"Thus, the square of the hypotenuse, which is the side opposite the right angle, is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. This is shown as an equation relating the lengths of the sides 'a', 'b', and 'c'."
There came the squeaking of a marker as Mrs. Dunn, Alexandria's math teacher, wrote out the Pythagorean Theorem on the overhead projector in thick, red, curly script.
Alexandria blinked heavily, the haze in her vision making it difficult to read the bright color. She rubbed her eyes trying to rid herself of some of the blurriness. Already tired, even before the start of math class, the dullness of the lesson and the dim light of the room, required for the projector, didn't help the matter.
The droning of a cicada drifted in through the classroom's large open windows; signaling the rising heat of the June afternoon. It was an unpleasant reminder to those within the school that the freedoms of summer vacation were still a few weeks away.
Several students in the room were sprawled in their seats with vapid expressions while others stared out the windows in longing. A group of girls in the back whispered amongst themselves and Alexandria could hear the crinkling of paper turning. Glancing back, she spotted a magazine cradled lovingly between them and she felt some fleeting jealousy; wishing she too had an interesting distraction.
As Alexandria continued to watch the girls in her fatigued state, their intimate conversation began to mix with that of the mathematical jargon being spoken up front; creating an odd mishmash of sentences responding to one another yet neither making a lick of sense when taken in context. Given the muddled thoughts of her overly tired mind, it created a rather humorous auditory hallucination and she couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of it. Unfortunately, the sound caught the attention of one of the girls who gave Alexandria a questionable look.
Flushing brightly, Alexandria quickly faced forward and tried to ignore the heightened chatter that came from behind her.
A warning shushing drowned out the escalating noise as Mrs. Dunn shot the room a sharp glare of irritation. The girls with the magazine quickly hushed their conversation and Alexandria picked up her pencil to busy herself with the algebraic symbols shown on the overhead. With one last critical inspection, their teacher continued the lesson; much to the relief of all who had caught her attention.
The cicada's melody came again, emphasizing the warm stillness of the classroom and more than a few students could be heard sighing or stifling a groan. Seeking a comfortable position, Alexandria shifted to one side and cushioned her head against her hand, using the desktop for support. She continued to jot down notes but, being a dull activity, it wasn't long until her fatigue became an unbearable force. Soon Alexandria's straight handwriting began to dip off the lines of the paper as her eyes closed for longer and longer increments. The pencil fell away from her fingers and rolled to teeter on the edge of her desk; the last sentence on her page nothing more than a wobbly line fading off at the end. Her head bobbed dangerously and she was unable to continue fighting off her exhaustion anymore.
With sleep setting in, her positioning in the chair became lax and the added weight against her hand caused her chin to slip. Her upper body slammed against the desk, creating a very loud and violent awakening. Alexandria gasped, jerking upright to look around in disorientation.
The classroom burst into a fit of laughter at the unexpected disruption and there were a few obnoxious cheers and fingers pointed in her direction.
"Settle down, settle down!" Mrs. Dunn called out, striking her marker against the metal base of the projector. Alexandria slid lower in her chair, embarrassment burning up her neck.
"Miss Taylor," Mrs. Dunn snapped, peering down at Alexandria with a piercing glare and mouth in a thin slash of a line, "this is the third time this week I've caught you falling asleep in my class."
There wasn't an ounce of compassion in her words and Alexandria looked up at her meekly.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to," she replied, her voice hoarse.
"Being unprepared for school, which includes going to bed at an improper hour, not only wastes my time but that of your fellow students."
Alexandria hung her head and Mrs. Dunn received a reply from one of the girls in the back.
"It's because she's always sick."
The approval-seeking voice was delicately laced with mockery and it prompted feminine giggles from the speaker's associates.
The fact Alexandria had missed more than one class for medical appointments was not lost on her peers and it provided them with more than enough evidence to make the assumption there was something wrong with her health; although there was a misconception it was due to a physical ailment, of which, Alexandria never bothered to correct as revealing the mental health aspect would be equivalent to social suicide.
Mrs. Dunn huffed. "Thank you, Lauren, but your comment is unnecessary," she said, regarding the blonde socialite who sat a few desks away from Alexandria.
Math was one of two classes Alexandria shared with the other girl and this wasn't the first time she'd taken the brunt of Lauren's distaste for those outside her inner circle. There were other students who were also subject to the rather cruel part of Lauren's personality, however, Alexandria had the additional disadvantage of being enrolled in the school mid-way through the curriculum, making it difficult to try to fit in, in general, due to an already established hierarchy of social cliques.
