CHAPTER FOURTEEN: FACING REALITY

I stared into the bathroom mirror as I slowly brushed my hair with a hairbrush. A huge smile was plastered on my face as I did this. I was wearing my new uniform instead of the clothing that I had been wearing for work the past few days; a beige, button-down, long-sleeved shirt, and dark gray pants. Although I didn't have a hat, I now looked like a security guard instead of some random guy guarding the Mega Pizzaplex wearing a white T-shirt and black sweatpants.

After coming home from getting new clothes, my mom stayed for a bit before she had to go home. Before she left, she wished me luck on my date. I thanked her, eternally grateful that she was going to support me the best she could before she left for home.

As I brushed my hair slowly with the hairbrush, I couldn't help but feel excited about my date with Roxanne which was going to take place in the next 30 minutes. I couldn't believe that this was happening to me. I never saw myself as the kind of guy that would find someone that'll take an interest in me in a short period of time. It felt like a dream that felt all too real, but thankfully, it wasn't. I was awake, which I was very grateful for.

But what made this very exciting was that this was my first date. It was also the first time I was going out with a woman, an animatronic with sentience for that matter. Everyone says that leaving a very good impression on a first date really matters. If not done right, then any chances would all be thrown out the window. There was no way in hell I was going to screw this up. I could only hope that everything will go great, and end on a good note.

As I was finally putting the finishing touches on my hair, I thought about how much Roxanne has changed throughout the last few days. I've heard many people say that things can both evolve and change as time passes. Roxanne Wolf has shown that countless times. The wolf mascot possessed human-level intelligence capable of showing and expressing emotions, cry black oily tears like how a human would cry, has shown characteristics of human behavior whenever she was shy, angry, happy, sad, etc. The way she was changing reminded me of how Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe evolved and changed throughout the series.

I finally put the finishing touches on my hair. I rest the hairbrush on the edge of the sink and look into the mirror to examine my work. I smiled, content with how I looked.

'This looks perfect,' I thought to myself as I did a quick pose. 'She will certainly like this.'

As I stared into the mirror, I thought back to what Roxanne had said to me before I'd left her green room after telling her to be herself. Her words echoed loudly in my head.

"I know exactly what I'm going to do! I think you're going to like what I have in mind!"

What did she mean by that? I couldn't help but wonder if Roxanne had come up with a plan to change her appearance for our date. I could only hope that it wasn't going to be anything too crazy or over the top. At the same time, I wanted to see what she had in mind that I was going to like. I tried to think about what it could possibly be, but I came up with nothing.

'Guess I will find out what it is once I get to the Mega Pizzaplex,' I thought to myself. 'Better get going then. Don't want to keep the lady waiting.'

With that, I exited the bathroom, grabbed both my phone and keys from my bedroom, and walked out the door, closing it behind me.

I arrived at the Pizzaplex in 15 minutes, parking in a spot that was closest to the doors. I turned the engine off, taking deep breaths to calm my beating heart. For the entire drive to the Pizzaplex, my heart began beating faster and faster along with a wave of anxiety. I tried to reassure myself that everything was going to be okay over and over again, but it did nothing. It didn't help that I reminded myself that this was my first date. That made things worse.

'Calm down, Mihael,' I thought to myself, taking deep breaths in the process. 'Getting anxious like this won't make things any easier. Just go in there and give it your best.'

After a moment, I began calming down, much to my relief. With a sigh, I stepped out of the truck, slamming the driver's side door behind me. I began walking over to the Pizzaplex with a smile on my face. It was so crazy to think that getting the job at this place would result in me being in the situation I found myself in now. I still greatly despised the Mega Pizzaplex, but what made coming here worth it was that I got to see Roxanne. That's all that mattered to me, as well as getting the chance to find out what happened to those kids.

I stopped about a foot away from the entrance doors. I waited for a few moments before taking a long, deep breath to calm myself.

'It's showtime,' I thought to myself. 'Let's make this a night none of us will ever forget.'

