CHAPTER FOUR
Police Brutality
*
After the strange experience last night, Celestia was never going to be shocked again. She'd given up being shocked years ago.
Still…
She missed out on a ride with Jessica to the train station, and so would have to walk, which would take forever…unless she rollerbladed, which would be faster.
Celestia snapped on the rollerblades Jessica had long ago abandoned, and rollerbladed down the street, and onto a busier road. She rollerbladed effortlessly, only getting a little tired, especially when she reached THE HILL.
She was relieved to reach the top, and then coast all the way down to the bottom…but that's not exactly what happened.
One minute she was coasting, and the next…
Did I just…get hit by a car? Celestia wondered, as she flew backwards through the air, and then landed on the grassy side of the road, her backpack lying next to her, and she was staring dazedly up at the sun. How come I'm not dead?
"Celestia!?" She heard running footsteps, and struggled to sit up.
"Bumblebee?"
A pair of arms came out, and helped to steady her as she struggled to her feet. "Yeah," Said the voice of her attacker – and her rescuer. "Whoa, don't try to stand up yet, Cel…"
"I'm fine," She assured him, picking up her backpack and testing out her limbs. "It's okay…"
"That seems to be your favourite line." Bumblebee said dryly, as he regarded her through his really nice aqua eyes.
"It's okay." Celestia said again, assuring herself that everything was still intact, as she made her way back onto the road.
*
"Whoa, hold on, I'm not letting you go skating off down the street again," Bumblebee said, easily keeping pace with her and stopping her by holding onto her wrists – he was really strong. "It's too dangerous!"
Celestia just looked at him.
Bumblebee smiled. Now that she wasn't going to go off skating down this dangerous street again – he couldn't believe he hadn't seen her, she'd just come out of nowhere again! – he was relaxed. "There, that's better – now, do you need a lift somewhere?"
Celestia nodded. "Yes – to school."
"Then why don't I take you there?"
"Do I have a choice?" Celestia asked, and Bumblebee's eyes lit up.
Humour! Oh Primus, she had a sense of humour!
Celestia smiled, a little.
*
Celestia got out of the yellow sports car, she was later for school then she'd realised – it was recess time already! So, everyone saw as she got out of the car, and thanked Bumblebee for driving her to school.
She waved as he drove off, but not before they both heard someone say: "That car's a piece of crap – though the guy wasn't half bad."
It was Jessica.
Celestia glanced at her sister, and then just walked off.
*
In music class, Celestia's teacher had a surprise for them.
"We have been asked to perform a few numbers at the Autumn Festival, to be held next month." Mr. Charles Raydox was one of the few teachers – one of the few people, in fact – that Celestia liked. He was always telling her to smile, and sometimes she did.
"Ooh, ooh!" Someone called. "Will there be any solo acts!? For singers, such as myself, that is." She added in mock smugness.
Practically everyone laughed – because practically everyone in the class was a singer!
"Yes," Charles smiled. "Auditions will be held next week some time, in M Block since the sports centre is still under repair." He looked at the class, and then glanced at Celestia, who was sitting there with no expression on her face. "I expect everyone in this class to participate." He added. "Because we want to beat the other class." He said seriously.
Everyone nodded. This was competition. The entire class played more then one instrument, like Ms. Julia Stones' music class, which Celestia's sister was in.
Celestia didn't really care about beating her sister – she just wanted to play good music and sing.
Should she try out for a solo part, or just sing in the chorus? (The class was large enough for that).
What instrument should she play? Piano? Violin? Guitar? Saxophone? Did it matter?
"Some of you may find yourselves playing different instruments for different numbers." Charles added.
Oh, well that answers that. Celestia realised.
*
After school that day, Jessica confronted her sister.
"That's the same guy you were with yesterday, wasn't it?" She asked accusingly, barring Celestia's way into the carpark. "Who was he?" She wanted to know.
Celestia shrugged. "Just someone. A friend."
