CHAPTER FIVE: WARM FEELING

'This is awkward,' I thought to myself as I followed beside Roxanne to wherever she had in mind, rubbing my left hand softly, which felt numb.

I looked around to see most of the kids staring at me, and not in a positive way. They all had envious expressions plastered on their faces with some of them having comical pouty faces as if they had lost the candy lottery. I could only stare at them awkwardly, not even knowing what to say.

"Mom, why is that guy hanging around Roxy? He's too old!"

"What makes him so special? He's creepy!"

"It's not fair!"

"What's up with Roxy? Why is she smiling so hard standing next to that guy?"

The awkwardness I felt washed away like dried dirt upon hearing what the kids were saying. I gave them a slight glare, not pleased with the insults thrown at me. It was bad enough getting those kinds of stupid insults thrown at me at school, but it was a much different case when it came to little kids. What people said about kids were right; kids can be cruel.

At the same time, I couldn't blame them for feeling that way. I had a feeling that some of those kids dreamed of getting to spend alone time with Roxanne Wolf, no doubt one of the most popular animatronics in the Pizzaplex. I had no doubt that if we were in an anime, most of those kids would come charging at me with a knife since some of them had that crazy yandere look in their eyes.

"Hello?" I heard Roxanne say. I shook my head, snapping myself back to reality. I focused my full attention on Roxanne, who had a slightly annoyed look on her face. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Uh, no I didn't, sorry," I replied, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly, trying to ignore the glares of the kids. "What was it that you said to me that I missed?"

The annoyed expression vanished from her face, being replaced with a small smirk.

"I said what do you want to do?" she said.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I have nothing in mind."

Roxanne chuckled. "Well, I can think of one. How about we finish that little conversation we had yesterday? I would love to hear all about that little race you had."

My eyes widened at that. Out of all the things she would pick, it was the conversation we had yesterday, picking it up at the part where I only mentioned winning a 3-lap race. At the same time, I shouldn't be surprised by that. After all, her attraction, which still wasn't opened to the public yet for some odd reason, was all race-themed. Of course, that was something Roxanne would be more interested in.

I quickly collected myself. "As I said yesterday, it was a 3-lap race where I ran on a track. I'm not sure if you can call that racing, but I guess there's a slight similarity to it."

She elbowed me softly. "Still, I bet it was a fantastic feat you performed. How many were you up against?"

I shrugged. "About like 8 other students, many of them a lot fitter than me. They exercise every day to get as big as they do. I do exercises here and there, but not as much as the other kids, mainly in private. I always found it awkward when other people watch me do workouts, even in public."

Roxanne's eyes sparkled. It was clear that she was enjoying it very much. It was odd, to say the least, but at the same time, I guess it was also nice to have someone pay so much attention. Maybe I would be feeling a little differently if it was a living person and not an animatronic. It was nice, nonetheless.

"Did you win anything else?" she asked, her tone intrigued.

I shook my head. "No, that was pretty much it. That was the only one."

"Why is that?" Roxanne asked, tilting her head to her right in a curious fashion.

"Quite simple really," I replied. "I wasn't into silly tournaments or races of the sort. Sure, it's nice to win, but there are people out there who don't take kindly to losing. Some of them might even become violent over it.

"The only reason I participated in that 3-lap race was because one of the kids at my school kept bragging about how he was faster than everyone. He was at that crap nonstop, constantly teasing and berating anyone who would fail on trying to beat him in a race during recess. I got sick of him treating all the kids like crap the way he did and decided to participate in it in the hopes to put him in his place.

"I trained myself hard for months to make sure I would succeed. I was determined to take him down. Even though I never got along with the kids at the school, I despised how they were treated by that little prick.

"The race took place on the track behind the school on the 2nd of March. Everyone was there to watch who would become the victor. The kid was surprised that I was participating in it. He mocked me for my 'stupidity' as he called it. I kept my cool and waited for the signal. When the race began, I gave it my all.

"I never ran so fast down a track in my life. Even as my lungs burned, I kept going. When I came in 1st, the kid, who happened to win 3rd, was dumbstruck at his loss. All of that backbreaking training paid off greatly. He became a laughingstock for the rest of the school year. He NEVER did anything like that again."