With everything I've got, I stepped inside the Pizzaplex.

I don't think I will ever fully understand how I was still amazed by the Lobby. It didn't matter how many times I've entered it, it somehow still amazed me. It was like I was seeing something beautiful for the first time, even though this had to be like my millionth time seeing the stupid place. Like seriously, it was just a fucking Lobby. What's so great about it?!

"Hi, Mihael!" I heard several voices call out at once. I looked to see Kyle, Freddy, Chica, and Montgomery heading my way. I smiled, but I was secretly disappointed that Roxanne wasn't with them.

"Hey, guys!" I said as cheerfully as I possibly could once they got about a foot away from me. "How was your day?"

"It was great!" Freddy exclaimed happily. "There was a birthday party for a little boy that just ended about 30 minutes ago!"

Chica giggled, her right hand over her beak. "Oh Mihael, I wish you were there to see it! As Roxy was passing each of the guests a slice of cake, the birthday kid stuffed his entire face into his slice of cake, making these silly noises as he did!"

I covered my mouth as I tried to get a hold of my laughter. I didn't know what would possess the kid to do that but having Chica tell me what happened, I was wishing I was there to see it. It wasn't every day that some kid had the brilliant idea to stuff his or her face into a piece of cake.

"I wonder what possessed the kid to do that," I joked once I got a hold of myself.

"We may never know," Kyle replied. "So, are you excited about your date with Roxy?"

I nodded. I was excited, as well as nervous. Speaking of Roxanne Wolf actually, I wondered where she could be. I wondered why she wasn't with Kyle and her friends right now. I looked Kyle in the eyes.

"Speaking of which, do you know where she is?" I asked. Kyle replied with a smile, which served to confuse me.

"I'm here, Mihael," came the familiar voice of Roxanne. "I'm standing behind my friends."

"Why?" I asked before mentally slapping myself for asking that stupid question. This had something to do with what she had in mind, that was obvious.

"Well, I have a surprise for you," she replied.

"Oh, what kind of surprise?" I asked, playing along.

"One I know you will like," she said. "Are you ready?"

"Alright," I said. "Let's see."

"Okay," she said. "Be prepared to be amazed. Everyone, please step aside."

Everyone nodded their heads at once, smiles on their faces. They all moved sideways to reveal what they were hiding. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped in shock and amazement.

Standing before me was Roxanne Wolf, but she looked a bit different. Her long silver hair was braided into a beautiful elastic braid, her shoulder pauldrons were missing, along with her spiked bracelets and choker, and both her arm and leg warmers were missing. The only things that remained were her red crop top T-shirt and short shorts, and her ear piercings. She also kept that green streak that hung over her left eye.

Roxanne had her hands behind her back, her legs were crossed, and her tail was tucked in between her legs. She was staring at me with loving eyes, a cute, loving smile plastered on her face.

"So, what do you think, Mihael?" she asked lovingly. "How do I look?"

I just stared in shock, my mouth agape and eyes wide. I was trying to comprehend what I was seeing with my own two eyes. For some reason, she came up with the idea to go with that look thinking I was going to like it. I wasn't seeing Roxanne Wolf the Keytar Player or The Mascot of Roxy Raceway; I was staring at Roxanne Wolf, the animatronic mascot to who I had developed an incredibly strong liking.

I had a feeling that was probably the reason why she went with that look. She took my words to heart and decided to change a few things about her to let her true self out. She probably didn't want me to see her as just some wolf mascot known for her being the 'Racing Champ' or the keytar player. In fact, Roxanne probably wanted to let her inner beauty out, to have me see her in a state that no one else ever had the full honor to see her in at this very moment.

To be honest, I didn't know whether to see this change as something a little bit too crazy or something downright insane. However, there was one thing I did agree with; Roxanne Wolf was downright beautiful.

I blinked a few times, recovering slightly from the shock. "Roxanne… you…" The loving smile on her face weakened a little bit. "You look absolutely beautiful."

