The Daughter of Primus

S. 2 EP. 8 School Drama

Time quickly fluttered by, Agatha was practically a permanent fixture in the base now and worked with all the kids but her most intensive work was with Julie who saw her four times a week. Despite the return of her brother and other friends, Julie was still getting vicious nightmares. And after one unfortunate incident with a bloody nose, a black eye and a very hard kick to the ribs, Jamie conceded and agreed that Wheeljack was the best suited for the task of helping her recover from her episodes when she wasn't aware of her actions. Flights in the Jackhammer became common for Julie to the point where the passenger seat was 'her' seat as noted by the small pile of pillows and several blankets that had come to be a permanent fixture there. Though they didn't always sit in orbit as that burned more fuel than the quick little jaunts that helped lull her back to sleep. It was taxing but the Wrecker's full attention was on her and wasn't split between her and team duties like the other Autobots.

Though currently Julie was having a different kind of crisis. the day before school was upon them and she was staring in a mirror sobbing.

"Come on, sunshine, it'll be okay. Your hair is growing back fast." Wheeljack tried to assure her.

"No it's not. I look like Eleven from stranger things! I look like a cancer patient!" She continued to cry "it took me years to grow out my hair and now I look ugly!"

"You're not ugly. You're a very pretty girl!" The wrecker wasn't getting anywhere this time around

Erica poked her head in the room "Hey, big guy. I think I have this one."

"If you can help. Nothing I'm trying helps." Wheeljack let the other girl into the room.

Erica towed a rolling case into the room and got Julie into a chair and took the distressed girl's face in her hands. "It'll be okay. I got you. Just breathe. Trust me?"

Julie gasped for air and nodded.

"I was in cosmetology school. I dropped out to help find you. Don't worry I'm already back in classes. But I should be able to help." Erica faced Julie away from a mirror and began getting things ready.

Wheeljack smiled a bit and left the room.

After a while Erica led Julie back to the main room of the base and the young woman had long black hair again, though it was straight and had none of Julie's natural waves to it.

"Heeeey!" Max exclaimed "looking hot mamacita."

Julie snorted and moved some of the hair behind her ear. "Shut up max." She said with a slight smile.

"That one of Erica's practice wigs?" Axel asked.

Erica nodded "it is. But Jewels needs it more than I do."

"We heard the meltdown from here. You good?" Axel asked, touching Julie's arm.

"Yeah. I feel... more like me." Julie nodded.

"Good." Axel nodded and patted her shoulder.

"That guy who took you is a Hijo de Puta" Max spat "Whiplash was our girl first"

Wheeljack scowled a bit "Hey. We don't bring that up right now."

"Noooo dude! You don't understand. Julie got the name Whiplash in the dojo! She accidentally gave two dudes whiplash during sparring matches that's how she got the nickname. She used it as a stage name in our band." Max explained.

"That right?" He looked at Julie.

"Yeah. I hadn't used it in a long time." Julie shrugged

"The dojo shut down and the band kinda scattered after Mr Harth died." Erica sighed "Axel went to work for his dad's mechanic shop, Max became a quarterback on the football team, Jamie moved away and I went to cosmetology school after graduating."

"Leaving Julie alone to cling to what was left." Axel pulled Julie into a side hug. "But the CP is back together again. We ain't about to leave our girl again."

"Fuck yeah man!" Max cheered

Julie flinched in response to the volume.

"Tone it down Max. You know loud voices is a trigger right now." Erica scolded

"Sorry. But seriously though. Girl you lookin good. If anybody has an issue with you. Imma put a boot in their ass." Max told Julie.

Julie blushed in response "Thanks Max. I can always count on you guys to help me feel better."

"It's why we're here. We just want you to feel safe." Max assured Julie.

It was several weeks into the new school year, Wheeljack was going along with everything and didn't complain, he was taking her to school and going to class with Julie just to keep her safe. The other students believed that they were a couple considering how close Julie tended to stick to her guardian. They generally ignored the gossip and focused on the school work. Of course being the intelligent smart ass he was he'd already gotten his homework done before school ended so he was doing something with the Jackhammer. Julie had not gotten her homework done so she was currently sitting on the couch with a movie on while she worked through it.

Jamie approached Julie, she was watching yet another gruesome movie in the main room, recently she had been subjecting the autobots to the likes of Parasyte, The Promised Neverland and Deadman Wonderland. Occasionally she'd switch out to other mediums of horror. Mental torture that she could feasibly get away with.

He pushed pause and a collective sigh of relief came as the classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre was put on hold.

"Hey Jewels." He sat down next to her.

Julie looked up from her homework and cocked her head, looking at her brother. "What's up?"

"Not much, came to ask if you were going to sign up for your new school's musical or anything." Jamie said

"I dunno..." Julie fiddled with her pen.

"We both know how much you loved theater and performing. I might be able to throw some cash at the school to convince them to do little shop of horrors?"

"Feed me Seymour" Julie flopped over dramatically in Jamie's lap.

Jamie laughed and ran his hand through what was left of her hair. It was growing out nicely but not fast enough for Julie's liking.

"I dunno. I'd rather do Beetlejuice." Julie replied as she sat back up.

"You haven't done a musical since dad died. It'd be good for you to get back into it." Jamie told her "get your busybody groove going again."

"But I mean regardless I've heard talk around school that the musical this year was canceled because of budget cuts yet the football team got all new uniforms, pads and everything." Julie huffed.

"Now that is bullshit. If you want to do a musical for your senior year I'm going to make sure it happens" Jamie told her.

"You don't have to Jamie." Julie grabbed his hands "I don't want to cause any trouble this year. I just want to get it all over with and go to Yale or Harvard."

"Well we still have our massive inheritance that we have no fucking clue what to do with. I mean funding a musical for a high school wouldn't even be a drop in the barrel."

"Jamieeeee" Julie whined

"Fine. I won't but I make no promises that Nan and Pop won't find out." Jamie sighed

"You're terrible."

"I'm just trying to give you your outlets back. You're back to YouTube but I think you'd benefit from some of our old hobbies. And with your physical condition I don't think you can be a mascot to the degree that would make you happy but... a play? You can handle that. You still have the lung capacity at least. I hear you when you yell at people to leave you alone."

"Pfffff singing and dancing..."

"Dad did call you jitterbug for a reason, you know." Jamie smiled softly

"Yeah. But all of this trauma... I don't..."

"Hey. You-" he poked her nose "focus on finishing school. I will see if I can't do something about that tanked funding for the musical. If you want to try out for it. Go ahead. If not, that's okay too."

Julie took a deep breath and nodded "Okay. Yeah. One day at a time right?"

"Right." Jamie grinned at her.