DMK: …wow, that chapter was odd…very odd…so, to clarify things and drive you even further into insanity, I decided to do a quick update-post…
Dan: …they're going to hate you, you know…

Scott: *nodnod*

DMK: they all know it'll be straightened out… AFTER Jetfire and Cyclonus make lady-friends…

Jason and Chris: O_O;;; NOOOOOOOOO!

DMK: Aw, come on! It'll be good for you!

Jason and Chris: *sigh dejectedly and agree*

DMK: there we go. Now, ONWARD!

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Chapter Three

            "First off, Caitlin, settle down, second, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?!"

            Caitlin sat down on Kay's bed quickly, then sighed heavily. "Sam, Chris, Aaron, and Steve AREN'T who you think they are…they're the Transformers…as humans…"

            "Right…"

            "Wasn't it odd that you felt like you knew Sam? It's because he's SCAVENGER…"

            Kay about fell back into her beanbag chair at this. "So you're saying…the guy I met today that I happen to be attracted to…is my former Autobot CRUSH?!"

            Caitlin stared. "You had a crush on him?"

            Her cousin stood up straight. "You didn't hear me say that."

            "Oooookay…"

            "I wouldn't talk…you were so obviously infatuated by Mr. Miracle Medic…" She grumbled.

            "I was NOT…he and I are just good friends…But that's beside the point…CYCLONUS was there too…"

            Kay raised an eyebrow. "I don't get it…wasn't he a 'Con?"

            "Yes…but he was obviously hanging out with them…come to think of it…they were acting rather civil…"

            "What would cause the Autobots and Decepticons to work together like that? I thought they were at each others' throats…"

            "Well…I heard Sam…er, Scavenger, mention something about Thrust and Sideways trying to kill them if they found out they were humans…"

            "Conehead and Horn-head? Why?"

            "I don't know…but I'm going to ask them when I see them next…"

            Kay crossed her arms and looked at her younger cousin seriously. "Look, if they were keeping this a secret, I THINK they'd have a good reason…Just treat them like they were normal human beings until they say something first…"

            Caitlin ran a hand through her hair in anxiety. "Knowing this, I might not be able to…"

            "Well you have to."

            Sighing, she gave in. "Alright…wait…do you think…that the rest of them might be…?"

            Kay smirked. "Wouldn't surprise me. Matt DID remind me of Megatron…"

            "Good God, if that was the case… I would have been joking around with Megatron today…and Cyclonus practically blew himself up in my Bio Class…" She stared forward, shocked. "Wow…"

            "Hey, at least Megs isn't trying to kill anybody…But I SERIOUSLY want to know what's going on…"

            "See? Then I should ask them."

            "No. We just…can't…When they're ready to tell us, they'll tell us. Until then, keep this between us."

_____

            Over the next few days, Caitlin kept quiet, even though she wanted to bring it up and be truly reunited with her friends, but didn't. She went on, acting as if she knew nothing, even though it nagged at her incessantly. Winter began to set in, as temperatures plummeted, and the snow began to fall.

            A few days later, Chris sat in the Biochemistry lab, beside Aaron, when he noticed Caitlin walk in rather timidly. "Hey, what's wrong with Cait? She looks different…"

            The Transformer-turned-human watched her curiously, but didn't say anything until she took her seat beside him. "Well, you look considerably off this morning…"

            "…I uh…didn't sleep well last night, I guess." She mumbled nonchalantly. RedAlert peered at her with concern.

            "Are you sure…?"

            "Pretty much…I got things on my mind…"

            Aaron tilted his head. "Like…?"

            'The fact that you're lying about who you really are…' She looked around the room for a good excuse, and found one upon the bulletin board. "…An upcoming dance…" Cait mumbled. "Thinkin' about asking someone, but I don't usually do dances…"

            He smirked. "Really now…"

            Caitlin pretended to not notice the look in his eyes, and opened her notebook to a blank sheet. "Yeah…but like I said, that sort of stuff just doesn't seem to fit me…"

            Meanwhile, the professor began to start the lesson by turning off the lights and displaying notes on an overhead projector, which the class began to copy down instantly. "Well, perhaps if you give it a try…" Aaron said quietly.

