Chapter 1: Three years later
"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." –Albert Einstein
"Once again, Energon Stocks have dropped to an all-time low as Cybertronian markets fail to meet earth demands. Shareholders were enraged and devastated by the failed shipments, and legal actions have been taken against our alien allies-"
The channel flipped, cutting off the newswoman as she straightened her papers.
"It's just not right, these Sy-burr-trow-niyans. They're living weapons! We can't trust them around our governments, let alone our children! If you agree, please vote yes on Bill A113, which will ban these mechanical monstrosities from our schools-"
A man in a pinstriped suit with a rather large mouth was silenced as the channel changed again.
"-and lord, our god, we pray for our alien brothers. Though they know you by another name, we know you truly and deeply, and wish to share you with them-"
The teen turned off the TV, groaning. The world still seemed to be in an uproar.
Cybertronians had shown themselves to Earth not even 3 years ago, and nobody could make up their minds on how to think about them. Were they enemies? Of course, said one half of the population. They were born with weapons, didn't share their technology when they had first landed. They treated humans as if they were made of glass! Not so fast, said the other half. The weapons could be disabled. The aliens were sharing their technology now, and humans were pretty destructible compared to them.
Jack didn't particularly care one way or another. He had never seen a cybertronian, aside from on the news, and he and his mom's house was powered largely by solar panels, not clean-burning energon. He turned off the radio when transmissions from Cybertron were made available to the public, and tried to avoid the ever-present media-storm that had covered the television since he had started high school. Jack's world was very small, and he preferred to keep it that way.
However, some cultural osmosis was impossible to avoid. Sometimes Jack couldn't help but side-eye a car that was running without a driver, or roll his eyes at the constant press coverage. It's like they're celebrities or something, Jack would grimace as he rode his 10-speed bike to his job at the KO-burger if he saw group of people pow-wowed around the TV screens in the building. But it wasn't worth getting worked up over. Eventually, he reasoned, the aliens would leave, and life would return to normal.
For now, on a tired Monday morning before school, Jack was at the mercy of morning television talk shows and whatever his mother had decided to leave in the refrigerator, which was hopefully not more organic tofu. Otherwise, he'd have to scrounge up something edible himself.
Normally, the boy had an early-morning shift at the fast food restaurant where he worked while his mother slept off a long shift at the hospital, but for some reason the two of them had gotten their schedules flip-flopped. Now he was stuck with a body that decided 4 AM was a perfectly normal time to be awake, despite the fact that the school day didn't start until 8.
Making his way into the kitchen, Jack absently turned on the lights and the radio clock, glad to find organic eggs and some cheese (not skim, thank god). There wasn't anything pre-made and easy to eat, but Jack reluctantly admitted to himself that he was up earlier than people usually were. Good thing too, because he was struck with a sudden idea for breakfast. Omelettes.
Jack only realized after he had gotten out the pan and spatula that there wasn't anything to listen to on the radio but Triple-J News or the 3G Bulletin. Both of which had done nothing but complain about the energon shortage for the past 3 weeks. Just what he needed.
Jack sighed through his teeth, turned down the radio, and high-tailed it to his room to find his iPod. Sometimes he hated Mondays.
Miko loved Mondays.
Mondays were the days when a whole new school week started and she got to see her friends at school. Mondays were when Slash Monkey updated their twitter feed with exclusive sound bites. Mondays were almost universally hated by everybody else, and Miko was glad to feel unique in her enamor with them.
If you had to twist her arm, make her say uncle, and DEMAND why Miko really loved Mondays, she would probably tell you the same thing every single time. But you'd have to catch her first, and Miko was fast. So yeah, Miko loved Mondays, but nobody really knew why.
Mainly, this was because nobody would guess that her reasoning was actually really simple:Mondays were the days that new information came in from Cybertron.
Miko loved Mondays, because Miko loved Cybertron. Cybertronians, the planet, energon, all of it. Miko was living right in the middle of some heavy-metal real-life concert, and she loved it.
Seriously, aliens make contact with Earth during her life time?! And not only are they aliens, but they're GIANT alien ROBOTS. Who turn into cars. And trucks, and planes! It was like something out of one of the mecha anime she used to love to watch behind her parent's backs when she was younger. So who cared if Miko liked to drink up every last drop of information she could get her hands on? It was too awesome to ignore!
