423 comments

Science Fiction Friendship

Splosh


Haela poured in silky brown coffee into a blue mug, the thin liquid swishing around in the cup.


Swish


I watched as she set the coffee maker down, picked up the mug and walked toward the front door. She tilted the cup against her lips while looking around her house for her belongings.


Haela placed the mug on a coffee table and walked towards the coat hooks. She picked a pale yellow one, like the feathers of a baby chick, and slipped it on along with her purse. She picked up her mug again and slid her slim feet into little shiny black flats that reminded me of my cat, Jungle.


She opened the door and shut it with a thump, but I just slipped right through.


How?, you might ask?


I was a ghost, and not just a normal one at that. I was the person who got hit by the car 5 years ago, the one whose face was on all the holograms and news channels. Some say they saw my limp body on the top of one of the many flying cars near downtown, saying that they were the ones who had reported it, but I knew that they weren’t there.


The only person that had been there was Haela, and by the time she had glimpsed me before the crash, she already knew what was going to happen.



~


I was walking through downtown, just like any other person would do. The sky was a deep purple with little orange clouds floating through it with the moon and sun both in the sky, creating a moment of tranquillity. Cars flew around, creating a little hum through the air, signalling the business of the city. I waited for the crosswalk to turn a neon green so I wouldn’t be crushed by a car. I rushed across and once I got to the other side, I checked my smartwatch.Β 


7:09 pm


Already? I decided that flying would be a better option, because it was way too late, as my mother said for University I was supposed to go to sleep at 8 pm, but I usually just read until 9 or 10.


We didn’t have wings, as humans didn’t have, but we had a little β€œjetpack” that we could control and take us anywhere with. I pulled it out of my backpack, the unusually light contraption staring back at me with its countless numbers of buttons. I strapped it on my back, backed up and pressed the little green button on the side, and took off.


I soared through the violet sky, along with other people and cars, the shiny metal sidewalks twisting and turning in intricate patterns. I breathed in some fresh air and smelled some lemongrass, the scent that the city used to clean everything because it had calming and health benefits.


It sure did calm me, a bit too much if I do say so myself.


A pink car slammed into me, the wheels rimmed with neon orange. The front hood slammed into my ribs hard, and I lifted up my head to see who the driver was.


A girl with light brown hair and hazel eyes stared back at me, her soft face curving into worry as she realized who she had crashed into. I heard a faraway voice call β€œNo! Alec stay! NO!”


All went black.


~


I flowed through the door and followed Haela into the same pink car that had cut my life short. She put her hands on the wheel and I felt her breathing quicken and I followed her gaze to a photo near the steering wheel.


A photo 5 years ago, placed on my birthday in the middle of June, us squirting water from water guns at each other and our smiles and happiness frozen into the picture.


Haela looked at it for a while, her gaze never swaying from my bright eyes that rarely appeared, only in times when I really felt happy.


She took a deep breath and pressed on the gas pedal, making me lurch forward and almost vomit up the things I had seen at the garbage disposal.


Once we had arrived at the big glass building that was Haela’s workplace, she got out of the car and started vacuuming.


Inside the car.


She got one of those handheld vacuums and just zoomed away, sucking any dirt or dust that wasn’t supposed to be there.


Which included me.


The air sucked me in rapidly, the little nozzle looking a little too much like a hungry Mata-mata turtle, the lips closing around me and trapping me inside with the dirt and grime.


Haela shook the vacuum, along with me and the dust inside of it. I ricocheted against the tiny walls, inhaling unhealthy particles into my nose.


She brushed it off, locked the car and took the vacuum with her inside the building.


I couldn’t describe anything very well because my vision was tinted grey, thanks to Haela’s mini vacuum who was holding me hostage at the moment. It was pretty boring: cubicles, people bent over unnaturally in their chairs, and bright lights blaring back at them from computers. Haela’s fingers covered my vision a bit too, but I could see her walking into a special room with about 5 computers, each full of code.


Haela opened the nozzle of the vacuum and dumped its contents, which included me, into a nearby trash bin.


β€œI never knew why you do that. What’s wrong with a little dust here and there?”


I tumbled into the bin, mixing with things like banana skins and foul yogurt.


β€œA clean car is essential, you could get sick!” Haela responded to her maybe-boss.


β€œYou say that for everything,” responded her boss. β€œSo, how are you doing with the game?”


β€œWell, I’m almost done.”


β€œWhat is it about?”


β€œI was thinking about Alec’s crash, so I made something about that.”


Her boss’s face darkened, but then he asked, β€œSo how do you play it?”