Jessica laughed shortly. "Since when do you have friends!? Especially cute friends?" She added nastily, grabbing Celestia's jumper at the front. "Now tell me – who is he?"
Celestia happened to glance past her sister then. "Bumblebee…"
"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MAH GIRL, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MAH GIRL!!" The stereo of the old yellow sports car played, and Jessica dropped Celestia in surprise, as the car with the black racing stripes double parked across two spaces, and Bumblebee got out.
"Celestia," He said, coming over to her, although he glared at Jessica, who seemed to have lost the power of speech. "Come on, let's go." He said, taking her hands.
"O-okay." Celestia replied, blinking a few times as Bumblebee near on dragged her towards his car, and held the door open for her. "Thankyou, Bumblebee." She said politely, buckling her seatbelt.
"You're welcome, Celestia." He said, with the same degree of politeness, maybe even more.
Then he got in the driver's side, and drove out of the car park.
Jessica blinked a few times, and then whipped out her car keys. She and her best friends, Yacinta Leech and Cassie Antonovitch, hopped into Jessica's hot pink BMW M3 Convertible, and followed the yellow car out onto the highway.
*
"Do you know that car?" Bumblebee asked suddenly, pointing to the rear-view mirror.
Celestia glanced into the rear-view mirror too. "Oh. That's my sister and her friends." She replied without any expression, as Jessica pulled up alongside them and gave Celestia an Evil Glare.
"I'll lose em'." Bumblebee replied, increasing speed as they approached an off-ramp which Bumblebee made it look like they had no intention of taking. "Hold on." He added, and the seatbelt seemed to tighten around Celestia as she held onto it.
At the last second, Bumblebee dropped his speed back and zoomed out onto the off-ramp, leaving Jessica behind.
"You did it." Celestia said simply, releasing her hold on the seatbelt as it in turn released its hold on her. "Nicely done." She added.
"Thanks." Bumblebee said, as they drove along the banks of the river.
*
"I'm thirsty." Celestia said suddenly, which caused Bumblebee to swerve, narrowly avoiding an oncoming Lancer, and pulled up alongside a curb outside of a deli. "Thanks, but…this is a no parking zone." Celestia informed him as she got out.
"Oh," Bumblebee had never heard of a 'no parking zone', but he assumed that you weren't supposed to stop here. "Well then, in that case, wait here for me while I find a place to, umm, park." She nodded as he drove away.
She had only just met him but, already, she was starting to wonder if he was a…friend?
She had never had a friend but, she imagined, this might be what one was.
She would just have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, she dreamed of being able to hang out with Bumblebee, to be able to help him out if he needed her help (the way he had helped her out), maybe he would even come to the festival with her..? She figured she could look forward to that.
Presently, her thoughts were brought back to the present, as an American-style Saleen S281 "Extreme" Mustang suddenly pulled up nearby, and a police officer got out.
Is that the same one as..? Celestia didn't have time to finish the thought, as the police officer walked up to her.
He was young, maybe in his very early twenties, and was a 'plain clothes' police officer. He wore black jeans, and a grey jacket that actually said POLICE on it, which was kind of cool. He had messy black hair, and his eyes…
They were red.
Oh boy… Celestia thought, taking an automatic half-step backwards.
"Celestia Imperia?" The police officer asked, in a cool, calm voice.
No, say no! A little voice in her mind screamed. "Uh…yes?" Fine then, don't listen to me.
The police officer temporarily flashed a badge at her, she saw maybe two words on it – police and officer – before he grabbed her by the arm and said: "You are under arrested, wanted in regards to a number of felonies." As he said this, he began walking towards his car, and Celestia had no choice but to follow him, feeling confused and not embarrassed by the stares she was getting. "You have the right to remain silent…"
Jeez Bumblebee, you picked a lousy time to find a parking space. Celestia thought, as the police officer made her stand against his car with her back to him, and then he began to pat her down for weapons.
Celestia soon realised that maybe he was being a little too thorough, was this what they called indecency? She was just deciding whether or not she should say something, when the search was finished.
