Title in Progress (#justwriteit)

Life After

I knocked on the door, Hello, and began my new life. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me. "Hi." one of the guys replied. 

I saw the flyer an-and I thought that I, well maybe I could join, your, club? The words kept jumbling in my head and I felt more nervous than when I first walked into this school. 

"Are you actually nervous?" asked another guy holding what looked like a box of spear parts, causing them all laughed. 

"Come in." said the first guy as they gathered around me. 

"Do you know anything about robotic engineering?" asked the only other girl in the room. 

W-Well no b-but I was hoping you could teach me. My voice went hushed on the last two words. 

This girl was probably only two to three inches taller than me and resembled Abby from NCIS. I wasn't intimidated by her, yet my nerves spun like crazy, maybe it's because I was actually making social contact with someone other than a scaly reptile, the voice in my head or the people I lived with. Wow I sound crazy. All the guys looked to her with pleading eyes as though she was the ring leader to all this. 

"I like your choice in footwear, it's cool." 

I looked down and only then did I realize that I had two different shoes; both high tops, the left side was black with the drawing of a multi-colored robot on it and the other side was a swamp green with a pair of yellow wings on both sides of the shoe, this was a bit strange because I wore a plaid blue and pink shirt and navy blue jeans. I wasn't really one for fashion or making statements but this was just beyond me, even me back then. 

Um thanks. Everyone started introducing themselves and talking to me and from that moment on I was a member of the Robotics Club.

                                                                                                   ***

I'm home. I thought to myself. 'Home' the word still didn't fit right but I was trying, for Kitty. "Annie, Annie." And here comes my bundle of joy now. 

Hey Kit. How was your day? 

"It was great. Today Lucy brought a ham sandwich and we decided split it." 

Really? Well now you hurt my feelings, I made your lunch this morning. 

"I ate that too. Lucy couldn't have any because she has peanut allergies." 

Awe, okay, then from now on I'll make stuff you both can eat. Ding dong. 

"Someone's at the door." 

Let's investigate who it is.

We snuck out to the living room and hid behind the couch peeping out from over the back. "Lucy!" screamed Kitty as she ran towards her best friend. Lucy Jay Dutch was a little shorter that Kitty was, her wavy blond hair was shoulder length, she had ocean blue eyes and loved anything Barbie. She was kind of the girl version of her brother aka the guy with the dirty blond hair aka my guardian. Due to force-able attempts by Aunt Cat, Kevin and I were on friendly terms, kind of. I considered him a complete douche-bag, which was also my nickname for him and he thought I was annoying, even though we've only spoken a few times (Hi, Hello, Is Lucy home?) and had that one conversation.

"So Annie, what are your plans for Halloween?" said Lucy as she helped herself to another spoonful of cookie dough ice cream.

Halloween? I was gonna have a movie marathon with my friends.

"Those kids from Robotics club?" said Mr. Bag himself with a smug grin on his face.

We're the same age dumbaa-- I mean douche-bag, and yes, they're my friends.

"Why don't you come trick or treating with us?" asked Kitty.

Cause I have nothing to wear.

"You don't need a costume, you can wear an orange jacket and you'll be the Annoying Orange. Fits you perfectly."

Oh really, then I guess that's why you're wearing yours early. Fits you perfectly. Tu incompetant stronzi.

I caught a glimpse of something more like someone as I looked through the window of Winter's Ice cream Shop. A group of men were leaving the construction site next door and I could've sworn I saw someone I knew. Excuse me for a minute. "Come on, don't go, you know I didn't mean any of that." I got up, took my coat and went in search of said person. I searched the group of men but he wasn't there and after looking up and down the street for a while I decided to go back inside. "Annie?"

I knew it, I knew it was him. Tears filled my eyes as my heart filled with joy. S-Stefan. Seeing him made me think of home. Back home we went to school together and though he graduated a year before me we still kept in touch, until it happened. I jumped to hug him.

You're alive? My mind was reeling with disbelief.

"Yeah, you heard about what happened?"

Tears threatened to spill over. Heard it? More like lived it, is what my mind was telling me to say but I decided against it. Yeah I did. I didn't think I'd ever see anyone ever again, here especially. W-What are you d-, I mean h-how are you he-, I mean... and I jumped him again.

"I'm visiting my mom, well I was and now I live here. I'm working in that building across the street."

I see that. Do you want to come in for a minute?

"Yeah sure."

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At home I ran through the days events with Go Go. I felt so lucky for meeting Stefan today. I knew some of my friends survived because they weren't in T & T at the time but they were all over the world - Curaçao, Texas, Italy - I never imagined it possible for us to reunite. 

Can you believe it Go Go? 

Praise the mother. 

P-raise the mo-ther! With my excitement tank now full I decided that I would at least try to track down my friends - hopefully they're still alive. 

G-squared, are you with me on this? Do you think it's a good idea? I mean what if none of them survived and Stefan was only a ghost? Of course that's not possible everyone saw him, he even shook hands with Kev- I mean Sir Douche of the Bag. 

I saw Go Go raise her tail and rest it against the side of her plastic carrier box. Calm down Annie, stop over-thinking this. You met Stefan by chance, call it fate even, if it's meant to happen then it will. 

But I-. 

No buts. 

Then what am I supposed to do now? 

Keep yourself busy and clear your mind of it. 

(heavy sigh) Fine.