Chapter 12

The bell rang for end of classes. All the students scurried off the classroom, leaving frustrated Mrs Corbyn screaming out, "Oh come on! Can't you all just wait a little for my conclusion on the topic?!" But of course, she wasn't expecting an answer.

  "This Agric teacher is the weirdest I've ever encountered in my entire life," said Tom to Harry. They both grinned and packed their books to the locker room, hurriedly.

  On their way, they saw Jocelyn at the other side of the sea of moving students, walking with Amanda who held some textbooks to her chest, protectively. They chuckled as they walked, but did not notice the boys. Harry couldn't remember when last he'd seen the duo together. They even sat together at lung. His eyes clung to the girls, still, and then. . .

  "Ouch! Watch where you're going!" a familiar voice cried, after bumping into Harry. The books in Harry's arms spilled to the ground. He quickly bent to pick them, then raised his head to see the owner of the voice.

  James.

  "Woah, didn't know it was you, Harry," said he.

  Harry's mouth fell ajar, as his eyes were quick to notice the plaster on The Great Bully's forehead, and the plaster of Paris that strapped his right arm to his left shoulder. The boy had a grin on, "Surprised to see me?"

  "James — you're back."

  The boy nodded with an excited grin. He turned to look at the third party, expecting to see Andy, but then. . . .

  His eyes grew wide as he recognised Thomas.

  "You!" was all he was able to say with a shaky forefinger. "I'll make you pay for what you did."

  Harry looked at his friend but was unable to see any tinge of fear in his face. Thomas was more like undaunted by James' threat.

  James stared at Thomas, without a word to say more. He wasn't expecting the expression he was seeing on Tom, as well. His eyes were then averted to Harry's, then back. He pushed himself away from the duo and made it for a quick corner.

  When Harry returned his eyes to Tom, he could see Thomas' eyebrows cocked in disdain. He wondered what he was thinking in his head.

  "Let's go," Thomas said, beckoning Harrison to their lockers where they brought out their backpacks, dropped in their books, slunged it over their shoulders and made it out to the school compound.

  While there, Harry reached for his cellphone and called Joce, sitting down at the staircase in front of the school.

JOCELYN'S phone vibrated in her handbag. She was in the library with Amanda who had been telling her about a million things she loved about Jake.

  "Excuse me, I've got to take this," said Joce, placing the Android device to her ear.

  "Hi Joce," came Harry's voice. "It's about time we make it for Andy's, the first bus is already full, you wouldn't want to miss the second."

  "Oh my, I'm sorry! I'm right behind you," said Jocelyn, cutting the call. She raised herself up from the chair and explained to Amanda that she'd be visiting Andy because of his absence, and that Harry was coming along. "You can tag along with us."

  "I'd love to!" exclaimed Amanda. She pulled herself up to meet Joce, but stopped herself in the process. "I have to tell Jake, first."

  Jocelyn slapped her forehead, staring blankly at Amanda.

  "Who does that?" Jocelyn muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes as Amanda dialed some numbers and placed the phone against her ears.

  "Hi, Jake—"

  "Hi cutie!"

  "I wanted to tell you Joce and I would be going to visit Andy, she's worried about his absence."

  Jake interjected, "Oh, come on! He's big enough to take care of himself. I need you today—"

  "But—"

  "Amy?"

  "Okay. I'll come, but you've got to make me some of those Japanese-American food of yours."

  She heard him laughing at the other end of the line, and began smiling hard, ear to ear. "I'm on my way."

  They exchanged some "sweetheart remarks" then hung up.

  "Sorry, Jake needs me over."

  Amanda nodded, angry and jealous to the bones. She forced a smile to cover it up then ran as fast as possible outside.

"OH I SEE," Thomas was saying. "But, unfortunately, you'll just have to send condolences to him for me."

  "Why? Aren't you going to come with us to visit?"

  Thomas shaked his head in the negative. "My sister is fiver-ridden at the hospital, as we speak."

  "I'm sorry to hear that," said Harry. "Does that explain why you were late to school this morning?"

  He nodded.

  "I had to drop her at the hospital when I noticed the change in her temperature," said Tom.

  Harry sighed. "That means I'll be visiting people this week—"

  "Huh?"

  "I'm visiting Andy today, tomorrow it'll be Tiana," Harry explained.

  Tom nodded with a smirk, clasping hands and rubbing shoulders with Harry.

  "Thanks man, I have got to make it for the hospital—"

  "See you tomorrow," said Harry with a slight handwave, "and send my condolence."

  Tom nodded and raised from the stairs where they sat, raised an arm of his bag to his shoulder, then walked away.

  Just as Tom's back was against Harry, Jocelyn ran from the direction of the library. He stood up and dusted his buttocks. He noticed she pointing her forefinger at the bus, so he picked his bag quickly to join her.

  They sat side-by-side, and in no time were dropped in front of Joce's house. They strolled to the next house which was Andy's and rang the bell.

  Mr Simpson opened the door, to their surprise. They greeted him and told why they were there. He informed them that Andy was in his room, so the duo walked up the stairs together.

  After running up the flight of stairs, they were at Andy's door. Harry knocked three times, sequentially.

  "The door is open," came the monotonous voice of Andy.

  Pushing the door in, Jocelyn's mouth hung open to the library Andy called a bedroom. Andy laid on his stomach on bed, reading a big textbook. He dropped it to look at them. His appearance showed he was surprised. He probably expected to see his father, thought Joce.