β€œAt the start, it shows an animation of a car crash, and then you’re a ghost and you have to pass all 10 levels of the Underworld to get to the boss battle.”


Her boss nodded with his eyebrows raised. β€œA unique idea! The market will love it! Great job, try and finish it as soon as possible, it sounds great!”


Haela beamed and her boss strutted out of the room with some newfound confidence.


Once he had left, she sat down in front of the computer with little graphics and at the top it readΒ β€˜Κ€α΄€α΄„α΄‡ ᴛᴏ α΄›Κœα΄‡ α΄œΙ΄α΄…α΄‡Κ€α΄‘α΄Κ€ΚŸα΄…β€™


She rolled the start of the game, the pixels so small there were as traceable as dust mites.


It was the car crash, but animated, the colours and shading close to perfect, so much that it could be Virtual Reality.


At the scene where I slumped over the pink car, Haela buried her face in her hands.


β€œWhy did I do that? Alec . . . why?”


I whispered, β€œIt wasn’t your fault.”


She jumped up in her chair and swivelled around in all directions, her eyes opened wide.


β€œAlec, are you here?”


β€œYep, I am sure am.”


Haela looked around again in fear.


β€œAre you here to get revenge on me?”


β€œWhy would I do that?”


Haela tried to shrug casually but failed. β€œI thought you would hate me from the crash. . .”


β€œNope. I’ve been following you ever since, by the way.”


β€œWhat? Wait, have you seen me in the shower?!”


I laughed. β€œNope. I’m not THAT cruel.”


Haela giggled a little, but her nervousness peeked through. β€œSo um, why are you here?”


β€œWell, I don’t know. I have nothing to do so I just follow you.”


β€œOkay, I guess. Did you see the scene at the start of the game or were you somewhere else?”


β€œI saw. Can I tell you something?”


β€œYeah.”


β€œYou trapped me in your little vacuum. It’s not that pleasant to be trapped in a little machine that has millions of dust particles inside of it.”


β€œOopsies, sorry β€˜bout that.”


β€œIt’s fine.”


We sat in silence while Heala fiddled with her fingers and I glanced back at the computer.


β€œSo, what is the game for?”


β€œI’ve not been doing well at work, I almost got laid off last week. My boss said I had to make the best game ever or else I would be let go.”


β€œHmm.”


Haela sat down in front of the computer and pulled up the code behind the game. It went forever and ever, and it was very complicated. I could say that because I used to be that one person that programmed the cars to not ram into each other, the one person who would always get chocolate at the announcement of the new cars.


Chocolate . . .Β 


I strayed off-topic, sorry.


I examined the nape of Haela’s neck and noticed something out of the usual.


A little screw poked out from beneath her shoulder-length hair, the metal shining in the bright artificial lights.


β€œHaela, what is that thing under your hair?”


Haela just brushed her hair with her fingers as casually as she could to hide the screw, and said, β€œWhat? What thing?”


I pointed towards the screw’s location, even if she couldn’t see me and said, β€œYou don’t know that it’s there? It looks like a screw. Wouldn’t it hurt?”


β€œA screw? Why there be a screw in my neck?” Haela asked and laughed nervously, clearly aware of the screw in her neck.


β€œHaela. Answer the question.”


Once I said that, Haela crumpled onto the floor and started crying, little rivers of salty water running down her pale face.


β€œWhat happened?”


She was sobbing, her mascara running down her face too, and then she whispered, β€œI’m not human. Alec, I’m not human.”


β€œWhat do you mean? You might be a little different but-”


β€œNo, Alec, I’m not human. I’ll show you. Then you can’t argue.”


Haela stood up shakily and somehow looked me straight in the eye and started ripping her skin.


Her fingers crawled underneath her skin and peeled it off like a banana sticker. It made a hissing sound and exposed metal, bolts and screws underneath. She ripped it all off and piled her skin in a bundle next to her chair and looked at me.


β€œSee Alec? I’m not human. They said I was as cruel as them, but I’ll never be.”


Haela, the now-robot crossed her legs on the ground and resumed crying, but quieter this time.


β€œHaela?”


She nodded.


β€œWere you a robot all along or-”


β€œLet me explain,” said Haela, getting up and sitting on her chair.


β€œOkay.”


β€œSo. My planet’s name is Xotl23, and I was so happy. I had friends and parents and sisters and brothers, everything was the best. But then-” She broke into sobs.


β€œWhat happened?”


Haela swallowed and said, β€œThe-the humans. The came to my planet and- and-”


β€œYes?”


