Knees pulled to my chest, I perched on the toilet and wept.

A chipped sink graced one corner of the diner’s bathroom. In the other, a hand-lettered sign listed unacceptable things to flush. I normally wasn’t a big crier, but this wasn’t a normal Wednesday. Like, I should’ve been at home exchanging memes with Matt or subduing Physics problems at my rickety desk—not hiding from robots and ugly crying into one-ply toilet paper. It was just too much. The robo-eyes in the park, those fake cops trying to kidnap us, Garrett shooting one in the face. I was grateful despite his eccentric approach. He’d saved our lives; it was maybe the right call to trust him.

I wiped my eyes, the fresh cut in my palm throbbing along with my heartbeat. Some Sharpie graffiti adorned the wall beside me—a stick figure dangling from a crude suspension bridge, twin shark fins circling in the water below. Neat block letters read, Hang in there, baby. Tomorrow’s Friday.

I snorted and slid from the toilet, unwilling to face my makeup disaster quite yet. Instead, I tugged out my phone to try Mom—just as it buzzed with an incoming call from her. I nearly dropped the damned thing to the checkered tiles before answering. “Hey.”

“Are you at home?” She had a tone like she already knew the answer.

“Why? What did your cop friend say?”

“I’m meeting him after work. Where are you?”

“Coming home, but there’s something I need to show you. The girl was real. I have video and even talked to this guy who met her.” We could get into the whole robot thing when I showed her the game system.

“What guy?” Her voice rose, but with that hushed edge like she was sneaking a call at work.

“He, uh, kind of saved us from some shady dudes.” This was way more complicated than I could get into over the phone.

“Are you being serious?” She sounded a little frantic. “You need to get home right this instant. Can Matt drive you or do you need a ride?”

“Matt’s right here.” Well, right outside the diner, probably silently radiating distrust at Garrett’s robot.

“I’ll be home as soon as I can. You better believe we’ll talk then.”

That sounded ominous. “I’m gonna pack so we can leave after you see this video.”

“We’re not going anywhere until I’ve determined what’s happening. I told you … running might not be any safer. I have friends here who can help.”

Mom was doing her best, in her own cautious way. But unless we could fend off robots with ennui and killer mood boards, it wasn’t clear how her friends could save us. She’d probably need to “look into” the Ko Prime video, consult her book club. No, I needed something actionable, evidence that would grab Mom by the lapels of her leather jacket and shake her into leaving town. Maybe Matt could even join us. “What if I had proof beard dude was looking for me—not you and not some unspecified something else?”

She gave me an exasperated huff. “I really need you to stay inside. You don’t know what you’re dealing with here.”

“Neither of us do, apparently.”

There were several beats of silence. She was probably rethinking her decision to reproduce. “Do I need to leave work and come pick you up?”

“Chill, Mom. I’m coming home, okay?”

She harrumphed, and I ended the call.

Staying at home wasn’t a good long-term strategy. What if Beard Dude came knocking? I needed this to be over, to get back to simple pleasures like acing Bio tests and creeping on Chris Garza’s girlfriend’s Instagram. But succumbing to fear wouldn’t accomplish anything. This was like some twisted, high-stakes homework problem; I just needed to come at it from the right angle. It was going to be okay. It had to be.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I slunk out of the diner, my hands wet from the paper-towel-less bathroom. The customers at this in-between hour were few and unhurried, hunched over coffee or tucking into omelets before part-time shifts across the parking lot. A reminder of where mediocre grades would lead—assuming I lived that long. Not that I thought less of people who worked retail. My own mother was among them.

Matt and Garrett stood side-by-side on one of those concrete blocks at the end of a parking spot, laughing. Garrett was still striking in his statuesque bot, even with his goofy grin and ruined suit.

“Guess what?” Matt said, acting all casual even though he had that freaked-out look in his eyes. If he noticed my makeup situation, he was wisely staying quiet. “We got our butts saved by a freshman. Garrett is like fourteen, goes to some fancy academy. And he’s ranked in Combat Fortress Arena.”

