iTransformers

Chapter Two: The Car

Among the infinite blackness of space, a giant sphere forged entirely of metal brought itself forward. The shining stars reflected off the entity's exterior, and hundreds of metal rods extruded from almost every inch of it. Rivaling the very planets in size, the being was surrounded by a malicious presence. Letting out a groan that echoed through the cosmos, the entity felt a great, burning hunger throughout its being. "I hunger," it said, a demonic aura surrounding every word.

"Ready to pick out your car, sis?" Spencer asked, briefly looking over at Carly, who was riding shotgun.

"I guess so," Carly replied, staring out the window at the landmarks passing by. Outside, the sky was still painted yellow from the morning's sunrise. "Hey, do you feel like...I really earned this?"

"Yeah, Carls," Spencer answered. "You've gotten straight A's for three years. You've made us all really proud. Trust me...you've earned it."

Her brother's comment providing only temporary solace, Carly tried to focus on other things. Soon, the young adult parked his car, and the two began to browse around the lot.

Painted red, blue, yellow, and every other color imaginable, the vehicles shined under the intense rays of the sun: Cars, pickup trucks: Chevrolets, Toyotas, Stingrays, smart cars, mustangs. Every symbol of wealth and pleasure lined the entire area. Out from a tan-colored building lined with long windows came a middle-aged Caucasian man, sporting a blue suit with thin, dark blue stripes going downward, and a dark red tie. "Hello there," he called.

Spencer put his hand in the air to greet the man. "Hey," the young man called.

The owner of the lot walked over to the brother and sister, and shook hands with Spencer. "Can I help y'all with somethin'?" he asked, his voice cordial.

"Um, yes," Spencer answered. "I'm getting my little sister her first car. Can you show us something in a moderate price range?"

"Sure thing," the man replied. "By the way, the name's Dustin."

"Dustin," Carly repeated, showing interest. "How long have you been a car salesman?"

"Oh, just about all my life," the man jokingly answered. "Sold my daddy my toy semi when I was five...Been in the business ever since."

The three chuckled, and proceeded over to a smaller section consisting of about twenty cars and five trucks. Every vehicle was well-kept, as reflective as a bathroom mirror, and sitting proudly on the hot asphalt. Among the cars, a yellow fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro. Two thick, black stripes went down the hood and trunk or the car stuck out to Dustin. "Now, young lady," he said, feeling a deep feeling inside himself: the kind of feeling that is impossible to explain. The feeling that something's meant to be, and it can't be any other way. "I see you...sitting behind the wheel of this car...watching miles and miles pass you by in it...not knowing where you're going,...but knowing you're gonna get there with this car." Rubbing his hand down the smooth hood of the vehicle, the man concluded his statement: "Try it on for size."

Carly opened the door, sat at the driver's seat, let Dustin shut the door beside her, put her hands on the wheel, and breathed in. With that intake of oxygen, the girl felt a powerful feeling. "This feels...good," she exclaimed, trying to fathom every sensation: the grip on the leather wheel in front of her, the sun shining through the windshield, the cold metal surrounding her.

Illuminated by the sunlight was a unique design in the center of the steering wheel that resembled a face: a rectangle going down the center of the image, which cleaved into two points, resembling a Y., holes that produced the image of three-dimensional eyes, a forehead in the shape of a squared-off U. that pointed out to the sides and a three-dimensional triangle with a rounded top, which contained a triangular hole, connecting the halves. On the two sections of the forehead were two sets of rectangles pointed diagonally aimed to the eyes. A ways under the nose was a four-sided shape, resembling a chin, which, united with two lines coming straight down from the eyes, formed out an H. shape. Jotting diagonally out of the eyes were two more lines that ended in a curve (resembling a sideways seven on the left side, and a backwards and sideways seven on the right).

"Is this one okay, Spencer?" Carly asked her brother.

"How much for the Chevrolet?" the young man asked Dustin, detecting his sister's deep desire for the object she had worked so hard to earn.

The middle-aged man pulled out a clipboard with the exact dollar amount typed out on it, and showed it to Spencer. Letting out a quiet sigh, the brunette young man pulled out his wallet.

That night, the sky was pitch black over Seattle, and the moon was a sharp crescent shape.

"Spencer, I didn't know it was that expensive," Carly pleaded with her brother. "You told the guy a moderate price range."

"It's not a big deal, Carly," Spencer replied, throwing his jacket on a chair. "You earned it. Dad just didn't send us enough money."

"I'm not gonna let you cover the other three hundred," Carly argued. "I'll find a way to make money...If I can't, I'll just return it."

"Not gonna happen," Spencer shot back, growing angry. "I'll cover the money, you enjoy your gift. Hey, I need to meet Socko at the mall in about five minutes. You need anything?"

"No, thanks," Carly answered. "And...thanks."

"Any time," Spencer replied, a warm smile forming on his face. The young man then walked out the door into the apartment hallway.

Feeling tension form in her stomach and the back of her neck, Carly laid down on the couch, and threw a pillow over her face. I don't believe this, she thought to herself. I am such a worthless little brat. Letting out a sigh, the teen began to think of ways to make money. Suddenly, an idea crept into her mind...

Running into her room, Carly pulled her dresser drawer open, and began rifling through the items inside. Finally, she found what she was looking for: the case containing Daniel Shay's glasses. The very glasses he wore the day of his final mission in Antarctica. These would definitely make some money off eBay. The glasses had been a gift for her tenth birthday, and regret laced with a sense of wrong-doing burned in the back of the teen' mind. However, Carly was not about to let Spencer pay for her lapse of judgment.

Dialing in Sam's number on her cell phone, Carly steadied her breath, and held the BlackBerry to her ear. "Sam, can I use your eBay account?" she asked.

"Sure thing, Carls," Sam answered. "Why?"

"I...need some extra cash," Carly replied, trying to withhold as much as possible. "Can you just gimme your password?"

"Uh, sure," Sam replied. "It's SchneiderBabe24."

"Thanks, Sam," said Carly, jotting down the password on a clipboard. "I'll...put my item online tomorrow."

"Alright," Sam replied. "Bye."

"Bye," Carly said, hanging up her phone. Looking out the window, Carly walked over to the sill. Seeing her new car resting under the orange glow of the street light.

After righting a note for her brother, Carly Slipped outside, got into her car, put the keys in the ignition, and listened to the sweet roar of the engine. The headlights shined through the dark night. "Alright, baby," the teen whispered. "You're causing us a lot of trouble...let's see if you're worth it." For a rational person like Carly, doing something like sneaking out at night to drive away her stress was absolute insanity. Not to mention lying to her best friend, and selling a treasured family heirloom.

Shifting into "Drive" and checking for traffic behind and in front of her, Carly took off. Having had her license for almost a year, actually driving the car wasn't the heaviest thing on the girl's mind. It's not like being a poor little rich girl hadn't disappeared from Carly's mind.