Disclaimer: Ok, this is gonna be the last time I say it cuz I keep forgetting it in the others. I don't own Transformers or any of their characters. I just have Quicksilver and Faith and Kobe.

Author's Note: Just to let ya'll know, i've been doing these crazy updates because I've already written up to Chapter 12 and I want to post as much as possible since school starts next week. So two more chapters tomorrow and then I'll update as much as I possibly can. And with my lovely habit of procrastination when it comes to school, I can almost promise that this story won't be forgotten.

The lights flashed in the gymnasium, making a strange feeling spread through my body. Music blared out of the massive speakers and other students pressed against me. In turn, I pressed against my partner. He wrapped his arms tighter around me, pulling me against his body. Our bodies swayed together in perfect harmony, not only with one another but with the music as well. My hands ran down the rough material of the front of his tux. There had been no doubt in my mind when I told him that I would love to go to prom with him. Looking up, I saw my date's dark eyes shining as a deep laugh came from his chest. He leaned slightly down and pressed his lips against mine. It was our first kiss.


The moment Popi saw me, a stern look crossed over his face. I acted like nothing was wrong as I continued about my work in the stable. I knew the moment that I had put the bikini top on that Popi would object but it had been so incredibly hot that I figured a bikini top would be cooler than anything else besides stripping down to my birthday suit. That and this way I could get a nice tan.

"Faith…" The older man's voice was calm but heavy with warning. I set the broom I had been sweeping with against the wall and squared my shoulders before facing Popi.

"Come on, Popi. It's so hot and I'm tired of having to smell by B.O. This is so much cooler for me and I get a nice tan" Popi watched me with a critical eye.

"Any other day Faith. Go inside and put something else on" By some miracle I held back a sigh as I went to my room. Going through my clothes I groaned when I realized I needed to do laundry. There was nothing clean except for one tank top. I held it in my hands and then raised my eyes to the heavens.

"I'm sorry Lord, but if you're going to tempt me like this, I've gotta take the bait. Please, just look away"

Popi nearly had a heart attack when he saw me skipping into the barn wearing a Hooter's tank top. I just pretended like nothing was the matter and I was wearing some average t-shirt. Glancing over at Popi, I saw how he was unsure if he should laugh or yell at me. Eventually he just gave up and walked out of the barn muttering something about teenagers under his breath. It wasn't until after he left that the radio I had in the lounge flipped on, its volume escalating.

Show off that body you got it sang. It didn't get past the first lyric before I was able to switch it to another station. I should never have accepted that XM radio that my friend had bought me. I came out of the lounge scowling and I let out a cry when the volume once again rose on its own as it switched from the R&B station I had put it on, to a rock station. I was frozen as the station switched back and forth between the rock station and a hip hop station as if two people were arguing over which they wanted to listen to. Fed up and thoroughly freaked out, I grabbed the radio, took out the batteries and flung it out of the stable. I stormed back in only to hear the song Where Is The Love? coming from the Solstice. Kobe was sitting in the passenger seat, staring at the dashboard in curious confusion. I let out a frustrated cry, clenching my hands into fists. Looks like God wasn't about to let me get away with wearing the Hooters tank top.

Just as I was about to grab Kobe out of the Solstice, hands wrapped around my waist and hoisted me off of me feet. I screamed out and twisted around just enough to send my heel into the groin of my attacker. A pained cry and a string of profanity rang out as I was dropped to the floor. My best friend stood behind me, doubled over in pain.

"Nice to see you too, Faith" he groaned as he slowly sank to the floor. I just stared at the African-American teenager.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The question went unanswered for several minutes until Antony was able to straighten up, his hands still covering his groin.

"I came here to surprise you. Turns out that was kinda a bad idea" His normally deep voice was slightly high-pitched. He gained none of my sympathy but all of my anger.

"You know you shouldn't be here" I said as I walked away. I heard a groan and a muttered prayer of 'Why me, Lord?' before Antony jogged after me and grabbed my wrist before I could go any further.

"You know why I'm here and admit it, you're happy"

"Do I look happy?" I said with a sneer.

"No, just perturbed"

"Oh, good job with the big word" Antony's hand tightened on my wrist and his voice suddenly became serious.

"You know why I'm here and you also know I'm not leaving you. I'm not going to let you get hurt by him again" My anger instantly vanished. I would never admit it, but I did feel better with Antony around. The moment that he realized that he had won, Antony's mood changed.

"So Snowflake, where's Shaq?" I rolled my eyes as I playfully poked Antony in his well-defined abs.

