Time could not have gone any slower. There was only a minute left until the bell rang, and Sam was more than eager to finally get to Lunch. He knew Bumblebee was having way too much fun making him squirm with curiosity, not giving so much as a slight hint during the four unbearably long classes that followed their initial meeting in homeroom.

"Thirty-seven...thirty-six..." Sam counted down each painfully slow movement of the clock above the blackboard. He glanced at "Alaster", the boy's bright yellow hair shifting slightly as a breeze entered the classroom. Every class that Sam has had so far, Alaster would coincidentally also have, and, coincidentally of course, he would be seated right in front of Sam. 'Just a series of rolling coincidences!' Sam's thoughts were bitter and sarcastic, the entire situation making him irritated. He hated being out of the loop. Whether it were not knowing what a group of alien robots' tactics in war were, or simply what his friends were laughing at, Sam always had to know what was going on and why. The bell shrieked making Sam jump. He forgot how maddeningly loud the damn thing was. He sloppily threw his ajar notebook into his book-bag and in an impressive maneuver of speed was out the door before the bell stopped blaring.

Outside, he impatiently fidgeted where he stood, waiting for his...friend? Yes, friend sounded like a good adjective for whatever the hell he was looking at. It was still Bee, in some way or form, and as long as it acts like Bee and talks like Bee, he was sure he could call whatever the hell "Alaster" was a friend. Finally, Bumblebee exited the classroom, an evil smirk on his face.

"You know Sam, you really should be a bit more patient, good things come to those who wait." Bumblebee giggled. Giggled? Sam's head wrapped around the unfamiliar sound for some reason, he'd never heard Bumblebee giggle before. How human could this form really be? He shook the thought from his mind, more immediate matters rushing back to him. "You have put me through hell today mister, and I want my answers already. Walk. Quickly." Sam said, irritation obvious on his face. Bumblebee giggled some more, causing Sam to give him his "serious" face, as he called it. This just seemed to make the tan boy laugh more. Sam sighed, his shoulders slouching in defeat. "Can we please just go? You know how I get when it comes to being out of the loop..." Sam pouted. "Ahh but that's what makes it so fun." Bumblebee laughed. Sam glared at the boy as "Alaster" finally began to walk down the hall. A muttering Samuel followed two paces behind him. 'What vocabulary' Bumblebee thought.

The lunchroom was bustling and loud. People were talking, playing, eating, some even fighting, just as Bumblebee had predicted. Knowing that the general teenage population is usually too preoccupied with each other during the mid-day feeding hour, he thought that this would be the best time to explain everything to Samuel without someone overhearing them. The two walked to the back of the large room, Bumblebee leading as they made a beeline for a secluded lunch table. Some sort of curse or some other stupid myth ensured that no one else would sit here. Had Bumblebee remembered something so minuscule from Sam's daily ramblings about this place? Bumblebee gestured for Sam to sit down, doing so himself after Sam had.

The tan boy sat with perfect posture, hands folded neatly on the table, and a warm smile on his face. "Oh don't give me that smile you jerk, what the hell is going on here?!" Sam blurted out all at once. The boy in front of him chuckled. "It's quite simple Samuel. This is my holoform. It's me, and it's also not me. It's just a blend of light, sound and a few other things that would be a tad difficult to explain to you at the moment. When put together, it projects the image you see before you." the boy finished, calmly waiting for Sam's response. "But if you're just a hologram, then how come you can physically touch things or physically be touched?" Sam asked, his mouth set into a puzzled slant. "You don't listen well Sam, I said this is my holoform, not my hologram. This is an embodiment of me, we're not quite sure as to how we do it, but it's come in...more than handy in the past, so we're grateful to be able to perform such a thing." Bumblebee shrugged. Sam nodded, chewing absentmindedly on his lip. "That does make sense I guess, well...as much sense as you guys make anyway. You're not exactly normal." Sam smirked. "Says who?" Bumblebee challenged. "You humans are stranger than any other race I've seen before." Bumblebee sighed. Sam chuckled, deciding not to take topic any further. "OK so, how long does this form last? I'm sure you have some sort of limit before you have to rest." Sam said, biting into an apple he picked up on the way to the table. "About twelve hours, give or take a few minutes. It also depends on how long I spent in stasis prior to projecting my holoform." Bumblebee watched Sam as he chewed, chuckling at how loud it was. The boy never learned how to eat quietly. "OK, so in this case, how long until you have to go back into stasis?" Sam eyed the tan boy in front of him. "Considering we've been on patrol frequently as of late, I haven't given myself much time to rest, so I will have to stop projecting this form as of 7:00 P.M tonight." Bumblebee finished. Sam nodded, a sort of impressed look upon his face.

