Naomi's point of view
She stayed silent for a moment, like she was expecting me to say, Just kidding. But I wasn't joking. Sure, it's a reckless idea, but it's worth a shot.
"You're insane," she finally said, her voice flat.
"No, Ashley, I'm serious. Don't you see? This is a step toward finding out what he's up to," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
"Listen, Naomi," she said, her tone sharp with warning. "You're not some hero, and you're definitely not protected. You don't have government connections, and you're not anyone's savior. Your curiosity is going to land you in serious trouble. Just let this go before it gets you hurt."
I could hear the genuine fear in her voice, and I understood her concern. She was right,it was reckless, and maybe even stupid. But something inside me wanted to dig deeper, to get answers. If I could gather enough evidence, maybe I could bring him down for good.
"Ashley, I get where you're coming from, but think about it—if we act now, we could stop him before his plans even take off. We could get enough evidence to put him away for good. Just have a little faith and let's do this," I said, trying to keep the determination in my voice steady.
Ashley looked at me like I'd lost it. "Naomi, you're crazy. Let me tell you something about how twisted Gaston really is. He used his own parents as test subjects for his brain controller years ago. They're yesterday's news now. He's brilliant, yes, but he's dangerous, too. He built Android Humans, and that chip—God only knows what it's really capable of. You'd never make it past his system without being detected, Naomi. You'll end up putting yourself in serious danger."
I sighed, finally caving. "Maybe you're right. It was stupid of me to think this could work," I admitted reluctantly, surrendering—for now.
After the call, I tried to focus on my coding. But a gnawing feeling twisted in my chest, warning me to stay away from Campus Social. I knew scrolling through it would be a mistake, but my curiosity got the best of me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the urge to see what was happening. Eventually, I gave in, grabbing my phone and bracing myself for the chaos waiting there.
The first photo that caught my eye was of Ricardo, smiling with Brianna at a carnival. She was clutching a huge stuffed panda, both of them holding up cotton candy like they were living in some picture-perfect world. I swiped to the next picture—and there they were, kissing. A tear slid down onto my screen, blurring the image, and I knew it wasn't from any leaky ceiling. I tried to remind myself I shouldn't care, that I'd already seen this side of him, but it didn't help. The sharp ache in my chest refused to ease.
I wiped the tears with the back of my hand, swallowing the lump in my throat as I scrolled through my feed. That's when I saw a video from last night's party. I opened the comment section, almost wishing I hadn't.
Every single comment cut into me like a knife.
> "Not only is she a boring, ugly nerd but a slut too. It's always the quiet, innocent-looking ones."
> "She probably threw herself at him. Lol, desperate whore."
> "Ugliness is a tragedy. Had to go for Brianna's date, poor thing."
> "Ugly bitch."
Not one person stood up for me. It was like I didn't exist beyond the shame and mockery they'd pinned on me. Even the video's caption read, "Desperate nerd attempts to steal popular girl's date."
People had taken the photos of Brianna and Ricardo, crafting cruel memes to make fun of me. I put my phone down, my hands trembling, and let my head fall onto the table. The tears came harder, relentless, until I had nothing left.
Here we are again. Monday slaps us in the face when we least want it to. My alarm clock's beeping jolted me awake, pulling me from sleep. I'm dreading school today, but with the deal I made with Ricardo, I have no choice. I can't let him go around telling people I'm a witch; that's the last thing I need right now. I decided to go back to my usual look: glasses, a ponytail, baggy jeans, a jumper, and sandals. It's comfortable, and at least I can feel like my usual, unremarkable self.
During breakfast, my mom served a bowl of Tom Brown porridge, a favorite Ghanaian dish. Her mother's from Ghana, and her dad's African American. She paired it with some bread on the side. "So, my brown flower, back to your old style?" she noted, her eyes warm. I nodded. "I just didn't feel comfortable with the new look. I'd rather stick to what feels right."
"We love you regardless, mi ángel," my dad chimed in. Today, Benji told me he wouldn't be going to school because he's feeling under the weather. Lucky him. Now I have to call an Uber, and honestly, I'm not in the mood to deal with it. If I knew how to drive, I'd take myself, but instead, here I am, losing patience with this app while wishing I didn't have to go at all.
After waiting for what felt like forever, the Uber finally arrived. I got in, hoping for a quiet ride, but the driver wouldn't stop trying to chat. All I wanted was silence, not advice on studying hard or questions I didn't care to answer. I mentally willed him to just drive.
When we pulled into the school parking lot, I paid him and got out, instantly feeling the stares and hearing the whispers from other students nearby. They didn't even bother to hide it. Ignoring them, I headed inside and spotted Ashley standing by the stairs.
"Ashley," I called, catching her attention.
She turned, smiling. "Oh, hello, Naomi! How are you?"
"Horrible," I said bluntly.
She chuckled, eyeing my look. "I figured. The glasses are back."
"Yes, they are," I replied with a small laugh. Ashley has become a really good friend. We're in the same classes, and she's far kinder than most human beings who are supposed to be sympathetic and all. She once told me she's never been in love—it's not part of her programming. Her emotions are limited to anger, happiness, and sadness. Ashley was created to be the daughter her owner always wanted but couldn't have because she's barren. That's about all she knows.
