Ricardo's point of view
Jeremy and I stepped into the house, immediately hit by the blaring music. It was deafening, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for the neighbors. Before I could fully take it all in, Brianna appeared, heading straight toward me with open arms.
"Hey, Ricardo!" she exclaimed, wrapping me in a hug. I stiffened, not enjoying the embrace, and gently pushed her away."Rejecting my hug, handsome?" she pouted, her lips curving downwards. I glanced around, realizing Jeremy had already disappeared into the crowd, leaving me stuck in this awkward situation."Why don't we hit the bar?" she suggested, her tone eager. "We can grab unlimited drinks and talk. It'll be fun getting to know each other better."
"Fine, let's go," I sighed, giving in, and followed her to the bar. We sat on barstools, facing each other.
"Lucas, mix us some drinks," she called out to the bartender with a wave of her hand.
Turning back to me, she asked, "What would you like to drink?"
"I'm good for now. We can just talk," I replied, trying to hide my impatience.
She was starting to grate on my nerves,whiny and persistent. All I wanted was to get out of this conversation without becoming tomorrow's hot topic on Campus Socials.
"Come on, just one shot of Prosecco or a White Wine Spritzer won't kill you," she coaxed, trying to persuade me.
"I'm fine without it," I declined firmly. She eventually gave up and ordered her own drink.
As soon as it arrived, she launched into a monologue about herself. My mind instantly drifted, tuning her out like white noise. Listening to her talk felt like some kind of divine punishment.
Naomi, however, is sharp,too sharp. She's close to discovering our secret, that Jeremy and I are androids, and not just any kind. When she spoke to her friend Benji in one of the classrooms, we overheard their conversation thanks to our enhanced hearing which is ten times more acute than a human's. She's too clever for her own good, and if she keeps digging, she's bound to end up in serious danger.
I could feel her presence before I even saw her. The weight of her gaze lingered on me, and when I turned, there she was—staring right at me. She looked breathtaking. For a moment, I let my eyes linger, taking in every detail of her appearance. A small smirk tugged at my lips at the thought of her watching me too.
"What are you staring at? Aren't you listening to me?" Brianna's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She followed my gaze, eyes narrowing as she spotted the object of my distraction.
Just in time, Jeremy stepped in, cutting off the line of sight.
"That useless Naomi girl," Brianna spat, her voice dripping with contempt.
"What has she done to you for you to hate her so much?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. There had to be more to this than I realized. What kind of history did these two share to make Brianna so bitter?
"I don't hate her; I just can't stand her. She's just some girl who thinks she's clever because she wins quizzes and aces tests in school. Those are the only moments anyone acknowledges that there's an ugly bitch named Naomi. Honestly, she's just a flash in the pan," Brianna scornfully explained. I could feel the bitterness lacing her words.
"Well, I think you're the useless one here," I shot back, disdain creeping into my tone. Surprise flickered across her face, and her expression made it clear she was far from pleased. "What?" I replied, feigning innocence about my comment.
"Anyway, let me tell you about the Range Rover my dad bought me," she resumed, and I tuned her out. My gaze drifted to Jeremy and Naomi as they approached the bar. I knew Naomi could see me, yet she deliberately avoided eye contact. Her full attention was on Jeremy, and as he said something that made her smile, her pink, plump lips revealed her beautiful dimples to everyone around.
An overwhelming urge to walk over and pull her away from him surged within me, but I restrained myself. This was all new to me. I wasn't sure if it was even normal for an android like me to experience these kinds of human emotions. I definitely wasn't jealous—no, I refused to feel that way. I'm an android; jealousy shouldn't even register, especially not for a human. We're fundamentally different. Even if I did have feelings for her, I knew nothing could ever come of it.
The ambiance of the party shifted as "Die for You" by The Weeknd began to play, prompting couples to start slow dancing.
"Ricardo, why don't we dance together?" Brianna suggested. After considering it for a moment, I decided to accept. A small part of me hoped Naomi would notice us; I wanted to see the flicker of annoyance on her face as she watched Brianna and me dance.
