BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
CLICK.
"WAKE UP BROTHER!" Zoran yelled. Astro groaned and lifted his head.
"Five more hours…" he slumbered back down. Zoran sighed and whipped his blanket off the bed, Astro rolling off with it. He landed hard on the bedroom ground, groaning again. Zoran crossed her arms. "Is it going to be like this EVERY morning?"
"You didn't have to pull me out of bed, you know?" Astro said in the back seat of the car.
"Well you didn't get up, mister!" Zoran nagged. Astro smiled at her.
"Well, it saves me from waking him, Zoran, so keep it up!" Orrin said from the drivers' seat. They pulled up to the school and Zoran hopped out and ran ahead, Astro walking after. He saw his friends near the school doors like before waving to him. They ran up to them. "Guess what? Astro's a big lazy sleepy head! I even had to drag him out of bed this morning!" Zoran told. They laughed.
"And I thought I had trouble getting up!" Ember said.
"Astro, how big exactly is this, Zog?" Conner asked, pulling out a small note book.
"Umm, five point two meters tall and three point thirty five meters wide…I think." Astro answered. Conner wrote the information. "Why?"
"I'm working on an assignment and have to make a small robot of my own."
"A small robot, Conner. Gezze, you make us all look so pathetic with your robots and, partially any work you do!" Cora complained.
"HEY! ASTRO!" they looked over to Bruss' gang and the Blondies, standing next to a little well trimmed tree. Bruss signaled his hand to Astro to come over. Astro looked back at his friends. Cora crossed her arms and gave him an "I DARE you" look. "ASTRO! COME HERE!" Astro gave them all an "I'm sorry" look and ran over to them. They watched them talk and gossip and laugh. Cora crossed her arms.
"Okay, we need our captains." Mrs. Brand said. She wasn't a young woman, but was very fit and had broad shoulders and huge arms. She looked at all the students, lined up in front of her. "Bruss." Bruss grinned and walked up and stood next to her. "Um…Kennich."
"YES!" a very proud Kennich ran up to Mrs. Brand, almost tripping halfway. The others laughed.
"Okay, pick your teams." Mrs. Brand stepped aside. "Bruss first."
"Astro." Bruss said surely.
"H-hey, that's not fair! He's got powers! He'll win for sure!" Kennich complained.
"Exactly." Bruss said, raising his eyebrows. Astro looked at them both. Kennich turned to Mrs. Brand.
"But that's not fair!"
"Oh, think about it Kennich! If you were first to pick, who would you ask for first?"
"Astro…" Kennich mumbled.
"And then Bruss would be saying its unfair and you would be saying it is. It's reverse philology. But you may have one extra player, and Astro, you can't shoot goals."
"Yes!" Kennich cheered to himself. Astro walked behind Bruss.
"Umm…Cora." Kennich said. Cora sighed. She had hoped she would be on Astro's team.
"Who do we pick next?" Bruss whispered to Astro.
"You're the captain."
"Yeah, but you do some mathematical stuff to find the perfect team." Astro looked at all the students.
"Com'on boys!" Mrs. Brand urged.
"Dane's speed, Nick's aim and Corry's defense first." All of those people Bruss would never pick, and he looked at Astro strangely.
"Err, Nick." Bruss called. Nick looked astonished. He shyly walked up and stood up next to Astro.
"Luna." Kennich said next. A member from Bruss' gang walked over, the one with long black hair.
"Dam, she's a great runner. Are you sure about this team?" Bruss said. Astro nodded.
"Dane."
"Zane."
"Corry." Each person walked behind their new teams.
"Penny."
"Kennedy."
"Ember." He's taking all of my friends. Astro thought to himself.
"Conner?" he whispered hopefully to Bruss.
"Pfft, that loser? Spike." He called instead.
"Keel." The boy with pale blue eyes from the gang walked over.
"Lisa." A member from the Blondies cat walked over.
"Stacy." Kennich took the other Blondie.
