Chapter 13 #2
Coach slides two wrist bands across his desk. “You’ll each wear one of these. They monitor your interaction with the baby. The good and the bad. This isn’t just a doll, it’s a real-life robotic simulator. It will cry, need feeding and changing, and also comfort.”
“How the heck am I supposed to look after a baby while juggling all my classes and working at the cafe?” I ask, feeling a monster headache setting in.
“Obviously your phys-ed class marks aren’t an issue,” Coach says to me, “but this can count toward your health class marks. A boost in that class will help raise your grade average. Are you willing to make that happen?”
“Yeah, I guess. But…”
Coach cuts me off, saying to Milo, “This assignment has enough physical components that Coach Lyle and I have agreed this assignment will count towards your phys-ed criteria. If you complete this task successfully over the next few days, you won’t have to worry about the lack of skill you’ve shown over your past phys-ed assignments. ”
Milo fidgets with the left earpiece of his glasses, thinking it over.
“You can each take one night to look after him,” Coach says. “Jamie, you can take him home tonight, and then Milo can cover Saturday night.”
“But that doesn’t give me a night away from it,” I protest. “I’m staying with him this weekend.”
Coach looks between us, and Milo says, “Jamie’s staying at my house while Maddy’s away.”
“Then this should make it easy for you two to work together,” Coach replies. “Hopefully better than your last project. Milo’s skills didn’t exactly shine today.”
“He shouldn’t be punished for not being a sporty person,” I say. “Not that I’m trying to say I should be punished for not being academically gifted.”
“You haven’t been giving your schoolwork your full attention,” Coach says. “I know you’re smarter than you give yourself credit. I want you to prove it to yourself.”
I screw up my face. “What does that mean?”
“What everyone has been telling you all week. Focus up,” Coach says. “But instead of doing it because everyone is telling you to, do it to prove to yourself you can.”
I wince. “That would be easier if I cared about schoolwork.”
Coach laughs. “I think by how much effort you’ve already put in shows you do care. Deep down. Okay, maybe deep, deep down.”
I smooth my hand over my ponytail and exhale slowly. “Okay, if we do take on this assignment, what exactly is involved?”
“I’ve sent a full guide to your emails on the student portal,” Coach says, pulling the robot baby out of the carrier.
“Once we activate him, he will act like a real-life baby. He will cry in different volumes and pitches, and over time you will need to work out what each cry means. He will need to be fed, and held, and even need a diaper change.”
“Gross,” I whine.
Coach laughs. “He doesn’t take in or expel liquid.
It’s just a simulation.” He lifts a bag.
“Inside is his bottle and diaper. They have sensors in them to recognize the baby is getting what he needs.” Coach holds the baby by the ankle.
“The sensors will pick up abuse and mishandling. No holding him incorrectly. You need to cradle him, supporting the neck. Even in the car, you need to ensure you strap in the carrier. The baby must be secure so his head doesn’t bop around. ”
“And you said we have to look after him overnight?” Milo asks. “But there’s an off switch, right?”
Coach smirks, enjoying this a little too much. “There’s no off switch. Once he’s activated, he doesn’t turn off until the forty-eight hours are over.” He motions to the wristbands. “Ready to get started?”
I give Milo an uneasy look and he shrugs. “It’ll help your grades.”
I wince. “But it’s looking after a baby.”
Milo grabs a wristband. “How hard can it be?”
“That’s the spirit,” Coach says. “Plus, Jamie, it’s one assignment closer to getting off the bench.”
“Ugh. Fine.” I swipe the orange wristband and clasp it around my wrist. It pops when clicked in place. The top button completely suctions over the bottom button.
“Here we go,” Coach says, activating the baby. “Good luck.”
Coach moves to hand me the baby, but I recoil. “Eep. I don’t want it.”
Milo laughs, moving over to Coach with bent and ready arms. “I’ll take it.”
Milo cradles the baby, and I watch as Coach shows the proper way to support his neck. Oh my gosh, this is so crazy. We are talking about this thing like it’s real. It’s a freaky plastic doll.
The baby makes a gurgling sound and Milo jolts. “What was that?”
“It’s one of the sounds you’ll need to become familiar with,” Coach replies. “But I’ll give you a freebie. That’s a happy sound.”
“Why does the school even have this baby simulator?” I ask Coach.
“We have twelve,” Coach replies. “They’re for students enrolled in the early childhood development class. They are also available to health classes, but we haven’t added it to the curriculum for a couple of years. We were unhappy with what messaging it was actually providing for the class.”
“But you’re happy for Milo and I to deal with this?” I question.
“You two are smart and capable young adults,” Coach says proudly. “And you can contact me via the student portal if you need any help or support. Now, I’ve got to get going across town. I need to help out at the senior football game.”
Milo gently places the baby in its carrier, and I sling the baby bag over my shoulder.
“You two will be fine,” Coach says, walking us out of his office. “Just make sure he stays alive.”
I give him a horrified look. “Does that mean we can kill it?”
Coach pats my shoulder. “Just make sure he gets what he needs.”
“Oh, brother,” I say glumly. “This will be tough.”
Coach laughs. “I wouldn’t exactly call it a piece of cake. He will need a lot of attention. And, by the way, the wristbands are tamper-proof, so there’s no getting them off until Sunday afternoon.”
