CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: OVERWHELMING SURPRISE
I turned on the water, sighing in relief as the water hit my body. I felt the sweat and grime that stuck to my body wash away, leaving behind a feeling of refreshment. It always amazed me how taking a shower could bring such a feeling. It was like the water had some kind of property to it that helps clear the mind and soothe the soul from the stresses of the day. The best part about it is coming out of the tub feeling like a brand new person.
As I washed, I thought about everything my mother told me. All of the things she said echoed loudly in my head. It was really hard to believe that all of the things she said had taken place, along with finding out the real cause of the slow decline in my dad's mental health. To top it off, Kyle had worked closely with my father to help find the missing kids. It was mind-blowing.
I frowned as I began cleaning myself. While many of the things that Kyle and my mother told me put some of the many pieces of the puzzle together, there were still some questions that needed to be answered. Questions that would undoubtedly fill in the gaps of the puzzle.
Who was Charlie? Who was William Afton? How did he possess Vanessa and force her to take 150 kids, including my sister, away from us? Does William have some kind of ties to the company? Do William and Charlie have a history with each other? More importantly, who was that strange fox animatronic that I've spotted several times over the last few days now?
As that last question went through my mind, I thought back to how Freddy, Chica, Montgomery, and Roxanne looked at me with shock and disbelief, along with the traces of recognition in their eyes. At the time, I didn't ask if they knew who I was talking about since I had to tell them about the names I was repeating in my sleep. Since Roxanne was staying here at the house, I would have to ask her if she knew who that animatronic was.
I thought about all the times I've seen it. In all of them, it was always a distance away from me. I didn't know what, but it looked as though it was keeping its distance from me. Why it would do that was beyond me.
The last thing that bugged me was how I heard Lisa's voice in my head. Once in the Raceway and the other time in the Atrium. Were her voice and that animatronic connected somehow? Was my little sister… possessing that animatronic?
I shook my head violently.
'That's absurd!' I thought to myself. 'There's no way that can be possible! I'm probably overthinking the whole thing to begin with, anyway!'
After fully cleaning myself, I turned off the water and stepped out of the tub. I walked over to the towel rack and grabbed a light green towel. Using the towel, I began to dry myself, making sure I didn't miss a single wet or damp spot. After a moment, I wrapped the towel around my waist and stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
I walked over to the bedroom, reaching out for the knob. I grabbed hold of it, twisting it until I could no longer turn it. I opened the door and stepped inside. I froze in my spot upon seeing that I wasn't alone.
Roxanne Wolf was sitting in front of her vanity desk, brushing her hair with my hairbrush. How she even managed to get her hands on my hairbrush, which I always have stored away inside my bathroom, was beyond me. The only way Roxanne could've gotten her hands on it was if she went into the bathroom while I was in the shower and took it without me knowing.
Roxanne stopped what she was doing and turned in my direction. Her eyes went wide, her body becoming still as a statue. She proceeded to stare at me, with me staring in return. After a long moment, the reality of the situation clicked in.
"AHHH!" we both screamed at the same time.
I hastily put on a light green shirt and a pair of pajama shorts, my face hot the entire time. It took me a bit of effort with almost losing my balance a couple of times, but I was finally able to put them on. With that now done, I sat down on the bed, resting my face in my hands. I tried to calm myself down to get rid of the blush, but it was of no use.
What happened just earlier was ruthlessly embarrassing. To be very honest, that was all on me. I knew Roxanne was home, but I've been so used to living on my own that it was a force of habit. Since the door was closed, I figured no one was in there considering I close the door behind me whenever I leave. I didn't even think about if Roxanne Wolf was still in the living room with my mother or in the bedroom. Like many people say 'old habits die hard'.
'I have to talk to Roxanne,' I thought to myself, my face still hot. 'She's undoubtedly just as embarrassed as I am. Maybe talking about it will help.'
With a sigh, I raised my head up and hopped off the bed. I walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Walking down the hallway, I stepped into the living room. I spotted Roxanne sitting on her couch looking at nothing with her hands clamped together. If she were real, I had no doubt in my mind that her face would be red from embarrassment.
