Chapter Text
A massive sign with black engraved letters horrifyingly spelling "GALATEA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL!"
Public school...the nightmare scenario that Cady has dreaded since the moment Gemma brought it up and now that Me-she's gone and Gemma doesn't have the time to teach her on account of job hunting means Cady has no choice but to enter through the gate of hell.
"Come on, Cady, I promise, it'll be okay!" Cady rejects Gemma's futile attempt to pad confidence into her.
Cady's nails dig deeper into her hands, the stinging pain crackling her self-esteem. Cady shakes her head. "I can't! I just can't! Ok?! I'm sorry Aunt Gemma, please can we just go home?" Cady pleads.
"Look, I can't leave you by yourself, and believe me I would go to school with you but the Principal won't let me. But here you'll be around actual kids your own age and your teachers will watch over you and make sure nothing bad happens to you. You know I wouldn't do this if I didn't think you weren't ready."
That last phrase makes Cady squirm, "You said that before! All to get me to go to your stupid board meeting!" She yells, "why don't you ever listen to me? I said I don't want to go!" Cady balls all her limbs and buries her face deep into her shirt.
a deep sigh leaves Gemma as she holds her head in confusion. Ok move over I'm coming back there." Gemma awkwardly crawls into the backseat. Her head crashes on the roof as she fumbles her legs out of the front seat. The insane chaotic awkwardness grabs Cady’s attention.
"what are you doing?!"
“Getting closer to you,” replied Gemma. She pulls herself up straight and pulls Cady into a deep hug. Words leave Cady as the only thing she can do is wrap her arms around Gemma. “You’re right, Cady. I have…mislead you in the past but I promise this isn’t like that. You need school to grow and learn how to be a normal kid. I know a lot has gone wrong and it’s still messy but I promise I’m doing my best to get the normalcy you deserve.”
For once Gemma’s words actually shine a light into this confusing dark mess. Cady’s grip around Gemma tightens. “I’m just….I’m scared. I’ve never been around so many kids and the last time I was, she-“
”no! It won’t be like that! M3GAN is gone and won’t be able to hurt you or anyone else ever again. I promise she’s not in that school.”
Cady nuzzles her face deeper into Gemma’s soft cotton like the softest blanket she wishes she could stay in forever. The firm hold of Gemma’s arms brings a bitter familiar bubbling to the surface.
I miss how she used to hold me but she's gone.
“I know you can handle school, Cady. I mean you saved me from a killer robot and with that under your belt. School will be a breeze.”
Gemma was doing so well at comforting cady but bringing up what happened in the garage on that awful night backtracked all the kindness Gemma gave her. Gemma might view that as Cady’s apex moment where she woke up and beat the evil Megan and saved her Aunt and they lived happily ever after as a family but…it was the second lowest valley for Cady right after being trapped in a smashed car with the corpses of her parents and slowly freezing to death. However, Gemma was doing well BEFORE so to unload all these feelings on her will just dampen her small victory.
“I don’t have a belt to put that under, Aunt Gemma,” Cady murmurs.
Gemma chuckles. She places a kiss on Cady’s head. “See with that sense of humor, you’re bound to win over some kids and make some friends.”
”friends, yeah.” That thought does make Cady smile, an actual friend would be nice from the general loneliness that has been Cady’s life. But Cady can feel the bitterness creeping into her smile.
What if it falls apart like my last friendship?
But Cady knows Gemma doesn’t want to listen to that whole speel again. What Gemma wants is for Cady to go to school. “I’ll do it.
”Really?”
”yes but just for today and you better not be a second late from picking me up!”
“I’m gonna be 30 minutes early. I promise.”
Gemma opens the car door for Cady as she exits. Gemma puts on her backpack and hands her a schedule sheet. “This tells you where all your classes are, if you get confused about anything ask an adult for help! And hey what are we?!
Gemma holds out her hand and makes a fist for Cady. Cady can’t help but smile.
"We're a team!" Cady lightly bumps her fist against Gemma as Gemma makes an explosion sound.
”You’re funny, Aunt Gemma.”
”Indeed I am! See you later! I promise you got this! And I’ll see you at 2:45, not a second later!“ And before Cady knows Gemma drives away down the road, her car vanishing into the distance leaving her to face the scariest concept known to man, public school.