Miko couldn't believe the nerds who stuck their heads in the sand or the geeks who tried to talk down her major-miracle. Who wouldn't want to hear about this? Who wouldn't want to talk this up? It baffled her. Once again, she would repeat, GIANT ROBOTS. From SPACE. In their own backyard!
That was why she was up at 5 AM, tuned into Triple-J AF-1 with a half-eaten bowl of cereal and her laptop at the ready. The livestream of the Cybertronians' new leader, Optimus Prime (even their names sounded cool!) was coming on in less than 20 minutes. Miko was fully dressed, had already used the bathroom, her axe was on the bed next to her, and her door was firmly closed. Nothing could go wrong!
Miko idly played with her cell phone, watching as the comments on the stream scrolled past. It was all pretty standard stuff, if a little more positive than what she normally heard on the news. There were benefits to subscribing online to all the best channels- you got all the best news first. She had gotten linked to this semi-private stream through an Autobot Fan-Forum by Raf, also known as MARScatsFeEdEr, and she was like, eternally grateful. She'd have to send him some of the GIFs she'd whipped up- his normal fare was getting kinda thin. Miko didn't know you COULD run out of funny cats.
Her cereal was getting soggy, and the marshmallows were gone. Miko always picked those out first. Sometimes she wished they made a box of nothing but marshmallows, and absently she imagined what her straight-laced okaa-san would have said about that.
"Miko, you will ruin your teeth! Fun is banned, must I remind you? Why are you eating when you could be studying or practicing your piano? I hope you have a daughter that gives you as much grief!" Miko mocked in Japanese, giggling as she put her half-full bowl on her desk. Honestly, Miko loved her mom, but there was a reason she had left Japan. If the girl had stayed in her parents' house for even another year, Miko was sure she would have died inside or something. She hated piano. The guitar was so much more her speed.
Why was waiting so slow? The stream had loaded up, and now there was some news-dude she really didn't care about blabbing about how the energon-shortage was affecting something or other. Yadda, yadda, yadda, man! Get to the robots already, Miko wanted to shout! She scoured the screen for something that could be interesting, finding nothing but a throng of shouting people with signs. Miko scowled and flopped backwards onto her monster-truck patterned sheets. They weren't even GOOD signs. Some guy in the front row had misspelled "alien", for crying out loud!
If Miko was there, in person, she would have an autograph book, not a picket. These guys were actual superstars, from the stars! And the Japanese girl wouldn't have misspelled anything as basic as alien. Even she knew how to spell that and English wasn't her first language!
Ugh, if the stream didn't start soon, she'd have to skip again, and then her host parents would tell her real parents that she'd missed school. It took a good hour on the bus to get to school, and semi-private press streams usually lasted a couple hours. But Miko didn't want to miss a thing! Her parents, both sets, would talk her ear off later, but for now, Miko was pretty sure she could jam a chair under the doorknob and turn the volume way up. Though she'd prefer not to have to.
Miko opened up another tab and started searching for anything that could have delayed her chance at getting even closer to the only aliens that she would ever get to know. Her phone started to ring, and she turned the alarm off. Miko had set 3 different alarms, just in case. Though she was lazy when it came to the things she couldn't be bothered to care about, when something mattered to her, she would go through hell and high water to make sure she got it done.
Sound. Glorious sound. The rev of a high-powered engine started pouring out of her speakers and Miko just about fell off of her bed. Clicking the stream with ferocity only a teenage girl on a mission could have, Miko pressed her nose to her laptop's screen and waited in giddy anticipation.
The alien was a truck. It was an honest-to-god 18-wheeler in a stunning red with huge smokestacks and a killer trailer. There was the symbol for the alien government, the Autobots, modestly imprinted in silver on the truck's grill. Flash photography shined off of the Mack's polished hood, and Miko couldn't help but cheer. This was the Real Deal. It had to be! The vehicle screamed 'dude-in-charge', and she could totally get why he was called Optimus Prime. Even his car form lived up to the hype.
