Odd Bot Out

When you aren’t real, you tend to be more secretive around people, even when they think you’re real. The biggest question I ask myself is: am I real or fake? Mason made me, sometimes I forget. And sometimes, I don’t even want to know. Mason just named me 13. I don’t know how to read, write, eat, or drink. I know how to speak. My language, it’s set to English. Sometimes it can be a pain. Sometimes it can be very useful. 

“13, I have some very exciting news for you!” Mason said. Normally when he’s excited about something, I dislike it. “You’re going to your first school in a week!” It wasn’t what I was expecting to come out of his mouth. I disliked the fact that I was going to school. What if people dislike the fact that I was a robot? What if people think I am weird or strange? Most of all, I don’t even know how to do what most real people call ‘normal activities.’ 

I despised the idea of Mason’s surprise, but I smiled anyway. It wasn't my decision. Mason gave me the knowledge, and I had to do it, no matter how much I hated it. If I had the choice to go to school, as the robot self that I am, I wouldn’t want to go anyway.

Mason seemed very proud of his choice, and I didn’t blame him. He just wanted me to learn. I don’t know what I’d say when I got there.

 ‘Imma robot?’ Nah, that wouldn't work. How about… ‘I’m 13, nice to meet you, 

oh yeah, if you punch me I can’t feel it’ Now that would creep people out.

 I had a week to think about what I’d say. ‘I’m 13 and I was built by Mason. Who were you built by?’ Hmmm… were they even built in a lab, like me? 

‘Hey, I’m 13 and don’t know how to read, write, eat or drink. How cool is that?’ That seemed weirder than any of my other sentences, yet.

‘I don’t have a brain, cause I’m not real!’ Eww, that’s just TMI.

 ‘Hey, I’m 13, I know Mason didn’t even try to name me. What’s your name?’ Would people even respond to me?

I thought until the orange sunset fell to the empty hill in the distance. It was too beautiful to ignore. Though I don’t have a brain, I still had feelings for and from things. This sunset gave me a sense of calm until it fell too deep leaving me with empty thoughts as dark and dingy as the sky without a sun. 

I keep thinking of what I’d say until Mason’s snoring got loud. I decided that even if I don’t need to sleep, I’d sleep anyway to stop myself from the echo in my empty head, that I call thinking.

I awoke with more introductions to myself than anyone else would ever get while sleeping. 

‘Hey, I’m 13. The way I think is an echo of my robotic self, giving ideas and opinions on stuff.’ Would they even want that type of knowledge about myself? Maybe not.

‘I don’t have a good name. I’m 13. What’s your name?’ Maybe that’s a smack in the face to Mason. 

‘13 is my name. I’m not normal and don’t know how you humans act. I only how Mason acts.’ I thought I needed a question.

 'I was built in Florida, I’m so cool. Wanna be my friends!’ Self-centered means low self-esteem. Everyone knows that.

‘Robots can be nervous too, not just you humans.’ Maybe they’d hate me if I say that.

‘Since I’m new, who wants to be my friend? We’ll do everything together.’ Maybe that’s too far. Maybe not though. 

‘13 and you?’ My lead would be ‘oh what a beautiful name. I wish my name was that good.’ That was pretty good. I’d say that one for sure.

Next line, what do I say? What will they say? Would they want to be friends after that? I hoped they would. They needed to. I’m cool, right? I could be popular on my first day, right? Maybe because I’m a robot.

As Mason’s hand carried a loud annoying plastic bags, he says, “It looks like you’re stressing out. Hard to know when a robot is stressed because they shouldn’t even have emotions.” He smirked and laughed softly. “I’m going to the store to gets some parts for a surprise gift!” He said again, with a little too much enthusiasm. 

I was too concentrated to care. All I needed to know was that he was out for a while. 

I thought so hard about what to say, that my hollow head ached. The unknown is what I’d get in response. I had to guess what they’d say to be able to respond in the first place. 

SLAM!!!

The door shut, seemed like Mason wanted a headstart on his “Shopping experience” because the store was half an hour away. 

A week passed in a flash, 13 only thought of what she should say in her new school, while Mason puts together 13’s surprise.

I awoke suddenly, it was quiet, no birds chirping, no coyotes howling, and no wind sounds. So what was it that I awoke to? The answer was Mason. Today was the day that I'd go to school. I had this all planned out. It’ll be perfect! 

I slipped a piece of paper out of my pocket. The piece of paper had the word P L A N written on it

P L A N

‘13 and you?... oh what a beautiful name. I wish my name was that good.’ 

R E S P O N S E

‘Since I’m new, who wants to be my friend? We’ll do everything together.’ 

R E S P O N S E

 ‘I was built in Florida, I’m so cool. The way I think is an echo of my robotic self, giving ideas and opinions on stuff.’ 

R E S P O N S E

I’ll have lots of friends.

THE END

I was hopeful that all this thinking would get me new friends right away. 

