CHAPTER 14

INNOCENT

Zoran was walking through the school ground, it was Friday and her first day at school. The other kids were staring at her, they knew that she was Astro's sister.

Zoran didn't really mind the attention, she was proud of her brother and too busy being happy about being able to go to school.

But then two pretty similar looking kids approached her.

"Hi!" they said at the same time.

"Hi!" Zoran replied with a smile. "Are you two twins?"

"Yeah!" they said at the same time again.

"I'm older by the way," the boy said.

The girl pushed him aside. "90 seconds."

"Cool!" Zoran said. "I only have an older brother. Oh, and I'm Zoran, by the way."

"I'm Sludge!" the boy said and pointed at his chest.

"And I'm Widget," the girl said and smiled.

"We know your brother Astro. He's our friend," Sludge said.

"Sadly we're not in the same grade as him," Widget said.

"I have proof!" Sludge said and pulled a photo out of his pocket. "Here!"

Zoran looked at the photo. It was the photo they took after they had cleaned up ZOG.

"Okay, I believe you," she said and gave him his photo back with a smile on her face. "In which grade are you?"

"Second," they said at the same time. "We're seven years old."

"I'm in grade four and mentally eight years old," she said.

Then a boy caught Zoran's attention, she knew him.

"Hey, Jack!" she called, happily and sprinted towards him.

The young boy turned around and smiled. "Zoran!"

"It's been a while, how are you?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. Why are you here?" Jack asked, happily, and then noticed the twins. "And who are you?"

"I'm Widget," she said.

"I'm Sludge and older than her!"

"90 seconds!"

"I'm going to school!" Zoran explained. "I'm in grade four and you?"

"I'm also in grade four," he said and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, great!" Zoran said. "Wanna play catch?"

"Sure!"

The twins cheered and played with them.

From the distance, three girls were watching them. The first one had curly red-brown hair and blue eyes, the second one had light-blonde hair and brown eyes and the third one had straight black hair and blue eyes.

"Those kids are taking away your Jack!" the first one said.

"I'm not blind, Akira!" the second one snapped what made the first one flinch. "That girl with the bull hair and the surface junkies will pay!"

Akira got sad. "What do you mean? I'm also from the surf-"

The blonde girl shut her down with a death glare.

"What if they only want to play with him?" the third one asked, tiredly. "And what are you gonna do anyway?"

"Oh, Yui," the second one said. "You know me and I want to be the only friend he has!"

"You aren't planning on bullying her, are you, Hina?" Akira asked.

"Bullying? That sounds fun, to be honest," she said with a smug.

"What if you get caught like last time?" Yui asked, a bit annoyed.

"Well, then we'll just try to make her look bad," Hina said. "Follow me!"

The two girls nodded and followed their leader.

"Ha! You're it!" Zoran said and ran away from Jack.

She didn't pay any attention while running and accidentally bumped into Hina. Both fell down on the floor.

"Ow!" Hina cried out and started crying in a pretty unrealistic way.

Zoran blinked a few times and stood up, offering her hand to help her up. Hina snatched it away and continued crying.

"Geez, what a crybaby," Jack murmured.

Hina then stopped crying and stared at him with a blanc face. She then started crying again, but this time it was real and louder. Akira and Yui helped her up walked away with her without saying a word.

"He called me a crybaby!" she cried.

"Weirdo..." Widget said.

"You're right," Sludge said.

Jack then tapped Zoran's shoulder. "You're it!"

"Hey! You cheater!" Zoran shouted and ran after him, laughing.

At lunch, Zoran was searching for her new friends in the cafeteria but before she could even take a better look, someone snatched her tray out of her hand and smashed it on the floor. Zoran's eyes widened and she stared at the mess in front of her feet. Then she noticed that in front of her stood Hina.

"Aww, did you drop your food?" she asked and snickered. "What a shame, are you going to cry?"

"Did you get hurt?" Zoran asked.

Hina's jaw dropped. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting.

"O-of course not!" she screeched. "You... you ugly horn head!"

The kids at the cafeteria gasped and all of the attention was drawn onto them.

The young robot girl smiled and pointed at her head. "Oh, so you like my hair?"

