Transformers Prime

Jack awoke to the sound of a running shower. Mom was usually gone by now, off to work, so he figured that Arcee was told how to use one. Yawning with abandon, Jack mazed his way through his sleeping bag to finally stand up. Folding it meticulously, he picked up his pillow, proud that there was no slobber marks on it, and put them back into the closet.

Turning back around, he saw his bed, covered with uneven sheets and the comforter laying halfway between being on the bed and on the floor. Wow, Arcee moved around a lot in her sleep. But thinking about it, those giant berth things they slept on were essentially giant raised slabs. Maybe they all tossed and turned in their sleep.

Except maybe Optimus. He looked like the kind of bot that would sleep completely still. Laughing lightly at the thought, he folded the sheets back to make the bed look sleepable on again. He heard the distant rush of water stop suddenly. So Arcee was out of the shower. Grabbing his own set of clothes out of the drawer to change into after his own shower, he made his way into the hallway.

"Morning, Jack. You're right, it is hard to stay awake as a human," she commented offhandedly, walking back to his room. Jack tried not to let his jaw drop. She was wrapped only in a towel, and her hair was still extra-slick from excess water. He blinked several times to snap himself out of his daze. Get a hold of yourself, Jack. This wasn't even her real body. Even though he had to admit, it was hot. Why the heck did Arcee's ambushers put so much work into a human body anyway?

"Y-yeah! We humans sure get tired easy," he stuttered lamely, realizing he paused a second too long. Arcee's expression was amused with a raised eyebrow. Jack hoped to the stars above that she didn't guess what he was thinking. "I'll be ready in a second, I gotta wash up," he said with a cough, rushing into said restroom.

After they were both dressed, Jack in his usual set of clothes, and Arcee wearing a get-up similar to what she wore the night before, they waited on the porch for Bulkhead to pick them up. Ratchet had said over the phone moments ago that with Bumblebee being the only available scout at this time that he'd be busy during the mornings and early afternoons to assist in investigations in finding Arcee's cybertronian frame.

"Do we just go by your hologram's name?" Jack asked. Arcee nodded without looking his way.

"That's what Optimus put my name as," she confirmed. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, you're already enrolled in the school? How did Optimus manage that?" Jack retorted. Arcee rolled her eyes.

"You don't remember?" She said, putting one of her hands on her knee and turning to look at him. "He is, or was, an Archivist. In effect, he's basically a hacker," she continued, laughing at Jack's confusion.

"I didn't know Optimus could do that. I thought he was more like a...librarian," Jack replied, embarrassed.

"For the past few weeks he had been decoding relics. And archivists record things, put in codes, etc.," she responded with a chuckle.

"Oh."

There was a honk of a horn, accompanied by the sound of heavy metal. Arcee sighed and dropped her head in tiredness. "Did it have to be Bulkhead and Miko?" Arcee complained, standing up heavily, and Jack followed her to the SUV.

"Do you know how embarrassing it would be to be dropped off by an Ambulance? Or better yet, a Big Rig? It would make no kinds of sense!"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Arcee said with a sigh. "I call the drivers' seat!" she added, circling the vehicle to get to the steering wheel. "Hey, Bulk."

"Hey, Arcee. Jack. How's it goin," Bulkhead responded in greeting. Jack returned the greeting, sitting in the back seat. Miko, who was in the passenger's seat, twisted around to look at Jack.

"What's up, guys! You ready for school, Arcee?" she said, turning her head forward to the driver's side.

Arcee leaned her head backwards on the seat cushion and Bulkhead pulled off from the house.

"Ready as I'll ever be. This day is going to be so stupid," she uttered, idly resting a hand on the steering wheel. Miko only giggled in reply. Since Franklin High School wasn't too far by driving distance, Arcee was grateful for the relative silence, well save for the heavy metal. They pulled up to the side of the building where Bulkhead usually drops Miko off, and they all piled out.

