My best friend is an Autobot - stuck with you

Chapter 32. Stolen

'I am so glad you're back.'

I fixed my gaze on Ironhide. 'Why's that?' I cocked my head to the side. 'Sideswipe acting like a total moron for two days.' I smiled weakly. 'I will talk to him,' I said. I dropped off my back at my room and searched for Sideswipe. 'Sideswipe!' He leaped in the air. I jumped on his back and wrapped my legs around his waist. 'Skylla!' he yelled angrily. I covered his mouth. 'Don't talk. I want a piggy ride. Do I need to tame you first?' I purred. He groaned and removed my hand from his mouth. 'Get off my back,' he snapped. 'Did you step out of bed with the wrong foot?' I laughed. He sighed and pushed my legs away from his waist. I landed on the ground and smiled at him. 'Did you take the laundry out?' I asked. He rolled his eyes. 'There was no laundry you moron,' he snapped and walked off. 'Why are we cranky?' I sprinted off. 'Because of you,' he scowled. 'Oh, well... I am happy to see you...' I trailed off.

'How was your party?'

'Stop pretending like you care because you don't,' he snapped. 'So it sucked?' I asked. 'No, it was fun,' he snapped. 'You're a bad liar, Sideswipe. What happened?' I hopped on a cargo box and grabbed a candy bar from my pocket. Sideswipe eyed me. 'What are you doing?' He crossed his arms. 'Waiting for a response,' I said while chewing. He rolled his eyes. 'You are clearly in a better mood,' he scowled. 'It was amazing... no stress, no you and no work, so yeah... it was great,' I said. He rolled his eyes again. 'They humuliated me...' he muttered.' I raised a brow. 'Really?'
'You do not sound surprised,' he scowled. 'No, I am not and I told you this before you went and you didn't want to listen. Like usual. Jada bullied me, she humuliated me, she hurt me... she  did everything to make my life miserable, okay? I know her and I know what kind of witch she is.' He sighed and nodded slightly. 'Anyway... there's something else...'

He looked up again. 'Being alone gave me time to think and I wanna buy my own place. I know... it sounds a little weird but hear me out... I used to live with Lennox after my parents died and kinda moved in here, at the base. I love it here but... wouldn't it fun to have my own place? Somewhere in Washington DC?' I asked. His face dropped a little. 'I don't know, Skylla. It sounds expensive and... what's wrong with the base?' he asked. I shrugged. 'I just... wanna move on with my life. I can't keep living in the past and as sad as I am... my family won't come back. They're gone and I need to accept that. For a long time now... I have these horrible nightmares. I keep reliving the moment I lost them... like... over and over again. A never ending cycle. I close my eyes and see it... their screams, their pain... and I am scared but... I need to try to move on and get a life, right? Maybe this first step will help me to let go of the past.'

'You never told me it bothered you that much.'

'You never asked.' He looked down at the ground. 'Maybe you should try to do the same thing. Leave the past and move on... you can't change it and as painful as it can be...' he rolled his eyes. 'i don't need a peptalk, Skylla. You're not leaving this base. Too much trouble for me,' he snapped. 'You can't forbid me, Sideswipe. I worked for it... I earned the money to do it and I am not the one wasting it on parties.' I stared at him. 'yeah!? Well maybe that's my way of dealing with the past! I am not like you... I am not the perfect rolemodel you are. The one everyone looks up too... I am created with only one purpose and that's to fight. I am born with battle instincts and I hate it.'

'Do you think this is what your twin brother would've wanted?'

A tensed silence fell. 'Do you think he would like to see you like this? You think he appreciates the fact that you're drunk all the time and sleep with all those girls? Do you think that will make him proud? Do you think that if I were you, my family would be proud? No, they wouldn't. Life sucks, alright? I never asked for this either...  I am not even supposed to be here, but I lost everything, like you... except that your brother is still out there and mine is dead. I didn't end up like you because I want to make my family proud... I wanna make you proud... after all what happened, I thought you would understand. I came to you first with this and I don't even need your permission.'

He sighed. 'I don't like it. You're lot leaving! End of discussion!'
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. 'Why am I even talking to you. I am stupid to think you will ever understand!' I passed. 'Skylla! Come back here!' He yelled. I ignored him and marched over to my room. I just got back and we are already bickering again. I sighed and buried my face in my hands as I sat down on my bed.

I gave Sideswipe a cold shoulder, like we usually do when one of us is mad. Although this time, Sideswipe didn't seem to be accepting it. He forced me to look at him. 'Don't give me a cold shoulder,' he snapped. 'You made your statement. End of discussing, wasn't it?!' I snapped. He narrowed his eyes. 'Let it go, Sideswipe.' I pushed him aside. He tightly grabbed me, pinning me to the wall. 'Three days. That's the time you're ignoring me. I didn't deserve that.'

'No?!' I snapped. I tried to yank my arm back. 'Stop it!'
'Then let go of me,' I snapped. 'You're absolutely driving me crazy, femme,' he hissed. 'So do you!' I yelled. He covered my mouth. 'Go out with me tonight.' I rolled my eyes. 'I will take you somewhere else then the McDonalds,' he added. I sighed. He removed his hand from my mouth. 'Let me go.' He pulled his hand back. 'The KFC?' I mocked. 'No, the Burger King.' I tried to suppress a smile. 'I do see that smile.' He nudged me. 'But seriously, I will take you to a fancy place this time.'

'From whom money exactly?'
'I saved some money.'
'From what? You get none.'
'But I have money.'
'Not good enough for me, Sideswipe.'

He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the crowd. 'I kinda borrowed it, okay?' I frowned. 'From who?' I asked. He shrugged. I grabbed his jaw. 'The truth.' He pulled his jaw back. 'I stole it. Alright?! I stole it so I could finally take you on a good date.'
'You stole money? You got to be kidding me. What the hell is wrong with you! You're going to give it back and find a job to pay me back and earn your own money, got it?'

He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. 'I stole it from bad people,' he said. 'I don't care. Bad people or not, you're going to give it back.' He sighed and let me go. 'I want to take you out for this date. Come on... come with me.'

I shook my head. 'No. Not with stolen money.' He sighed. 'Find a job.' He followed me. 'Like what?' He mocked. I stopped. 'Something you like to do,' I said. 'Okay, fine, but if I got the money, you will come with me on this date?' He asked. 'Yes, but only if you earned it.' He started thinking. 'Alright. I know something,' he said and walked off.