"Get in." The police officer told her, but something made Celestia stand her ground.
"No." She said, quite clearly.
The police officer narrowed his red eyes at her. "No?" He repeated, taking a step towards her. This time, she didn't take a step back.
"No, Barricade." Celestia said even more clearly, and then slammed her fist into and straight through the car's window, before pushing away and running straight into a crowd of people gathered around.
She heard the car's engine roar angrily, and then a collection of terrified screams. She stopped for two precious minutes in an alleyway, to reach into her backpack and snap on her rollerblades.
"Wheels don't fail me now." She said to them, as she began to skate towards the more populated part of Perth city, wondering why her hand was stinging so much, and why it mattered to her.
Why should it matter?
Because, for the first time in her life, Celestia felt uncertain.
What was going on?
*
Bumblebee slammed on the brakes as Celestia appeared in front of him, narrowly avoiding hitting her for a second time that day.
"Celestia!?" Bumblebee cried, seeing the blood on her hand, and wondering why she didn't look as panicked as what her heart was racing.
"Bumblebee." She said, and he heard a note of something – panic, maybe? – in her voice, just as a black car raced around the corner.
Bumblebee knew exactly who it was, and watched as Celestia's violet eyes widened as Barricade transformed.
Bumblebee was transforming too, and soon the two robots, one black and one yellow, stood there facing each other, with Celestia in between.
If Celestia was shocked, she didn't show it.
*
Celestia wasn't shocked, in fact, by seeing the two giant robots, after all she had seen it before. What did shock her was the sudden rush of familiarity at the situation, although not necessarily from the day before.
And, also the fact that her panic had subsided. Because, suddenly, she knew. She knew so much, and yet she didn't know anything at all.
She held her hand to her chest as the two robots began to speak.
"Let's not make this complicated," He said, looking steadily at Bumblebee. "Just give me the girl – and I may let you live."
Bumblebee looked down at Celestia, who glanced up at him. Then, Celestia glanced at the black Decepticon, and just happened to see the words 'to punish and enslave' written on his arm.
She shook her head slightly.
That was all the persuasion Bumblebee needed, as he grabbed her and transformed, throwing her inside of his vehicle form and taking off down the street, buckling Celestia in as he did.
They heard Barricade chuckle behind them, and say: "I love it when they run." Before he too transformed.
The chase was on.
*
"All units be on the look-out for a white male with blonde hair and a yellow jumper. Suspect was last seen driving a beat up yellow sports car. Wanted for kidnapping local girl Celestia Imperia. Suspect is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Impede them both without hurting the girl, at all costs! After the girl has been detained, recommend use of excessive force."
"He means business." Bumblebee said grimly, as he worked to evade the cop cars, and Celestia scanned the road ahead for road spikes. "But, so do we." He added, pulling onto the freeway.
Celestia looked, and saw that Bumblebee was heading towards a silver Pontiac Solstice that was idling in the emergency lane.
"Get out and into him, okay Cel?" Bumblebee, whom Celestia was getting fairly used to was really a giant robot, said. "Don't worry," He added, pulling up alongside the silver car, who turned his wheels towards them. "Jazz will take care of you."
"What about you?" Celestia asked. "You heard what Barricade said – and you know what excessive force means."
"Don't worry," Bumblebee chuckled. "We Transformers have ways and means of avoiding detection."
Transformers? Celestia wondered, as she climbed out of Bumblebee, and into the silver car. "Ways and means?" She questioned.
The "driver" of the silver car was a little bit older than her, with tanned skin, black dreadlocks, his clothes had style and his blue eyes glittered at her from behind black sunnies. He chuckled too. "Many ways and means, lil' bitch." Jazz said. "Hold on." He added, as the seatbelt Celestia clung to tightened around her, and he sped off south down the freeway, with the Limp Bizkit theme from The Fast And The Furious shouting from the speakers.
Good Lord. Celestia thought.
***
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy birthday to me!!