Chapter 16: School

What is an android to do that's got a kilogram of food just sitting around in their body? Get rid of it, somewhow.

That aside, Michael's reservation about Chip and Becky attending school may have been warranted.

Sex-crazed physical education teachers (which is no wonder considering how sexually repressed Georgia is – it is against the law in that state to give or receive a blowjob, by the way.) But all in all it was a pretty good day. Becky and Chip made two very nice friends. Will they ever find out their secret, though?

The next morning, the doorbell rang again at the Collins' house. Much to everyone's surprise, it was Matthew who had already picked up Danny, and had stopped by to take Chip and Becky to school.

"Is that Danny in the car?" Julie asked him, waiting for Chip and Becky to hurriedly get ready.

"Yeah, go figure." he said.

"So you two are friends, now?"

"I wouldn't quite call it a friendship, yet. More like a professional acquaintance."

"You're a trip." she said, yelling again for Chip and Becky to hurry.

The two droids rushed to the doorway, backpacks in hand, and got in Matthew's car.

Danny let the rear-door open for Becky, to sit in the back with him, while Chip rode shotgun this time.

As the four got to the school, and walked up the sidewalk, Chip noticed Amy, from the bus yesterday, waving to him as they

approached.

"Hi, Chip!" she said all bubbly. "I missed you on the bus this morning."

"Matthew Dawson gave us a ride."

"Matthew?" she started to say, but before she could finish her sentence, Chip interrupted.

"Not a word about his sexuality." he imparted.

"Uh, ok. You're not, are you?"

"Honestly, I don't see everyone's fascination here with everyone else's sexuality. No, I am not homosexual."

"Cool!" she said, bouncing. "Want to go out Friday night?"

"Where?"

They continued to walk into the school, and to their respective classes.

"I figured we'd catch a movie at Northpoint or something."

"I'll let you know tomorrow."

Chip and Becky made it through English class unscathed and with little exciting happening. Dr. Lawson gave the class some homework to read a poem by Walt Whitman and describe its meaning.

Algebra was pretty exciting for the two, or rather the five minutes immediately preceding it was. One of the students got into a fight with another outside the hall, and as Miss Cutts went to break it up, she got punched in the face.

The rest of the period was spent with the entire class chaperoned by the school's police officer on duty, who said and did nothing. One of the students was vocal about his confusion at the officer being present in the room since none of the students present were party to the altercation.

Third period was Chemistry, and was also fairly uneventful. The teacher began reviewing the Periodic Table of Elements with the class, but the topic of the under-talk throughout the class was that of the altercation with the teacher earlier.

Between third and fourth period, was the Carson twin's scheduled lunch. Having no need for food, the twins found an empty table and were reviewing their poetry assignment from English.

When Danny exited the lunch line, he noticed the twins and came over to join them. Matthew was not far behind Danny in line, and came over and asked if he could join them, too; which noone objected.

About five minutes later, one of the Junior Varsity football players and his crew, noticed Matthew Dawson enjoying himself, and the company of those he was with, and came over to start trouble.

Instructed to avoid altercations, Chip and Becky didn't do anything when Ronny Palmer struck the back of Matthew's head with his hand. "How's it going, faggot."

"Back off!" Danny said, pushing his chair back and standing up.

"Danny-boy, whacha doin' hanging around with these faggots?"

"Other than Matt, none of us here are gay, Ronny, as if it's any of your business, he's our friend. You got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I do, queer lover. I'll see you after school."

"What are you going to do?" Becky said as Ronny walked off.

"I'll have to fight him."

Becky called Chip's cell-modem from hers so the two could talk privately.

BECKY: CHIP, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

CHIP: I KNOW. I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE CAN DO, THOUGH.

BECKY: I HAVE AN IDEA! HANG ON...

Becky disconnected the call, and proceeded to call the school's main number.

In the computer synthesized voice which was used when she made a voice call on the modem, she spoke with the woman on the phone.

"Alpharetta High, how may I direct your call." the woman said on the other end.

'"Hello. Please connect me with your school's resource officer.'" she said, electronically.

A few seconds later, a page was heard through all the speakers in the school. "Officer Dooley, please come to the office for a telephone call."

"Becky," Chip said quietly. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing! Honest!" she said with a grin.

Back to the cell-call, "This is Officer Dooley, how may I help you?"

Becky replied in her electronic voice: