Cricket

by: moonlightbear

disclaimer: yeah... I really wished I own Shia but... I don't... OH! and I don't own any of the transformers either... I only own: cricket, samantha, and the few other people you don't recognize ;)

summary: 2yrs after the mega battle in Mission City chaos erupts again as Starscream returns and goes after a power only an 18yr old girl holds. It's a race against time, but she is not alone... say hello Cricket, "Hello."

now, on to the story!!

Chapter Two: Family

-Nov. 2007-

It had been a busy day. Samantha and her 4yr old brother, Danny, rode the high school bus to school. Once they arrived at the school she dropped Danny off at the school daycare, and then met up with her friends, Sarah, Jason, and Kiely. They had two tests, a pop-quiz, and choir practice in school today. After the bell rang, for the end of classes, Samantha picked her little brother up from daycare and met Sarah at her car. Sarah picked up her 8yr old sister from the elementary school, and then drove to the town's soccer fields. Sarah left her sister with some of her sister's friends' parents, and Samantha left Danny with the PeeWee soccer coach, who was friends with her parents. Sarah and Samantha then drove 3 miles down the road and walked into the store putting their aprons on. After clocking in, they bagged food for the next 2 1/2 hours. After getting off work, Sarah gave Samantha a ride back to the soccer fields, and they found their siblings playing an impromptu game against each other. Danny made two fantastic goals while Samantha was watching, but the older kids won. Now, after getting a ride home from the PeeWee soccer coach, Samantha notice the car in the drive way, mom and dad are home, finally a break! But it wasn't really a break, was it? No, if her parents weren't away on a business trip and she was begging for rides and playing 'mommy' to her little brother, she was told she was always doing something wrong and being stupid. She braced herself as she opened the door.

"Hey," Samantha said.

"Mommy!!Daddy!!" Danny exclaimed, running to his parents. They seemed to be a nice couple, Samantha had her mom's bright red hair and blue eyes, while she had her father's kind smile and big bones. Danny had the opposite, his dad's dark brown hair and hazel eyes, and his mother's dimples and slim build. The house wasn't bad either: a one story, 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, with a pool, and a large hill in the back yard.

"Danny tell mom and dad about the goals you made today." Samantha told him, trying to keep the attention away from herself.

"There was a game?" Her father asked.

"Um, yeah, sorta out of the blue. I would of called you, but I knew you weren't supposed to be home til tomorrow night." Samantha explained. The look on her mother's face made her say, "I'm sorry..."

That seemed to satisfied her parents, for the moment, since both turned their attention to little Danny as he recited how he scored the goals. Samantha went to her room and dropped off her school things and then dropped Danny's sports duffel off in his room and went back to the family room. Her father was just starting dinner when she entered and her mom's eyes landed on her. "Have you gained weight?" She said coming over and pulling and tugging at her shirt.

"No, knock it off." Samantha said trying to pull away.

"Fine," She sighed. "Oh, I found this paper on the table, really Samantha you can do so much better."

"I got a B+!" Samantha replied; although the main reason it was on the table was to figure out why it was a B and not an A.

"And Micheal got an A on this paper, when he did it."

"Yeah the same exact paper, subject and all, thanks to the teacher. I hate that guy." Samantha mumbled most of this.

"You should call him and see if he can help you on it." Her mother said calmly.

"Already did, he's too busy with college."

"You wouldn't need him if you were smarter." Her mother stated. Samantha slumped on to the couch, glaring at the floor. Her father's cell phone rang, and then her mother continued, "What is wrong with that top?! It looks hideous on you!"

"You gave it to me last month for my 16th birthday!" Samantha replied, bewilderingly.

"Maybe it's because your fat, if you lost a little weight you'd feel happier and clothes will fit you better!" Her mother said in a sweet little voice.

Samantha's eyes brightened with anger, "At most, I'm ten pounds over weight, and I'm fine with that. I don't wanna be a twig, I don't want to watch every ounce I eat. I like the way I am and I'm not changing. If you have a problem with the clothes YOU buy me, then buy me the right size. Until then, go and praise Danny like the sun won't shine again, and Leave. Me. Alone. Call me for dinner." And she turned to leave when she heard:

"What?!" It wasn't her mother, no, it was her dad and he sounded devastated. Samantha stopped, turned, and listened. "He's what? Ok, ok. Yes, yes I'll come. No, no Thank You. Yes, we'll be there." And he hung up the phone. "My dad just passed away." He told the family.

