The Annoying Crush Read online

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1 Ticket to Onyo

  Chapter 2 Meet Sara!

  Chapter 3 One-Bot Wonder

  Chapter 4 A Boy’s Best Friend?

  Chapter 5 Movie Night

  Chapter 6 Sara in School

  Chapter 7 Ira’s Answer

  Chapter 8 Zack’s Plan

  Chapter 9 Dad’s Plan

  Chapter 10 Visit to Onyo

  ‘Return to Earth’ Excerpt

  About Ray O’Ryan and Jason Kraft

  Chapter 1

  Ticket to Onyo

  Zack flopped down on his bed. He held his hyperphone close to his face. He was talking to Drake, his best friend on Nebulon.

  Zack had called with a question about a homework assignment, but now that they had figured it out, their conversation had turned again to Zack’s new favorite subject.

  “I can’t wait for tonight!” said Zack, bursting with excitement.

  “Is that when your dad is bringing home that robot?” asked Drake.

  “Yup,” replied Zack. “It’s a sample of a new kind of android he helped develop at Nebulonics. We get to test it out at home. If it works, it will go to the planet Onyo for mass production.”

  “That is the planet where half the stuff in the galaxy is made!” Drake said eagerly.

  “That’s right!” said Zack.

  “Wow,” said Drake. “Nice! So what kind of robot is it?”

  “It’s one that can walk and talk,” Zack explained. “But not only that. It can learn from watching what people do.”

  “Sounds like a pretty smart robot to me,” said Drake.

  “Yeah,” said Zack. “Ira is great and all, but this robot will be able to hang out with me. Who knows, maybe it will even be good at pulse-ball! And I may never have to clean my room again. If this robot works out okay, Dad said he would take me on the trip to Onyo too!”

  “And how grape would it be to get to see Onyo?” asked Drake. “You would know about the latest stuff long before anyone else.”

  “Even before Seth!” cried Zack.

  Seth’s dad also worked at Nebulonics. Seth loved to show off their new inventions. Zack used to think of Seth as the class bully, but not anymore.

  “I would love to see the look on Seth’s face when he finds out you are going to Onyo!” said Drake.

  “Ha! That would be great!” said Zack. “Hopefully, the robot works out, which reminds me, my dad should be home any second. I gotta run.”

  “Have fun with your new robot, Zack,” said Drake.

  “See ya, Drake,” said Zack. The screen on his hyperphone went dark.

  My new robot, Zack thought. I like the sound of that!

  Chapter 2

  Meet Sara!

  Zack raced into the kitchen. His dog, Luna, ran up to greet him.

  “Is it here yet, girl?” Zack asked.

  Luna barked happily.

  “Is what here, Master Just Zack?” asked Ira, the Nelsons’ Indoor Robotic Assistant.

  “The new, super-cool robot that Dad is bringing home!” Zack replied impatiently.

  “If you are referring to S.A.R.A.—the Super Advanced Robotic Assistant that Mr. Nelson has been developing at Nebulonics—”

  “Well, what else would I be talking about, Ira?” Zack said, rolling his eyes.

  Zack’s twin sisters, Charlotte and Cathy, were sitting in the kitchen.

  Their mother, Shelly, walked in. “Your father should be home any minute,” she said.

  “If the robot’s name is Sara . . .”

  “. . . that means she’s a girl robot.”

  “I can’t wait to have a girl robot living here!” said the twins.

  “Actually, robots are neither boys nor girls,” Ira chimed in. “Sara is just a nickname, like Ira.”

  “Well, whatever it is, Dad said that Sara can do a whole bunch of amazing stuff,” Zack said. “Ira is just part of the house, but Sara can walk and talk and make snacks and—”

  “Speaking of snacks,” Ira interrupted, “how about a nice boingoberry cooler, Master Just Zack?”

  Within seconds, a panel in the kitchen wall opened. Out slid a frosty purple drink.

  “Nah, not now Ira,” said Zack. “I’m too excited!”