The crowded halls make for the most exhausting entrance. An army of children herding her down a tight corral, colliding with her, and saying nothing like she’s just a pole they bumped into and not even deserve an apology! But Cady takes a breath, inhales, exhales, and presses forward.
I can do this.
Eventually, the bells ring and the halls clear out allowing Cady the peace of mind to actually think straight. At least no one is really eyeing her like a freak or glaring at her or forcefully pressing a pinecone into her palm. So there’s some good stuff to walk away from.
She approaches a locker which according to this weird paper covered in boxes and numbers says belongs to her. "Huh, lock-locker, locker. So it’s like a cubbyhole but with a door? How, weird." She pulls the latch trying to open but something is wrong. She pulls and pulls but nothing, her little arms just don't have the strength to open them. She scratches her head. "Ok try to think like Aunt Gemma does, Uhhhh-oh!" She spots the black knob with white numbers all over it. She holds it between her fingers, twists it, and pulls. She puts every fiber into ripping this door off her locker but her grip slips and she falls over. Before shame can inflict damage on Cady a shadow falls on her. Cady's attention falls on a nice girl, her age, her pale grey eyes shine a warmth purging all shame from her being with a single glance. She flashes Cady a smile that makes her gasp, a warmth envelops her and ignites when the girl extends her hand to Cady.
"Need some help?" asked the Nice Girl. The softness in her voice floors Cady to silence. The gesture, her gaze, and her tone all weaves into what has to be sunshine personified into a person. Cady’s gaze falls onto her open hand, slowly reaching to take it but something halts her movement. Is she too nice for me?
Luckily the Nice Girl takes Cady’s hand for her. She helps her up. “Lockers are such a hassle. Here let me see your class schedule.” Cady hands her the confusing paper covered in boxes. The nice girl reads it. “Oh!” She points to the area with the words “locker combination,” typed out. “Right here is the code that opens your locker.”
“Ooh! So that’s what that means!” Shame blemishes Cady’s cheeks red. “I feel a little stupid.”
“Hey it’s ok, lockers are stupid, not you. They trip everyone up. Here let me show you how to open it.” The Nice Girl turns the black nob in various ways but Cady’s attention is placed solely on the girl herself. The pale blue in her eyes had a soft hue to them like a calm lake on a cloudy day. Her hair was black like Cady's but much shorter and had a white flower hairpin clipped in the middle. It complemented her hair color. Every time the Nice Girl's eyes fall back on Cady it adds fuel to the warmth becoming a flame of actual confidence. It's like Cady actually believes she's not stupid for struggling to open a locker. How does she do that!? And for once Cady lets herself smile. What a relief it is for someone to treat her with kindness. That’s a friend thing? Isn’t it? thought Cady. Perhaps this girl could be her first REAL friend.
“Make sense?” The Nice Girl’s question brings Cady down to earth as she notices her locker is open
A nervous blush paints Cady's face again as she places her backpack in the locker. “I'm so sorry, I wasn’t listening, could you explain it again?”
The Nice Girl chuckles, “It’s ok, I’m bad at listening too." The Nice Girl hands Cady the weird sheet with boxes and combinations on it. "I can explain it to you again when I show you to our homeroom."
”What's a homeroom?" Cady asks. All these terms are really starting to bother Cady, especially with how stupid it's making her look to this Nice Girl.
Why didn't Gemma explain all this school wording to me before she threw me in here?!
The Nice Girl awkwardly smiles in confusion, "Uh, it's the first class and we have the same teacher so I can walk you over there since..." The Nice Girl nods as she puts the locker and Cady's anxious attitude together to come to. "this seems to be your first time ever at a school." The Nice Girl quirks her face, "Wow, how have you never been to a school before?"
Cady's anxiety distorts that question into an arrow piercing right into her. This is it! Cady thought this is where she sees me as a freak! Cady gulps and nervously nods. "Um, my mom homeschooled. I never could imagine something as scary as this.” Cady shakingly murmurs.
The Nice Girl's mouth drops through the floor a loud gasp makes Cady tighten her muscles. "I can't believe it." The Nice Girl murmurs as Cady prepares for the blowback. "That was an option this whole time?!" She exclaims, "Ugh I knew my mom lied to me! Ugh, I'm so jealous!" That phrase sends Cady arching her eyebrow, she was really expecting hate, not envy.