The kids' jaw dropped. She was way too innocent.

"You idiot!" Hina cried out.

Yui laid her hand on Hina's shoulder. "We're leaving, you're embarrassing us."

"W-wait!" Hina said and watched as the two left.

She became teary-eyed and dropped her tray.

"Do you want to sit with me and my friends?" Zoran asked.

"S-stay away from me you creep!" Hina shouted and ran away.

Zoran then picked up the trays and the cleaning robots came to clean up the rest.

At 3 pm, Dr. Tenma's limousine parked in front of the elementary school, and Orrin came out. Zoran ran happily towards him and hugged him.

"Orrin!" she greeted him.

"Oh, uh... good afternoon, Zoran!" he replied, still trying to get used to hugs. "Let me take your backpack-"

"No no," she said. "You don't have to pick me up, I'm going home on my own and I decided to join the cheerleading team, that's why I'm going to leave an hour later!"

"Oh, okay!" Orrin said. "Sounds great. Good luck!"

"Thank you!" Zoran said. "Goodbye!"

The children were dancing, doing tricks and sang in the gym. Then the couch walked towards them with Zoran.

"Alrighty, kids!" she said. "Today we're having a new member! Please make Zoran feel welcome!"

Zoran smiled and walked towards them. Hina's jaw almost hit the floor, she glared at Zoran while her eyes were burning in rage.
Zoran got a lot of compliments from the couch and the other kids, everyone welcomed her but Hina.
At the end of practicing, everyone had already changed their clothes but Zoran because she had to discuss something with the couch. Jack appeared at the door, he finished football practice.

"Did Jack come for me?" Hina asked herself and walked towards him but Zoran ran past her.

"Jack!" she greeted him, happily. "I just finished cheerleading practice! Do you like my outfit? I really like it! It's colorful! What's your favorite color?"

Jack giggled and tried to respond to all of her questions.

"I'm going to change, then we can walk home together!" the young robot girl said.

"Alright, I'll wait at the gate," he said and walked off.

Zoran noticed Hina, smiled at her, and then disappeared in the girls' locker room.

Hina balled her hands into fists. "I hate you!" she murmured.

Zoran changed into her normal clothes and went to leave the gym but then she noticed Hina, sitting on the stairs and crying. Everyone had already left but her.
We're robots and we're meant to help humans! I need you to help others!
Astro's words were echoing in her head as she walked towards her. She then put her backpack on the floor and held a tissue and a few candies in front of her, she hadn't eaten at lunch. Hina held back at first but then accepted the gift and stood up.

"Do you want to walk home with me and Jack?" Zoran asked, smiling.

Hina's eyes sparkled with happiness. "Y-yeah!"

"Alrighty! Come on!" she said and walked with her to the exit.

Hina felt embarrassed after what she had said and done to her.

"Hey, what is she doing here?" Jack asked and looked at Hina.

Hina became emotional again at that question.

"Let's walk with her, Jack!" Zoran said. "She's very nice. Give her at least a chance."

Jack shrugged and smiled. "Hm, sure."

The kids walked together. Hina didn't even really care anymore, she was smiling and hoped for this moment to never end.

After Jack and Zoran dropped Hina off at her house, they were alone.
They said nothing until Jack started laughing hysterically.

"Hm? What's so funny?" Zoran asked.

Jack laughed harder.

"Come on, Jack! Tell me!" Zoran said.

The young boy grabbed his stomach and calmed down a bit.
"Zoran?"

"Yeah?"

"You're way too innocent."

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Why?"

"Because I like you the way you are."

PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT INFORMATION!:

I'm gonna change the story's title from "Nikki" to "The Thee Cores".

Aaaaand the story is soon also gonna be available on Wattpad with pictures! :)

The last two chapters of this volume are almost done, then we'll be heading to volume 2!
This series is at least gonna have 3 volumes with a few one-shots.

That's it with the 14th chapter! :D

This here is, by the way, a One-Shot chapter. I thought I'll just show how Zoran's life is going at the time.

Sorry that it took me so long to update on this story again. ^^'

Here's my question:
Do you have pets?
I used to have a bunny, then I had two and now I don't, but I'm saving some money for a dog. :)