Evelyn's p.o.v

Things have been going well these past few days. It's been three weeks since the tryouts and two weeks since I've been accepted into the gymnast team, The Nymphs. Yeah, nymphs of all things. Then again, it could be worse.

Anyways, in those three weeks, things have been going great. I've hung out with Miko and her friends more. Sometimes it was with all three of them while most of the time it was just me and Miko. We'd go over to each other's house and watch movies till midnight and even till the wee bits of the morning, play duets so loud the neighbors complained, we'd chat away while doing each other's hair and nails and sometimes discuss homework.....though we did the former things most of the time. In all honesty, we only did the homework thing three times and we only did it for half an hour tops.

But overall, we were becoming as close as sisters again, it was like old times again.

Needless to say, I'm glad our relationship is well. Miko would listen to my problems and give me advice, well as best as advice could go for her, and vice versa.

These days, she'd talk with me over the phone every now and then while sometimes she'd sent me a text message. Sometimes it was in the afternoon, sometimes it was in the evening and sometimes at night. At least now she lets me know if she's alright or if she's simply in a place with no signal. It feels good to be out of the dark.

I also got to meet Jack's mother June Darby. She's a sweet woman but wow, she really is a helicopter mom. It's a wonder she even let's Jack go to school by himself, much less by a motorcycle. Heck, it's a wonder he even owns one to begin with.

And I was surprised when I learned how big Raf's family is. I feel a bit sorry for him. With such a large family, he could shout and no one would notice, according to him. To prove his point, he called out for one of his siblings and they promptly ignored him. Either that or they honestly didn't hear him at all. It made me feel more grateful for Ed.

Back to the point, life has been well. But there was still one thorn left.....the dark green SUV.

Every single day after school, I see the same dark green SUV come to pick up Miko. It was suspicious. Why? Because I've been to Miko's host parent's house before and everytime I see that dark green SUV just parked there nearby the house on the curb.

I had asked Miko why it wasn't parked inside the house garage but she just waved it off and said that the SUV belonged to 'a friend'. I had asked her host parents about it and they said the same thing. Yet, there it is parked there like some kind of watchdog everytime I go over to her house.

In fact, now that I think about it, that day, on Miko's phone, I saw the same shade of dark green. In fact, I got a better look at it once. I didn't get a clear look but I saw a bulky humanoid like shape before Miko turned her phone off.

Coincidence? I think not.

Normally I'm not this paranoid but everytime I see that SUV, everytime I see Miko drive off to her Sci-Fi club in it, I keep getting that gut feeling and a small voice in my head tells me there's a lot more to this than meets the eye.

And so here I was in the cafeteria sitting beside Miko with Raf and Jack. I've made a few acquaintances in school but I was closer with the three of them and honestly felt more comfortable hanging out with them.

"Hey, Miko?" I said. "Hm?" Miko replied through a mouthful of spaghetti. "I was wondering if I could join that Sci-Fi Club of yours." I said. I noticed how Jack stiffened and how Raf choked at that.

I looked at them strangely. "What? I like Sci-Fi." I said honestly. Hey, those Sci-Fi novels on my shelves back home aren't just there for show.

Miko took a gulp from her juice to swallow her spaghetti. "Yeah Eve, sorry but...you can't." she said.

"Why not?" I asked her suspiciously. "Because...it's um...full." Miko said.

"Oh really? How many members are there?" I asked. "Twelve!" Jack blurted out suddenly startling me. He cleared his throat. "Sorry, we have 12 members already." He said in a more casual tone.

"So? The more the merrier. Is there a limit to how many members you can have?" I challenged.

"Um...yeah. Th-the teacher says we can only ha-have a few members." Raf stuttered out. He stuttered. I've known him for almost a month now and I know he doesn't stutter around people he knows. I'm not bragging or anything but I'm considered as one of those people.

"Sorry, Eve. But we can't add any new members." Jack said.

I sighed. "It's alright. Maybe I could join next year?" I suggested.

"We'll see what we can do." Jack said. I smiled at him gratefully on the outside but on the inside, I couldn't help but be suspicious.

Would the teacher really put a limit on a club? A limit that low no less? I've seen clubs ten times more ridiculous than a Sci-Fi club have at least thrice the number of members. Back home in England, my old school had a Selfie Club, yes, a SELFIE CLUB of all things. And guess what, they had at least 30 MEMBERS!

The point is, I have a feeling that Jack and Raf might be playing a part in whatever's going on.

I shook my head and poked at my food. My Mother always told me not to but then again she isn't here now so sue me. Besides, what she doesn't know won't hurt her....or me.

