Geek Girl - Books 1, 2 and 3

by John Zakour

  “She just sent more texts,” Tina said, holding her phone up once again.

  We’re going 2 beat u!

  We’re going 2 beat u!

  We’re going 2 beat u!

  We’re going 2 beat u!

  We’re going 2 beat u!

  The other me stared over my shoulder at Tina’s phone. She looked at me thoughtfully. “You know what? If I played, I bet your team would win! I could even play badly at first, so people didn’t suspect anything. I could keep the game close then score the winning goal. You’d be considered a hero!”

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  Tina’s phone beeped again. It had to be another text from Ivy. Tina looked at her phone and sighed.

  “Was it from Ivy?” I asked

  “Ah, no,” Tina said slowly, her voice quivering and her eyes twitching as she spoke.

  I knew that a quivering voice and a twitching of eyebrows could be a sign of lying.

  “You’re lying!” I said, pointing at Tina.

  Tina showed me her phone.

  Dex’s team plays right after ours on the same field. Once he sees how great I play, he will b mine!

  I looked at the other me. “Suit up; you’re in the game tomorrow!”

  “Great!” the other me said. “I won’t let you down!”

  Tina looked at me. “Are you sure about this?”

  “It’s just one game,” I insisted. “How bad can it be?”

  “I can set up a recording drone so you can watch it live!” Computer said to me.

  I looked at the Android me. “Just don’t play too well. I don’t want people to get too suspicious and expect me to play really well all the time.”

  “Right! Got it!” the other me said, doing jumping jacks.

  I noticed Grandpa Jack hadn’t commented yet, which was kind of unlike him. “Computer, where’s Grandpa Jack?” I asked.

  “He’s napping so he’ll be well rested when Diana comes over tonight,” Computer giggled.

  “Man, that hologram sure is realistic!” I replied.

  “Yeah, he even farts when he sleeps!” Computer laughed.

  “TMI, Computer, TMI!”

  Chapter IV

  The next day started normally enough. Well, until I woke up…actually, until I was woken by my Android clone.

  “Get up, real me! Get up!” she said, shaking me.

  Looking up from my bed, I could see she was already dressed in my soccer uniform. Even though the two of us were identical, the uniform somehow looked better on her. It looked like she was meant to wear it. I got a little jealous.

  “Up, up!” she said. “Get to the lab so you can watch the drone video of the game! It’ll be awe-some!”

  Rolling out of bed, I stood up and stretched. “Okay, just let me get some breakfast. I love Saturday breakfast with Mom and Dad.”

  “Yeah, it was great!” my Android clone said.

  “Excuse me?” I asked.

  “I already ate breakfast with our family. It was great! I love pancakes and raspberries!”

  “I do too!” I scoffed. “That breakfast was meant for me!”

  “Don't worry. I left you some protein bars in the lab!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, yummy!”

  “I’m glad you like them!” Android me said. “I want you to be happy! When you’re happy, I feel happy! After all, I only exist to make your life easier. Which I am doing now by playing soccer for you!”

  “Ah, how is eating my pancakes making my life easier?”

  “Keeps you from getting chubby and slow! Plus, all that starch in the morning can make you groggy! It’s fine for me but no good for you,” my Android copy said.

  “Honey! Are you about ready? We don’t want to be late for the game!” Mom called up.

  “Almost ready, Mom!” the other me answered.

  Hearing her call my mom, ‘Mom,’ freaked me out a bit. That was my mom, not her mom. Her mom was a computer and a 3D printer!

  “Love you, Mom!” I called down.

  “Nice touch!” the other me said with a grin. “You can teach me so much about being human!”

  Pointing at her, I said, “Remember, you are not human!”

  The other me smiled and nodded. “Of course. Humans have flaws that they can’t control. I have no flaws, but I can simulate your flaws if needed. When playing the soccer game, I will reduce them. I won’t stumble over my own two feet. I won’t kick the ball too softly when trying to make a pass. I will aim for the goal when shooting. I will concentrate on the game, not on some school project or a lab project. Though, I will be processing ideas about those things in my background memory.”

