CHAPTER TWO

Dance With Me Through This Rain

***

Emma: Hey, Meg? There's someone here to see you…

Meg: Tell whoever it is to go away – I'm writing…songs sung in last chapter…I Don't Need A Man, by The Pussycat Dolls…and Don't Say You Love Me, by M2M…

Emma: She's some girl with white, blue and yellow hair, and blue-green eyes…

Meg: *Yelps* Zikya!! Emma, quick, go and let her in – IT'S HER TIME!!!!

Emma: *Salutes* Yes Ma'am!

***

The next day, I purposely road with Bianca. She and I talked about girl things, things that guys can't talk about, and I told her what had happened. She was sympathetic. She was kind.

But she couldn't tell me what to do, and for that reason I was a little bit downcast as I walked into the school.

Bee tried to cheer me up.

"We have art today," He said. "And your arm's feeling better, so you can paint more of your picture today!"

"Hn." Was my reply, as I trudged along.

"Plus, you'll get to sit out in sport, which is good because you don't like football!" Bee went on, brightly.

"Hm." Was all I said.

"Also, we've got health class today." Bee added.

I stopped and looked at him. Health class…currently the bane of my existence…because we were learning that…also, the people in the class were, well, in Autobot cuss, right slaggin' glitches!

I suddenly noticed the gleam in Bee's eye, and realised there was more.

"How about we skip it – it is the last class of the day!" He suggested, and I felt a smile form on my face. A whole afternoon with Bee? Skipping sex ed in health class?

Perfect.

"Let's do it!" I said, not caring if we got in trouble for breaking the rules, or what people would do if they found out. I was suddenly feeling a whole lot better, and I think that had been Bee's plan all along.

*

As it turned out, it was an extremely good thing we skipped class that day.

I ran out of the school as fast as I could, and found Bee in his car form waiting for me in the car park. I jumped in and we were speeding off, leaving the school and the dreaded sex ed class far behind.

I had to laugh, as we cruised along the freeway at top speed, I just suddenly felt so free. I was getting out of one of my least favourite classes, and I wouldn't have to worry about the twins asking me to the ball. As long as they didn't go with any of the school sluts, then I would be fine. I may not have wanted to go as their dates, but I did not want Sunstreaker and Sideswipe to go with anyone else like that…someone nice, a girl who could put up with Sunny's ego, and another girl who could deal with Sides' recklessness. And maybe a referee.

Aurgh. What a mess.

"Hey, Bee, you think we'll get in trouble for this?" I asked him, leaning back in my seat. It's still weird, the entire realisation that this is actually a robot, and so his interior is like…well, it's just weird.

"I don't know," He replied honestly. "But, it's worth it, isn't it?"

I chuckled. "I agree completely…" I said, and then I said: "Bee…Sunny and Sides both asked me to go as their date to the ball."

"They did?" Bee said. He sounded a little sad.

"Yes." I nodded, knowing he could feel me nod. "I said no."

"You did?" Now Bee sounded, well, happy.

Oh no, I thought. Don't let him ask too…

"I…" Bee began, and then he cut himself off. He put on the brakes so quickly that I would have cursed at any other time, but now I just stared at the silver, red and blue Decepticon that was holding a white-blue-yellow-haired girl in his hand, and preparing the crush the life out of her.

*

Everything happened at once. I was on the ground in a second, and Bee had transformed.

The Decepticon noticed us then.

"Let her go Starscream!!" I yelled, and then I froze. How did I know his name???? "Umm…yeah, just let her go!!"

"Help me!!" The girl with dyed hair suddenly yelled, and that was when Bee attacked. He moved faster then I'd ever seen him move before, and somehow managed to push Starscream to the ground.

The girl fell, and landed roughly on the ground.

I ran to her.

"Are you alright!!??" I cried.

She looked up at me, and I blinked. She had amazing eyes. "Yeah, sure – who're you?"

"Emma," I said, glancing over my shoulder at the two fighting robots. This was going to turn into another newspaper article, for sure. "Oh Primus…" I whispered, as Starscream began shooting at Bee. I turned back to the girl. "Who're you?"

"Zikya!" She replied, smiling. "So, what are those thing?" She was staring at the robots with the same look on her face that I'd had the first time I'd seen something like this – she thought this was cool.

I almost smiled. Then I said: "Okay, they're robots…I mean, like, obviously. They're aliens from a planet called Cybertron. The yellow and black one is Bumblebee, an Autobot. They're the good guys. Starscream, the one that had you, is a Decepticon – the bad guys."