However, after Jeremy and Naomi got their drinks, they vanished from sight.
"Yeah, let's do it," I replied, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I placed mine around her waist. Looking down into her eyes, I noticed her long, straight blonde hair cascading down her back. At six feet tall, I towered over her petite 5'6 frame.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful brown eyes?" she complimented, gazing at me as if my eyes were rare jewels. To be fair, she herself had striking ocean blue eyes.
There was no denying Brianna's beauty; it's no wonder guys pursued her, even if most were just looking to hook up. Still, her attitude left much to be desired. As we danced, close together and locked in this moment, I realized I felt none of the tingles that sparked when I thought of Naomi. The warmth in my chest was reserved for her alone. It was confusing; I didn't even understand what I was feeling. Perhaps it was a bug in my system or a malfunction. Either way, I needed Gaston to check it out—this definitely wasn't normal.
"You have nice ocean blue eyes as well", I returned the compliment.
"Thank you, Rick. I really like your hair. Do you—"
Before she could finish, my intrusive thoughts took over. I pressed my lips against hers, interrupting her. To my surprise, she kissed me back, tugging at my shirt to pull me closer. She seemed to be enjoying it, but I wasn't feeling the same spark. The lack of emotion on my part made it clear that my thoughts were elsewhere—specifically, on Naomi. I broke the kiss abruptly, aware that things could quickly escalate, and I didn't want to lead her on.
She continued to plant soft pecks on my lips, but I gently pulled away. "Do you want to continue this upstairs?" A mischievous smirk appeared on her face, and her eyes gleamed with lust.
"Just a minute; I need to use the restroom," I said, excusing myself as I headed upstairs.
Once again, I could feel her presence. From a distance, I watched as she struggled with a guy. As I approached, a surge of electricity shot from her hand and struck him. He collapsed to the ground, leaving her looking astonished.
"Naomi, did you just electrocute that guy?" Panic flooded her voice.
"I didn't... I don't—" she stammered, but I cut her off.
"You just shocked him."
Footsteps echoed nearby, and her eyes widened as she pressed a hand to her chest. "Someone's coming," she warned, a look of fear crossing her face. I quickly moved toward her and pulled her into a nearby room.
I backed her against the door, leaving her no escape. Anxiety and surprise mingled on her face, and I could see her chest rising and falling rapidly. I placed my index finger to my lips, signaling her to be quiet. She nodded, complying without protest. I could hear the voices of two people just outside, but my focus was elsewhere.
My entire body vibrated in a way I hadn't experienced with Brianna. With Naomi, I questioned whether I was malfunctioning or if this was just part of being near her. I won't deny it—I was definitely checking her out. Her outfit, her stunning face, and her eyes locked onto mine captivated me completely.
After the sounds of footsteps faded away, I let my arms drop to my sides. "Are you going to explain to me why you electrocuted that guy, or are you going to stare the whole day?" I crossed my arms over my shoulders, expecting some sort of explanation. Instead, she remained silent, her eyes roaming over my body without any attempt to conceal it. I couldn't help but feel amused; my feisty kitten was clearly captivated by my appearance.
"Oh, please, it's not very appealing to even glance at an ogre?" She furrowed her brows and brushed past me, stepping further into the room.
"Well then, why were you staring at the ogre like you were starstruck?" I asked, turning around dramatically to face her.
"I was never staring at you. I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted.
"Sure you don't," I shot back, dripping with sarcasm.
She rolled her eyes at me. "So tell me, are you some type of witch or something?" I pressed, intrigued.
"I don't even understand what happened. I was just panicking because that guy grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go, and the next thing that happened was the spark coming out of my hand," she explained, frustration evident in her voice.
"So you didn't know that you are a witch and you're just now finding that out?" I relished the opportunity to tease her; it was entertaining.
She stood quite a distance away from the foot of the bed, looking thoroughly annoyed by my comment. "I am not a witch."
