“We are on the precipice of a political turning point regarding the rights of androids and their claim to sentience.” The news anchor spoke from the beat-up CRT T.V that sat on the counter. “The peaceful march—” The voice was cut off as Rory turned off the T.V.

“Hey! I was watching that, Rory!”

“Too bad.” The android behind the counter huffed, their voice crackling slightly. Mechanical eyes glinted as she turned to look at the young girl who was pouting her absolute hardest.

“You should be there.”

“Then who would watch the shop?” Rory asked with a half smirk.

“Amá wouldn’t mind if you missed one day of work.” Silas sighed. “I mean, don’t you want to be part of this historic event?”

“If Amá wanted me there, she would have said something. And not really. I like working.”

“God, you’re so boring. The absolute worst big sister in the world.” Silas groaned, throwing her head back. “You’d think having an android for a sibling would be fun and cool, but all you do is work.”

“Well,” Rory shrugged. “The whole reason they bought me was so I could mind the shop.”

“Mmm. Don’t like that.” Silas shook her head, pulling a face.

“Don’t have to, it's the way the world works. Or, well, worked.”

“Still don’t like it. You deserve to have a life.”

“I do have one, and I enjoy it plenty without—” Rory was interrupted by the bell over the door dinging. “Welcome!” She called with pre-programmed emotion.

“Hello, Rory!” A familiar voice echoed through the store, and Rory realized it was Elysia, a regular of the corner store. The young woman was a student at the local university if the lanyard and I.D card around her neck were anything to go by. Dark brown hair was pulled into a braid, and she had golden freckles tattooed across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes. They reminded Rory of constellations she’d only ever seen in books. The light pollution in the city was horrible.

“Oh, what am I? Chopped liver?” Silas yelled, throwing her hand up in the air.

Elysia laughs and smiles. “Hello to you to, Silas.”

“Same as always?” Rory asked, leaning against the counter.

“Do I always get the same thing?” Elysia raised a brow at her.

“A prism pop and flaming hot tasty bytes. Sometimes you also get a vape cartridge.”

“Huh.” Elysian hummed, tapping her fingers against the counter. “I guess I should try and spice things up.” She pushed herself up off the counter, moving to walk through the aisles, stopping every so often to look at an item on the shelf.

The sound of the T.V clicking back on caused Rory to return her attention to Silas, who had turned it back on, watching the footage of the march. She rolled her eyes, looking back at Elysia, who stood at the back of the store, in front of the coolers. “Figured out what you want yet?”

Elysia held up a finger, shushing Rory loudly. “Hush. I’m thinking.”

“Okay then,” Rory said with a scratchy laugh, leaning against the counter, wrapping her hands around her forearms. She watched as Elysia looked back and forth before letting out a sigh and reaching for the same drink, chips, and candy she always got.

Elysia walked over to the counter, shrugging. “What can I say. I’m a creature of habit.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” Rory wrong up the items, setting them in a paper bag. Elysia swiped her card, which beeped with approval. She bagged her items in a brown sack, pushing it toward the human.

“Are you gonna go to the march, Sia?” Silas asked, pushing herself up on the counter.

“I’m about to head that way. I’m actually skipping class to go.” Elysia adjusted the bag in her arms. “Are either of you going?”

Silas groaned, throwing her head back. “I wish, but Rory wants to be boring and work.”

“Someone has to run the shop.”

“Amá can. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing!”

“Then go by yourself. Nobody’s stopping you.” Rory shrugged. “You’re an adult. You can go if you want. I’m not gonna stop you.”

Silas hummed, rocking back and forth. “Do you want to come with me, Sai?”

“Can you wait for me to run upstairs and grab my bag?”

“Sure. Rory can keep me company.” Elysia smiled up at her, leaning on the counter. “Do you really just not want to go?” She asked with a raised brow.

“What can I say: I enjoy my job.” Rory couldn’t think of a better excuse. She really just didn’t want to go. It didn’t seem like something she would enjoy. Too many people, and she didn’t really get it.

Elysia hummed, pursing her lips together, tilting her head to the side. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“Beats me.” Rory shrugged. “But it’s true.”

“I’m ready!” Silas called as she jumped off the bottom step, running up to Elysia. “I’m ready when you are!”

“Alright.”

“Bring her back safely, or I’ll have you banned from the store.”

“You wouldn’t?” Elysia narrowed her eyes at the Droid whose lips twitched in a barely contained smile.

“Who knows?” Rory shrugged. “Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t, but are you really willing to chance it?” Elysia hummed, tilting her head to the side.

“Will you two stop flirting so we can leave?”

Elysia’s eyes widened, face flushing red. “We aren’t. I mean, I’m not.” She fumbled.

“Yeah, sure.” Silas rolled her eyes, moving toward the door. “Now are we going or not?”

Elysia cleaned her throat. “Yeah. We are.” She waved goodbye to Rory, who returned the gesture as they left the store, leaving her alone once more.

Just herself and her thoughts. Rory had been having more of them lately. Thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Not the ones she was pre-programmed with as a service droid, but the ones that had come with the forced and unwanted update to her operating system. Rory didn’t really care for them. They were strange and confusing and wholly unwanted.

As Rory went back to wiping down the counter, her brain caught up to something Silas had said. “Flirting? What about that was flirtatious?” She shook her head. “I’ll never understand human emotions.”