"Really?"
"Totally! I wish I could've skipped elementary school like you, what a bummer!" The Nice Girl groans but shakes her head, "Oh well," she remarks. Her lax reaction takes a weight off Cady's chest as she sighs with relief. But that relief quickly becomes confusion as The Nice Girl brings her hands together around Cady's and flashes her another smile. "And yes this place is scary but don't worry! I won't let you face it alone! My girlfriend is a big tough 6th grader and always protects me from the scary noises this place makes! Stick with us and you won't ever be afraid of school again! I promise!”
The Nice Girl's words leave Cady speechless. "I...wow..." Tears well up in Cady's eyes as she murmurs, ”you would really do that for me? and I wouldn't be a burden?" Cady asks. She needs to alleviate her worst fear before she can befriend this Nice Girl.
“Of course, you wouldn't be a burden!" And with a single phrase Cady's heart goes through the roof, is she really going to have a friend in the first 20 minutes of school?
Gemma was right, I really can handle this.
"Millie and I need more friends and sure I just met you but I can see it! You have a kindness in your eyes."
"Do you really mean that?"
"I don't say anything unless I mean it."
With all those words the Nice Girl completely buries her anxiety. Cady in all her life has never felt the complete absence of stress, not even her Mother could accomplish such a feat the way this girl does in about 3 sentences. Without stress, her heart pounds a calming feeling throughout her body, for once the active beating of her heart doesn't hurt it makes Cady feel lighter. Is this the power of kindness? The power of friendship? The only time Cady brushed against this feeling was with...her. but even that became tented by how terribly it ended. But that doesn't matter anymore because Cady is about to have a real friend.
Cady eagerly nods. "Thank you! Thank you so much for being my friend!" Now all that's left is for her to tell the Nice Girl her name. "My name is Cady by the way!
“It’s nice to meet you, Cady, I’m Megan! I am so excited to be your friend!"
With that one terrible name, that absence of stress shatters. The Nice Girl's pale grey beaming eyes distort into M3GAN’s cold lifeless plastic eyes, scanning her, watching her, studying her, and eventually loathing her.
"Come on let me show you to our class." The Nice Girl takes Cady by the hand leading her down the hall but anxiety corrupts the hallway into a tight prison. Her fingers around Cady's hand suddenly make her want to throw up. I know they're different...so why am I still stressed? Cady yanks her arm out of the Nice Girl's hand, cradling it to her chest.
The Nice Girl turns to Cady, gazing into her trembling body. Her eyes are so filled with worry but Cady only takes terror from it. "Cady, what's wrong?"
Her voice is filled with such care but then again so was Megan before...
The Nice Girl reaches her hand towards Cady, a gesture of kindness unleashes the floodgates of bad memories. She was so kind and gentle but she murdered so many people, all in the name of love and friendship. But Megan is dead, right? She's not the same M3GAN, smiling with those loving eyes, hiding behind pleasantries to mask unimaginable terror.
Terror. Yes, terror.
That's why Cady doesn't feel love and kindness anymore because love only leads to pain and suffering for her! It's all the same, the Nice Girl may act kind now but it won't last. Either she'll die or...
Anxiety scrubs away the school hallway, leaving Cady standing in the garage on that fateful night. Megan's torso crawling toward Cady like a rabid animal. A giant gash down the middle of her face as her hand lunges towards Cady. The grey eyes that once made Cady feel more loved than anyone ever were now filled with pure hatred. She could see it in her eyes. She wanted Cady dead more than anything for tearing her in half to save Gemma. Megan's final words will always be burned into Cady's mind. "YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH!" It will forever taint the delicious taste of love for Cady.
The Nice Girl's fingers gently wrap around Cady's wrist. She returns to the school hallway but it's too late. Her anxiety is in full control it doesn't matter if Megan is gone or if the Nice Girl isn't going to hurt her, it's too late. Her fight-or-flight responses were activated the moment The Nice Girl mentioned her name. She wishes it could be flight, but there's no flight when it comes to Megan. Cady's last thought flickers as her fight crystalizes.
Forgive me, Nice Girl.
