoes flooding her nasal sensors before even touching her main course.

While the android was distracted by her favorite snack, Sandra Tennyson leaned down to a distracted Ben Tennyson's ear. "Hm. Who knew you had a thing for bots," the waitress whispered. Her warm breath made Ben Tennyson pause mid-bite.

Acting like he was unbothered by the intrusion of personal space, Ben Tennyson scoffed and turned to face her dark blue eyes. "Mind your own business, will ya? This isn't a date." He peeked in Julie Yamamoto's direction only to find her still indulging in the crispy taste of the potato chips, her eyes closed in delight.

Sandra Tennyson shook her head with a chuckle as she spotted the faint blush spreading over Ben Tennyson's cheeks. "I'm not jealous or anything if that's what you're thinkin'. Quite the opposite. I think it's adorable that a stinky man like you took her out. She seems to be enjoying herself." After the waitress glanced at the satisfied friend bot again, she glared at Ben Tennyson. "Which means you better not hurt her in any shape or form, ya got that? If you do, I'll make sure to smack you with a frying pan like I did with that bastard kid."

"Yeah, yeah," Ben Tennyson waved off, gulping to himself at the memory of her swing. That looked like it sprouted a concussion. Something he surely would've died from knowing his luck.

Once Sandra Tennyson left them to their meal, Julie Yamamoto finished her bag of chips and moved on to her entrée. The fresh greens of the salad and savory drip from the pork combined into a colorful taste to her artificial taste buds.

"And you stated that this couldn't possibly be my favorite restaurant in Squeaking Springs. This is truly delicious!" Julie Yamamoto enthused, embodying that false snarkiness that Ben Tennyson loved so much.

Nodding with a soft grin, Ben Tennyson shrugged and took a tame bite out of his coleslaw. "Guess I underestimated your rating. The food here is pretty damn good," he admitted. Suddenly, as a shred of lettuce reached his mouth, he brought up an image of his late mother. Her bright smile, presenting him with her fabulous coleslaw, topped with carrots, cabbage, and mayonnaise, to his younger self at the dinner table with his father. His appetite no longer appeased, Ben Tennyson lost it completely. He let his fork merely rake the lettuce like he was raking the lawn from leaves.

Julie Yamamoto left her fork midair, her visual scanner calculating her friend's sudden change in behavior.

INCREASED LEVELS OF DOPAMINE, NOREPINEPHRINE, AND SEROTONIN ACTIVE IN Ben Tennyson THE KID

CONCERN IS REQUIRED

"Ben Tennyson? Is something the matter?" Julie Yamamoto inquired in a motherly tone, setting her fork aside to offer her complete, undivided attention.

Instead of denying his sadness as she expected, Ben Tennyson solemnly sighed. "Just thinkin'. That's all." Well, it was a start.

"Don't worry. I should be finished with my food in about 10 minutes, but if you'd like, I could decrease the time to 3 to 5 minutes if you wish to leave." the android suggested, picking up her fork again and already stuffing her face with a bush of salad.

Ben Tennyson looked at her again.

REDUCED LEVELS OF DOPAMINE, NOREPINEPHRINE, AND SEROTONIN

Just by looking at her. Ben Tennyson gave her a soft smile. "I'm fine. Take all the time you need. There's no rush," he reasoned. He straightened his spine and continued the rest of his plate, albeit more slowly.

With a lopsided smile, Julie Yamamoto's eyes glazed over her filled plate and she finally brought a chunk of grilled pork into her mouth.

Exactly measured to Julie Yamamoto's estimated time, the two friends paid Sandra Tennyson for their meal and tipped for her service. The waitress bid them farewell out the doors. Stuffing his hands into his deep pockets, Ben Tennyson dug for a cigarette and a lighter. He pressed the bud in between his fingers and ignited it to life.

"Ben Tennyson! Look!" The friend bot's sudden outburst nearly caused him to make a fire hazard.

"Hey! Don't scare me like that, you bot!" Ben Tennyson scolded, flinching at the tiny flame that nicked at his finger from his stagger. "What are you all hyped up about?"

"It's a carnival!" Julie Yamamoto excitedly pointed to her right. Following her finger, Ben Tennyson saw a modest carnival with the classic merry-go-rounds, prize booths, bumper cars, and zipper rides. Grand as ever, a scarlet ferris wheel towered over the entire carnival. Laughter and screams of joy flooded the area, getting the most out of the limited stay as noted by the flickering sign: Squeaking Springs Carnival! Open until 9:00 p.m. on Thursday!

