Chapter 4

Homecoming

The hike was nearly unbearably boring and nerve wracking, but Max and Sally kept their cool as best they could. Some loose gravel almost caused Sally to trip, risking to reveal her true form, but Max's quick reflexes kept her steady.

When asked if they were okay, they kept their heads down and their answer short, which seemed to be enough, but they were still worried that they had slipped up, that something had been gleamed through a gap in their disguises. Had they still had their hearts, they would have pounded in their chests like pistons, and that irony was not lost upon them.

Finally, they reached the bus, and Max and Sally wasted no time in getting onboard and claiming the seats at the very back of the vehicle to both avoid being in direct line of sight of the others, and to keep their backs free of anyone that might want pull on their hoods as a prank.

As luck would have it, there weren't enough people to fill the bus completely, so they got to be alone in the far back. That was as much as they could afford to relax, keeping their heads down to appear to be resting so that they wouldn't be disturbed. Hopefully, that would be enough.

A few minutes later, the bus started moving, beginning the four hour trip back to town. They were so close to returning home, and yet that was their biggest fear, just what would happen when they did get home.

Having swapped numbers early during the summer camp, they used their phones to communicate via text messages, discussing what they should do next in secret.

'What do we do next?' Sally asked through the texts.

'We go to my place. It is closer to one of the stops than your. My parents are pretty open minded, and dad is a scientist of sorts.'

'Didn't you say that he worked in a store?'

'A tech store, yes. He is very good with computers and machines, and smart too. It's from him I got my nerdy side.'

'You think he can help us?'

'I hope so. It's our best shot, given our… unique circumstances.'

'I still can't believe this actually happened…'

'Me neither… but we must try and focus on what to do, rather than what happened.'

'You're right. I'm sorry. This is just… a lot to take in…'

'I know.' Max took her hand and squeezed it to show a level of support and comfort that text just couldn't convey. 'We know what to do next, but what about your family?'

'I will send them a text saying that I will be spending the night with a new friend I made at camp. It's not a lie, and it will give us some time to get our bearings on everything. I hope.'

'That's all we can do, I'm afraid.'

Taking a breathe, or at least doing something similar purely out of habit, Sally began working on the message to her family, her mother specifically.

'Hey, mom. On my way back now. Had a blast at the camp, met a lot of people, did a lot of things all the time. Small change of plans, though. I'm gonna stay over at a friend that I made. Don't worry, I'll be back home tomorrow.
Love you all.

Sally'

Adding some smilies and hearts, the message was ready to be sent, but Sally's finger hovered over the button. She hesitated, even though all she had written was true, she still felt horrible holding back the full truth.

She felt Max placing a hand on her shoulder, and looking at him, she saw a kind and understanding smile. She wasn't alone, and she had his full support, no matter what.

Steeling herself, she nodded at him, and pressed send.

It didn't take many minutes before she got a reply.

'Glad to hear it, Sally. I'm very happy that you had a great time. And you met someone that you grew that close to? Must really be someone special then. You should bring them over one day, introduce us properly.

Stay safe and have fun.

PS. Your dad and sister both say hi.

Much love, and see you soon.

Mom'

Sally covered her mouth, trying to hold back her sobs. She wanted to cry, even if she couldn't shed tears any longer. Max pulled her close in their seats, letting her lean on his shoulder.

The hours rolled by at a snail pace, and while Max knew how much Sally hurt from the risk of not being able to face her family again, he decided to learn more of them, hoping to keep her from burying herself in despair.

Not wanting to draw any attention from the others, he once again used his phone to send a text to Sally.

The small ding made her look up and check her phone.

'What's your family like? What do your parents work with?' Max text read.

Sally looked at him, and he gave her a warm smile in return, and she couldn't help but smile back. He was there for her, and he would stay at her side through it all, and for all the time they spent together at the camp, they hadn't really talked much about their respective families, other than a few quick words about Max's dad. Might as well share the info on their way to them.

'They are nice people. Mom works at a bakery. Dad's a florist. And my sister goes to high school like me. She is a year older.'