"His name is Kobe and he's in the-"

"Holy shit!" Antony cried as he finally noticed the cars. Kobe perked up in the Solstice and jumped out the moment he saw Antony. The puppy started running around the stable like crazy as Antony drooled over the Solstice.

"Can I-"

"No"

"But-"

"No"

"Please-"

"No"

Antony's hand hovered over the red hood. I knew he'd be all over it but if he even touched it with a fingernail, he'd lose his hand. After his last experience with a car, my friend was banned for life. If I had known he'd be coming I would have never agreed to taking in Speedemon's cars. Now I had to babysit the eighteen-year old to make sure nobody went out on any joy rides. I had my work cut out for me.

"How did you….these are…you…" Antony turned around, completely bewildered. His jaw was moving up and down like he wanted to say something but no words came out.

"They belong to a friend and you go nowhere near them. If I find out that you're even dreaming about them, I'll have you neutered, got it?" Antony's face dropped and his hand instinctively went back to cover his groin.

"Got it" he mumbled. He reminded me of Kobe when I had first chided him about being around the vehicles. I finished sweeping the barn aisle as fast as I could while Antony wound his way through the autos. My friend was a complete city boy; he was dressed in name brand jeans and neatly pressed and an extremely oversized polo with thick beige, white, and black stripes. There was the slight scent of the cologne I had bought him as a graduation present. His hair was in a tidy buzz cut and I knew he probably had it done right before he came here. I was just about finished when Antony was peering into the Solstice's driver's window where Kobe was once again seated when music suddenly switched on. The black teen jumped and raised his hands, making a show of how he had nothing to do with the sudden music. I rolled my eyes and told him it had been going on like that all morning.

"Hey, at least it's on good music" he said with a crooked grin. The radio was playing a popular hip-hop song. Antony started to dance to the music and it was hard not to laugh with him. He was an incredible dancer and he got more into the movements as he came into the barn aisle. Trying to ignore him, I kept on sweeping as he whirled around me, his body moving with incredible fluidity and grace despite his football player build. When he tried to grab me and make me dance, I poked him away with the end of the broom. He was relentless though and he almost had his way when the music abruptly turned off. A few moments later, Popi came through the stable doors. He eyed us but then he walked up and welcomed Antony.

"See why I didn't want you wearing the bikini?" he asked in a low tone. Antony immediately perked up upon hearing that.

"Wow, so you graduated from a bikini to the Hooters shirt. Is good little Faith starting to go bad?" he asked with a cocky grin.

"If I were to ever go bad it would be because of you"

"Hey, we haven't seen each other since graduation over a month ago. You're going bad has nothing to do with me"

"I'm not going bad"

"Sure Faith, hold onto what little goodness you have left in ya. I'll be waiting for you when you finally turn…to the dark side" The last part he had snuck up behind me and hissed in my ear while holding my waist. Too bad he was able to dodge the right hook I had aimed just for him.


I stared Antony down, daring him to repeat what he just said. It had only been one day since he arrived and he was already causing trouble. He stood there next to Taffy's stall with the biggest smirk on his face, showing how proud he was of himself. He knew exactly what he said and what effect it would have on me.

"What?" he asked, acting as if he didn't know how he just insulted my horse. "I was just wondering why you're always going on about how cool these horses are. They're all a bunch of expensive and dirty meat bags" I glared at Antony and anyone who didn't know the two of us would have guessed that I was about to kill my friend. But we had played this game countless times before and would keep on playing it even while we wheeled ourselves down the aisles of our nursing home.

"And you're saying this like you have something better than my horses"
"I do. It's called a motorcycle. If I remember my history right, it replaced

the meat bags"

"Oh so you stayed awake during history class just long enough to hear that tidbit of information"

"Let me tell you another tidbit of information. I could smoke you and your horses' big asses on my motorcycle" At this point Antony and I were standing so close that our faces were inches apart. I had to stand on the tips of my toes so that I could look him squarely in the eyes.

"Wanna bet?" I asked with a wicked smile.

"Yeah, I do" My friend and I stared each other down.

"Fine then. I bet that Taffy and I could beat you at pole bending"

"What the hell is 'pole bending'? I bet there's no such thing"

"I only bet on one thing at a time. So do we have an agreement?" I asked as I offered my hand after I took a step back. Antony looked at my face, then my hand, and then back to my face. Thinking it over he began smiling as he fiercely took my offered hand and shook it.

