Chapter 3: New Friends and New Experiences

Agent BM: Thx, and yes she is

1996

Honey was now 19-years-old, and was currently studying business at the University of Chicago. She lived on campus, and enjoyed her college life. She went to her classes and studied hard, but she also found time for fun.

She went to small parties, school games, and other fun things. She also kept up her little side business of selling honey products. With the help of her new friends, she created a website that advertised the different products she sold, and people were able to place orders online.

And in her spare time, she baked the treats, and delivered them. Currently, she was in her dorm room doing schoolwork, when there was a knock at her door. She got up from her desk, and opened the door.

Outside was a friend of hers, Phil Rogers from the robotics/engineering department.

"Hey Phil, what's up?" she asked.

"I finished the project."

Honey got excited, and she quickly followed him.

In one of the university's labs, Phil led her over to his area. On the table, were three objects that were covered by a cloth.

"So they're finally done?" Honey asked.

"Yep after months of work, they're finally done."

He then took off the cloth, and revealed three small robot bees.

"They're great." Honey observed.

"Now to turn them on." said Phil.

He then pressed a small button on each of them. And then the robots opened their eyes.

"Greetings, I'm bee 1." said one bee.

"I"m Bee 2." the second bee told.

"And I'm Bee 3. We're your personal robot mascots." finished the third bee.

"And maybe friends." the first one told.

"Oh you guys are so cute." Honey gushed.

"Question though, what're we mascots for?" asked the third bee.

"You're going to be mascots for my future business. Honey's Sweet Treats and I'm Honey."

"Cool." replied the second bee.

"Not as cool as the little perches she has for us on her head." the first bee observed.

The second bee tried to sit on Honey's earring, but was too big to perch.

"What's that white thing on your neck?" asked the third bee, flying around her.

"What's in this black thing you're carrying?" wondered the second bee.

"As you can see they're very curious." Phil told Honey.

"I see. Calm down guys."

And with the she carefully took them off her, and set them back on the table.

"Fine, but you need a bigger perch, this one on your ear sucks." said the second bee.

"All right, I'll take you guys back to my room now. Get in my purse." Honey instructed.

"What's a purse?" asked the third bee.

"By the way, any ideas for names? The whole bee 1 2 and 3 is just a placeholder." Phil wondered.

"I'll think of it later. Little bee robots get in here."

Honey opened her purse up for them, and the bees flew inside.

"Nice and warm in here, I like it." said the first bee.

"Ooh, what's this book called My diary?" wondered the third bee.

"Stay out of there." Honey warned.

"Thanks again Phil."

"No problem. Now you're sure you want these things? I mean what're you really gonna do with them? Make a TV commercial?"

"No, but they'll be good for pictures. Besides every good food/snack company needs a mascot."

"I'm just surprised you asked me to build you these, you're probably better off paying a graphic designer. Who knows how long the batteries in these guys will last."

"Don't worry, I can handle them." Honey assured.

"Okay, if you say so."

"Hey Honey? Who's this guy that's bothering you, you speak of in this diary?" asked the third bee.

"I think it's best you go now." Phil urged.

"Okay, thanks again Phil."

And Honey hurried back to her dorm.

After Honey got back in her room, she let the bees out of her purse.

"Well this is my room." she told them.

The bees flew out, and flew around the room.

"So, this is your room? Not bad." said the third bee.

"Now that we're going to be friends of yours and your mascots, what can you tell us about yourself?" asked the first bee.

"Well, I'm currently 19-years-old. I'm majoring in business, I have a mom and a dad, and like movies, listening to pop music, and watching TV." Honey explained.

"Clearly you like music, half this stupid bag of yours has these rectangle things in it." the third bee.

"Don't mind him. What else do you have to say? What do you like to do?" the second bee told.

"Well I enjoy reading, going out to places, and mysteries."

"See you got some magazines, a little old for these don't you think?" the third bee said.

"So this is a TV? It's so big." observed the second bee.

"How does this music thing of yours work?" asked the first bee.

"Here let me show you."

Honey took out a cassette tape and puts it into her Walkman. Then it played music.

"I see. So this magic box plays music from that rectangle thing, fascinating." the first bee observed.

"What's that white thing on your neck? It's pretty. You always have it on when you visit us at the lab. Is it where your batteries are?" asked the second bee.

"(Giggles), no this is a necklace. It's made of pearls, my parents gave it to me as gift."

"It's pretty, even if I don't know what a pearl is."

The third bee then flew on top of Honey's head, startling her as she wasn't used to having anything crawl on her.

"Uh, what are you doing on me head?"