β€œThey killed my father.”


β€œ. . .”


β€œThe Council blamed ME for his death and they banished me. Guess where they banished me, Alec, GUESS WHERE THEY BANISHED ME.”


β€œLet me guess . . . Earth.”


β€œYes. They had to send me to the planet whose inhabitants killed my father.”


I looked down at my non-existent feet.


β€œWhy? WHY? I tried to fit in but it was so hard, trying to fit in with- them. When I crashed into you, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I filed a complaint. To throw me out into space. I just can’t TAKE it here any longer.”


β€œBut-”


β€œAlec, there are no buts. I’m leaving today. I finished the game. All my jobs here are done.”


β€œBut-”


β€œNo buts.”


β€œCan I come with you?”


Haela froze.


β€œWhat?”


β€œCan I come with you?”


β€œWhat do you mean?”


β€œTo . . . Xotl23.”


β€œBut you can’t! You’re a human, they’ll recognize-”


β€œI’m a ghost.”


β€œFine. There won’t be space for you because-”


β€œI’m a ghost, Haela.”


β€œBut-”


β€œNo buts.”


She smiled and I did too.


Haela sighed and said, β€œFine. You’re coming with me.”


I silently pumped my fist while Haela put on her human skin again.


***


β€œWhat does it look like?”


β€œYou’ll see it when we get there.”


β€œWhy is it called β€˜Xotl23’?”


β€œI don’t know but I learned it in school somewhere.”


β€œHow-”


β€œAll your questions will be answered when we get there, okay?” said Haela as we walked up to the spaceship.Β 


β€œOkay.”


The spaceship was magnificent, to say the least.


It looked like a bus, like the ones in London with the two decks and the bright red walls. Instead of red, it was painted a dark blue with little specks of gold here and there, enough to blend in with the galaxy but unique enough so that they could find it again. Wings unfolded from the sides, like an airplane’s, except they were much more elegant and swift, like the wings of an eagle. There were normally many people swarming each bus to visit their relatives on different planets, but today it was just Haela and I.


I followed Haela up to the stairs where a ticket man was waiting.


β€œHello. Are you by yourself today?” he asked.


β€œUh,” said Haela. β€œWe’re the only ones here so . . . yeah.”


β€œWe’re?”


β€œUm, I meant me. Not we. Me.”


The ticket man just shrugged and Haela handed him her ticket.


β€œHave a great flight!”


Haela nodded to him and led me inside the bus.


β€œOh wow.”


It looked like a space limousine.


Literally.


Long couches were cushioned with black leather and trimmed with gold. There was a kitchen made of marble, bean bag chairs everywhere, and one other room that, from what I could see, had a flat-screen TV inside.


β€œO-m-g,” said Haela, dumping her stuff on the ground and running into the pile of beanbag chairs in front of the kitchen. β€œThis is the best.”


I ran straight to the kitchen. β€œI know, right?” 


β€œWanna watch a movie?” Haela asked.


β€œYes! Which one?” I asked while trying to get out popcorn kernels.


β€œWhat about It Chapter 2?”


β€œI’ve already watched that.”


β€œOh right, me too. What about . . . β€˜The Conjuring’?”


I nodded vigorously.


β€œUm, Alec, I can’t see you.”


β€œRight. I wanna watch that!”


Haela grinned and started pressing buttons on the remote control as I tried to yank the bag of popcorn out of the cupboard.


β€œUm, Haela, I can’t get the popcorn.”


She got up quickly and ran over to me, saying, β€œOf course you can’t! You’re a ghost.”


β€œRight.”


She pulled it out easily and poured it into a bowl, the plopping sound filling the room. Then she clipped the top with a paperclip, placed the bowl in the microwave, pressed a few buttons and started it up.


β€œSo . . . what’s it like being a ghost?”


β€œWell, I can’t make popcorn by myself so that’s fun.”


Haela laughed along with me until the beep of the microwave interrupted us.


She opened the door and took the brown paper bag out of the bowl, the newly popped popcorn steaming in her face.


I stared at her, my friend who was actually a robot, being friends with me, a person who she accidentally killed 5 years ago.


Life is interesting. Or death, technically, if you think about it.


β€œAre you gonna come?” Haela called from the movie room.


β€œYeah!”


I ran, or rather glided, next to her and sat down while she figured out where on HBO Max was the movie we were looking for.


She found the right one and we got comfy, organizing the placement of the popcorn bucket while the start credits were rolling.


β€œDo you like horror movies, Alec?” Haela asked me.


