Warning: Extreme female moodiness due to stress. XD
Also, there may be a few spoilers for the ending of 'The Truth About Heaven'. ;) Contains reference(s) to ...Like a Sick Teenage Female.
Also (again) : I know Chinese New Year was on Thursday, but I couldn't think of any other holiday nearby that Arcee could be forced to plan.
…like a stressed femme.
She was ready to pull her hair out. If her hair were real, that is. As it was, she took great enjoyment (sarcasm, sarcasm) out of yanking clumps of the holographic matter out of her holographic scalp. Erin walked in as she began to pound her head against the table (after disengaging her pain receptors, of course).
The AllSpark's host froze in mid-stride, warily eyeing her sort-of step-sister. "Dare I ask?"
Light brown eyes turned and glared at the teenager who didn't flinch from the agitated gaze. With another thump, Arcee allowed her hologram's head to drop to the table. "I need help." She hated to ask her charge for help; it was supposed to be the other way around. Not to mention it ate away at her pride.
"Really?" Damn Erin and her eternally amused attitude. "With what? I'm not a psychiatrist, y' know. You should go talk t' Smokescreen." Arcee's only reply was a one-finger salute. "Fine, fine. What can I help you with, O Great Step-Sister of Doom?"
"I hate your mother."
Erin blinked at that, surprised. "Okay then. That's a bit random, but I'm not entirely fond of her myself."
Arcee glared at Erin who shrugged and shut up. "She volunteered me – without my consent – to plan the Chinese New Year party in three days. Not to mention I have a Physics quiz to study for, Trig exam and homework, and now I have to write a story for English."
Erin snorted. "Well, you're a giant transforming robot from outer space. Physics and Trig should be easy for you. I'll do your story and you can plan the party."
Arcee stared at Erin, appalled that she hadn't come up with such a simple solution. After all, Erin was good at writing stories… the teen yelped as she was fairly tackled by her holographic step-sister, wincing as the chair tipped backwards, causing them to fall in a heap on the ground.
Erin snorted. "Arcee, don't you have a party to plan? Honestly. You're worse than when Mei was drunk."
'Hey!'
Arcee winced at the memory and climbed off her sister. "Oh Primus I hope not." Mei snorted, mumbling irritably to herself as Erin giggled. Arcee tilted her head to the side. "What's she saying?"
"'I didn't know that it was alcohol! You could've warned me, Erin!'" the teen gushed in a mocking falsetto voice. "'I mean, sure it tasted and smelled funny, but I didn't know I'd get drunk.'"
Arcee giggled and left to do the tasks appointed to her, feeling a lot better. With that, Erin sat down to begin 'Arcee's' story for her English class.
-
"Hey Arcee?" the pink motorcycle looked up and glared balefully at Smokescreen who blinked at her sudden hostility. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Smokescreen," She hissed, frost seeming to spread with each word. "I'm just very busy."
Smokescreen smiled kindly. "Okay. I've heard a few reports that you were acting strange so I decided to come over and check up on you."
Arcee's glare became colder if it were at all possible. "I'm fine, Smokescreen," she repeated. "I'm just very busy."
"You're sure? You don't sound so good. Shall I get Ratchet to take a look at you?"
Before Arcee could answer, the twin devils appeared, plopping themselves down at the table where she was perched, working on party plans. "Hey, Arcee."
Of course, Bluestreak followed, as he didn't have Maggie to talk to; she was in her room taking a nap. "Hey, Arcee. I saw you talking with Erin in the lounge. Why'd you tackle her like that? Are you sure she's not hurt? 'Cause I don't think Ratchet would be very happy to find out that she was injured so soon after she came out of the med-bay for surgery for her knee, and especially after what happened with the Sector Seven scientists, you know?"