"And that leaves Cassie to Kennich for that extra player Bruss owes him. Alright, let's play Shoot Ball!" everyone took their places. Cora and Bruss were rucking first. Mrs. Brand took a red ball and walked over in between them both. She leaned over to a red circle on the floor and pushed the ball into it. The floor gave way to it and the ball locked into place. "Ready, steady…GO!" the floor sprung up again and the ball shot into the air. Bruss and Cora both leaped for it. Bruss got to it first and grabbed it, landing on the floor. He ran over to the goals, a large board up on the opposite wall. He pushed past through the other team. "BRUSS! PASS IT TO NICK!" Astro yelled over to him. Bruss looked at the ball in his hand and looked over to Nick. He held the ball tighter and kept running. "BRUSS!" Astro sighed. Bruss approached the goals. "And now he's going to stop for the best angle-" Bruss stopped running and examined the goal for the best angle. "-And then most probably smile and wink at one of the Blondies-" Stacy waved to Bruss, who smiled and winked.
"-And now he'll shoot for it-" Bruss took a mighty jump and threw the ball, aiming for the moving red hoop on the screen. "-And miss." The ball surged to the right and missed by far. Mrs. Brand blew the whistle.
"Kennich's Team's ball!" she shouted. Keel took the ball and booted it across the gym. Dane and Luna both raced over to it. Luna grabbed it and ran over to her goals. Astro sprung into action, running after her with tremendous speed. He comfortably ran next to an almost puffed out Luna. She looked at him. He smiled and reached over to the ball in her hands. He pulled it out of her grasp. "Thankyou!" he skidded to a stop and twisted around and started running to the other goal.
"GO ASTRO! GO!" Spike yelled.
In Mr. Rikkly's class, history, Zoran was questioning the teacher out. "Why did the human race want to float in the air? Why did they choose a piece of land with a volcano? Is the volcano active? What would one do if a volcano erupted? But that's off topic. Who was president Stone? What's the Peace Keeper? Why are they connected?" Mr. Rikkly groaned and slouched back into his chair. "What was the first robot ever made? Since when could we fly? Were we originally used for weapons? Since when could cars hover? And also w-" Zoran was about to ask another fifteen questions but she suddenly felt sick inside. Her wires felt twisted and her clogs and bolts felt crusty. The infection chips were taking action. Mr. Rikkly sat up in his seat. Zoran wasn't asking a question. Something must be wrong. "Ohhh…" Zoran held her stomach. The other students looked at her strangely.
"Zoran? Is something wrong?" Rikkly asked.
"I think I'm going to throw up…" Zoran groaned.
"Umm, you technically can't throw up." a boy pointed out.
"Well, (gulp), I think I'm going to do something close to that, anyway…"
Astro approached the goal, running faster and faster, getting ready to pass it to another player. "GO ASTRO!" Bruss yelled. Suddenly Astro felt sick. He started to slow down. Kennedy, a very strong student came over to tackle Astro. "Ohh..." Astro held his stomach, the ball in his other hand. "SHOOT IT ASTRO!" Bruss ordered. But I'm not allowed, Astro thought to himself. He got slower and slower, his limbs starting to make wiring noises as he moved. "ASTRO! NOW!" As Mrs. Brand looked away, Astro chucked the ball. It went flying over to the goal board and hit directly in the red ring, which flashed and let out a siren. Mrs. Brand jolted her head over and smiled. "A point to Bruss' team! Well done!" Astro bended over and grasped at his stomach.
Zoran knocked her head against her desk. "It hurts! My tummy hurts!" Mr. Rikkly immediately sprung up from his seat and ran over to her. The other children gathered around. "Okay, um…I took a degree in robotics so I think I can manage this." He got Zoran to lay back and took a small torch from his pants pocket. He shined it on her face. You suddenly could see right through her, all the functions and bolts and wires. "Whoa…" a boy called Devin gasped. Mr. Rikkly's face dropped.
"Oh god, do people have to be so advanced?" suddenly, the infection chips laid off a little and Zoran felt better. She sat back up and let go of her stomach. Mr. Rikkly stepped back ad switched the torch off. "I feel better now…" Zoran said, surprised.
"I'm glad." The teacher stood back up and walked back over to his desk. "Back to the lesson, everyone!"
Astro stopped and let go of his stomach, frowning. "Hmmm…"
"YEAH! GO ASTRO!" his team ran over and patted him on the back. He smiled. Mrs. Brand walked over.
