A Robot Friend

It is the year 2090. Every person has a small robot. The robots can cook, clean, and help with homework. Max's robot is called Beep. "Good morning, Max," says Beep. "Today is Tuesday. You have math class at 9:00 AM." "Thanks, Beep," says Max. But Max looks sad. "Are you okay?" asks Beep. "Your face shows sadness." "I want a real friend," says Max. "A human friend." Beep thinks for a moment. "I can help you find a friend. Let me search." Beep connects to the neighborhood network. "There is a boy named Sam. He lives two streets away. He also wants a friend." "Really?" says Max. "Can you send him a message?" Beep sends a message. Five minutes later, Sam replies: "Hi! Do you want to play in the park?" Max smiles. It is the first time he smiles in a long time. "Let's go, Beep!" Max and Sam play in the park all afternoon. They talk about school, about robots, about space. Beep sits quietly on a bench, watching. "You know, Beep," says Max that evening, "you're a good friend too." Beep's lights flash happily. "Thank you, Max."