I stumbled out the door, and Mason let me in the front seat of his car. 

R O A R R!!!!

The engine fired, then finally it set at a fine volume. 

The car moved fast and I saw the sun peek out from beneath the dark dead-like trees, filling them with life. 

By the time I got to the school, the sun was one-third of the way in the sky. I realized that the sky is only blue when, the clouds are out of the way, and the sun is up. It looked bright and shiny. 

Mason kicked me out of his car, then left me in the front of the school by myself to deal with that on my own.

I swung open the front door to the school and hit the office, right beside the entrance. 

“Hey… I’m new here…” I swallowed my peppiness away because this was real.

“Ahh, I see. What’s your name dear?” 

“13,” I said, biting my tongue.

“Ok honey. Your class is in room 214. Here’s a map,” he said, handing me the map.

I took the map from his hand and raced out of the room, hand clutching the paper. I speed walked to the 2nd floor of the school and found myself completely lost.

The bell buzzed, and I finally found the room. I wiped my hand on my forehead to sigh.

A bunch of kids rushed in through the hallways. I was trapped in my spot. Every inch around me, there was a kid. I tried to take a step, but someone was always close nearby. 

As the hallways died down, I finally got into the room. 

The teacher noticed me right away, as I stood lost in the entrance. There was one desk per kid, except for me. No desk for me, like they forgot I was coming. 

The teacher took my hand and dragged me to the front of the room. If I could sweat, I’d be sweating so much. I’ve never stood in front of so many people.

“Hello everyone, we have a new student.” She said. “She’s gonna introduce herself.” 

Already I hated her. If a teacher makes you introduce yourself in front of a big crowd, that teacher is no good.

I just stood there, at the front of the class. I breathed heavily and decided that I should probably stop breathing anyway, because of how annoying it was.

“Uhh… Hi. I’m 13,” that’s all I said, ditching my masterplan. 

Before the teacher made me say anything else, I raced to the back of the room, to the safest corner I could find.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, 13. I’m Ms. Bailey,” Ms. Bailey said. Well la-di-da Ms. Bailey, for stating the obvious.

My desk came in a few short seconds later and a flash of relief hit me. Now all I needed to do is, sit at the desk and ignore the world because I was new. Ms. Bailey babbled on and on about how science is important and needed to be taken seriously.  

BUZZ

The bell rang and I followed the crowd to the door. This teacher didn’t think that I’d need an assistant? Whatever. Done. Dropped. End of the teacher talk (at least for now). 

“Hey, I’m Charlotte. Is your name 13? Like really?” Charlotte seemed to question me, despite not knowing me.

“Yeah…” 

I walked away from the ‘Person that questions everything’ that’s named Charlotte. She seemed too judgy for my liking.

The rest of the day passed by with the regular ‘Hi, hey, hello, sup’ from the other kids. I just ignored them. 

BUZZ

I ran out of the school as the warm breeze pushed my hair into my face. Mason was out in the parking lot where every kid’s parents pick up their kid. I walked to his red scratched car, jumped into the front seat, and sighed. School was over, at least for the day. 

Mason’s surprise gift was ready for me to see… he seemed very happy with his work.

I hopped out of the car and slammed the door hard, it felt good.

When I walked into my normal home, I was shocked and didn’t know how to feel. I was standing right in front of another robot, just like me. I could tell it was a bot because of its eyes. They have the same shattered glass look to them as me. It had hazelnut eyes, New clothes (I’d 100% borrow them), Orangish-brown hair, and of course its eyes. I came from shock to complete awe.

“What’s its name?” I asked, still stunned by the new bot.

“You get to name it. It was a gift to you so you’ll never be alone.” Mason replied, which made me even more excited.

“I name it… 14,” I said, with a wide smile. 

“Well, 14’s going to go to school with you tomorrow.”

I now had someone to talk to, that I could connect to. Finally, I had another robot to know exactly how I felt, and we could find out who we were together.

Next day.

“Wake up,” Mason said, plainly.

I awoke and so did 14. We smiled at each other. I thought she was more comfortable with another robot too.

“Don’t be late for school.”

I was going to be there for 14 when Ms. Bailey tried to make 14 introduce herself.

We got into the car and I, as always took the front seat, leaving 14 in the backseat. When we looked out the window and saw the sunrise, I wondered if 14 saw what I saw, trees coming to life as the sun rose.

When we made it to school, I showed 14 where to go, and since she was in the same class as me, it should've been easy.

I blocked Ms. Bailey completely and dodged 14 from being introduced. She nodded in thanks when I stopped Ms. Bailey in her tracks of ruining 14’s first day. 

Ms. Bailey taught us how to write together. 

“Your task for the next few weeks is that you need to write a story about yourself. Pay attention to detail. We’ll be sharing with the class. If you’re not done by the end of the week consider it homework.”

That’s exactly what I’m doing right now. I wonder what 14 has written.