Chapter 2

Jun-ku

His mother got up from the couch suddenly. "I'll go get some snacks." she said as she left the room. Kazo didn't know what to do. She just left him there with this stranger. Wait, no... She was his friend not a stranger. Jun was his friend.

Jun looked at Kazo wonderingly. She looked so innocent and new to the world. "Is there anything you wish, Master Kazo?" She said, sincerely looking into Kazo's eyes.

Kazo stiffened. He didn't know what to say. "Please... don't call me Master Kazo." He tried to make it sound as polite as possible.

Jun stared at him with a blank, childlike look. "Then what should I call you?"

'What should she call me?' Kazo thought to himself. 'What did friends call each other?' He didn't know. He had never had a friend before. "I don't know." He finally confessed.

"As you wish, Idonnow," said Jun.

Kazo snorted. He couldn't help it. 'She's so naïve.' He thought to himself his shoulders bobbing in silent laughter.

Jun's eyebrows furrowed in a worried look, "Are you okay, Idonnow?" She asked bending close to look at him. Kazo smiled at her. She blinked her dark eyes in wonder.

"It's called laughter," he said smirking "You have a lot to learn, Jun-ku."

"Jun-ku?" Jun repeated confusedly.

"I will call you Jun-ku from now on." He said, "You can call me Kazo-san."

"I will call you Kazo-san," said Jun triumphantly.

"Let's go see what mother is up to!" Kazo turned toward the hall and gestured for Jun to follow. Jun just stood there in front of the rocking chair and cocked her head to one side.

"I don't understand." She said finally.

Kazo went over to her and took her hand. He almost dropped it at the touch. Her hand felt... false. It was cool and lifeless. 'She's a doll, not human.' He had to remind himself.

He took a deep breath. "Follow me." He said, at last over the shock of the feel of her hand. Kazo led her out of the family room and down the hall toward the kitchen.

Kazo's mother was preparing some peanut butter bread and juice when they entered the kitchen. She turned and smiled at them. "You can go and wait in the dinning room while I finish." Kazo nodded and led Jun to the dinning room.

They sat at the large glossy dinning table and waited silently for their snacks. Kazo stared across the table at Jun. Her eyes were no longer lifeless, but they still had an unnatural look about them. They were dark, so dark that he couldn't tell what color they were.

"So…" Kazo breathed, trying to break the agonizing silence. Jun cocked her head and looked earnestly at him. "When is your birthday?" Kazo had heard that once. That birthday's were important in a friendship.

Jun smiled sweetly, "I was manufactured on April 17th of 3047 AD at 7:30 am. I arrived here May 4th of 3047 AD, today, at 8:45 am. My operating system was booted, today at 10:18 am. Any of which can be considered my 'birthday'."

Kazo gave her a look of pure astonishment. He had merely tried to start up a conversation. Jun was so different. People weren't manufactured. People weren't delivered. Finally he had to remind himself again that Jun wasn't a person.

Jun was a doll. Dolls are manufactured. Dolls are delivered. It was all because dolls are objects, not people. 'Can I be friends with a doll?' He wondered again. 'Can I be friends with an object?' His mother had said that he could be friends with whom ever he wanted, but did she really mean to say what ever he wanted… Kazo didn't know what to think.

His mother entered the dinning room with a plate of peanut butter bread and two glasses of juice.

"Are you two getting along ok?" She glanced at both of them, smiling warmly and set the food on the table.

Kazo looked over a Jun to see if she would answer, but she was already looking at him expectantly. He sighed then said, "Yes, mother. You got me a good friend."

His mother smiled ear to ear, proud of herself. "Now, you two can just sit in here and eat. I'll be in my office doing a bit of paper work." She proceeded out the door and then turned back around with more to say. "Your father will be home from his business trip tonight. Make sure you tidy up for him."

"Yes, mother." Kazo smiled weakly at her. She gave him another encouraging smile and left the room.

Kazo took a piece of peanut butter bread from the plate. Jun watched him mechanically. Kazo scooted the plate closer to her. "You can have a piece if you'd like."

Jun looked at the plate in dismay, but finally took a piece of peanut butter bread. She held it, and looked to Kazo. "Thank you, Kazo-san." She said politely.

Kazo ate his bread and took a long swig of his juice. Jun still held her piece of peanut butter bread, looking at it in dismay.

"You may eat it…" Kazo hinted.

"I do not require nutrients from human food." She said simply, "I have no digestive system." She slowly set the bread back down on the plate and put her hands in her lap.

"I…" Kazo wasn't sure what to say. He had no idea that dolls did not eat. They were so different. "I'm sorry, I did not know…" He decided to apologize, but he wasn't sure why.

"I graciously accept your apology, Kazo-san, but there was no need for it." Jun smiled kindly.

A.N. Hey! What do you think so far? Yup I'm still getting it set up for the big finally in chapter 4! It's gonna be good so just wait and you'll see!