Tuesday, April 18, 1995
It was slightly past 6:00 PM and William, Evan, and Mangle were all waiting patiently around the dinner table, on which were numerous plates and bowls containing taco shells, tortillas, and various toppings. Before long, Michael emerged from the kitchen carrying a cooking pot filled with ground beef. He placed it down in the middle of the table, in-between all of the toppings, and then took a seat.
As they all busied themselves with making their preferred taco combination, William asked, "So, how has everyone's day been?"
"It's been pretty okay on my end," Michael replied with a shrug. "I just went to some classes and then hung out with my friends."
"And I spent most of my day studying political economy and game theory," Mangle replied enthusiastically.
"As for me, I've continued my work on VANN," Evan responded, suppressing a smile.
The vixen let out a stifled laugh as she smiled at the sixteen-year-old. She knew he wanted some prodding before making his reveal. "And?"
A smile finally crept onto Evan's face and he said, "And I received a call from Doctor Stanek. MIT has accepted our offer."
Michael blinked. "Wait… so you're going to MIT?"
With a proud grin, Mangle replied, "We're both going, yeah!"
"Well then, it seems celebrations are in order," William said as he got out of his seat, regarding both Evan and Mangle with pride. "Michael, be a good boy and fetch us some Champagne glasses, would you?"
"Sure," Michael replied with a smile before getting out of his seat and walking over to the kitchen.
William, meanwhile, strode over to the entrance and left through the front door. Before long, Michael returned and placed four tall wine glasses on the table before returning to his seat. William then came back through the front door, carrying a bottle of Champagne. He approached the table, and once he was close enough that everyone could see him, he leaned the bottle towards the entrance. Then, with a smirk, he expertly removed the foil and the wire cage surrounding the cork, and with a pop, the cork itself was sent flying, bouncing harmlessly off of the ceiling before falling down on the floor.
With that done, William went around the table, pouring everyone a glass before taking a seat. He then held up his glass in a toast to the sixteen-year-old and the vixen and said, "To Evan and Mangle! You have both made me more proud than I have ever been in my life, and I wish you nothing but success in all of your endeavors!"
Forcing a smile, Michael similarly held up his glass to them. "To Evan and Mangle!"
"Thank you," Evan replied with a smile as he raised his glass to William and then did the same half-heartedly to Michael.
"Yes, seriously, William! Thank you!" Mangle said with a chuckle as she raised her glass to both William and Michael. "We wouldn't be here had it not been for your guidance and encouragement!"
"Don't mention it, my dear," William replied before taking a sip of Champagne.
"I suppose all that remains now is to make the proper arrangements to ensure that I can graduate this year," Evan noted. Recalling what happened on Valentine's Day, he took only a small, careful sip from his glass. "Of course, that shouldn't be particularly difficult."
"You know," Michael began. "If you're going to be graduating early, maybe you should consider going to a school event other than a science fair. You know, just so you can get at least one authentic high school experience."
Evan cocked an eyebrow. "Such as?"
"How about watching a football game?" Michael suggested.
The sixteen-year-old rolled his eyes. "Yes, because watching a mob of imbeciles playing with a ball is so worth my time."
"Okay, well, what about…" Michael paused to think. "What about prom? That's coming up soon."
Evan laughed. "Prom?! Why in the world would I ever waste my time on something so frivolous and idiotic?"
Mangle then spoke up. "Actually… I'd kind of like to go to prom…"
The sixteen-year-old's demeanor changed completely upon hearing that. Regarding her with a look of sympathy, he said, "Mangle… I'm sorry to say this, but it wouldn't be an enjoyable experience for you. None of my classmates consider you to be a real person, and so you'd be treated as some… doll I brought because I couldn't find a date."
Michael opened his mouth, seemingly to object, only to close it again. He then let out a sigh and said, "As much as I hate to admit it, Evan's right. High school kids are incredibly vicious at times, especially when it comes to things like this."
Mangle looked down at her plate with a frown, her ears pinned back against her head. "No… No, you're right." She let out a mournful sigh. "I just… I just really like the idea of it, you know?"
Evan regarded the vixen with a tenderness that was reserved for her alone. He could tell that this thing that he had dismissed so thoughtlessly as frivolous was indeed important to her. He took her hand and squeezed it affectionately, and said, "Don't worry, Mangle. We'll do something else that's fun instead."