"Hey, Roxanne?" I said sheepishly. Roxanne turned her head in my direction, an embarrassed expression on her face. I walked over to her, rubbing my right arm nervously. "Hey, uh, sorry about barging in like that. I've been so used to living here alone, and since the door was closed as I always close them behind me when I leave, I didn't think about if you would be in there or were still in the living room with my mother."
"It's okay, Mihael. I understand," she said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. After a moment, the wolf calmed down and gave me that all too familiar cute smile. "Speaking of your mother, we talked for a little bit for a few minutes after you went into the bathroom."
"Did you now?" I asked, the heat finally fading from my face.
"Yeah," she replied, her smile growing slightly. "She told me that you confessed to her about the date we were going to have last night yesterday. Your mother said that while she thought about us potentially being together was weird, she would support us the best she can. I was really relieved when she said that. I like your mom. She's awesome."
"Yeah, she is," I said softly. I tried to think of something to say but nothing came up.
Roxanne proceeded to stare at me with me doing the same. It looked like she was waiting for me to say something or she was trying to think of something else to say. Either way, the silence was making things pretty awkward.
As we continued to stare at each other, I remembered that I wanted to ask her if she knew the fox animatronic I'd seen a few times at the Pizzaplex. Before I could utter a single word, soft knocking at the front door prevented me from doing so.
"Huh, who could that be?" Roxanne asked curiously.
"I'll go check it out," I said. I turned away from her and walked over to the front door. I grabbed hold of the doorknob, turning it until I could no longer turn it. I opened it to see who it was.
Standing on the other side was Peter with that all too familiar friendly smile on his face. I wasn't too surprised to see the man. I had a feeling as to why he was here, but it was best to see what he wanted.
"Hey, Mihael," he said.
"Hi, Peter," I said. "What are you doing here?"
His smile grew slightly. "Today's Bella's 37th birthday and I'm having the party at my house. I was wondering if you and Roxy would like to come over to celebrate it."
I looked at Roxanne Wolf, who had a slightly surprised look on her face. I didn't blame her in the slightest. The wolf mascot had no idea that Peter Brown had a habit of inviting people to his house for special events.
I, on the other hand, felt a little uneasy at the idea. I had no idea how people would react if they saw her. Maybe nothing really bad would happen, but the outcome could go in any direction. That was the part that made the idea more unnerving.
I sighed and looked him in the eyes. Before I could say anything, I felt something rest on my left shoulder. I turned to see Roxanne standing beside me with a warm smile on her face.
"We love to, Peter," she said warmly. "We'll be there."
My eyes widened at this. Just what the hell did she think she was doing?! How can she agree to go to the party without thinking about how this could go wrong?! Is she not worried about how people would react to seeing her?! I opened my mouth to say something.
"Great!" Peter exclaimed happily. "The party will start at 7 PM! See you then!"
I turned just in time to see Peter turn around and skip happily to his house. I stayed where I was for a bit before I slowly turned my head to face Roxanne. She turned her head to look at me with that smile on her face.
I slammed the door shut. The sudden movement made Roxanne remove her hand from my shoulder, taking a few steps back. Her expression became uneasy.
"Mihael?" she asked nervously.
"Roxanne, do you really think going to the party is such a good idea?" I asked, my teeth bared. "Do you not care how this could go wrong in so many ways?"
She stared at me for a moment before understanding formed on her face. A soft smile on her face as she took a few steps toward me. She rested her right hand on my shoulder.
"Mihael, I do care, but I can't just stay indoors for the entire duration of my stay," she said. "I know you're worried about what might happen, but we don't know for sure if anything bad would happen if we went. After all that's happened and what we've learned from your mother, I think going to Peter's house for Bella's birthday party would help us unwind and relax."
I stared at her, wanting to object, but I thought about it for a moment. Roxanne was right. We didn't know for sure if anything bad would happen. She was also right about staying indoors. It would be like keeping her prisoner. But still, it could go wrong.
