Private Finished A Room with A View - Roommate Included

“Maybe we can take the car? If you don’t mind, I mean.” Jamie said. He hadn’t had much rides on cars in his life. He walked a lot and he sometimes took the bus, but nobody took him into cars. He knew that normal people didn’t get excited about car rides, though, and he didn’t want to seem so odd in front of Mr. Sterling. “It would be more convenient.”

Jamie adjusted the collar of his shirt. He had been trying to experiment with more clothes recently, but he hadn’t been very good at that, so he had stuck with collared shirts and jeans.

Jamie settled into the car seat, fastening his safety belt. That was important, if he wanted to seem normal. A real car. Jamie could sense its presence in his mind. Sure, he had sensed cars before, but he had never been really inside of one. And he hadn't ever been able to connect to the interface of one, either. But people didn't like him connecting to their things. So he wasn't going to do it. Maybe he'll ask for permission, later on, but not now.

"To the academy, please. I live on the campus." Jamie said instead, brushing his hands over the surface of the car. He could feel the lighting systems, the internal generators and batteries, the power travelling through the wiring. It was a little overwhelming. But he liked it.

“No. I’ve never driven a car before. But I’m sure I’ll be alright at it if you let me try.” Jamie said. It was just that he knew how electronics worked, from looking at them, and he’s confident that he’ll be able to drive a car given enough time with it. But he didn’t want to say that out loud. It made him sound full of himself, and people didn’t believe him.

He let his hand brush over the interior surface of the car again. So many electronics working in sync. It was almost as good as a plane. He had only been in a plane once, but it was incredible seeing so many electronics work together to kee a piece of metal in the air. “I’m good with electronics. More than most people. I can control a phone without having to scroll. I just have to touch it and connect to it. It’s the same with cars. Don’t worry. I won’t do these things without your permission. I know people find it rude.”

“Really? Do you want me to drive?” Jamie asked. He had not been expecting that. Nobody ever offered him to drive a car, or use something that he previously hadn’t seen before, or fix their phones. They all thought he’d damage their things. Mr. Sterling might be joking about it. That would make more sense. People found joking funny. But if Mr. Sterling was joking, he wouldn’t have gotten out of the car, that wouldn’t have made sense. So Mr. Sterling was most likely serious.

He unbuckled himself and got out, getting into the driver seat. He knew that there was a break pedal and a gas pedal. He knew that he needed to switch the gear shift to another position. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his hands around the steering wheel.

It was not as difficult as he had thought, after he had connected into the interface. Everything made sense as it should. He was a bit slow in starting, but at least the island didn’t have too many other cars. He had seen videos of traffic jams brfore, and he didn’t want to cause one. The ride to the school was the same as the walk, so he followed down that road, watching for any lights. It seemed like s very short time once they had arrived.

“Did I do alright?” Jamie asked, turning to look at Mr. Sterling.

"A license? I don't think I have the income yet to actually own a car," Jamie said, after thinking over it for a few moments. He wasn't very sure if Mr. Sterling had been joking about the license, either. He wasn't very good with telling the difference between jokes and seriousness. But Mr. Sterling seemed to make less jokes than a lot of other people, so Jamie assumed it was safe to reply seriously as well. "I'll keep that in mind though. Thank you very much for letting me try your car, sir."

Jamie handed the keys over to Mr. Sterling and got out of the car, closing the door behind them.

It wasn't a long walk to his dorm from the gate, time averaging around four minutes if he moved quickly enough. He had lived here for almost a year now. However, he was aware that it didn't really look like a place of living. He cleans up after himself. Too much, maybe. He had already packed almost everything, so it was just a matter of minutes before he was ready to go. Everything he owned fit inside of a kit bag and backpack.