            "Dunno. I thought I knew this guy, but turns out he's got a whole different side to him…So I'm not sure if I want to ask him or not…" With the tone in her voice, her new friend tilted his head thoughtfully. "And I want to talk to him about it…but I can't…"

            Aaron's eyes narrowed, but the searching and curious glint was still present. As he copied down the chemical formulas from the overhead, he looked back at Caitlin once in a while, and even managed to whisper to Chris, who had overheard. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking…?"

            "…That she's the one that overheard…?"

            "…Yes…"

            "Well…I s'pose it's better that she knows than a complete stranger…right?"

            Red nodded, then leaned over to Caitlin. "You mind telling me just how much of our conversation you heard last week?"

            Her head snapped up and she looked at him with surprised eyes. "I thought you weren't going to tell anyone."

            "Well…obviously…it affected you…I'd much rather straighten things out than have you in such a bad mood…"

            She smiled. "I wasn't in a bad mood, I was just plagued by intense inner conflict, confused by the information I had gathered, wondering constantly about your situation, you know, the normal…"

            He chuckled. "And I suppose I have to fill in the holes, correct?"

            "It would be nice, but break isn't until second period…"

            "Alright then, it's a date. Er, I mean…"

            "I understand…" She winked. "Oh…and can I call you by your REAL names after this…?"

            Grinning, he and Cyclonus exchanged glances and nodded. "By all means."

_____

            Reclining in her favorite seat in the Art hall, Kay shut her eyes and meditated on the revelation she was presented with a week ago. 'Naw…Sam really couldn't be Scavenger…at least…I think not…"

            "Mind if I sit here?" A very familiar voice cut through her thoughts. Looking up, she found herself looking right into Sam's deep brown eyes.

            "Um…uh…not at all…feel free," She said a bit shakily, regaining her composure quickly.

            He sat down, and took note of Kay's uncertain attitude. "Everything alright?"

            "Oh yeah, yeah, fine…"

            He looked at her searchingly, then his eyes glittered with curiosity and interest. "Why aren't you convincing me…?"

            "Because I'm rather confused at the moment." She said as she began sketching the still-life image on the table in the center of the Art studio. 

            "You talked to your cousin, didn't you?"

            Kay's head snapped up. "Come again?"

            He grinned, having gotten the reaction he wanted. "I believe she overheard a conversation my friends and I were having…naturally she'd come to you…"

            "Well as a matter of fact, Scavenger, she did." Despite the harshness of her voice, her eyes were smiling, and a slightly crooked grin was on her face. "But there's still a ton I don't know. You ARE explaining this to me after second period."

            His eyes glistened with contentedness. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

_____

            First period came and went, and the group of RedAlert, Cyclonus, and Caitlin split up as they headed to their second classes.

            Chris walked along, heading to a metalworking class (something even a Transformer might need in the future) in the Arts wing, when he noticed a small, quiet-looking girl ahead of him drop a book. She didn't seem to notice, and kept on walking. Taking to power-steps forward, he bent down in mid-stride and grabbed the small novella, and followed her through the crowd.

            He growled, as he didn't seem to be able to catch up fast enough. Boy, how he wanted to Transform and fly over these humans' heads, but he was stuck hoofing it. The Decepticon human glanced at the schedule crudely taped to his notebook, making sure that he hadn't passed room 211 yet, and continued his pursuit of the book's owner. Sidestepping several people, Cyclonus had almost reached the girl, when she veered into a room. He stopped abruptly, and looked at the number. It was 211.

            He stepped in, and looked around. The room wasn't small and well-kept like his math or science class…it was a large, wide space with various tools sitting on wooden benches, many of which were speckled with paint and silver solder. Chairs were spaced apart, not in even rows, but all generally faced the front of the room. There weren't too many people in the room, so he could easily pick out the girl he had been pursuing. As he strode over to her, the bell rang, and Cyclonus was forced to take the first available seat. He would have to finish his job later.

