She sat on top of the jungle gym. Its bright, blue metal frame were starting to wane with brown rust. The tapping of her shoes reminded her of how conflicted she felt at this moment. Excited to be Nathan's girlfriend. Nervous about the meeting she asked for. Angry at how late her friends were. Didn't they remember that she told them this meeting was the most important meeting ever! With every tap of her shoe her feelings flickered. No, she looked over behind her and realized that one of the streetlamps were flickering on and off.
"I need to calm down." A breath was taken. Yet it stung. Why? Everything about today was just painful. 'Yet you're doing this to yourself.' A part of her wanted to ignore those words, but she knew it was right. But so what? She was going to be with the boy she loved. She would have a boyfriend who is super cool! Athletic! Super cute! Just everything she could ever ask for in a boyfriend! These little things would be worth it in the end. She was growing up after all! She would need to step away from these childish activities anyway and focus on what mattered. Not on some robots!
"Boss!" Samantha turned her head and saw them. Her best friends. Spyke, tall and pointy with an excited look on his face, waved at her with Cyandog right behind him. Sloan, unsurprisingly, seemed to be comfortable riding on the back of Totalizer. If she didn't know better she would have thought that Sloan's yellow attire was merely part of Totalizer's yellow armor. A nod of her head.
A breath in.
A breath out.
She jumped down from the bars. The rough texture from the rusting bars caught her attention for a split moment. Was she hesitating? She stuck the landing. Not perfectly, but well enough to not fall or get hurt. She shook her head, focusing on the looks of awe from her friends instead of the gnawing feeling from within. It was time. She could do this.
"Guys..."
"Yes boss?" Spyke's cautious, yet happy voice made something pinch inside her. No, she needed to focus! This was for her and Nathan's happiness! Her future!
"The Screws are disbanding!" Though she said it in the best cheery, positive tone she could muster, it did nothing to soothe the guilt that crashed into her. Sloan's hat fell from his head as his eyes widened for the first time in who knows how long. Spyke began to cry on the spot. His nose dribbling with snot as his lanky body swayed with the wind.
"W-What do you mean boss?" Spyke chuckled and slapped his right thigh. What was he doing? "That was a good joke huh? But I think you forgot to set it up before saying the punch line. T-There is no way you would really, really disband the gang right. Right?" She shook her head and walked towards him. Her face felt etched in seriousness as he began to crumble before her. When she was within hair's reach, just close enough to see the beads of sweat form from his pores, he fell to the ground.
"I'm serious." She gestured to her wrist. Her bare, slightly pale wrist. "I'm dating now, and need to focus on making this relationship work. I don't have time to play with Medabots or worry about spending my allowance on new parts that generally don't work anyway." She crouched down to Spyke's level on the ground. His head was pointed downwards as his cries were muffled by his arms. Why was he hiding himself from her when they never hid anything from each other before? "This isn't the end of our friendship though!" She reached for his shoulder-
A stinging sensation made itself known as she suddenly found herself on her butt. Eyes wide as she looked at her hand, still stretched out, yet with a pink tone that pulsed with pain. What had happened?
"Don't you DARE touch me!" Spyke roared with a fire she had never seen from him before. He shot up from the ground, dirt practically flying away from how quickly he got up, and pointed at her. "You made The Screws! You are the heart. The soul of The Screws! Yet you are giving it all up for a boy!" He stomped on the ground a bit. The sound of his foot slamming into the ground made her flinch.
"I didn't want to believe the rumors." Samantha turned to Sloan in confusion. Rumors? What rumors? "I heard that you were fluttering eyes about Nathan. I just thought that you were remembering the thrashing you gave him months ago. But this..."
"Guys we are still friends!" Samantha shook her head and tried to stand up. Yet her legs, or maybe it was her nerves, turned her legs into jelly and kept her mushy on the ground. She wanted them to be able to rely on her like nothing ever changed. To her, it would always be the same. "I'll always be here to help! I'll always be by your side-"
"Until it gets in the way of your relationship right?" Spyke's words stopped her own words from forming. That would never happen! She would make sure of it! Yet why could she not say those words? What was holding her back? "You know what? Screw this! I'm bolting out of here!" Time froze for her as she watched him and Cyandog run away from her. Her lips became dry despite her eyes flooding with tears. She looked over to Sloan. Was he angry with her? Would he shout and scream at her like Spyke did?