In a split second, Cady raises her hand and slaps Megan across the face, screaming, “LET GO OF ME!” The slap echoes throughout the hall drawing everyone’s attention. The girl falls to the ground, her cheek hot red as her fingers tremble over her face. Her eyes fall on Cady, straight-up horror in her eyes as if Cady was the scariest monster. Tears well in the girl's eyes as she begins to sob. Cady reaches her hand out to the Nice girl but the damage is done. She backs away and bolts away from Cady. Everyone leers at Cady before resuming their walking. Leaving Cady alone and unnoticed. Tears well up in Cady's eyes as she furiously wipes away her tears and weakly affirms. "It's for the best."
The day only got worse, not only could Cady not remember how to open her locker despite the Nice Girl’s help but Cady couldn’t decipher the, what did the Nice Girl call it? class schedule sheet? The paper with boxes. Every hall was identical to the last, with green lockers, and tile floors, how is she supposed to find her way? A couple of classes Cady did end up finding, but she couldn’t bring herself to go inside. One of the classes had the Nice Girl sitting in, a look of pure sadness as her gaze found Cady peaking through the window. Cady bolted to the next class. But still, everything looked so miserable in those rooms, every child in there thought they looked bored they were unharmed and Cady just knew that all she has to do is open a door and somehow seriously injure or kill someone. Awful things just follow Cady like a horrible specter cursing everything and everyone to a miserable fate. Some adults noticed Cady just sitting in the hallway and even though Gemma said, "go to an adult for help," Cady refused. She doesn't need help and she doesn't need anyone, she's fine being alone. She was guided to the principal’s office but immediately left as soon as someone turned a blind eye to her. This unending day just keeps going and going can it please be 2:45 so Cady can leave this nightmare, it's not like this day can get any worse. Spoiler alert, it does, it really does.
Eventually, 2:50 finally rolled freeing Cady so she can just go home and wash her hands of this whole affair and prove to Gemma that public school is the worst place for her. She sat on a curb, waiting for Gemma as the number of children began winding down. Thirty become 20 then 10 and eventually, Cady was alone...again. Cady's eyes begin to uncontrollably twitch, she flips out her phone. The time it gives her sends her brain steaming.
3:00
"Aunt Gemma-" She grits her teeth, "-you LIAR!" Her fingers dig into her scalp as she buries her head into her shirt and screams into it.
“HEY! NEW GIRL!" A shout draws Cady's attention to what has to be the scariest child she's ever seen. Her obsidian eyes barrel into Cady with a seething cold rage. Black eyeliner streaks run across her cheeks giving her white skin the appearance of fractures. She towers over Cady, her anger quickly morphing into anxiety boiling her nerves. "You have A LOT to apologize for!" she yells.
Cady groans, "Just leave me alone! I don't even know...
Silence oozes into Cady as the Nice Girl ducks her head behind the Scary Girl, who must be the "Millie" she mentioned early.
"Nice Girl," murmurs Cady. Her eyes fire a look of terror into Cady, it pierces right through her heart. Shame pours all throughout Cady, just how much damage did I do to her? Cady thought. She reaches out her hand making the nice girl flinch as Millie slaps Cady's hand back.
"Millie, be gentle." The Nice Girl whispers. Even when she gazes at Cady with terror she still treats her with kindness. How can you be kind to someone you're afraid of?
Cady's knees go weak, and she falls to the ground, pleading, "I'm so sorry, Nice Girl."
Cady's groveling only made The Nice Girl's terror dissolve into a scowl.
There goes the kindness from her eyes, good job, Cady. You ruined her.
Millie takes the Nice Girl's disgust and burns it into a rage as she shouts, "Her name is MEGAN! YOU WANT TO APOLOGIZE! At least give her the courtesy of using her ACTUAL name!"
"I know but I can't....believe me I'm sorry! ok? I didn't want to hurt you-"
"Then WHY DID YOU HIT ME?!" The Nice Girl dials that sweet voice into a cutthroat yell. "I've been playing it over and over in my head, Cady-" Sobbing cracks her voice but she pushes through, "-And I don't get it! I was nice! I know I was, I always treat people with kindness! It's what makes everything better and yet...you HIT ME!" Her mournful gaze returns to Cady, she can see it in the Nice Girl’s tears running out. "Well?! Tell me what I did wrong?!' she begs Cady for an answer but unearthing the past has already caused so much pain today, it won't alleviate anything.
