Miko's p.o.v

I changed into my pajamas and slumped down on my bed. *sigh* Today has been kinda boring in my book. School was boring, homework was boring and I didn't even get to see the bots in action! They went off at some point to look for another mine filled with energy or energon or whatever. I wanted to follow but the Doc Bot closed the bridge before I could even get close!

Darn it. Looks like I'm getting sloppy huh?

I turned my phone on and saw at least dozens of messages from Evelyn. I sat up and looked at the messages. Some of them where from noon!

GymNast CuZ: Miko? You there? [2:10 p.m.]

GymNast CuZ: Hello? [3:00 p.m.]

GymNast CuZ: Miko, where r u? [3:01 p.m.]

GymNast CuZ: R u busy? [4: 25 p.m.]

GymNast CuZ: Miko, what's going on? Why aren't u answering?

GymNast CuZ: R u still at that Sci-Fi club?

GymNast CuZ: Seriously?! [4:40 p.m.]

GymNast CuZ: Do you guys have meetings EVERYDAY?!

GymNast CuZ: Miko, it's already 7. [7:00 p.m.]

GymNast Cuz: My god, does your club really last this long?

GymNast CuZ: What's going on? Why have you been ditching me lately?

GymNast CuZ: Why do you keep ignoring my messages? [7:26 p.m.]

GymNast Cuz: Hello? [8:12 p.m.]

GymNast Cuz: .....nevermind. See u at school tmrw.

{{7 miscalls}} {{2 voice messages}}

As I read the messages, I began to feel worse. How could I have been so dumb?! It's been two weeks since Eve's been here and I've been blowing her off.

I clicked on the first message and listened to it.

{{Hello? Miko...You there?........of course not. Look I just wanted to call to let you know that I'm goanna try out for the school's Gymnast team tomorrow but you don't have to come if you have to go to your 'Sci-Fi' club. It's ok. I understand. But what's going on? I studied hard so I could come here and hang out with you more but you've been more of a classmate and 'lunch buddy' more than the cousin who was like a sister to me. Look, just.....oh screw this. *duuuuuut*}}

Well that was a cheery message. I sighed and clicked on the next voice message.

{{Hey Miko, it's me...again. Look I just wanted to apologize if I was a little harsh earlier.}} She's apologizing to me? Well this just keeps getting better and better huh? {{Anyways, I'm not sure if you could make it but I figured I'd tell you anyways. The tryouts are tomorrow after school. If you want to come then let me know and I'll give you the details. Bye. *duuuuuut*}}

I leaned back against the bed post and sighed. Have I really been that bad lately? Have we really been growing that much apart? I then thought back to what I've been saying lately and how things have been going the past few days.

Flashback:

(Two weeks ago......)

"Hey, Miko!" Eve greeted to me as I met her at our lockers after school again.

"Sup." I greeted back. "So, wanna hang out today? I brought that new anime movie you wanted to watch, figured you could come over today and watch it, you know, since we don't have that much homework." Eve suggested.

I thought about it for a while......then I shook my head.

"Sorry, have to go for a Sci-fi Club meeting." I told her. I saw a flash of disappointment on her face then she shrugged.

"It's alright. Maybe this Friday?" she asked. I nodded. "Sure." I said.

(During Friday......)

"Hey Miko, ready for the movie?" Eve asked me. I looked at her in confusion.

"What movie?" I asked her. Eve blinked. "Um, the anime movie? The one I brought over? The one you wanted to watch? The one we're supposed to watch today? Any of this ring a bell?" she asked me.

Then I remembered what I said a few days ago and mentally smacked myself. I felt a bit bad. I was so focused on helping the bots I forgot about this. Plus, today Bulk and I were goanna go dune-bashing.

"Yeah....." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "About that...."

"Let me guess, something came up?" Eve said. I simply nodded. I wasn't sure but I thought I heard Eve sigh and give me a look of disappointment then it disappeared as soon as it came.

"It's alright. Maybe we could hang out next time?" she asked.

"Why not." I said.

((9 days ago......))