I sniffed. Of course he was a gamer. He and Matt probably bonded over their shared love of pressing buttons. Garrett suddenly made a whole lot of sense. He was just a kid with an incredibly powerful bot. At his age, I’d have jumped through windows too. Although maybe not from the second floor; I didn’t do heights. “I’d have preferred our butts didn’t need saving to begin with. So you two are best buds now?”

“He, I dunno, saved our lives.”

Garrett stepped to the pavement, his shades glinting. “I’ll admit it wasn’t completely selfless. You mentioned the bearded gentleman may be from the company your mother left? If it’s Otokotronics, they made the Talisman device I’m looking for, and she may have an idea where to find it.”

That could be the connection between Beard Dude and my family. “Why’s this device so important?”

Garrett scanned the traffic before lowering his voice. “My father wants to destroy it. Otokotronics blamed him for losing the device and drove him out of the company, as they can’t update bots remotely without it. You see, he’s … quite sick. But also tired of sitting idly by.” Garrett jutted out his chin. “I will find the Talisman for him. Before it’s too late.”

If this was true, things sounded rough for Garrett, although being rich probably took the edge off. “Well my mom is out meeting her cop friend. As soon as she gets home, I’m gonna tell her everything so she’ll agree to leave town. I just don’t know if that’ll be enough for her to fill me in about her stint at this Otokotronics company.”

Garrett clasped his hands. “How can we ensure it is?”

“If I could prove Beard Dude was after me,” I said, “I think that’d do it.”

Matt folded his arms. “He said as much on his phone call when we were hiding in that dumpster. But it’s not like we have video of that.”

A sudden idea jolted me half out of my boots. “Oh. Oh.” I grabbed my wrist, earning me puzzled looks. “Not video. Audio. My dad’s watch is set to record whenever someone’s talking. Super outdated LCD tech, but it still stores like six hours of voice. I use it all the time for Chemistry lectures.”

“Only you lost it when we ran.”

“No, this is perfect!” Garrett bounced on his toes. “We recover the watch from that alley and play the recording for your mother. Then she’ll tell us everything, correct? Including what she knows about the Talisman?”

A sentimental part of me was thrilled that going back for Dad’s watch might be the most prudent option. Might be. “We’d have to steer clear of whatever black-market business is going on in that alley.”

“Oh, nuh-uh.” Matt shook his head. “I don’t care if they’re giving out black-market pony rides. We’re not going back with Beard Guy and fake cops on the loose. My parents might not notice, but your mom would murder us if we got kidnapped by robots. Plus the actual police probably have the alley hella taped off by now. How about we let Garrett go there with his fake-person bot, and we watch his video feed from your apartment?”

I shrugged. “It could actually be more dangerous if we sit around at home. Garrett can’t guard both our front doors, especially if he’s out digging in a dumpster.”

“You’re right to be concerned, Matt. But the danger is only escalating through our inaction. I can protect you both.”

“You saw what Garrett did to that fake cop bot,” I added.

Matt gave us a sourpuss look from atop the concrete block, his bromance with Garrett apparently on hiatus. “They were looking for Garrett at the coffee shop, right? You think they’re gonna give up since we shot one in the face?”

“We could use your help searching,” Garrett said. “I can tell you all about the final boss in Vicious Dungeon while we’re there. Nobody at the Academy cares to discuss it, and I usually like to keep to myself, but—”

Matt inclined his head. “Is that a re-release? I’ve never heard of—”

“Uh uh,” I said. “No more gaming talk.” I just wanted to get somewhere safe, take back control of my life. Maybe a Motel 6 with a hot tub and a quiet corner for homework like on that surprise midnight road trip a few years back. If my watch was still in that alley, I’d get Mom her proof—because being grounded was better than taking a forever nap in a dumpster. “We’ll go later tonight, unless my mom miraculously agrees to leave before then. Okay?”

Matt stomped down from the concrete block, his arms still folded.