CHAPTER SIX

Surprise!

***

Meg: When I think Surprise, I think of that level in Yoshi's Story.

Emma: Oh yeah, with all the secrets in it.

Bianca: I remember that game, but the level that I remember is Lots O' Fish…

Meg: My older sister remembers Frustration…because it was.

Emma: Did you ever get the white Yoshi and black Yoshi?

Meg: Yeah, but not the purple one…oh well…on with the story…

Emma: Meg…about Starscream…

Meg: You'll see!!

***

Before the ball, we had one other thing to think about – my adoption day. Aurgh. Not many people have one. It only comes once a year, and usually it's pretty good. Nenona and Jerome get me some presents (one time they took me to Bali) but it's usually a pretty tame experience.

But not this time.

This year, somehow, the Autobots – and Zikya – found out about my adoption day…I'll bet Bianca told them. Okay, that was okay.

But…I began to sense that a surprise was planned, even though nobody said anything. Everybody was really good about keeping secrets.

"It's my adoption day tomorrow," I said to Nenona and Jerome at breakfast (which was waffles). "We doing anything special?"

"No, not really." Nenona replied, keeping her back to me as she poured orange juice.

A-ha! That's always a sign! Generally, we try to downplay one of my special days – either my birthday or my adoption day, whichever I prefer. Sometimes we don't. Other times, I attempt to completely disregard either day. It's really up to me.

But, on this adoption day, that wasn't going to be the case.

*

Zikya's P.O.V:

It was one of my favourite classes – science! Today we were messing around with chemicals, mixing specific ones together to create certain reactions. Emma, my new bestie, was my lab partner, and she seemed preoccupied.

"We have to add the alum to the…Em? Hey, earth to Emma?" I waved my hand in front of her science-lab-glasses-wearing face.

She jumped. "Huh? Hey…what?"

"You spaced out." I told her.

He heaved a sigh. "Sorry." She replied, and poured something into a test tube.

It exploded.

We were left standing there with ash covering our faces.

We blinked.

"Maybe I've been hanging around you and Wheeljack too much…" Emma coughed.

"Maybe." I agreed.

*

The next day was Saturday, my adoption day anniversary. Ironically enough, the next day, Sunday, was the day of the ball. I wasn't sure what to expect from either events, but I just decided to face today first.

I got out of bed and got dressed in a short blue dress with a black belt. I put on black ankle boots. It was a relatively warm day – spring was coming.

I went downstairs, and mentally braced myself, although I was smiling.

"Morning honey!" Nenona said, giving me a hug and then leading me in to the living room, where Jerome was watching TV.

There was a big box sitting on the living room table.

"Izzat for me?" I asked, unnecessarily, and Nenona smiled, before guiding me towards the table, to open the present. "You shouldn't have." I said, automatically.

Then I opened the box.

"Omigosh!" I gasped, placing one hand to my heart. "But I'm so glad you did! Nenona, Jerome, thank you so much!!"

*

Unknown P.O.V:

I don't know what guided me to Perth. It was all the way in Western Australia, far away from Australia's capital city. But, it was brimming with humans and, as I walked down the streets in my holoform, I looked around. None of the humans I saw was the one I was searching for, and I blinked my moonlight blue eyes, one of which was covered with my short jet black hair.

I would just have to be patient, and keep on searching.

*

I sat in Bia, on my way to whatever she and the others had planned for me. Around my neck was the silver necklace Bee had found for me in my wardrobe. Nenona hadn't known where it had come from, but told me that it may have belonged to my mother. That was important news. In my dress pocket was the new silver slidey-phone from Jerome. I was wearing the expensive sunglasses from Nenona.

Sitting on my lap was a ginger cat.

Well, it was a kitten really, and 'it' was a 'he'. And he was the most adorable thing I had ever seen, hands down. He wore a dark blue collar, and had the longest whiskers I had ever seen. His meow could have made a grown man melt.

I had named him Leveret, because his ears were huge.

"I can't believe they got me a cat!" I said for the eight billionth time.

Bia replied: "I can't either. You sure are happy, Em."

"I know." I answered, with a huge smile, as Leveret nuzzled against my stomach and meowed contentedly. "I wonder how he'll react to the others…"

*

Leveret react alright.

He reacted in a bad way.

First, he leapt out of my arms when we got to the lake, and attacked Bee.

I just stood there, totally frozen, because Leveret's claws were sharp.

Next, he attacked Sunny, and then 'Sides, and then he started biting Ratchet, jumping from one bot to the next in a flurry of marmalade-coloured fur.

"What the slag!?" The medic cried, attempting to free himself from the cat's razor sharp fangs and claws.

At last, I unfroze, and called: "Leveret, here boy!" Like he was a dog or something.

But, Leveret's large ear pricked up, and he jumped off of Ratchet. The bell on his collar ka-chinkled as he trotted over to me, and then stood in front of me, meowing loudly.

I picked him up under his front legs, and turned him to face the apprehensive robots. "Leveret," I said sternly. "Apologize to Bee-Bee, Sunny, 'Sides and Ratchet, right now."