I sighed, my face relaxing. I guess I really do need to unwind and relax, especially with how negative my thoughts and feelings were at the moment. Maybe going to the party would be just what I needed to do when the time came.
"I guess you're right, Roxanne," I said. Her smile grew slightly as she removed her hand from my shoulder.
"Don't worry, Mihael," she said comfortingly. "Even if something happens, I have you and Peter to help."
"Yeah, that's true," I said weakly. The smile on her face weakened a little.
"Mihael, I know you're worried, but I'm sure Peter wouldn't have invited me to Bella's birthday party if he thought it wasn't a good idea," she said softly. "Don't you agree?"
I thought about it. Roxanne was right about that. Peter wouldn't have invited her if he didn't think it was a smart move. With that in mind, something told me that Peter had something planned but what was the ultimate question? I could only hope it was something good.
I sighed. "Yeah, you're right."
The smile didn't return, though there were traces of relief in her eyes.
"So, what do you want to do while we wait until it's time to go?" Roxanne asked curiously.
I shrugged. "I don't know. Wanna watch some TV?"
She smiled at the idea. At least that would keep us occupied for the time being. Hopefully, it would keep me from thinking about how going to the party with Roxanne coming along could go so wrong.
*A FEW HOURS LATER*
Roxanne and I sat next to each other on my couch watching a show I grew up with on TV. We were smiling, struggling to contain our fits of laughter as the events unfolded on TV.
"And if he was a rabbit, what would you do?" Bugs Bunny asked the hunter. I was moments away from laughing because I knew what going to happen next. I looked at Roxanne and saw that she was inches from laughing her tail off. I looked back at the TV.
"Yeah, if you're so smart," Daffy Duck said. "If I was a rabbit, what would ya do?"
Elmer the Hunter stared at Daffy with a deadpan expression for a brief moment before it changed into a more serious look.
"Well, I-" was all he said before he aimed his gun at Daffy, who proceeded to stare at it for a moment before turning his head at the audience with a 'help me' expression.
"Not again," Daffy said before Elmer pulled the trigger, leaving behind a puff of smoke. When it cleared, Daffy was glaring at Bugs, who was off-screen with his beak open and over his neck.
That did it. Roxanne and I began laughing hysterically. That was my favorite part of the episode. How Daffy can be that dumb would be a mystery to me, but honestly, that's what made the whole thing so funny.
"I can't believe he fell for that," Roxanne said in between her fits of laughter.
"That's what makes him so funny," I said in between my own fits of laughter. After a moment, we calmed down and looked at each other.
"You weren't kidding when you said that this TV show was really funny," Roxanne said with a smile.
"I told you so," I said with a wink. We turned our attention back to the show.
For the rest of the day, Roxanne and I watched TV. After switching from station to station aimlessly, I remembered that there was one TV show I watched a lot with my sister; Looney Tunes. The show is an animated series that began in 1930 and ended in 1969. My father was the one who introduced that show to me and my sister. To this day, it's a show that I watch and still laugh at.
"Hey, Mihael?" Roxanne said a moment later.
"Yes?"
"What time is it?" she asked curiously. I looked at the clock that was on the wall above the couch we were sitting on. I was surprised when I saw the time.
"Um, it's 6:50 PM," I replied slowly. Roxanne jumped up from the couch, an expression of horror forming on her face.
"6:50?!" she cried out. "Oh no, we're going to be late! We got to get ready!"
Before I could say anything, Roxanne ran out of the living room, heading straight for the bedroom. The bedroom door slammed shut. I stayed where I was for a moment before I got up and headed over to the bedroom.
As I walked over to the bedroom door, I chuckled lightly at what just happened. Seeing her get up and run to the bedroom reminded me of how my mother got when she had to go somewhere and wanted to get going as soon as possible. It wasn't funny when my mom did it, but seeing Roxanne doing the same was a little funny.