"And that's all we have time for today. Bruss' team wins!" the other team came over.
"But Astro shot that goal. He's not allowed!" Kennich complained. Mrs. Brand looked to Astro.
"Astro, is this true?" Astro had never told a lie in his life. Well, maybe one…or two…make that three, but not very often. He went to say what had happened, but noticed Bruss and Luna shaking their heads. "Err, no. I passed it to Bruss and he shot the goal."
"That's not true!"
"Yes it is!" Bruss shot back.
"Then why was your team all cheering for Astro?"
"Because if it weren't for me Bruss would have never got the ball, there for not have been able to shot the goal." Astro said. Kennich looked at them both.
"B-but…T-that, and he…" Kennich sighed.
"Well, if you're finished complaining and making up stories, Kennich, off to lunch all of you!" Astro noticed Cora shaking her head at him, an un-satisfied scowl on her face. He felt Bruss tugging on his shoulder. "Com'on Astro. Let's go!" Astro mouthed the words, "I'm sorry" to Cora and then ran after the gangs for lunch.
"I can't TAKE IT ANY MORE!" Cora slammed her locker shut.
"It's funny cos you've only been here, like, a day." Zane said.
"Not the SCHOOL, drone brain. It's Astro. He's getting obsessed with the idea of being popular. We NEED to talk to him!" suddenly Zoran came racing down the corridor.
"GUYS! Something happened to me in class!" she yelled in their ears.
"Whoa, no need to yell, Zoran…" Ember said, rubbing her ear lobes. Zoran frowned.
"That wasn't yelling. Do you want me to yell?"
"Zoran, what happened?" Cora asked.
"My tummy started hurting for no reason at all!" the all looked at each other.
"I wouldn't know anything about it. You better suss it out with Elefun." Zoran thought for a while then she banged her head on her palm. The infection chips, of course! Opps, she had forgotten…
They walked out into the play grounds holding their lunch and walked over to the place near the roof where they usually hung out. Cora looked over to Astro, Bruss' gang and the Blondies, all together messing around near them.
"You have ARM CANNONS!" a member from the Blondies, Amanda, said excitedly. Astro smiled and nodded.
"That sucks; my house bot only has X-ray vision!" Bruss moaned. Astro laughed.
"Well, maybe my dad could install them for you!" he joked.
"Yeah, about your 'dad', why had he gone?" Keel asked.
"Something to do with a plant…" Astro mumbled. They laughed again.
"Hey! Truth or dare!" Bruss declared. Everyone nodded. Bruss looked at Astro. "You know how to play?" Astro nodded. They all sat in a circle by a building. "I'll go first." Said Bruss. "Stacy."
"Dare!" she replied, rubbing her pink nails on her chest.
"Bite your thumb nail off." Bruss told her. She jolted her head up at him and gasped.
"NEVER!"
"It's a dare! You have to!" her girlfriends laughed un-caringly, nudging her with their shoulders. She looked at her perfect thumb, her lip quivering. She lifted it to her mouth and started to chew on the tip until it was crumbly and un-even. "Done!" she sighed. She looked around. "Hmm…Astro!" she said gleefully. Astro looked up.
"Hmm?"
"Truth or dare!" Astro couldn't really be bothered with a dare right now.
"Truth."
"Ooooo!" everyone grinned and looked around at each other. Stacy flicked her blonde hair off her face.
"Truth be told, robot boy, you can't really love anyone if they're human." Oh god, it's a love question, Astro thought wearily. "So, who would you want out of the school to be a robot so you could truly connect?" Stacy finished, girly giggling to her friends. Astro frowned.
"Most probably Cora." He said. Immediately Stacy's face dropped and she scowled, casting a mean glance to Cora and the others.
"Oh…" she said disappointed, twirling her hair on her finger.
"You really like HER?" Bruss asked. "She's a surface dweller!" Astro looked over to Cora and the scene of their first kiss in The RRF Hide Out flashed through his mind. He smiled and Cora looked up at him. But instead of smiling back, she shot him a dirty look and continued talking with Zane. Astro frowned. What was that about? Was she being SNOBBY? He looked over to the Blondies. "But if there was a second person it would probably be you." Stacy's face lit up like a firework. She flicked her hair again. "That's so sweet Astro!" why did I just say that? Astro scolded himself. Am I actually trying to make Cora jealous?