The vixen hummed dejectedly in response.
The sixteen-year-old knew at that moment that he had to do everything in his power to arrange for something special for her.
Saturday, April 29, 1995
Mangle let out a wistful sigh.
Today was prom day in Hurricane, a fact she knew because the news wouldn't stop talking about it. And although Evan had promised her that they were going to do something fun today to help take her mind off of it, he had been away for most of the day to take a driving test.
Of course, she could tell that this test was fairly significant given how much time Evan had spent this week practicing driving. Even so, Mangle wished that he could've made more time for her considering that there was this ever-present build-up towards an event that she wasn't allowed to go to. But she made do as best as she could, spending the vast majority of her time studying alone by herself.
It wasn't until around dinner time that Evan finally returned. She heard him entering the barn while she was reading, and between being invested in her book and feeling a little annoyed at him for leaving her alone all day on a day like this, she didn't bother to look at him.
"Hello, Mangle. How has your day been so far?" He greeted her almost nonchalantly.
"It's been fine, I suppose," Mangle replied bitingly.
She could hear him step over to her. "I have a surprise for you."
Her interest piqued, the vixen finally took her eyes off of her book and saw that Evan was carrying a large rectangular gift box and regarding her with a big smile on his face.
"Wh-what's this?" Mangle asked confusedly as he handed her the box.
"Why don't you open it and see for yourself?" Evan replied with a playful smirk.
She did so and was surprised to find an absolutely beautiful and elegant pink dress inside.
Speechless, the vixen looked up at the sixteen-year-old, who smiled fondly at her and said, "It's a prom dress."
Mangle's eyes began to well up with tears as she finally understood that the practice drives this week and today's test had all been a ruse. "Y-y-you're taking me to prom?"
Evan cringed slightly. "Not quite," he admitted. "While I did consider it briefly, I know for certain that my small-minded classmates would just end up ruining the experience for you, and so I decided to do the next best thing—arrange a private prom just for the two of us."
"Oh Evan…" She regarded the sixteen-year-old with incredible fondness as her tail began to wag. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it, Mangle," he replied with a warm smile. "Now, why don't I help you get dressed before the next surprise gets here?"
The vixen blinked. "There's another surprise?"
"Oh yes," Evan replied with a glint in his eye. "I've made quite a few arrangements for today."
Mangle giggled. "Well, you certainly know how to get a girl excited."
"I do try," Evan replied with a playful smile.
As much as Mangle would've loved to go to a real prom, she had to admit that the sixteen-year-old was almost certainly right in his assessment, and a private one held just between the two of them was undeniably the only viable alternative. And an interesting one at that.
The vixen undressed and then, with some help from Evan, put on the dress she had been given. And while putting it on, she looked over at her clothes rack, at the pink strapless leotard with a rose-colored sash and golden frills around its waist—the first piece of clothing she had ever worn that now served as a memento for one of the happiest days in her life. Like the dress she was now donning, it was one fit for a fairytale princess—a look she had eschewed in favor of something more stylish that she knew would garner her more respect from others. While her feelings on this matter hadn't changed, it did feel fitting that now, close to the end of her adolescence, she would dress like a princess one final time on this special day before setting that look aside for good.
Once she had put on the dress, Mangle went over to the full-length mirror and turned around to see how she looked. What she saw put a big smile on her face.
Turning to Evan and fluttering her eyelashes at him, she asked, "How do I look?"
"Absolutely gorgeous," he replied, smiling affectionately at her.
The vixen giggled profusely at this. Few things made her feel as good about herself as feeling beautiful, especially in his eyes.
Evan checked his watch. "Now, Michael's friends should arrive momentarily to help you do your hair and claws, so I'll leave for now."
"Oh my god, really?" The vixen asked incredulously. Given how much he despised Michael's friends, it was a little hard to believe that he would actually ask for their help. Then again, he probably asked Michael to ask on his behalf. Even so, it was really sweet of him. "Evan, thank you!"
"Don't mention it, Mangle," he replied. "Enjoy your… makeover now. I'll have dinner ready by 7:30."