Reaching the door, I grabbed the doorknob. I twisted the doorknob until I could no longer turn it anymore. I opened the door and stepped inside.
Roxanne Wolf was frantically brushing her hair with my hairbrush, her horror-struck expression now that of sheer panic. I didn't know whether to laugh or not at the sight. I could only stare at her as the wolf brushed her hair.
After a moment, she put the hairbrush down on her vanity desk and turned her head in my direction.
"Mihael, what are you doing?!" she cried out. "Put some decent clothes on instead of just standing there like a goofball! We can't be late!"
"Roxanne, there's nothing to worry about," I said calmly, raising my left hand's index finger. "Peter lives right across the street from my house. Plus, I don't think Peter would mind if I showed up with the clothing I'm wearing right now."
Roxanne thought about it for a brief moment, though the panicked expression stayed on her face. "Okay, fine! Let's just get going!"
Without a moment to lose, Roxanne sped walked away from her vanity desk. The wolf mascot grabbed hold of my left wrist and basically dragged me out of the bedroom.
We both made it to Peter's house within seconds, thanks to Roxanne speed walking all the way there. I felt ridiculous the whole way to the house. Mainly because Roxanne still held my wrist in her hand. It was also because her holding my wrist and dragging me to Peter's house was how my mother dragged me and my sister out of the house whenever we were in a rush. Thankfully, she stopped doing that when I turned 13.
We stopped by the front door and Roxanne finally let go of my left wrist. I rubbed it softly, checking it for any signs of bruising. I was very relieved when I saw no signs of bruising. I looked back at Roxanne, who had her right hand on the doorknob. I knew what she was going to do so I rested my right hand on her shoulder.
"Don't," I said firmly. She looked at me, her panicked expression turning into one of confusion.
"Huh?" she asked.
"You can't just walk into someone's house without knocking first," I said. "Not only is it an invasion of privacy, but it's also what we call trespassing. It's always important to knock on someone's door first and wait for them to answer."
She looked at me for a moment before turning her attention back to the door. She slowly removed her hand off the doorknob and stared at the door, unsure what to do. Seeing this, I could tell that she has never learned how to knock before. I couldn't blame her for not knowing. Since she's lived at the Pizzaplex where the doors to her and her friend's green rooms were mechanical doors that opened when they got close for over 12 years, she wouldn't have known anything about knocking.
I removed my right hand from her shoulder and balled it into a fist. I inched my fist close to the door. In the corner of my eye, Roxanne was watching me curiously. When my fist got close enough, I tapped my knuckles on the door enough to be heard a few times. I lowered my arm to my side, unballing my fist. We waited.
After a moment, I heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching the door. My heart began pounding in my chest, my legs turning into jelly. A painful feeling formed in my stomach as I heard the knob slowly begin to turn. I felt the urge to run away back to my house, but the thought of leaving Roxanne alone was the only thing keeping me from retreating.
The door swung open, making me flinch. Standing on the other side was Peter, who stared at the both of us in utter shock for a brief moment before a big smile formed on his face.
"Mihael! Roxy! You both made it!" he beamed loudly.
"We lost track of time watching TV, Peter," Roxanne said. "I didn't want to be late so I wanted to get here as fast as possible. Being a children's entertainer at the Pizzaplex, showing up late for anything was looked down upon."
He nodded, the smile remaining on his face. "Understandable. What were the two of you watching on TV?"
"Mihael showed me this funny show called 'Looney Tunes'," she replied with a smile. "I've never seen something so funny like it before."
Peter chuckled. "I love that show. My grandparents introduced that show to me when I was a little boy. It still makes me laugh to this day. I watch it all the time with Bella and the kids."
"That's so cute," Roxanne said in a cutesy tone. Something seemed to have clicked in her head. "Wait, you watch that show with your kids?"
"Yes, why?" Peter asked, tilting his head to the side. A slightly concerned expression formed on her face.
"It's just…" Roxanne hesitated. "Some of the episodes involve a character using a gun and shooting others with it. Others involved characters getting blown up. How is something like that suitable for kids?"