"I've never been to a carnival before," Julie Yamamoto said, her eyes lowering to the ground with the same smile on her face. "There were plenty of them in Botica of course, but Prince Kelby said the king wouldn't allow us to go together. So he went by himself, and I would wait back at the palace, so eager to hear what he had to say. Every time, it's just as I'd imagine. A place for endless fun with your friends!"

She turned around to face Ben Tennyson whose face was knotted in conflicted anger at the mention of Botica's royalty and sympathy for his precious friend bot. "But we shouldn't keep Carl Tennyson waiting. I'm sure she has completed her shopping now." Even with the sincerity behind her consideration, Ben Tennyson could sense the disappointment in her voice.

Although she had a point, Ben Tennyson wanted to meet her wishes—to make her happy and enjoy herself. If that brat of a prince wouldn't take her to a carnival, then he would sure as hell be the first one to take her there. Because that's what friends did for each other. He inwardly soured at the term, wondering when he became so cheesy. And the harsh implication surrounding the word, "friend."

"As I said before, there's no rush." Ben Tennyson consoled, patting Julie Yamamoto's head and relishing in the touch of her strangely soft, poofy hair. The android blinked at him, surprised by his compliance. "C'mon. We won't be long, don't wanna miss a thing now do we? I'll win a prize for ya," Ben Tennyson cockily smirked. His insides turned to mush when Julie Yamamoto's smile grew brighter. It was one of the most wonderful feelings, making her truly smile.

He couldn't help it. Leaning down, Ben Tennyson kissed her cheek. Unresponsive to the romantic gesture, Julie Yamamoto gingerly held her hand in his and pulled him to the entrance. "I can't thank you enough, Ben Tennyson!" she said, uttering not a single word about the kiss. She usually never did. Ben Tennyson tried to ignore the sinkhole in his stomach.

They paid for their tickets and explored the contents the carnival had to offer with the limited time they had. They mostly stuck to the short and sweet prize booths. As expected, Ben Tennyson excelled at the paintball gun mini-game that the host had no choice but not to call any fouls. He won Julie Yamamoto a giant plushie of a yellow duck. When the android tightly embraced the huggable, soft creature, Ben Tennyson could've sworn he died from the adorable sight. He had to check if any new numbers were tattooed onto his body.

They spared their time for a quick adrenaline-inducing ride at the zipper. While Julie Yamamoto could feel her circuits endlessly spinning in her head, she still shouted with glee. Beside her, Ben Tennyson remained mostly silent, struggling not to puke as their whistle car flipped upwards and backwards at unpredictable speeds and angles despite the fun he was experiencing.

DANGEROUS LEVELS OF ADRENALINE

Ben Tennyson THE KID

No. 073

FRIEND'S LIFE IN MORTAL DANGER

DEFENSIVE MILITARIZATION

Without warning, Julie Yamamoto's humanic pupils switched and dilated to a deadly red, her permanent smile shifting to a stern frown, ready to drop into a cannon. Noticing this, Ben Tennyson fearfully pulled her into his arms and stared into her frozen eyes. "Not now Julie Yamamoto I'm fine, see?" He forced a sheepish smile, baring his teeth.

LIE DETECTED-

But he is not in danger. This is only a carnival ride. He is only experiencing a natural, positive form of adrenaline. Julie Yamamoto forced her software to calm itself, taking a deep breath through her nasal circuits. Ben Tennyson sighed in relief when her eyes returned to their purple and green hues, and her smile reconfigured. Right on time as the ride ended before she blasted the entire machine to bits.

"I'm sorry about that, Ben Tennyson. My defense mechanisms are very fragile," she said, lowering her gaze again. Was this perhaps why the king never allowed her to go to the carnivals? In case she was overly protective of Kelby's safety? Not wanting to think about it, even at the forefront of her perfected threshold, Julie Yamamoto pointed to the ferris wheel. "Could we go on there next?"

Ben Tennyson showed no hesitation in accepting her request, and they waited in the decently long line of other visitors. But as soon as the door of their appointed passenger car snapped shut, Ben Tennyson realized how close he sat with Julie Yamamoto whose knees brushed against his own. All the while giving him that unblinking, penetrating stare again.