"All right, kids. Keep out of trouble. Especially you, Arcee," Bulkhead warned before laughing and driving off to a spot where he could enter the GroundBridge unseen. Arcee shook her head in annoyance.

"What the heck was that supposed to mean!" She demanded, turning around to face Jack, who raised his hands in surrender. Arcee was about a head taller than Jack, looking down at him like he was part of some plot.

"I dunno. You'd probably end up beating someone up. Try not to get angry too easy," he suggested, earning a scowl from Arcee. "I'm just saying," he added meekly.

"Come on guys, before we miss the bell. Arcee, do you have a copy of your class schedule?"

Arcee shook her head at Miko. "Don't need it. Apparently, I still retain an eidetic memory."

Miko frowned in consternation. "A what?"

"I remember things very easily. I have it memorized," she explained while attempting to stop herself from facepalming.

"Why didn't you just say that at first?" Miko retorted with a roll of her eyes. She started up the steps to her on homeroom and Jack and a slightly incensed Arcee walked up the stairs moments later.

"The school hallway, this is where most of the traffic is," Jack explained, as they all went to their first class. Through Optimus' 'hacking', Arcee had the same class schedule that he did. Arcee had explained that it was so they could keep an eye on each other. She also didn't hesitate to add that all the classes were extremely easy anyway.

"Way to rub it in, Sadie," Jack said sarcastically, careful not to say 'Arcee' with all the other students and faculty present.

"I told you, payback for you being a prick," Arcee retorted in amusement. They were only a few more feet away from the room, but then a tall, blond haired teen suddenly put his arm in front of a nearby locker, blocking their path.

"What's up, Darby," Vince said in mock friendliness. Jack forced himself not to roll his eyes.

"Vince."

Arcee raised an eyebrow at this. Wasn't this the guy that Jack raced twice in those street races. She half stepped back on instinct when Vince suddenly took a step towards her.

"Who is this lovely lady?" the sandy haired teen asked, wiggling his brows at her. Clearly, he didn't know what personal space was. Jack stepped in between them and crossed his arms, facing Vince.

"She's a friend of mine. Go away, Vince. Haven't you had enough fun stealing those burgers you should've paid for?"

Vince cleared his throat, not trying to be embarrassed in front of this new hot girl. "Ha. What are you talking about?" he said smoothly, brushing off Jack's comment, and turning back to Arcee. "So, babe. What's your name? Your 'friend' here," Vince said with airquotes, "has already introduced me."

Arcee looked utterly unimpressed. She had a hand on her hip, and Vince thought she was simply on fire.

"Listen, Vince?"

Hearing his name, he jerked his brows up and down. Oh yeah, his masculine charm was working like always.

"Try talking to someone who's interested?" she suggested, succeeding in wiping the grin off of Vince's face. "Let's get to class, Jack," she said dismissively. Vince hadn't moved from his spot, looking dumbstruck. Jack shrugged at Vince with a smirk, before following Arcee to class.

"Dude, you got rejected. By a new girl," one of Vince's buddies observed with a laugh.

"That girl, I need to know her name!" Vince said, ignoring his friend's comment. "Did you see her? That hair! It was sexy!" Vince continued, shaking his friend's shoulders like a madman.

"Woah, dude, chill! I saw!" the hapless friend said, shoving Vince off of him. "But come on! She looks like a supermodel! You can't possibly win someone like that over!"

Vince only looked at some imaginary spot in the ceiling, a thought formulating in his mind.

"I need to get to know her," he said in daze. Suddenly frowning, he addded, "And how the heck is Darby friends with someone like her?" he ruffled his hair with a hand unconsciously. "Well, he only has that one motorcycle. I got two sportscars!" he declared confidently, shouldering past his buddy, who demanded he wait up. He would go ahead and get to class for now, but he'd win her over somehow.

Vince could do this. Darby was a dweeb. He's got this in the bag. After all, he was one of the most popular guys in school!