            The class began as the professor began to casually run down the basics of metalworking, all of which, Chris knew like the back of his hand. Then again, it wasn't a surprise why. After about half an hour of solid instruction, the teacher let the class loose, as they headed to drawing tables to plan a small-scale project, either alone, or in partners.

            Cyclonus stood up, and noticed the short, small, very shy looking girl. She remained at her seat, using a binder to support the white paper she was drawing her sculpture on. He thought about stepping forward, but felt his face flush, and he hesitated. Eventually, though, he walked towards her, the book "Night" in hand.

            "You uh…need a partner to work with…?" he asked in an oddly timid voice.

            The young woman's head snapped up, and her fair-skinned cheeks instantly turned a rosy red. "I…um…suppose…I could…"

            Crookedly grinning, Cyclonus held out the novella to her. "Oh, uh here…You dropped this in the hallway…"

            Her eyes lit up with surprise, and she reached out timidly to take one corner of the book. "I thought I lost this! …Thank you…"

            He put a hand behind his head sheepishly. "Aw…it was nothing…by the way, I'm Chris…what's your name?"

            The girl's face turned reddish again, and she broke her wavering eye contact with him. "I'm…Selena…"

            Cyclonus smiled, tilting his head at the name. Sure, he was a lunatic when fighting, but the sudden change he had gone through must have toned down that side of him…possibly. "Nice to meet you, Selena." He let the name roll off his tongue, enjoying the sound. "You have a pretty name…"

            She blushed all the more, and looked back at her sketch she had barely started. "You're…the first guy to say that…"

            He raised an eyebrow, confused about human customs. "Is that…bad…?"

            "Oh no, no, no…just surprised, that's all." She started to sketch out the small sculpture's design hurriedly, as if trying to hide her bright red cheeks.

            "Okay…" He leaned over, watching her small and slender hand work across the paper. Pencil stroke by pencil stroke, a smooth, abstract shape began to present itself. "Wow…I could never draw that good…"

            Selena again blushed, shy from the comment. "Well…it's…just a talent…I guess…nothing much…"

            "Nothing…?" He tilted his head, confused. Humans were just SO complicated…he would probably never understand them… "If you say so…"

            The dark-haired girl looked at him again a bit oddly. His naivety was strange…men these days just didn't seem to be like that. "…So…are you new around here…? I haven't seen you in High Desert before…"

            He nodded, still watching her sketch out the design. "Um…yeah…and you…?"

            "I've been here my whole life…I just don't get noticed because I'm so quiet…"

            "Well you should put yourself out there! Be noticed!" He said, his strong personality rising again. Selena blinked, and watched him for a minute. "Plus, you could make a ton of friends that way!"

            She looked back to her drawing, averting her gaze once more. "…Well, one or two good friends are all you really need…Caitlin's practically my sister…"

            "Y'mean you know her?"

            "Yeah! She's a good friend of mine, I mean…"

            He grinned. "Well same here. Guess we got somethin' in common…"

            Selena blushed again. "…I guess so…"

_____

            Jason lounged around in his rather boring study hall class, eyeing a reddish-haired girl who was sitting three seats ahead of him. But, then, his mind wandered to what Sam had told him a week ago…that someone had overheard a conversation that should have been private. 'I just hope we don't get our cover blown,' he thought. 'Last thing I want the guys back on Cybertron to believe is that the great Autobot vice commander got slagged as a human…'

            Opening his math notebook, Jason tried to focus on his assignment, but quickly shut it, put his feet back up on his desk, leaned back, and continued to daydream. 'Aw, come on Jetfire, you gotta stay positive!' he told himself with resolve. 'If I don't think it'll happen, it won't….or something like that. If we're lucky, Caitlin heard or something…'

            He didn't know how right he was.

TBC

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DMK: …well…that was even worse than the second chapter, guessing from the silence of my typically loyal reviewers… T___T Okay, if it's that bad, tell me nicely, but at least gimme SOME kind of feedback so I at least know…

Hotshot: Aw shaddap. This crap happens, now get over it.

DMK: *moping* …well…if you're enjoying it…tell me…because with the lack of reviewers I'm about to take this thing off and go back to working on SFAPTB…