The Rules Of Robotics (And Love)

Chapter 4

"Mom, what did you call me about? Sorry I missed the call," Pidge apologises, swinging her legs as she sits on one of the benches outside the school, admiring the twinkling stars and breeze of the night. She can hear the huffs of her mother, who always has something to nitpick about her.

The day she'd sat with her father in the tech room on the brink of her fifth birthday, her brother eagerly carrying small pieces of machinery to and fro for him, she'd glimpsed a robot and fell in love.

From that day on, Pidge still wore the dresses and skirts, yet, because she was perfectly happy with being into robotics and retaining her (short-lived) femininity.

But her traditional mother, who believed in her doing traditionally feminine things, had tried everything to get her back into her world. The world where Pidge would sit down with her on the pillow-filled patio, do some cross-stitching while watching the newest episode of some suburban soap opera, sipping on their tea.

Pidge ended up spending more time with her father and brother in his workshop, learning the ins and outs of all sorts of technologies and building her own mini-robots (Matt and her dad had almost cried when they saw baby Rover, a little droid that said 'Hello' and 'Good night' that she built when she was 6, but had also died the same day), so needless to say, Mama Holt had been a bit ostracised in the family.

"Your grandmother and the family are coming back this Sunday for the gathering, and she's expecting everyone to have a plus one. Are you bringing that boyfriend of yours? And which one?"

Pidge heats up, sweat rolling down her forehead as she gets angry, yet again. Mother of course still thought she was dating one of her...surprise, just-best friends! Good one, mother, Pidge thinks. The tone when she said 'which one', Pidge realises, was undeniably mocking and rude.

This was what happened when you don't bode well with your chosen companion for life, she thinks bitterly.

"I told you mom, I don't have a boyfriend-"

"There's no way that out of four nice-looking-well, maybe not that tall lanky one with the blue eyes-there's no way that you don't like at least one of them!" she chirps.

At least?!

What the actual-

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...okay.

Of course she singles out Lance.

"Mom, like I have endlessly told you, I do not have a boyfriend-"

Pidge stops, hearing the breathing and knowing she was in deep, deep shit.

"Katie Holt, you are bringing back someone to that gathering."

"Why?" Pidge definitely isn't ready for what's about to come next.

"I-I told all your relatives that you were dating someone, because that's the truth-"

"Jesus, mom-"

"-and you can't embarrass yourself. You know my family."

Pidge can almost see her mother's face, nervous, pinched up, hand mussing through her hair. 

If there's one thing Pidge hates more than her mother's antics, its the family politics.

Pidge sighs.

"What time do I need to be there, and dress code?"

"A dress, Pidge. And it better not have swear words on it like it did the last time," she warns. Pidge snickers quietly, remembering the large SHIT imprinted on her chest and the scandalised looks from possibly every single member of her family other than Matt, who had insisted on multiple memey pictures to commemorate his sister's (at the time) best rebellion to date.