"I wanted to see what it looks like from up here as you watch TV. Can we watch some TV?" the third bee explained.

"Hey, I want to sit up there too." said the second bee.

"Wait for me."

"Okay we can do that. Just try not to move around too much." Honey told them.

All the bees flew onto her head and nestled themselves up against Honey's hair.

"Don't feel embarrassed, we don't weigh a lot." said the first bee.

"And it's not like we're asking to sit on those things on your chest." the third bee told her.

"If it makes you feel better we were programmed to help with your hair if you ask." the second bee

"Oh, okay then."

She then took them off her head and held them in her hands.

"I guess you three are going to need proper names."

The three bees flew back up and began tying Honey's hair into a ponytail.

"This style seems to suit you today." complimented the second bee.

"Proper names? What's wrong with bee 1 2 and 3?" asked the third bee.

"I'm technically a girl so I don't mind. You happy with the hairstyle?" the second bee said.

"Yeah, I do like this ponytail. And Bee 1 2 and 3 are okay prototype names, but I don't feel comfortable calling you that."

"Then what will you call us?" questioned the first bee.

"Hmm let's see, I'll call you, Buzz."

"Typical name. But I like it."

"Stand aside, girl bee coming through. What will I be?" the second bee wanted to know.

"Hmm, something cute. How about Bumble?"

"It's so cute like your pearls, I love it."

The third bee began poking Honey with his stinger.

"My turn, who am I?" he wanted to know.

"Well since you just stung me and you're a bit ornery, I'm naming you Stinger." Honey told him.

"No way my stinger hurts you, it's plastic. But I like the name."

"Can we watch TV now? I wanna know what the difference between a cartoon and a nicktoon is." said Buzz.

"I wanna see what this thing called a movie is." added Stinger.

"I wanna see something that tells me more about you." urged Bumble.

"Okay okay let's put something on." Honey told them.

1999

For the next three years, Honey bonded with her new little mascots. Together they made videos, sold products, and had fun together. Then one day, while her bees were charging and she didn't have any homework to do, she decided to go see a movie.

Upon arriving at the theater, she decided on what to see. Glancing at the posters, she saw one that caught her eye. It was Disney's latest movie, Tarzan. She was excited since she was a Disney fan, and quickly bought a ticket.

"Oh, I can't wait to see what Disney's done this time."

After she got her ticket, she went inside the theater, and turned the corner. But she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch where you're going, blondie." the other voice said.

Honey adjusted her glasses, and saw that she'd ran into a guy. He looked about a year older than her. He had fair skin, shaggy black hair, and blue eyes, and wore a dark blue t-shirt, black jacket, green pants, and brown shoes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there." Honey told him.

"You wouldn't happen to know where theater 16 for Tarzan is do you?"

"It's just over here. I'm heading there myself."

"Thanks. This wasn't my first choice. My first week off and I failed to get tickets to Star Wars 1, just my luck." the guy explained to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But maybe you'll like Tarzan."

"There's always tomorrow, gonna try again getting here early. Well it was nice meeting you, but I should get to my seat. Gotta find seat j15."

"That's a coincidence my seat's j16." Honey informed.

"Oh. Then I guess there's still some time to talk if you want."

The two got into the theater and went to their seats.

"Nice pearls, though a little too nice for seeing a movie don't you think?"

"These pearls were a gift from my parents. I wear them all the time."

"You know, now that I get a better look at you, you seem familiar. Aren't you that girl in school who sells the honey buns and almost is always listening to that Walkman at lunch?"

"Why yes. My name is Honey, Honey Potts. Majoring in business."

"I'm Zeke Shaw, I'm majoring in advertising. Nice to meet you. I sampled some of your flavored honeys, best stick with treats, they seem to be more of your specialty. Been wanting to get to know you for some time but you always have your head in those headphones out of class when I see you."

"Oh...you have?" Honey asked surprised.

"Yes. You're always listening to that Walkman or playing that game boy color of yours. Don't lie, I know you have them in your purse."

"(Giggles) Guilty as charged. But why did you want to get to know me?"

"You seem like a nice girl, and you're top of the class. I'm trying to be a good advertiser, and want to start somewhere small, like your honey business you do in the mail. Of course this isn't really the place to discuss that since the movie starts in 10 minutes. How would you feel about waiting in line to see the phantom menace with me tomorrow? I'll buy you a ticket and we could discuss details on helping your business grow." Zeke offered.

"Sure, that sounds great."

"Great. Hope you like Star Wars, it's the biggest movie of the year, hence why I couldn't get tickets."

Soon the movie started, and the two started watching it.

That's chapter 2