Two men leaped from the front of the car. Their two wives got out of the back.

"Well, guys." Easton looked up at the big house. "We finally made it home."

One of the women, Margot, wrapped her arm around his. "We sure did."

"You wanna go in first, East?" The other guy, Harry, asked.

"Why not?" Easton headed up the path to the door.

Luna went with him. He opened the door and was greeted by a robot.

"Good evening." It beeped. "Master and Lady Jones. Is there anything I might get you for dinner?"

Luna glanced at Easton in pleasant surprise. Harry and his wife Margot came into the house behind them.

"Greetings." the robot rolled over to them, seemingly forgetting its question. "Master and Lady Edwards. Is there anything I can serve you for dinner?"

"Chinese?" Harry asked.

"Sure. Fine with us." Easton replied.

"You remember what I can't have?" Margot asked her husband.

"Yes, dear." He said. "Order something Chinese. But nothing with onions, mushrooms, or cucumbers."

The robot buzzed. "Order in at China's Place. I prescanned everyone, so meals are set to everyone's standards. Is there anything else I may do for you before I charge?"

"Me and Luna are okay." Easton said.

"Same for us." Harry whispered.

"Good. I will be ready to serve again in two hours." The robot rolled away from them and backed into an open section in the wall.

"Well, exploring time?" Harry wondered.

"Heck yeah. I call upstairs!" Easton ran in that direction.

"Not if I get there first!" Harry raced after him.

Luna and Margot laughed with each other at their husbands.

The two couples explored for a few hours. The food arrived halfway through and they ate it all within thirty minutes with light conversation. Then they got ready for bed. Easton and Luna curled against each other.

"Rate today one to ten." Easton said.

Luna considered for a second. "Eight."

"Only eight?" Easton almost laughed. "I would totally give today a t-"

The room lights flashed on. "INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT."

Luna gasped and leapt out of bed. "Oh my God."

Easton glanced between Luna and the door. He slipped out from under the covers and crept over to the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" Luna hissed.

"I'm just peeking." Easton opened the door a crack.

Luna huffed and paced the floor worriedly. The alarm continued for another second then shut off. A scream and gunshot suddenly echoed down the hallway. Easton threw open the door and sprinted toward the sound. Luna trailed behind hesitantly.

He opened the bathroom door more than the crack it already was. The cold tile floor shocked him; as well as Margot's body lying there with blood already pooling around from the small holes in her chest.

"Who would do this...?"

Easton noticed a black handgun on the counter and cautiously picked it up. Luna pushed past him and crouched by her friend's head, Margot's eyes still wide open with terror.

"What the fuck did you do?" Harry growled suddenly. "_What the fuck did you do_?!" he shook Easton violently.

"He didn't do anything, Harry." Luna defended her husband. "We just got in here."

"I don't believe you." Harry's voice was hard.

Easton put the gun down. "Believe me, we just got in here."

Harry glared at him. "I would if you didn't kill my wife. She was going to have a goddamn child for fuck's sake."

"Cut the bullshit, Harry." Easton growled. "_We just got in here_."

Harry backs up. "I'm getting out of here. I'd rather die than live with a murderer. I can't believe I called you a friend a few hours ago."

Luna stood back up straight and tried to stop him. Harry spun around and slapped her across the cheek. She staggered back and touched the mark gingerly. Easton pulled her close.

"Both of you can fuck off." Harry snarled. "I'll never forgive either of you for this. My future family will know to hate the Jones's, you can count on that."

"You heard the alarms too, Harry. It wasn't East." Luna's voice was dripping poison now.

"Ha, funny excuse. Control your wife, _Murderer_." Harry turned around and stormed away.

Luna took a step after him, but Easton pulled her back.

"It's not worth it. We just have to get rid of the body properly and clean up. No one else has to know..."

---

"York!" her mother yelled up the stairs. "Dinner was ready ten minutes ago!"

York groaned and pushed her chair closer to her door. She pulled her headphones down and yelled back. "I'm not hungry!"

She rolled back to her desk and crunched on a Cheeto. Her mom started coming up the stairs. She heard the footsteps and panickly shoved the Cheeto bag into a drawer closeby.

Her mom's face poked into her room. "Cheetos aren't dinner, York."

York froze and finished licking the cheese off her fingers. "Come on, I'm honestly not that hungry. I mean, can't the robot butler just bring it up here?"