  “Excited about this?” asked a voice from the elevator door that had just slid open.

  “Dad’s home!” Zack shouted, racing to the door.

  Shelly and the twins followed.

  Next to Dad stood a robot about as tall as Zack. It had a narrow body that mimicked the shape of a dress, short legs, and long mechanical arms. A marble-shaped head sat above its body. Large glass eyes glowed from its metallic purple face, and its mouth was made of two hinges. A big metal bow sat on top of its sculpted metal hairdo. Zack briefly wondered what it would sound like to rap his knuckles on top of its head. Her head, he decided. This robot was definitely girly looking.

  “Everybody, this is Sara!” Dad said proudly. “Sara, meet the Nelsons!”

  “I’m Charlotte, and . . .”

  “. . . I’m Cathy!”

  “I’m Zack! And this is Luna!”

  Sara turned her metal head and looked right at Mom.

  “And—you—must—be—Mrs.—Nelson,” the robot said in a choppy voice.

  “Sara is still learning how to speak smoothly like a person,” explained Dad. “That’s part of why she is here with us. She’s programmed to learn. So the more she hears us speak, the better she’ll get at talking.”

  “Welcome to the Nelsons’ home, Sara,” said Ira. “I will be happy to explain how things work in this house and help you with anything—”

  “I—do—not—need—help,” Sara said, interrupting. “I—have—been—programmed—to—meet—the—needs—of—the—Nelsons.”

  “This is going to be grape!” exclaimed Zack.

  “Whatever you say, Master Just Zack,” said Ira.

  Chapter 3

  One-Bot Wonder

  “Does—anyone—need—help—with—anything?” Sara asked.

  “Actually, I just got that big box of jewelry for my store,” said Mom. She pointed to a large cardboard box. “Sara, if you could—”

  Before Mom could finish her sentence, Sara was on the move. Wheels popped out from the bottoms of her feet. She quickly rolled over to the box.

  At lightning speed, Sara’s long metal arms grabbed the box and picked it up. She put it on the kitchen counter. Then a pair of scissors appeared on the end of her arm. Sara cut open the box. It was now ready for Mom to sort through.

  “Well, thank you, Sara!” Mom exclaimed. “You’re so handy!”

  “You—are—welcome,” Sara said. Then she looked right at Mom. “I mean—you’re welcome,” Sara corrected herself.

  “What did I tell you!” said Dad, smiling. “She’s a fast learner!”

  “Grape!” chirped Zack.

  “I programmed Sara to learn by watching how humans behave, move, and speak. See that bow on her head? That’s where she stores all the new things she learns.”

  “Do you think . . .”

  “. . . Sara can learn . . .”

  “. . . how to play music?” the twins asked.

  “I am downloading the necessary files now,” said Sara.

  A panel in Sara’s body slid open. Out popped a keyboard, a trumpet, a guitar, and a bass drum.

  With one hand, Sara played the keyboard, and with her other hand she strummed the guitar. The trumpet magnetically stuck to her lips. She blew a beautiful melody. With her right foot, Sara stepped on a pedal attached to the drum, keeping the rhythm.

  The song she was playing was Zack’s favorite, “Rockin’ Round the Stars.”

  “Wow!” cried Zack. “She’s a one-robot band!”
r />   Cathy and Charlotte got up and started doing the galactic groove, a new dance they’d learned on Nebulon.

  “Well, Sara is certainly full of surprises,” said Mom.

  “I think Sara is going to be a huge success!” added Dad.

  Chapter 4

  A Boy’s Best Friend?

  The next day Ira woke up Zack the way he did each morning. He played “Rockin’ Round the Stars.”

  “Time for school, Master Just Zack.”

  Zack opened his eyes.

  “You do not want to be late, do you?” Ira asked.

  Zack threw off his covers and jumped from bed. His bedroom floor was covered with dirty clothes and some of the contents of his backpack.