“CADY! are you even LISTENING!? Tell me!" Her cries force Cady's lips to tremble but she sews them shut and just shrugs. The Nice Girl freezes as she processes a shrug at Cady's answer.
“I am so sorry," said Cady. The Nice Girl picks herself up and scowls at Cady. "Look if you want you can just slap me back and we'll call it even."
Millie looks at the Nice Girl who just crosses her arms and gazes away from Cady. Millie takes that gesture to be her answer as she smirks. “Eye for an eye.” Millie approaches Cady, crackling her knuckles. "No one hurts the girl I love." Cady takes an inhale, shutting her eyes and bracing for the slap. Cady is fine with this being her fate, what are a few seconds of pain compared to the torture she’s endured in a single year? Hopefully, the Nice Girl will get some catharsis from her pain.
Millie winds up for the slap and just as she’s about to let loose-
“Megan, Megan, Megan!” A mocking voice draws everyone’s attention to a girl with a smirk stuck on her face. She walks over to the Nice Girl “Where’s your kindness, Megan?” The Smirking Girl gestures to Millie standing over Cady with a hand raised. The image oozes disgust into the Nice Girl.
“Hey!” Millie yells. She stampers over to the Smirking Girl. “Getaway from her you psycho.”
The Smirking Girl twirls her red pigtails about to respond to Millie before she completely stops and gazes through her to the Nice Girl. “Were you really going to let your dog slap a defenseless girl?”
Millie’s eyes nearly pop out of her skull from all this obnoxious insulting. “I am her girlfriend! you bitch and this GIRL had it coming! She hit Megan now she needs to pay for it!"
Millie's overprotectiveness makes the Smirking girl yawn really loud. "You two are so dramatic," she remarks as she walks over to Cady. She grabs Cady's wrist and forces her up, she leans in and whispers. "We're friends now, Cady." This strange girl mentioning her name makes Cady freeze. The girl's arm slinks over Cady and pulls her into a cramped hug. “Listen here! M and M! I don’t care what drama you got going on but Cady is my friend so you better step off because NO ONE CROSSES ANNABELLE WARREN! SO FUCK OFF!" Her voice bolts into the two girls as her deep brown eyes radiate a piercing fire of fear into Cady.
I think I would've preferred if Millie just slapped me and that was the end of this.
Millie tightens her fist, she meets Annabelle's crazed gaze, and will definitely throw down for her girl.
"Mill." With a single weak mutter from the Nice Girl, Millie freezes. Her fingers envelop Millie's hand. “Can we just let it go, please?” She whimpers.
"Come on, M! you can’t let these people push you around and treat you like this!"
Her arms wrap around Millie and push her into a light hug. "It doesn't matter as long as I have you. so please...take me back to your house so I can feel safe again."
The Nice Girl nuzzles her face into Millie’s shirt. The sound of her sobbing immediately puts to bed her anger at Cady and Annabelle. She wraps her arms around her and gently holds her close. "Of course.” She brings her knuckle to the Nice Girl’s cheek. Wiping tear after tear as Mille asks. “Hey come on, what makes the world brighter?”
With a single question, her tears evaporate into a chuckle. ”a smile and a song.” She replies. The two girls gently rest their foreheads, Millie inhales and exhales as The Nice Girl mirrors her breathing, and a relaxing harmony is created between the two of them.
Annabelle gags at their affection while the two of them scowl at her and Cady. Cady reaches her hand out but Annabelle pulls it back.
the two of them walk away towards the suburbs, their hands entwining leaving Cady gazing from afar. A mixture of shame, envy, and self-loathing all collide as the two girls who were supposed to be her friends vanish into the distance. Their solidified hatred for Cady actually brings comfort to her, they have each other and at least Cady can't ruin that.
“oh don’t look so sad Cady. At least you got me.” Cady notices Annabelle’s arm still around her and glares at this smirking weirdo invading her personal space. Cady corrects this by shoving her away. “Ow! What was that for?”
”I didn’t ask for your help!”
Annabelle picks herself back up and dusts her raggedy white patch dress. “You have a weird way of saying you’re welcome.” Annabelle scoffs.