Roxanne stared at me for a moment, no doubt processing everything I told her. I waited for her response. I didn't know what to expect from her. Either from her congratulating me on my victory or laughing at how that little prick lost to someone like me, a stupid, little, nobody. The anticipation was starting to become agonizing.

A small chuckle escaped Roxanne's mouth before she suddenly began laughing loudly, catching the attention of a few people. I felt my face warm up slightly from all the staring.

"Serves that kid right!" she exclaimed in between her fits of loud laughter. "What a loser!"

I shrugged. "He was, to begin with."

Roxanne began to regain herself, a few chuckles escaping her. "Of course, he is. All that bragging and yet, he still lost to a winner like you."

I arched my right eyebrow, a small smirk forming on my face. "You don't take kindly to losers. That much is clear in the short time I've known you."

"Why, of course," she said pridefully. "Nobody likes a loser."

'If so, nothing wrong with that,' I thought to myself. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm getting kind of bored by just chatting. Do you have anything in mind that we can do?"

Roxanne thought for a moment before her face lit up. "Why don't we play some arcade games?"

My eyes widened at that, excitement flowing throughout my body. I snapped my fingers, pointing my left index at her.

"You son of a bitch, I'm in!" I exclaimed.

"And I win yet again!" I exclaimed as I crossed the finish line, throwing my arms up in the air.

"Darn it!" Roxanne exclaimed angrily. I chuckled at her response. I got up from the seat of my respective console. Roxanne did the same shortly afterward.

Roxanne and I had been playing the arcade game 'Roxy Raceway' for God knows how long. Since Roxanne Wolf was designed and programmed to be good at racing, she was expecting to beat me very easily when she suggested we played that first. What she probably didn't expect however was to go against someone who has played games like this so many times, knowing all the tools and secrets as well. It was very hilarious to see her grow angrier with each loss.

I couldn't blame her for getting mad at losing on her very own arcade game. Racing was something she was passionate about so to lose to someone like me had to be a bit embarrassing for her. At the same time, it was hard not to laugh at her looking like she was about to detonate like a bomb in anger at any second.

She crossed her arms, giving me a slight glare. "How are you so good at this?"

I smirked. "Years of practice. I've been playing video games from an early age and got really good at them over the years. I'm not the best player in the world, but I'm one of the best."

"More like very lucky," Roxanne retorted.

I chuckled. "Don't get so upset about it. Keep on practicing, and you'll be even better than before."

"A winner shouldn't lose that easily," Roxanne retorted.

I shook my head. That wasn't true. I knew a few legends who won a respectable number of times and yet, they suffered some losses. To see this filled me with disgust. At the same time, I understood it was a part of her programming to be like that.

"Hey, even the greatest of athletes and gamers suffer losses," I said. "To always be the winner can get tiring and they hunger for a real challenge."

Roxanne pouted. I couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

"Cheer up,' I said. "Let's try another one."

"How are you this good?!" Roxanne declared as I hit the mole with my hammer before she could. I smirked at her frustration.

After dominating her in her own arcade game, Roxanne suggested we play 'Whac-A-Mole', an old-style arcade game that was created in Japan back in 1975 under the names 'Mogura Taiji' or 'Magura Tataki'. It was a simple game that even little kids could win. I believed that was the reason Roxanne suggested it. What she didn't expect was for me to have a faster reaction time than her at this game than her.

I hit the last mole and the results came in. The score was 15, which was me, to 4, which was Roxanne.

"Good game, Roxanne," I said, trying to be a good sport. Roxanne wasn't amused.

"There's no way you're this good," she growled slightly.

"As I said, I've played games at a very young age," I said with a small chuckle. "When you play games for that long, you get better and better."

"This is so dumb," she grumbled. I chuckled once again.

"Then, why don't you watch me play something?" I suggested. "That way, you don't have to go through the humiliation of defeat once more."

Roxanne glared at me, but I laughed. That was all I needed to know the answer to that question.

"Left, right, up, down, right, left, down up," I repeated out loud as I quickly tapped and slammed the correct buttons for the highest score on 'Fazbear Dance Floor'. The level I was playing happened to be the hardest level in the game with the highest score being only 98% completed without messing up. Though I couldn't check behind me so as to not mess up, the familiar feeling of multiple eyes on me was very present.

I never thought it would be possible in my life, but as I played, I could hear people cheering me on. Some of them sounded anxious, some of them sounded excited, etc. Even Roxanne Wolf was cheering me on.