"So why exactly are you doing this?" Sam asked before taking another bite of his apple. "Well...that is, um..." Bumblebee stuttered, his eyes darting left and right. "What? Just spit it out already." Slight irritation audible in Sam's voice. "The same could be said to you, are you going to eat that apple or does your imitation of a cow have a second act?" Bumblebee rebutted. Sam's cheeks reddened as he swallowed the mouthful of fruit. "Har har. Now shut up and answer the question." Sam wiped at his mouth. "You do realize those commands as you've listed them completely negate each other correct?" Bumblebee smirked. "Y'know...you were never this lippy a month ago." Sam said as his forehead began to wrinkle. "Well, what can I say Samuel, you've rubbed off on me." Bumblebee grinned at the boy in front of him, then his face turned very serious. "I...I like spending time with you. You make me laugh, you explain things that I do not understand, and to top it all off I feel very...protective of you." Bumblebee finished, staring down at his neatly folded hands, avoiding eye contact with Sam. Sam was taken aback by the emotional confession, receiving that same feeling from last night. This conversation seemed so much more heavier than it should have. He let it sink in for a moment, not wanting to look at Bee. After a few moments of silence, Sam smiled. "I guess I'm stuck with you then, huh?" He grinned at the teen in front of him. Bumblebee's perfect white teeth gleamed in the florescents of the cafeteria.

The rest of the school day passed like a blur. Having all of his questions thoroughly answered, Sam was more open and upbeat towards Bumblebee (or as he's grown accustomed to calling him throughout the day "Alaster") and they were more talkative during the remainder of their classes. After the final bell of the day rang, the two exited the large building and walked towards the yellow camaro that was neatly parked across the lot. "Uhh...so can you drive while you're all...holoformy?" Sam asked, Alaster couldn't help but laugh. "Just get in the car Samuel." Alaster opened the car's door (Well...his door) and sat down in the passenger's seat before completely vanishing. The hair on Sam's neck flickered to life, and he did a quadruple take trying to see if anyone near had seen the Houdini act. A few people were somewhat close, but remembering that his windows were heavily tinted knew that they were safe. He quickly rushed to the driver's side and settled in.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You can't just go vanishing like that? What if someone saw you?! I mean really, Bee you need to think about your surroundings more! What ever happened to your whole disguise shtick you guys're always spouting about? Is it really that difficult for you to not wait until we're away from public view bef-" Sam's ramblings were cut short as the car suddenly started down the road, radio blaring.

Cuz I'm 0 to 60 in three point five
Baby you got the keys-
Now shut up and drive
(drive, drive, drive)

Sam repositioned himself in his seat, stumbling a bit. "Har har har, you jerk. And turn that off, I hate that friggin' song. You know I hate Rhianna." Sam sat back in his seat, Bumblebee automatically fastening him in. The radio suddenly changed, a mix of static and garbled voices stinging at Sam's ears.

I hate this part right here
I hate this part right here
I just can't take your tears
I hate this part right here

Sam groaned. "And now Pussycat Dolls? REALLY Bee? Are you trying out a career in executing? Death by Horrible Music?" The radio garbled once more, actually sounding like an electronic giggle.

Let him whine
Just let him go crazy
It's too late now what's done is done
Just let him whine

Sam didn't say anything this time. He just gave a look of utter irritation to the rear view mirror which flashed quickly in response. "Are you done? I swear you've picked up on sarcasm and teasing way too quickly. I think I need to put you in behavioral school with Mojo..." Sam sighed, laying back in his seat as he massaged his temple. "Would you be joining me then? Deity knows you need it more than I do." Bumblebee challenged. "Ugh Bee, you can't say 'Deity knows' in school. It's unnatural. Just stick with God Knows. Nice, simple, American, and normal." Sam sunk even deeper in his seat. "Indeed it may be more natural to those around you, yet saying Deity is more broad and has a far lesser chance of hurting those of different beliefs." Bumblebee explained. "Be that as it may my yellow friend, if you're going to hang around me in school you have to act somewhat normal." Sam's lazily lifted his hand in the air for effect.

Suddenly the car stopped. "Wha-Bee, what's wrong?" Sam shot up straight, looking around for some source of trouble. "No, no it's nothing Samuel, I'm sorry to startle you. I was just surprised...are you...allowing me to join you in class?" Bumblebee asked, sounding utterly happy. Sam had a look of confusion on his face. "Allowing? What made you think I wouldn't?" Bumblebee began driving again. "Well...you seemed a little...displeased earlier at the whole ordeal. I was fearing that you might not accept my plans to join you in school..." Bumblebee's speed was out of character, slow and careful. "I wasn't unhappy bolts for brains, I was just surprised. It's not everyday I get to meet an alien robot's holographic human counterpart, OK? You have to expect some sort of emotion out of me, y'know?" Sam finished explaining. Bumblebee began to pick up speed, confirming that Sam's words put the bot's mind at ease. "Do you truly feel that way Samuel?" Bumblebee asked. "Yes. I do, and how many times do I have to tell you to call me Sam?" Bumblebee laughed. "But I like Samuel better." The car picked up it's pace as it headed toward's the Witwicky home.

A/N OK, so I apologize for the short and late chapter, but I'm sure many of you are aware of a little something in our lives called "Drama" It's constantly and annoyingly present in my life, so I blame that for the lack of the delay. I'll try to make the next chapter longer, but no promises can be made. I hope you enjoy it!

Songs:

Shut Up and Drive- Rhianna

I Hate This Part- Pussycat Dolls

Let Him Whine- Scabs