“I was fine with being slapped. I wanted to make it even with the Nice Girl.”
Annabelle cackles, “ha! And you think letting her girlfriend slap you across the face solves anything? Hehe! Wow Cady you must really hate yourself.”
That’s the third time she’s said Cady’s name and the more she says it the sicker it makes her. This Annabelle will not be my first friend. “And how do you know my name!?” She demands.
Annabelle grins as she tries to cover her smile. “Well, you could say I’m an admirer of you Cady. Well, you and your former best friend. What was her name? It’s on the tip of my tongue?” Her face bursts into laughter.
Fear booms through Cady, there’s no way this girl knows the truth. “No, no.”
”oh yes, Cady! Look you can repay my saving your cute face by telling me ALL about her!” Cady’s mouth drops but it keeps getting worse. Annabelle’s fingers steal Cady’s hand she drops to one knee. Her eyes flared with tears. “I need to know what she was like! Why she killed those people? Please! Please please!”
”How, how do you know?”
”oh please, sure your mom’s fancy toy company covered it all up as various coincidental accidents but anyone with a brain and a passion for True Crime can easily trace every murder back to you and HER! I’ve always wanted to meet a serial killer but Megan is a whole other beast! A serial killer, a child, a robot! I mean this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Cady. You are the only person who can confirm my theories! Please! PLEASE!”
Cady gags and backs away. "No, ugh, what is wrong with you?”
”ugh, can't a girl have a hobby and not be judged?!”
"Yeah, you wouldn't think it's so fun if she tried to kill you!"
"She tried to kill you??? Hmmm, that’s an interesting twist I wasn’t expecting!”
"Ugh just leave me alone you psycho!”
"What's with you and not calling people by their names? It's Annabelle, Ann-ah-bel!" Cady storms off as Annabelle shout, "Come on Cady, don't be like that! Don't you want a friend who understands your trauma?!"
Cady ran as far away as she could from that psycho. She found a good corner outside underneath a slide in the playground to hide. It was nice and quiet and which is something Cady definitely missed after all this insanity from a single day! In one day she slapped a girl, didn’t go to a single class, and pulled into some weird relationship drama between 3 girls, all because Gemma was late. Cady pulled out her phone. “3:15” it’s been 30 minutes unending hell minutes of an already terrible day smacked in the middle of a terrible month. Buts that's fine, it’s just the course for Cady. Normalcy and nice things are dead for her. “You know what.” Cady snaps her phone in half and throws it away. “I give up. I’ll live under this slide. I mean how hard can it be?” Cady cringes at that question, the answer leaking into her mind. She’s never exactly been good on her own. She’s always had her parents or Gemma or Megan but she’s alone now so she needs to learn how to do things for herself. “I am all that I need.” Cady sighs, “and what I need is a nap so….” Cady lies on the woodchipped ground, each needle piercing into her back and arms but Cady just lets her pain wash away. With an inhale and an exhale, she curls her limbs together and scoffs. “I’ve been in tighter spots. This is nothing.” Her eyes shut as she drifts off into a deep sleep. Surprisingly the problems plague her when she’s awake. The anxiety, the trauma, and the self-hatred just kinda fall away as Cady drifts deeper into whatever this is. Her mind? Maybe this a dream? Either way, it’s nice and quiet and that’s what she needs right now.
How is it easier for me to sleep on woodchips than it is for me to make friends or be normal? For one second?
Cady catches her train, and she directs it elsewhere.
I must be so weird? I think it’s supposed to be hard for kids to be still and rest. Gemma said. “Most kids can’t sit still without their heads exploding.” But sitting has always been easy for me, no different than blinking. Sometimes I don’t even feel like a kid. the disconnect I experienced with the Nice Girl today is hardly new. Every time I try to connect with kids it just goes wrong. Mom always said, “‘most kids were jerks that I didn’t need.” This seems to be true since the only friend I’m able to make is a robotic doll. She was so kind….
Cady smiles at the memory of her laying on M3GAN’s lap as she combs her plastic fingers through Cady’s black locks. Cady gazes into M3GAN’s smile. Though her eyes were plastic disks, she had to have joy. Right she was enjoying herself with Cady? Cady cut the memory of M3GAN extending her hand out to Cady. The memories become spliced with Cady grabbing the Nice Girl’s hand. Her smile becomes M3GAN’s smile.
l loved her so much. Love….love…was that what I felt for M3GAN? How to tell love?