'What are their names?'

'Mom is named Jill, dad Hank, and my sister Ellen. What about your family? Any siblings?'

'Only child. Dad is named Carl, and like I told you, he works in a tech shop. My mom is named Susan, and she works as a nurse, but she used to be a theatre actress, and she's very spiritual. They may be rather different from each other, but theysomehow make it work.'

'They sound nice. I'm looking forward to meeting them. I just wish it was under better circumstances…'

'Me too, Sally. Me too. And I hope to meet your family too.'

'I'm sure they would have loved you, Max.'

'Heads up. Our stop is just ahead.'

Sally looked up, carefully glancing out the bus windows, and they were indeed in the suburbs and slowing down. She looked at Max and nodded, it was time to move on.

Gathering their things, they keep their heads down and hoods pulled as far as they could without looking too suspicious. They gave a few nods and waves as the others onboard said good bye, and as soon as they were off the bus, they began walking away from it.

But once the bus had driven on, they stopped and looked up, both trying to breathe a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing for a moment. They were almost at their destination, and luckily there weren't that many people around.

Still, that didn't mean that they wouldn't run into anyone.

As they walked towards Max's home, they would be met by the occasional jogger, kids on a bikes, and an old couple out for a walk. Each encounter was as tense as the one before, as the robotic duo did all they could to appear inconspicuous, their mechanical bodies tensing up so fiercely they thought they would lock up.

But their worst encounter came when they crossed paths with a woman and her five year old daughter, and the latter of which actually managed to see their metal faces as they passed each other.

"Mommy! Mommy! They had metal on their faces!" she called out, and Max and Sally stopped dead in their tracks, their core temperatures rising from the stress and fear.

"It's called piercings, sweetheart." the mother said without even stopping to look back at the pair. "It's like earrings, but in the rest of the face. And no, you're too small to have your own."

"Oh. Okay, mommy. But the girl looked pretty!"

Once the mother and daughter had gotten a bit further down the road, Max and Sally finally allowed themselves to vent in relief, but then they couldn't help but chuckle at the little girl's commentary.

"So I'm still pretty, huh?" Sally said softly looking over her shoulder at the mother and daughter.

"I could have told you that." said Max, patting her on the shoulder. "Come on, we're almost at my place."

The remainder of the walk went without any further issues, even if they passed a couple more people on their way, but finally they stood on the drive way to Max's family home.

It was a nice looking house with a smaller second floor and a large garage connected to the house's left side.

"That's my room up there." Max said and pointed to the only windows on the second floor, which were covered on the inside by thick curtains.

"You know, I almost guessed as much. Well, are you ready?"

"Not really…" Max vented. "But let's get this over with."

It was with great trepidation that Max walked up to the door, Sally by his side. He had already texted him parents that he was on his way back home and that he was bringing a friend, and his mother's response flashed in his mind with every step up to the door.

'Oh Max, I'm so happy that you managed to make a friend at the camp. I was praying that you would ever since you agreed to go. I know it wasn't what you had had in mind this summer, but I'm sure it was for the best in the long run and I'm glad you gave it a chance. My, I don't even think I will recognise you when you get back home, having managed to come out of your shell so much.

Oh, and we promise not to embarrass you in front of this new friend of your. You got our word on that. Once you arrive, we will call for some take out, that way your friend can pick whatever they want, our treat. Well, your father's, technically. ;P

Can't wait to see you again.

Love mom'

"Well, mom… I really hope you recognise me…" he said under his breath.

Reaching out to ring the doorbell, he stopped his hand right before it, hesitating and second-guessing himself on this.

The touch of someone's hand on his shoulder caught his attention, and he looked over to see Sally giving him a supportive smile.

They had come this far, no use in stopping now.

Max pressed the button, the doorbell rang, and they waited with mental baited breaths.

Then the door opened.

"Hi, mom..."

And they finally made it, now for the moment of truth.
Not gonna lie, writing this really tugged at the heartstrings.