"You know," Sloan shook his head a few times before keeping his gaze on her, "Spyke was the one that told you that many of the Meda-Parts you wanted were for male Tinpets instead of the female Tinpets. It was him that helped you splice wires and work around programs to make those parts work for Peppercat. You hardly gave him the time to do it right, yet he loved every minute of being with the boss..." She could no longer hold her head high. She knew that things would be changing when she began dating Nathan. But like this?
"Sloan." Was that hoarse sound coming from her? Why was everything going wrong? She had all of these questions yet not a single answer came to her.
"I'm going to miss this." The sound of Totalizer leaving was the only clue to Sloan leaving her alone at the playground. So utterly alone. So bitter. Sad. Angry. A hurricane of emotions ran its course and she could do nothing to stop it. Nothing but keep her face in the dirt and stop herself from screaming.
Waking up at five in the morning took some time getting used to. Sometimes she even woke up earlier than the sun would rise, earning annoyance that soon became a source of pride. The smell of bacon, eggs, and soap wafted in the air as she reminded herself to make herself food for her first day of work. She didn't like leaving something to get finished later. It was why so many things with Nathan got ruined.
'No.' Samantha thought to herself with a soft slap to her face. 'Don't think about him right now. Can't get down in the dumps while you are about to start your first day of work.' As she began to go through the motions of slicing apples and making sandwiches her hands began to tremble. She knew better. She knew that her life with Nathan was behind her. She was better off this way obviously! No more cheating. No more being second place to his unfaithfulness!
So why was she feeling his arms wrap around her from behind? Why did she hear his lighthearted chuckle trickle near her ears and his hand overlap hers? The words he would say, usually a joke about her rough cuts or thick proportions, muffled in a way she couldn't tell if they were from the early years of their relationship or the final stretch. A sense of warmth began to crawl through her chest-
"Ow." A dribble of blood splattered her knife as she inspected her left hand. She rushed to the bathroom to put on a small bandage, all the while silently berating herself for being clumsy and falling for times that no longer mattered. "At least this gives me a reason to change into my work attire." A bright blue blazer with black pants and a purple dress shirt underneath. A classic Samantha color scheme if she do say so! She had a backup outfit already in her van (hopefully she didn't need to use it), and went back to the kitchen to throw away any contaminated food and salvaging anything she could. A glance at her phone rewarded her with the knowledge she was about to run late for her introduction with Sloan. Mr. Principal. She STILL could not wrap her head around that. Not only was she working for him, but the fact that he became a principal. A principal!
Loading into the van with her food, some last minute documents Sloan requested, and a transparent thermos of coffee, she drove off. It was weird. There was no other word to describe the oddity of driving through the neighborhood that she once lived in. Seeing kids walking around that reminded her of old classmates and the shenanigans she would get into when she was younger. She really wanted to catch up to her old friends. To make amends for her own sake even if they didn't understand them. But that would have to wait until her life could get back in order.
The neighborhood looked spectacular if she was honest. She recalled a few times that her and Nathan visited his parents and he always had something to criticize about their childhood town. Buildings looked trashy. People looked disheveled or like delinquents. The air quality was bad from all the factories. She knew he didn't like coming back around here. He made that quite apparent to any that asked. He would make it sound like he was the only sane person among the lunatics. A survivor among a hellscape! But, looking at the blooming flowers, maintained shrubbery, and the overall pleasant atmosphere, Samantha knew that she made a good choice coming back here instead of starting somewhere fresh with nothing.
Following the GPS led her to a building that she truly didn't remember her school looking like. Her school used to be dull and white, not bright blue with a seemingly fresh coat of paint. The front gate with its yellow pillars and black gate weren't there either. In their place were a pair of empty security booths. Was the school going through a hiring shortage? Even the ground itself! The beige ground was replaced with black asphalt! As she drove towards the gate something unusual happened. Suddenly a yellow speed bump appeared, stopping Samantha's van before she could drive any further.