Her loving smile regained its strength as she walked over to me. She stopped about a foot away from me, staring lovingly into my eyes.

"Thank you, Mihael," she said. "I knew you would like it. I wanted to let my true self out, so I went with this look. Kyle and Chica helped me get this new look ready moments before you arrived."

"They did a fantastic job on it," I complimented.

"Thanks," both Kyle and Chica said at the same time.

"And I noticed something," Roxanne pointed out. "Your clothing is so different. Looks new too."

"It is," I said. "My mother helped me buy some work clothes. I didn't want to keep coming to work wearing just a white T-shirt and black sweatpants all the time."

"I also noticed that your hair looks very tidy," she pointed out.

"I brushed it before I drove all the way here," I said. "I wanted to look good."

"You would look good anyway," she complimented.

"Um, thanks," I said, my cheeks growing hot at the compliment. "So, you ready to go to El Chip's?"

"I sure am," she replied. "Follow me."

I nodded, eager to start our date. She began to walk away, with me in behind. I grew excited as Roxanne Wolf led me in the direction of El Chip's, a smile plastered on my face the whole way there.

After a long while, we finally arrived at El Chip's, which turned out to be located on the 3rd floor. We entered the buffet and I was very impressed with the layout. The place was indeed a small Mexican buffet with orange-checkered tiles fitted with many yellow and green lights. It has multiple menus, drink machines, and chip stands with a small kitchen behind the main counter. Just like many places, the place was fitted with neon lights that made it shine.

"This place looks amazing," I breathed in amazement.

"It sure is," Roxanne agreed. "El Chip's is one of the most visited eating places in the Pizzaplex. You'll be surprised by how busy it can get during the day."

"I can just imagine it right now," I said, already imagining it being packed with guests. "Where do you want to sit?"

Roxanne smiled warmly and pointed with her right hand's index finger. I looked to see that she was pointing to a booth closest to the door. I looked at Roxanne, giving her a warm smile of my own. Her smile grew in response.

I nodded and we walked over to the booth. I gestured for her to sit down first. She shook her head before gesturing for me to sit down. I shook my head, refusing to sit down. It took her a moment to realize I wasn't going to cave. She rolled her eyes humorously before clamping her hands together and sitting down. She scooted before patting on the seat, gesturing to me to sit down next to her. My cheeks grew slightly hot, chuckling shyly and sat down. Roxanne instantly scooted so close to me that our arms were almost touching each other.

"Looks like someone is in a loving mood," I teased while looking her in the eyes.

She chuckled. "I sure am." She began nuzzling my head softly. "I've been waiting for this moment all day. I'm so happy that we're finally going out on our date."

"I'm happy too," I said, my cheeks feeling hot from her nuzzling my head. Roxanne eventually stopped nuzzling me and stared lovingly into my eyes. "And I can't believe you did that. No one has ever done that to me before."

"I wanted you to know how much I like you," she replied lovingly, her tail beginning to wag.

I chuckled, my smile growing slightly. A strong feeling of love burst in my heart, making my smile grow more. "You know, I wasn't lying when I said that you look beautiful, Roxanne."

"I know, Mihael," she said, strong feelings of love present in her tone. "I'm really happy that you like it. I didn't want you to know me as some children's entertainer or the mascot of a go-kart raceway. I wanted you to see me for who I truly am; as just me, Roxanne Wolf."

That confirmed my feeling earlier. Again, Kyle and Chica had done a fantastic job of helping Roxanne with her looks. While her new looks did look just a little revealing, she was still beautiful anyway.

"You'll always be beautiful regardless of how you look, Roxanne," I said. "In fact, I personally think that you possess a beauty that you don't even realize you have. It makes you look like a goddess."

Roxanne smiles lovingly at me as oily tears begin building up in her eyes. She had a hand over her mouth, her body trembling slightly.

"Do you really think that?" she asked.

"Yes, I do," I replied. "Don't change your appearance just to appease me, Roxanne. You will always be perfect and beautiful no matter what."

Without warning, she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I returned the hug.