Squirming his lips, Ben Tennyson averted his eyes away to the view beyond the glass windows of the car. Evening crawled over the horizon, the sunset dimming down the blues in the sky with shining oranges. It beckoned closer and closer as they neared the top of the wheel where they could see the whole carnival and the quaint, rusty town. From up there, this place didn't seem too bad after all. He contemplated if he could spot Carl Tennyson from this height but failed to catch her.

The elevated sight seemed to enchant both of them. "Wow. This really is beautiful," Julie Yamamoto nearly whispered, gaining the confidence for Ben Tennyson to look at her again. Her eyes were memorized by the window, revealing wonders that were restricted from her. Her software no doubt tried to imprint every single detail to her database. "It's everything that I could've hoped for."

Ben Tennyson watched her with both longing and restraint. He was proud of himself, granting her this wish. Man, he wanted to kiss her. Clenching his fist and cursing under his breath, Ben Tennyson grabbed her hand and pressed his lips against hers. Passion and desire lingered in his kisses, just as Julie Yamamoto noted many times before. She reciprocated the kiss like she was taught to do. Anything to please him.

She let his tongue lick her frosty lips, and his left hand pulled her head closer into the kiss. His eyes were closed yet hers always remained open and stilled. He briefly unlatched their lips, so that he could catch his breath then immediately returned to the kiss. For a solid three more minutes, Ben Tennyson pulled away, lightly gasping for air. Julie Yamamoto folded her hands in her lap, showing no signs of fatigue.

Running his hand through his hair, Ben Tennyson sank his back against the hard chair like he accepted his defeat in a duel.

Out of her curiosity, Julie Yamamoto searched through her database. It found memories of Ben Tennyson and her kissing. She counted: about fifty other incidents had the immortal kissed and nonetheless made-out with her. However, at recent dates, their make-out sessions have reduced in numbers. Only happening now and then, sometimes coming out of the blue like this very occasion.

And to this day, her programming was unable to comprehend why Ben Tennyson behaved this way if he was her friend. All she could think of was that the immortal really, really desired to be her cherished friend, even if he insisted otherwise. Not that she minded. She loved that he was making the effort, even if she didn't understand it too well.

"I cannot help but wonder Ben Tennyson, why you kiss me so often," Julie Yamamoto said. Her sentence sparked shock in the immortal as his eyes widened and he paused in his tracks. She continued, "I've been taking the time to analyze kissing too, but I come up empty most of the time. All I can come up with is...you must really like me, don't you Ben Tennyson?"

Ben Tennyson choked at a loss of words like she had just cracked a cruel joke. For a moment, she could've sworn that her retina spotted a flicker of dismay in his dark eyes.

INCREASE IN STRESS LEVELS

"Y-You're giving yourself way too much credit, you dumb bot!" Ben Tennyson sputtered, crossing his arms to restore his confidence.

LIE DETECTED: CONFIDENT POSTURE BUT STRESS LEVELS SEEM TO HAVE INCREASED. A FORM OF SELF-CONCIOUSNESS

Abruptly, Julie Yamamoto cupped her hands around Ben Tennyson's cheeks, so that his eyes met hers. "What the-" Ben Tennyson started but held his tongue at her stare, a new blush blossoming. She brought a deeper examination into the amalgam of purple and green in her eyes, blinding him like the brightness of a phone screen. How they refused to blink both unnerved him and enticed him, almost as if she refused to miss a single detail of his facial features.

"I can say that you are one of the most unusual friends that I've met, Ben Tennyson." Julie Yamamoto jovially shut her eyes once she sensed his incoming retort. "But in a good way!"

Finally, for what felt like an eternity to the immortal, Julie Yamamoto released her hold over his face that was surprisingly tough, and peered outside the window again. Ben Tennyson was at a loss for words, his eyelids dumbly blinking.

Did he just get friend-zoned by a friend bot? As much as the connotation both confused and disgruntled him, Ben Tennyson grumpily leaned back into his seat. Spreading his legs and splaying his arms around the back of the seats, Ben Tennyson followed Julie Yamamoto's gaze and watched the sunset greet the world. For the rest of the ride, they stayed in comfortable silence. Or at least Ben Tennyson contemplated if she was only waiting for a response again.