"I'm not sick," Alexandria whispered, returning the teacher's attention her way.
"Alexandria, please gather your things and report to the principal's office for the remainder of the class," Mrs. Dunn instructed, motioning toward the door. "And use the time to reflect on how you can improve your scholarly habits."
The classroom was deathly quiet and Alexandria could feel all eyes on her. She willed herself to pack up her personal items as quickly as she could with trembling hands and she was able to make her way out of the room without further embarrassment. The prickling of tears was forced back through sheer determination and it wasn't until she was in the safety of the empty hall did they escape to trail down her cheeks. The lesson continued on behind her, becoming muffled as the door shut.
An angry swipe of her arm across her face got rid of the offending droplets as crying wouldn't do her any favors. With her backpack straps clenched in her hands and footsteps falling heavily on the floor, she made her way toward the front of the school, stopping just outside a set of frosted glass doors with thick block lettering reading 'Main Office'.
Alexandria pushed the door handle and entered, pausing part way when the eyes of the secretary cast a curious glance in her direction.
"I uh… I was told to come here by Mrs. Dunn," Alexandria explained in a quiet voice.
The secretary beckoned her over and turned to the desktop computer, hands hovering over the keys.
"What is your name, sweetie?"
"Alexandria Taylor," she replied as she observed her surroundings.
Two older students sat nearby watching the exchange briefly with feigned interest before redirecting their attention elsewhere. A plaque on the desk read 'Ms. Williams', identifying the round faced staff member in front of Alexandria. A set of much-too-large glasses sat low on her petite nose and a mess of frizzy brown curls was piled high on her head. The appearance was accompanied by a gentle voice; a stark contrast to Mrs. Dunn's frigid demeanor. Alexandria felt some of her tension ebb away.
"Taylor… Taylor… ah, here we are." Ms. Williams muttered as she found Alexandria's file in the computer system. She peered over the rim of her glasses after pulling up a blank template on the screen. "And why did Mrs. Dunn send you?"
Alexandria shifted in her spot. "I fell asleep in class...again." She didn't bother withholding the fact there had been other occurrences. Mrs. Dunn would likely read the report that was being typed up.
"I see." Ms. Williams gave Alexandria a once over. "Are you feeling ill? You don't look well."
Forcing back a sigh, Alexandria shook her head. "I'm fine," she said, trying to reassure the second person that day who made a comment about her health. "I'm just tired."
Ms. Williams clicked her tongue and gave Alexandria a sympathetic look. "It must be your lucky day then, sweetie. Mr. Lang is quite busy at the moment," she said, referring to the principal. "And, seeing how this is your first time here, I don't believe this matter needs to be addressed with him."
"Oh?" Alexandria perked up at the thought of not receiving a lecture from the head of the school.
"You can sit here instead until the bell rings and then continue to your next class." She gestured toward a few empty chairs near the other students. "Just beware, if this happens again, I will forward the concern to Mr. Lang. Understand?"
"Yes, thank you," Alexandria replied gratefully, her voice cracking with relief. She cleared her throat. "And I understand. It won't happen again," she promised.
A nod from the secretary indicated they were done. Alexandria took a seat near the entrance; a few spots away from the others. She placed her backpack on her lap and wrapped her arms around it, giving it a quick reassuring squeeze.
A clock on the far wall clicked noisily as the second hand moved around its face; accompanying the tapping of Ms. Miller's fingers across her keyboard. The sounds were rhythmic and Alexandria could feel herself being lulled once more into a daze. With a snort, she fought back against the sleep that felt as if it had worked its way deep into her bones.
A long stretch of her limbs and back resulted in the satisfying alleviation of a few stiff muscles but the accompanying deep breath she took tickled within her chest and the irritation spurred a sudden spasm of coughs.
Ms. Williams glanced up from her desk, one brow raised; her previous comment about Alexandria being unwell passing silently between them.
Alexandria shook her head as she coughed into the thin fabric of her shirt sleeve and, thankfully, the annoying hacking bout soon subsided. Face reddened and eyes watering, she cursed the involuntary reflex; the dry coughing episodes that had developed over the past month seeming to come on at the worst moments. A disgruntled huff escaped her as every time one area of her life was getting marginally better, another would start to crumble. It was as if she were forever trying to climb out of a pool of mud; as she found stable ground with one foot, the other would sink back in and restart the struggle all over again.
