EARLIER THAT DAY210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35pgr6gQ9B
210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHfaMwXInh
Amber Hart was having a horrible day, as per usual. Being unpopular wasn't fun, especially at a High School like Oak Valley. And now that the homecoming dance was coming up, she felt even worse.210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIgjMAepi7
Cassandra Clearly was having a party before homecoming, and it seemed like Amber was the only one not invited. Which figured, since Cassandra had hated Amber since the third grade. To make matters worse, after she had handed out invitations to everyone else in the room, Cassandra had told Amber, in that mocking voice she had, that she wished Amber was invited, because the party was going to be "extraordinary." She stretched out the last word, like it was oh-so-important that Amber knew it. Then she waltzed out of the room without a care in the world.210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOZCWeZZav
Amber slumped to the ground, miserable, wishing the school day was over already. The clock seemed to be taunting her, making the last ten minutes longer than the entire rest of the school day. When the bell finally rang, and Amber went to collect her backpack, Cassandra went so far as to push her aside, knocking her down. 210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wOjQdW26R
Then something odd happened. Another girl came from across the room. "Hi," She said. "I'm Violet. Cassandra didn't invite me to her party either. My mom says to ignore jerks like her." She smiled, not in a mean way, but in a way that a friend would.
"I'm... Amber." Amber said, reaching out for a handshake. Instead, Violet handed a paper to her open hand, and said in an all-too-cheerful voice, "Violet Ridley for homecoming court!" leaving Amber stunned. The paper, unironically, was an advertisement. "Weirdo." Amber muttered, narrowing her eyes after the peppy politician.
Amber walked back home, through overly-optimistic sunlight that seemed to mock her mood. "Hey Mom, I'm home." She called, opening the door. No one answered. "She must still be picking up Aubrey from Daycare." Amber said to herself. After setting two pieces of toast in the toaster, she plopped down on the couch, ready for an evening of calm after a horrible day. And for a while, everything was calm.
Until Amber heard an explosion in her backyard. 210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqvA9UPtlr
The effect was powerful enough to knock Amber off of the couch. She leapt to her feet, grabbing the household fire extinguisher and running outside. The explosion hadn't left a scorching inferno, but Amber heard something moving around in the wreckage. She turned the fire extinguisher upside down, like a baseball bat, and raised it threateningly. "Hello? Is someone there?" Amber called, voice wavering slightly. "I know how to use this!" She added threateningly. But as she came closer, she saw that the intruder was a small android. It appeared to be hurt, and let out what sounded like a digitized cough noise. Stunned, she dropped the fire extinguisher. She didn't know what it was, only that it was hurt and she had to help it.
Amber scooped up the limp robot into her arms, carrying it inside. But once it got inside, it jumped onto the counter, and started making some excited blooping noises, spinning around in a way that a recent crash victim should not be able to.
"Wait a minute. You tricked me! You're not injured!" Amber exclaimed, outraged.
The robot shook her head, and raised her hand over where a mouth would normally be, and made the coughing noise again. Pretty overdramatically, too.
"Stop faking. What are you?! And what are you doing in my house?!" Amber demanded.
From her tiny antennae, the robot projected something that said, "JADE: Jubilant Artificial Diplomatic Entity."
"Hmm, I see, well, you're gonna have to find someone else's home to invade. This one's busy." Amber said, eyes narrowed.
JADE let out an electronic wail, and then zapped the toaster with her antennae. The two pieces of toast popped out and onto a plate, which JADE nudged pleadingly towards her. The two pieces of toast each had a different word burnt into them. "Stay" and "PLZ?" She put her hands together in a begging gesture.210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC82Yx7U1oX
Amber felt guilty kicking her out. "Alright Jade, you can stay."210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5gSCvuY13
JADE whooped and started dancing wildly, celebrating.
"But you have to stay a secret. No one can know you're here. ESPECIALLY not my family."
JADE nodded, looking happy, and nuzzled up to Amber.
What did I just agree to? Amber thought with a feeling of impending doom.210Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHVO5eayLP