  “Oh no,” he moaned. “I forgot that I cleaned out my backpack last night. Now I have to shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and repack my backpack, all before the speedybus comes to take me to school!”

  Zack took the fastest shower of his life. When he stepped back into his room, he was stunned by what he saw. His bedroom floor was clean. His backpack was fully packed and sitting on his bed, ready to go.

  “How? What?” Zack asked.

  Sara came rolling out of Zack’s closet. She was holding a shirt, pants, and a pair of shoes.

  “I repacked your backpack, and I picked out some clothes for you,” she said. “I hope they are grape.”

  “Thank you, Sara,” said Zack. He was amazed that Sara could do all that so fast. He quickly got dressed, ate breakfast, and headed off to school.

  As he walked into his classroom at Sprockets, Zack spotted Drake.

  “So, did the robot come to your house?” Drake asked.

  “You bet!” said Zack. “Sara is so cool!”

  “Sara?” asked Drake.

  “That’s her name,” Zack explained. “It stands for Super Advanced Robotic Assistant. She’s already learned to talk, play music, and help out at home. She even cleaned my room for me!”

  Zack’s teacher, Ms. Rudolph, walked over to him.

  “I couldn’t help overhearing you, Zack,” Ms. Rudolph said. “Are you talking about the new model robot from Nebulonics?”

  “I am, Ms. Rudolph,” said Zack.

  “Would you please ask your father if you can bring the robot into class tomorrow?” Ms. Rudolph asked. “It would be fun for everyone to see Nebulonics’s latest creation.”

  “Sure!” said Zack, thinking how great it would be to bring Sara to class.

  That afternoon when Zack got home from school, Sara was waiting for him at the front door.

  “Hi, Zack!” Sara said with great enthusiasm.

  “Welcome home, Master Just Zack,” said Ira. “Do you need any help with your homework?”

  “Well, actually, I could use—”

  “I’ll help you, Zack,” Sara said as she took Zack’s backpack from him. She handed him a bowl of nebu-nuts, Zack’s favorite snack. “I’ve been downloading Ira’s school files.”

  “Grape!” said Zack. He followed Sara to his room.

  “Very well,” Ira murmured.

  With Sara’s help, Zack finished all his homework in a little more than an hour.

  “Thanks, Sara,” he said. “This gives me plenty of time to play outside.”

  Zack raced out into his backyard. He picked up a ball and Luna came running.

  “Wanna play catch, girl?” he asked.

  Luna barked happily and jumped up toward the ball in Zack’s hand.

  Zack threw the ball into the air. Luna took off after it. But before Luna could get to the ball, Sara sped from the house and caught it.

  “Now it’s my turn,” said Sara.

  She threw the ball high into the air. Zack backed up and caught it.

  Luna trotted off to a corner of the backyard, stretched out on the grass, and whined. But Zack was so busy playing catch with Sara that he didn’t notice.

  Chapter 5

  Movie Night

  A short while later, Dad came home from work. Zack burst into the room. Luna slunk in behind.

  “Dad! Dad!” Zack shouted.

  “Hey there, Zack. What’s all the excitement?” Dad asked.

  “Ms. Rudolph asked if I could bring Sara into school tomorrow,” Zack said excitedly. “What do you think?”

  Dad looked at Sara and scratched his head. “Everything seems to be going well with Sara,” he said. “She certainly has learned a lot very quickly. Sure, I think you can take Sara to class.”

  Just then Mom stepped into the house with Cathy and Charlotte.

  “I have a great idea,” Mom said. “Movie night!”

  “We picked out . . .”

  “. . . a really grape movie . . .”

  “. . . called Love, I Think.”

  “No way!” Zack cried. “It sounds like an icky romance movie.”

  “It’s sweet,” said Mom.

  “Well,” said Dad, “us boys want to watch the new Rock Solid, Galactic Enforcement Officer, action flick, Bad Guys Beware! Right, Zack?”

  “You bet,” Zack replied. “Rock Solid is totally the grapest.”