"Thank you, Mihael," she whispered softly. I responded by patting her back softly. After a moment, we broke the hug. "No one has ever said that to me before. I always thought of myself to be beautiful, but to be that beautiful in your eyes was something I never thought of. It means a lot."

"I'm just being honest with you," I said.

"Which I'm very thankful for," she said before proceeding to kiss me on the cheek. "Thank you."

"It was no trouble at all," I said, rubbing the back of my head with my left hand sheepishly. "I want to know how beautiful you are."

"And don't you forget it," she teased. We both shared a laugh before we calmed down. "So Mihael, are you hungry?"

I nodded. To be honest, I didn't eat anything before getting ready. I wanted to save some room for whatever the restaurant had to offer. The promise of food caused the saliva to build up in my mouth. I swallowed to get rid of the amount that built up.

"I sure am," I replied. "I didn't eat anything since I was going to eat something here. By the way, do they sell nachos here?"

I shoved a nacho in my mouth and moaned in delight. The flavor and salt exploded in my mouth, making it just right. It was like eating a bag of Mexican Lays' Chips.

"Looks like you're enjoying the nachos," Roxanne said with a smile.

"I love nachos," I confessed. "Nachos are one of my favorite foods. I once tried to make nachos at home, but they weren't nearly as good as the ones made in restaurants. I never attempted it again."

She chuckled. "At least you tried the first time."

"Yeah," I said with a chuckle of my own. Then, I frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked, slight concern in her tone.

"It just stinks that I'm the only one eating," I explained. "It would be more romantic if the both of us were eating these nachos."

Her face fell. "Oh, yeah. That's true."

"Why is Chica the only one who can eat?" I asked. "I find it a little bit odd that she can eat while you and your friends can't."

She shrugged. "I don't know. My only guess is that it might have to do with how she's designed. Kyle will be the best person to ask about that."

"I see," I said, rubbing my cheek with my index finger and thumb of my left hand.

She flashed a small smile. "But, I don't care about that right now. What matters is that we're here spending time with each other, right?"

I smiled weakly. "Yeah, you're right."

"Maybe after our date, you and I can go race against each other on my raceway," she said excitedly. "It'll be so much fun!"

I felt my heart drop, though I kept the weak smile on my face. While something deep within was urging me to tell the truth, her feelings would be hurt. The best thing I could do is keep the truth from her.

"I can't wait!" I exclaimed, doing my best to sound both excited and enthusiastic. Her smile turning into a thrilled smile left a stabbing pain in my heart, but I kept the smile on my face.

"So, what don't you tell me a little more about yourself?" she asked. I smiled, grateful at the change of subject.

I remembered telling her how I was raised and grew up in Hurricane, graduating from the high school in the town, my favorite hobbies, and the names of my parents. The least I could do was tell her a bit more about myself. Maybe even better; I can tell her more about my parents and some bits of my past. It was the least I could do. But before I did, I had to ask what she wanted to know first.

"Well, what would you like to know?" I asked with a smirk.

Roxanne thought about it for a moment. "Well, can you tell me a bit about your parents?"

My smile grew. There was a lot I knew about my parents, including how they first met and bits of their past. Harold was the one who told me about their past.

"Well, who do you want to know about first?" I asked.

She thought about it for a moment. "I would like to know about your father."

I smiled with pride. That I could easily tell the history to Roxanne first.

I looked her in the eyes. "My father, Harold Patel, was born on June 22 of 1986, and raised here in Hurricane. His dad, Adalard, which means 'a noble person who is brave', just happened to be the chief of police of Hurricane. He happened to be my grandfather on his side of the family. Much like my dad, my grandfather was seen as a town hero and was well-respected by the community. Every time Harold told me about him, he held him in such regard that I knew where his inspiration to become a police officer came from.

"When Harold was 10 years old, he came home from school to learn that his father was killed trying to stop a bank robbery. It hit my dad, as well as the people of Hurricane, extremely hard. That was the day he decided to pursue becoming a police officer, like his dad.