Peter shrugged. "Times were different back then. That show dates way back to 1930, so we have to keep that in mind. There are some cartoons that have characters getting blown up. Some that are more suitable for adults have characters getting shot, killed, and even cursing. Nowadays, creators who plan to make a TV show suitable for kids have to make sure it reflects the real world and has some sort of message."
Roxanne nodded, satisfied. I didn't say anything, but I nodded my head nevertheless. Peter wasn't wrong about that. There are a good number of TV shows that are for kids do that sort of thing. A good number of them I despise with every fiber of my being, mainly because I saw them as completely ridiculous in my eyes.
There's one show in particular that always got under my skin every time an episode for it aired; Little Einsteins. While it only has 2 seasons with a total of 67 episodes, I roll my eyes and glare at it in disgust every time an episode played. It wasn't because the show was terrible. It was rather because of how ridiculous it was. I knew it was a kid's show and it was just being imaginative and silly, but that doesn't mean they can make a mountain look easy to climb, especially Mt Everest out of all mountains and have planets, like Saturn, dance.
"So, where's the party being held at?" she asked, the sound of her voice snapping me out of my thoughts.
"In the backyard," he replied happily. He gestured with his right hand. "Come on in. I'll show the way."
With that, Peter stepped aside to give us room to come inside his house. Roxanne stepped inside without a second thought. I hesitated for a moment before I stepped inside the house myself.
'Please, let everything be okay,' I thought to myself worriedly. 'I don't want anything bad to happen to you once everyone at the party sees you, Roxanne.'
We entered the backyard via the sliding glass door in the kitchen. I immediately took the time to survey the backyard.
The yard was about 1/3rd of a football field with five tables that had white tablecloths over them. 3 of them had bowls of snacks and fruits while the other two tables had stacks of plastic cups with a variety of drinks next to them. At the end of the yard, two large stereo speakers stood between the sides of a wooden table with two disco ball LED strobe lights shining brightly into the night sky.
I was impressed with how the party was set up. I couldn't imagine how long it must've taken him to get this ready. To be honest, the party looked more like a disco party rather than a birthday party. Nevertheless, it was amazing.
I surveyed the number of people that were here. I felt my stomach drop when I saw that all of my neighbors were there. I was aware he always invited everyone in the neighborhood to his house for these special occasions. However, it was different since Roxanne was here. So far, they hadn't noticed us, but I knew it wouldn't be for long.
The sound of the sliding glass door being shut caught everyone's attention. They all quickly turned their heads in our direction. My heart skipped a beat as their eyes caught sight of us. I wanted to grab Roxanne's hand and drag her out as fast as I could.
Their eyes widened when they caught sight of Roxanne Wolf standing beside my left. I had no idea what they were thinking, but I could only hope it wasn't anything bad.
The loudest squeal of surprise and glee hit my ears. I jumped a bit in response. All at once, little kids came running over to her with big smiles on their faces. They were hopping up and down like crazy. I stepped away so as to not get swarmed by the little ones. As they swarmed and hopped around her, I noticed that some of them have Roxanne plushies in their hands.
"Ahhh, it's true!"
"She's really here!"
"I'm your biggest fan!"
"She looks different!"
"Can I get an autograph?!"
I watched with wide eyes at what was unfolding before me. I looked at Roxanne, who was looking down at the kids with surprise. A smile formed on her face as she began gladly signing each of the kid's plushies. One by one, the kids hopped away from her with their now signed plushies, big smiles plastered on their little faces.
When all of the kids hopped back to their parents, some of the adults walked over to her. Anxiety washed over me as I watched an elderly man around 80 years old with white hair and a beard clutching a cane in his left hand grab her hand and shake it pleasantly. I quickly identified the man as Mr. Hakim, an elderly man who lived two houses down from me.