"Five hundred dollars, up front cash, to the winner"

"Agreed"

The money was pinned to a cork board in the lounge. Antony and I had carefully counted it before we put it there, not trusting for one or the other to hold onto it. Taffy was calm as I got her ready but the moment she saw me setting up the poles, she began getting jittery. Now I sat on her, waiting for Antony to finish showing off on his bike. I was starting to get annoyed as he rode tight circles around Taffy and me.

"Will you quit it?" I yelled as I hurled the core of the apple I had been eating at him. It hit him neatly in the head, making a satisfactory thunking sound even though he wasn't wearing a helmet. It showed how much brains he had. Antony skidded to a stop beside Taffy and I, covering all of us in a layer of dust. I coughed, waving my hand to get the dust away from my face.

"Are you done being a jerk?"

"I'm never done being a jerk, you know that" he laughed as he revved his motorcycle's engine. I sighed, rolling my eyes before I began explaining the rules. The seven vertical poles were spaced out evenly down the length of the arena and there was plenty of maneuvering room.

"Okay, the point of this is to, obviously, get the fastest time. Start here at this line and then go all the way down the length of the poles and when you get to the furthest one, make a tight turn. Start weaving in and out between the poles and when you get to the pole closest to us, make another tight turn and weave your way back through the poles to the far side of the arena. Once you get to the far end, make your final turn and make a run straight back here. Start when the whistle blows and if you knock any poles down, you lose. Got it, or is it too hard for your tiny mind to grasp?" Antony smirked at me with annoyance. I knew that he understood the course but he wasn't positive about it. He would want me to go through it first so that he could make sure he wouldn't do the wrong thing. I was proven right when he revved his engine and motioned me forward to the starting/ finishing line that I had drawn in the dirt. Two automatic timers were on either side of Taffy and I; the moment that we would pass between them, they would automatically begin the stopwatch and they would stop when we passed over the line again to finish. I used the machines to practice whenever I and the horses trained for speed events and I preferred using them than getting into an argument on whether or not someone cheated when timing the course.

We agreed about starting on the line and I halted Taffy with the tips of her hooves touching it. I began squeezing my legs around her while pulling back on the reins, urging her forward while still holding her back. Taffy knew the cue well and she began dancing in place with excitement. She tossed her head when I started asking her if she was ready. Her ears were as far forward as possible, locking onto the furthest pole at the end of the line. She strained against the bridle, begging me to let her go. When I let out a long kissing noise, the mare took off so fast that I would have flipped right out of the saddle if I wasn't holding onto a chunk of her mane. The poles were an absolute blur as Taffy galloped to the furthest one. I held on tightly to the saddle horn to keep myself in settled into the saddle so I wouldn't knock Taffy off balance. She turned so fast and so tightly that the pole was inches from hitting my head. With great ease and speed, she weaved her way through the poles. I used the reins and my legs to steer her, yelling 'over!' to guide her around the obstacles. She knew this course so well though, that my main concern was holding onto the swift horse. We came to the last pole, the one closest to the starting line, and made another hairpin turn. Taffy's powerful hindquarters and agile movements had us flying around the pole, barely having slowed down to make the turn. Once again we weaved our way through the poles to the furthest one, the one we made our original turn around. She wiped around it again and the moment we were done with the turn, I leaned forward over her neck and squeezed my legs as tightly as I could while making the kissing sound. The mare switched to a whole new gear, her legs churning in a whirlwind beneath us. We thundered past the finish line and came to a skidding stop inches from the front wheel of the bike, showering Antony with dirt. I could feel my elation at Taffy's speed and I knew that we had won this bet. Antony's bike may have been faster than Taffy, but no one could beat her agility. Giving the mare a pat which let her and Antony know how well she did, I walked her over to the timers. They read 0:21:36.

Antony, however, didn't think the same. He cracked his knuckles and then moved his bike to the starting line.

"Start thinking up suggestions on what I should do with that five hundred dollars, okay?" he said with a wink. When he gunned it, sand sprayed everywhere. I winced as the cloud of dirt settled upon Taffy and me. I made a mental note to cover his precious bike with dirt that night. It didn't matter to me that he was just returning the favor for my covering him with dirt. I watched with amusement as Antony flew toward the furthest pole. Despite his cockiness he was going much slower than he normally would. But after the first turn, he gained some confidence. He weaved through the poles, gaining speed with each maneuver. He made the second turn with ease, putting his foot down on the ground to balance himself and then hit the throttle with everything he had. That was his downfall. The bike began wobbling through the poles, more of a fight to avoid losing control than anything else. But Antony knew how close he was to winning the bet so he recklessly took the last turn. The bike began wobbling so hard from side to side that I was sure that he was going to crash. I cried out, mad at myself for not forcing him to wear a helmet. By some miracle Antony was able to jump off the bike and land on his feet before it crashed to the ground. I swung off and ran over to my friend, Taffy trotting behind me. Once I realized that Antony was all right I smacked him upside his head.