It didn't seem quite fair, at least in Alexandria's opinion, and she allowed herself a moment to wallow in the brief satisfaction self-pity brought with it before giving herself a quick mental reprimand. To believe that her life was terrible was a shallow thought indeed; especially when considering there were those out in the world who were suffering true torments.
Wishing to change her outlook in a more positive direction meant her thoughts turned to seeing Bumblebee later that night and a hint of a smile appeared on her face. The stasis meetings with the mech could always be depended on to change even the worst of days into a pleasant ending and today certainly felt as if it needed a boost.
0-0-0-0-0
Steam floated lazily above the rose colored tea as Mary cradled the delicate porcelain cup between her hands; enjoying the welcoming warmth against her skin.
She sat at the small kitchen table, having finally had a moment to relax after a grueling day at work. Now was the rare moment of the day when she had peace and quiet before her daughter returned home from school and she took full advantage of the opportunity to indulge in the comforting drink.
Beside her on the table sat a stack of legal sized documents that would soon occupy her attention along with the preparation of dinner.
With a reluctant groan, Mary rifled through the top few pages wondering where to start. The hours she put in at work never seemed to be enough time for the extra projects she subjected herself to in order to achieve a plumper paycheck. It was, however, a necessary sacrifice to ensure a comfortable life for her and her daughter.
Once Mary had moved on to her first refill of tea, she decided it was time to buckle down and focus on her work. She removed her hair clip and strawberry blonde curls fell to frame her face. She sighed happily at the release of tension from her scalp. Comfort was always a welcoming bonus when faced with irritating tasks.
Just as her pen was poised above the first page there came the sound of the front door opening, signaling Alexandria's return home. Mary went to call out a greeting but was interrupted as the front door slammed closed, a backpack thudded against the floor, and the screen door at the back of the house whacked sharply against its frame.
A crease graced Mary's brow. "Those were quite the angry slams..." she murmured to herself.
Mary went to peer out the far window and she saw Alexandria sitting near the large lilac bush that decorated the end of their property. Blades of grass were being pulled from the soft carpet of the lawn and the thin leaves filtered down from Alexandria's fingers. Mary watched as the motions were repeated and took notice of the frown on Alexandria's face. It was obvious something was bothering the girl.
Returning to the kitchen, Mary opened up the freezer and pulled out a frozen container, the situation calling for some motherly comforting.
The backyard was quiet as Mary exited the house and, even though the sun's rays were starting to weaken from its lower position in the Sacramento skyline, the air still retained its humidity. Not wanting the treat she held to lose its form, Mary strode across the lawn at a slightly hurried pace.
"Hey, kiddo," Mary said softly as she came up beside Alexandria. When the only response she received was a slight nod, she took a seat close by and offered one of the bowls she held.
Alexandria looked at the treat and some of the anger faded from her expression.
"Thanks, mom." Alexandria's voice was soft as she took the bowl gingerly; picking up the spoon to give the ice cream a stir before taking a small mouthful.
Leave it to mint chocolate chip to be an icebreaker, Mary thought, glad her idea worked.
As of late, Alexandria had been rather tight lipped regarding her comings and goings and Mary attributed it to that rough point in every child's life where they were starting on the awkward path of teenage-hood. She remembered the mood swings her older sister, Judith, had gone through as well as Mary's own crying fits, which usually always involved a boy. Mary couldn't help but wonder if this reclusiveness would be her daughter's personal bane throughout puberty and she hummed in sympathy.
"Penny for your thoughts?" she finally asked, hoping Alexandria was in a sharing mood.
"I got into trouble today at school," Alexandria mumbled, eyes downcast.
Oh…
It was a little strange Mary hadn't received a telephone call from the office but maybe there was more to it.
"What do you mean?" she pressed gently.
"Mrs. Dunn sent me to see the principal. I fell asleep in her class," Alexandria explained slowly as if waiting to spur an angry reaction from her. When Mary remained silent, her daughter continued. "But the secretary was nice and I didn't get detention or anything. Mrs. Dunn was really upset though and the other kids laughed at me. They think I'm a freak…"
"Oh honey, they do not think you're a freak." She tried to provide some reassurance but her daughter wasn't accepting of it.