"Oh honey!" His wife exclaimed, hugging him.

"Heart attack." He told her in a near whisper.

"Grandpa's gone?" Samantha asked, slightly in shock. Her grandfather had been her friend, he often paid for her to visit him; especially, when she'd call begging for a break from her parents. They often took rides in his beat up truck to the mountains in upstate New York.

Her father nodded and then Danny asked innocently confused, "Where did he go?"

"Um... He went to a paradise, where a lot of people go when they have to leave everyone behind." Samantha tried to explain, but Danny looked confused. "We'll see him again one day... Grandpa couldn't say good-bye, but we can, or at least Dad will, right?" She said hoping for an answer from her distraught father.

"Yes," He said, trying to regain his composure. "Grandpa went away, but we're going to say good-bye to him. Sammie can you help him pack a bag for the trip." Samantha's eyes lit up, they're all going to grandpa's funeral. She turned and took her brother to his room. "What about the dogs, Dora?" Her father asked his wife. They had a cocker spaniel, and a boxer.

"I don't know, Mike." Isadora said, and then her eye lit up. "Sam, she can take care of them. She does it all the times anyway."

"We can't take them to the kennel?" Micheal Sr. asked, he sorta hated the idea of leaving his daughter at home this time.

"No, it's too late tonight and tomorrow is Saturday it's closed from now until Monday!" She said.

"Ok... I'll tell her." He said.

"I'll come with you."

As the two adults walked into their youngest son's room, their daughter stood up and turned, "Oh, hey, he's all ready," She said gesturing to her little brother. "Just let me put a few things in my purple case and I'll be ready too!"

"You're not going." Her mother said shortly.

"What?"

"You can't go, the dogs." Her father told her.

"But it's Grandpa... Can't someone else take care of them? Please." She pleaded.

"No, only you. It's too late for anyone else, now." Her mother replied.

"Someone, anyone! That lady, the house sitter last Christmas, or, or one of my friends!" Samantha wanted to go to her grandpa, it was the only way to honor all he did for her! He was her savior, by giving her an escape when she needed it. He was leaving and she wanted to say good-bye!

"Who?" Her father asked. Her mother looked to her father like he was crazy for considering it. Samantha just couldn't understand what her mother had against her.

"Um... Jason! He watched the house and the dogs, when we took Micheal to school at the beginning of the school year! He didn't mess anything up, he'd be perfect!"

"My necklace, Mike, remember, it went missing. I bet that boy took it!"

Samantha was really trying to keep her cool, but it was hard. "That necklace was 25 bucks at Wal-Mart, and you lost it last Christmas, not in August. You realised it was gone when you came back to the hotel room, not at home. You lost it when you went walking in the park with Dad." She told her. Samantha remembered because it was a big stink that ruined Christmas last year. "Jason is super trustworthy, Dad. He's been my best friend since kindergarten. He'd be happy to do it."

"Ok, call him, see if he can do it for the rest of this week and next week. If he can, you can come. Dora, call the airlines, see how soon we can get a flight for four to Kingston, NY, and don't forget the hour drive we need to get to the airport."

Jason was happy to help for 10 dollars a day, and Micheal Sr. was fine by that. Isadora booked a flight for 10pm that night, and the family left Bullhead City, AZ at 15 minutes to 8, to head for the airport in Las Vegas.

--

end of chapter two!! yea!

ps. the soccer game was a game between the peewee team(ages 4-6) and the elementary team(ages 7-10)...

oh, and just so you know, Samantha loves her family like there is no tomorrow, she just doesn't feel like they love her back most of the time. well she knows danny does, but her mom and dad she doesn't know sometime. and she's often jealous, though she knows it's not their fault, of her brothers because of the good attention they get.

Stay tuned for the next chapter called, 'Transformers', but for now click the little review button and tell me what you think of this story...