We walked side by side to Geography class. "How are you holding up with all this?" Ashley asked.
People passed by, throwing nasty looks and muttering insults—some called me a "whore" or "gorilla." If I could run to the bathroom and cry, I would, but I have to stay strong.
"I can manage," I replied, keeping my voice steady.
During class, I took my usual seat at the front, determined not to let anyone get in my head. Maybe if they focused on class instead of trying to tear me down over something they don't even understand, they'd actually pass the next test.
At lunch, Ashley and I headed to the cafeteria. I missed Benji, but I couldn't deny how grateful I was to have Ashley by my side. She defends me every time someone tries to put me down, and I love her for that. She has my back in ways most humans never would. The fact that she's an Android and I'm human doesn't matter to me. Ashley isn't as bad as I thought.
We found an empty table and sat down with our food—a déjà vu moment from when Benji had shown me that article about Android Humans.
"Have you seen Ricardo and Brianna around today?" Ashley asked.
I shook my head. "No, thank God. I did see Jeremy a few times, but we just said hello. Ricardo's probably off with Brianna somewhere. I really hope I don't run into them. I don't think I could handle it."
"No? Why, are you bothered by them being together?" Ashley teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
"It's not him I care about," I replied quickly. "It's Brianna. She'd rub it in my face and start a wildfire within me."
I groaned, suddenly remembering I'd promised to watch Ricardo's tryouts.
Ashley looked at me, brow raised. "What's with the animal noise?"
"I made a deal with Ricardo at the party," I explained reluctantly. "I promised I'd watch his Athletics tryouts if he kept my secret." Then I remembered that Ashley didn't know what I was talking about.
"Explain," she demanded, eyes narrowed with curiosity.
I lowered my voice, glancing around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "If I tell you this, you have to promise not to say a word."
"I promise," she said, leaning in.
I took a deep breath and told her everything—from the moment I shot electricity out of my hand to Ricardo helping me, and then our tense conversation that led to the rumors now spreading all over Campus Social.
"You can shoot electricity out of your hand?" Ashley's eyes widened in shock. "Humans can't do that… can they?"
"No, which is why I need answers I don't have."
"Is that why you wanted to hack into Gaston's system?" she asked, still processing.
"Not just that. There's everything else he's been doing too."
After lunch, Ashley and I went to our separate classes. When the time came, I made my way to the school field for the tryouts. The stands were filled with girls cheering on Ricardo, with Brianna front and center. He's got plenty of admirers, and I get it—he's good-looking. But he's a hypocrite if he can talk about Brianna the way he did and still be with her. I found a spot to sit, hoping no one, especially Brianna, would notice me and try to stir things up.
His hair shone brilliantly in the sun, and his skin seemed to glow with an almost otherworldly light. He and the other athletes lined up behind the starting line, awaiting the signal.
"On your mark, get set, Pi!" The whistle blew, and they took off. Wow, he's fast! He surged ahead of the other runners, the gap between him and the second-place athlete widening with each stride. If Usain Bolt were watching, he'd probably be in disbelief. Ricardo zipped around the track, not slowing down for a moment, his hair whipping in the wind.
Soon, he crossed the finish line, and the girls rushed toward him, eager to catch his attention. Brianna reached him first, and they kissed. My heart sank as I stood there, arms folded, watching him shower affection on his fan club.
After what felt like an eternity of smooching, he lifted his head. His gaze swept through the stands until it landed on me. For a brief moment, his eyes lit up, and a smile tugged at his lips before transforming into a wide grin. He pulled his jersey off, exposing his perfect abs to everyone. The girls around me were practically salivating; the sun only amplified his burning-hot appeal.
He made his way to the bench and grabbed a water bottle, his movements fluid and effortless. Taking a deep breath, I approached him. "Hey, Ricardo," I called out.
"Oh, hey, Naomi! How's it going?" he said, running a hand through his tousled hair, which caught the sunlight.
"I'm alright. So, I see you and Brianna have patched things up. She doesn't seem as self-absorbed anymore, huh?"
"Yeah, she's actually cool now. I think I misjudged her," he replied, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Did she hit you on the head or something? Did you forget how she treated us—especially me?" I shot back, reminding him of the past.
"I remember, but that's all behind us now," he said, casually chugging from the water bottle. "You forgive people pretty quickly, don't you? Must be nice not to be the one affected," I scoffed, unable to hide my irritation.
"I honestly didn't think you'd show up," he admitted, looking a little surprised.
"I didn't want to, but because of our ridiculous deal, here I am. I would have missed school if it weren't for you," I said, crossing my arms.
He draped his shirt over his hair, as if to shield himself from the crowd's gaze. "Oh, right! Your secret—the whole 'witch' thing. Spreading that would be quite the twist amidst all the rumors about you," he laughed.
"Yeah, go ahead and spread it. I'm sure everyone will cheer when they find out you're an Android," I replied, raising an eyebrow.