Beatrice Flynn was tossing and turning in her sleep. Even after ten years, she had been haunted by the memory of her team from the YSI, and the incident that resulted in them being lost in time on an alien warship. While since then she had come to terms that they were gone. She still couldn't help but feel anxious, not helped that in the morning would be her first day of High School. By the time her alarm went off at 5:30, she had barely gotten any sleep all night. "Why... why would school start so early?" Beatrice asked herself as she hit the snooze button, and slowly forced herself out of bed. "Come on Bea... you've faced worse... but not before 9 am." Beatrice said as she gradually got herself dressed. Eventually she got to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Bea, you don't have to go to school for a few hours. You don't have to get dressed so early." Phineas said.
"I know... but I might as well get a few things over with as soon as possible." Beatrice said, pouring herself a bowl of cereal. "I mean, what point is there in getting up this early? For... what I understand after rereading my schedule. At least six hours on average, and even then. Literally anything can go wrong." Beatrice said.
"Well not literally everything." Phineas said.
"You've never heard Murphy's Law then?" Beatrice said.
"Yes, I even know the Murphy family and seen there infamous bad luck first hand. Why do you ask?" Phineas said, oblivious to his robot daughter's bitter tone. About two hours later Beatrice arrived at school.
"Okay, this is only first day. Surely nothing can go wrong." Beatrice said as she entered the school. "I mean... it's only the first day, granted a whole lot of things can go wrong, even within a quarter of a day. But that does not automatically mean that something will go-"
And Beatrice's line of thought was abruptly stopped, by a locker door slamming right into her. Embedding herself into the door. "What was that noise- OH! FAITH AND BEGORA! I'm... I'm so sorry! Here let me get you out!" A young girl with an Irish accent said, noticing that Beatrice was embedded into the door.
"No... It's my fault... I wasn't paying attention. Just... just give me a moment to get myself out." Beatrice said, her voice muffled by the locker.
"Oh it's no problem at all, really." The girl said as she pried Beatrice off of the door with her bare hands, freeing Beatrice from her first major embarrassment of the school year. Beatrice got a better look at this girl. She looked African-American... save for her red hair and green eyes, she also had surprisingly well defined muscles, and wore predominantly green and white cloths. "Me name be Jessie, Jessie Bryne. What's yours lass?" Jessie asked holding out a hand.
"I'm... I'm Beatrice, Beatrice Flynn. I... you do realize I'm a robot, right?" Beatrice said awkwardly as she shook Jessie's hand.
"Well that much is obvious isn't it? Now let me introduce you to my best friend. Daniel you old crankpot! I want you to meet someone!" Jessie said, and another locker closed to reveal a teenage boy in a wheelchair. He had brownish skin, and wore a shirt and cargo pants.
"I told you to stop calling me that." Daniel said bitterly, and with a New Zealand accent.
"And a good morning to you too, Beatrice, this is Daniel Pakaru. Daniel, Beatrice Flynn." Jessie said, Beatrice nervously held out her hand to him, and reluctantly Daniel shook it.
"It's... it's good to meet you." Beatrice said nervously.
"Well, you're the first robot I've met whose intelligent... and humanoid even," Daniel said, a small smile forming on his face.
"Ah! I knew I could get you to smile on the first day." Jessie said.
"I never said you couldn't. I just said that it wasn't likely." Daniel said.
"You always this pleasant?" Beatrice said sarcastically... then covered her mouth in embarrassment.
"Sorry if I seem... prickly. But when you've had your ambitions of being a world famous dancer cut short... well that sort of thing will make anyone bitter." Daniel said.
"I'm, so sorry to hear that. But... aren't there cyber-"
"As I've said too many people, many times, if I'm ever going to dance again. It'll be with my own legs." Daniel said.
"Danny, there's no need to be rude to the lass," Jessie said.
"I'm... I'm sorry but, I need to process all this. Why... why are you being so nice?" Beatrice said in confusion. Not expecting anyone at this school to attempt to be her friend so early.
"What can I say; I've got a bit of a soft spot for new folk. But don't worry yourself, round here were friendly folk." Jessie said.
Then as if on cue, a young girl walked down the hall, followed by two other girls. She was wearing expensive looking clothes, consisting of boots, skirt, jacket, sunglasses, and for some reason a red glove on her left hand but not the right. "With at least one very notable, very obvious exception, Jenifer Amberwall," Jessie said.
"And she is...?" Beatrice asked.
"One of the richest girls in town, not sure if you know this, but for some reason, rich people in public school feel the need to lord there wealth over others," Daniel said to Beatrice.
"That's only because I am better then you Daniel. So what's this, taking in another stray Bryne?" Jenifer said condescendingly.