"Mew…" Leveret said, and Arcee was the first to melt, followed by Zikya and most of the others.

Only Ironhide remained unmoved, but I'd expected as much.

The others crowded around me, asking questions about Leveret.

"Present from Nenona and Jerome," I said, as Leveret crawled up my arm, and sat on my shoulder, nuzzling my ear.

"Aww…" The girls all said.

Some of the male bots rolled their optics.

"Aww great," Bee said, casting his optics downwards. "Now our presents are going to look second rate…"

"You got me presents!?" I yelped. Bee nodded. I looked at Bianca. "Bianca!!"

She shrugged. "It was Bee's idea."

"Oh…well that's okay then…" I replied, smiling.

'Sides's optics nearly bugged out of his head.

*

I won't go in to the intracies of the party, except to say that I appreciated each and every single thing my friends had done to make it special.

I made one request, though. That this be as much Zikya's party as it was mine. I couldn't get over the fact that she lived alone, and so I decided then and there to adopt her as my 'sister'.

She seemed to like that a lot.

Also, she liked the present I'd gotten her. It was some sort of a do-it-yourself science experiment kit, not the kid's kind but the professional's kind. I didn't know what it was for, but she did.

So did Wheeljack who, by the way, was going to be her date for the school ball.

Zikya was thrilled.

So was I. I love seeing other people happy.

Anyway, so we were getting ready to leave late that afternoon, when Bee pulled me aside. "Em, can I take you somewhere? There's something I want to show you…" He sounded nervous.

I smiled, though. "Okay, just let me find my cat…"

I didn't have to look far. Leveret, who seemed to be somewhat of a womanizer, although he liked me best, was in the arms of Zikya, and surrounded by the fem bots. As I gave Zikya a hug, Leveret jumped onto my shoulder.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Zikya," I told her, and she grinned her grin.

"Okay, see ya." She said, and then added: "By Leveret."

"Meow." Leveret said, as we walked away to where Bee was waiting for us.

*

"Mew?" Leveret asked for the eight billionth time.

"I don't know," I aid, wishing I wasn't wearing a blindfold. "Ask Bee-Bee…"

"Mew…" Leveret said angrily.

Bee said: "He doesn't like me, does he Em?"

"Leveret doesn't like men," I said sensibly. "Only women."

Bee didn't know what to say to that, and just turned on the radio.

It was playing that song by Three Days Grace.

Under my blindfold, I rolled my eyes.

I felt the car stop, and then Bee said: "Okay, get out Em, but be careful."

Oh great. I guessed that meant no taking off the blindfold. Holding Leveret in my arms, I climbed out of Bee, and stood there in the darkness, until I heard Bee transform, and then he came up behind me.

"Surprise," He said, taking the blindfold off.

I slowly opened my eyes, and looked around.

"Omigosh!" I said for the second time that day, as I stared around me in wonder. "Bee…what is this place!? It's beautiful!"

It was too. Even in the late afternoon sunlight, the meadow was gorgeous. It was full of the tall, wavy, dark green grass you see in movies, and wild flowers. It was the kind of place you see only in the movies. I'd never known such a place existed in Perth.

I didn't think. Years of gymnastics, diving, yoga, aerobics and ice-skating – and now ballet – made me move. I handed Leveret to Bee, and danced my way into the meadow, tour jetes and Primus knows what else – you name it, I did it.

When I finally got exhausted, I sat down in the middle of the meadow, and lay down, staring up at the yellow sky.

I heard Bee come up to me, and glanced at him.

His face was covered with scratches.

I blinked. "Sorry Bee-Bee…" I said.

"S'kay." He replied, and placed Leveret down on the ground. Then, Bee lay down next to me. Without even thinking, I crawled up onto his chest, and just lay there, putting my head close to where his spark was.

"You're a graceful dancer, Em." Bee told me.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Is there anything you can't do?" Bee wanted to know suddenly. "I mean, you can sing, you can dance, you can…"

"Okay, okay," I cut him off. "Umm, I hate maths, I accidentally blew up a test tube in science yesterday, and if you asked me to recite Shakespeare, then I'd say 'go to hell'."

Bee laughed. Then I giggled, because I loved Bee's laugh.

Bee was silent for a second, and then he said: "I love your giggle, Em."

I closed my eyes. "I love your laugh, Bee. So, there, we're equal."

"How do you feel about me, Em?" He wanted to know.

I decided to sum it up in five simple words. I said, truthfully, pushing myself up on my hands so that I could look into his optics: "I couldn't live without you."

Bee's optics glowed suddenly, and the warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest suddenly skyrocketed. "Em, remember when you asked me who my spark partner was? Well, it's…"

"Ring ring ring, ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!" My brand new phone suddenly interrupted whatever it was that Bee had been about to say, and we both groaned.

It was Nenona, calling to ask when I'd be home, because she was cooking tea.

I told her I'd be home soon, and I didn't get to find out whatever it was that Bee had to say.

***

Meg: It's 2:07Am…and I'M NOT SLEEPY!!

Emma: But you're seeing the new movie in thirteen hours! You need to rest!

Meg: NEVAH!!!!

Leveret: Mew!