After graduation I was glad to be free for the summer months and I had already planned everything I was going to do. Sam and Michaela were going to spend their time together and Sam's parents were also taking him on vacation so I decided that I wanted to go on a road trip. Coast to coast. Bumblebee was going to go with Sam and Michaela which left me with Jazz. To be honest, the least amount of time I could spend at home, the better. I packed up everything I needed into the trunk, not really having any real idea about where I was going first so I brought a tent, some non-perishable food, blankets, flashlights, books, camera and anything else I thought I would need.

I could tell Jazz was excited for our little trip as he was already playing tunes through the radio and singing along, making me laugh as I loaded up the back. Since he was a small car we couldn't fit much in but I was travelling light anyway so it didn't really matter. I made sure I had pillows and things to sleep comfortably wherever we might end up then armed myself with a cup of coffee and a map. "You ready for this cherry! I wanna go to Las Vegas, you humans say it's the place to really kick it!"

"We'll go anywhere and everywhere Jazz I promised, don't get your tyres in a twist." I patted the hood as I walked around, checking off my list. "You sure you won't need anything on the road? Engine oil, water, nothing?"

"Nope, don't even need gas which makes things cheap. If you're all done loading up then let's hit the road!" Laughing effortlessly I slid into the driver's seat then with Jazz's unbound enthusiasm we sped out of my parent's estate and with the map spread out on my lap I guided Jazz in the right direction to begin our summer road trip. The freedom was greatly welcomed and with my future already set with college, my degree and a whole world of possibilities out there ready for me to seize and it wasn't too bad that I had a kickass guardian to watch my back.

Jazz seemed to love the open road, pushing the speed limits as we drove through towns and cities then out further west to reach the ocean. The moment we reached the beach I got out and took off my shoes to bound into the surf and sand. Jazz stayed put for a while, scanning the area before transforming, assured that there was no one around to see. It was late at night, almost early morning so I reasoned that it was unlikely that we would be seen however Jazz put one foot in the sand before hastily back tracking. "No way! If I go into that liquid death trap I'll rust away all my good looks and I'll be washing this grainy stuff out of my circuits for three whole cycles!" He exclaimed, making me laugh as I paddled in the water.

"You big baby. Alright then, if you're not going to come in then suit yourself but trust me, nothing beats a walk in the surf."

"Ugh, I already got this sand stuff in my foot, it doesn't come off!" Jazz hopped around trying to shake off the sand, amusing me to no end. "I'll be choking on this stuff through my radiator at this rate." As Jazz continued to grumble I soothed him by promising to clean off the sand properly in a bit. For the time being I walked in the ocean and admired the way the waves glimmered under the slim crescent moonlight. It was peaceful here, the gentle rush of water lapping against the sand creating a scene of sereneness that could not be equalled. "Yo cherry, how about you help me get this stuff off me now?" Jazz called over so I turned and head back towards him.

"You're such a big baby, all this fuss over a little bit of sand. Come on then, give me some light and I'll see what I can do." I teased him affectionately as I made him lift his foot as I grabbed a towel from the stuff he'd deposited out of his trunk. With the brightness of his headlights shining down I did my best to brush off the sand, splashing him with some water also until he was pretty much all clear. "There, all done."

"You're a life saver cherry."

"Happy to help. We should probably get some sleep since we've been driving all day and we got plenty more to do tomorrow. From here we can make our way to Vegas no problem then head east. I'd like to stop at a national park for some hiking if that's okay and it'll be a perfect place for you too because we can easily disappear into the woods and not be discovered." I told him all about the states and places I wanted to visit, wondering how we would manage to fit everything in during one vacation. "This isn't going to tire you out right? I feel a little bad making you do all the leg work for me."

"It ain't a problem and I won't get tired so don't worry about me cherry. It makes you happy so I'm fine with it and besides, you ain't exactly bad company. Better than old 'Hide and his cannons." Giggling softly I began setting up my tent, easily having it upright in moments having done it a hundred times before. "You gonna be comfortable in this thing? It looks like it'll fly away with one breeze."

"It's sturdier than it looks and I've got some rocks at the corners to way it down since I can't pin it to the ground and the sand will shape to my body, so it'll be like sleeping on a mattress." Although I'd suggested that we went to sleep the both of us stayed up a while longer to talk about what we wanted to see most and plans for the future. Sam had been practically given a place at college and I had been accepted into several others, including Harvard. I wasn't sure yet which one I was going to pick but with how things have been, I was tempted to go with Sam just so that I could keep an eye on him and he'd already said he'd be happy if I went to the same college as him.

We were both now heavily interested in space, physics and astronomy considering the influence and experiences we've had, so it made sense that we'd pursue such a career. Not only that but the government had offered to pay for our tuitions totally free of charge and I was not going to turn that down. I had no guarantee that my parents were going to support me so I took the opportunity to get a good start in life without being worried about debts. "Yo, you still awake in there?"

"Yeah I'm awake. I was just thinking about college."

"Oh that. Sounds like a waste of time if you ask me, didn't you already go to school to learn?" I smiled to myself at Jazz's bluntness.

"Going to college means getting proper qualifications then a better job later. It's kind of necessary for me if I want to escape my parents." I explained to him and when I put it like that Jazz heartily agreed. I think Jazz was secretly excited to go and experience more of what it meant to be human and to be honest, I don't think I want to go anywhere without him but eventually, I'm going to have to let him go. Optimus will need him at some point and Jazz will have to go immediately, maybe without the chance to even say goodbye. It was saddening to think that I might be on borrowed time with Jazz, but that only made me more determined to enjoy myself whilst with him. So with that in mind, I slept with a strong desire to see as much of the country I could, from national parks to the Grand Canyon. Nothing was too big or too small or too far. With Jazz, it felt like everything was within my reach.