Chapter 13
I turned my attention back to Thomas, and carefully wondered about the words I would choose. Was I supposed to convince him of something? Could he be suspicious of me or did he simply inform me about the picture because of how John would react. My mind slipped back to how John would truly react. I could feel my heart drop as I could see the images of his wrath.
‘’ I tried to track down who could be behind this but the group chat has students from other classes. It could be anyone. My biggest worry is that John has already got this picture in his hands. Since he is a member of the group chat.’’ Said Thomas with a whisper, I could hear how his voice shifted from soft spoken to a concerned one.
I could see his efforts in trying to comfort me by how he waited for my reaction and how his eyebrows became drawn together when he saw the worried expression on my face.
‘’ Thomas, You know well what John is capable of as he went into a rage that day afraid that I would be simply tutored by a professor he could not get his hands on even if his father paid for it. He could be here any minute finding my schedule is not that hard for him especially when he has an absurd reason to do so. ‘’
I said with a stern voice I tried to master but the fear dripping in my voice did not go unnoticed by him as his eyebrows softened and the unconscious movement by his hand resting closer to mine. I draped my hands back in and did not want to send wrong signals to him for I was in no place to have the courage to blossom my feelings towards him.
I had already set my mind on that it would not matter if I developed any feelings for him because I wouldn’t act upon it. I have far other things to prioritize and drive my mind restless on.
‘’ Don’t worry, This time I won’t go to the bathroom like I did before as long as I do not leave you in an open field he can’t charge against you without me destroying his brakes. Our work is very similar. I doubt there is a professor who could tutor us and our work is far too complex to be met by a simple professor. When John hears that he will realize how insane his behavior is towards you.’’
I simply stared at him as I felt every muscle in my face became cold and mustered every strength of mine to not show him that he by mistake revealed his true intentions towards me. My mind was racing and I tried to calm my senses down but when a heavy rain took over the quiet classroom I could no longer ignore the signs in front of me.
All I could do was send a faint smile back to show him that I appreciate his efforts to help me out. He returned the smile back towards me the minute his eyes focused on the professor. I turned to the other side and let all the emotions become visible in my face for a split second in order to control my facial expressions through the lesson.
The rain grew louder and only caused me discomfort as the suspicion lingered in the air making it suffocating for me to breathe in. How I desperately wanted to remove myself from him but I knew if I chose to do so it would alert him that I knew something and that was an unnecessary weight that I did not wish to carry. I grew restless as the time slowly moved by and the professor's voice was drowned out by the sound of my own thoughts consuming me.
He tried to lighten up the mood by commenting about the incident that occurred when he was in the bathroom and I was left in an open field unmistakingly. This time I won’t roam the halls with just Thomas. I will make sure my androids will be waiting outside this very classroom. I turned to the other direction and hid the screen watch I built a couple years ago from Thomas. I did not want him to know this was how I communicated with the androids from a distance, the screen watch could connect with the bluetooth on the glass closet where the androids rest in.
All I had to do was to click on the programmed quick text messages I already created, such as come to the location of your owner or I need help. The messages would be read out loud from the bluetooth with an android voice who alerts the androids. I clicked on the message to arrive at the location of mine and also clicked on the message I need your help. Satisfied I put my sleeve over my screen watch and casually turned to his direction I suppose I was gone for 3 minutes.
‘’ That won’t be necessary. I will just meet the androids later on and avoid roaming around the hallways. I think staying in my dorm is the safest at a moment like this. The last thing I want is a fight breaking out between my androids and John it would end up in a bloodbath.’’
I said with the smallest information I could offer him there was no point in giving him an inside when I was suspecting him of the worst crime which is taking advantage of me and my work.
‘’ Why did you even meet up with the director? I know your work is important I just could not comprehend that the director of our University would show up that quick when he left my invitations unopened and act as if his work took to much of his time.’’
He said with the most casual voice he could muster but I was not blind by the movements. It clearly showed me that he was nervous to ask a suspicious question like that. Everytime he spoke his hand went for his neck or the back of his head. It felt like it was almost too easy for me to detect his intentions that he was hurt by the rejection of the director. I could not hold back my paranoia sprouting in me when he was questioning my work and if I had the talent to capture the director's attention.