As soon as the bell rang, I grabbed my bag and burst out of the classroom at a speed that surprised even me. But I couldn't care less. Today the bots were goanna take me and the boys to an abandoned ener-something mine.

Sure, maybe there won't be any bot throwdown but hey, if I've got a chance to get to take a look at alien mining stuff up close, there is no way I'm passing this up.

"Yo, Mi-" Eve began but I ran past her.

"Sorry,gottagobye!" I said quickly in one breath as I zoomed past her. As I spared a glance back, I saw Eve looking at down sadly.

((One week ago......))

"Hey. Eve!" I greeted. Eve looked at me. "Oh, hi." She said. But....she didn't sound as enthusiastic as usual.

"Look, I know I said we'll try to play a duet and all but-" she cut me off.

"Let me guess, you have another Sci-fi Club meeting." she finished. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Um...yeah, hope you don't mind." I said.

She just sighed. "Forget it." She said as she turned away, I vaguely heard her mutter. "Don't know why I even bother anymore."

((2 days ago......))

"Bye Miko." Eve said before slinging her bag over her shoulder and walking off.

I stood there in shock as she walked away without even looking back. I didn't even get to say bye to her.

Flashback(s) End

That's it, I feel like smacking myself a hundred times. Who am I kidding? Of course we were growing apart! I've been blowing her off and ignoring her these past few days and for what? For the sake of getting to see some bots in action and being able to get a taste of adventure and thrill.

How could I have been so selfish? I've been ignoring my cousin who was like a sister to me just so I could satisfy my taste for adventure.

I sat up straight and made up my mind. Screw the Cons! It's time I've actually taken responsibility and try to fix this problem.

I'm going to make up for lost time with Eve, starting with this.

I scrolled through my contacts list until I found the number I was looking for.

I tapped it and began to dial Eve's number and hope that she'll pick up.

Meanwhile at Aunt Selina's house......

Evelyn's p.o.v

I was currently sitting on the beanie bag in my room playing 'You Shook Me All Night Long' on my guitar in a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt that said 'Night-night Mate'. I turned it up a bit and kept playing. I don't give a damn if the neighbors complain about the noise. I needed to do something to get my mind off things.

I was slowly but surely getting more and more fed up with Miko. It's been about two weeks since I've attended Memorial High and she's been practically ignoring me.

Everytime after school all she'd do is say a simple greeting and farewell and maybe add an excuse before running off to that Sci-Fi Club of hers. After that she'd go all radio silence. No texts, no calls, nothing. She wouldn't even read my messages until god knows what time.

I adjusted the strings on my guitar and began to play 'Starset-My Demons' to vent my anger on. It was either this or beating up a training dummy and I was too tired and lazy to use the latter as a method to vent out my exasperation on.

What was going on with Miko? What happened to the cousin who was like a sister to me suddenly become so distant with me? What happened to the girl who'd play duets with me? The girl who'd watch crazy movies with me till midnight? The girl who'd do all kinds of mad thrilling things despite how dangerous and downright stupid they were? The girl who'd listen to my troubles and give me a shoulder to cry on?

Can time and distance really change a person that much?

I don't want this. I don't want my relationship with Miko to go up in smoke just like this. I wasn't kidding, she's like a sister to me. As much as I love Ed, Miko was, and still is, the sister I never had.

I sighed and stopped playing my guitar. Then I decided to read a book to get my mind off things.

I closed my eyes and picked a random book off the shelf.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was holding a book called 'Choices & Chances' (A/N: I made that up. XP), a book about two friends who were complete opposites and how one of them, the rebellious one made the wrong choice and began to mix with the wrong crowd.

As I sat down on my bed and read through it I suddenly paused as a thought struck me. What if Miko was mixing in with the wrong crowd?

I know it sounds stupid considering how I came up with that theory thanks to a novel of all things but....now that I think about it, I realize that she's been very secretive lately. Everytime I asked her about this 'Sci-fi Club' she was always very vague on the details.

Then another memory came to mind, something that happened not long ago.