Oh, she was so glad the internet existed right now. Miko took half a dozen screen shots, and settled in so that she could imprint the next few moments onto her brain. The truck wasn't just a truck, after all. He was also a robot.
Miko wouldn't miss seeing the switch even if she went blind watching.
It happened in a split-second. One minute the truck had been trundling down the red carpet, and the next- chk-chk-chk! The hood broke apart, the wheels moved around, the cool trailer detached, and a head popped up on top of a newly formed torso. Everything on the mech shifted easily and with purpose. It was hypnotizing. When everything stopped moving, in the place of the truck was a positively enormous bipedal robot in red, blue, and silver. His eyes were a shocking light-up blue. And he was BUILT. Sculpted jaw, broad shoulders, and tires stacked along the back of his legs.
Miko had been so focused on the robot that she hadn't noticed the large African-American man who had climbed out of the truck's cab just before he transformed. Optimus Prime (she said it out loud in a dramatic voice) looked down at him, and the man in the nice suit and tacky tie stepped forward to climb to the podium. The Prime straightened and folded his arms behind him in a military fashion, looking very uncomfortable. Why would the big OP be nervous? Stage fright?
And then the guy in the suit started to talk, and Miko's jaw dropped.
Thirty minutes later, and Miko was practically vibrating in her seat. This was so worth the wait! Oh, she had to talk to Raf about this. And Jack. And her host parents! Everyone!
Miko typed in the link they had mentioned, printed out a form, grabbed her phone and rocketed down the hallway.
Raf enjoyed school. It was a place where he could learn, where he wasn't ignored, and where he could count on people to appreciate his brain. Raf had spent most of the day relaxing and doing coursework, and he was surprised by how quickly it seemed to have gone by.
"Vince! Give it back!"
Too quickly, it seemed.
"What, who's gonna make me? Not you, shorty!" Vince guffawed. He held the laptop he had filched higher in the air, smirking as the nerd he had taken it from tried in vain to take it back.
"Vince, c'mon," the short boy he was bullying exclaimed. "If you give it back, I won't have to tell a teacher!" Raf tried to look tough, but he failed as his lower lip trembled. "How many more detentions can you afford to get?"
Vince scowled at the little know-it-all. He was obviously thinking that Raf knew better than everybody else because he had skipped a few grades. The bully was always trying to prove that brains didn't equal smarts. He had threatened on more than one occasion to come knock sense into Raf's head.
"You tryin' to threaten me?" Vince scoffed, trading the laptop between his hands. "That hurts my feelings, kid. Really, deep down. Y'wanna know what happens when someone hurts my feelings?"
Raf's eyes widened and he show his head. "No, Vince," he stammered, knowing almost instinctively what Vine would do to his computer if he said anything else. Raf never should have brought it, the boy thought in despair.
"Too bad, cuz I'm feelin' real emotional," the bully spat. "I dunno, if I don't let it all out, I might go nuts. Or worse, I might get angry."
Raf swallowed. He really couldn't afford another laptop. But Raf didn't want to get in another 'fight' with Vince, either, and he really didn't know what to do.
"And you know the school counselor," Vince mocked, "said I had 'anger issues'. Said specifically not to 'exacerbate' my 'condition'. I dunno about you, but I'm feelin' pretty exacerbated." Vince made as id to drop the hardware he was holding onto the sidewalk, but caught it a heartbeat later.
"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings," Raf mumbled shakily. "I just want be the LAPTOP YOU STOLE-" the preteen shouted, and Vince hurriedly slapped one of his hands over Raf's mouth.
The bully leaned in, holding Raf's computer in one hand. With the other, he pushed Raf against the orange brick of their school building, pressing the 12 year against the wall. Oh, no, Raf thought, he was in for it now. He had broken one of Vince's first rules- Thou Shalt Not Narc. It wasn't like online, where he could just code out or hack the program to help him instead of Vince. No, Vince's rules were unavoidable and unchangeable. They were the laws of the jungle.
Sometimes Raf wished real life was more like a video game.
"And now you go sayin' I'm stealing," Vince snarled. Raf could feel the older boys hot breath ghost over his cheeks. "Like I'd steal from a punk like you. You seen my car? You seen it?" Vince shook Raf and Raf shook his head in return. "Course not. Get your head outta this thing every once in a while," he said, motioning with the laptop, "and maybe you'd see why nobody comes to help you, you little-"
"DO I LOOK LIKE NOBODY TO YOU, YOU SCRAPHEAP?!"