"They do!" Alexandria's voice rose in volume and the frown returned. "It's because I always have to go see Dr. Benson and miss class." She stabbed at the ice cream in her bowl that was slowly melting into a green soup dotted with black flakes.
Mary grimaced. The inability to protect one's child against things beyond a parent's control was something that frustrated her to no end. "Children can be cruel about things they do not understand," she said with a shake of her head. "But… on the bright side, since the change in your medications, you haven't had to see Dr. Benson for a while. That means things may settle down, right?"
"It's not just that," Alexandria sighed, running her fingers along the lip of the bowl. "School's getting really hard…"
"Your classes?"
"Yeah. Everyone but me seems to understand things easily."
Mary tsked. "I think you're being too hard on yourself, sweetie. I highly doubt you're the only student struggling with the content."
"I guess. But it is taking me a long time to finish problems and stuff."
"That's true," Mary said slowly, "But you did very well on your Charlemagne speech. You said Mr. Andrews was happy you included a lot of facts he didn't cover in class. That tells me when you put your mind to something, you do excellent work."
"But then I got a really bad mark on my report for Catcher in the Rye," Alexandria countered, referring to the classic novel every student at her school was forced to read at one point or another.
Mary recalled the struggle her daughter had in finishing the book; the almost nightly battle of trying to keep Alexandria seated on the couch and engaged in reading more than a paragraph at a time. Mary had promoted the book so much in an attempt to spark Alexandria's interest in it, she'd felt as if she should have gotten compensation from the editor, even though in truth, she had found it equally as dull when she read it as a student for the first and only time.
"If I remember correctly, you thought that book was the most boring thing you've ever read before, right?"
"Well, yes but—" Alexandria tried to continue but Mary raised a hand.
"My love, you need to stop putting yourself down. You have a lot on your plate and, considering everything you've been through, you're doing just fine." Mary brushed a wayward strand of loose hair from her daughter's brow, tucking it gently behind Alexandria's ear. A light caress across her cheek followed as Mary drew her hand back. "However, if you feel your schoolwork is becoming difficult, we can get you a tutor for your classes. How does that sound?"
"A tutor?" Alexandria's brows drew together at the suggestion and she looked up at her mother. "Won't that be expensive?"
Mary's voice was sharp in response. "Alexandria Lee Taylor, what have I told you before about money?" She used her daughter's full name to emphasize the seriousness of the conversation.
"That… I need to focus on doing well in school and not worry about anything involving money," Alexandria replied, repeating a past conversation they'd had regarding the issue.
"Exactly. If you need school supplies, you'll have them. If you need to go on a field trip, you'll be there. If you need a tutor, it'll be arranged. And don't give me that worried look," Mary warned as Alexandria appeared as if she were about to give a counter-argument. "It is my job as your mother to provide for you and I will do everything I can to do so. It is your job to focus on your education. That way you'll open up doors so you can be whatever you want to be in life and to see you succeed and be happy is all I've ever wanted."
Alexandria's bottom lip began to tremble as her eyes grew misty and Mary pulled her into a hug, placing a kiss against the crown of her head.
"Aw my sweet girl," Mary murmured against the light blonde tresses.
"I'll make you proud, mom," Alexandria said, her voice muffled as she snuggled into the embrace.
"You always do."
They remained that way for several moments before Mary nudged Alexandria's jaw with a bent finger. "Hey, chin-up, kiddo. I think we've talked about enough depressing things today, don't you?"
Alexandria nodded, sitting back with a short huff of a laugh. "Definitely."
"Tell me something good that's happened, something to lighten the mood. Any new interests? What about your classmates? I know it can be hard getting to know others in a new school but have you met anyone nice?"
"Well… I do have this one friend…" Alexandria started.
Mary leaned forward with interest. "A friend?" she exclaimed, her heart swelling at the thought. "See, I told you there wasn't a need to worry. You're such a kind girl it was only a matter of time before people realized they'd be lucky to have you as a friend."
Alexandria shrugged. "I'm not sure about that."
"Oh pish-posh, of course they would be." Mary waved off Alexandria's doubt. "So, tell me about this friend of yours."
"He's really nice and we talk about lots of stuff..."
The vague response wasn't enough to sate Mary's curiosity and she prompted Alexandria to continue. "Does this mysterious boy have a name?" she asked with a laugh.
It may have been Mary's imagination but she swore she saw a flicker of panic on the girl's face.