"What the hell is going on here?" A blur appeared out the corner of her eye. Its swift, sudden nature nearly made her slam her foot on the gas.
"Hello!"
"Jesus!" A hand over her chest helped her calm down for a moment. A moment before that calmness changed into irritation. "What's the big idea you, uh, what are you?" A Medabot for sure, she noticed. Its head was yellow with a sunflower aesthetic to it. Though its face was a white, circular monitor with a smiling emoji face, the rest of its body was green with an almost cheerleader uniform charm to it. Kind of cute really. Just not the cute she would like first thing in the morning!
"Well I see you've met the SCZs!"
"Bah!" Samantha twisted her head to the passenger side and saw that in the other booth was Sloan with a big goofy smile on his face A thought came to her. "Wait, long have you been in there Sloan?"
"At least two hours." The smile didn't falter on his face. If anything, it got bigger when he waved a folder of some type with a bright yellow pen clipped on the top. "Gave me some time to finish some paperwork and more time for the funnies later."
"You're strange like Mr. Principal that's for sure." Samantha muttered with a smile. She looked over to the SCZ. Its head was tilted to the left but still wore its smiley emoji expression. "So, SCZ huh?"
"Yep, aka the Sakura-Chan Z series. They're a delight among the kids and act as part of the school's security. They are one of the many donations from the Medabot Corporation to help establish a better community for not just the students of our school, but their families as well." Sloan wore a silly smile and pointed at the booth he was in. "We generally have two, but this one is currently at our workshop getting repaired. Hence why I'm able to greet you like this!" He stepped out of the back of the booth and locked it with a wave of a keycard. He walked over to the SCZ and waved his keycard again. The Medabot's face flashed green a second after, prompting the speedbump to sink back into the ground.
"Thanks Sloan. I thought I was gonna have to replace..." Samantha's words died within seconds as she witnessed Sloan suddenly stretching his body. Squatting. Twisting. Twirling even! "Dude, you okay?" Sloan flicked his wrists in a circular motion before pointing at himself.
"You feel the burn for excellent education Samantha?" Sloan pointed to the left and began sprinting. "Follow me to the staff parking lot!" Despite the absurdity of what she was seeing she couldn't help but to chuckle at his antics. He certainly acted like Mr. Principal at least!
Following behind Sloan revealed some more of the new functions of the school. The asphalt had sections that lit up in arrows for her to follow Sloan. There were more light posts and a large new addition to the school she was sure was not there before. It looked to be a stadium of some type! Did the school allow Medafights now? The idea of it being a common practice was bizarre considering all the times she snuck around to do Medafights as a kid. But, as she turned around the corner of the large parking lot, she noticed some small details. Flower gardens with plaques. Metal statues of children in silly poses. Modern art that went way above Samantha's head. Solar panels along the roof and certain parts of the top railings of the roof.
The school felt...alive. Not as cold and boring as she remembered it to be.
Her driving eventually came to an end with Samantha pulling into a parking spot behind the school. It took her a second, as she turned off her van, that she noticed that the parking spot specifically had her name on a sign. Balloons with the word 'Welcome Back', 'Back to School', and 'Congratulations' were there to greet her along with Sloan waving with sweat on his forehead. She was touched in a way she never expected to be. It had been so long since someone went so far out of their way for her. It made her feel welcomed. Wanted even. She couldn't help but to wipe a tear with a napkin from her glovebox before stepping out of her van. Quickly grabbing her suitcase and lunchbox, she locked the car before waving to Sloan.
"Do you need a minute to catch a breath Sloan? Oh." Samantha shook her head. "I mean, Mr. Principal?" Sloan smiled but shook his head. The doors of the building opened, revealing the all too familiar sight of Totalizer, Sloan's first Medabot, coming up to them. Though an old model (was it though? It was a slightly older model when they were kids, but not as antique as Metabee!) Samantha could tell it was well maintained. Smooth movements. Quick reaction time.
"Are you okay Sloan?" Totalizer looked past her and focused solely on Sloan. She thought that, for a moment, that Totalizer was trying to keep its attention on Sloan, but why was it not even acknowledging her?
