Metallic Matters Chapter 2

Zoey trudged into the apartment lobby, her makeup running down her face and quite present on her knees, hoping the receptionist wasn't paying attention. She just wanted to get to her bed upstairs, she didn't want to see anyone at all right now. Luckily, the lady at the run-down front desk was filing her long nails, smacking her gum loudly, rather than pay attention to who came in the front door.

          The shaking teen trudged up the grimy stairwell, not feeling like riding the beaten-up elevator, trying to figure out just what had happened while holding back the rest of the shock from today's encounter.  

Soon, she walked through the door that lead to the hall of apartments including hers. She shuffled past each door, numbers on each one, some rusted while others were clean. Her green eyes on the red carpeted floor, until she stopped in front of the door that lead to her apartment.

Zoey stared at the door, at it's numbers that had lost their sheen long ago, at the stains at the edges from some unknown spill, and the well-worn knob, not wanting to move but she soon reached for it.

She turned the knob slowly, the door opening with a groaning creak, and threw her bag onto the couch in the living room.

Looks like Mom's working late again... Zoey thought, looking around the room and through the kitchen door.

“Whatever, I'm tired anyways...I just wanna be alone for now.” She said to herself, heading for her room, but stopping before she passed the coffee table covered with photographs.

Zoey reached for one, lifting one up gingerly, as if her touch would shatter it. She looked at it, silent for what felt like a long time, her chest aching, before she put it back on the table, face down.

“Damn drunkards ruin everything...” she grumbled, throwing her leather jacket onto the floor as she collapsed onto her messy bed. Her hand gripped a fistful of the blankets, curling up into them, and stared up at the cracked ceiling once again that day, wondering why she even bothered getting out of bed in the first place that morning. The thought of dinner flittered through her mind, but she pushed it aside, she didn't feel like eating, she just wanted to sit here.

~.~.~.~

The black haired man walked up the cracked city sidewalk, towards where he had parked his truck.
Getting close to it, he noticed a smudge mark where that girl had walked into it that morning.

“Punk kid smudged my side door up...” he muttered opening the door.

Bleep, bleep.

Dang, what is it now? the man wondered with an exasperated sigh. He reached over and hit a button on the dashboard.

“What is it now, Kup?” he asked with a roll of his blue eyes, bracing himself for a chewing out or a ridiculously long story from the old veteran.

“Pfft, I'd show some respect if I were you! Why haven't you checked in yet? I'm about to have the boss-man send the rookie after you!” complained Kup in his rumbling, tinny voice. At least he hadn't started talking about the old days.

“Yeah, you didn't tell him I'm behind on patrol reports, did ya, Kup?” The man asked, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. The last thing he needed was some “prime” on his case for a bit of late paperwork.

“No I didn't, now get your aft here right now!” Kup yelled before a click signified the call had ended. The man sighed, running a scarred hand through his jet black hair. Kup knew how to chew anyone's ear off, but the “boss” was even better at it.

Better head back to base then. He thought as he drove off.


~.~.~.~

Sally McCamp was in her white wood house, laying on her pink comforter, painting her nails while Superman played loudly on her iPod.

“Gaaaaawd! I'm so...bored! Ugh!” she whined, blowing on her wet nails hoping they'd dry faster.

“Maybe I should...call Zoe? Yeah, totes!” She chirped, reaching for the phone and dialing her friend's number, who eventually answered on the third ring.

”Hello? What is it Sal? I'm a little busy.” Zoey grumbled.

“Oh, I was just callin' cause I was, like...sooooo bored.” Sally replied, rolling over to her back, her  head dangling over the side of the bed.

“Oh...ok...I was only trying to sleep. I don't know why, it's only like, eleven at night.” Zoey replied with a large yawn.

“Poo! Fiiiiiine, lates Zoe! Dream of hunky guys tonight!” Sally replied with a laugh as she hung up the phone. Well that wasn't as fun as she was hoping it would be. Who else should she call?

She looked at the phone screen, bringing up the contacts menu, and saw one name that made her grin.

Will Schurmin.