"Throughout the years, he mentally disciplined himself to be prepared for anything. He worked out, took karate and martial arts, and learned what he could about the law and the system. He was so determined that he refused to give up no matter the odds. He was going to do whatever it took to be ready for when the day came.

"When he was in high school, Harold volunteered at the Hurricane Police Department to learn how to become a police officer. He took it very seriously since he wanted to know what he could learn before he graduated. My father told me through the countless times he told that story that he took it so seriously that he wanted to make his father proud.

"After graduating from high school, he was sent to a police academy and trained there until he was 21, as required by law. Upon completing his training, his dream of becoming a police officer had come true. He wished that his father was alive to see him accomplish his goal.

"In 2007 after accomplishing his goal, he went to the coffee shop in Hurricane, where he met my mother, Rebecca. According to both of them, it was like love at first sight. They dated for about a year before they finally became official. In the year 2011, they got married and not long after, I came to the full picture."

I finished my narrative and looked at Roxanne. She stared at me in both shock and pure awe, probably doing her best to take in everything I just told her. I mentally giggled as her expression reminded me of how I reacted when my father told me his history. At the same time, it was also very cute.

"Wow, that's so amazing," she breathed in awe before she frowned. "It is so horrible that your grandfather was killed trying to stop such a horrible thing."

It was my turn to frown. I never met my grandfather, but every time my dad told me about him and how Grandpa died, I could feel Harold's pain and sheer grief for the loss of his father. That's something no 10-year-old child should go through. I couldn't imagine what he went through when he passed away.

"Yeah," I sighed before I regained my smile. "So, do you want to know about my mother next?"

The question if she wanted to know about my mother brought Roxanne out of her funk, bringing back that cute smile I knew. I wasn't going to let her and myself sulk over Adalard's death.

"Yeah, I love to know about her," she said.

"Alright," I said. I took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. "My mother, Rebecca Amana, was born on August 10 of 1985 and was also raised in Hurricane. Her parents were somewhat strict, raising her to be independent while also spreading love within Hurricane. My mother admitted to me that she was very beautiful for her age, something my dad confirmed countless times.

"Her father worked as a construction worker while her mother worked at a nursing home. They were well-liked and respected in their places of work and they took great pride in their work. The good thing about them was that they knew not to let it get the best of them.

"When Rebecca turned 16, she got her first job, which was the coffee shop she worked at where she would meet my father many years later. It was a job she loved working at. She expressed how great the frequents were, how friendly the staff was, and how wonderful her boss was.

"In 2007, she was working at the register when my father walked in for the first time. According to my mother, my father was, in her own words, 'a handsome devil'. They introduced themselves to each other and they hit off pretty well. Since I told you about my dad, you know how the rest goes."

Her eyes sparkled with fascination. She seemed to be enjoying what I'm telling her. It was nice to see that she was enjoying it as much as I did when she told me a bit about her past. Everything was going great so far.

"That's so amazing," she complimented. "It's crazy to think that both of your parents were born and raised in Hurricane."

"I felt the same way when they both told me a bit of their history," I said. "Anything else?"

She smiled. "I want to know your history."

I did my best to keep my smile, despite the cold feeling that formed in the pit of my stomach. This was something I never told to anyone as I never felt comfortable sharing it or telling people about any of my problems. However, something deep within urged me to trust and tell her.

I took a deep breath. "Alright, if you say so." I looked her in the eyes. "I was born on April 19 of 2011, 3 months after my mom and dad got married. I had the misfortune to be born paler than most kids. At first, I didn't have any problems, but when I first started school was when the issues began."

Her smile turned into a frown. "Issues?"

I nodded. "It didn't take long for the other kids to start picking on me. At first, it was senseless teasing, but it quickly turned into full-on bullying. They would harass me, steal my belongings, and call me names. They would go as far as to say 'if I was paler, I would be just like those shiny vampires'. For all my years at school, I was bullied, and it grew worse with each passing year. It was all a living nightmare."

