"Next week too? But... why? Can't I be homeschooled instead?" Oliver asked his mother, head not in his tablet for once.
"Because you need to talk to other kids, too."
"You're here to talk to, so is Amira. Can't I just invent a robot to talk to?"
'If only it were that simple,' Angie thought to herself, a smile slowly appearing on her face as she remembered her own problems with her classmates, particularly her childhood rival... "Well... you could, but what if it breaks down when you really need its help?"
"Oh..."
"I know you love being around here and playing with your tech, but I'm sure you'll have just as much fun over there. I promise."
"I really hope this phase goes away, for his own sake," a third voice added. The voice of his elder sister, Amira. "That AI phone thing Winters Technologies invented is cool, but otherwise they just reinvent the wheel every single time. Tablets, laptops, cameras, voice assistants, smart homes. They've been around since the 2020's, and now it's been about 15 years or so. What new thing have they done?"
"They have these super cool robots, too, which can do pretty much anything for you." Oliver interrupted.
"Whatever... either way all these things break way too easily."
Angelina sighed. She was glad she was off the hook, but couldn't bear to see her children arguing like cats and dogs over technology. Although she had information about the company, and its founder which could potentially make her son fall backwards in joy, she chose not to say a word.
"You're just mad because you broke your first phone, and it's from Winters. It's not the Snow AI phone though."
"If I didn't have warranty, all that repair money would just be going into the pockets of some rich CEO."
"Excuse you! The boss of Winters gives a lot of money to charity every year. 30% of what we pay actually goes to charity"
"It's all just a web of propaganda to hide the fact that he's just some loner using work to compensate for his loneliness."
"What does all that mean?"
Amira sighed. "It means he doesn't have a family. Or his family probably left him."
Little did they know, their mother's heart was racing faster and faster by the second, at each mention of her ex-husband. She knew the only way to settle them down was to open her mouth and say something.
"You know what, kids... I'll tell you what I know about him."
"What is it, mom?" Oliver asked.
"I read this article somewhere, that when he was around your age, Ashton Winters loved art. He used to draw very well."
"Whoa... that's really cool." Oliver remarked, eyes widening.
Oliver's curiosity was piqued as he listened intently to his mother's revelation about Ashton Winters. The idea that the CEO of Winters Technologies had once been a regular kid like him, with a passion for art, sparked a newfound intrigue within him.
"Mom, did you know him back then?" Amira asked, her curiosity mirroring Oliver's.
Angelina hesitated for a moment, her mind drifting back to memories long buried beneath layers of time and regret. "No... I didn't," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness.
Oliver furrowed his brow, sensing the somber undertone in his mother's response. "But why not, Mom? You went to the same school, right?"
Angelina's gaze flickered to the window, her thoughts momentarily lost in the distant horizon. "Sometimes, things happen that we don't expect," she said softly, her words carrying a weight that Oliver couldn't quite comprehend.
Amira exchanged a knowing glance with her younger brother, sensing the unspoken emotions lingering in the air. "Well, either way, it's pretty cool that someone from our school made it big," she remarked, attempting to lighten the mood.
Oliver nodded in agreement, his mind already racing with possibilities. "Yeah! Maybe one day, I'll invent something even cooler than Snow," he declared, his eyes alight with excitement.
Angelina couldn't help but smile at her son's enthusiasm, a glimmer of pride shining in her eyes. "I have no doubt that you will, Oliver," she said, her voice filled with unwavering confidence.
As the conversation shifted to lighter topics, Oliver felt a sense of anticipation stirring within him. The prospect of starting at a new school filled him with a mixture of excitement and apprehension, but deep down, he knew that this was the beginning of an adventure unlike any other.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Oliver resolved to embrace the challenges that lay ahead, knowing that with the love and support of his family, he could overcome anything.
And as the evening faded into night, casting a blanket of stars over the world outside, Oliver drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with visions of endless possibilities and boundless creativity.
|•|•|•|
The morning sun cast a golden glow over the bustling courtyard of Oliver's new school as he navigated his way through the throngs of students. Excitement pulsed in his veins as he anticipated the adventures that awaited him in this unfamiliar territory.
Beside him, Amira walked with a determined stride, her expression clouded with frustration. "I can't believe I have to deal with that new kid again," she grumbled, her voice laced with annoyance.
Oliver glanced at his big sister, curiosity gnawing at him. "What new kid?" he asked, his interest piqued.
Amira rolled her eyes, her frustration evident. "Some new student who's been causing nothing but trouble since day one," she replied, her tone dripping with hate.
"Why do you hate him?"
"A, he's annoying, B, I broke his phone... so he hates me too. The feeling is mutual."
"O...Kay?"
As they rounded the corner, Oliver caught sight of a familiar figure standing near the entrance, a sheepish expression etched on his features. It was the same seventh grade boy he had seen yesterday, fumbling with his backpack and looking slightly out of place. Looks-wise, he was practically a male version of Amira, although he knew that Amira adapted to new places better.
He turned to his sister, who was glaring at the boy angrily. He figured, the boy he bumped into the previous day was probably the one his sister hated.
Before Oliver could inquire further, the bell rang, signaling the start of another day of classes. With a quick wave to his sister, he hurried off to join his classmates, leaving the mystery of his sister's newfound lookalike lingering in his mind.
Little did he know, the encounter with this seemingly ordinary new student would soon unravel a web of secrets and connections that would change the course of his journey in ways he never could have imagined.
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