Jessica woke up. She smiled, full of energy. She was so excited. Her birthday was only… She counted on her fingers, 2 days away! Jessica nodded to herself, turning to secret bear, she picked him up and pulled his string. “I’m here,” He said.
Jessica pressed his ear to her lips and whisper-shouted “It is 2 days to my birthday, and you’re invited!” She giggled hysterically, for it was easily the funniest thing she’s said today. He was a bear! Bear’s can’t eat cake. Still, secret bear would be there. Putting him back on her table she ran down stairs, proudly announcing herself to her parents with a happy scream. She could smell oatmeal with syrup. It wasn’t her most favorite but still her third favorite breakfast.
She ran down the hall and into the kitchen where her mommy was writing on her tablet, and daddy was eating oatmeal. She ran up to Daddy and hugged his leg until his strong hands picked her up by her armpits. She laughed at the thought of armpits. Today was a really good day. Sitting on his lap she poked at his tablet that was off and to the side of his bowl.
“Nope,” Daddy said, sliding it away. He gave her kisses, drawing out more giggling from his daughter. “You need to have breakfast first, it’s oatmeal today. Isn’t that your favorite?”
Jessica laughs, “Nooo, That’s pancakes silly! Oatmeal’s my third favorite.” Daddy was so silly when he forgot things. I think it’s because he’s old. Old people forget things, like Pappy does sometimes when he loses his glasses.
Daddy laughs, “That’s right, my bad princess. Go get your oatmeal now.” And Jessica was back on the ground and to the food hole. Her parents said it was something else but she couldn’t really say the name yet. She pressed her wrist to the circle next to the food hole and it turned green with a pretty chirp. A bowl slid from one side and oatmeal was squirted into the bowl, then syrup. “Can I have a little extra please? It’s almost my birthday!”
A second squirt of syrup hit the bowl and Jessica squealed in delight. “That thing is spoiling her, I swear.” Mommy said. A cup dropped down next to the bowl which was filled with orange juice. Then a tiny weeny little cup dropped down and the tick tacking of her vitamins hit the mini-cup and the tray stuck out a bit so she could grab it.
“It’s positive reinforcement. She said please, so it obliged.” Daddy turned to Jessica, “What do you say princess?”
“Thank you,” Jessica answered as she took her breakfast and walked to the table.
Jessica ate her oatmeal. The sweet yummy oatmeal dancing in her mouth. Then daddy asked the question. “How were your dreams last night princess?” Mommy stiffened a bit, and stopped writing.
Mommy was a bit weird when Daddy asked the question. She didn’t like it, and Jessica didn’t either. “Well, there was a dog and he was super big. We were playing fetch and I had to use a big floppy crane and-” Jessica explained her dreams as best she could. Mommy slowly relaxed and smiled. She likes hearing about Jessica’s dreams. Daddy does too.
When she had finished both her oatmeal, vitamin pills, and orange juice, Daddy told her to go up stairs and get dressed. She walked her tray to the wall where the trash goes. A hole and a slit opened up, she dumped her trash like a big girl and pushed the tray into the slit. She hurried upstairs, eager to go to school. She quickly pulled off her PJs and kicked them into a corner.
She then went to the big mirror in her room and tapped her wrist against it. She pressed the little dice in the corner. Clothes rushed past her until they slowed down. She nodded at a pink dress with blue shorts that passed below her knees. Little pink shoes and black socks with flower undies. The mirror slid away to show the clothes hanging for her to grab. She got dressed as the mirror slid back. She slipped on the shoes and they tightened around her foot.
She spun in the mirror and then picked up her PJs. She pushed them into the hole that opened up then scanned her wrist. Daddy told her where her clothes went but it was pretty boring, except the fire part, that was kinda cool. She grabbed the backpack on her chair and it beeped as her wrist passed the strap. She was downstairs a few seconds later.
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“Hey, No jumping down the stairs. You know better.” Daddy said from the kitchen. “Sorry” Jessica said, even though she wasn’t!
Jessica gave him another hug and then hugged Mommy too. She took Mommy’s hand and together they walked to the car. Mommy worked in the big kids school. It was two schools over from my school. Council Elementary School. She hopped into the seat and put her backpack on the ground in the car. A belt pulled at her and she sat back. It was tight, but she knew that was for the best. Her class watched videos of old cars and how dangerous they were. Jessica had a few nightmares after that class. Mommy’s car was cool though. It drove itself. Mommy sat next to me, tablet in hand.
The car rose a bit, then floated out of the driveway and flew to school. Jessica looked at Mommy. “What’cha doing?”
