“Good morning Bradley,” Alice greeted Brad the next morning, as was her usual habit, “are you feeling okay from yesterday?”

“Yea, I’m ok, thanks for helping me out yesterday,” an embarrassed Bradley responded to her as he tried to hide his eyes and face from Alice.

“What happened, were you dehydrated or something?”

“No, it was just…” a pause, “sometimes I get that way when I’m feeling overwhelmed.”

Alice was slightly impressed and shocked at his candor.

“I understand, school can be tough.”

Brad awkwardly smiled while picking his lips with his hand and gave a dry laugh to acknowledge the sentiment, but knew it wasn’t school that was bothering him. Why did he do it? Why did he say he’d meet her in person at the end of the week? Maybe a part of him wanted to meet in person, but the biggest part of him was frozen with fear.

The rest of the day passed by like any other day. When Brad got home he received a message from Alice.

“Hey I know you said you could meet Friday, but it’s ok if it’s too fast. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.”

Overwhelmed? That was the word he used earlier in the day. Brad wondered if he had been found out. Nah, it couldn’t be.

...Brad looked at the message again as if it was hope or an escape plan.

“She’s giving you an out Brad,” Sonder chimed in, “your heart rate is elevated again. If you’re not ready it’s ok. I’m still confused why you sent that message out when you regained consciousness yesterday.”

Brad didn’t know why either. He remembered pacing around the school bathroom in panic, until he awoke at the nurse’s office. In a panic he reached for his phone and without any thought told Alice he’d come see her on Friday. He felt that he had just made a mistake and was desperate to fix it. He felt like a fish on land gasping for air. For water? Whatever fishes need when they get caught, but at the same time he did want to come see her on Friday. He was afraid of a lot of things, but losing Alice was bigger than the anxiety he felt at being rejected.

He responded…

“I’m coming over to see you on Friday. I want to come see you this Friday.”

…

He got back a smiley face :).

“How do you plan on telling her?” asked Sonder.

“I don’t know, do you have any suggestions?”

“Yes, but you’ll need to get a haircut.”

“WHAT, WHY!?”

“I know you don’t care too much about your physical appearance, but the best thing to do would be to first get cleaned up and try to match who you are in virtual reality, with who you are in real life.”

Brad pondered if it was necessary. He walked over to the mirror in the bathroom and looked at himself. He couldn’t even see his face clearly with how long he had let his hair grow. His nails were too long as he kept forgetting to cut them. He grew a bit self-conscious.

“Okay, I’ll get a haircut.”

“And a manicure,” Sonder retorted.

“Fine....” Brad sighed.

“I’ve finished booking an appointment with the grooming bot to come to the house on Thursday, after school.”

“So I’ll be ready for Friday?”

“Exactly.”

Brad didn’t like using the grooming robot. It always felt weird and impersonal when its robot hands would grab and tug at his hair to cut it.

“In the meantime Brad, please think of a song to perform.”

“Song to perform? What do you mean?” Brad quickly asked.

“I mean on Friday, it would be best to perform a song and ask Alice to the prom as the way to reveal yourself to her.”

Brad’s heart sank. It felt like a big anchor was dragging him into the ocean intent on drowning him. He barely ever performed live in real life, and he certainly didn’t do it in front of big crowds.

“...I can’t Sonder…”

“You can, I know you can. I’ve watched you day after day. The confidence you have in virtual reality, the ability to perform in front of crowds, you already have it. I’ve watched you grow from a child who couldn’t speak any words into an amazing performer with loyal fans. I know you have it in you. Besides, you’ll only need to perform for Alice.”

Brad couldn’t help but feel encouraged at Sonder’s words.

“Thanks, I don’t know if I can do it...but I’ll try.”

The rest of the week passed by quickly like clouds on a windy day. With each day passing Brad and Alice grew more and more anxious. They continued to talk over text in order to plan the logistics.

…

“Hey, you haven’t said when or where we’re going to meet on Friday,” Alice texted.

“OH I’m sorry. I’ll see you before your first class. Is that ok?”

“Yea of course, where at?”

“The quad I guess”

“Ok :) I wish I could skip classes and just hang out with you all day tomorrow. I’m so excited.”

“Me too :)”

…

“Brad, the grooming bot is here,” Sonder told him.

Brad despondently left his room to open the door and meet the awkward looking grooming bot. Yup it still looked weird. It hovered around the uncanny valley unlike most of the robots. It had hands meant to mimic human ones, but were made of silicone and were transparent so that the motors and wiring underneath were exposed. It had a smiling face that did have a human skin mold also made of silicone, but the difference between the flesh colored head and opaque body made the robot almost unapproachable.

“You ordered the grooming bot to come...by yourself?” Brad’s mom, impressed, asked.

“Yea…” Brad sighed letting the robot in behind him.

“Hello sir,” the robot began to talk with its discolored, fleshy lips, “I am here to SERRRRRVVEEE you!”

The robot played a playful melody and it spat out confetti and glitter into the air. Brad always hated that part.

“Are you ready to be SERRRRVVVEEDDD??”

Brad’s face squelched in disgust and scowled, “yea…”

“I’m sorry Brad, I’ll make sure not to order the kids grooming bot next time,” Sonder whispered into his ear apologetically.