Whatever Happened... to Robot Jones? Continued

Chapter 29: An Oral Lesson

The aging projector clipped and clacked as the film began rolling through its reels, loud enough to challenge the volume of the audio it put out.

It was begging to be trashed. Polyneux had just recently acquired two brand new, VHS player and television A/V cart combinations, which meant that teachers could pick from a wider variety of films to show their students, and the kids were more likely to get a surprise movie day in class than before.

There was only one reason the projector was dragged out now, and that was to present a film that was not available on VHS tape. There was only one type of such video: Mandatory Government Specials.

After a copyright screen that read 1959, the video rolled into a a black and white video of a confused looking baby with a blank backdrop on the darkened.

"This is the human body," narrated the disembodied, overacting voice of the 1950s film, as the projector displayed its video on the darkened Gym wall. "A beautiful, miraculous thing. For hundreds of years, scientists have studied what it is that make us... well, us!" It was at this point the narrator chuckled to himself. "From birth, it will grow into two very different shapes, depending on the sex of the baby, in a process we like to call, 'The Puberty.'"

The baby on screen looked the camera face on with a judgemental scowl before the video faded into a grayscale shot of the outside of a senior high school that didn't look all that different from Polyneux. The video then cut to the shot of the doors opening, and boys in double collard shirts and girls in identical long skirts filed out the doors in two perfectly straight lines, toothless smiles plastered on their faces. "Ah, the high school. Eighth graders such as yourself will be entering such a wonderful place next year. But as you cross the threshold that takes you one step closer to adulthood, there are a few things to consider about your role in the continuation of humanity-Well, who is this strapping young man, right here?"

The last of the students to exit the doors had the door swing back into his face, as there was nobody left to hold it open for him. Looking slightly annoyed as he pushed his way out, the actor quickly recovered and waved to the camera with a friendly smile.

"Why, it's Marty McSlacks. Say hello to the viewers at home, Marty!"

The boy gave the camera confused look, then proceeded to mouth the word 'hello', despite the fact that there was no microphone around, and his voice couldn't be picked up. A post-editing caption quickly appeared beneath him that said 'Marty says "Hello!"'

"Marty is a fine example of an everyday boy, such as yourselves. He gets his homework and chores done on time or earlier, and he talks to his parents and teachers with the most respectful tongue."

As the narrator spoke, the boy looked up and down the set with uncertainty.

"Yes, children, Marty might not be the brightest student, or the funniest of his peers, and he definitely isn't the coolest, but he is a regular student, alright. Very regular."

The boy acting as Marty slowly turned back to the camera and narrowed his eyes, as if insulted.

"But like all teenagers, Marty has a problem. Marty is going through 'The Puberty'."

Marty looked offscreen, and made an expression like he'd just seen the director wave at him to gesture, and dramatically slapped his hands to his cheeks as if he'd just been told some earth-shattering news.

"And his attitude about girls has changed, along with it. Now, who is that, running up the hill behind him, now?"

Marty looked at the camera confused before turning around, just as a blackened silhouette appears behind him, right of the frame. A girl with a long, straight ponytail, headband, turtleneck sweater and ankle-length skirt marched towards the camera, joining him at his right side.