Mommy smiled, “Trying to get a budget increase for-” And Jessica stopped listening. It was grownup stuff. It was always grownup stuff. You’d think they would play games like a tablet was meant for but no, it was always something boring. Grownups were weird like that.
“Wanna play a game?” Mommy sighed, “I can’t sweetie. Maybe later.” “Ok”
She looked out the window while Mommy used her tablet. She looked out at the walls. They were really big. She smiled, her eyes wide. Jessica turned to her mom and asked, “Can we watch Captain Buck when we get home?”
“Yeah, ok” Mommy said, not looking up. Jessica pumped her fist like she saw the soccer players in 3rd grade do sometimes. It was cool.
Jessica went back to looking at the window. It was pretty boring, just white houses and sometimes a few not-houses. They had a name but Jessica couldn’t remember. She watched people walk, some were talking to themselves like Mommy did when she was “on a call”. Another was walking a doggy, Jessica was allergic to dogs so she couldn’t get one. She never had a dog or really got close to one but her mommy told her so it was probably true. Mommy was good about medicine stuff. She always knew what would make me feel better when I got sick.
Jessica was bored, and they still had a whole five minutes till school. So she thought up running man again. It was a man, like Daddy, but he ran as fast as the car, leaping from house to house, onto lights and running on wires, never touching the ground. Running man kept running till we got to school. The belt came off and running man waved and disappeared. Jessica said bye to Mommy and was off.
She walked up the stairs to her school and was soon surrounded by the other kids. She hurried to her cubby and put up her backpack. She grabbed the glasses that were above her cubby and put them on. She laughed as flowers burst in front of her and the school name popped up. It faded and Jessica saw her newest task.
[Head to room 3 for roll call]
She pulled out her school tablet and a little ping let her know her glasses had turned on her tablet. She followed the yellow line to room 3 and looked around. She saw Maddie by the pink friend glow the glasses gave her. She pushed past the other kids and Maddie stood up. They hugged and then sat down at the table. Jackson was there, and Riley too. Megan wasn’t there yet but she was always last to get there.
Jessica wanted to talk but then the Teacher walked in. Everyone went quiet.
“Good morning class,”
“Good morning Ms. Everett.” They all said back.
Ms Everett nodded and sat down. The loud talking was replaced with whispering as Ms Everett played with her tablet. Ms Everett was nice, but she wasn’t very fun. Maddie turned and whispered, “Let’s play chopsticks”
Jessica smiled and held out her pointer fingers, “You first,”
Jessica won, then Maddie won the second game. They were almost done with the third, Jessica hitting Maddie’s two fingers on her left hand with her 3 and knocking out the hand when Ms Everett cleared her throat, “Roll Call,”
We sat up, hands folded on the desk. Jessica looked around and noticed Megan still wasn’t there. Before Jessica could say something to Maddie, Ms Everett spoke, “Megan will be absent today, a doctor’s appointment. When I call your name stand up and say “Here”,”
Jessica sighed, She’d have to have Mommy go to her house to give her an invitation.
“Jessica Adams?” She stood and said “here” and sat back down. As roll call continued she turned on her doodle app on her tablet and continued on her bird. It was looking good, but it wasn’t finished. She zoomed into the wing and drew and redrew the feathers. Then it saved itself and turned off. Class was starting now.
Ms Everett was at the board and wrote down some double digit numbers, “Today we’ll be reviewing adding double digits. Can anyone tell me-”
Suddenly Timothy stood up, “Michael has gum and is eating it in class!”
Everyone turned to Michael, who had some gum sticking between his lips. He looked terrified. Ms Everett sighed, “Michael, you know the rules, no food in class. Please come here.”
Michael slowly walked to the front of the class. Ms Everett held out her hand and a pack of gum was given to her. “Spit into the trash.” Michael did.
Ms Everett went to the wall and a large plastic cup filled with water slid out. She took it and gave it to Michael, who had to hold it with both hands. “Do not spill it or you’ll have detention. Stand at the back until I tell you otherwise.”
Michael walked to the back red in the face. Ms Everett walked to Timothy and handed him 2 pieces of gum. “Wait until free period to eat them.” She ordered.
Timothy showed off his teeth with a big grin. “Yes Ms Everett.”
Maddie sighed, “Lucky, I want gum.” Jessica nodded as her tablet opened to a page with problems. Class continued like normal, no one looked at Michael. Jessica didn’t really like math, but she was good at it. Problems finished before the teacher’s explanation and my drawing app was open again. Ms Everett looked at me, smiled and went back to the other kids.