"Whatever you say," I replied nonchalantly.
I settled onto the side of the bouncy bed, and silence enveloped us like a warm embrace. My artificial heart pounded in my chest. Is that normal? Heart racing typically happens to humans when they are nervous, scared, or with someone they love. But I am not human. Gaston designed us with these human features to mimic true humanity. We can feel anger, sadness, and even cry. But this is definitely not love; human-android love is simply impossible. I'm not even sure we have the capacity for that kind of connection. Just look at Daniella and Gaston. Daniella was created for that very purpose, yet most other androids I've heard of who've entered into relationships with humans have never been successful.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced—how Jeremy had made her smile. "Jeremy, huh?" I broke the silence, feigning casualness. I didn't expect him to be her date. A pang of something sharp hit my chest and Jeremy never told me about it either, but I brushed it aside.
"You sound jealous?" she pointed out, an eyebrow raised. Jealousy is not part of my programming.
"No, I am just happy for my brother; he deserves love."
As the conversation continued, a thought crossed my mind. What if Naomi is the girl with the neurochip? It's possible; I can't fully explain it, but I have a feeling she might be the one.
After our conversation, I left Naomi in the room, her face and voice etched into my memory. As I made my way back downstairs, I couldn't shake the feeling of how being around her stirred something within me—something unexplainable that made my system react in ways I hadn't experienced before. I found myself genuinely enjoying our talk, a stark contrast to my interactions with Brianna. Naomi wasn't a self-absorbed brat; she had depth.
As I descended the stairs, Brianna approached me, a cup in her hand and mischief in her eyes. "Hello, baby. So, can we go upstairs now?" she winked, her flirtation unmistakable.
"Listen, Brianna, I'm going home," I replied, watching as the excitement on her face quickly morphed into disappointment.
"Why? The real party is just getting started," she pouted, giving me a provocative wink.
Her gaze shifted past me, and I could see her expression harden into a frown. It looked like she was about to lash out at whoever was behind me.
"Oh, you were sleeping with that bitch, weren't you?" she yelled, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. I could feel the eyes of the crowd on us.
"Relax, Brianna. Don't cause a scene at your own party. Besides, you and I aren't dating, so you shouldn't act like I cheated on you," I shot back, trying to keep my composure.
"You kissed me just a moment ago! You can't do that and then go sleep with her. She's an ugly girl who has no friends. Why would you choose to sleep with a gorilla?"
"Ooh!!!" the crowd gasped, reacting to her insult. Naomi stood beside me, seemingly unfazed. She projected a sense of strength, but I couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside her mind. Only God knew how she truly felt in that moment, the embarrassment with everything.
"Anything you want to add?" Naomi shot back, her voice steady. "If you must know, I didn't sleep with him. I'm not some campus whore who goes around sleeping with boys for attention. I rely on my brain, unlike you, whose hobby seems to be hooking up with horny high school boys."
Brianna's face twisted in irritation at Naomi's newfound confidence. Whether it stemmed from the chip or was simply her true self, I found it refreshing.
The crowd around us buzzed with excitement, and I wouldn't be surprised if this incident became the next trending topic on Campus Social. I could see phones raised, capturing every moment of this drama that I found myself reluctantly entangled in.
"You're going to let this witch talk to me like that?" Brianna whined, her voice dripping with entitlement.
This girl was really testing my patience. I massaged my temples, trying to keep my cool. "I didn't sleep with her. Besides, I'm not obligated to defend you, especially after how you just spoke to her," I said, my voice sharp with anger. I was on the verge of losing it—if she weren't a girl, I might have punched her in the jaw. Her mouth fell open in disbelief. How could she feel so entitled? As if it were shocking for people to stand against her. It was likely her parents and this school that had created this monster.
"I have to go. I'm not in the mood for this drama," I concluded, turning toward the exit. I could feel the weight of the stares and hear the murmurs behind me. But I refused to let it get to me.