With that, he took his leave and Mangle, her tail wagging behind her, returned her attention to the full-length mirror to admire the dress he had gotten for her. The one advantage of being an animatronic was that Evan knew her exact measurements, and so could get something made that fit her perfectly as a surprise.
Before long, there was a knock on the barn door. Smiling to herself, Mangle went over to open it and was met with three familiar faces.
"Hey! If it isn't our favorite robot!" Ashley grinned.
"Hey, girl! Long time no see!" Greeted Zoey, who was carrying a large bag.
"Hi!" Becky greeted with a polite smile.
"Hi, girls!" Mangle replied with a delighted giggle. "It's so nice to see you all again! How have you been?"
"Same old, same old. Just doing our best to get through college," Ashley replied. "Speaking of which, we heard you're actually going to college too."
"That I am," the vixen replied, beaming with pride. "All of the major colleges have been clamoring to get Evan to enroll with them, so it was just a simple matter of using that leverage to get them to allow me to enroll with him as a proper student."
"It really is quite impressive," said Becky. "Not only is it an incredibly big deal for you, personally, but this is going to be a historical milestone that people are going to look back on decades, perhaps even centuries from now."
"Well, I do like the idea of becoming a historical figure one day," Mangle mused with a playful smile. "Anyway, why don't you come inside?"
"Yeah, and we should probably get started on your makeover so that you're ready in time," Zoey said.
The three young women entered the barn, and as they did, they all looked around in wonder. Their reaction was hardly surprising, given that the interior looked like a mix of a teen girl's bedroom, a nerdy clubhouse, and a high-tech workshop.
"Whoa!" Ashley exclaimed as she took in her surroundings.
"This is incredible," mumbled Becky to herself as she slowly walked over to the workshop area, at the other end of the barn.
Seeing this, Mangle said, "Hey, whatever you do, don't touch any parts, tools, or devices. Evan really doesn't like it when other people touch his things!"
"Oh my god!" Zoey squealed out loud. "Girls! Girls! Come over here! You gotta see this!"
Mangle turned around and saw that Zoey was admiring the photo wall, which was covered in almost a decade's worth of photographs of Evan and the vixen, practically documenting their whole life together.
"Wow! Cute," Ashley said as she approached the photo wall.
"Nah, girl! This ain't 'cute'—it's fucking adorable!" Zoey said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with Zoey on this one," Becky said as she looked over the photos. She turned and smiled at the vixen. "This collection is beautiful, Mangle! Definitely another one for the history books."
The vixen's smile grew wider upon hearing that, and her tail began to wag faster than before. As much as she wanted to be treated like any other girl her age, she did take immense pleasure in feeling special. It was only fitting, after all, since objectively speaking, she was special.
"Aah! We gotta stop getting distracted!" Zoey exclaimed as she shook her head. Pulling herself away from the photo wall, she trudged over to one of the workbenches and placed her bag on top of it. "Let's get your hair and nails done first, and then we can look at the photos."
"Sure," Mangle said, nodding in agreement. "But, um… are you sure you know how to do my hair? It's not exactly natural."
"Oh, dontcha worry about that, girl," Zoey replied, beaming with pride and confidence. "Your girl Zoey here knows how to work with both natural and synthetic hair, so I gotcha covered!"
Mangle smiled to herself. It really did feel like she was in safe hands.
"Now let's get this makeover started!" Ashley cheered.
Over the course of almost two hours, Zoey, Ashley, and Becky made Mangle a loose mermaid braid, fluffed up and curled the fur on her tail, touched up her natural makeup to give the colors a sharper contrast, and gave her a manicure and painted her claws so that it looked like their edges were covered in molten gold. In addition, they taught her how to do most of these things by herself.
By the time they were done, it was almost 7:30 PM, and so Mangle bade them farewell and they wished her good luck.
The vixen spent about five minutes admiring her new look in the mirror. She really did look like a princess!
With a delighted giggle, she left the barn and walked over to the house. As she opened the front door, she was met with the mouth-watering smell of rib eye steak and the sound of a relaxing R&B song. The interior was lit entirely by candlelight, creating an incredibly cozy and intimate atmosphere.
Mangle entered and closed the door behind her, and once she reached the dining room, Evan came out of the kitchen to greet her. He wore a tuxedo with a purple silk bow tie, which made him look so handsome, and the moment he laid his eyes on her, he looked absolutely stunned.