A streak of color darted into the parking lot and over the sidewalk in a beeline for Raf, and the boy almost shouted in delight. He smiled under Vince's hand and straightened up to see her better. Miko Nakadai was one of Raf's best friends at Jefferson High, and had been since she had started school there in the fall for her year-long foreign exchange program from Japan. Miko was strong, loud, and knew which parts of Vince to kick to make him back down fast. She waved hello to Raf, and the boy felt relieved. Vince would back off, now!
Vince rolled his eyes and yanked Raf in front of him, dangling Raf's laptop from one hand in a challenging way. Miko stopped and balled up her hands into fists, looking to Raf for a hint on what to do. Raf drooped, looking downwards. Maybe he wouldn't have to back off after all, Raf thought sadly. This time Vince had collateral. Raf tried to wiggle his shoulders to slip away, but Vince was pinning him tight.
"And now you have to get Robo-girl to come save you!" Vince said pityingly. "It's really too bad that the only person willing to help you out is just as weird as you!" Raf stiffened, and his eyes darted over to Miko, who looked like she was two words away from taking Vince down, laptop or not. Raf really hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Vince waited for a few seconds before he turned his head down to Raf and said with a sickly-sweet smile, "My mistake. Looks like even a robo-freak like her wouldn't bother trying to help yo-"
Miko couldn't take that. She let out a battle cry and made to tackle Vince to the ground. Raf could see his laptop's life flash before his eyes. Not to mention that both he and Miko would get detention for assaulting another student and Vince would get off scot-free because teachers never came to help unless VINCE was in trouble-
"Hey, Miko! RAF!"
Miko stopped short, stumbling, and Raf felt his heartbeat start to even out. The 12-year-old felt another swell of relief. Vince tightened his grip yet again and narrowed his beady green eyes.
"Darby," the bully hissed, "I'd suggest you move along."
Jack Darby was the most normal guy Raf knew. He had made friends with the older teenager after they had discovered that they were in the same pre-calculus class that Jack was having some trouble with. Raf was breezing through it, so he offered a study guide to him. When Jack had found Vince pinning the younger boy to his locker, the older teen had called a teacher over and made sure to watch out for Raf. Just like Miko, Jack was one of Raf's best friends. For being so plain, he had sense of right and wrong that Raf admired. Not to mention that Jack was one of the only teenage boys in school that Vince couldn't win over.
When Raf had made friends with Miko, the 3 had formed a group out of a shared necessity. It was easier to be a target when you had backup.
Together, they were usually a match for Vince, but today the playing field was uneven, and Raf knew Jack could tell. He could see it in the way that Jack stood, which, unlike Miko's wide, aggressive stance, was more subdued. Jack was going to try to talk their way out of this.
"Uh- Raf, Miko," Jack repeated awkwardly, "I got the approval for our…" His blue eyes roamed until they landed on Miko's t-shirt. They snapped back to the tense bully. "Science fiction club! The teacher's gonna wait a little longer, but she said if we weren't back in 10 minutes that she'd come out and find us herself-"
"What science fiction club?" Miko whispered loudly. Jack elbowed her and kept his eyes on Raf. Miko caught on quickly. "Oh, THAT science fiction club! You shoulda just said so! I still can't believe you got Castella's approval so fast!" Miko said slyly as she rubbed her side.
Vince held onto Raf for a few more seconds, debating whether or not they were lying. He obviously decided in the negative, because he shoved Raf forward and pushed Raf's laptop into his chest. Miko rushed forward and braced her buddy before he tipped over. Jack put himself between Vince and Miko, effectively forming a rather gangly grey wall as he glared at the bully with angry grey eyes. Raf was sometimes surprised by how clever Miko could be at times, but he was honestly grateful. Castella was the combined gym/technology teacher, and she was notoriously tough. Even Vince wouldn't risk having to run laps for a month.
The three shared a smile as Vince high-tailed it out of the parking lot towards his car and out of the school zone. "You're lucky I got a race today!" Vince screamed at them. "We'll settle this later!"