Will was probably one of her good friends, almost a bestie if he weren't a guy. He always seemed to know the best jokes, and it didn't hurt to try and slip as much in about Zoe as she could.

Sally dialed his number, and waited for him to pick up the phone. One ring..two rings..three...four...five.

”Sal? What's made ya wanna call me this late? Its not even the butt-crack of dawn yet...” he murmured, probably just now woke up.

“Pffft, it's sooo not that late! Soooo what's up?” She asked, looking at her sparkling nails.

”Sleep, now can I get back to it, Sal? I was dreamin' of medals and pizza...ya know, 'portant stuff...” Will said, his words getting more and more slurred as he spoke.

“Ugh! You're as bad as Tree-gal! And since you can't see, I'm totes poutin'.” Sally retorted with a slight grin.

”How is Zoey? She looked way beat this morning, I didn't really get a chance to talk to her.” He asked, stifling a yawn.

“Hee, you'll have to ask her tomorrow! Night Will!” Sally said, hanging up the phone.

It really was totes late anyways.


~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The next morning, Will woke to find himself face-first on the carpet. Sitting up, he stretched, his back popping.

“Dang, I slept good. What time is it?” Will murmured, looking at the digital clock that had fallen off his dresser, the numbers 5:12 blinked across its face. Later than when he normally woke up, and dangerously close to when his dad woke up.

“Crap, it's past five....If I don't hurry I won't have time for my jog. Better hurry then.” Will said, racing to get dressed in ball shorts and a muscle shirt, then down the stairs past his dad's room and to the kitchen. He made up a quick breakfast shake and heated up a slice of leftover pizza. Chugging them both down, he dashed out the front door, ready for his morning jog, and just in time too, as his father stomped into the kitchen and opened the fridge to grab a bottle and drank it.

Will jogged down the sidewalk, his breathing coming in controlled puffs, and his shoes hitting the cracked cement in a steady rhythm. He ran several blocks before he leaned against a lampost, catching his breath.

“Dang...forgot to...time that..” he panted, irked that he forgot his watch at home.
“I can't even go home 'till pops is asleep again...” he muttered, wiping his forehead in the crisp morning air...as crisp as city air can be before the morning commuter rush. Will straightened up, looking at the hazy, pink-yellow sunrise.

“Man, I never get tired of that sunrise...” he said, a lopsided smile growing on his face.

~.~.~.~.~

Somewhere else in the city, the black-haired man was leaning against his truck, his eyes closed as he waited for his patrol route from Kup or the “boss.”

Bleep, bleep.

There it was.

“What is it, Kup?” he asked, waiting for the reply from the old veteran.

“Well, you get a different assignment today...hmph, now see back in my days I woulda had to do my route and the search mission-”

“Search mission? What happened Kup?” the man asked, trying to divert Kup from starting his hours long reminiscents.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, Hotshot disappeared from our radars again, he could be doing Primus knows what, but we don't know scrap. He could be in trouble though, we sent him to look for strange activity near the main overpass and he hasn't checked back in since. Go get his aft back here.” click.

“Scrap, that rookie stumbles into every single disaster available...” he muttered, starting the truck's engine.

“He better hope I get there before any trouble does.”


~.~.~.~


Will was jogging towards the over pass, he'll have to take the ramp below it, the cars had already started zooming by on the grimy roads, and no way in hell was he gonna get run over.
He ran down the steep cement slope to the smooth area below, and saw the last thing he expected to see.

Under the overpass, a sleek gold and red car sat, lights off and engine running softly, no driver in sight, its doors unlocked.

Seriously? Dang that is a sweet lookin' car! thought will, his pace slowing and soon coming to a halt in front of the sportscar.

The teen looked around, looking for any sign of a driver, but saw none.

“Guess, I'll just....take ya for a spin.” Will said, grinning as he opened the door and easing into the driver's seat. He ran his hands along the wheel, gripping it eventually as he eased down on the gas pedal.

“Anyone who'd ditch a car like this is crazy, they probably won't mind me taking it off their hands for a bit.” Will said, driving his new car to his house. Not knowing how asleep it was.