A rush of happiness flooded my heart, along with a sense of pride. I was used to people always mocking me for things like this. Having this happen was a whiff of fresh air.

I immediately slammed my right foot on the right arrow, completing the sequence. I cried out in victory as the satisfying words '100% Complete!' appeared on the screen. The crowd behind me roared loudly in cheers, congratulating me. I turned around to see.

About 8 different families were clapping for me, many of them with huge smiles on their faces, children were jumping up and down in the air like cheerleaders, and some teenagers were patting me on the back.

Roxanne walked over to me with a prideful smile on her face.

"Not bad, Mihael," she said, her tone matching the smile. "I never thought I would get to see someone beat that level without messing up."

I smiled with pride. "As I said before, years of playing and practice can get you just about anywhere in the world if you put mind and soul into it."

A familiar vibration in my right pocket wiped the smile off my face. I pulled out my flip phone to see it was my mom calling me. I flipped it open and pressed the green phone button.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hi, boo-boo," my mom said. I resisted the urge to groan at that stupid nickname.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," I said, deadpan. I could hear a few people laughing in the background. I ignored them. "Anyway, what's up?"

"I need you to come meet me at the cafe," she replied. "You've been gone for a little over an hour."

My eyes widened slightly. Did an hour fly by that quickly? I guess it did since I wasn't paying attention to the time while hanging out with Roxanne. I guess it flies by very quickly when you have a lot of fun.

"If you say so," I said. "I'll be there quickly."

"See you then, Mihael," she said, quickly followed by the familiar beeping. I put the phone in my pocket before turning my attention to Roxanne.

"That was my mom," I said. "I have to get going."

A small disappointed expression formed on her face. That hurt me a little for some reason. I was starting to have fun, but when time's up, time's up. You can't stay at establishments like this forever. I couldn't help but get the feeling Roxanne wanted me to stay a little longer. Rules are rules, unfortunately.

I began to walk away before I felt something grab onto my arm. I looked to see Roxanne holding onto my arm with her hand. I stared at her for a moment.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. She quickly collected herself. "Why don't I go with you? Your mother would be wondering why you were going back by yourself without me."

I stared at her, debating whether that was a good idea or not. On one hand, I was 15 years old so the chances of me getting nabbed were very slim or close to impossible. A lot of the kids that suddenly went missing were around the ages between 5 and 10. I was way beyond that category.

On the other hand, it made somewhat sense as I was supposed to be hanging out with her. If I went to the cafe by myself, my mother would jump to conclusions, like she sometimes did. No doubt that would lead me into trouble. By being with her, I would most likely get to hang out with her again in the future.

"Okay, if you say so," I said. Roxanne let go of my arm. We left the arcade and headed in the direction of the cafe.

"And my sister was so embarrassed by the whole event, she made me swear I would never tell anyone, but here I am, telling you pretty much everything," I finished, a small chuckle escaping me as I recounted an embarrassing story of a silly mishap that happened to Lisa a few years back.

Roxanne burst into a huge fit of laughter, the intensity of it was loud enough for almost everyone in the Lobby to hear her. "That's hilarious! I can see why she didn't want you telling anyone about it!"

I chuckled some more, my eyes trained on her. "So true. I think about that incident on a few rare occasions. I even bring the incident up a few times, much to her annoyance, of course."

"What kind of brother are you?" she asked in between her giggles.

"Like any other brother in the world," I replied. "There isn't a single brother out there who hasn't teased their own siblings from time-to-time. It's just how it is."

"Are all siblings like that?" she asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Not all of them, but a mass majority do this all the time, either to tease them or just get a reaction out of them."

Roxanne rolled her eyes. I chuckled at that. I expected such from someone who doesn't have siblings, considering she's an animatronic mascot. People who didn't have or grew up with siblings would see it as picking on them, and not in a good way. Not that I could blame anyone for thinking as such. I would've done the same if I didn't grow up with Lisa.

I looked ahead to see the cafe where my mother was waiting for me. Just in time, she looked in my direction and smiled. She got up and stepped out of the cafe, walking over to us.

"There you are," she said. "Where've you been?"

"We were at the arcade," I replied. "I lost track of the time. I'm sorry."

She chuckled. "It's okay. What's important is that you're here all safe and sound."

