A Drone Named Jeffrey
Chapter Twenty Two
America
"And why are we standing out in the middle of nowhere again?"
Riley reached out and smacked her hand against my visor, leaving a smudge when she purposely dragged it across the tinted glass. "Stop complaining! This is the best seat in the house and you know it. Remember New Years?"
I shrugged my shoulders, trying not to laugh when Riley squealed and grabbed the side of my helm. "Why do you humans have so many holidays that blow up things? Can't we just have another holiday that's all about love and that kind of slag?"
"Like you don't enjoy blowing things up," Riley snapped back. She kept a firmer grip on my helm while she resettled on my shoulder. "You were trying to get me to order a dozen packs of fireworks after we got done the first time!"
"I will admit that their color had fascinated me." I stared towards the smudge on the horizon that marked the town we lived in. "Why aren't you doing this with your dad? I thought you two spent all the important holidays together."
"He said he had to stay home and balance the checkbook. You know, boring old adult stuff." Riley checked the chronometer on her wrist, and I unconsciously did the same. "It's almost time! They always set them off at the same time every year."
We continued to stare straight ahead. "So, what's this thing all about?"
Riley kicked her legs out in a fidgeting manner. "Mostly tea. My history teachers always seem to want to emphasis how much the first colonials enjoyed their tea. They liked it so much, they got super mad when the British jacked up the price without letting them have any say in it. There was entire war over it."
"Mine had an entire war over Energon." I shifted my head until I could see Riley out of the corner of my optics. "That's kinda like tea."
"Wow. Who knew our histories were so alike?"
"It's kinda scary."
"A little."
I turned back to the town as a faint whistling filled the air. I doubt Riley could hear it with her stunted audials, but she leaned forward with a grin at the sight of the first burst of blue light followed by a quick succession of red and white.