After a moment of taking in her new look, the sixteen-year-old finally said, "Mangle! You look absolutely incredible!"
"Why thank you. You don't look so bad, yourself," the vixen replied with a playful giggle as her tail swished from side to side.
"Oh, well, naturally. It wouldn't do if I didn't dress the part, now would it?" Evan replied with a lighthearted smirk. "Now, why don't you take a seat while I fetch our dinner?"
"Sure," the vixen replied and then sat down at the table.
Her tail wagged in anticipation of whatever special dinner the sixteen-year-old had cooked up for her.
Before long, Evan returned with two warm plates, each of which held a large rib eye steak, a generous helping of pan-fried potatoes, and baked bacon wrapped asparagus, with Bordelaise sauce drizzled on top of it all. It looked and smelled so good! He set the plates down on the table, and Mangle really had to resist the urge to dig in as she waited for the sixteen-year-old to bring out whatever they were going to drink. It proved to be well-worth the wait when he reemerged from the kitchen carrying a large glass jug filled with homemade pink lemonade and plenty of ice.
He smiled affectionately at her as he poured her a glass. He then poured himself a glass before sitting down and saying, "Bon appétit."
With a grin, Mangle eagerly grabbed her knife and fork and cut into the steak. It was well-done—just the way she liked it. Once she had cut out a piece she quickly thrust it into her mouth and then murmured in absolute bliss. She then tried the potatoes and a piece of bacon wrapped asparagus.
Evan had taken the time and made the effort to cook them all to perfection, just for her.
He watched her with an amused smile. "I take it you like it?"
"Oh, Evan," she practically moaned. "This is the best meal I've ever had."
"I'm very glad to hear that," the sixteen-year-old replied, looking quite proud of himself. "You do deserve the best, after all. Especially on a day like this."
She giggled in delight and then went back to eating her food. In-between bites, she asked, "So, since this is supposed to be our own prom, where are we going to dance?"
"All in due time, Mangle. All in due time," Evan replied with a knowing smile.
After enjoying the best meal she had ever had, Mangle was treated to a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream, sprinkles, nuts, and a cherry. And once they were done eating, Evan put all of the dishes away in the dishwasher while occasionally checking his watch.
"It should be here any minute now," he muttered to himself. Then, with a smirk, he said, "Come. Let's go outside."
Mangle giggled knowingly to herself. She had an inkling of what he was waiting for. After all, a prom needed a location and a way to get there.
"Sure," she replied playfully as she followed Evan to the entrance. "Though, don't you think it'd be a good idea to blow out all of these candles first?"
The sixteen-year-old froze and then cringed. Turning to the vixen with an uncharacteristically embarrassed expression, he said, "Ah, yes… O-of course."
Mangle let out another giggle. He was so preoccupied with giving her the perfect prom experience that he forgot something so simple, yet important. It really was quite cute.
After going around and blowing out all of the candles, the two finally left the house, with Evan locking the front door.
As they went to the driveway, Mangle looked up at the sky. The sun was by now well below the horizon and night was beginning to fall.
"So… did you get us a limo?" The vixen asked with a playful grin.
"That would be telling, wouldn't it?" Evan replied with a smirk and a glint in his eye.
Before long, a black 1987 Cadillac Brougham limousine pulled up into the driveway. While the vixen had certainly anticipated something like this, actually seeing it was a completely different thing. This, along with everything else this evening had all been like a dream come true.
"Do you mind waiting here for a moment while I go talk to the driver?" Evan asked.
Mangle smiled affectionately at him. "Not at all."
She then watched him trudge over to the driver's window. She knew, of course, what Evan was going to say. He was going to tell the chauffeur what she was and to act normal. It was the kind of thing that she didn't like to think about, but was an unfortunate necessity when they had to deal with most other humans.
Evan then returned with a polite, yet somewhat forced smile. "Come on, let's get inside."
He opened the passenger's door and ushered her into the vehicle, and she entered it with great excitement. After all, she had never seen the inside of a limo before. At least not outside of movies and TV shows.
The interior was simultaneously cozy and luxurious, with one pair of seats at the back and another pair at the opposite end of the passenger section, and in-between was a minibar as well as a TV and a VCR.