β€œYes, why?”


β€œI like them too.”


I smiled and I opened my mouth to say something, but then the movie began


***

February 21, 2021 21:23

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423 comments

Izzie Q.
01:32 Feb 26, 2021

I love your cute little bio poems too!! the nail polish one is my favorite! I'm getting acyrilic nails done this weekend with some friends, have you ever gotten some done? what color do you like on your nails, if you do paint them?

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:D thanks so much! they're reallllllllllllllllllly random, i searched up 'weird smells' and nail polish popped up so I wrote about it XD no I've never gotten acrylic nails, I'm not a HUGE fan of nail polish, but clear or like white is cool I know, I'm boring XD

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Izzie Q.
01:39 Feb 26, 2021

no no!! I was literally going to say the same thing, I like plain colors like white, clear, or light peach XD

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YES light peach is SICKKKKKKK when i see someone with black nails - :O

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Izzie Q.
01:42 Feb 26, 2021

oh wow yeah, I'm like "DANG YOU GOT COURAGEEEE" I couldn't do that haha

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yeah lollllll if i had a test, i would get distracted by my nails XD

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Izzie Q.
01:43 Feb 26, 2021

ughh i keep trying to grow my nails long but i keep BITING THEM AJHSJAHS

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Laiba M
01:01 Feb 26, 2021

I loved this, Amethyst! I love the purple aesthetic of your name and profile picture, by the way :)~ This story is so sweet :D

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thank you so muchhhhhh! :D yes, amethyst = purple, so i went with that vibe :) thanks!!!!!!!!

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Laiba M
01:27 Feb 26, 2021

Of course!! That makes sense! We should become closer friends, by the way! I do a thing where I exchange random questions (not about personal information ofc) with other people on Reedsy to get to know them better, do you want to do that?

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yes!!!!!! YES PLZZ (i like questions a lot lol)

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Laiba M
01:30 Feb 26, 2021

Yayyyyy!!! Okay! Me too, haha! -Do you believe in zodiac signs? If yes, what's your zodiac sign? -If you were the only person on Earth, would you still follow laws and rules because of your guilty conscience or not care about the rules at all because no one's there to enforce them?

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:D - they're technically stars, soooo yes, i do! im a pisces :) - hmm, GOOD QUESTION. i would follow rules as in brushing your teeth because, like, I don't want rotten teeth, but I would be able to go wherever I want and I don't have to get any permission :D

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Hi Ame!! Could you help meeeeeee?

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hi! what do you want help with?

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soooo Lily asked me to make her character have like a "lean and mean" physique and I have no idea what that meansXDD do you know what it is?

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i think its like- lean as in 'slim'? and mean is like, not nice XD lemme search it up

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eek sorry, I had to go eat. thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu literal life saver:D

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its fine :) aw thanksssss, thats just my guess lol

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TJ Squared
18:20 Feb 25, 2021

part 3 is out! (legions of legends)

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TJ Squared
18:11 Feb 25, 2021

part 3 out! (Legions of Legends)

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20:40 Feb 24, 2021

I like the five minute poem!!!! Lol it's cute :)

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TJ Squared
18:11 Feb 24, 2021

part 2 out! (Legions of Legends)

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TJ Squared
00:38 Feb 25, 2021

:)

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I love when stories start with an onomatopoeia. They make the beginning that much more interesting. Loved this story (as expected) Amy, amazing job! P.S. Your poem is amazing.

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thank you! i do that a lot because I don't know what else to start it with XD thanksss!!!! p.s. :D I wrote it in 5 minutes before recess XD

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Ooh, I loved the pacing in this. I love the times of like β€œsplish,” and β€œ7:50”. I don’t know why these abstract words made such an impression on me, but they just did. I would say that maybe you shouldn’t split your story up so much; it felt kind of short at some points because of it. Maybe a little choppy?

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thanks! oh okay, i split them because there was a little time gap in between them. where should I get rid of the split?

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Maybe try to put other things instead of the split, just like adding that it's later. Like during "before the crash, she already knew what was going to happen. ~ I was " I don't think you actually need one here. You put the time directly after, so I think we'd understand. "All went black. ~ I " Okay, this one is actually really good. Don't change anything here. "almost vomit up the things I had seen at the garbage disposal. *** Once we " This is literally like 5 lines after the last one. This one really isn't needed. You already put a transi...

