Sparkle Like a Superstar

Chapter 31

Once Saphira was in the elevator with Freddy and Monty, she was humming and dancing to the music again, she was feeling pretty good despite what had just happened. Freddy and Monty both had said nothing at the moment, and she was fine with that. When the doors open and they step outside, Saphira skipped away from them and spun around happily, letting her ponytail whipping her skin when she stopped and looked at both bots. She smiled at them and Freddy smiled back at her, but Monty did not.

"Saphira...what happened in there...was not normal," Freddy said to her gently, making Saphira's smile slowly fade. "Now that I have seen the message for myself, even just part of it...it is almost like you're being followed by something invisible."

Saphira grimaced and nodded at him. "I know. But...it felt good to shoot at them."

"I bet it did, that's why you won punk." Monty took off his glasses, something he's never done and held them in his claws as he gazed at Saphira with a worried expression. "However, I would like to assume Dave had a hand in it. But all of them would have the same issue if he did, he would not have known you would sit in that particular chair."

"It is strange yeah...someone is watching right now probably..." Saphira shuddered at the thought before taking deep breath and glancing over her shoulder towards Bonnie Bowling. "Can we try to forget about it for now please? Bowling is less likely to be anything but bowling. We need to ensure the place is working properly."

"Yeah, yeah, we know...but..." Monty shakes his head and looked at Freddy, pointing an accusing finger at his chest. "You should really think about everything Freddy. I fear it is only going to get you in trouble. And not from me!" He slips his glasses back on and huffed. "Now if you will excuse me, I will be at the bowling alley."

He turned away and stomped towards the stairs to head up to the bowling alley. Saphira wondered what he meant by what he said and looked at Freddy to ask, but she saw how sad he was. She wondered what was said when Monty spoke to him. She sighed and stepped closer to him, reaching up to place hands on his cheeks, something she has not done before and he looked at her in surprise.

"Hey, I am not sure what he is talking about. But I think I would have been targeted anyway. I think...I was a target from the start...though I am unsure of course." Saphira rubbed his cheeks gently and Freddy himself was extremely enthused by this, if only he could lean down right now! "Monty is hotheaded, we all know that. So we probably should just ignore him."

"Yes...maybe you are right." Freddy smiled, blinking a little more than he has before. "He does have a good heart though Saphira. He is not evil. He just...brings things across a little differently to the rest of us." He lifts his hands to her wrists gently, sliding them up to cup her hands with his own. "We should get moving Saphira. Bonnie will be getting a little impatient."

"Yeah I guess." Saphira did want to do the bowling, but she also wanted to just be with Freddy. Alone. She blinked and glanced down at the floor, realizing she would just be encouraging the feelings between them. She looked back at him with a smile. "Can you let my hands go? Your claws...they might accidentally scrape my hands."

He chuckled lightly and moves his hands away from hers, resting them back by his side. "Sometimes I forget my claws can hurt...they are blunt though Saphira. They only look sharp, but they cannot cause a scratch without force."

That was a good safety feature, given their teeth and claws do look very sharp. And with Mr Hippo's jaw, the force of it was probably the main reason why it could seriously injure someone. She still wondered about Mr Hippo, his friends and Foxette. But bringing up that topic with Cliff probably was not going to be an easy one. Even though he seems to not be a suspect, she would have to still be careful. Unless it was just her paranoia talking.