I looked away, staring at the nachos with no interest. After telling her all of that, I didn't feel like eating anymore. I had no idea what was going through Roxanne's mind or how she was taking what I said to her, but if I had to hazard a guess, it wasn't anything good.

"Mihael, I want to know something," she said. I turned to face her.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

Roxanne looked me in the eyes. "Did you ever tell anyone about what you went through?"

I shook my head before responding. "No, I never had. You're the only one who knows about it."

That seemed to upset her. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"It was because I didn't want to get people involved," I replied. "I feared that if I got anyone involved, they would become targets too. I didn't want that so I kept it to myself. I never said a single word to anyone as I believed it to be something I had to deal with and handle on my own."

"Didn't you think that the bullying would've stopped if you had told someone about it, like your parents?" she asked. "Maybe you wouldn't have had to deal with it for so long if you told them."

I thought about it for a moment. Roxanne had a point. The bullying might've stopped if I told my parents about the bullying. My father no doubt would've put an end to it. However, getting any of them involved might've caused the bullying to intensify, along with my family being targeted. I love my family. There was no way I was going to let that happen to them.

I looked Roxanne in the eyes. "If I did, the bullying might've gotten worse or my family would've been targeted. I love my family, Roxanne. I didn't want that to happen to them."

Roxanne proceeded to stare at me, seeming to go into deep thought. I wondered what was going through that head of hers. After a moment, she flashed me a comforting smile, cupping my right hand into hers.

"Mihael, I think I understand the problem," she said.

"What problem?" I asked, confused.

"I think you are blinded by both your way of thinking and feelings," Roxanne began to explain. "You know I was right, but your own personal feelings made you think that if you told them, they would suffer the same rather than see it as a way of putting an end to the bullying. I think you should try to be more open about the possibilities instead of letting your feelings blind you."

I stared at her with wide eyes. Was that really the problem? Was I really blinded by how I perceived things as a result of my feelings? I didn't want to believe it, but something deep down told me that it was true. I was about to deny it when I thought about everything that's happened these last few days.

I first thought about what happened on my first night on the job. Looking at how I thought about bringing up her insecurities as a way to get her to open up, I saw it as a good thing without thinking about how it would've hurt her. I didn't realize my mistake until it was too late.

Then, I thought about how I tore the invitation in utter rage because of the fact that the party was going to take place at the Pizzaplex. I saw it as something stupid and dangerous, believing that something bad would happen despite that Vanessa, the one responsible for the missing kids was put in a mental institute. That meant that the possibility of it happening again was slim.

Finally, I thought about how I didn't tell either Peter or my mom about what had taken place last night. I saw it as a way to protect her reputation. Looking at it, I realized that they would discover the truth the hard way and they might actually blame Roxanne for it, seeing it as being done on purpose. That alone would severely damage her reputation and she might end up being decommissioned.

The reality of it came crashing down on me. Roxanne was right; I have been acting purely out of my own feelings without even thinking about the facts.

My eyes began watering, my hands over my mouth. Low whimpers escaped me as a huge wave of emotions washed over me. How could I have been so blind? How did I not see it? All of these things could've been avoided or taken a much different turn if I thought things differently.

"Mihael…" Roxanne whispered.

"You're right…" I whimpered. "Oh God, Roxanne you're right… I don't know how I didn't notice after all this time… I…"

I covered my eyes as I began sobbing. I've made a mess of things. Me letting my emotions get the best of me caused all of this. However, at the same time, I felt a wave of gratitude for Roxanne. She's helped me open my eyes and understand that there are ways of seeing things, and being blinded by emotions wasn't the right way.

I composed myself, removing my hands away from my eyes. I smiled as I realized another thing. I shouldn't care about how other people would think of me and Roxanne being a thing in the mere future. I shouldn't let them get in the way. If me being together with the one and only Roxanne Wolf would be something that'll make me happy, I should go for it.

"Mihael… are you alright?" she asked cautiously. I looked to see her looking at me with slight fear.