"Back off, she's a new girl here Jenny, and doesn't need you and your conniving banshee's." Jessie said defensively.
"I can handle myself, believe me. I've had to put up with worse than ONE spoiled brat." Beatrice said.
"Wow... just... just wow. Looks like they'll let anyone attend, or are you a malfunctioning TA droid?" Jennifer said as she snapped her fingers, and her entourage laughed.
"TA droid...? can a TA droid do THIS?!" Beatrice said as she transformed her fingers into whirring drills.
"Well... yes, they do perform maintenance. Though they usually only the index finger is used for drill bits." Jenifer said condescendingly as her friends hid behind her.
"Oh for-... my name is Beatrice. I'm not some commercial grade robot, and I'm certainly am not here to put up with your obvious attitude!" Beatrice said in aggravation.
"Okay... so you're obviously smart enough to use contractions. I know enough science fiction to know that's a problem with robots. So... what your just a really stupid bot?" Jennifer said.
Then Beatrice's face turned red, and she took a deep breath... then began to rattle off seemingly random scientific, geographic, literary, mathematical, and other facts. "Okay... so you know a lot of stuff."
"Jennifer, we're running out of time to give Ms. Peach's a coffee and donuts before first period." One of Jenifer's friends said, gesturing to a coffee cup and bag of donuts.
"WHY DIDN'T EITHER OF YOU SAY THAT SOONER!? Never mind, we got to go." Jennifer said as she and her friends hurried.
"I'm... I'm sorry I got mad at her-"
"For what? She does that with everyone, me and Daniel in particular." Jessie said, cutting off a remorseful Beatrice.
"I should have been better..." Beatrice said.
"Don't beat yourself over it. Soon enough you'll be as used to Jennifer's taunting as we are." Daniel said reassuringly.
"Really?" Beatrice said.
"Not even a little, that's a bald-faced lie right there. But if you need help, we'll drive off her and her cronies." Jessie said.
"Come on, we'll help you get to class, and... I hope this isn't presumptuous to ask after Jennifer badgered you about it. But, why are you here?" Daniel asked.
"No... Not yet anyway." Beatrice said.
The three quickly learned that they shared the same classes with each other. Eventually, the three sat down for lunch. "Okay Bea, let the cat out of the bag," Jessie said.
"Alright... if you must know... I came here to make friends." Beatrice said.
"Seriously...? why'd you think High School in the first place?" Daniel asked.
"Well, that's kind of a long, complicated and personal story. Suffice it to say, I kind of had a very, VERY harsh existential crisis shortly after I was created. All I will say is that I wasn't fond of my baby sister when she was born... and I had a gross misunderstanding of how my parents felt about me." Beatrice said.
"Oh... sorry to hear that," Daniel said sympathetically.
"Well, I've had about ten years to wait for this," Beatrice admitted.
"WHAT?!" Jessie said.
"You've waited ten years to attend a High School... how old are you?" Daniel asked.
"Well, that's kind of rude to ask of a girl. But if you must know, I'm ten years old." Beatrice said as she ate in to school cafeteria pizza.
"Oh really? I take it that you haven't just sat on your laurels for an entire decade." Jessie asked.
"Well no... But I'd rather not say any more. Suffice it to say, it... makes use of my special talents." Beatrice said.
"Like that thing with the drill fingers this morning?" Daniel asked.
"More or less," Beatrice said.
Eventually, the first day of school was over. "Well... see you guys tomorrow?" Beatrice said awkwardly to her new friends.
"Well of course, here. Why don't we give you our phone numbers?" Jessie said.
"Well that's nice... but I actually scanned them earlier. It wasn't a conscious thing I swear!" Beatrice said nervously.
"So you're also a creep with a limited understanding of personal space? I like that, see you on Tuesday Bea." Jessie said as she lightly ruffled Beatrice's hair.
This was a fairly odd first day for Beatrice, but ultimately a good one.
"Beatrice, how was your first day of school?" Isabella asked when Beatrice returned home.
"It was a good one, made two new friends so far... and ran into at least one bully. Girl by the name of Jenifer Amberwall, real arrogant one, she wouldn't stop commenting on... on my being a robot. But other than encountering that little... annoyance ONCE in the entire day, it was good." Beatrice said.
"I'm so proud of you Bea, your first real friends since... well you know. You might even befriend this Jenifer." Isabella said, Beatrice merely scoffed at the idea.
"Mom, if that ever happens, I promise that I'll actually play with Bethany when she asks," Beatrice said.
"AND, you can't be standoffish and anti-social when you go out as the Silver Automaton," Isabella said.
"Very well, you got yourself a deal," Beatrice said.
