Stranger Things Have Happened

      Katie stood in front of me, suitcase in hand.

    “I’ll come for the rest of my things on Saturday, Connor,” she said.

I wasn’t listening anymore at that point.  My mind was on The sing-song way she

said my name when she wanted something and how cute she looked in my hockey

jersey. I wanted to think about anything other than what was happening.

         The days seemed to go on forever leaving me ample time to reminisce. Say Hi

To Your Mom is playing in the background but it’s drowned out by all the memories

of her and I. My friend Matt comes over because he’s heard. I bet it’s all over the

college by now.

         “I thought everything was fine. She loved me and I loved her.”  I said now, to Matt.

I thought she knew how much.

“All the times she’s smiled, Matt.” “Millions of times man, I’m sure of it.”

Matt just looked at me, and half smiled. I felt pitiful telling him all of this and yet I

couldn’t sop talking.

“You don’t tell someone you love them and then leave them.” I whisper to Matt.

“You gotta come back to school man,” he said later as he was walking out the door.

         On Friday I kept replaying the day over in my head. All the things she said,

everything I didn’t say.

“I just don’t feel like we are right for each other,” she said, as if she just had this

epiphany. As if you can suddenly not be right for a person after 3 years.

“What - - what are you talking about?” I asked, flustered.

“I’m saying that I think we should break up,” she said nonchalantly.

So many things were running through my head. Inside of me was screaming “Please

stay, I love you,” but my lips weren’t moving and she was closing the door. And that

was it. Our 3-year relationship ended, in the middle of our apartment. My heart

sinking as I watched her leave out the front door.

         “Yeah, I’m In Love With An Android” starts to play almost as if mocking me.

I use to kid with her, saying I totally got where they were coming from. Androids,

equaled less headache and heartaches. I think of her birthday the year before.

         “I can’t believe you got us tickets!” Katie said excitedly.

         “Of course, you love them.” I say,as if it was that simple.

I looked at her, seeing the gleam in her brown eyes. Her long dark hair bouncing as

she jumped in excitement. For as long as she has liked SHTYM, she had never

gotten to see them live. I had given her that.

Katie hugged me, long and hard. And, as I hugged her back I thought, I never want

to let go. I never thought she would let go first.

      These are the memories that keep coming to my mind. But, by now I just want

to forget. I want to forget every good time with her because it only reminds me that

there aren’t any more to come.

Just then there was a knock at the door. As I open it I see Katie, but she isn’t alone.

“I’ve come for the rest of my things,” she says refusing to look me in the eye.

The guy she brought along just stood by her side quietly. I had never seen him

before, I assume the worst.

“Katie…” I say in almost a whisper.

She walks right past me.

         “I’ve tired calling.” I say now watching her in what use to be “our” room

She refuses to say a thing. She just hands her full suitcases to the guy.

    “I’ll take this down to the car babe.” He says.

And then they were gone. Her things removed as if she was never here.
         
I half-heartedly pushed my mess of curly brown hair to the side. Unrequited love was

only fun to watch in the movies.

“Why the hell would she bring him here?” I shouted to my empty apartment.

         As I was walk back in to the living room I hear my neighbor, Bill talking to

someone out in the hallway. He is a retried scientist but I use the word, retired

loosely. He had been working on some top-secret project for months now.

          As I heard him outside my door, I grew curious to whom he was speaking to. I

heard a women’s voice. She had an unusual way of speaking, enunciating every

syllable. Sounding almost robotic. I went closer to the door to listen.
         
“But, why Bill?” she whined.
         
“You know why Anna, now please just get back inside.”

At that point I opened the door. Bill was standing there with the woman by his side.

         She had this innocence about her. She looked up at me with wide eyes and

smiled. I turned my attention to Bill.

         “Uh, hi Connor. How have you been?” Bill asked uncomfortably.

         “Better,” I said my eyes returning to the women.

There was something different about her. I couldn’t stop looking at her. She had light

hair braided down her back and a buttoned down shirt covering a slim figure. She

looked so quaint and beautiful. She looked at me with these big blue eyes. I

suddenly became uncomfortably aware that I was staring. Yet, she didn’t seem to

mind.  I turned back to Bill.

         “Is this your niece?” I ask

         “Oh, no. She’s uh--” he cleared his throat. “She’s just a friend”

They was something weird going on. I looked at Bill closer as if his face would give

away the answer.

         “What’s going on?” I ask suspiously.

         “Anna, can you go inside for a moment?” Bill says.

I watch as the women walked inside Bill’s apartment without so much of a word.

I looked at Bill waiting for an explanation. He returned my gaze, half smiling.

         “I was waiting until your birthday before I introduced you,” he said finally.

         “Introduced me? What --Why?” I asked confused.

Bill was grinning widely now,

         “She was-- she is your birthday present Connor.”

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.

         “Birthday present?” I asked incredulously.

         “She’s an android, Connor,” Bill said now, looking me in the eye.