How to Teach Your Robot to Love

Step 4: Immerse your robot in its new environment.

  I was not happy to be alive on this first day of school. That's a little dramatic, if I actually wasn't happy to be alive, I would have found some way to die. I'll correct myself, I was less happy than usual to be alive. 

  I awoke an hour and a half before school started, at 7:00am. I snagged a shower before Audrey woke up, spending that extra time to ward off the anxiety. That miserably failed as usual. I brushed out my hair, and had Audrey braid it, as I hadn't bothered to learn how. I slipped on my loose, faded, paint splattered jeans, and rolled them up so they would hang a decimeter above my ankles. That's a few inches, to please the imperial assholes. I ate a quick breakfast, of various fruits and carbohydrates I can't recall, and headed to the door. I put on my crimson sneakers, and a hoodie over my favourite t-shit that simply read: 'No.'. I waited at the door roughly an additional 15 minutes for Audrey, which didn't surprise me, and then we were off. 

"I'm so excited! The school seems like it's going to be really nice" Audrey squealed.

"Of course you would say that" I grumbled, one coffee obviously wasn't quite enough. 

"Yes, because I believe it, you always kill my mojo" Audrey whined. 

"Maybe it's better if I say nothing then" I replied. I didn't really want her to feel badly as well, but I didn't really want to pretend I was enjoying this either. 

"Don't do this Ida, you know I want to talk to you" she begged. 

  I sighed, not really understanding what she saw in me most of the time. 

"Why don't we talk about something else? What about that barista?" she asked, seeming to giggle just thinking about it. 

"You mean David?" I asked, deciding not to let me annoyance seep through my voice. 

"Yeah, do you think we'll see him again?" Audrey asked.

"Probably, he seemed like an extroverted creature" I replied, my mood softening, the conversation was harmless. There wasn't really a point in being angry at her. 

"Do you think he's in your grade?" Audrey asked. 

"Not a chance, he has to be younger than me." I said with a chuckle. The word coming to mind for a description being 'surface'. He seemed like he wasn't even real, like he was an actor and this was all some sick joke. 

"He has to be eh?" Audrey laughed, shaking her head. I didn't understand why. It was too late to ask, as the school was right in front of us. I checked my watch to see we were 11 minutes early. I looked over to her.

"Is this where we part ways? I'm sure you'd like to find your locker and whatnot" I said.

"Uh, yeah. Okay." she said. 

"Good luck on your first day, or something" I said, more loudly than I intended as she walked ahead of me. She just laughed. I paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. 

  To be honest I was nervous. About what? Who the hell knows? There was only one way to get over it. Shelf it, and move on. So I started down the narrow hallway to the left of the front foyer. 

  The hallways were lined on both sides with teal coloured lockers. Scattered among them were small groups of people, and doors to various classrooms. I pulled my tightly folded schedule out of my pocket and unraveled it, printed at the top was my homeroom, and locker number. Luckily for me, I found it quickly and put my extra things in it, sliding my lock on after I shut the door. I felt a tap on my shoulder. 

"Hey Ida!" I heard a familiar voice say behind me. Without looking back I knew it was David. Who the hell else would it be?

"Oh joy, it's you again" I replied sarcastically.