Player 1 Player 2

Chapter 5 pt.1

It's quiet walking to school, Felix is quiet and seems more worried than usual. Reaching school I notice some people acting differently, they seem to just notice me as normal other than a murderer. David walks over and I'm ready to be yelled at but he seems more...sad.

"Alex, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blamed you. I....I was looking for evidence and I saw the emails you and my sister had together. I'm sorry. I didn't know she was depressed, if she told me maybe I could've helped....." He looks down ready to cry.

"It's okay. It was a misunderstanding." He looks at me now, still ready to cry a bit.

"I still can't trust you though, I'm sorry." I nod.

"It's fine and understandable." He gives a small smile and leaves.

"At least that was settled." Felix and I head to class, Cloud is nowhere to be found.

Only a few minutes later Eliza comes over to, I don't know why until she opens her mouth.

"Congratulations. You've ruined people's lives. I loved you before we even talked and now....I'm not so sure you're the same person I loved." And with that she turns and leaves.

Lunch comes around and I find Cloud is sitting with Tamara, he's just been avoiding me. I really have lost him too. I'm on my own with Felix now. We head to the roof where rarely anyone eats, but today it's where we eat. Sitting at a small abandoned table.

"Felix....I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this. I'm life is just...awful. Filled with death and sadness and now....now I just want to die. It's not worth living here, I'm only ruining people's lives. Maybe I should die." I look over at the railing where Emily most likely must have fallen from.

"No! No, you shouldn't do that. You mean the world to me, I don't want to lose you. I'm sorry all of this happened and I wish I could've done something." He hugs me tightly almost like he's about to start crying. "I'm really sorry."

I hug back and then finish eating. Waiting is all we do as Felix keeps apologizing and telling me I'm worth it and that I shouldn't kill myself. It's somewhat nice to hear him say these things.

"Well, don't you have a party to go to tonight? Wouldn't want to miss that now would you?" I give a small laugh and nod, I don't want to miss it.

Lunch finished and we head back down into the building, I can't help but notice Cloud looking at me. Looking at me with sorrow. And then Adrian, Emily, and Roy appear near him, all with a similar sorrow look. I look away and keep walking with Felix. Felix wraps his arm around me, it startles me a bit.

"What's the matter?" He's looking at me now, he wants an answer but...I don't know.

"It's nothing, I just...don't know what I should bring to the party. Should I bring food? Or just myself? James is really nice and I wouldn't want to disappoint him." Lying, it seems to be becoming a hobby now.

"It'll help make something. Hoe about sweets? Like decorated cookies or even cupcakes." His voice is...different for a second. I wave it off as usual, but should I?

"I think cookies would be fine. You like cooking, don't you." We're walking home now, free period is the last thing I have so leaving the school early is fine for people like me.

"Actually...I don't know. I guess it's always just been there with me, a past time, something appealing to calm my mind sometimes." At first it sounded strange, 'I don't know'. What does that mean?

We reach the house and I drop my bag off in my room while Felix gets a recipe for cookies. I set my headphones down on my bed and head back to the kitchen rolling up my sleeves to help. I grab the recipe he printed out and scan over.

"Sugar cookies?" He walks over and sets the flour down on the counter.

"Yep, I thought sugar cookies would fit this occasion." I nod and help gather ingredients while Felix starts mixing.

"Do robots taste?" It's an odd question but it's a reasonably curious one.

"Well, yeah. Robots taste, we have sensors in our tongues that allow us that ability." I grab the sugar from the cabinet and then a different question hits me.

"Do robots have different foods they dislike?" He pauses for a moment.

"...yeah, some of us do. No, all of us. We have dislikes to food, definitely different but......I don't know why. Ever robot has a different taste sensors I think but...no...I....um....." He stops.

"Sorry for asking." I can't help but wait, wait for something to spark.

"No, I'm actually glad you asked. I've never questioned it before. Every robot is made the same except for appearance but it's always like....like they're their own person. Different likes, dislikes, tastes......I'm just finding it strange. Anyway, we should focus on what's going on now. So, who's next?" I freeze, did I hear that correct?

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I look over at him as he's giving me a confused look.

"I said what's next, on the recipe." I heard him wrong, my mind has been focused on those two words lately.

"Yeah, sorry. Here." I hand the sugar over and help.

I need to stop thinking so much about that. But it makes sense somehow. Who's next? Three chairs were set, two were taken, one was left open. And that one was filled by Emily. That's who was next. But that should be all, only three chairs were set. No more, no less. Who's next? Before I know it everything goes black. Did I pass out again? It's dark, until three chairs appear with all three taken. Adrian, Emily, and Roy are seated with the same blackness covering their eyes again.

"Who's next, that's what you're going to say....aren't you......why are you doing this? What did I do to deserve this?" My voice is shaky, I'm scared, or maybe I'm about to cry.

"You can prevent it, you could've prevented them." Adrian is the only one talking, pointing at Emily and Roy.

"I could've prevented that? I could've saved them?" They all nod together, but it's sorrowful.

"You can still save the others. Save them." They vanish and I'm awake again on the couch.