Flashback:

During Literature, I noticed Miko looking at her phone. I didn't want her to get in trouble since the teacher was pretty close so I leaned forward to tell her. But then my eyes fell on......'something'. I didn't get a good look at it but I saw a bit of dark green before Miko snapped her phone shut all of a sudden.

"Uh, can you please not breathe down my neck?" she said. I put my hands up.

"Sorry, but you shouldn't do that. The teacher's nearby and I may not be able to bail you out of this one." I told her before returning my attention back to class.

Flashback End

What of that was a picture of something bad like.....drugs or thugs or....wait....no way....it...couldn't have been her boyfriend or something now could it?

At this, my mind went crazy as I thought of all the bad things that could be.

What if Miko was being blackmailed into doing things she didn't want? What if someone was hurting her? What if they were abusing her? What if they were taking advantage of her? I know she's tough but she isn't exactly a brawler and I'd be lying if I said she was physically strong. I mean, flexible? Sure. But she lacks muscle. What if no one knows? What if no one's even aware of this? What if what if what if, it's driving me mad!

I slapped myself lightly. Calm down, Evelyn. It's just a bunch of what ifs'. They were theories, possibilities, hunches....presumptions. And all those words mean maybe. So maybe I'm just overthinking. But at the same time, maybe I was right.

I groaned and buried my head in the pillow. God damn it, I hate these kind of things! Maybes' are the worse. They're unpredictable and they either lift your hopes up or crush them. Why oh why must life be so complicated?!

Just then I heard my phone rang. Huh? I looked at the clock and realized it was almost ten, who'd be calling me at this hour?

I looked at my phone and speak of the she-devil, it was Miko! I pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

"Eve? Hey, it's me." Miko said.

I sighed. "Let me guess, tomorrow you have another meeting and you won't be coming to the tryouts." I said as I slumped back on my bed. Of course, I don't know why I even bothered telling her about this.

"What? No, I'm calling to let you know that I AM coming." She said. At that, I jolted upright.

"Pardon?" I said. "I said I'm coming." Miko repeated.

I blinked then my eyes narrowed. "You're not pulling my leg again, are you?" I asked suspiciously. "Besides, how do I know if you'll be able to actually make it this time, what if another meeting comes up?"

"The meetings been cancelled. Look, Evelyn," she used my full name, she's being serious. "I know I haven't been able to keep my promises lately but this time I mean it. The meeting's been cancelled. I can guarantee that I will come this time. I promise." She said.

"You double swear on your heart?" I asked her. To some people, they'd think this was pointless and over dramatic but when Miko and I say this, it means that it's a promise that can't be broken. In our book, it was a vow more than anything.

"I double swear on my heart." Miko said. "So, where'd it goanna be?" she asked.

I grinned. "Now you're talking my cup of tea!" I said. And so I told her all the details. It was going to be held at the school gym tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. and that she could bring her two mates along.

I was excited at the fact that we could finally spend time tomorrow and make up for lost time. Plus, I got to do it with my two new mates who I also haven't really seen much outside of school lately. Plus I get to show off a bit. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy wooing people every now and then?

"Great, oh and Eve?" Miko asked.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Could you meet me at the school gates a bit earlier tomorrow?" she asked.

"Of course, why?" I asked.

"You'll see, goodnight. Bye." She said.

"Goodnight, Miko." I replied before ending the call.

I went to bed that night in a much better mood than before. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

((Timeskip brought to you by chibi Evelyn and Miko sleeping)) The next morning......

I hit the brakes and parked my bicycle at the usual spot before making my way to school. I saw much to my surprise, Miko standing there waiting for me at the school gates.

"Morning, Miko." I said with more enthusiasm then I have in the past few days.

"Morning, cuz." Miko said as she came over and we shared a quick hug. Then Miko stepped back. "Look, I asked you to come earlier because I wanted to do this in person rather than over the phone." She began in a voice that I hardly hear. She wasn't joking around for once.

"I......I wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I've been acting like such a jerk and blowing you off and I'm sorry that I always break our promises to hang out. I shouldn't have kept ditching you after school either, that wasn't cool.

"What I'm trying to say is I'm sorry for not being a better cousin, can you forgive me?" she asked.

I was.....flabbergasted. Miko sounded so....mature. And that's saying something since she doesn't sound like that often. I also realize that she was being sincere and for her to be willing to say all that and go so far, it tells me that she values our friendship or sisterhood in this case, as much as I do.

I smiled. "Of course I forgive you, Miko. And besides, one of the many things you can do is try to be a better sister to me." I said.

Miko laughed at that. "You do realize we're technically cousins, right?" she asked. I shrugged.

"So? Blood is thicker than water after all." I said. I smiled and Miko and I shared a hug before doing our secret fist bump.

That day as school went by, I couldn't stop the small smile on my face, hel! even Math and Science didn't wipe it off. Miko and I were goanna fix things and that's all that matters.

((Small Timeskip brought to you by Math (ugh)))

Soon lunch came around and I found myself sitting with Miko, Raf and Jack again. I discovered much to my delight that they'll be there to see me at the tryouts too.

"It's the least we can do after blowing you off so much." Jack said.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate the support. I really do." I said genuinely.

"No problem, Eve." Raf said then he caught himself. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry."

I simply laughed and waved it off. "Relax, mate. It's alright, you can call me Eve. I don't mind. It's easier that way anyways." I said.

"Sure, Eve. Anyways, Raf and I wanted to warn you that they'll be some competition." Jack said. I raised my eyebrow. "Dully noted." I replied.

"One of the girls trying out is Jennifer." Raf said. I looked at him in confusion. Was I supposed to know who this girl was? "She's the girl you.......met on your first day." Raf explained. Oh, Jennifer was the Barbie wannabe. Great.

"Well this day just keeps getting better." I said.

((Another Small Timeskip brought to you by meatloaf))

I'm starting to think the teachers are time manipulators seeing as to how sometimes time goes so bloody slow that minutes, maybe even seconds feel like hours and how sometimes time passes by in a blurr.

Right now I was facing the latter much to my surprise. Because the next thing I know, my feet are carrying me to the girls' changing rooms.

I entered the changing rooms and took out my leotard. The same leotard that had the same design I made with....with.......I shook my head. I then saw something and took out a domino mask, a mask that was given to me by........by.....ugh, again?! I shook my head again.

I had to focus. Best not to go there.

No one's p.o.v

Jack and Raf sat with Miko on the bleachers and listened as their thrill-seeker friend chattered on and on about her cousin.

"Prepared to be blown away boys. Trust me, Eve's the best of the best. She makes it looks like magic! Heck, if Arcee was here, she'd probably get jealous. She-" Jack decided to cut her off before she went too far.

"Ok, Miko. We get it. Trust me, I'm looking forward to this too." Jack said. He was. He heard about gymnastic performances and sometimes sees clips of them on TV but to see one in person seemed a lot more exciting.

"Where is she?" Raf asked as he looked around. The gym was filled with students of all ages. The majority were girls here for the tryouts while some of them were friends here to support them. Then their eyes fell on a head of unmistakable brunette and sky blue highlighted hair.

"Eve! Over here!" Miko said waving her hands. Evelyn waved back and began to weave her way through the crowd until she made it to where they sat in the bleachers.

"Hey guys!" she greeted. They noted that she wore a dark blue sweatshirt over her gymnast outfit to preserve her modesty.

"What's the sweatshirt for?" Raf asked in confusion. He honestly knew little to nothing about gymnastics other than the fact that they were flexible and agile.

"Well one, it's kinda cold in this." True, the ACs in here was on for today. "And two, I have something called modesty." Evelyn said.

"Oh, ok. But I don't think will be that bad. I think it'll be pretty modest compared to some." Raf said.

"Why?" Evelyn, Miko and Jack asked.

"Well, there's hers." Raf pointed to a girl who was showing off a purple leotard that had a plunging neckline that showed her cleavage. Eve, Miko, Raf and Jack turned away in disgust, and embarrassment on the boy's part if the red tinge on their faces were anything to go by.

"I thought this school had dress codes?" Miko hissed.

"Well, in gymnastics the uniform is important too." Evelyn said.

"But it's just a uniform." Jack pointed out.

"Well for starters, if you're goanna do this, it won't hurt to do it in style." Evelyn said before she took on a more serious tone. "The design of a leotard has to be able to fit properly. If it's too loose, it might drag the user and hinder them but if it's too tight, it'll make them uncomfortable which will also hinder them. A leotard has to be able to fit the user properly and it has to be made of flexible material so the user has free movement.

"That way our movements aren't hindered and it can prevent injuries. Trust me, something like a tight strap on the shoulders can contribute to messing up a cartwheel which can result in a sprained neck and I rather not go there." Evelyn explained.

"Huh." Was all Raf said. Looks like there was more to gymnastics than he thought.

Miko continued to survey the competition until her eyes fell on one in particular that stood out an awful lot and she shrieked and turned away covering her eyes.

"Oh my god, I'm blind!" she told them. "What's wrong? What happened?" Jack asked, his body was tensed and ready to run. His eyes darted around the gym. Was it the Cons?

"That!" Miko said and pointed to where Jennifer was. They turned around and Jack immediately covered Raf's eyes before he could see anymore.
"Hey! What is it?" Raf asked as he tried to pry Jack's hand off. Jack simply turned him around.

"Just....just look away." Jack managed to stutter out. He tried and failed to get the image out of his head. My god, does the word 'dress code' and 'modesty' mean nothing now?!

".......I think that purple girl's definition of modest is ten times better than hers." Evelyn said. Miko nodded.

"At this rate the judges will probably disqualify her for blinding them!" Miko said.

It was true. Jennifer's gymnastic leotard made the purple one more or less decent in comparison. Her leotard was a long sleeved one made out of chiffon cloth with rhinestones and the only thing that more or less preserves her modesty was a bunch of pink sequins covering her....private parts.

"Welp, looks like the only problem I have on my hands is to outshine her, if you'll pardon the pun." Evelyn said.

Half an hour later, an announcement came over the speakers. "All students who are participating in the tryouts please make your way to the waiting area."

Evelyn gave her friends a two fingered salute. "Wish me luck." She said before grabbing her duffel bag and heading off.

Then the tryouts began.

Miko would occasionally make witty remarks or criticize. Jack would point out the pros and good points. Raf played the middle man and pointed out both.

In all honesty though, while some were good, some were mediocre at best while one or two of them were amateur. All of the girls had their own style. Some were wild and expressive while some were graceful yet meaningful.

Then Jennifer was called. She snapped her compact mirror closed as she finished applying what had to be her seventh layer of sparkly pink lip gloss. "Watch and learn from the professional, hun." She said to Evelyn before sashaying away. Evelyn blanched. Ugh.

"You and I have very different definitions of professional." Evelyn muttered under her breath. She only applied some turquoise and silver eye shadow on her eyes to make them stand out more and applied a thin layer of light pinkish lip balm. Her Mother always said less is more.

She only applied just enough to accentuate her features more. Unlike Jennifer who applied too much pink eye shadow and the light pink blush she put on her cheeks made her look like a creepy marionette doll like the ones she see in antique shops.

Evelyn decided to relax and watch. No point in staying all tensed up, it'll just tire you out. In her opinion, Jennifer, or Barbie in her book as she was always goanna call her that, was a mediocre at best. Her movements were still a bit stiff and clumsy and she stumbled a bit when she landed after that flip. Not mention how for a moment, one of her hands got tangled in her also sparkly pink ribbon.

It was simple enough, the girls can choose to perform using ribbons or hoops or balls. If not then they can simply perform on the beam or using the bars. Or they can do it freestyle without any equipment at all. If they were bold or good enough, they could choose to do more than one and even all of the above. So far she's seen three girls do two and one of them, a senior do all of the above.

She planned on doing freestyle, ribbon and beam. Evelyn was sure she could do this. She was the best at the ribbon one. She wasn't overconfident or arrogant per se.

She was simply stating a fact.

"What did I miss?" a slightly out of breath Edward said as he sat down beside Miko, Raf and Jack. He'd completed his assignments ahead of time and got a pass to leave college early. No way was he going to miss this.

"Not much. Eve's goanna go up after her." Jack said. Miko snorted.

"At the rate things are, Eve's got this in the bag." She said certainly.

"Is Eve really that good? I'm not doubting her or anything, I'm just curious." Raf quickly added.

Edward smiled with a hint of pride in his eyes. "She's the best of the best. Trust me, I've seen her do it with my own two eyes. She could put some of the Olympic people to shame you know. Heck, she's won two silvers, one bronze and even one gold. Some in State Competitions and some in Nationals'. Trust me, if anyone's got this, it's my sister." He wasn't bragging. If anything, they realized he was stating facts.

Edward scrunched his nose up as he saw the various outfits. While some were simple and modest, some were flashy and over the top....and exposed more skin than required.

"I thought this school had a dress code?" he asked them. Miko shrugged.

"Well the judges wouldn't want to hinder their movements." She said sarcastically. "I wonder what Eve would look like in one of those skimpy leotards." She said off-handedly.

"Like hel! she will." Edward said. "The day she gets to wear anything like that is the day I'm six feet under. Plus one week."

"One week for what?" Raf asked confused.

"To make sure I'm dead." Edward deadpanned.

Jack wanted to laugh but he honestly wasn't sure if the older brother was joking or not. He decided to change the subject before his teenage mind could wander. "Look, they're giving her the points."

The judges discussed in hushed tones before writing their scores down and holding them up. They were three judges. Jennifer got a 6, a 5 and a 7. Total score: 18

"What?!" Jennifer said as she saw her score. "Bu-but I worked my butt off! My performance was flawless!" she argued. In the waiting room, Evelyn rolled her eyes. 'Talk about a sore loser.' She thought.

"With all due respect, Jennifer. Your movements were a bit stiff and clumsy and you have to work on your landings. I'm sorry, but this is as much as we can give." One of the judges said.

Jennifer opened her mouth to argue but one of the judges, a woman in her mid 40's with graying blonde hair and steely blue eyes stopped her. "Our word is final. If you aren't good enough then learn from it and improve. Whining and arguing will get you nowhere. Now stop wasting our time." She said. Her voice was firm and stern, leaving no room for argument.

Jennifer's face turned red but again, Evelyn couldn't tell if it was natural or the makeup. Either way, Jennifer huffed and stormed off with a pout.

That judge was dubbed Evelyn's favourite judge. 'It's go time.' She told herself and unzipped her sweatshirt.

"And now, our next contestant is the new transfer student from the famous England, she's definitely unique, give a round of applause to welcome the half-British half-Japanese girl," Evelyn took out her mask, a simple accessory to others yet an important treasure to her, and put it on. "Evelyn Lila Nakadai!"

Evelyn grabbed her ribbon and walked out to the center of the stage. Everyone gave a round of applause while some people's jaw dropped; Jack and Raf were among those people.

There Evelyn stood in the spotlight in a sky blue and black long sleeved leotard with a pair of elegant sky blue pointe shoes. But what their attention on was the mask she wore. It was a beautiful blue that seemed to have been carved from a beautiful sapphire and shaped like a bird. It made her warm brown eyes stand out even more.

Her long brunette hair was tied half up half down with a flowing blue ribbon. In her hand was a matching long blue ribbon that trailed behind her.

She looked simple yet elegant.

In the waiting stands, Jennifer huffed. "Oh please, that outfit is so tacky." She said. At least half a dozen of the other girls turned around and glared at her, shutting her up.

Edward smirked. "If you lads are goanna blink, do it now." He said.

AUTHOR NOTE'S:

Hey readers, FP here. I just wanted to say sorry if you thought this chapter was pointless and that it disappointed you but I wanted to do this to give Evelyn more character. Hope you all don't mind.

Anyways, that's all I have to say for now. Stay tune for updates. 

FP over and out, Peace!