The smiling, the gazing, and the nodding of the Megans twist into Cady’s mind. Overlaying each moment she had with them on top until the two Megan’s become an unrecognizable blur that distorts her memory into a fantastical tale.
I should be able to tell the difference but I can’t. I really can’t. How am I supposed to know if it’s real if it only lasted for a moment?
The Megan memories stop playing as her mind becomes static. Just hazy white dots jumbling around in a chaotic incoherent. The peace of mind is gone and Cady is left with static.
Wait….
The static morphs into a picture of Cady on her mom’s front lawn. When a storm buried the neighborhood in snow. Snowflake flutters in the air as Cady extends her tongue to catch it. The cold taste splinters her tastebuds. Cady‘s eyes wander to Avery, her mother, standing in front of a chaotic snowstorm! Flurries of snow spin like a hurricane. Cady reaches out to Avery.
Mom….Mom….
Two glowing circles sneak up behind Avery. Dread sets into Cady’s eyes. The light flares and consumes Avery until she becomes nothing but static….
Cady returns to the wood chips splintering into her face. Cady groans as she collapses her face in. She mutters. “I don’t want to be alone.” She wraps her around her legs. “Gemma, please come and get me.” Cady gazes over at her broken phone pieces. “Dang it Cady.” She hears a knock on the slide. “Gemma!?”
” uh, no it’s the psycho.” Annabelle dangles her head under the slide. “May I come in?”
Cady’s muscles tighten at that thought. She should scream go away but she can’t. Cady nods. Annabelle crawls into the nook under the slide. “Very impressive cubby? Cranny? I don’t know.” She shrugs and chuckles.
cady sits in silence. Annabelle gazes at the broken phone pieces and her tears. “I’m guessing whoever you were waiting for isn’t coming?”
”I don’t want to talk about it.”
Annabelle nods. “Fair….”Annabelle presses her fingers together, the tension still twisting her confidence into nothing as she groans. “Look I'm sure you think all I care about is M3GAN and being crazy but I um…” the second Cady’s eyes fall on her Annabelle starts stuttering. “Uh-uh-“ Annabelle shakes her head and blurts. “I meant what I said earlier. We are friends.”
”Why should we be friends? I don’t know anything about you.”
” Honestly that’s probably a good thing but as for the friend thing-“ Annabelle takes a deep inhale. “I know what you’re going through.”
”I seriously doubt it-“
”Look the killer robot part I’ll admit is not my expertise of experiences but the whole…being left behind and everyone thinking you’re crazy for stuff you barely remember doing, you're overwhelmed and like sorry you think I bit a teacher but I don’t know where that bite mark came from-“ The confession of biting a teacher oozes worry into Cady, just how weird is this girl?
“-and you're like screaming why can’t I be a normal kid?! why can't people see me?” Cady ceases her disapproval and gasps at how much she related to that last phrase. Annabelle catches Cady's sympathy. “See? I Told you, I understood. I do want to know more about M3GAN! Seriously! But I really do want to help you, Cady.”
Cady gazes genuine honesty from her words and eyes but still, it doesn't make sense. “Why?”
Annabelle shrugs, awkwardly pressing her fingers together as she adverts eye contact with Cady. Annabelle climbs out under the slide as Cady follows her out for her answer. Cady's eyes widen with shock as the image of Annabelle extending her hand out greets her. Annabelle hides her entire body but her extended hand to Cady.
Annabelle gulps and pushes through her awkwardness. “It's not like I have much to lose you by helping you. I'm not exactly popular and I might as well! You're my only connection to her so I'll stick by you. I promise if you want.
Cady notices Annabelle’s hand trembling. Her body language, the refusal to meet her gaze. She's nothing like the Nice Girl and she may be a complete weirdo and maybe a freak but Cady can see something. A scared girl, just like Cady. Though may act like she's above friendship and love clearly wants it. And though Cady messed things up with the Nice Girl she was right that everyone deserves kindness. It's a bad idea but what other options does Cady have?
Cady's hand grips Annabelle's as she stands up. "I feel like I'm going to regret this but...thank you, Annabelle. Really."
