Mechanical Read Online Free PDF Page A

“I envy you.” The tone was
playful, but I could detect true jealousy hidden beneath it.
    I laughed, having noticed before that this
was most humans’ normal response to compliments. “Thank you,” I
replied. There was a pause, and I wasn’t sure of what else to
say.
    Just then I saw Michael walking towards our
table. “Hey Jess,” he said quickly, barely glancing her way. “Hi
Drew.” He smiled and I noticed he had dimples, just like
Jessica.
    “Hello,” I replied.
    Michael smiled again, an expression that
spread across his face, lighting up his eyes.
    “So, Michael, what’d you want?” Jessica
asked, but stopped once she saw him set down his tray and sit next
to me. She gave him a funny look mingled with surprise then knowing
amusement. She glanced at Caroline, who smirked.
    “So, what are you guys talking about?”
Michael asked, taking a drink of his soda and seeming oddly
comfortable considering he was the only boy sitting at a table
filled with girls.
    Jessica shrugged, clearly annoyed by her
brother’s presence.
    “We were just talking about how pretty Drew
is,” Caroline jumped in. Hailey snorted with laughter beside
her.
    Michael nodded in mock contemplation. “I
would have to agree,” he replied, looking over at me with
amusement.
    Hailey nudged Caroline, discreetly gesturing
at the two of us. I wondered why everyone was making such a big
deal out of what seemed to be nothing so I just went back to
eating.
    “So ... Michael?” Jessica said, giving him a
meaningful glance. “Don’t you have a class starting soon?”
    He shook his head and smiled. “Nope.”
    Jessica glared at him with irritation.
    “So, Drew,” Michael said, turning to me.
“How’s school been so far?”
    I thought for a moment, remembering him
asking me a similar question only a few days ago in class. “It’s
fine,” I replied truthfully.
    “So, what’s your favorite class?” he asked. I
noticed that he hadn’t touched his food at all.
    I paused. Why were humans so enthralled with
personal attachments to objects, places and people? I didn’t
understand. I did have things I enjoyed doing, but I never strove
to figure out favorites of mine, or to learn others. “English,” I
said, repeating the first thing that came to my mind.
    “Sweet,” he said. “I like that class,
too.”
    “Probably only because Drew’s in it,” I heard
Jessica whisper to Hailey and Caroline, giggling, but I knew
Michael couldn’t have picked it up.
    “Miss Clark’s a little mean, though,” Michael
commented.
    I shrugged. “I don’t think she’s mean.” I
thought Miss Clark was nice compared to a lot of teachers. She was
always good-natured and had nice things to say. I wondered why
Michael thought what he did, but then remembered Miss Clark calling
on him countless times to be quiet and realized that was probably
the reason. It was his own fault, though.
    Michael shrugged. “Easy for you to say that.
She likes you,”
    “Well, I don’t interrupt her during class,” I
pointed out. I had meant it to be practical, not funny, but Michael
seemed to find it so because he laughed. I frowned in
self-disappointment. Why couldn’t I get the hang of how humans
behaved? No, why couldn’t they just behave rationally? That would
make this whole thing so much easier. I didn’t understand them at
all. Well, maybe a little, but for the most part, I didn’t.
    “Geez, Drew, smile a bit, will ya?” Michael
said with a laugh.
    I quickly formed my expression into a grin
that seemed to satisfy everyone. Soon they started talking again
and I let myself be left out of the conversation to just observe. I
noticed Michael shooting frequent glances in my direction and I
wondered what was so interesting. I finally ignored him and focused
on the conversation—how they reacted, how their expressions formed
and what they were.
    Soon lunch period ended and we were on our
way to our next class.
     

Chapter Six

    “Hello, Glen,” I called,