The ice cream machine was broken. I don’t think I’d ever been that disappointed. All of a sudden, lunch wasn’t worth having. I eyed the absolutely massive dining hall and realized that despite its immensity there was no spot for me. I ended up sitting by an unused trash can. Real convenience is not having to get up to throw away your plate.
After I finished I just kind of sat there and reviewed the day so far. I didn’t get too far in before I just kind of died inside and realized maybe I should just forget today ever happened. Then I realized today wasn’t over, and figured that move might be a bit premature. And then I kind of whimpered for a while.
I wasn’t low on sleep, but all I wanted to do was curl up in a corner and sleep. Hopefully people here had the decency to not wake a sleeping man. They’d probably assume I was a hobo. This was a bit of a conspicuous place for a hobo to end up, though, so I eventually found my way back to class.
I was late. It didn’t matter, the new kid vibe thing hadn’t worn off yet. I’d have probably one full week before anybody could like legally get mad at me.
The afternoon period dragged on till three. Only two hours, but it felt like eternity. I was free now! I spent the last half an hour retracing my steps in my brain that way I could get out of here in the minimum time required. Hopefully August was on time.
Then, as if today couldn’t get any worse, the teacher mentioned the Echelon, and training or something, and I realized I was not fated to be done and out of here before they had sucked up at least half my day. And my days are four hours longer than everybody else’s.
I kind of zombie-walked with the crowd to the training facility part of the building. Turns out it was huge and rather impressive, but my brain just kind of blocked it out. I’d save the awe for a day when I could really appreciate it.
I didn’t get to go play with the other kids. That was the first good thing that had happened all day to me.
Instead, it was evaluation time.
It was all kind of stupid, and rather embarrassing. Here I was, standing at six foot and then some, of fairly good build, and I was so out of shape it wasn’t funny. You see, there wasn’t much call for action in my lifestyle back home, and mixed with my metal limbs, I just never really saw the point.
I was purposefully pathetic.
“You sure you can’t do another push-up?” The trainer standing over me asked, disgusted by my flabby flappy previous attempts.
“Nope.” I said. “I simply lack the willpower.”
“I don’t think you’re trying your hardest.”
“I like to think I’d be doing better if I had ice cream for lunch.” I said. “Something about eating ice cream always makes me want to exercise afterwards.”
He just shook his head in despair, and made a mark on his sheet.
I managed to drop a weight on my good foot, and ended up in the ward with a bruised sense of pride and some trauma.
August picked me up early. “That bad, huh?”
“I don’t think I can learn under these conditions.” I said. “Have you given homeschooling a thought?”
“No.” She said, in a way that informed me she wasn’t going to either.
“Well, anyways, I got a free tablet thingy.” I said, fishing around in my school backpack they had given me. It was cheap and flimsy. It was also the first backpack I’d ever owned.
She inspected it, firing up the screen. “That’s quite the reading list.”
“You know; I’ve been having troubles falling asleep at night. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that anymore.”
She kind of silently chuckled. “Nate, you’re a character.”
“In what?” I said. “Some sort of sadistic story where I get uprooted from my home and family graves to come here and have a nervous breakdown?”
“Are you going to hyperventilate?”
“I don’t know. What’s hyperventilating?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“You’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be dead. This much information and socialization can kill a guy.” I waved a weak finger at her.
“This’ll make you appreciate weekends.”
“I don’t think they’re going to be that great. I’ll always know what’s on the other side.”
It meshes well with the game. 
...good ol Nate. 
...good ol Nate. ![[y]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/WYWPH2VRo26pOFDid7QZ.png)