“I get it. The food fights!” Newton said. Then he picked up a ketchup bottle from the table, aimed it at Theremin, and squeezed until ketchup squirted out.

“Weeeeeeee,” the ketchup squealed with delight.

But when it landed on Theremin, there was a sizzling sound, and steam streamed out of the robot’s neck.

“He’s trying to deactivate me!” Theremin screamed.

“He didn’t know!” Shelly cried. She jumped up and started wiping off the ketchup with napkins.

“What did I do?” Newton asked.

“The acid in the ketchup can cause Theremin’s wires to short out,” Shelly explained. “But you had no way of knowing that. It’s okay.”

“It is NOT okay,” Theremin fumed. He floated backward, knocking the chair to the ground. “And I do not understand why you, Shelly Ravenholt, my best friend, would want to hang out with a kid who is trying to—to—KILL me!”

“Theremin, it was an accident,” Shelly said pleadingly. “And you did throw a plate of fries at his face.”

Theremin stormed out of the lunchroom, too angry to listen.

Newton frowned. Maybe there’s a reason I forgot who I am, he thought. Maybe it’s because I could never do anything right!