Mr. Hakim was the neighborhood's local grandpa, very friendly and welcoming without a mean bone in his old body. I only met and interacted with the man once and that was when I first moved in. He introduced himself to me, welcomed me to the neighborhood, and hoped that I would love it here. I thanked him, which was pretty much it for conversation with him. For five years, whenever I go to get the mail and see him, I would catch sight of him giving away cookies to the kids. I would smile every time I saw it.
"Welcome to the neighborhood, Miss. Roxanne Wolf," he said warmly. "Welcome to the neighborhood."
"Thank you, sir," she said sheepishly. He nodded and let go of her hand.
As he walked over to one of the tables, the rest of the adults walked over to her. I watched anxiously for what they would do. One by one, they each began shaking her hand with warm smiles on their faces.
"It is an honor to have you here," a man with silky black hair and skin problems said.
"We hope you enjoy your stay here in the neighborhood," a woman with long light brown hair and a bit of a baby face said.
I watched in awe as they each welcomed her warmly. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. All of my neighbors were welcoming her with open arms and warm smiles. It felt so surreal, yet at the same time, a wave of relief washed over me.
I heard someone walk over to my right. I looked to see Peter with a warm smile on his face. He chuckled, no doubt at the expression that was plastered on my face. I tried to speak, but I found that I couldn't.
"Looks like everyone is being welcoming," he said. After a moment, I found the strength to speak.
"How… how is this happening?" I asked weakly. "I was worried that something would happen…"
He chuckled again. "After Roxy agreed that the both of you would be coming, I informed all of the neighbors that Roxy would be at the party. They got excited, of course, but I asked them to take it easy so as to not make her uncomfortable. While I know that Roxy took part in parties at the Pizzaplex, she's never done them out of the establishment so I wanted to make sure that her first party out of the Pizzaplex would be a good one."
I stared at him with wide eyes. Peter had the whole thing covered. I was so caught in my worry that I kept believing that something bad would happen if Roxanne showed up, even when she said that we wouldn't know for sure if anything would happen once we showed up. Once again, I was caught in my own emotions.
I snapped out of trance, allowing a small smile to spread across my face. Peter's smile grew slightly in response.
"Thank you so much, Peter," I said, relief present in my tone. "I was worried something would happen."
Peter elbowed my side playfully. "Hey, I always look out for my friends, Mihael. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine."
"Yeah," I chuckled. I looked back at Roxanne, who finished shaking hands with the last of my neighbors.
Roxanne looked at me with the smile still on her face. She walked over to me, her tail wagging happily in response to the happiness she was feeling. From the looks of it, it was taking everything she had to keep her emotions under control.
"Your neighbors are so nice," Roxanne said as she got about a foot from me. "They are so welcoming."
"They sure are," I said. Her smile grew slightly as the wagging of her tail went faster. My smile grew slightly in response.
I looked around to see if I could catch sight of Bella. After all, it was her birthday. I was confused when I noticed that she wasn't around. I looked at Peter.
"Hey, where's Bella?" I asked. Just as I asked, the sliding glass door behind us slid open. We all looked to see Bella standing in the doorway with a shocked look on her face.
"Right on time," Peter whispered before he opened his arms up like an offering. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLA!"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLA!" everyone shouted loudly, excluding me. Bella didn't say anything. She continued to stare in shock before she turned her attention to Peter.
"You overdid it again, Peter," Bella said, slight traces of disapproval present in her tone.
He shrugged playfully. "I do what I do best, Bella. But that's not all, I have a surprise for you."
Peter gestured to me with his right hand as his smile grew a bit more. Bella looked at me. Shock formed on her face as she caught sight of me. I couldn't blame her. This was the first time I showed up at any of Peter's parties.
"Mihael?" she said. "You're actually here. I didn't think you'll actually be here. What made you have a change of heart?"
I didn't say anything. Instead, I sidestepped to my left, giving her a clear view of Roxanne. After what just happened with the neighbors, I was confident that Bella wouldn't react negatively to Roxanne being here. If she did, she got something coming.
Her eyes widened as soon as she caught sight of the wolf mascot. She stared at her for a moment before she rubbed her eyes with her hands. She blinked a few times, no doubt in denial at what she was seeing with her own two eyes.
