A/N: This story is progressing really fast… I'm really glad with all the positive reviews I'm getting! Thanks, guys! I hope that this chapter lives up to the forming expectations. And, I'm positive that this one will be much longer. Seven pages, I'm hoping. And this time, there will be robots!
Much to my remorse, I went home without any revelations. Unanimatedly, I walked inside and up the stairs, completely ignoring any remarks by my parents. I kicked off my shoes and collapsed on the bed, thoughts spinning in my mind. I went over the conclusions I'd made.
Sam and Mikeala were the people I thought they were.
'Cameron' was actually Bumblebee's holomatter.
They knew that I knew their secret.
I wasn't getting the satisfaction of a confession any time soon.
I'd have to get it myself.
With new vigor, I jumped up from my bed and to the window. It was getting darker outside, but I could still tell what was happening. Light flooded from the windows, and a stream of it appeared from the door. Sam and Mikeala walked outside, and there was no holomatter escorting them. They were headed right for the Camaro in the driveway.
Not exactly sure of what I was doing, I ran down the stairs and out the front door. I didn't even have on shoes. I ran through the grass and to the hedges that separated my house from the Witwicky's. I looked through them with great curiosity.
Sam and Mikeala got in, Sam on the driver's side. I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the steering wheel. The Camaro started, without any motion from Sam. He was chattering animatedly, facing the dash board. When his lips stopped moving, Mikeala began speaking to the dash board as well. There was a moment where neither of them spoke, but suddenly they responded again.
The Camaro was Bumblebee. I was right.
I covered my mouth and screamed. I was looking at Bumblebee, the Autobot that I was infatuated with! There was no doubt about it; it had to be him. I wondered what he thought of me, if there were any positive feelings at all. Heck, I'd be satisfied if he thought me just a friend, as long as he took some kind of positive notice.
At that very second, Bumblebee started moving. Of course, Sam didn't touch the steering wheel. I noticed they were going to drive by my house and I panicked. In a dash, I ran to the back yard then back to the front, to appear as if I'd just been walking in my yard, just as they were passing. Sam smiled, moving his hands to the wheel. I smiled too, and waved. They didn't have the slightest clue.
Observantly, I followed their path until they took a turn that blocked them from my vision. After waiting for five seconds, I ran across the road and to the sidewalk, walking down it till I got to the turn. I peered around the house there, and saw the tail-end of the Camaro taking another turn. I ran up to that turn too, and repeated my method of spying. They took another turn, and I repeated it again until they were far from my house. I didn't care.
The road they were on was straight; it was leading to an seemingly empty building. I wasn't deterred. I watched it like a hawk, until a large door hissed open. I held my hands to my chest as a huge black robot with cannons stepped out.
Ironhide. There was no mistaking it.
Sam and Mikeala stepped out, and Bumblebee transformed. My heart leaped in my chest at the sight. He walked up to Ironhide, and it seemed he was saying something quietly to him. Sam stepped up, and began talking too. Ironhide and Bumblebee looked at each other, then back to where I was.
Oh, no. Bumblebee had known I was following him the whole time. I wasn't as good of a spy as I thought.
Both Bumblebee and Ironhide transformed, racing to my hiding spot. I turned on my heels, barreling down the sidewalk. My bare feet slapped on the concrete almost painfully as I ran, even more as they hit small pebbles. I heard growling engines getting even closer, and I turned down a left turn. The sounds were ever closer, and I gasped at the sight of a dead end. When I turned around, headlights almost blinded me. I cowered behind my hand, frozen.
I was in trouble now.
Both vehicles stopped right in front of me. Two holomatters exited them, and walked right up to me.
"Are you lost, Sydney?" Bumblebee asked with a smirk. Ironhide merely glowered at me.
"Not at all, Cameron," I smiled innocently, "Just taking a afternoon walk is all. You and your friend scared me."
"Taking a walk without shoes on?" He questioned.
"I am from Kentucky, you know," I said.
"You clearly stated yourself that people from Kentucky wear shoes." Damn, he was good!
"Doesn't mean it's not comfortable," I muttered. Bumblebee shrugged.
"Would you like a ride home, then?" He asked politely. Again, my heart beat thudded in my chest like thunder. Ironhide observed me, almost amused. Of course he could hear it, let alone smell me.
"I don't wanna get in the way-"
"Don't worry, you wouldn't." Bumblebee gave a smile. God, why did he keep making me crazy! He probably thought it was funny.
"Fine."
"I'll head back," Ironhide said gruffly, walking back to his alt mode. He slammed the door loudly and peeled off. Going to tell Optimus, no doubt.
I walked over to the passenger's door, opening it as softly as possible. First impressions weren't usually important to me, but right now it meant everything. Gracefully, I sat down and closed the door just as softly as before. I clicked the seat belt in place, my heart racing wildly. The holomatter entered on the driver's side, movements just as gentle, and grabbed the steering wheel. I looked at him from the corner of my eye.
