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There was once a boy named Timmy who didn't have any friends. He didn't know why, but he felt like no one wanted to be with him. At school, he always sat on an empty table beside himself during breaks and lunchtime. Each day that came and went felt like a punishment to him.
That was all until his seventh birthday, when his parents gave him a robot as a present. The robot was smart and friendly, and soon enough they clicked.
Timmy named his robot Tom, and brought it anywhere he went. At the park, at school, and he even let the robot sleep in his room. They were the best of friends, and finally, Timmy was happy. Undoubtedly, the robot was happy too.
After some time, his classmates started talking to him - asking him about his robot and what it can do. He answered them politely and he felt quite special. They thought he was cool, and soon, all of his classmates wanted to be his friend.
And so Timmy gained a lot of friends. He no longer had to sit by himself at the school cafeteria. He no longer had to walk home on his own. He had a lot of friends to play with, had a lot of peers to talk to, so much so that he'd eventually forgotten about his best friend Tom.
Tom had to wait for him all day, in a dusty shelf where Timmy's old toys were dumped. And when Timmy comes home, he would be busy with other things, that he barely had time to look at his friend. Tom understood, but he couldn't help but feel sad. His human friend was all he had, and without him, Tom felt empty.
Days and months went by, and Tom finally decided to talk to his friend. "How are you, Timmy? Tell me about your adventures like you always did before."
But Timmy had a lot going on in his life that he barely paid attention. "Not now, Tom."
"But I am your best friend," the robot replied, saddened by his friends indifference.
"I said not now! Go away! I don't need you."
Shocked as he was, Tom ran away that night.
Timmy's life went on without the poor robot. He didn't really care that Tom has been missing for weeks. He now had friends and that's all that mattered to him.
One day, Timmy's class went on camping. They sang and played and had a lot of activities. When night time came, he slumped his tired body in his sleeping bag and dozed off immediately.
But a few hours later, he was awoken by a noise. His friends were calling him from outside his tent. They said they were going to explore the forest, and they wanted him to come. Timmy was hesitant at first, but he agreed soon after when he realized he might lose his friends if he didn't come. So he groggily followed them into the darkness.
He wasn't really looking at them, and soon he noticed that he was alone. It was dark, and he tried to call them out, but no one answered him. He wandered deeper into the forest to look for them, and as he did, he stumbled into a log and hit his head, knocking him into the ground. He heard panicky whispers around him and sound of footsteps running away before he blacked out.
He woke up the next day in a hospital, and the doctor told him he was lucky that his friend had brought him in right away. "Where are they? My friends, I mean," he asked.
"He was alone when he brought you, and he left as soon as he was sure you're okay. He said you didn't want to see him." Timmy realized who it was, and tears of regret filled his eyes.
"He left a note for you. And your parents are waiting outside. Young man, friendship doesn't have any restrictions. Always remember that."
The doctor left him as he read the note, and for the first in his life, Timmy was glad to be left alone.
He could only hope that it was not too late, and that he still had the chance to make things right. "You will always be my best friend," the note said, and Timmy knew that a robot's heart could be more sincere than that of a human.