Melissa 2.5 (ON HOLD FOR NOW)

2110: Krane

Melissa sat in the back of room 314. She didn't want to be seen and didn't want to talk to anyone.  

So this is what mother calls an 'Attitude'. She thought to herself. Crossing her arms, she sunk into her chair as she watched the room of young biology interns and robotics student from the University of Washington. Why the hell were biology students at the presentation? 

A tall, scrawny guy, about the same age Melissa should be, with big thick black glasses and freckles scattered across his face, sat next to her. His hair was slicked back, and tucked behind his ears. He sat with his hands crammed into his black slacks, he looked straight a head. He blinked a few times and turned to Melissa. She was already looking at him, not because he was attractive or interesting. She was starring at him because she couldn't believe that out of the hundreds of seats available he chose to sit next to her.

"Uhh, hi." he said. His voice was surprisingly deep. Like he could have been a baritone in a choir.

Melissa scrunched up her nose. If there was something she disliked most, it was invasion of privacy. Then again her whole entire life is made up of wires, batteries, memory ports. slots, metal, titanium, synthetic flesh, and artificial emotions. Not to mention she lived in a laboratory and was constantly under supervision, examination, and experimentation. Privacy was only a dream to her.

"Okay." he said after a few moments of Mel starring at him blankly. She was almost positive that 

Heather Holtsen, the head of PR for NRA, stepped up to the podium as the interns and students came in and took their seats. Looking out into the crowd of six hundred or so brown, tan, cream, and white faces, she smiled. It was a great outcome. NRA's future scientist, robo physicist, chemist, and so on. Tapping her microphone clipped onto her black blouse she stretched her smile.

"Wow. Can I just say that I am blown away. Wow-" Heather paused,"There are over six hundred of you. Please give yourselves a round of applause." Heather clapped her hands and was joined  by everyone else in the room.

"So you're going to keep starring at me, or are you going to actually say something?" the boy with glasses asked Melissa.

She blinked a few times. "What?"

"What?" he mocked her horribly.

"That's not amusing at all." She said turning her head, "Mocking? What are you ten?"

"Twenty-two actually." He said grinning. His teeth were very intact. Bright and perfectly straight. His eyes sparkled as he smiled. Blue eyes. Sky blue. Bright and beautiful just like the sky. They took Melissa under their spell as she starred at them. Melissa leaned in without even noticing what she was doing. 

"Are you OK?" 

"I'm Krane." He said

Did I ask? 

"I'm...Paul." Melissa replied. She smiled at him. If he wanted to be funny she might as well be too.

Krane snorted,"Paul? Were your parents on drugs or something?" 

Melissa face became still. She lowered her head, feeling the false grief emotion."My parents are dead." she mumbled.

Krane cut his laughter. He exhaled as he took his hands out of his pockets and put them around Melissa. They were big, and warm. Actually hot. Melissa wanted to move because she was afraid that his monster hands would melt her faux skin but she had to stay in character.

"I'm so sorry Paul." he whispered.

Melissa bit down on her tongue as she moved her shoulders a little. Fake crying wasn't her strongest emotion but she could make her shoulders move to make it seem like she was sobbing. She tried making noises,"Egh...ahh..ehh-" not good enough.