"R-ROXANNE WOLF!?" she exclaimed. "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS SHE DOING HERE?!"
"She's staying at my house for a while," I replied calmly. "It's only temporary, just so you know. As for what she's doing here, your husband invited her to your birthday party, including me. That is why I'm here for your party."
She stared at her for a moment, still in denial at what she was seeing. She finally turned her attention to Peter, who still had that smile on his face. She looked back at Roxanne, proceeding to stare at the wolf some more.
I watched as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She leaned back slowly before she fell on her back. We gasped loudly as Peter went over to her, concern now plastered on his face. Peter bent down, placing his hands around her back and knees. After a moment, he straightened his posture, holding Bella close to his body as possible. He turned his attention to us.
"I'm really sorry about this, guys," he said apologetically. "It looks like I will have to move Bella's party to another night. Head on home, everyone."
With that, Peter carried Bella inside, closing the sliding glass door behind him. Everyone around us began muttering to themselves as they began to leave to go back to their respective houses. I could only stare at the sliding glass door, thinking about what had just transpired with a frown on my face the whole time.
"Let's go, Mihael," Roxanne whispered in my ear. I looked at her. I nodded and with that, we began heading back home.
Roxanne and I entered the house, disappointed that things didn't go according to plan. I closed the door behind me, letting out a sigh of defeat. I rested my back against the door, thinking about what had just taken place.
What was meant to be a very fun time was now going to be delayed to some other time. It happened because I got way too confident and thought nothing bad would happen since the neighbors reacted pretty well to Roxanne being there. I guess that's one method to crash a birthday party.
"That didn't go as planned," Roxanne said sheepishly. I looked to see her looking at me with a sheepish look, standing about a foot from me.
"That's my fault," I said. "After seeing the neighbors react well to you being there, I was relieved and confident that Bella would react the same way, not even thinking about how that would backfire in so many ways. If I had, we probably would be having a fun time right now."
Roxanne stared at me for a moment before she rested her right hand on my shoulder. A soft smile formed on her face. I didn't smile in return.
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Roxanne said softly. "We all make mistakes and don't think about the outcome carefully. We don't know if she would've reacted that way even if you did tell her. We will just have to wait to see what happens tomorrow."
I stared at her as the words sank in. She might be right. People react to situations differently. Some people might become scared of a scary situation, some won't. Some might laugh at something funny, some won't. For all we knew, Bella might not have reacted well to Roxanne being there if she didn't react the way she did earlier. I had to give Roxanne credit on that.
"You're right, Roxanne," I said before I let out a loud yawn. A wave of drowsiness hit me shortly after. "A lot has happened today. I'm going to bed."
"Okay," she said.
"What are you going to do for the rest of the night?" I asked. Her smile grew slightly.
"I might watch more of that 'Looney Tunes' show," she replied. "It is really funny."
"Okay," I said. "Goodnight, Roxanne. See you in the morning."
"See you in the morning, Mihael," Roxanne said before she leaned forward and kissed me on the right cheek. I felt my face become hot as I felt a goofy smile form on my face. "Sleep well."
I nodded before quickly heading towards my bedroom, my face hot the whole way there.
Author's Note:
Here is the twenty-first chapter of Robotic Love! :D
This was somewhat of a difficult chapter to write, but I can safely say that I'm somewhat happy with how it turned out. How would you react if a popular animatronic was at your birthday party at your house? I hope I had Bella react normally in this kind of situation.
I know this chapter wasn't anything exciting, but I promise that Chapter Twenty-Two will be much more. I can't say too much but all I can say is some things are best left forgotten. ;)
That's all for now. Thank you so much for reading this chapter. Constructive criticism is appreciated and I will see you guys in the next one! :)
Update: Added more content. Since Roxanne is an animatronic designed to entertain kids, she would know what isn't appropriate or not, am I right? Plus, Mihael despising Little Einsteins is based on my own hatred for the show itself.