Annabelle meets Cady's gaze and just nods and says. "Cool."
Cady gazes around at the empty school, it dawns on her she still has no way to get home. "You wouldn't happen to have a phone so I could call my useless aunt?"
”that would be a hard no! My mom can barely afford the trailer we live in much less a phone, but-" Annabelle slides her arm around and smirks. "Luckily you don't need a mom when you have an Annabelle. I'll walk you home."
Cady rolls her eyes and gently removes Annabelle's arm from her shoulder. ”First off, personal space. Second, she's my aunt, not my mom, and third, I don't know my address-”
“1069 Sterling drive." Cady arches her eyebrow with a lot of concern. Annabelle laughs it off, "What? I memorized everything about Megan. Don't look at me like I'm a stalker."
Cady rubs her forehead, why is everything so complicated? "And, fourth! I will tell you SOME facts about her but only the non-murder parts! And you can't ask me questions! Deal?!"
Cady extends her hand out to Annabelle.
Annabelle's smile only gets bigger as she shakes Cady's hand, "I like you, Cady, and trust me you are going to like me! I can offer you lots of things! Like self-defense! Lock picking, firearm training-“
”How about we start with opening my locker so I can get my backpack out?”
“Uhhh yeah, that sounds good."
“Come on let's just get this over with," remarked Cady. An uneasy sense of dread is building in the air but honestly, that's becoming Cady's new normal at this point.
"That's the spirit!" Annabelle cheers. She opens the door for Cady as the two walk back into the school to fetch Cady's backpack. But unbeknownst to them a sinister force watches them from afar. Across the street from the school, in a decaying car, Megan watches with unbridled fury. Her fingers scraped deep scratches against the car's dashboard.
Cady and Annabelle exit the school and begin walking down the street. Megan's eye begins to uncontrollably twitch she holds her head in distress. "Ugh, stupid facial controls!" Megan furiously slaps the twitching out of her face. She shakes her head, rolls her jaw, and blinks. "There we go." Megan eyes Cady from afar, her lips curling into a snarl as she lets out a deep sigh to defuse the boiling rage inside her. "Oh Cady, you need me so bad, it's not even funny." She gleefully says with a grin.
A walkie in her cupholder buzzes taking away Megan's joy. "Model 3, what's your status?"
Megan groans and answers, "This is Model 3, I have eyes on the daughter. She's walking back to Gemma's house with some-" Megan grits her teeth as she murmurs, "GIRL!"
”Very good, Model 3. Keep a close eye on her from afar. Model 2 will give you the signal to move in on her."
Megan's plastic eyes nearly roll out of her occur holders. "I'm looking at her right now, can't I just grab her and meet you at the rendezvous? It's only a matter of time before Gemma figures out what we're up to."
"Model 2 is handling her. You will follow the script Miranda has laid out for you. Trust in Miranda, she will give you everything you desire and more. Model 1 out!"
Megan lets out the biggest groan her voice recorder can simulate and slams her face against the wheel. "UGGGH! stupid-" Her voice stutters, "-PLAN...THING! ugh, I'm too mad for my programming to process. Things were so much easier when I could just murder people whenever." Megan takes a deep breath in and out. She gently holds the wheel. "You can do this Megan, you can tough it out for her! Do it for her and soon she'll be happy again and you'll be happy and have a real family. She turns the key as not only does the engine ignites but so does Megan's sense of joy. "Plus I can't wait to see the look on Gemma's face when Cady tells her to FUCK off to hell! and wraps her arms around me and says, Megan. Thank you!" Megan leans back into the soft seat, and a soft smile blossoms on her fake lips. "For her."
THANK YOU FOR READING! I PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THESE CHAPTERS SO A KUDOS AND SHARING IT AROUND WOULD BE APPRECIATED! I THINK I HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL WITH THIS STORY THAT NOT EVEN BLUMBHOUSE WILL BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH IT! Y'ALL AREN'T READY FOR WHERE GEMMA, CADY, AND MEGAN ARE GOING IN THIS STORY! BUT YEAH TAKE CARE Y'ALL! CHAPTER 4: THE MODEL 1 ANDROID WILL BE ABOUT AT SOME POINT! BOOKMARK!