  “Ah, okay, I get it…” I said.

  Man, oh man, she really was like a new and improved version of me. No, she was a new and different version of me. But not improved. Right? I mean, come on. Sure, I’m not a perfect Android, but my flaws and imperfections make me better. Right? After all, I was the one who said, ‘I love you’ to Mom. See? I have emotion. She doesn’t.

  I was lost in thought and hadn’t noticed that Android me had guided me over to the closet.

  “Come on! Come on!” she said anxiously. “Get down to the lab so I can leave and you can watch me be you. I hope we win! I compute, we will win.”

  I stepped into the closet elevator and said. “Don’t say compute like that! It makes me seem even geekier than I already am!”

  “Right! Got it!” the other me smiled. “I am learning so much from you. If I could only smell worse, I think I could be a perfect you.” She pressed the elevator button. I felt the elevator sink.

  I found Crash and K9 already sitting at the lab’s main monitor. On the monitor, I saw the soccer field where my team would be playing.

  “I see the drones are up,” I remarked.

  “Yes, of course. I am very efficient!” Computer said. “I am anxious to see how my creation plays!”

  “Please don’t call her that,” I told Computer.

  “May I call her Maya 2.0?” Computer asked.

  “No!”

  “New and improved Maya?” Computer asked.

  “Double no!!”

  “Super improved Maya?” Computer asked.

  Grandpa’s hologram appeared. “Computer, please just call her Android Maya…”

  “How about AM?” I suggested.

  “Won’t people get that mixed up with mornings?” K9 asked.

  “I’m willing to take that chance,” I said.

  “Okay, “ K9 turned to Crash. “I just want to point out, Maya is a bit testy today.”

  “And she has two protein bars to eat!” Crash shook his head. “You’d think she’d be happier!”

  Polly came flying over, holding a bowl of popcorn in his mouth. “Have we missed anything yet?” he asked, landing on the table and looking up at the screen. “I can’t wait to see what Android Maya does in the game. I remember when human Maya tried to kick the ball once and fell on her butt. It was hilarious! I couldn’t stop laughing.”

  I cleared my throat.

  Polly turned to me and said. “Oh hi, I didn’t see you there. I was concentrating on not dropping my popcorn.”

  “Yeah, I could tell,” I replied.

  Polly saw me glaring at him. He hopped back a step or two. “Don’t worry; I’m sure the other you…”

  “We’re calling her AM for now,” Crash said.

  “Oh, cool!” Polly said. “I’m sure AM won’t be nearly as entertaining as you!”

  “Thanks!”

  Polly looked at me. “Your mouth said thanks, but your face said something else, like, let’s eat the bird…”

  “Smart bird!” I said.

  Polly gulped. He turned back towards the screen. “What time does the match start?”

  “Soon,” Crash said.

  Computer chipped in. “I have four camera drones over the field so we should get an excellent view of the game.”

  Grandpa walked over to me. “How are you feeling about your
team playing without you?”

  “Well, it’s better for the team that the other me is playing. She’ll help the team win. After all, isn’t that what this is all about?”

  Grandpa shook his head. “Actually, it’s about having fun, getting exercise and learning teamwork.”

  “Trust me; this is better for the team!” I insisted.

  “But is it better for you?” Grandpa asked.

  “Last practice, I fell on my butt more often than I kicked the ball. I guess I could have used the coordination enhancers I use in the lab, but that’s cheating…”

  “As opposed to using an Android copy of yourself?” Grandpa noted.

  I lowered my head. “I admit it’s a gray area. I might not have thought this through as well as I could have. But really, I don't want to be laughed at on the soccer field, and I don’t want to cheat directly.”

  “Let me guess; this is because of that Ivy Jones!” Grandpa said.

  I sighed. Man, my grandpa knew me well. “Yes. Ivy kept taunting and taunting, so I wanted to teach her a lesson.” I put my hand on my heart. “I promise I won't let the Android play any more games for me. I’ll practice here in the lab and get better without any super-duper aides.”