"I saw you jump out of the yellow car, and then it turned into the robot, Bumblebee," Zikya said. "Can they all do that?"

"They all turn into different things, and have human forms called holforms…" I replied.

"How many of them are there?" Zikya wanted to know.

"Umm…" I began, and then one of Starscream's shots hit an area near where we were. The explosion caused us both to fly into the air. Zikya, luckily, landed near Bee. I, on the other hand, landed on the ground near to where Starscream was.

"Finally," I heard him say. "The human Megatron so greatly desires…" Starscream turned to me, and looked at me.

I forced my eyes all the way open, and looked at him.

His eyes were so red, blood red and glowing.

All at once, an uncomfortable pang started throbbing in my chest, reminding me of my injuries. My eyes filled with tears, which spilled up and over.

The pang in my chest suddenly spread out but, instead of becoming more intense, became more mellow, and comfortable.

That didn't stop the tears, though.

*

Starscream's P.O.V:

I was preparing to pick up the human female, and take her back to Megatron so that he could…well, do what he was going to do with her.

Instead of doing that, however, all I could do was stare down at the girl, staring up at me. I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything.

I had no idea why.

Her eyes glowed metallic green, beautiful as they shone with what the humans called tears.

There was also a strange, unfamiliar feeling in my spark…

Oh Primus, no…it can't be…

But, as I looked down at this girl, I knew it was.

Oh slag, this was unexpected. She was a slaggin' human!

What right did she have to be my spark partner?

*

Suddenly, something blue and red came, and crash tackled Starscream away from me. At once, the numbness I was experiencing went away in an instant, replaced by something hollow.

Zikya was suddenly by my side, and pulled my up by grabbing me under the arms. "Emma, who's that!?" She asked, a tad too excitedly.

"Optimus Prime…Autobot leader…" I said, shaking my head to clear it.

"Yes, but who's that with him!?" Zikya wanted to know.

I took a second look. "That? Oh, that's Wheeljack…engineer…" I suddenly looked at Zikya, who was staring at the battle with rapt attention. "Hey, are you okay Zikya?" How come she's not freaking out? She seems almost…happy…

I turned to the battle, and watched as Bee, Optimus and 'Jack ganged up on Starscream, who seemed completely outnumbered here.

I frowned. Hang on, is this fair? …I guess all's fair in love and war, but…this is just a war…right?

*

I missed the important parts of the battle, reacting only once when Bee and Starscream managed to injure each other, and I gasped.

Zikya glanced at me, and that's when Starscream decided to retreat. He knew he couldn't win against three Autobots, and so he ran…err, flew, turning into his F22 jet form and exiting the scene quickly.

I didn't realise that Zikya and I had our arms around each other, until Bee came rushing up to us.

"Em!" He cried, looking so concerned that my eyes widened. "Are you okay!?" He glanced at me and Zikya. "Are you okay?" He asked again, kneeling down to look at us.

Zikya and I exchanged a glance, and then nodded. I realised then that she was the girl from my dream – she was the spitting image of her! Talk about weird…

Then, I noticed that Bee was hurt.

"Me!?" I exclaimed. "Bee, what about you!?" And I let go of Zikya and somehow managed to throw my arms around Bee's neck. "Why do you keep doing that!?" It didn't make any sense. Bee wasn't my guardian, like Bianca was. Why did he always have to protect me like this?

"Because," Bee said simply, holding my gently in his arms, as 'Jack and Optimus came up to us.

"Whoa…" Zikya said, staring up at them, her eyes shining. "You must be Optimus Prime and Wheeljack!"

"That's us," 'Jack smiled down at Zikya. "Who're you?"

"Zikya," She said, smiling. "Nice to meet you!"

She's just met giant robots, seen her first Autobot-Decepticon fight, nearly been killed by Starscream…and she says nice to meet you!!?? I wondered. I also knew, without a doubt, that we'd be seeing a lot more of Zikya from now on…

***

Zikya: Here I am!

Emma: Hiya!

Ratchet: Great – two crazy teens.

Meg: Calm down Ratchet, they're so happy – look at them, they're talking to Sides' and Sunny…now they're looking at you…they're smirking…

Ratchet: Uh-oh…

Bianca: You're doomed.

Ratchet: I'm doomed. Can anything else go wrong?

Wheeljack: Guess what?

Ratchet: What?

Wheeljack: I'll be getting more screen time then you, from now on!

Ratchet: WHAT!!??