"TRY IT WHEN YOU'RE NOT HIDING BEHIND A TWELVE YEAR OLD, YOU JERK!" Miko called back, slapping a high five with Raf.
"Miko!" Raf laughed nervously, "You shouldn't taunt him like that."
"Why not?" Miko asked, shrugging. "Seems like it worked out pretty okay to me. You got your computer and all your limbs, right?"
Raf made to reply, but Jack interrupted him.
"Guys, maybe we should make good on that Science Fiction club thing," Jack said wryly, gesturing to the school behind him. "Vince is bound to come back around."
"Science Fiction! You really couldn't have picked a cooler name? We sounded like stiffs! Nerdy stiffs," Miko added jokingly.
"He didn't have a lot to work with, Miko," Raf reminded her, clutching his laptop tightly.
The tree friends climbed the stairs of their school in companionable silence. Raf opened the door and held it. Jack and Miko filed inside, though Miko stopped to ruffle Raf's thick brown hair. Jack rolled his eyes and smiled. Raf closed the door behind him and followed his two friends down the hallway. He was happy that they had gotten to him in time, and that Vince hadn't smashed his laptop. He'd have to send more autobot links to Miko soon.
If there was anything Raf was good at, it was the internet. In real life he had to be saved a lot, which was odd because nothing was safe from him on the web. Luckily, he had Jack and Miko, who both helped him out when he needed it. Raf knew he'd help them out whenever he could too.
It was what friends did.
Jack concentrated on the tiles under his feet as he followed his friends through the school to the Principal's office. They were blue, orange, grey, and boring, but they gave him something to focus on that wasn't the growing problem that was Vince. The guy was becoming a lot braver-usually he didn't go for Raf in broad daylight. Something was off, but Jack wasn't sure what, and he wasn't sure he cared. The teen just had to figure out something to do about it. Miko wouldn't always be around and neither would he- they had to get Vince to back off so he wouldn't try anything while they weren't around.
Miko and Raf were talking again, and they were excited, judging by their tone. Miko had a sheet of paper, and she was joyfully pointing to certain parts of it while Raf explained them. Jack was only half-listening. He was still half in their problem, but he was glad the two of them were relaxing.
Jack, personally, was having a hard time getting the image of Raf trapped under Vince's arm out of his head. Jack really hated the way Vince had smirked, and they way he and Miko had had to wait while the jerk tossed around Raf's laptop like it was nothing.
It meant a lot to Raf, obviously, and to Jack that meant it was valuable. So he had to stammer out an excuse, one that Vince almost hadn't bought. Seriously, Science Fiction club? What had he been thinking? Jack knew he couldn't just rush in and pull a hero-move (that was Miko's job) but when it came to this sort of thing he really couldn't stand being the 'responsible' one. Sometimes, Jack wanted to break from his routine and make like Miko. Letting loose with a punch and seeing Vince with a broken nose might almost be worth the guilt he felt later.
Not to mention Jack's mom would ground him until he was thirty if he tried something like that, but it didn't stop Jack from thinking about it occasionally.
So engrossed in his thoughts, Jack failed to notice Miko and Raf trying to get his attention until Miko's pink nails were almost up his nose.
"Helloooo, Earth to Jack? You there? Houston, we have a problem," the Japanese girl joked, waving her hand in front of his eyes.
Jack smiled and pushed her hand back. "I'm right here, guys," he defended, "Just spaced out a little. What's up?"
"Nothin' much, 7up," Miko replied, "Just the biggest thing to happen ever!"
"Sounds important," Jack said wryly. "Care to fill me in?"
"It's this big announcement that's been all over the news," Raf piped up, moving forward to stand between Jack and Miko. "You know, it just got broadcast a couple weeks ago?"
"Not really, no. I don't get out much."
"Replace 'much' with never in that statement, and it would be closer to the truth, Jackie-boy. Seriously, it's only everywhere on the news, the radio, the internet-"
"I think that would make it a double-negative," Raf interjected. Miko glared and the younger boy shrugged apologetically.
"WHAT-ever. It's even in magazines and billboards and junk, dude!" Miko continued, ticking each item off on her fingers. "EVERYWHERE. Do you live in a bubble, J-man? Cuz it sure seems like it."