"Pfft, softy!" the boy with white blonde hair, Finn, smirked.
"Com'on Astro! You choose someone!" urged the girl with curly blonde hair from Bruss' gang, Tash.
"Umm…" Astro looked around. "You." He pointed to one of the Blondies. "Sorry, what's your name?"
"Just call me Zibby!" she squeaked. "And I choose dare!"
"Hmmm…" what's a good one, Astro thought to himself. He looked up to the school roof. "Climb the school roof." He said. Everyone's eyes widened, Zibby's the roundest. She looked up to the roof above her.
"T-that roof?" her voice quavered.
"Chill dare, Astro!" Bruss laughed. "Go on, Zibby!" Zibby pouted and stood up, walking over to the wall. She jumped up and grabbed onto a rounded edge poking out of the side. She squeaked out complaints and hauled her legs half on a ledge. The others got to their feet and walked over to watch the super hair-conscious Blondie clasp her hands along the ridge to get to the ledge. "Don't fall!" Lisa gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth.
"FALL, FALL, FALL…" Cora whispered, banging her fists against the wall.
"Why is she doing that? Will she fall? What will happen if she does fall? Will she be safe? Will Astro save her? Ooooo, will it be romantic?" Zoran asked, fluttering her eyelashes and rolling the 'R'. Cora's eyes widened and she stopped banging her fist. She watched as the Blondie groaned and got her butt half sitting on the ledge. Astro looked up at her with a scared expression. Finn nudged him. "She's gonna fall, I swear!"
"Don't jinx it, she will!" Astro hardly believed in superstition, but it was always good to be on the super safe side…
"Almost there, guys!" Zibby yelled to them.
"Go Zibby!" Lisa called back.
"You're doing great! For now…" Bruss taunted. Zibby reached out to swing her arm infront of her but her back arched dramatically, and her legs quavered. She screamed the highest pitch scream ever that a dog on the surface started growling. Everyone gasped. "AHH! IM GONNA FALL! ASTRO!" Astro raced over and zoomed up to Zibby just as she fell. She landed in his arms, and Astro grunted a bit as she fell onto him, but remained hovering. The others cheered. "WOO! Go Astro!" Bruss yelled up to him. Cora walked a little towards them. Zoran laughed and Ember banged her fist against the wall. "Dam…" she muttered. Conner smiled with Zane. "AMAZING REFLEXES…" he said, almost too freakily. Zibby breathed heavily and looked up into Astro's eyes. He smiled back, kind of awkwardly. "Oh thankyou, Astro!" she gasped. Astro looked away and smiled.
"It was nothing-" suddenly Zibby shot her head forward and pressed her lips against his. Her eyes closed but Astro's turned wider than ever. Cora gasped and her eyes watered. Conner adjusted his glasses on his nose, his eyes looking like sauce pans through the lenses. Zane gasped aswell and Zoran frowned. "What is SHE DOING?" Ember covered her eyes.
"Ohh…" Bruss whistled and his gang laughed, while the Blondies gasped in girly pleasure, flicking their hair and clasping their hands together. Astro mumbled but Zibby didn't make any move to break away. He landed on the ground and dropped her, their lips breaking away. "Oomph!" Zibby squeaked a moan as she hit the ground. Cora took one last look at Astro before sprinting off into the school building. Astro ignored all the Blondie's fluttering eyes, pushed them away and ran after her. "CORA! CORA I DIDN'T…IT WASN'T…" he disappeared in the school. Zibby's face dropped and she scowled, the others putting their hands on their hips. "That's GOT to hurt…" Ember said.
"Tell me about it. Not to mention Astro and Cora already had a… you know… 'Thing' going on." Zane groaned.
"Where's my brother going? What did that plastic girl do with his lips to make Cora so sad? And what do you mean by a, 'THING'?" Zoran made her way to follow Astro, but Zane put his hand on her shoulder.
"I think you better leave this one to Astro, and Astro alone."