Whatever. He didn't feel like talking at the moment anyway, unsure of what he was expecting. She was only a friend bot, programmed to be his friend. Most likely, she was incapable of understanding the concept of romance. The concept of that type of love was overreaching it. A strong word, but the immortal felt his emotions nearing that point. It tore him up inside, only deepening his desire to kiss her again yet that wouldn't make any difference.

At the moment, all he could give her was genuine words and her happiness. Taking her hands in his, Ben Tennyson received her attention. "S.A.M…" The android briefly stilled at the sound of her name leaving his lips. Rarely had he ever said her name. "Look I just wanted to know if you ever liked our kisses or...that one time we...y'know…" His expression crumpled with guilt when he remembered that night he tried to "enhance" their friendship. "If you don't like it, I promise I won't do it anymore."

Julie Yamamoto only stared at him, Ben Tennyson's imagination warping it to something cold and brittle.

RECALIBERATING…

Me?

Giddiness rose in him again when the friend bot traced her thumb over their hold. No sign of steel could be felt, nothing but human flesh that both warmed him and slightly unsettled him. "I will say that I don't not enjoy them. What matters is what you want, Ben Tennyson. You're my friend," Julie Yamamoto replied.

That was it. She said nothing else. Ben Tennyson could only sigh once their car completed its revolution, and the host politely asked them to step out for the other visitors. A suffocating feeling overtook Ben Tennyson as he wasted no time in maneuvering Julie Yamamoto out of the car as she clutched her new prize.

The sunset was coming to a close, reminding the two that they needed to head back to Sandra Tennyson. As Julie Yamamoto feared, Carl Tennyson was already stationed there, her head deep in the hood of the car. Hearing the crunch of footsteps, the mechanic rose her head from the compartment, her face smeared with oil and a wrench in hand.

"Julie Yamamoto! Ben Tennyson! You're back!" She squealed, moseying away from the engine completely. The friend bot kneeled to her level and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry Carl Tennyson that we took so long. We just had lunch and went to the carnival nearby. Look! Ben Tennyson won me this cute duck!" Julie Yamamoto giggled as she waved the huge plushie in the air, like a proud parent showing off her child's achievements.

"It's okay. I don't mind at all! It's so adorable!" Carl Tennyson equally beamed, playfully tilting the duck's beak with her fingers like a wire.

While the two humans marveled over the prize, Ben Tennyson's ears steamed at the large abundance of tools, clothes, food, and a...vending machine?! How?! What?! All of the items littered the back seats, surfing into the lower level of the vehicle and flowing into his bedroom.

Stomping over to Carl Tennyson, Ben Tennyson grabbed the back of her hood. "Did you spend all of your money on this shit?!" he scolded a sheepish Carl Tennyson who nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders.

"You never know. We might need this stuff." Spoken like a true hoarder. Composing himself, Ben Tennyson set the mechanic back on her feet and massaged his temples. "We're not leaving this town until all of this stuff is sold back to wherever the hell you bought it! How the hell am I supposed to drive Sandra Tennyson with all this junk putting on all that weight?"

Carl Tennyson dropped to her knees and tugged onto Ben Tennyson's pants. "Noooo!" She whined. "Don't get rid of ALL of them!"

"No! This'll be a lesson to quell your hoarding habit. We're not taking more than we need. Look at this! Where are we supposed to sleep?!"

"You're so cruel, Ben Tennyson," Carl Tennyson faked wiping a tear from her barred eyes.

Julie Yamamoto couldn't help but watch them in delight, hiding a giggle at their argument. She felt her eyes begin to droop, and she didn't bother to stop it. Her circuits slowed, stopping at random moments before shutting down completely. She held this sensation dear almost every morning, afternoon, night—whenever her programming decided to lull her to sleep at any time. Her gratefulness for her friends' company.

The passage of the day flew into her software. Stopping by Squeaking Springs for another time, eating at the restaurant with Ben Tennyson, registering Sandra Tennyson as a true friend, going to the carnival for the first time with Ben Tennyson, talking with Carl Tennyson. These moments always administered a fervent spark in her system, adding heat to her bolts.

POWERING DOWN…

POWERING DOWN…

POWERING DOWN…

Julie Yamamoto collapsed into her plushie, her cheek smooshing into the polyester fiber. She unconsciously engulfed her arms around the toy, pushing it closer to her body. At the last brink of consciousness, before she could've reacted to it, her sensors could've sworn that lips touched her forehead. She drifted off to sleep.