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"Who are we here to help today?" Charlie asked as he followed Pim into the corner apartment building. There was more walking involved than he initially thought. He was ready to collapse at any given moment.
Pim, as chipper as ever, already found the apartment door. "We're here for a guy named 'Edgar'," he reminded Charlie. "The boss said he was feeling pretty lonely and needed some cheering up."
"That's it?" Charlie muttered, seeming a little distraught by the long journey to San Fransico. "...he's just lonely?"
"...well, yeah." Pim shrugged. "Does that bother you?"
"No," Charlie groaned before shrugging his shoulders. "I guess... I guess I'm just still annoyed from the flight here. I mean, that took way too long. We were sitting on that plane for way too freaking long, man."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Charlie."
"Let's just get to it," Charlie insisted.
Pim lifted his hand slowly knocking on the door. There was no answer. He looked back at Charlie for a moment before knocking again. Within the apartment, Pim could hear music. It was a duel between a cello and some odd instrument he had never heard before. It was unlike anything Pim had ever listen to, the music was perfect.
"Pim?" Charlie leaned against the wall. "Everything okay?"
"Oh, yeah... Yeah..." Pim again lifted his hand. He knocked on the door. "Hello, anybody there? I'm looking for Edgar," he said, trying to speak over the beautiful music.
Suddenly the unique instrument coming from within ceased to play as the door clicked. Charlie and Pim exchanged glances. Clearly, the door was now unlocked. Curiously, Pim pushed the door open, allowing the two of them to enter the apartment.
"Edgar?" Pim called out as he searched around the room.
With his hands in his hoodie pockets, Charlie stood at the center of the living room. "Man, I don't think there's anyone here." He pointed to a computer desk. "There's just an old desktop computer here. There's no much else. I guess maybe we have the wrong address..."
"We have the right address," Pim insisted.
Charlie shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time we got the wrong address."
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Suddenly, the computers monitor came to life. A frowning face was on it and the music had stopped. "Are you... The Smiling Friends?" Edgar asked nervously.
Charlie and Pim both had a surprised look, not expecting the computer to talk.
"Um yeah, we are the Smiling Friends! Here to help someone named Edgar to smile!" Pim answered to the computer.
"Oh.. that's actually me." Edgar replied, sounding down.
"So we heard you were feeling lonely man, we are here to help you not feel so lonely." Charlie answered, his arms crossed as he was still annoyed from the trip.
"You will help, really? Thank you..." Edgar replied and made a hopeful beeping noise.
"Was that beautiful music I heard earlier yours?" Pim asked with a smile on his face. "It was like nothing I had heard before!"
"What music?" Charlie asked, glancing over at Pim.
"I heard music while close to the door before we came in Charlie." Pim answered, looking back towards Edgar.
"Well, yeah... I like making music." Edgars screen changed to one of shapes that moved with his audio. He played a small tune for the both of them.
Charlie actually began to smile, "Hey that's pretty good dude." He said, complimenting Edgar.
"Yeah, I agree! Maybe you should get more out there with your music. I think people will loooove it!" Pim said, excitement in his voice as he waved his arms around.
"Thanks but I'm just a computer and not people like you both..." Edgar's screen changed back to him frowning.
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Charlie scoffed, "...don't let that stop you, man. Maybe you could...uhhh...sit on a swiveling chair and go outside."
"...he'd need a power source," Pim whispered, disapproving of Charlie's idea.
"Actually, I wouldn't!" Edgar told the Smiling Friends. "I am able to operate on my own without a power supply. However, I cannot move on my own."
"What about the cello you were playing with?" Pim questioned. "Maybe you could meet the person playing the cello and-"
"Her name is Madeline," Edgar corrected Pim. A heart showed up on his screen. "I love her music just as much as I love playing music."
"There you go," Charlie pointed at Edgar. "You'll be happy if you go up there and meet her in person, I'm sure."
"I would like to meet her," Edgar said impatiently. "I've always wanted to meet her."
"Well, I think she's the floor above..." Pim looked around the apartment. "I guess I could go grab her and bring here down here to meet you."
"Would you really do that for me?" Edgar asked with excitement.
"I mean...yeah," Charlie did a half shrug. "That's not asking a lot."
Edgar and Charlie waited patiently as Pim ran off. It felt like a solid ten minutes before they saw Pim again.
"So, uh... What's it like being a computer?" Charlie asked. "I mean, is it-"
The door creaked open as Pim ran into the apartment. "I have someone dying to meet you, the one who's been playing that beautiful instrument..."
A beautiful blonde with flowy hair looked around the room with confusion until her eyes met with Charlie's. She held a heavy cello close to her, ready to start playing at any moment.
"No, not me!" Charlie stepped to the side an gestured toward Edgar. "This guy, Edgar..."
"...Edgar?" Madeline repeated, seeming skeptical.
"Yes, I'm Edgar," the computer introduced himself with a heart on his screen. "I like to play muuuusic with you." A gentle tune started to play, causing Madeline to smile.
"I like playing music with you too, Edgar," Madeline purred as she sat in front of the computer to start playing her cello.
"Aw, look Charlie, they're bonding!" Pim pointed at the odd couple.
"...yeah, yeah I can see that," Charlie said quietly with a faint smile. "Love is freaking beautiful, you know that? It's like they say at those...uh...gay pride parades, love is love, you know?"
"I could play forever with you," Edgar purred.
"I'd love that..." Madeline pressed her hand against the computer's screen.
A smile appeared on the computer, surrounded by hearts. Edgar was no longer lonely or without a friend. He now had someone face-to-face, or face-to-computer-screen, to play together with. It was just another completed mission for the Smiling Friends, yet, Pim found himself lost in the beautiful music in front of him.
Charlie smirked. "May I have this dance?" He said in a corny tone as he reached a hand out to Pim.
Pim grinned as he grabbed Charlie's hand. "Yeah, I'd love to, Charlie."
Together, the two slow-danced to the beautiful music of computer love. There was nothing more fulfilling than being a Smiling Friend. Pim wouldn't trade it for the world.
Fanfic created with #FranticFanfic.