I gave her a deadpan expression. "Even if something happened, you know I can take care of myself."

"I know, but you know why I have to worry about you, right?" she said. I nodded in understanding.

I shouldn't be feeling annoyed whatsoever, but I was. Ever since the disappearances, the strict guidelines my father came up with had prohibited a lot of the freedoms we had. Losing your child is any parent's worst nightmare so my mother worrying about me and having to be at the cafe at a certain time was understandable.

"Alright, say goodbye to Roxy, Mihael," she said. "It's time to head home."

I turned my attention back to Roxanne, who had a small frown on her face. I didn't know why, but seeing that frown on her face hurt me a little bit.

"I guess this is where we part ways, Roxanne," I said slowly.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, her tone sad. I arched my right eyebrow at that.

"What's got you so upset?" I asked stupidly, kinda knowing why she is upset.

"You're leaving," she replied quickly. "It would be nice if you could stay a little longer."

I was slightly taken aback, though I was suspecting as such. What was so special about me? I wasn't very rich, fancy, handsome, or anything. Just plain old ordinary. There were a lot of people that would be much more worthy of her precious time than me. I beat up my bullies, am pessimistic, have terrible issues with anger, etc. Why me?

I shrugged. "Yeah, but I have a life outside of this-" I hesitated for a moment, "-this establishment. I'm very sure there are plenty of people here that would go crazy to spend time with you."

"True, but I wished I had more time with you," Roxanne replied, rubbing her right arm.

"Yeah," I said awkwardly, not sure what to say to that. I rolled my eyes to see a few people watching.

My cheeks warmed up a little. I tried to think of anything that could help with the situation. I'd never been in a situation like this before. This was all so alien to me like I was discovering something new for the first time.

"Don't worry, Roxy," my mother said suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. "It's not like you're not going to see Mihael again. You know full well we come here almost every day. In fact, we will be coming back tomorrow after Lisa gets out of school. You'll have plenty of time to hang out with Mihael then."

A smile spread across Roxanne's face, her eyes lighting up with hope. Judging from the slight trembling of her body, I could tell it was taking everything she had to keep herself under control. As much as I had fun with her today, I didn't want to constantly see her every day. It would get very old and annoying over time. I just knew it.

"That's right," she beamed, her smile turning sweet. She turned her attention to me. "Have a great rest of your day, Mihael. I can't wait to see you again tomorrow."

I felt my heart stop, my cheeks turning warm in response. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't understand why she was so excited to see me tomorrow. There were plenty of people better than me, so why me? I couldn't wrap my head around this.

Something poked me at my side, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked to see my mother motioning with her head, no doubt telling me to say something. I awkwardly smiled as I turned my attention back to Roxanne.

"Yeah," I said awkwardly before clearing my throat. "See you tomorrow, Roxanne."

She beamed brightly at that. With that, my mother and I turned and headed toward the exit. As we walked over to the exit, a thought crossed my mind, one that nearly made me stop in my tracks, my insides turning ice cold.

'My dad will be coming home from work soon… and he doesn't know my mother and I came here!'

Since the Pizzaplex opened 2 years ago, I would get dragged here with my family, but it was different this time as it was just my mom and I. The thought of my dad being at the house before us while we were at the Pizzaplex sent a chill down my spine. I could only hope that we get home before my father does.

We pulled into the driveway of our house and Mom turned off the engine. I checked to see if my father's car was in the driveway, hoping that he was still at the station. I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw his car in the driveway.

'This is going to be the death of us all,' I thought to myself. 'I just know it.'

We stepped out of the car, slamming the doors shut beside us. We walked down the path that led to the front door. My heart began to beat faster, making it harder for me to maintain my nerves. My dad was one who could terrify a demon with his calm, collected anger. I would take the demon than my dad.

We approached the front door and my mother reached for the knob. I took slow, deep breaths to keep the anxiety at bay.

'Keep it together, Mihael,' I thought to myself as she opened the door. We stepped inside, me closing the door behind us. I felt my heart drop at the sight of my father standing in the center of the living room with his arms crossed, not looking too pleased.

"Hey, Dad, how's it going?" I asked slowly in a stupid, squeaky, nervous voice. "Nice day, huh?"