~.~.~.~

The black truck pulled up along the side of the overpass, and it's driver stepped out.
“Scrap, he's not here....” he cursed quietly and called Kup.

“Kup, he's not here.” he said, running a hand through his black hair again, closing his blue eyes as he gave an exasperated sigh.

“Well, hurry up and find him, Ironhide! Primus you young-bots are always givin' me a helmache....” The veteran snapped, hanging up.

The man sighed, why did he always end up having to do the aggravating jobs?

~.~.~.~

Zoey leaned against the wall, sitting on her bed, a thick book in her hands as she read quietly.

Bzzzzz...Bzzzzz...

“Ugh....” she groaned, reaching for her phone to read whatever text she'd just gotten.

Can U pick up bread and eggs? Thnkx! ~Mom

So much for reading all day. Zoey thought to herself grumpily as she got dressed for the day.
“Stupid hair....” she muttered, trying to brush her tossled hair into a suitable hairstyle, and soon doing an adequate enough job.  She slid into her leather jacket and grabbed her purse, then headed for the door.

Zoey walked out of the building, checking her phone for the time, unsure if the store was even open this early-

Slam!

“Not again...owwww...” She muttered, holding her head, now on her butt.

“What the hell, pipsqueak?! Stop running into my door like that! You'll end up splattering across the front at this rate!” yelled a familiar voice.

“You!” Zoey exclaimed, getting to her feet, her arms crossed as she tried to glare through the dark side window of the truck.

“What about me, tidbit?” the man growled,

“You are driving me to the stupid store now!” Zoey replied with an impish grin, her green eyes burning angrily.

“What?? What makes ya think I have time for that?!” He responded, surprised she even said something like that. What happened to the sobbing kid he saw yesterday? She was back to being her punk-self already!

“Because you owe me for hitting me with your stupid truck. Simple as that.” Zoey answered quite matter-of-factly.

“You ran into my truck! Gah! You know what? I don't care. Hop in, pipsqueak. Primus I hate you....” he grumbled, rubbing his face in hopes of easing the headache that was forming.

Zoey let out a sigh of relief, and walked around to the passenger side, and pulled out her book.

“Supermarket. Go. Mush. Onwards, Jeeves.” She replied dryly as she started to read the book.

The man looked at her, dumbstruck, his blue eyes wide as his mouth hung open slightly, until he shook his head and eased onto the gas pedal, not caring he was speeding. He just wanted her out as soon as possible.

Soon, he slammed on his brakes harshly.

“There! We're here! Get. Out. Now, pipsqueak.” the man said, his eyes narrowed at Zoey in the passenger seat.

“Ok, ok!” she replied, hopping out of the truck once she saw that fiery anger on his face. She did not want to push him too far!

He drove off, leaving her, once again, choking on dust and wondering where he was heading to.

~.~.~.~

Sally rolled over in her tangle of blankets and sheets, opening her pale blue eyes slowly.

“Ugh...it is, like... waaaay too early for me to be up...” she murmured, seeing the clock say it was 9:34. She soon got out of bed, now unable to get back to sleep, and grabbed her phone.

“Oh...? I have a missed call from Will. I should totes call him back!” She said, grinning as she hit “Call Back.” and waited for him to answer.


”Y'ello?”

“Hey Will! So, like..why'd you call earlier?” Sally asked, fluffing her pixie-cut hair in the mirror.

”Sal, you totally won't believe this, but  I found the sickest car sitting under the overpass, totally abandoned.” He said excitedly.

“Really? That's it? I thought it would be, like... something so much cooler.” Sally replied, dissapointed.

“Always trust a girl to say that!” Will said with a laugh.

“Whatevs, Will.” Sally sighed, thumbing through the clothes in her closet.

”So listen, I was thinkin', that you, me, and Zoey should get together and- Agh!--”

“...Will?” Sally stopped thumbing through the hangers, no answer.

“Will this is sooo not funny...'

”Bleeeeeeeeeeee...”

“Oh god...” Sally murmured, dropping her phone as if it had burned her.

~.~.~.~