  "Howdy, mate!" Harry and Jocelyn greeted, simultaneously.

  "Oh howdy, Harry and Joce," he said, sitting erectly. "Do come in and have a seat."

  Harry traced his beckoning hand to some chairs beside the bed. He and Joce dropped on the two sofas nearest to Andy.

  "Thanks Andy," Joce began. "We were so worried about you."

  He sighed, then smiled comfortingly at her. "Thanks guys, you both mean a bunch to me."

  Harry smiled, while Jocelyn chuckled at his use of words.

  "So why were you absent?" asked Harry.

  "I'll show you," Andy said, reaching for the door. They followed him down till they got to his basement. They were expecting to see an old room filled with cartons and craps, but what they saw drew their mouth apart without any hope of closing soon.

  Metals, contraptions, professional tools, manual tools, and whatever tool existed were displaced all over the place.

  "This is cool!" said Joce.

  "Nope, it's not," Andy interjected. "My robot has been stolen, and my stuffs dilapidated."

  Harry and Joce exchanged glances. They were about to step in when Andy drew his hand sideway, to stop them.

  "You can't go in now, some detectives are still working here."

  They exchanged glances again.

  "You mean people are in there?"

  Andy nodded, "Just three."

  While he spoke, they noticed a man move across the basement with gloves on both hands, and a mask on his face. He nodded a greeting at which they returned.

  "What are they doing there?" Joce asked.

  Andy thought it was a stupid question, but answered anyway. "They're checking the fingerprints and footprints, as well as noting down how many things were missing."

  "How can they even tell how many things are missing?" Harry asked, surprised at what Andy said.

  Andy arched an eyebrow in disgust, not wanting to answer that.

  "Yeah, how do they know that?" Joce added.

   Andy folded his arms across his chest and groaned. "You both know me too well to ask that! I keep a list of every single thing, remember?"

  "Ohhh!" they echoed. Andy grunted.

  "I'm really sorry for your loss," said Joce. Andy nodded without looking at her.

  "It makes little sense," said Harry.

  "What makes little sense?" Andy asked, raising a brow.

  "What would any normal person need with YOUR stuffs?! And how did they even know it was here in first place? — I mean, I've not even been here myself."

  Andy turned around in a way that they both faced him.

  "First of all, I think you should rephrase the first question to, 'What would any "smart" person need with Andy's stuffs?' Well, there are a billion things they can do with my stuffs, Harry.

  "With my stuffs, a smart person can build himself an empire of scientific practicals. Whatever they wanted to design, they just could. Plus, that involves my robot!"

  Their eyes were wide.

  "And for your other question. How do thieves ever know where to find the money in a house?! RESEARCH! Now cut the silly questions off."

  He walked to his room, and they silently followed from behind him.

  When they were inside, Jocelyn and Harry sat on both sides of Anderson. Then she began to speak.

  "I'm really sorry, Andy, for what you're going through at the moment. We understand this has taken so many sleepless nights, efforts and, should I say, strength. I'm optimistic they'll find the dushbags who did this to you."

  She placed her hand on his and saw the effect it made. He calmed, and his eyes were starry.

  Jocelyn's words and gestures reminded him of his mother.

  He nodded. "Thanks for trying, but my life is inauspicious already, there's nothing you—

  A soft knock on the door interrupted him. The door was pushed in, slightly, and Mr Simpson's head cocked in.

  "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," said he.

  "No," echoed the trio. Joce pulled her hand away from Andy's and shifted away, a bit.

  "Son, you might want to see this."

  Andy stood up and met his father at the door, "What is it, Dad?"

  "Come with me, the detectives would like to show you something," said the older man.

  Andy nodded. "Can they come along?"

  Mr Simpson looked over Andy's shoulder at them, then back at him. He shaked his head. "It's best they wait here."

  Andy nodded to this, and turning to his friends said, "I'd be right back, guys. I'm needed in the basement."

  They nodded.

  When Andy got there, the head detective showed him the results of their work.

  "Anderson," said Mr Rubadue, "when we thought we got the mobs busted, this was what we discovered." He showed him the printed results of the features of the scanned prints.

  Andy observed the terms used. Mr Rubadue didn't have to stress himself explaining as he was sure Andy would understand everything, perfectly well.

  "This is impossible!" he exclaimed, the paper gripped in both arms, spread before him. Mr Simpson stretched his head to see. "What does it mean by 'without presence of integument, dermis or blood'?! Is that even possible for human to lose? You've got to try another machine!"

  "Calm down, boy. We've tried five different machines already—"

  "There's a mix-up somewhere," said Andy, hands spread under his chin. He paced before them, trying to think. "Unless. . .no way! That can't be—"

  "What son?" Mr Simpson asked.

  "Dad, if it's fake skin, then it means something wore it; I'm positive it's not a person. What if – what if it was a kind of. . .automaton?"

  They all exchanged looks with mouths ajar.

  "What if. . .?"

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Howdy mates!

What the heck was that — an automaton!🤣

This is going to be soooo gooood!

How many of you liked this as much as I did?

It's amazing to have you guys read my works, and your comments — they've been fantastic all through.

Please, don't forget to always drop a comment.

And just before I forget, James back! What's your thought on the next scene?!

I'd like to see your thoughts on this in the comments section, as well.

Have a nice weekend, fellas!