Miko spun and began walking backwards so she could look him in the eye as she crossed her arms and waited for him to reply. The paper she was carrying had gotten shoved into the crook of her arm, and was now much more wrinkled than it had started out being.
"Are you being vague on purpose? You could be talking about celebrities, for all I know," Jack said, throwing up his arms briefly. He looked around her. "Corner."
Miko continued walking and took the turn with surprising grace, considering she couldn't see where she was going. She motioned to Raf, who had opened his laptop and was attempting to balance it between his arms as he typed.
"It was the one by the CHA," Raf said helpfully. "You know-"
"Autobots," Jack sighed. Now his friends were in on the hype. Miko nodded eagerly. "What's so important about it?"
Wrong thing to say, because now both of his friends had stopped and were looking at him like Jack had just said he hated Christmas.
"What's so important?" Miko asked incredulously. "What's so IMPORTANT?! It's a whole 'nother planet, dude! One that we could go to! In our lifetime! Heck, before we graduate! And you don't care?"
Raf nodded in agreement. Jack stopped walking and rubbed his face gently before exhaling out his nose. He turned to face them.
"It's not that I don't care- I just care about Earth more," Jack said defensively. "I thought all this stuff would die down eventually. I mean, it doesn't take a genius to realize that Earth and Cybertron don't get along too well. Finals are a little more important."
Then what Miko had said really hit him and Jack cocked his head to the side, unsure if he had heard her right.
"What do you mean, 'we' could go to? Cybertron's atmosphere is poisonous, right? Not to mention we're only in high school. None of us is even remotely qualified!"
"Jeez, you just gotta be Captain Buzzkill, dontcha? You're lucky Doctor Funtimes and her assistant are here to drag you outta that nice cozy shell you've made for yourself," Miko jeered. Jack bristled slightly.
"Why am I the assistant? I do all the work," Raf joked.
"You're the assistant because you haven't even gone through puberty yet," Miko muttered as she grabbed Jack's sleeve and pulled him to the floor.
"Anyway, that's what the whole broadcast was about, Jack."Raf said as he slid down to his knees and set his laptop gently on the linoleum. "The government's been trying to find a new way to improve Human/Cybertronian relations. They're a little messed up right now."
Jack ignored Miko's statement, folded his legs criss-cross-applesauce, and rested his head on his hand. "They're giant robots powered by solid energy, Raf. It's not really a surprise that nobody threw them a parade when they got here. We've got about a hundred years of pop culture telling us not to trust aliens. How are they going to get around that?"
Raf shrugged before he typed something else into his internet browser. Miko raised her hand and waved it as if she was in class.
"Ooh, me, me! It's really smart! It's just like what we do here, except with alien robots! Which makes it better! You know how I came over here from Japan?" Miko barely broke her question before she shook her head and pointed aggressively at Raf. "Whatever, I don't wanna have to answer questions, you gotta see it for yourself. Raf?"
"Pull the switch?" Raf shrugged, hovering over the space bar.
"I was thinking more of a 'press the button', but I actually like yours better," Miko said decisively. Jack chose to remain silent.
The logo for Triple-J News flashed across the screen, and Jack let slip a groan. Miko shushed him. A serious looking woman with short, curly hair was staring into the camera.
"Today, the infamous Cybertronian-Human Alliance, also known as the CHA, have begun implementing their first steps in a new program designed specially to improve inter-species relationships. The two allies have been neutral, but as of the Energon Earth Crisis, tensions have been rising." The woman paused and took a breath. "Their program, known to the public as the Protoform Program, is currently accepting applicants 18 and under who show themselves to be capable of 'open-minded thinking' and creative problem solving. When asked for a formal statement, the CHA liaison had this to say;"
A new clip took the woman's place on the screen. The speaker this time was male, heavyset, and African American. He was wearing a loosely knotted striped tie.
"They say you can't understand someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes," the liaison said, coughing into his hand. The newscast named him as Agent Fowler, CHA.