"Of course he has a name." Alexandria scoffed, looking downward to twiddle the hem of her pant leg between her fingers. "It's uh… his name is Bee."
Mary tilted her head. "Like the letter?" It wouldn't be too surprising if it was, considering kids those days seemed to call each other weird things.
Her daughter nodded and gave a small shrug. "He's not from around here."
"Oh, that makes sense then I guess. I take it he's a transfer student?"
"Sure—er—yes. A transfer student."
Alexandria's responses continued to be flustered and Mary smiled knowingly. "Oh, I see what's happening," she hinted, making her daughter raise a brow in question.
"What?"
"You like this boy."
"What? Mom, n-no!" Alexandria sputtered as her face went beet-red. "It's not like that at all! Bee's just a friend."
"Fine, fine," Mary said with a smile, holding up her hands in submission. "I'm sorry I said anything."
"It's okay."
"So, what sort of things do you and Bee talk about?"
"He tells me about his family and the places he's visited. There's some really weird stuff out there," Alexandria said with a thoughtful expression. "It makes everything in California seem so normal and boring."
"I'll bet." Mary smiled as her daughter began opening up about the wonderful new person in her life.
Alexandria continued, "I tend to complain to him about stuff that's bothering me, although, he doesn't seem to mind, which is really nice. We also talk about movies and music. The songs he likes are a bit weird though because the sounds cause me to feel vibrations in my chest."
Mary hummed in thought. "I think that has something to do with the level of bass in the song."
"Well, whatever it is, it's pretty weird. Cool, but weird."
"So far this Bee of yours has traveled a lot and listens to some cool, weird music. He sounds like a typical young man. Now, what does he look like?"
Alexandria blinked wide eyed up at her. "Um… he's tall."
"Tall. That's it?" Mary grinned at one of the vaguest descriptions of an individual she'd ever heard.
"Tall and he's really strong. Um… he has light green eyes and short… hair?" Alexandria cleared her throat. "I don't know. Bee just looks like Bee."
"Well, I guess I'll be able to see for myself if he ever joins us for dinner."
"Dinner?"
"I would love to meet him so the invitation is open for whenever you two decide you want to hang out here. I'll make sure to make something nice too; not one of my leftover casseroles," Mary said with a wink.
"Bee...is pretty shy..." Alexandria hesitated, wringing her hands.
Mary couldn't help but laugh at the worried expression. "Are you afraid your mother is going to embarrass you?" she asked before pulling the girl into another hug and giving her hair a quick ruffle.
Alexandria squeaked and tried to pull away. "Mom!" she cried; her hands flying to her head to straighten out the messy strands.
Chuckling Mary grabbed the bowls and got up. "Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior. You can tell Bee I'm not a monster of a mom and that I'm pretty cool with the peeps."
The attempt at urban slang had Alexandria groaning and covering her face with her hands. "I can't believe you just said that…"
"I love you too, kiddo. Dinner will be in an hour."
Alexandria watched her mother go back into the house from between her fingers before dropping her hands into her lap. She let out a long drawn-out sigh of relief. It was pretty amazing her description of Bumblebee's appearance was enough to satisfy her mother. Hell, Alexandria would have called herself out on her own bullshit if she'd heard the same thing. There had been enough pauses and fumbles on her end to scream fabrication, yet, for some bizarre reason, everything worked out in the end. Apparently sticking as close to the truth as possible when stating a lie helped rather nicely. She would have to keep that in mind for the future for, as Bee pointed out, she wasn't the greatest at fudging the truth.
Her face scrunched up as she tried picturing Bee at the kitchen table eating supper with them. It was a highly amusing image as she was pretty sure he'd fill the whole room, leaving her and her mother squished up against a wall. She couldn't help but giggle and knew it was something to be shared with him later that night.
She frowned suddenly, recalling her conversation with Optimus. He had warned her not to tell anyone about the Autobots. Would Bee get upset with her for talking about him to her mother? It wasn't as if she revealed anything about his true nature and species. Alexandria pushed the worry aside. No, Bee wouldn't object and she was pretty sure the offer of being invited for dinner would be amusing to him as well.
Fictitious scenarios aside, if Bee did visit Earth one day, she would be able to introduce him to her mother and she smiled as the thought created a warm feeling in her chest.
Alexandria sat in peaceful silence, watching golden rays of late afternoon play across the delicate beauty of the lilac blooms; full of hopeful anticipation for the future.