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thanks! i'll change those things whoopsies lemme change that :)

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23:03 Feb 21, 2021

When I first saw the name "Haela", I immediately felt bad for her. Imagine all of the teasing she got because of her name! "Hey, Haela!" "Hey, Hae?" "Hey, Hae, does hay make you sneeze?" My brain works strangely. Please excuse my weirdness XDD I still don't know whether to ship Alec and Haela or just think they're friends. Aghhh That aside, I loved this story! I really liked the flashback (I'm a sucker for flashbacks) and how Alec got sucked into a vacuum (I'm not sure why I liked that part, but I just did). I also like how you started the s...

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ahahahhah i didn't actually think of that :O I tried to make it not romantic so . . .? eheheheh yes flashbacks and vacuums are da BEST yeah, I do that a lot lol thanks!!!!!!

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23:57 Feb 21, 2021

ok, I get that. Just that there are so many books/stories that go from friends to lovers that I'm not sure which is which at this point XD ahaha lol Your welcome!!!!! :)

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there's not NORMALLY romance in my stories so yea :D

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00:00 Feb 22, 2021

okok good to know :))

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if i can't read it, there's no chance I'm gonna be writing it wellllllllllllllllllllllll, that doesn't apply for horror but like-

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. .
14:20 Feb 27, 2021

END OF BIO. EXPLAIN?????????????

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eheheh saph was enraged too SO i've only read the first book but I just like it more :) I just like the vibes it gives off and the concept of it more than KOTLC NOT saying I don't like KOTLC, just saying I like SGE more

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. .
19:48 Feb 27, 2021

Okkkkkkkkkk well check mine thennn

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okkkk lol i barely know any of those people........

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. .
21:52 Feb 27, 2021

XD

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i don't read many classic books :P

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Danny -
00:02 Feb 27, 2021

Newborn thread coming throughhhh

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XD do you have good plot ideas? me and saph are out of stock :(

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Danny -
00:05 Feb 27, 2021

Idkk, which prompt are you using??

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the emerging out of water one

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Danny -
00:08 Feb 27, 2021

Ohh same I'm thinking of a romance for that one....but like I'm not sure if it's gonna turn out to be romance, maybe more of a fiction... Idk I'm thinking of aquaman for some reason.. XD

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oh ok! lol i haven't watched aquaman but i get where you're going XD

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Danny -
00:17 Feb 26, 2021

Yasssssss, new threadsss 🧡, I live for themm :))

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Danny -
00:23 Feb 26, 2021

Hmm, you doing anything??

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just chatting with peeps

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Danny -
00:26 Feb 26, 2021

Now that you reminded me, do you like peeps??

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peeps like people or the marshmallows?

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Danny -
01:29 Feb 23, 2021

Heyaaaa Ame :)

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hewoooooo how ya doinggggg?

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Danny -
01:35 Feb 23, 2021

I'm great! Youuuuuu?

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great! i finished my science fair today (2 hours before its due) :D

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Danny -
01:39 Feb 23, 2021

ohhh that's great! lol we opted for our 40-second presentation :'( the thinggggggggg is omIgOsh im PanIkcinggsajldkjg our science fair's this afternoon....andndndndnn ohmigoshHHHhm i"m HostgGinG it anddd I hAventT maDe a ScRipt yet :'((

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WAIT YOU ARE HOSTING A SCIENCE FAIR?! this afternoon? oml what time zone are you innnn XD

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Cam Croz
00:55 Feb 22, 2021

Awwwww such a cute friendship!!! The whole story made me smile at the way these two interact. Especially the vaccum and end parts! πŸ’œ

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thank you!!!! yeah i wanted to add a little sOmEtHiNg XD

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Cam Croz
16:13 Feb 23, 2021

lol XD

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Danny -
23:57 Feb 21, 2021

What an interesting turn of events :o AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH AMEEEE, YOU INCLUDED THE GHOST! YASSSSSSSSSSSSS I LOVE IT! Such a creative story, lol I didn't see the whole Haela-was-a-robot thing coming! I thought the ghost was what the prompt was talking about XD Also, hehehehehe XD the vacuum situation... Also, also...Xotl23? Reminds me of an axolotl and axolotls are cute :))) Great job, Ame! And nice pfp, btw

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yessssssss YEP THIS WAS THE IDEA I WAS TALKING ABOUT XD ehehehhe tWiSt yeah just something weird to add in lol yessss i thought of it when I was making up a name so I just changed it a bit XD thank you! thank, you AGAIN ❀

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Danny -
00:01 Feb 22, 2021

YASSSS XD Lol it was funny XD oh really? Lol I think it's creative Of course, no problem <3

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Danny -
00:06 Feb 22, 2021

:D

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