"Well, our alien buddies don't wear shoes, but they manage to walk with us just fine. The problem isn't with our cybertronian allies-it's with how little we humansreally understand them. That's where the PP- Protoform Program- comes in. We're gonna go make ourselves understand them. The CHA is looking for talented kids to record and send back to Earth their experiences on Cybertron in our program. It will be a fair foreign exchange," Fowler explained, motioning with his hand.
"They send their kids to earth, we send ours over there. It's 100% safe; there will be United Forces Officers assigned to keep watch. Our mission is completely harmless- the point of the program is to learn as much about both of our races as we can. Hopefully the younger generation can succeed where we haven't." Something swung into the frame, and the man batted it away. "Uncle Sam's top hat, watch where you're moving that mic-"
The clip stopped rolling, and the woman gazed on, unperturbed. "No other information has been released besides an internet address and an official phone number where those interested may contact the CHA. Students interested are advised to turn in their application before-"
Raf paused the video and looked at Jack expectantly. Jack let out a long breath.
"I really hope that acronym never catches on," he said blankly.
Miko laughed nervously and nudged his shoulder. "Shell-shocked, Jack-o? C'mon, you gotta be at least a tiny bit interested!"
"Why?" Jack asked, crooking an eyebrow. "Why do you guys care if I'm interested or not? I mean, it's not like you…" The older teen stopped dead in the middle of his sentence. He drew a hand over his face. "You two already signed up." It wasn't a question.
Miko beamed. "And the last horse crosses the finishing line," she giggled. "Guilty as charged!"
"I found out a couple weeks in advance," Raf admitted. "I spent a week straight of begging and another half a week of rational arguments getting my mama to sign my application form. I sent it in a couple days ago, and I've been waiting to see the confirmation email all day."
"That's why you brought your laptop to school," Jack realized. Raf nodded. "You've been waiting to see if they got your application?"
"Yeah. I passed the info along to Miko, and she's been working just as hard as I have to get her parents to agree."
"They're this close to breaking," Miko said, holding her fingers slightly apart. "I can feel it! I mean, if for nothing else, "Went to an alien planet and did homework on it" is gonna look great on a college application."
"And you want me to sign up, too?"
"Dude," Miko sighed dramatically, "You HAVE to sign up. Like it or not, we're a group. A power trio! You can't break up the band! As good friends, me and Raf can't let you waste your life here in Nowheresville."
"Since when were we a band?" Jack asked, his head spinning. Cybertron? Another planet? Jack had always wanted to be an astronaut, but the furthest he had ever thought of going was the moon.
"Since that day you rescued my keys from the storm drain and I made you a mix tape as a thank you," Miko remembered.
"Since that day you stopped Vince from breaking my glasses after Computer Science and we teamed up for the class," Raf mentioned with a smile.
"SINCE THAT FIRST FOLDER OF TERRIBLE GIFS!" Miko and Raf said simultaneously, high-fiving.
"All for one, one for all, bro," Miko said, slinging an arm around Jack's shoulder. "You're a musketeer whether you like it or not."
Jack pressed his lips into a flat line and looked contemplative. These were his friends- some of his only friends. How could he tell them about wanting normalcy when they were trying their hardest to bring him somewhere extraordinary? It didn't seem fair to them. But what would his mom say? He couldn't just barge in and say, 'Hey, I want to go to another planet!' Jack had to think about her, too.
He was stuck.
But staring down his friends as they looked at him with hopeful eyes, Jack just couldn't say so.
"En garde?" Jack said weakly.
"THAT MEANS YES!" Miko squealed, and Raf's face lit up as she tackled both boys into a bear hug. "WE KNEW YOU'D DO IT!"
"It doesn't mean I'm doing it," Jack protested, "It means I'll think about it! I have to see if I really want to do this, and get my Mom's approval-"
Miko wasn't listening, having opted to do a victory dance instead. Raf looked apologetic as he laughed.
"There's no guarantee you'll even get selected, Miko! Thousands of kids must have the same idea!"Jack reminded her. Miko waved a hand dismissively.
"WE still have to get picked, you mean," she sniffed. "Don't worry about it! My mom always said I had the luck of the devil. I got enough mojo for all of us," Miko bragged, "So you might as well pack your bags right now!"
Jack glanced at Raf and wondered how the younger boy and Miko managed to pull him into things like this.