Ch. 6

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As I walked along side Bumblebee, (Well, walked is a loose term. I basically had to jog to keep up with his long strides), I caught snippets of Sam and Mikaela’s dialogue. Neither of them could take their eyes off the approaching behemoth as they talked.

“What is it?”

“It’s a robot. But like a… Like a different, you know, like a super-advanced robot. It’s probably Japanese. Yeah. It’s definitely Japanese. She could be controlling it.” Sam nodded briefly in my direction.

I snorted and glanced up at the super-advanced robot, who looked down at me with an expression of equal amusement. Me? Control him? Now that would be weird.

What’re you doing?” Mikaela whisper-yelled after Sam, who was beginning to take a few cautious, shuffling steps towards us. “This thing didn’t just come out of a cereal box!”

“I don’t think it wants to hurt us; it would’ve done that already.” Sam reasoned as Bumblebee came to a halt. I stopped a few feet back and off to the side, allowing Bee to take center stage; he was by far the more interesting specimen.

“Really? Well, do you speak robot because they just had like a giant droid death match!” Mikaela whispered the last three words intensely. “Maybe it’s only intermission! Maybe we’re the second round!”

Once Sam was pretty close, Bumblebee leaned over, picked something out of the dirt and held it out to Sam. Know what it was? Sam’s pants. Sam’s irreparable, extremely torn and dirty pair of jeans. I just about lost it then and there. But apparently they were an improvement over his boxers, for Sam muttered, “Uh, thanks.” and proceeded to struggle into what was left of his trousers.

It was strange, the feeling I experienced standing with Bumblebee as we looked down at the teenagers-which of course was only because I was further up the hill than them. Something about being on the same side of the huge, powerful being that had them so awe-struck. What was it? Empowerment? Smugness? That was giving it a bit much, but I did feel a certain sense of ‘I know something you don’t,’ but it wasn’t demeaning of them in any way. Maybe it was just the familiarity of what was happening; that just the foreknowledge had me feeling if not powerful, then at least a bit special.

Whatever it was, I smiled slightly in a strange sort of contentedness as Sam continued to study Bumblebee, who stared back in what appeared to be equal curiosity.

“I think it wants something from me.”

I glanced up at Bee, who had placed his hands on his hips and was now shifting his right foot to create a wider stance. His overall stature gave off a heroic aura. Was he unaware of it? Or was he milking the situation for the fun of it, which is not something I can say I wouldn’t have done under similar circumstances.

“What?” Mikaela asked in a ‘Are you serious?’ tone.

“Well ‘cuz the other one was talkin’ about my eBay page.”

“What’s up with that? You selling batteries or something?” When Sam didn’t respond, Mikaela blinked and moved her hands in a downward motion of exasperation. “You are the strangest boy I have ever met.”

Unexpectedly, Sam’s eyes turned towards me. “Can he talk?” he asked.

I crossed my arms and tilted my head towards Bumblebee, my smile widening a bit. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Sam complied, stepping back so that he could see Bee’s face better, and asked, “Can you, talk? Communicate? In words we could understand?”

“XM Satellite Radio--digital cable brings you--Columbia Broadcasting System-” Bumblebee shifted through various clips of sound to convey his method of communication.

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