The fist day at school

I wake slowly, my eyelids still heavy. My alarm clock seems determined that I shouldn’t miss anything the day has in store. Though annoyed, I get up and begin dressing in my new school uniform. The colors and style feel unusual on me, and I struggle, as always, to fit my tail through the skirt. I still haven’t quite mastered it.

I finally finish dressing, nearly tripping while trying to put on my shoes and clothes simultaneously. Once ready, I head downstairs for breakfast and see her: Cali. Her body is completely human in appearance, despite her almost otherworldly perfection. Her bright eyes turn to me, filled with worry.

“Layla! You’re up early. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Did something happen? Is it unusual for you to wake this early? Are you in pain? Let me scan you!”

This person, who worries about me like a mother, is Cali, my assistant robot. She appears indistinguishable from a human but was created to serve and support me with my specific health needs. After confirming that I’m healthy, I say,

“I need to be early. It’s my first day at my new school. And you should get ready too. I’ll need your help there. I can’t predict who I’ll meet, and I might need your help with other things as well.”

“Oh! The new school! I completely forgot!”

“So, you need to get ready. I need you to be there with me, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll be ready in an instant.”

She rushes toward the bedroom to change into her own uniform.

“Oh, I almost forgot—your breakfast is on the table.”

Even though she’s a bot, she’s as flawless as any human, and incredibly useful. I require constant assistance due to my unique biology. I’m not sick, but there’s much about myself I don’t yet understand. Having a being who doesn’t need rest and can access all the world’s information is invaluable in helping me stay on track.

I watch her go to change, pausing for a moment to think.

A moment later, with a piece of toast still in my mouth, she returns, wearing the uniform designed for personal assistants. She’s beaming and spinning, as if proud of her new outfit, her eyes shining with what looks like joy and online activity. I can’t be sure, but I suspect she’s searching for other uniform styles online.

“You look happy. Are you excited about my first day at the new school?”

“I’m actually excited to meet other assistant bots. It’s a bit lonely being the only one around. I’m sure there are lots of handsome robots and AIs at this new school.”

I sigh, slightly disappointed by her honest reaction, and a little jealous of her enthusiasm, as I only feel nervous about what awaits me. As I finish my breakfast, my hand instinctively goes to the back of my cat ears, and I begin to scratch them. Cali immediately comes over, takes my wrist, and pulls my hand away.

“No scratching! I’ve told you a thousand times, it’s not good for you. You could get an infection.”

She says, looking into my eyes with her bright yellow robotic eyes. I can’t help but pout, feeling stressed, and mumble,

“I know, okay. I just can’t control the instinct.

My cat ear twitches slightly as I continue looking downcast.

“You know, sometimes I wish I didn’t have these things,”

I say, pointing to my cat ears and the tail tucked into my pants

“Honestly, what were they thinking? I can’t even be around people with allergies. I know it’s supposed to be cute and all, but it makes everything so difficult. It’s not something I would choose.”

Cali looks at me, pouting as if mirroring my expression, and says,

“Your parents told you it wasn’t their fault this happened, and they went out of their way to get you a personal assistant to help you with these issues. You should be grateful to have someone as amazing as me to share your burdens.”

She says this with such pride that I feel a twinge of irritation, but I compose myself and calmly get up, having finished breakfast. I smile mischievously and say,

“You’re right. I’ll be more grateful in the future. I might even use you as a scratching post sometime, just to make sure I’m using your functions properly. Now, let’s go; I don’t want to miss the transport to school.”

Despite being a robot, Cali visibly swallows at my playful threat. We head out to catch the train to my new school. On the train, I turn to the window, watching the view shift from skyscrapers to distant green horizons. Suddenly, Cali begins to speak.

“The city of Nova Tempo is a giant housing center with all kinds of technology and entertainment for most people and AIs. It’s built with a mix of modern and ancient architecture, creating a delight for any visiting tourist. Much of the architecture is based on buildings from the 20th and 21st centuries, when times on the planet were more difficult and unequal. The city is now a center of equality in the world. As the birthplace of much of today’s technology, it’s also home to the AI singularity.”

I look at her as she speaks, and when I see her eyes dim slightly, I say,

“Why are you suddenly spouting this? Did you get a virus? Everyone knows about Nova Tempo.”

“(Pouts) Well, no. I just thought you’d want to know more about the place you’re admiring. I’m your personal assistant. You know, if you keep insulting me like this, I’ll shut down, and you’ll be on your own. Humph!”

She says, crossing her arms and looking away.

“(Sigh) Okay, I’m sorry. You can keep telling me about it.”

Just as I say this, the train stops, a short distance from my new high school. As Cali and I walk towards the school, we see other students heading there as well. My heart races with anticipation and anxiety as I observe them, each with unique characteristics. Some have animal features like me, while others have clearly modified technological prostheses.

Cali leaves my side as soon as she spots another assistant robot and joins a group of bots, appearing to be conversing with them. Feeling a little jealous that my assistant is more socially active than me, I take another deep breath, trying to calm down, and walk toward the gate, saying to Cali,

“I’m going on ahead. I’ll wait for you in class. Have fun with your friends.”

I walk through the gate, looking around at the large number of students talking and having fun.

…but not me…

“I need to get to class.”

As I walk inside, searching for my class on my phone and checking the numbers on the doors, I bump into someone. When I look up, I see a blond cat girl with a warm smile. Surprised, I immediately apologize, but she says,

“No problem, really. I wasn’t paying attention either. By the way, you’re a cat girl too! I’m so happy. I was worried I wouldn’t find anyone like me here.”

Taken aback, I step back and murmur,

“I’m… I’m not a cat girl.”