"You are one strange girl," He commented as he started 'driving'.
"I've heard that one before," I muttered. Bumblebee laughed.
"Why were you following us?" He asked, suddenly serious.
"What are you talking about?" I cringed inside for lying to him, but it was necessary.
"I saw you following us," Bumblebee said.
"I didn't even see you in the car," I countered. He grimaced, grinding his teeth.
"What did you see?" He asked, teeth clenched. I refused to speak.
"I'm going to ask you politely, Sydney. What did you see when you followed us?" Bumblebee repeated. My heart was thudding; I was making him angry. It… made my heart hurt because of it. I liked him too much, that was clear.
"Sam. Mikeala. A Camaro. An empty building." I didn't want to lie to him again.
"Was there anything else that you saw?" He asked me. Suddenly, the Camaro stopped. We were in front of my house again. I unbuckled my seat belt, and tried to open the door. It was locked, and wouldn't unlock.
"I may have."
"Tell me, what else did you see?" Bumblebee demanded. I cringed, visibly. After taking three deep breaths, I finally answered.
"I know your secret. I knew before I saw. I won't say a word," I whispered. The door opened on its own. In a daze, I got out and ran to the house before he even pulled away from the sidewalk. I turned to look a last time before Bumblebee's engine growled loudly, and he turned in the middle of the road, driving away at top speed.
There was no holomatter driving when he did. He obviously didn't care anymore. He was angry.
Almost in tears, I ran up the stairs and slammed the door shut in my room. After it was locked, I collapsed in the floor, leaning against the wall. I let the tears over take me, and I sobbed loudly. After a moment, I dragged myself to the stereo and let 'Famous Last Words' by My Chemical Romance blare on repeat as I cried.
Why did I ruin everything? Why did I have to screw up my whole life, all the time? Why did I make myself follow them, and see them, and then have Bumblebee get mad at me? Because I was sure that now, he would never, ever have any kind of feelings for me at all! I'd made him angry because I knew his secret. I'd never have any sorts of affection from him, only hatred. Probably from Sam and Mikeala, too.
I had turned a dream into a nightmare. Just like every other time.
The next morning, I unwillingly pulled myself out of bed. I didn't even bother with a shower and only brushed my hair, pulling on loose jeans and a baggy black hoodie. At school, I didn't stop when I heard the growling engine again. Instead of purring, it sounded like it was snarling at me, just for being alive. Tires screeched when Bumblebee pulled away from the sidewalk, and it felt like a dagger had been stabbed right into my heart.
My classes passed dully. At lunch, I ignored Sam and Mikaela's glares, keeping my head down, sitting alone, and eating as fast as I could. At the end of the day, I got into the back seat of my mom's car and watched the passing traffic.
"What's wrong?" My mom asked.
"Nothing," I sighed. "Everything's just… normal."
"Are you going over to Sam's house later?" She asked.
"Probably not," I scoffed.
"What happened?"
"His… friend got mad at me when I asked to look at his car," I lied. My mother was a different story, and I didn't care at the current moment about lying to her.
"Why would someone get mad at you over that?" She growled. I shrugged, and rested my forehead on the window.
At home, I refused to do my homework. Frankly, I didn't give a shit. I sat down at my desk and pulled out a book, reading for hours on end. I only paused to look out the window when Bumblebee pulled up at the driveway. There he was, right next door, but again, he was merely a dream. Something intangible. Something I could never have.
The rest of my week passed in that manner. Dully, nostalgically, almost painfully. Sarah could tell, even thousands of miles away, that I was upset. I convinced her I was homesick, and that was that. She wished me well; I didn't tell her that it was a waste.
I felt like dying.
But finally, on Saturday, my pain dissipated, in the blink of an eye.
I woke, the same emotional remorse setting in as I got up and glanced out the window. I shuddered, and went to the bathroom to take my shower. I fixed my hair afterwards, tossed on a My Chemical Romance shirt, and settled in for a day of reading fan fiction and posting Myspace bulletins on how much I missed home. Until there was a ring of the door bell.
"Sydney! Your friend Sam is here!" My mother yelled up the stairs. I gasped audibly, and hurried to put on my shoes and dash down the stairs. Sam was standing at the door, and behind him I could see Bumblebee with Mikeala in the passenger's seat.
"Hi, Sydney. We were wondering if you'd like to come with us on a trip," He smiled. I was confused beyond belief.
"Uh… I'll have to ask-"
"I've already asked your parents; they said it was okay," Sam interrupted.
"Okay… I'll get my purse." I started back up the stairs.
"You won't need it." My heart felt contorted. What was going on…?
"Okay, then." I grabbed my jacket and headed outside behind Sam.
"I hope you don't mind riding in the back," He said, opening the door and pushing down the seat.
"No, I don't," I mumbled, and carefully crawled into Bumblebee's back seat. I buckled my seat belt, and I was careful not to lean against anything but the seat. Sam crawled into the driver's seat and buckled his seat belt, too, and Bumblebee took off.
