CHAPTER ELEVEN
Annoyed
***
One thing Prowl and I hadn't counted on was everyone seeing me get off a motorbike and walk into the school like I was walking on clouds. I mean, it's not everyday this sort of thing happens, right?
I walked into the classroom where my first lesson was.
Everyone stared at me.
Then someone, I'm not sure who, said loudly: "Where's the motorcycle jacket?"
What…?
I blinked, and then everyone started talking at once. And I just stood there, until the teacher came in, and told everyone to shut up and settle down.
We did.
But I hadn't heard the last of this.
(Oh, by the way Chromia, who was my new MP3 Player, knew all my favourite songs. Who knew?).
***
At lunch time, I bought nachos – yay! And a mocha, but that was nothing new.
I sat down behind the library to eat.
"Is the coast clear?"
That was Chromia. I had kinda forgotten she was there, until she had spoken up. She'd been pretty quiet all morning, sitting in my locket, learning about WWII.
"Huh?" I looked around. "Oh…yeah, I guess so…" I looked away and, when I looked back, Chromia's spunky-looking holoform was sitting next to me.
"Are you okay?" She asked me.
I knew what she was talking about, and I took a long swig of mocha before I answered. I sighed. "Karr and I have been best friends for years…naturally, I'm worried about her."
Chromia nodded. "And what about this morning? With the Decepticon Barricade?"
I lowered my eyes. "I'd…rather not talk about that…" I didn't say why. I actually didn't know why, and I was more worried about my friend. I didn't want Karr out there with Decepticons out there! What if they…found her? And found out that she and I were friends?
That could spell BIG trouble for her…
I flinched.
Chromia went to say something, but then she stopped.
She and I both looked up, and saw the shadows of two someones walking around the corner.
There was a clatter, and the blue MP3 Player fell to the grass beside me.
Not a moment too soon, because my step-sisters came around the corner.
Sasha and Sandra stood in front of me, arms crossed, and faced glaring.
I eyed them back nervously.
Sandra spoke first: "Why did you arrive on a motorcycle this morning?"
My jaw hardened. I was sick of being walked on by these two. "Because you two wouldn't give me a ride."
"Who was that guy?" Sasha wanted to know.
I shrugged. "Just a friend." I said simply.
"A friend?" The twins said in unison.
I gritted my teeth. "Yes, he is a friend." I said slowly.
"Does Mum know about this?" Sandra wanted to know.
"What do you think?" I snapped. I was sick of these two and their questions.
"I think you're in trouble." Sasha said in a sing-song-voice, and I sighed. Good Primus, these two were driving me insane.
Suddenly, Sandra glanced down to the grass. "What's that?" She asked, and grabbed it before I could. She held up Chromia, the MP3 Player.
"Hey, give it back!" I exclaimed, reaching for her. "It was a gift!"
"He's giving you presents!" Sasha exclaimed, although it was more like a wail.
"Yes, now give it back!" I tried to reach for it, but Sandra is taller than me.
She put the MP3 Player headphones in her ears, and I wondered vaguely which part of her the earphones were…or if she had a pet, like Soundwave did. It didn't matter.
Because as soon as Sandra put the earphones in her ears, she screamed, and an electrical buzz went straight through her ears.
Of course, she ripped the earphones out, and threw them.
They headed toward the pond.
"Okay!" I yelled, for the second time that week, and ran. My hand was outstretched, and Chromia fell into it. I sighed.
I also heard a familiar car horn, from somewhere in the student car park.
"Thank you," Chromia whispered to me. Then she went on: "Umm…Ella?"
"I know." I said, before I fell into the pond.
***
I had pulled myself out of the pond, and was running across the grass with Chromia in my hand.
"ELLA!!" I heard Bumblebee yell, and saw him in the car park, near to where the Lamborghini twins were parked.
"Bumblebee!?" I cried, running toward him. I reached for the door handle, and yanked it open. The panic in his voice panicked me.
"Calm down Bumblebee, you're scaring her." Sideswipe scolded.
I sat down and put my seatbelt on. "What happened?"
"No time to explain," Bumblebee said. "But Prime ordered you two to stay here!" He added to the Lambo twins, who grumbled in response as Bumblebee drove out of the car park.
I heard the sirens then, and didn't even need to ask what was going on, as Pretty Handsome Awkward came on over Bee's radio.
"Oh God…" I whispered.