Test Run

My Robot

I didn't know my life would change the way it did. It was just becoming weirder, with this assignment and all. I woke up and Josh was sleeping on the floor. I guess he found a extra pillow. He had his legs curled up and seemed to be cold, but than I had to remain myself he was faking. My two feet went down on the carpet and I took my sheet off my bed. I put it on him and tucked him in. Maybe this wasn't such a bad assignment after all. Today, I guess, I would have to take Josh clothes shopping. I knew he was waterproof. It was in the manual. It also mentioned he made a great servant. You could either have him as a kid or a servant, he was good for either use.  I was starting to regret the way I acted yesterday. Real or not, he was just a kid. He seemed to wake up after I tucked him in, feeing my hand on his blanket. He rubbed his eyes, just like a real kid, and looked at me.

"Hi", he said, and I looked at his feet. I bit my lip and I walked around him. His head seemed to follow me.

"You can take off your shoes..." I said in a softer tone than before the way I was talking to him.

"Oh..." he said, in a sweet, realistic child's voice.

"Um....honey" I said, trying out to sound sweet, and it felt weird calling him a nice word. "We have to go clothes shopping today. You are waterproof....right, dear?" Once again, I felt weird but in a way, it felt kinda natural. I smiled, for the first time, in well, awhile. He was kinda a sweet kid, even if it wasn't quite real.

"Master" he said, and I felt a bit bad when he called me that.

"You don't have to call me that....sorry, Josh..."

"Okay", he said, than he asked something I didn't know he could. "Can you take off my shoes?"

"Um...sure?" I said, and I was a bit confused why he wasn't able to do it himself. I didn't mean that in a mean way, but his arms moved like a real person. In fact, all his movements seemed real, up to the point that I wouldn't be able to tell him from a real human. Even his lips matched his words.

"I can't dress myself" he said, a bit shyly "Robots can't dress themselves. You need to dress us...."

I didn't know quite what to say to that. I never undressed anyone, really but this was a kid. I wondered if the school knew that these robots couldn't dress themselves. 

"Uh..." I said, "Maybe you can stay dressed until we go to the store. We have to go clothes shopping today and you look good..."

It was then I got a text message from my friend, Tina, who wrote that these robots are great. She set her robot to servant, and all I had to do was make up a report on being a parent. It shouldn't be that hard, but so far her boy robot had cleaned her room, made food for her and totally was useful. He even had him calling her master. Maybe this wasn't the right thing to do, afterall. Afterall, I always thought Tina wasn't that much of a nice person even though she was head cheerleader and totally charmed all the guys. She said a couple of the other girls were doing the same with their robots.

I looked down at my clothing and I was still in a t-shirt and PJs. I made Josh wait outside while I got dressed last night, not quite used to anyone being in the room with me. I told Josh, again, to wait outside and he waited outside. I closed the door and got dressed in a pink t-shirt and blue jeans. I opened the door and he was standing outside it, looking at me. He had his skinny arms folded and I asked "Josh, whats wrong?" concerned. I was feeling weird being concerned for him, but he was starting to grow on me fast.

"I've decided I don't want to be your fake best friend, anymore..." he said. "I like you and I want to be your robot..."

"Um...that's okay, Josh....Why do you like me? I've been so mean to you..."

"Because I think you are really a nice human deep down inside...and you need someone not real so you can be real..." he said and smiled. "I will be your robot, and you will be my master. You can even set me to servant if you want..."

"That's okay, Josh, you don't have to..." I said, and I looked at him. "You..."

"No!" Josh stamped his foot. "You say a command...."

"Um...stand on one foot..." I said and Josh smiled. He stood on one foot. 

"Okay...." I said to Josh, "You can be my robot...." I felt myself smile.

"And you will replace me with Will..." said Josh.

"Will?" I said, a bit confused, then remembered he was my fake husband for this project. "I won't replace you, Josh..."

"Will seems nice. I want Will and you to go to this thing called the prom. I saw the word prom written on your notebook...."

I didn't expect that, nor did I expect myself to show some affection towards Josh. I walked next to Josh, and held his hand down the stairs. I was starting to wonder if this was all a act? I sat down across from him at the breakfast table, and pour myself a bowl of ceral. Josh sat in the chair across from me.

"Josh" I said, looking straight at him, "We've only known eachother for like two days. Why are you so keen on being replaced?"

"Because I'm a fake kid and you should have a real friend..."

"I have plenty of friends..." I said, getting a little defensive.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked, cutely, swinging his legs.

"Not at the moment but why do you care?"

"I want Will to be your boyfriend. Will was the only one who got excited at me being a robot and he seems cool!" he said, excited.

"I had an ex-boyfriend," I said, "but...we only dated for like a week..."

"Has Will ever dated anyone?" he asked, and I looked at him.

"I don't know" I said honestly. My mom came down the stairs in her night gown and looked at me and Josh.  She poured a cup of coffee and started to talk.

"Did you let Josh call you mom yet?" she asked, and I said no, as I really wasn't ready just yet. Josh seemed fine with it, either way, but I had to remind myself Josh was just a machine. I was starting to forget, because Josh was so realistic and a really cute realistic kid. 

Though, it was Josh who kept reminding me he wasn't a real friend.

"Josh" I said, looking at him, "You know I'm supposed to be your parent. The project is to take care of a kid for two weeks..."

"I am your kid, and your friend and your robot..." said Josh, grabbing one leg and putting his arms around it, "I am whatever you want me to be..." then something happened. Josh tipped his chair open and hurt his leg. My mom looked at Josh and saw a cut on his knee.

"Ow!" he said, faking pain so well that I ran over.

"Call a doctor" said mom, concerned.

This would be my first test as a parent.