Inevitables
background info + Natomi
“Holy cat. Mandi, are you okay?” Jake asked as he helped her up.
“Yeah. Fine, I think.” Mandi answered, “And you?” She asked with a meaningful glance.
“Good. Let’s go somewhere to talk.” Jake said, glancing around the office and opening the door more carefully this time.
“Kay.” Mandi agreed. They started to walk down the hall towards the middle school. All of a sudden, Jake grabbed Mandi’s arm and pulled her into darkness.
“You okay?” Jake asked.
“Umm… yeah. Only I can’t see anything and I don’t know where I am.” Mandi answered. Jake pulled a string that hung from the ceiling and the room was washed with light. Mandi saw they were surrounded by parts and cleaning devices- a robot’s closet. “Oh. I get it. Like robot’s are off duty today or something and so it’s totally private…” She stopped when she noticed Jake’s look. It totally said, ‘shut up’. So she apologized and this time he actually said ‘shut up’.
“Alright. Start from the beginning.” Mandi said as she sat down on the floor. Jake followed suit and started talking.
“I was born on March sixth, 2092. It was just my mom, dad, and my three older siblings, Richard, Malory, and Marie. Malory and Marie are twins and the oldest. They’re nineteen now. Then Richard, who died, and me. He did seriously try to save that lady, he pushed her out of the way and couldn’t get out of the way in time. After I was born came Dylan who’s a freshman and Holly who is in a private school across the country for her giftedness, she’s thirteen. Next came Julian and Rose at eleven and Paige who’s ten. Then Peter and Paul at nine, with Chris at six and Annie at three. I just got lost after Rick died because he was my best friend and the one who taught me everything I know.” Jake paused, “I holed away, started drinking, and got pissed at the world. Until I met you.” Jake concluded.
“Jake. I uh…” Mandi said. She put her hand on her knee and he put his on top of hers. She turned his palm over and read his future, “You’ll live a long… and healthy life. You will have seven kids and you’ll marry a girl with… black hair.” She stopped there and she felt his heartbeat race. With a shock, she realized hers was beating fast also. Their heartbeats made a rhythm. Boom, boom, bam, boom, bam, boom, boom, bam, boom, bam, boom, boom, bam.
Jake took her hands in his, flip-flopping them, and kissed her palm.
“Mandi?” Jake asked.
“Yeah.”
“I haven’t felt this close to anybody in a long time.” He said, then reaching to his left hand, he took off a ring he wore, “Will you wear this? This is not an engagement ring or anything like that, but if you say you’ll wear this, I’ll make sure that palm reading comes true.”
“Oh my god. Jake, I really like you so yeah, I will wear it.” Mandi said. Jake slipped the promise ring onto her finger, the smooth silver glinting even in the dim light. She reached over and kissed him lightly on the lips just as the door opened and a robot screamed.
“Oh my god!” Mandi screamed, jumping to her feet two seconds after Jake, “Umm…” They were facing a female robot, probably two weeks old, but spiffy and ready for life.
“Hello. My name is Natomi. You must be the lovebirds that were walking down the hall earlier. Who are you again?” She asked.
“Umm… we’re not in trouble?” Jake asked.
“Why, of course not. Why would you be, it’s not like you need cleaning stuff or metal parts. I hear you have bones.” Natomi said, hushing her voice.
“I’m Mandi Smeal. Nice to meet you. We have to go though, so bye.” Mandi said, pulling Jake away. Once they were out of distance, Mandi said, “Wow. I thought we were done there for a moment.”
“Same here, but she’s pretty cool. She cleans the boy’s bathroom’s pretty well too.” Jake said, casting a sideways glance at Mandi as she giggled.
“Yeah. Fine, I think.” Mandi answered, “And you?” She asked with a meaningful glance.
“Good. Let’s go somewhere to talk.” Jake said, glancing around the office and opening the door more carefully this time.
“Kay.” Mandi agreed. They started to walk down the hall towards the middle school. All of a sudden, Jake grabbed Mandi’s arm and pulled her into darkness.
“You okay?” Jake asked.
“Umm… yeah. Only I can’t see anything and I don’t know where I am.” Mandi answered. Jake pulled a string that hung from the ceiling and the room was washed with light. Mandi saw they were surrounded by parts and cleaning devices- a robot’s closet. “Oh. I get it. Like robot’s are off duty today or something and so it’s totally private…” She stopped when she noticed Jake’s look. It totally said, ‘shut up’. So she apologized and this time he actually said ‘shut up’.
“Alright. Start from the beginning.” Mandi said as she sat down on the floor. Jake followed suit and started talking.
“I was born on March sixth, 2092. It was just my mom, dad, and my three older siblings, Richard, Malory, and Marie. Malory and Marie are twins and the oldest. They’re nineteen now. Then Richard, who died, and me. He did seriously try to save that lady, he pushed her out of the way and couldn’t get out of the way in time. After I was born came Dylan who’s a freshman and Holly who is in a private school across the country for her giftedness, she’s thirteen. Next came Julian and Rose at eleven and Paige who’s ten. Then Peter and Paul at nine, with Chris at six and Annie at three. I just got lost after Rick died because he was my best friend and the one who taught me everything I know.” Jake paused, “I holed away, started drinking, and got pissed at the world. Until I met you.” Jake concluded.
“Jake. I uh…” Mandi said. She put her hand on her knee and he put his on top of hers. She turned his palm over and read his future, “You’ll live a long… and healthy life. You will have seven kids and you’ll marry a girl with… black hair.” She stopped there and she felt his heartbeat race. With a shock, she realized hers was beating fast also. Their heartbeats made a rhythm. Boom, boom, bam, boom, bam, boom, boom, bam, boom, bam, boom, boom, bam.
Jake took her hands in his, flip-flopping them, and kissed her palm.
“Mandi?” Jake asked.
“Yeah.”
“I haven’t felt this close to anybody in a long time.” He said, then reaching to his left hand, he took off a ring he wore, “Will you wear this? This is not an engagement ring or anything like that, but if you say you’ll wear this, I’ll make sure that palm reading comes true.”
“Oh my god. Jake, I really like you so yeah, I will wear it.” Mandi said. Jake slipped the promise ring onto her finger, the smooth silver glinting even in the dim light. She reached over and kissed him lightly on the lips just as the door opened and a robot screamed.
“Oh my god!” Mandi screamed, jumping to her feet two seconds after Jake, “Umm…” They were facing a female robot, probably two weeks old, but spiffy and ready for life.
“Hello. My name is Natomi. You must be the lovebirds that were walking down the hall earlier. Who are you again?” She asked.
“Umm… we’re not in trouble?” Jake asked.
“Why, of course not. Why would you be, it’s not like you need cleaning stuff or metal parts. I hear you have bones.” Natomi said, hushing her voice.
“I’m Mandi Smeal. Nice to meet you. We have to go though, so bye.” Mandi said, pulling Jake away. Once they were out of distance, Mandi said, “Wow. I thought we were done there for a moment.”
“Same here, but she’s pretty cool. She cleans the boy’s bathroom’s pretty well too.” Jake said, casting a sideways glance at Mandi as she giggled.