  Grandpa looked at me. He smiled. “I, of course, understand how rivalries can bring out the best and the worst in us. It’s human nature, and you are quite human.”

  “I admit this was definitely the worst in me. Ivy does that to me. I’d love to borrow Diana’s command voice modulator and make Ivy think she was a poodle for an hour or so. Or maybe a chicken?”

  The thought made me laugh. But knowing Ivy, she’d probably still look good.

  “Maybe I could make her give up on Dex?” I asked.

  Grandpa grinned. “I’m pretty sure that device is tuned specifically to Diana’s voice.”

  “Maybe Diana would do it for me?”

  Grandpa shook his head. “Let’s concentrate on helping you to play better. As for the Dex thing, you have to decide if you like him or don't like him.”

  “I like him; I just don’t know if I LIKE-like him. What I do know is that I don’t love the idea of Ivy going after him.”

  Grandpa smiled. “You kind of answered the question of whether or not you LIKE-like him.”

  “Did not!” I insisted.

  Polly turned to us. “Let’s just concentrate on you two being quiet so the rest of us can enjoy the game!” He pointed to the screen. “The players have taken the field. I’m so excited!”

  “Since when has he become such a soccer fan?” I asked Grandpa.

  Grandpa shrugged. “He is a bird of many interests…”

  I decided to keep quiet and watch the game. I really didn’t know how I wanted this to go down. Thinking a bit, I figured I wanted my team to win, and Tina to kick butt. I also wanted Android me not to embarrass herself, but I didn’t want her to excel either. That seemed to be the fairest way this could all play out.

  The referee blew her whistle, and the game started. Ivy had the ball first. She raced up the field with it, avoiding Cindy and Kathy Towers who ran into each other. Halley and Wendy closed in on Ivy. Ivy raced past them. Our goalie, Jen Tower (the Towers were triplets), came out of the goal to cut down Ivy’s angle. Ivy faked to the left then darted to the right. Jen fell over, trying to stop her. Ivy had a clear path to the open goal.

  Ivy kicked the ball towards the net. The ball rolled towards it. Out of nowhere, the other me came running down the field. Throwing her body in front of the ball, she blocked the ball before it got into our goal. From the ground, she spun and kicked a pass to Tina. Tina dribbled the ball up the field.

  The other team was stunned by my, well…my double’s move and it took them a few moments to realize Tina had the ball. Tina made it downfield without being stopped by any of the other players. Tina kicked the ball into the net!

  My team, my family, and other spectators went wild. The other me ran over and picked Tina up off the ground, hugging her.

  Now that hurt. I didn’t like my Android double hugging my best friend. Of course, I felt great that Tina scored the goal. But I just wished it could have happened another way.

  One of the drones flew over the stands where my parents and Marko sat.

  “Wow, that was an amazing play by Maya!” Dad said. “I’ve never been so proud of her! I mean, sure she’s super bright, but for her to throw herself in front of the ball like that was an amazing effort!”

  “Well, she is my daughter!” Mom said. “And I did lead my soccer team at Wellesley as an undergrad.”

  “Man, for once I’m not embarrassed she’s my sister!” Marko said.

  Tammy, who had just entered the lab, walked over to me. “Wait, doesn’t Marko know that’s your Android clone playing for you?”

  “Nah, I didn’t tell him. I wanted to see if he could figure it out…” I said.

  Marko looked up at the drone. He stuck his tongue out at it. “Finally I have a sister I can respect!” he said, looking into the drone.

  Tammy laughed. “Oh, he’s figured it out. He’s rubbing your nose in it right now!”

  “Oh, that brat!” I scoffed.

  I heard Marko repeat. “Yep, finally a sister I can be proud of!”

  “I’m going to kick his butt when I see him!” I growled.

  Tammy smiled. “Hey, he’s just teasing you. That’s what little brothers do when you replace yourself in a game with an Android version of yourself.”