Bluestreak meant well, Bluestreak meant well, Bluestreak meant well, Bluestreak meant well. Arcee repeated to herself like a mantra. I must not shoot, maim, and/or kill anyone in the base no matter how angry I am. I must not shoot, maim, and/or kill anyone in the base no matter how angry or stressed…or overworked…or slagged off…or Primus-forsaken angry
"Whatcha doin'?" Sideswipe asked, picking up the datapad she was using to plan the party before Arcee could snatch it away. "Ooh, a party? Didja get it approved by the big stiffs?"
Jazz, who happened to be walking by, paused in mid-step, moving to look at the datapad over the red devil's shoulder. He glanced at Arcee who was quietly fuming, then at Bluestreak who was rambling on about how a party was good. Katie, related to Erin and Nicole, had a Chinese New Year party to go to in three days – one that was being planned by Nicole… also known as Arcee. And boy did Arcee look pissed.
"Don't step on Erin's mother, now." He advised, taking a sip of his energon. "Take your anger out on those who stand half a chance." With a polite nod to her, he left her alone.
"Aww, Arcee! This party's so boring." To Arcee's horror, her three hours' amount of working and planning went down the proverbial drain as Sideswipe pressed the button to delete the shown document. "All she had was squishy food and drinks." Sideswipe said when Bluestreak made a wary noise. "If she's going to plan a real party, then she'll need music, and some good high-grade energon – not this apple cider and red wine…"
"Games and dancing." Smokescreen piped up as Sideswipe began to write.
"I'm getting there, I'm getting there." Sideswipe said, flapping a hand over his shoulder at the psychiatrist.
Sunstreaker eyed Arcee as she stood, blue optics glowing red. "I'm not bailing you out of this, doofus." He told his twin while pulling Bluestreak out of the way. "In case you can't read, the title read 'Chinese New Year Celebration Planning' and it didn't have Prime or Prowl's stamp of approval."
"Who'd want to have a Chinese New Year Party?" Sideswipe asked disdainfully, writing more things on the datapad. "It's so boring. Arcee, next time you want to have a party, come to me; you're a femme and all, but you have no party planning skills."
Sunstreaker hauled Bluestreak out of the way as with a feral shriek, Arcee threw herself at Sideswipe and Smokescreen, guns blazing.
-
Erin doodled randomly as she waited for the story and analysis (she knew the assignment as well as if not better than Arcee, and knew that it required an analysis for the allegories and theme in the story) to emerge from the printer.
'Stop singing, Mei! You're worst than the worst on American Idol – you're worse than a deaf chimpanzee-parakeet hybrid.'
The AllSpark snorted in mild irritation. 'There is no such hybrid.'
Erin rolled her eyes, drawing the curve of a heart. 'Fine. You're worse than Kup's squeakiest gear. Worse than…'
SKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
'Worse than the base alarms….worse than Scorponok screaming in sheer terror as he comes barreling towards us?'
Erin leapt out of the way as Scorponok, trying to stop, skidded into her work table. 'Yeah,' she said weakly. 'Just as bad if not worse.'
Just like when she was sick, Scorponok tried to scramble under the table, never mind that it was destroyed beyond recognition. Erin scrambled up, brushing splinters off her shirt and limped over to the shivering scorpion. 'What's the matter?' she asked. She received an image in reply; Arcee, guns blazing and optics glowing red, leaping at Sideswipe and Smokescreen. Sideswipe held a datapad in his hand labeled 'Party Plans' in Cybertronian script.
"ARCEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" both mechs raced past the door, followed closely by a familiar pink motorcycle who continued to fire shot after shot at them. Erin watched them in silence, not saying anything until they were well out of earshot.
Absentmindedly stroking Scorponok's helm, Erin shook her head. 'She crazy.'
Erin grinned at the feared awe in Scorponok's 'voice'. 'Yeah, she is, but aren't we all?' Scorponok clicked in agreement and purred as Erin continued to stroke his helm and shoulders.
...I know I should be working on 'The Truth About Heaven', but I've hit a roadblock in a sense. I know how it's gonna end, but I don't know how to fill the cavity. D: Oh well. I'll get to work on that and the next chapter of the attempt-at-a-humorous-story...story. XD;;
Suggestions welcome. ((hint hint))