I allowed my smile to turn warm. "Yes, I am. Thank you, Roxanne."

"For?" she asked.

"To see the truth," I replied. "I've been blinded by my feelings that I haven't been aware of much." I instantly wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Roxanne. I owe you one."

After a moment, Roxanne wrapped her arms around me, returning the hug affectionately. As we hugged each other, I thought about how much has changed between us. At first, it was me comforting Roxanne, but right now during something that was meant to be romantic, it was Roxanne who comforted me and opened my eyes to reality. I probably wouldn't have seen the truth if it wasn't for her. I owe her a lot.

We finally ended the hug and stared lovingly into each other's eyes. We stayed that way for a moment before we snapped out of our little trance.

"Well, now that you know a little bit about me and my parents, I like to know a bit more about you," I said.

She smiled warmly at me. "What do you have in mind?"

I thought it over. I did know about her raceway, as well some of her hobbies, but I knew nothing of her past. The curiosity of wanting to know about her past piqued. I knew right then that was something I'd love to know about.

"I would like to know about your past," I replied before stuffing a nacho into my mouth. "I know about your raceway, but not you."

She stared at me wide-eyed for a moment before the smile returned on her face. "Okay, if you say so."

She took a deep breath, looked me in the eyes, and began. "To start things, I was the last animatronic to be created. It's very hard to explain to a human, but waking up for the first time with knowledge of how to drive go-karts, feel emotions, talk, and even know my own name… It was all very… strange… and overwhelming, like waking up knowing so much.

"Not long after I woke up for the first time, I met Kyle, who told me who I was, where I was, and that he was the manager of the Pizzaplex. I was cautious since I didn't trust him yet. After giving me all the basics, he led me out of the protective chamber in Parts and Service, which is where we get fixed if something were to go wrong, and saw my bandmates. I was so nervous that I couldn't even find the courage to introduce myself properly. After failing, Kyle ended up introducing me to them, telling them who I was, and I was to be respected since I was a part of the band.

"Immediately, they introduced themselves to me and welcomed me with open arms. I was shocked and confused that they would all welcome and accept me so quickly. Despite that, I wanted to give them a chance so I went with it.

"After the Pizzaplex opened 2 days later, it started off fine. Chica was the most enthusiastic and became my first friend. Monty took a while, but once I finally got past his love for destruction, he became my second friend. Freddy didn't take as long as Monty, and he became my third. It took them about 2 months for them to become my friends. I'm still so grateful to have friends like them."

I stared at her in fascination, everything she told me slowly sinking in. It was amazing that Freddy, Montgomery, and Chica welcomed Roxanne with open arms like she was their friend right off the bat. I felt a slight tinge of jealousy, but I pushed it aside. I refused to let such an emotion get the best of me. I wasn't going to let myself become the jealous type.

"That sounds amazing," I complimented after swallowing what I had in my mouth.

"It is," she agreed. She watched as I stuffed another nacho into my mouth. We sat in silence for the remainder of the date.

I stuffed the last nacho into my mouth and chewed it for a moment before swallowing it. I licked my lips in delight.

"That was amazing," I said. "This was a lot of fun."

"I agree," she said. "Maybe we can do it again some time?"

"Sure," I said with another nod. "So, what do you want to do?"

Roxanne thought about it for a brief minute. "How about you and I race against each other on my raceway? That was something I wanted to do for game night."

I smiled while trying to keep the unease from making itself known. While I didn't really feel comfortable with the idea of racing against Roxanne on her raceway, the least I could do was at least give it a try. I had to give it a try, for Roxanne's sake.

"Sure, I love to," I replied.

"Alright, let's go," she said, her smile turning warm. We both get up from the booth and begin leaving El Chip's.

As we exited the buffet, Roxanne rested her hand on my hip and pushed me closer to her. I nearly lost my footing as our bodies made contact. I looked to see Roxanne smiling lovingly at me. I gave her a loving smile of my own as we inched closer to the Raceway.