"Oh I'm better than ever Totalizer. You can say that I'm Totally Revitalizer!"
"That doesn't even rhyme sir."
"Of course it does when you're by my side Totalizer." The two friends looked at each other before laughing. The scene made Samantha smile. It was wholesome and genuine in a way she hadn't been part of in such a long time. Yet, in that moment, she realized how utterly alone she felt. She missed on so much. She missed Peppercat. She missed the gang. There were so much she missed that she knew she could never grab hold of. She took a breath.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
She wanted to hold so much in. To just ignore the pain and try to push on. She knew, utterly knew from her time with Nathan, just what ignoring the signs would get her. So, instead, she would take the time to address these issues she found herself coming across. She smiled. Nothing too big. Just a little, shy smile as she traced her eyes past Sloan and Totalizer and followed a small, smirking Phantom into the building. Everything inside looked so new. The lockers she remembered were dull green with dents that made it hard to open or close them. These new lockers were smooth and shiny. So pristine and colorful with personality.
Then there were the walls! Walls that she could have sworn were so barren except for awards and lists of rules were now overloaded with topics and personal achievements! She saw her Phantom looking at a bulletin board and couldn't help but to inspect it. Class trips! Fun facts! There was even a journalism club still! Oh she bet Erika was a role model for the kids in some way or another! A weight pressed on her shoulder made Samantha turn to see Sloan right behind her with a soft expression.
"Reminiscing of the past huh?" Sloan walked past her a bit with Totalizer a few steps behind him. The Medabot glanced at her a moment before focusing on moving forward. "Sometimes, especially when I walk through these halls when things are so quiet, I think of all the changes I've helped make here. How boring it used to be just learning in the classroom just to be forced out in the sun to play or to help out in school without being told why. Mr. Principal, when I learned under him, taught me more than just school policies and jurisdiction regulations. He taught me his regrets and what he wanted to do with the children of this school. They are the future after all. A future that, like him, I would like to see happen." Samantha found herself walking behind the duo with a casual glance to her surroundings from time to time. It would take her hours, if not days, to compare things from before to now. So much had changed that it felt like she was an alien returning home after a long voyage.
"Screw your Medabots!" Phantom Samantha shouted at the all too familiar face of someone she didn't know how to talk to now. His young, hurtful expression stuck with her to this day. Insulting the very topic he felt so strongly about. It wasn't just a game or a hobby to him. Everyone, including her back then, knew that it was his life! She watched as the Phantom ran down a different hall, but didn't dare try to follow. Her eyes falling to the young man for a split second before keeping up with Sloan and Totalizer. Just walking through these halls reminded her of so much. So much baggage that all started here. Here in these halls. So many regrets could have been avoided had she did things differently.
Yet, step by step, she kept up with the present. Focused on the present instead of the past as best she could. These negative thoughts, though relevant to her, could be dealt with at a later point. For now, as she found herself walking through a glass door leading to the front office, she reminded herself that things would get better with time. One breath at a time.
Then another.
Followed by a cough.
"Ugh, what is that smell?" Samantha found herself covering her mouth with a napkin from her pocket as she realized a few things. The front office was currently covered in boxes. Old, dusty boxes that smelled of mildew and age. There was hardly a place to walk around in the office without stepping on some form of box or documentation. She noticed that Sloan, rather than walk into this room with her, had opted to stay out of the office and hung out by the open door.
"Oh Hillary. Are you here?" The playful tone in Sloan's voice made her raise an eyebrow. What was he doing? "Have you decided to take up my offer to sleep in my office for a change?" A cranky, irritated groan made itself known a few feet from Samantha's right. She turned, looking around for any sign of the woman who she would be replacing; however, rather than see a person, she saw a rectangular box roll to the floor and suddenly stand upright. Its flaps opened without prompting, revealing a tall, fragile looking woman with sunken cheeks and silver hair tied in cubes.
"I would rather make myself a coffin out of these distinguished boxes than to stay in your office Mr. Principal. No offense, but that room just is not symmetrically perfect!" Samantha couldn't help herself. She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. Maybe Nathan was right about one thing. Maybe the neighborhood did have some lunatics after all.
