Today, Lia woke up in bewilderment. She sat pensively in her bedroom, thinking about everything that had happened the previous day. She was still shocked after finding out that Jake had a robotic right hand. She never expected her friend to have such a secret.
"Lia, have you eaten yet?" Lia's mother suddenly called from outside the room.
Lia shook her head, "Not yet, Mom. I'm not very hungry."
Lia's mother entered the room and sat beside her, "You look sad. Is something wrong?"
Lia sighed, "Yesterday afternoon, I found out that Jake has a robotic right hand. I feel a little surprised and confused. Why didn't he tell me before?"
Lia's mother hugged her, "Maybe there's a reason why he didn't tell you. But you have to understand that it's his family's secret and shouldn't be spread around."
Lia nodded, "I understand, Mom. But I feel like there's a distance between us now. Like there's something hidden from me."
Lia's mother smiled gently, "You can try talking to Jake and expressing your feelings. Who knows, he might have a good reason why he didn't tell you earlier."
Lia nodded, "Yes, Mom. I will talk to him tomorrow."
Lia's mother kissed her forehead, "You need to rest now. Tomorrow morning, you have to wake up early."
Lia smiled and hugged her mother, "Thank you, Mom. I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, dear," Lia's mother said with a smile.
Lia lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. She tried to let go of all the troubling thoughts and attempt to sleep peacefully.
After dropping Lia off at home, Jake felt sad and regretful for revealing his secret. He was worried that Lia would distance herself from him because of his peculiar nature. However, he also felt relieved because he could finally open up to someone.
Jake became more restless when Lia didn't contact him. He felt anxious and worried because he didn't know what Lia was thinking. Finally, Lia came to Jake's house.
"Lia, I'm sorry if I scared or surprised you," Jake said.
Lia felt confused and surprised after finding out that Jake was half-robot. On one hand, she felt annoyed because Jake hadn't been honest from the beginning, but on the other hand, she felt happy because what she had been dreaming of was present in Jake.
"Lia, I'm sorry. I was afraid to tell you because I was worried that someone might harm you if they knew my secret," Jake said with a tone of regret.
Lia took a deep breath, "I understand, Jake. But why didn't you tell me from the beginning?"
"I did tell you, but you didn't believe me. You thought it was just a joke," Jake replied.
Lia looked down, feeling dejected. She felt guilty for not trusting Jake. However, at the same time, she felt happy and fascinated because Jake could become the robot she had always admired.
"I don't know what to say, Jake. I'm annoyed, but at the same time, I'm also happy. You can be like the robots in the game I play," Lia said with a small smile.
Jake laughed, "Yes, I am half-robot. But I'm still human, Lia. I have feelings and I'm afraid of hurting others with my robotic hand. I want to live a normal life and not have any more problems."
Lia nodded in understanding, "I understand now when you said robots can cry, Jake, and it turns out you are the robot. Don't worry, I won't disclose your secret to anyone. We'll remain friends just like before, right?"
"Yes, of course. Thank you, Lia," Jake said with a wide smile on his face.
Lia and Jake smiled at each other, feeling closer than ever after sharing the hidden secret.
After learning that Jake had revealed his secret to Lia, Jake's parents decided to explain Jake's condition to her.
"You might be wondering why Jake never told you before, Lia," Jake's father said seriously.
Lia nodded and looked at Jake standing beside her. "I feel surprised and a little hurt, but I also feel honored that Jake trusted me to keep this secret," she said.
"You're right, Lia," Jake's mother replied. "We tried to keep this secret so that Jake could live a normal life like other children. But as time went by, Jake felt that he needed to tell you."
Jake's father continued, "Jake was born with a rare condition. His hand was born with anomalies, changing shapes, sometimes turning into metal, and sometimes appearing normal until we developed it. The hand is also equipped with a chip that allows Jake to control it."
Lia listened attentively and felt astonished. "I never imagined that this could happen to Jake. However, I greatly appreciate the trust Jake has given me," Lia said.
Jake asked his parents to demonstrate the strength of his robot hand to Lia. They agreed to Jake's request and took her to a secret room in their house. There, they showed Lia how powerful Jake's robot hand was by breaking several iron objects.
Lia was amazed by the immense strength of Jake's robot hand. She finally understood why Jake was so worried about his hand and burdened by his secret. Lia felt guilty for underestimating Jake's feelings all this time.
"I'm sorry, Jake," Lia said, looking at Jake. "I didn't know that you had this burden. I'm really impressed by the strength of your robot hand."
Jake smiled relievedly upon hearing Lia's apology. He felt relieved that Lia finally understood his situation.
"It's okay, Lia. I just wanted you to know who I really am," Jake said.
"I understand," Lia replied. "And I'll continue to support you, Jake. You're still the same great friend who always cheers me up."
Lia felt incredibly happy that her dream and obsession of becoming a robot inadvertently came true through her friendship with Jake. She felt grateful to be friends with Jake and that she wasn't alone with her strange hobbies and interests.
"I'm so happy to be friends with you, Jake. You truly are like a living robot!" Lia said with a wide smile on her face.
"Likewise, Lia. You're also one of the best friends I've ever had," Jake replied with a smile on his face.
The two of them sat together on the couch, watching their favorite movie while occasionally showcasing the unbeatable strength of Jake's robot hand. Lia felt joy and gratitude for their friendship and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
"Who knows, maybe someday I can control this robot hand like you do," Lia said, gazing at Jake's robot hand in admiration.
"Who knows, Lia. Maybe you also have extraordinary powers yet to be revealed," Jake teased with a smile.
Lia laughed, and they continued watching the movie while discussing their dreams for the future.
The next day, Lia and Jake walked together in the school hallway, laughing and joking as usual. Lia looked happy after finding out that Jake possessed the robot powers she admired.
"I dreamt of being a robot last night, Jake. It was so much fun!" Lia said while laughing.
"What's gotten into you, Lia? It's better to play robot games instead. You're really good at it," Jake replied with a smile.
"But now I have a real robot friend, right?" Lia said, showing her sweet smile.
"Shh..." Jake signaled Lia to be quiet.
They continued walking and met their friends. Some of their friends still seemed skeptical about Lia wanting to become a robot.
"Lia, are you really serious about wanting to become a robot?" their friend Dinda asked.
"Yes, of course. I love playing robot games. I want to be like a robot so I can save the world," Lia replied.
Their friends smiled and nodded. Although some were still skeptical, they respected Lia's dream.
"Come on, let's play robot games again!" Jake invited, pulling Lia's hand.
Lia just laughed and followed Jake. Despite her dream appearing strange to others, she knew that Jake would always support and understand her feelings.