His scale of judgment was flawed to the core, were three androids not enough for him to see me as the creator of artificial intelligence this world has laid its eyes on. My work with androids brought me recommendation letters and only two people were granted entrance exams throughout the University. Yet he questioned me as if I did not have the history of artificial intelligence on my back.
‘’ Thomas , the question to why I was introduced to the director is because of the artificial intelligence I created. But you should not be looking at the why and instead focus on how one could have full attention of the director. That is to create a legacy and something out of this world.’’
My words were sharp and meant to strike him in his ego, Belittling me was one thing but to talk down on the androids was a line never meant to be crossed. An answer was presented in front of him but would he become provoked by how high I spoke of myself or would his mask slip up. Flawed were his words but the kindness and the compassion he carried made me want to root for him to not fall for my tauntings and provokings. Could he not see past the way I spoke about myself and realize questioning me made no sense when I had a legacy behind me.
I stared at him until I noticed the small movements of how his throat almost closed up as he tried to fix his posture in order to hide how affected he was by the self praising words I had to choose. He returned his gaze on me and only disappointment shone on his face as he started to avoid meeting my eyes. Guilt crept slowly on me when I was only met by a cold tension and quietness flooding in the classroom.
I didn’t want to lose our friendship nor did I want to be isolated like I was in my old class. Pushing away the thoughts of John and his friends attempts to scare me mentally was a struggle that only grew as I started to regret my choice of words. Was I too harsh and quick with my judgment on him? Because of the familiarity of people who looked down at me and never gave me the chance to rebuild my work the one I could afford.
I turned away from him, not wanting to see him distancing from me. I knew the arrangement that was given to me that night by the androids when I stumbled upon them in a pit left by the meteor. We made a deal to fulfill their part of the deal when the time it was done theirs would arrive. None other than that small information was not given to me and how could I refuse when I was well aware of the harm the government could cause upon the innocent lives of other people.
I was the safest option for all of humanity since all I wanted was to be accepted into the Ford Ta Facon University where robotics was taken well into intresse and the improvement of our technology was prioritized. When I knew of the arrangement by the androids why was my mind engraved into the small part I had to act upon to make my story seem believable? That I was the creator of the androids and none else have reached where I stand. I could not distinguish reality from this fabric lie I built my life around.
I couldn't understand why I was deeply affected by him not believing and questioning my fabric lie. I was too caught up with fabricting every little detail that I didn’t know how to react without taking it personal. What choices do I even have expect from being seen as the andriods creator if I could not do this then how could I be fulfil my longing to be seen.
I stood up when the professor dismissed us and held myself together as I watched my classmates flood to the door. The last thing I needed was harsh words being exchanged between Thomas and I. We were not in that stage to be bickering and arguing as if we were long known friends.
I followed the crowd and grabbed my belongings. One would believe that I was naive for even to have doubts about if he was only using me for his own goals it is not that I completely believe that he wants the best for me it is the fact that I could practically feel that he was hiding his reasons on befriending me and my androids everytime we hung out in my dorm.
But the more I thought about our encounters I was reminded of the kindness and warmth he stared at me with. Helping me out with from not being John’s punching bag I noticed that having these mixed thoughts and feelings could be the only reasonable outcome of situation. The line moved slowly and I could feel somebody stand behind me and hint of their cologne. A scent of forest and smokey fragrance swept over me and I could practically feel his gaze burning on the back of my head.
There was no point for me to turn back as I knew who was standing behind me. It would only make things more awkward and I could not find myself to talk to him. What would I even say. I arrived at the doorstep and further into the hallway the line that was in front of me disappeared into the air and I could see how my classmates were eager to use the time to either dine or gossip about the latest incident involving me and the director.
I stood in the hallway and tried to read their lips as they continued to gossip while I was in earshot. I caught a few words and mumbled it myself in order to be sure that the words were correct. I found myself mumbling the words and on the third time I realized what they were saying to each other that made my blood turn cold and my gaze fixed on the farthest side of the hallway as I waited and hoped it was not true.‘’ John wanted nothing more than to meet the director’’ were the words that came out of their mouths. I wasted no time picking my pace up and headed downstairs to the cafeteria. I knew that John avoided the cafeteria. He always said that only the unfortunate eat in the cafeteria and why would he dine with the people beneath him.