"Mihael! Roxy!" we heard the voice of Chica call out. We both turned to see Freddy, Chica, and Montgomery walking over to us with smiles on their faces.

Our smiles turned warm as they approached us.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted them once they got about a foot away from us. "What are you doing here?"

"We came over to ask you two about how your date went," Chica replied cheerfully. "So, how did it go?"

I looked at Roxanne to see her smile weaken a bit. I looked back to Chica, who was waiting patiently. I debated whether or not to tell her how it went. I didn't feel comfortable telling her what happened at El Chip's, but at the same time, I knew that I shouldn't let my own feelings get in the way of me being honest with her.

I sighed, having decided on what to do. I looked Chica in the eyes.

"Well, it didn't go exactly as planned," I confessed.

Her smile turned confused. "What do you mean?"

"Let's say that some old wounds were opened," I replied. "It got very emotional with some waterworks." I smiled warmly. "However, something good came out of it. I won't say what, but let's just say that I will try not to let my emotions get the best of me. It turned out okay in the end."

I looked back at Roxanne to see her smiling warmly at me. Looks like I said and did the right thing. That was a start, at least. I did mean it when I said that I will be making an effort to think objectively. I had been blinded by my own emotions for so long. It was time to make a change.

We looked to see Chica's smile return. "Well, it's great to hear that it went okay in the end."

"Do you two plan on going out again?" Freddy asked. Roxanne and I looked at each other for a moment before turning our attention back to Freddy.

"Mihael and I plan to try this again sometime in the future," Roxanne replied. I looked to see her looking at me lovingly and gesturing to herself. "And when we do, I will be going out with you looking like this. I really love this look, and I know you do as well, Mihael. What do you think?"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "You will look beautiful no matter what look you go with, Roxanne."

Her smile turned more loving, her tail wagging happily. She kissed me on the head before proceeding to rub her cheek on it affectionately. I heard Chica squeal loudly in pure delight. I looked to see the chicken clapping her hands rapidly. To be honest, she looked really cute while she was doing that.

"So, where are you two lovebirds heading now?" Montgomery asked, his smile now a smirk.

"Roxanne and I are heading to her raceway for a race," I replied with a smile. I felt Roxanne stop rubbing her cheek on my head in response to the answer to Montgomery's question.

"It was my idea," Roxanne said. "He's never raced before so I will be teaching him how before we actually race each other."

My smile turned grateful. It was nice to hear that she will teach me how to race before we actually raced each other for the first time. I felt safe to have someone who knows what they're doing show me.

"That sounds like fun!" Chica exclaimed excitedly. "Can we watch you race?!"

"I love to watch too," Freddy chimed in with a polite smile.

"If you two are cool with that," Montgomery added.

Once again, Roxanne and I looked at each other. I felt my smile turn bright, watching the same happen with Roxanne. It looked like we were thinking the same thing. I really didn't see or have any problem with them watching us. It might make things interesting.

We looked at Chica, who was shaking with uncontrollable excitement. We both nodded at the same time. Chica squealed excitedly, Freddy's smile brightened, and Montgomery responded with a nod of his head. We gestured for them to follow us to the Raceway. They nodded and we began heading over to the Raceway.

Author's Note:

Here is the fourteenth chapter of Robotic Love! :D

It's crazy to think that I am now halfway through the story. Yes, there will be 28 chapters to this book.

This took a totally different turn than what I had in mind, but I'm somewhat happy with the result. I hope I didn't egg the crap out of this chapter. If there was anything I could've done to make this chapter better, let me know in the comments. :)

This chapter marks the beginning of the change Mihael will go through. Expect to experience a change in how he thinks. Not only that, but this also marks the start of the love between Mihael and Roxanne. Also, expect Chapter Fifteen to take a long while.

That's all for now. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, all constructive criticism is appreciated, and I will see you guys in Chapter Fifteen! :)

Update: Added more content, giving the chapter a more conclusive ending.

Update 2: Changed the direction of the date. I love how it turned out. :)