  “It seems that the only fair thing to do is vote,” said Mom. “All in favor of Love, I Think say ‘me!’ ”

  “Me!” Charlotte and Cathy shouted together.

  “Me,” Mom added. “Okay, all in favor of Bad Guys Beware! Say ‘me.’ ”

  “Me!” Zack shouted.

  “Me!” Dad said.

  Rufff! barked Luna.

  “It’s a tie,” said Zack. “Three against three.”

  “No way. . . .”

  “Luna doesn’t get . . .”

  “. . . a vote!” the twins said.

  “I’m afraid the girls are right about that, Zack,” said Dad. “Looks like they win!”

  Soon the whole Nelson family, including Luna, got comfortable in front of the sonic cell monitor, a giant screen in the living room.

  “May I join you?” asked Sara. “I think that observing cultural entertainment will help me learn more about how people behave.”

  “Of course,” said Mom.

  Love, I Think blazed on the screen. A man showed no interest in the woman who had a huge crush on him. She slowly moved into more and more parts of his life. Ninety minutes later, the woman had finally won the heart of the man she loved. And the man could not imagine life without her.

  Mom wiped away a tear. “That was so sweet!” she said.

  “Yuk!” said Zack. “Mushy-mush-mush! Ira, let’s have some dinner.”

  “Certainly, Master Just—”

  “I will take the Nelsons’ dinner order and transmit it to you, Ira,” said Sara.

  “That is hardly necessary, Sara,” said Ira.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” said Dad. “Look, she even makes Ira’s life easier! Thanks, Sara.”

  “Yes,” Ira said softly. “Thank you, Sara.”

  Chapter 6

  Sara in School

  The next morning, Zack stood just outside his classroom. Sara waited behind him.

  “Just one second,” Zack said. “I’m going to tell Ms. Rudolph that you’re here.”

  “Okay, sweetie,” said Sara.

  “What?” Zack asked, startled by the nickname Sara had just used.

  “Oh, Zack, did you bring the robot to class today?” Ms. Rudolph asked, spotting Zack.

  “Yes, Ms. Rudolph. She’s right here.”

  “Wonderful! Bring her in,” said Ms. Rudolph.

  Zack walked into the classroom with Sara behind him. He took his usual seat. Sara immediately sat in the seat next to him.

  “Oh, sorry, Sara. That’s Drake’s seat,” Zack explained. “He’s my best friend, and he always sits next to me. Maybe you can sit by the window.”

  “But I really want to sit next to you, Zacky,” cooed Sara.

  “My name is Zack, and—”

  Drake stepped up to Zack’s chair.

  “So I guess this is the robot,” he said. “And she does whatever you ask her to do?�
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  “Well, yeah, mostly,” said Zack.

  “Okay. Sara, you are sitting in my seat,” said Drake. “Please move to another one.”

  “I’m sitting next to my Zacky,” Sara cooed once more.

  “I told you, my name is—”

  “Zack, would you please come up to the front and tell the class all about the robot your father helped design?” Ms. Rudolph said.

  Zack was happy to get up and away from Sara. He couldn’t figure out why she was acting so weird.

  Drake, unhappy that he couldn’t sit in his usual seat, grabbed a seat in the back.

  Zack walked to the front of the classroom. Sara followed him.

  “My father helped build the Super Advanced Robotic Assistant,” Zack began. “We call her Sara for short.”

  Zack looked over and saw Sara staring right at him. Her eyes were open wide. She batted her mechanical eyelids at Zack as he spoke.

  What is wrong with her? Zack wondered.

  “In a short time, Sara has learned to speak smoothly,” Zack continued. “She has helped my family with a bunch of chores. In some ways she is an improvement over the Indoor Robotic Assistant that most of you have at home.”

  Sara batted her eyes at Zack again.

  Sara is really creeping me out! Zack thought.

  Zack finished his talk and sat back down. He tried to focus on the morning lesson, but he was distracted by Sara staring.