My father didn't say anything. He continued to stare at me with that displeased look plastered on his face. It didn't help he was just standing there still as a statue. So much so that it looked like he wasn't even breathing.

"Dad, I just wanted to say… um…" I stammered. He narrowed his eyes at me. I squeaked. "ItwasallMom'sidea! She didn't like how I was being negative about the concept of having friends so she came up with the stupid idea of-"

I stopped as a smirk formed on my father's face. A few chuckled escaped him before he began laughing uncontrollably, clutching his belly as he did. I stood there, still as a statue as I tried to process what the hell was happening in front of my eyes.

My father calmed down, wiping away the tears from his eyes.

"Oh, you should've seen your face, son," he said, a small smile on his face. "You thought I was going to flip out. Don't worry, I know everything. Your mother called me as soon as you went in the shower to tell me you and her were heading to the Pizzaplex. Normally, I wouldn't have approved of the idea, but after she told me what happened, I figured it was about time you made a friend and clean up that attitude of yours."

I blinked a few times as the words echoed in my head. Relief and shock washed over me. Relieved that I wasn't going to have it and shocked that my mother told him beforehand. At the same time, I shouldn't be shocked that my mother informed my father about it first. She knew all too well what would've happened if she didn't do so. Basically, I fret over nothing.

"Well," I said before clearing my throat. "I should've expected as such. At least I get to see another day."

"So, what do you think of her now?" asked a familiar voice. I looked to see Lisa walking down the stairs with a big smile on her face. She was in pajamas and looked like she just came out of the shower. "Do you still dislike her or do you feel like the both of you can be friends?"

I gave her a deadpan expression. Okay, maybe she wasn't as bad as I expected her to be, but that didn't mean I didn't dislike her any less. Roxanne Wolf was fun, that was a fact, but being friends with an animatronic still didn't sit right with me a little.

I facepalmed. "We are not gonna talk about this, Lisa. And even if I wanted to, I still don't think it's possible for me to become friends with a mascot, especially one who is mega popular."

Everyone sighed loudly at that reply, annoyance clearly present. I really couldn't blame them for being annoyed. I would be annoyed as well, but I was annoyed for a different reason. I get that they wanted me to make friends, but if I was finally going to, I wasn't going to do it to satisfy them.

"Now, if you all can excuse me, I'm heading to my room," I said while taking off my shoes. With that, I walked over to the stairs, walking past Lisa as I went up. I went down the hall that led until I reached my door.

I opened the door, closing it behind me slowly. I changed out of the clothes I was wearing and walked over to the dresser. I opened it, searching for any pajamas to wear. I grabbed a tank top and a pair of blue shorts, clothing that was simple. I put them on and closed the dresser. I walked to the bed before I leaped into the air, falling flat on my back.

I looked at the ceiling, thinking about what happened today at the Pizzaplex. I had fun, I couldn't deny that. I expected it to end in disaster, but it went the opposite way. It made it better with how I managed to best Roxanne in a lot of the games we played.

I chuckled at that the memories. It was pretty funny seeing her getting frustrated and all. Roxanne definitely underestimated me, allowing herself to get destroyed that way.

I thought about that sweet smile she gave me before my mother and I walked out of the Pizzaplex, along with Lisa asking if I felt like Roxanne and I could be friends. I felt my chest grow warm at the memory. I rested my hands on my chest as the feeling grew, a wave of happiness washing over me.

'Is this what it feels like? To have someone I could one day finally consider a friend?' I thought to myself, my body tingling at the question. I felt a smile form on my face as I squirmed on my bed, my eyes beginning to water at the overwhelming intensity of it all. 'If so, I don't want to let this feeling go. Ever.'

Author's Note:

After months of waiting, Chapter Five is finally here! :D

This one had to be my toughest one yet. I had a very hard time trying to figure out how I wanted this chapter to go and which events I wanted to take place. I really do apologize if this chapter wasn't the greatest. I did my best. It didn't help that I was trying to take better care of myself, along with personal issues getting in the way as well.

As for the ending, I know Mihael was going back and forth with his thoughts, but keep in mind, he's never had a friend before since he was used to all the crap he had to go through throughout his childhood. Him thinking about what happened to him, along with him not wanting to let go of that feeling is a sign of him potentially coming to terms with it.

That's all for now. Keep an eye for Chapter Six, all constructive criticism is appreciated and I will see you guys next time! :)