"Family time is important." Her mom scolded. "If you eat up here, you'll end missing time you'll regret not spending with your family. Your siblings are even down there."

"They're, like, five and six though!" York protested.

"So that makes you not have to be there? Because you're sixteen?" her mom folded her arms.

"Exactly!" York tossed up her hands.

"You know what? Fine. You can go to bed hungry; but you better not come complaining to me later when you're hungry." her mom disappeared.

York sighed and put her headphones back up, taking the Cheetos put again. Her mom reappeare, snatched them away, and left again. York groaned and hit play on her music again.

Listening to music was York's life. Every second she spent listening to it; pop mostly. The rest of her life was homeschool and meals. And every so often a meeting with the Edwards, the family across the street. Her dad had told her the story of him and his friend, Harry, who was the dad of the Edwards home, when she was littler.

The Edwards were the opposite of the Joneses. They lived with no tech or AI at all; it's like they were going back in time, with their dresses and suits and short-cropped haircuts. And they only had one son, Jett, virtually the most annoying boy to ever walk the earth. His smooth, chilling voice always made her want to hit him, even if she felt something for the guy.

Knock sounded on her doorframe. York reluctantly put her headphones back down again.

"Yes?" she called.

Instead of her father or mother, their robot zipped into her room.

"Lady Jones." it greeted. "Your parents requested me to tell you there will be a meeting with the Edwards in thirty minutes. They require you to be downstairs soon."

York rolled her eyes. "Got it, whatever. You can go back to charge or something."

The robot buzzed with the order, but didn't move.

"Would you like me to set you a timer, Lady Jones?" it asked.

"No, I would like you to go away. I'll be down there when I can." York put her headphones on her desk and got up to push it out.

The bot still didn't budge. She gave up and went over to her window. She opened it and in came her robin, Pip, who instantly nestled in the crook of her neck.

"Allow me to remove that for you." the robot rolled closer.

"What, no. You're not getting rid of Pip." York tried to hold the bot back.

"I must." the robot reached its arm up.

York rolled over the bed and kept from squishing Pip. The robot continued to pursue. Pip chirped and flew off her shoulder.

"Pip?" She watched the robin in confusion.

Pip dive bombed multiple times, the bot trying to snatch her out of the air. The bird dodged it's arm and landed on it's head, cooing softly.

"I must get rid of p-"

York stopped it's arms. It glanced at her and gave up. Pip chirped victoriously and returned to York's shoulder.

"See? No threat. Now go charge, I'll be down in a sec." York pointed out her door.

It rolled away and down the stairs. She gently Pat Pip's head and moved her to her desk. She yanked her shirt off and put on another one under her uncomfortable jacket that her parents always made her wear to the useless meetings.

"I'll be back soon, Pip." she left and closed the door behind her.

York went down the stairs and one of her younger sisters leapt at her.

"Sissy, they're not being nice." Ira pointed her finger at mom and dad.

"Who, mom and dad?" York asked.

"No," Ira pointed again and mom and dad walked out of the way to get their other siblings in line. "_Him_."

Jett rocked back and forth on his heels and whistled. York narrowed her eyes.

"I'll go tell him to leave my little sister alone." she told Ira and put her down.

She made her way over to Jett and tried to seem angry.

He noticed her and smiled. "Well, finally decided to join me, huh?"

"Don't act so natural around me." She reminded him. "Ira told me you weren't being nice to her."

"I wouldn't call accidentally tripping her not being nice. She walked into my foot." he said.

York resisted laughing. Instead, she pushed him into the wall behind him, trying to look furious. "Your voice is still irritating."

"I would expect." he whispered. "Wanna sneak out?"

"I do, but we shouldn't." she replied. "One of my siblings could catch us. Or the robot."

"I have plans if that happens. Come on." he pulled her toward the stairs.

They slipped up the steps and went to her room, shutting the door. Pip chirped in greeting.

"I don't like you." York told him.

"And I don't like you." he kissed her.

"You're not good at not liking people." she said when he pulled away.

"I know, but you're worth it." he smiled.

"That's sweet." She kissed him again.

Pip flew up and landed on her head.

"I didn't know you had a bird." Jett commented.

"This is Pip." she pat the bird's head.

"That's an adorable name." He smiled again.

"Why thank you." York smiled with him.

This was a good life. Who knew two people with entirely separate lives would end up loving each other? Not her, that's for sure.

"Who are you talking to?"