sentient // phan

http//: 10

"You got shoes!" I said, pointing to his new white sneakers. He examined them nonchalantly.

"Yeah. Do you like them?" It was nice to see him in something other than black and grey, even if it was white, so I smiled and nodded.

"Makeovers for both of us. Maybe later we can add some more colour. Or mix together our socks." I held up the bag, indicating the brightly coloured socks I had purchased. He chuckled, nervously.

"I'm not sure about that. I hate that kind of disorganisation, you know?" I kicked the pebble back to him, and he focused on it, rolling his lip into his mouth. He was thinking quickly, so much so we passed the restaurant and had to turn around when he looked up.

It was far more fancy than I expected, and I felt very underdressed as we approached the hostess. But she smiled, warmly.

"Dan! Always nice to see you." They shook hands. "And who's this handsome lad?" I looked down at my boots, my hair falling in front of my eyes.

"This is my friend, Phil." Dan said. I waited for the obligatory 'He's a robot?' but none came. The woman just smiled, gasping two sets of silverware and two menus, leading us to a booth in the back, next to a wide window from which you could see the entire sprawling city. Dan thanked her and sat, and I followed suit.

"This is nice." I said, looking out the window. I fiddled with the bottom button on my shirt as Dan picked up his menu.

"I don't know why I bother ever looking at the menu." He mumbled to himself. "I get the same thing every time anyway." He pressed it shut on the table and looked back up at me, folding his hands under his chin, looking at me. He smiled slightly. "You look... human." He almost whispered. "In this light." I smirked at him, turning away from the view.

"Thank you. I think." The work-bot came over and filled up two glasses of water, asking if we wanted anything else.

"I'd love a nice cup of tea." Dan said, and she nodded, leaving with the pitcher, her wheels spinning where her feet would be. Dan took my water glass and slid it away from me with a worried look.

We made eye contact for a second and both burst out laughing, snorting and cackling like nothing in the world was funnier. Dan's laugh was loud and bright, his head thrown back and his eyes shut tight. I smiled at him as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"What?" He asked. I shrugged.

"You look human." He smiled down at his hands in his lap.

"Do you know what you'd like to order?" The waitress robot asked after setting Dan's kettle in the middle of the table along with a small box of tea bags. She pressed her hand against it and it glowed red, and the kettle began to sing.

"Of course. Can I get the single sushi platter and a side of rice?" He asked. The waitress paused for a second as her memory bank updated. She nodded, and turned to me.

"And you?"

"Oh, I'm not hungry," I replied. She paused for a second again, then, permanent smile still in place, she left. My hands began to move by themselves and took the kettle.

"What are you doing?" Dan asked.

"Not sure." It was evident a second later as I poured the hot water into his cup, then offered the tea bags to him. He cocked his head slightly but selected one, holding it out to me. I started to prepare his cup as he watched in rapt fascination.

"Weird," Dan said as I finished and gained control of my hands once again.

"It's the ⅗," I replied. "I have ⅖ free will and the other 3 makes me do things like that. That's what makes me make your meals and stuff."

"Huh." He said, dunking his tea bag.

Dan was given his meal and began to eat, and I asked questions. He answered in between bites, and didn't seem to be irritated.

"What's sushi?"

"It's fish and rice and seaweed."

"Is it your favourite meal?"

"It's all I eat."

"Do you like the meals I make you?"

"They weren't bad."

"What can I do to improve?" Dan set the chopsticks down on the side of his empty plate, folding his napkin from his lap on the table, and finished off his tea.

"Nothing, really. Maybe let me help. I like to cook sometimes." The waitress bot came over and pressed her scanner to the code tattooed on his wrist. The scanner pinged, and she thanked us, rolling away quickly. Dan stood, and I did too, my eyes trained on his face.

"You've got something..." I said, brushing a grain of rice from the side of his mouth with my thumb. His eyelids fluttered closed, and my hand lingered for a second too long.

Something inside of me wanted me to kiss him so badly that I even inched toward him. But I pulled away, tucking my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

"Let's go home." Dan said, turning away from me.