"Wear a helmet next time, you idiot!" I chided him. Antony rubbed his head were I had hit it.

"Oh yeah, like how you are?" he glowered, pointing a finger at my helmet-less head. I was about to reply when Taffy jumped in fright, knocking into me and then into Antony. Quickly I looked over my shoulder to see what was wrong with her when I noticed a large shadow sliding into the Southern doors of the barn. It was hard to tell what it was because of how fast it had disappeared but it must have been a bit over fifteen feet tall. When I turned back to face Antony, he was crooning over his fallen motorcycle. He must have not seen the shadow.

Shaking my head in confusion I convinced myself that it was merely a cloud or an airplane flying over head. There was also the possibility that after everything that had just happened, I just imagined what I saw. Something in the back of my head told me that what I saw was real and worthy of my attention but I ignored it. Instead I focused my attention on Antony and forced an easygoing façade.

"Should we even bother checking the timers?" I asked coyly, barely able to hide the nervousness in my voice. My friend gave me a dirty look over his shoulder and then hauled his bike to its two wheels. With a hefty sigh, he began walking it back to the barn. Taking a tight grip on Taffy's reins, I led her as I followed Antony. I stopped briefly to turn off the timer which had kept running since Antony never crossed back over the finish line. When I resumed walking back to the barn it only took a few steps before I was violently pulled back. Taffy stared at me from where she was standing, refusing to go forward. I came to her head and began stroking the soft coat just behind her elegant ear. The mare pressed her nose into my stomach and sighed. I looked over my shoulder at the barn as I ran my hand down her neck. There was nothing I could do at the moment but as soon as Popi came home I would talk to him and ask if I could put the horses out to pasture for a few nights. I would let Taffy have free range over the ranch and I knew that she would be sleeping below my bedroom window. And if Popi didn't agree, which was possible because of the odd rumors of a mountain lion going around, then I would sleep in the barn with the horses. It was absolutely the last thing I wanted to do, but if there was trouble with the horses at least I would be right there to help, or protect, them if need be.

Antony was in the stable and cleaning the dust off his bike with a rag he had found. When he heard Taffy's hoof steps on the rubber mats, he looked up and rolled his eyes before he disappeared in the lounge. He came back out with money in hand. We met half way down the barn aisle, just in front of the Pontiac Solstice. I forced myself to act like nothing was wrong. Antony and I may bicker like an old married couple but we still cared greatly for each other and he would drive both of us crazy if he started worrying about me. With exaggerated movements, he counted the money.

"All five hundred. I didn't even take a twenty. Happy now?" His ego had taken a major blow at not only being beaten by his friend and her horse but also having crashed his bike.

"Nice try next time" I told him with a forced smile that was so good that I scared myself. I never lied and right then I felt like I was performing the worst betrayal.

"Tsch, I want to see you and that horse of yours beat me cuz next time, I'm gonna be in a monster like this" he said as he placed his hand on the Pontiac Solstice's hood. As if the hood was a stovetop, Antony snatched his hand away. He stared at the car with narrowed eyes but when he saw how I was watching him, he went back to his normal self. "And next time," he continued as if nothing had just happened, "the stakes are going to be higher". He raised his eyebrows and pointed up to emphasize his point.

"Maybe I should save this five hundred. That way I can go on a major shopping spree when I win next time" Antony rolled his eyes and walked back over to his bike. I untacked Taffy in the crossties, taking great care in annoying my friend further. "Of course that cute top I've been eyeing might not be there by that time. It's an adorable little bodice that enhances all of my good features. I'm sure the local boys would love it if I bought it" Antony gave me the dirtiest glare I had ever seen just as I knew he would. He denied jealously, his defense being that he intimately knew what boys thought and that was something he never wanted me to know about. In all honesty he had nothing to be jealous about since I wasn't interested in being in a relationship, and especially not interested in hooking up with anyone, but it was still fun to goad my friend.

Author's Note (again): The first song was "Show Me Tha Money" by Petey Pablo and "Where Is The Love?" is by the Black-Eyed Peas.