Milo flexes his arm, hanging the carrier inside his elbow. “It’s okay. We got this.”
“It goes without saying, you don’t need to be at the game on Saturday,” Coach tells me.
The wind is knocked out of me. “What? But you’ve always said, even if we’re a benchwarmer, we need to show up at every game or there are consequences. Like keeping us out of future games.”
“There are always exceptions,” Coach replies. “Like when Dominica missed a game for her grandfather’s funeral. Your grades are important enough to miss a Saturday morning of bench-warming.”
“But I can watch a robot baby and sit on the bench at the same time.”
Coach shakes his head. “No. You can look after the baby and also complete your other assignments.”
I give him a defeated huff and slump forward.
“See you Sunday,” Coach says.
I frown and wave. “See you Sunday.”
“I’ll order an extra-large pancake stack to make up for your tiring weekend.”
“It’s funny how after we strapped on these wristbands, you started skewing this assignment to the negative.”
He laughs, waving me off. “You’ll be fine. I promise.”
I catch up to Milo, thankful the hall is emptying as he carries this baby carrier with zero context.
As we walk through the foyer, I glance at the carrier and ask, “Are you okay carrying that?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
“Even if we walk to the cafe?”
“Yeah, it’s no sweat,” Milo answers. “At least we’ll be in the same house for most of this assignment.”
“Yeah, but I was hoping when I wasn’t working, I’d be at the skatepark with Kai.”
“Maybe you can take him with you?” Milo suggests. “It can’t be as hard as Coach Anders made out.”
As if on cue, the baby makes another gurgling noise.
I shudder. “I don’t like that it makes noises unprompted. It’s so freaky.”
“All we have to do is interact with it. At least we don’t have to write a paper.”
I nod. “That is a bonus.”
We walk across the front lawns of the school and head for the footpath, which leads toward Main Street.
Kai, Parker, and Lewis hang by the fence and immediately spot us.
Kai laughs at the sight of us. “What’s this? Why do you have a baby carrier?”
“It’s my new assignment,” I reply. “I’m paired up with Milo.”
“Huh? Since when?” Kai asks, confused. “What class is this for?”
“It’s extra-credit to make up for other assignments we didn’t pass,” Milo says.
Kai stifles a laugh. “What, like not being able to kick a ball straight?”
“Wait, they can just give you a baby assignment?” Parker says with alarm. “How bad do your grades need to be to be dumped with this?”
Lewis nudges him and motions at Milo. “It can’t take that much if Milo has the assignment.”
Milo shakes his head, his gaze low as he tries to ignore the boys. “We’d better go,” he murmurs to me.
“We’re just waiting for Tyler to catch up and then we’re heading to the park,” Kai says. “You coming?”
I motion to the carrier Milo is carrying. “Hello? I just told you I have a new assignment.”
Kai shrugs. “So?”
“I can’t just ditch it,” I argue. “It has motion sensors for if I’m around or not.”
Kai winces and points at Milo. “Let him do it. It’s not like it wasn’t obvious he’d fail that phys-ed assignment. He knew what he was in for.”
I was blaming Milo for this mess because hanging out with Christie and Ash led to me missing a tutoring session.
But really, it’s all Kai’s fault. Him and his obsession with Tabitha Jones.
If they weren’t so barf-inducing, I could’ve stayed at my lunch table and never spoken a word to Christie.
Everything would’ve gone along as per normal.
I’d be hanging with my friends and only dealing with Milo in small doses.
I’ve just mentioned I wanted to spend my weekend with my best friend at the skatepark, but as if that’ll happen. How many times this week has he already blown me off for Tabitha? How could I expect this weekend to be any different?
“If you knew he’d fail, why didn’t you teach him something?” I ask Kai.
Kai screws up his face. “Pfft. I’ve known this guy long enough to know giving him pointers is a lost cause.”
“Pfft.” I bat a hand, turning away from Kai. “Whatever.”
“Whoa. What gives? Are you dissing me, Jamie?” Kai asks, stepping up to me. “What? Are you blaming me for this stupid baby project because I didn’t help Milo? I don’t even understand why you two are paired up for this.”
I turn around and smack into Kai’s chest. I step back with a huff. “Milo’s in this because he cares about his grades. I’m here because, unlike some people, I have to study to stay in school.”
“James, stop being all huffy with me,” Kai says, opening his arms wide. “I was just kidding around with you. Come on, give me a hug.”
I take the carrier from Milo. “Sorry, my hands are full.”
“James, what the heck?” Kai asks, dropping his arms to his sides. “Are you really mad at me?”
“No,” I say, pacing away from them. “I’m just mad.”
As I continue at a hurried pace, Milo’s heavy footsteps chase behind in order to keep up.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asks, reaching my side.
I don’t give him a response. Instead, I continue in my angry march. Hot, sticky sweat coats the back of my neck and clings to my shirt collar.
“Let me take that,” Milo says, reaching for the carrier.
“Fine,” I mumble, relinquishing control.
My mind blackens as I try to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside of me. I look down at the baby carrier, and then up at Milo’s face. It’s becoming increasingly harder to comprehend the topsy-turvy nature of my life.