As she took it all in, Mangle sat down in the back seat, with Evan sitting down next to her. Once the sixteen-year-old had closed the door, the chauffeur began to drive out of the driveway.
Evan smiled at her. "Would you like something to drink?"
Mangle smiled back at him. She was hoping that he would ask. "Sure!"
He fetched a can of coke from the minibar, opened it, and then poured its contents into two tall wine glasses. He handed her one of them and then held up the other in a toast.
"To friendship," he said with a smile as he regarded her with the utmost affection.
As much as hearing that stung, Mangle reminded herself that their friendship wasn't like any other. It was a bond that ran so much deeper than most could ever hope to understand, a bond that transcended the very limits of reality itself. And even if the way they felt about each other differed, she knew that they both loved each other more than anything in the whole world.
She smiled back at him and raised her glass. "To friendship."
As they drove through town, Evan and Mangle held hands and leaned into each other as they enjoyed their drink. It was a moment that was almost perfect, were it not for the chauffeur, who occasionally eyed her through the rearview mirror—looking at her as if she was some kind of alien, something that simply didn't belong in this world.
Being looked at that way hurt, but she had grown used to it by now and tried her best to ignore it.
Finally, they reached their destination—a two-story house at the outskirts of town. Once the limo had come to a stop, Evan got out of the vehicle and offered his hand in assistance to Mangle as she was about to get out. She smiled and took his hand, though she didn't actually use it to support herself as she exited the limo. After all, his human arm couldn't handle that.
Evan then closed the door and led Mangle by the hand towards the house while the limo drove off.
"Where exactly are we?" Mangle asked.
"Ramón's residence," Evan replied. "He's given us permission to use his backyard. He's going to be helping out at the school prom, so we have this place for ourselves for the whole night."
The vixen smiled to herself. Despite the way Ramón had treated her and the other animatronics at Freddy's, he had gone above and beyond the line of duty to make it up to her.
Evan led her around the house and towards the backyard. She was completely taken aback when she finally saw it.
The entrance of the backyard consisted of a wooden arch decorated with fairy lights. Their soft, golden orange glow made it look like a gateway to some fairytale garden given what was on the other side of it—a yard that had been meticulously decorated with flowers, potted plants of various sizes, and fairy lights that contrasted beautifully with the twilight sky. It was no wonder why Evan had been gone all day, as Mangle could tell that it would've taken him several hours to set all of this up.
"Oh, Evan…" The vixen's eyes welled up with tears as she took all of it in. "You did all of this for me?"
He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "Of course I did. Though, you still haven't seen everything yet."
As they stepped through the arch and entered the backyard, Mangle was finally able to see the back porch, which was similarly decorated with flowers, potted plants, and fairy lights. Additionally, there were two large tables filled with snacks and fancy finger foods, as well as drinking glasses and a punch bowl. And on the floor was a cooler and a large boombox.
Evan smirked at her. "What do you think?"
"It's absolutely wonderful," the vixen replied, still in disbelief. "It's more than I could've ever dreamed of. Thank you so much for doing this, Evan!"
"I'd do anything for you, you know that," he said with a fond smile. He then let go of her hand and walked over to the boombox. "And as it so happens, Ramón was able to get me a copy of the school prom mixtape."
The sixteen-year-old crouched down and pressed the play button. The first track on the mixtape was a romantic, yet casual R&B song.
As the music began to play, Evan stepped off the porch. He gave Mangle a lighthearted smirk and held out his hand to her. "May I have this dance?"
The vixen's tail wagged as she smiled back at him. "Of course!"
Mangle took Evan's hand, and as she got closer, their hands interlocked, with him putting his other hand around her waist, and her placing hers on his shoulder. Following the rhythm of the music, they then slowly swayed from side to side and gradually turned clockwise.
As they danced, they looked into each other's eyes and smiled at each other with deep affection. While the first time they had danced this way had ended disastrously, their movements were now perfectly synchronized thanks to William's guidance and their own accrued experience. In fact, it had almost become second nature to them at this point, with a simple dance like this being more of a warm up.
Of course, they had never danced in a place like this. Between their formal attire, Mangle's makeover, the decorated backyard that looked like an enchanted garden, and the approach of dusk, the entire thing felt magical. Ethereal. Like something out of a storybook or a dream.
The third song finally faded out and was followed up by 'Can't Help Falling in Love' by Elvis Presley. As it started playing Evan and Mangle smiled at each other and decided to kick it up a notch.
Wise men say, only fools rush in…
Holding on to Evan's hand, Mangle took a step away and then twirled towards him. He caught her with a confident smirk, and as they cradled each other in their arms, they turned and turned before finally letting go.
But I can't help falling in love with you…
Mangle twirled away from him, but he took her hand while she was still within reach. They pulled towards one another and changed places with a twirl. They stepped closer and then pushed away.
She then twirled towards him once more, and he caught her in his arms, her back turned towards him. The vixen smiled to herself as she felt his warm, soothing breath against her silicone flesh. These brief moments of intimacy while they were so perfectly in sync with each other made her circuits fizzle in ecstasy.
Shall I stay? Would it be a sin…
Mangle turned to face Evan and he took her hand. He pulled it upward and let go as she made a quick twirl. Now facing each other, he took her hand and cradled her waist while she cradled his neck. As they turned and turned, the vixen looked deep into his beautiful dark eyes, almost getting lost in them.
They closed their eyes and rested their foreheads against one another, taking in this moment of intimate harmony as they kept on turning.
If I can't help falling in love with you?
Mangle's circuits fizzled as she felt his hand against her waist. He was holding it oh so gently, and she, in turn, held and squeezed his shoulder with great affection.
They smiled at each other, both of their expressions being one of pure bliss as they swayed from side to side and turned to the rhythm of the song. Slowly, but surely, they pulled closer to one another until Mangle's breasts pressed up against his chest. She smiled to herself as she felt his heartbeat, something that she would never have. The steady beat was soothing and greatly complimented the song.
Like a river flows surely to the sea…
Evan and Mangle pushed away and then let go of each other. They both twirled before interlocking hands, lacing their fingers together as they continued to turn, gradually pulling closer.
Some things are meant to be…
Evan let one of Mangle's hands go and she did a single twirl away from him. She then let go and twirled towards him. He caught her in his arms with a confident smirk and she leaned back while he leaned in towards her.
However, Evan's eyes then filled with panic as they suddenly lost balance. Before either of them could react, Mangle fell on her back and Evan fell on top of her. Thankfully, the grass cushioned her fall, and her silicone casing cushioned his.
Take my hand. Take my whole life, too…
They looked owlishly into each other's eyes and realized just how close together they were, lying chest to chest, with their faces less than an inch away from each other.
Evan looked incredibly uncomfortable, and scrambled to pull away from her as if he was afraid that she would take the opportunity to kiss him. Mangle smiled at him with absolute adoration. She would've loved to kiss him. Hell, she would've loved to do far more than that if he let her. But she knew and respected how he felt, and so she opted to pull him into a hug instead.
For I can't help falling in love with you…
Initially tense, Evan quickly relaxed.
She rubbed circles into his back and gently nuzzled his cheek. "I love you, Evan," she whispered.
He huffed a laugh, but she could tell from his voice that he was smiling. "I love you too, Mangle."
They stayed like that and cuddled for the remainder of the song.
By the time it was fading out, the vixen loosened her embrace and the sixteen-year-old got off of her and laid down next to her. As they lay there in the grass, they held each other's hand and watched the stars, which were gradually becoming visible as twilight turned to night.
"I still can't believe you did all of this for me," Mangle finally said. "Especially after calling prom frivolous and idiotic."
"To be honest, my opinion remains the same," Evan admitted. "But that doesn't mean that I don't care how you feel about it. It is clearly important to you, and that is all that matters to me."
She found that a little hard to believe. "Still, to put this much effort into it…"
"Mangle, I know our feelings for each other may differ and there are some things I'm not comfortable with doing, but know that outside of those, there is no limit to the lengths I would go for you," he replied as he squeezed her hand. "You are my equal, my muse, and my best friend. No one will ever understand me as thoroughly and intimately as you do. You are everything to me, and I would give you the whole world if you asked it of me."
The vixen chuckled. "You really know how to make a girl feel special, don't you?" She smiled to herself as she reflected on his words. "And I would do the same for you if I could."
"But for now…" he turned to her with a lighthearted smirk. "How about another dance?"