"How are you, Sydney?" Bumblebee asked politely. I was aghast. So now he was talking to me like nothing happened, and that I merely knew the truth.
I just shrugged.
"I apologize for the distress I've caused you," He continued.
"We're just cautious," Mikeala added.
"You can understand that better than most," Sam annexed as well. I merely nodded.
"I hope you aren't planning on being quiet the whole time," Mikeala said with a frown.
"It'd be impossible for her to be quiet," Bumblebee chuckled. I narrowed my eyes, making that very resolution.
"You're right," Sam said, "Oh, we're here." I looked curiously through the windshield.
It was the building that I'd followed them to. They were introducing me to the other Autobots.
"C'mon, Syd," Sam told me, offering his hand. I ignored it, and got out myself. Afterwards, Bumblebee transformed. My heart pulsed excitedly again as I watched, craning my neck to look up at his height of sixteen feet. I tried not to smile in euphoria, and I looked away. But I could still see his shadow; I covered my mouth and grinned.
"It's not illegal to smile, Sydney," Bumblebee laughed. Stupid, observant robot. I dropped my hand, still beaming. Then, I followed the three of them inside the building.
It was most definitely the Autobots' base. There was no denying it; the massive equipment, high ceiling, wide corridors. Hearing thunderous footsteps, I turned my head in the direction of the sound.
"Hello, young one. You must be Sydney. My name is Optimus Prime. I heard you had quite an adventure Monday afternoon," The huge mech smiled. I gaped at him, taking deep, audible breaths. I was looking one of my heroes right in the face. Happiness flooded me.
"I'm sure you already know of our medic, Ratchet, and warriors Sunstreaker and Sideswipe," Optimus introduced them as they entered the main hall.
"Uh-huh," I gasped, nodded. Ratchet observed me almost skeptically. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe grinned mischievously.
"Hi…" I said bashfully.
"Hi!" Sunstreaker and Sideswipe exclaimed in unison.
"Hello, Sydney," Ratchet said calmly. I could tell he was smelling me and finding out how much I liked Bumblebee. I pleaded inwardly that he wouldn't say anything.
"This isn't really how I thought it would be when another human met the Autobots," Sam laughed. I smiled brightly, proud that my knowledge would come in handy now.
"I've got lots of questions, though," I said, gaining confidence.
"Ask away," Sunstreaker prodded.
"Did the movie really happen?" I asked.
"Yes," Optimus answered, "We volunteered to relay our story to the public."
"Why weren't there reports?" I questioned.
"There were. 9/11 was actually the results of the Decepticons attacking New York City. Of course, parts weren't publicized so humans couldn't make the connections. Such as the planes hitting the towers. Starscream was responsible for that," Ratchet told me. I only nodded, processing the information. After a moment, I was ready to ask more questions.
"Are there any femmes here?"
"A few. Arcee, Chromia, a few civilians," Bumblebee answered. I scowled on the inside; Bumblebee probably had some civilian femme for a mate already. I pictured a little turquoise femme cuddled up with him in his berth, in a spot I'd dreamed belonged to me-
"Do you have any more questions?" Optimus asked, interrupting my malicious thoughts. I shook my head no.
"Bumblebee, could you show her to the area for humans?" He offered. Bumblebee nodded, and started down a corridor. I jogged to keep up with his long strides, smiling brightly at the butterflies crawling in my stomach. He stopped for a moment to let two femmes pass, giving a small polite nod. One was turquoise, and I cursed her under my breath, sticking my tongue out when she was behind me.
Within seconds, we arrived at the small section. It was a small recreation area with a flat screen, couches, and various gaming systems. The was a little refrigerator, too, and several doors.
"Those are quarters for humans if you decide to spend the weekend or something," Bumblebee told me. I just nodded, stuffing my hands in my pockets.
"Anything else you need?" Bumblebee asked, optic ridges raised. I shook my head no. Suddenly, he crouched down next to me.
"I'm sorry about the way I acted on Monday. It was very rude of me," He apologized. I felt my heart swell when his breath went into my face.
"Eh, it's okay. It's not the first time," I mumbled. He looked confused at that.
"It's not the first time a guy hasn't like me, and it won't be the last," I explained.
"Oh, no! It's not that I don't like you, I'm just committed to keeping the other Autobots safe," Bumblebee said.
"And I was going to endanger them by knowing?" I smirked. Bumblebee sighed.
"If you were going to, you wouldn't be here," He said. With that, he stood up and started down the hall again. He stopped, then turned back to me.
"Aren't you coming?" Bumblebee asked. I paused, then nodded erratically, my heart beating thunderously at his simple words that meant nothing to him, but everything to me. I ran after him in complete bliss…
A/N: Yay, I finally wrote a longer chapter! And Bumblebee was in this chapter! Teehee! :D Please, review! Dankè!