  Polly turned to us. “Ssh, I’m trying to watch the better version of Maya play soccer!” He looked at me. “Oh, I forgot you were here…”

  “Not sure that makes what you said any better!” I told him.

  Polly turned back to the screen and started munching on his popcorn.

  I decided to sit back and make the most of watching the game. I hoped my team would continue to do well and that Ivy would continue to do badly, while Tina would star. As for AM, I just hoped she didn’t do anything else good or bad. I just wanted her to blend into the field.

  Of course, it didn’t work out that way. Tina and my Android copy made an amazing team. The two seemed to click perfectly with each other.

  They ran up and down the field, tearing through Ivy’s team’s defense. They seemed to alternate scoring goals. At the halftime break, Tina had three goals, and Android me had two. My team swarmed around them, patting their backs. I’d never seen a team that happy.

  In comparison, I’d never seen Ivy so frustrated. She stormed up and down the field, kicking the dirt and complaining to other members of her team. I had to admit that made me feel me good. Though, I felt a little guilty about her getting beat by my Android copy.

  Man, AM was way better than I was. I wasn’t sure how I’d explain it to my team when I played again. I figured I’d have to fake a knee injury or something so I wouldn’t have to play. I didn’t like that idea a lot, but hey, I get enough exercise in the lab.

  “Computer, how does the Android act so much like me?” I asked. Apart from her sporting ability, she was like me in every other way.

  “Oh, that’s easy. I did an open brain scan of you and made the Android’s brain very similar in structure. Plus, I’ve been observing you for months now. Your habits, and your likes, and your ticks.”

  “I don’t have any ticks!” I insisted.

  “If you say so,” the computer said. I could hear the disbelief in Computer’s voice.

  “Computer, can you communicate with the Android?”

  “Of course!”

  “Can you do it quietly?” I asked.

  “Well, I can’t whisper… but I can do it electronically so only the Android can hear it.”

  “Then do it!” I said.

  “What do you want me to say?” Computer asked.

  “Tell her not to score any more goals and to tone it down. And drop back on defense.”

  “Got it!” Computer told me.

  My Android copy ran down the field, dribbling past a few opposing play
ers. She moved towards the goal. She kicked the ball. The ball flew over the goal. I felt good knowing my Android seemed to be listening.

  During the rest of the game, my team didn’t score any further goals. But Ivy and her team didn’t score either. In fact, my Android clone kept making blocks and steals.

  “Wow, she’s like a defensive wiz!” Tammy said.

  I gave Tammy a look.

  “It’s the truth,” Tammy replied.

  “Which is good, because I don’t like that Ivy girl!” Polly said. “Glad she’s teaching that mean girl a lesson!”

  I felt great about that as Ivy really got under my skin. But I also felt torn. I didn’t love the idea of the Android me outdoing me; even if it did make me look better.

  When the game was over, I saw my mom and dad hug my Android copy. They were ecstatic.

  “Computer, can you get sound on what my parents are saying?” I asked, desperately needing to hear their words.

  “Of course!” Computer said.

  “Honey, you played brilliantly!” Dad exclaimed. “I always knew you were super smart, but I never knew you were that coordinated. I’m so proud of you!”

  Mom patted my Android copy. “Maya, that was fantastic. I’m so glad to see you inherited some of my soccer ability!”

  “Thanks, Mom!” The Android me said.

  I shook my fists. “I don’t like the Android me calling MY mom, Mom!”

  “Can we go for milkshakes and fries?” Marko asked.

  “Of course!” Dad said. “We need to celebrate! It was such an amazing game.”

  Okay, now that hurt. It hurt a lot. I mean, my parents thought they were hanging out with me. They didn’t know they were proud of an Android copy of me. I guess I should have been happy, sort of. But I didn’t feel happy at all! After all, my parents were happier with a copy of me than they were with the real me. That was offensive. How did an Android impress my parents more? How could they not realize she wasn’t me? Of course, I didn’t know what to do about it. I just knew this was Computer’s fault.