Chapter 6

I woke up in my own bed and jumped, realizing that I didn't get here by myself. A soft voice made me squeak in fear. "Welcome to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty." Whipping my head around, I saw Arcee seated on the floor, brushing her hair out. I relaxed instantly; Arcee and I are close friends and had it been a mech in my room, I would've had an aneurysm. I smirked. "My hair's a mess, isn't it?"
"Yep."
"Is it really bad?"
"Yep."
"I need to shower."
"Yep."
"You're a bitch."
"Nope."
"Dammit." Arcee laughs, a throaty, almost lusty sound, and ties her short, spiky hair into an even spikier and shorter ponytail. Her holoform is beautiful; A perfectly tanned body, perfectly proportioned, dark, midnight-blue hair streaked with hot pink, and aquamarine eyes. She smiles at me, revealing white teeth, and unfolds her legs to stand. Walking around my room, she gathers all I need for a shower, then runs the brush through my hair a few times to make it suitable to walk to the showers. She tosses me my flipflops, which I slip on thankfully, and follow her out into the warm sunshine. It's still early, so few of the mechs are awake. Arcee chooses to stay with me in her holoform and we chat all the way to the showers. When we arrive, Arcee's holoform turns on the water and strips, stepping into her little showerspace.
I slip out of my sweatpants and tank top and stand under the water, letting it wake me up. I dab a generous amount of shampoo into my hand and scrub it vigorously into my hair. When I rinse it out, I can feel little eyes watching me, so I turn around and see the other two, Chromia and Flareup, watching me with round eyes. Their holoforms are twin teenage girls, but different. Chromia is dark-skinned, with black hair and neon blue eyes, and her hair is streaked with blue and silver. Flareup is pale, with red hair streaked with violet, vivid blue-green eyes, and freckles scattered across her face and shoulders. Other than their features, both girls are built the exact same and look the same, were they reduced to greyscale. Chromia grins impishly at me and drags her sister past. Their personalities could not be more different. Chromia is a dark girl, almost to the point where you could call her Goth. Flareup, however, is bright, little miss Sunshine, all the time.

I laugh softly at their antics as I finish my shower. Stepping out, I wrap my body in a fluffy robe while I dry my hair. Arcee and I chat about different things, just to make light conversation. She combs her fingers throughWhen it dries, I gather my things. Humming, I walk back to my own quarters and slip into a new outfit. A pair of jean shorts with a black tank top and a white lacy sweater to complete it. I pull my hair back into a loose half-ponytail and curl it, then apply a tiny bit of mascara and blush. I observe my reflection in the mirror and smile. It's a suitable look for now.
I leave my quarters and immediately run into Prowl just a few moments later. He has his eyes glued to a datapad, frustration written on his face. I had my own facing my phone, where I was talking to one of my older siblings. I bumped straight into his chest and stumbled back. He barely flinched, but I had torn his attention away from his precious datapad. "Relia." He stated simply. "Prowl." I was blushing furiously, I knew it. I'm so insanely embarrassed that I want to melt into the steel floor under my feet. He steps to one side and motions me to pass, returning his gaze to his datapad. I take three steps forward and anger blooms in my chest. He literally just pronounced his love for me a few days ago and now he's dismissing me? Oh, not cool. I whipped around to find him gone. My fury dissipated into thin air and I forced my body to relax. Next time, I'd talk to him. Next time.