Still though, for all I know, it's just me being paranoid. Or my mind is making all this up because I'm craving for some action.

I'm not the lady type. I hate dresses and formal stuff and I'm a free spirit. I don't just go rushing into stuff without thinking....most of the time but I would be lying if I said I enjoy peace and quiet 24/7. As soothing as it is it gets boring after a while and soon I get restless. That's why Miko and I get along so well.

We both enjoy a good adventure every now and then and we enjoy thrills. That's why we don't mind going outdoors and getting our hands dirty. I always enjoy venturing into the unknown and while it is scary at times I can't deny that I enjoy the thrill it sends through me.

So with nothing more exciting than hanging out with Miko, seeing Ed do god knows what with all that tech stuff and my gymnastics training, the 'exciting things I have done so far' list is pretty short.

In conclusion, if I don't find something thrilling to do, I'm goanna go mad.

I looked over at Miko and saw that she was texting someone. Curious, I peeked at her message and my eyes widened as I read it.

'Can't wait to go dune-bashing later, Bulk.' It said.

Back up a bit, Bulk as in the guy she keeps talking about?! Come to think of it, I haven't met the guy till now. But what caught my attention were the words 'dune-bashing'. Dune-bashing?! As in the activity where you oh I don't know go driving up and down the sands at crazy speeds as though you were being chased by hounds from hel!?! That dune-bashing?!

"Dune-bashing?!" I blurted out beside Miko before I could stop myself which startled my cousin. She snapped her phone shut and glared at me. "You were peeking at my messages?! Ever heard of privacy?" she said but I couldn't care less.

How could she have gone dune-bashing all this time and not let me know about it? It's something I've always wanted to do but my parents were always 'Oh, it's too dangerous.' 'Maybe next time when you're older.' The usual.

At the same time, I was worried. I'm no fool. Even I know that dune-bashing is no walk in the park. Dune-bashing means driving at INCREASING and decreasing speeds, more often than not it's at the former, on SAND DUNES. It takes a lot of skill and practice to do so as the sand keeps shifting. One wrong move, even if the steering wheel is just the tiniest bit turned and bam! You're in the hospital or worse, dead.

"Dune-bashing, Miko? Is that what you've been doing this who-mph!" Before I could say more, Miko covered my mouth with her hand.

"Shush, keep it down, would cha? We don't need the whole school to know." She hissed. It was then I noticed that we were making a bit of a scene. So, I grabbed Miko's wrist and we went outside to talk.

No one's p.o.v

As soon as they were out in the field away from prying eyes and busy body ears, Evelyn let go of Miko and crossed her arms.

"Dune-bashing? Is that what you've been doing all this time? All those times you told me you were at meetings, were you really?" Evelyn asked Miko.

"No, well not all the time." Miko admitted.

"Look, Miko," Evelyn said in a gentler tone. "I'm not mad or anything. It's just that, you know that I've always wanted to go dune-bashing too so you should've at least told me. If it was a secret thing or that it was only a one on one thing then I wouldn't have mind.

"I'm not just saying this because I'm jealous but also because I was worried. You could've gotten hurt or worse, killed! And I wouldn't have known. Do your host parents even know about this?" Evelyn asked.

"Look, Eve. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but it is kinda a one on one thing and my host parents do know." Miko said half lying and half telling the truth.

"Still though, DUNE-BASHING?! How could you do that without me? I've been slowly going mad from all the boredom and quietness in this so called 'capital entertainment of the world'!" Evelyn said. Then she began in a more serious tone. "But seriously, are you honest to god sure you're in capable hands when you do this?"

"Evelyn, it's okay. Bulk's got my back." Miko said. "Besides, like I told you before, it's only something we do every now and then. Other times I really am at Sci-Fi Club meetings. You can ask the boys if you don't believe me."

"Ok, but still, why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have ratted you out. Do you...not trust me?" Evelyn asked.

"Of course I trust you!" Miko immediately said. "I was just worried that you could've gotten in trouble." Again, Miko wasn't that far from the truth. "We're still cool, right?"

"Of course, but......" Evelyn let the sentence hang. "But?" Miko probed.

"Maybe you can make it up to me by letting me tag along?" Evelyn said with a smirk.

Miko was goanna say no but then she stopped as she realized that this was the perfect chance to gain Evelyn's trust and maybe lower her suspicions. She did promise Evelyn that she'd introduce her to 'Bulk' soon too and they'd get to hang out together on one crazy thrilling ride.

It's a win-win situation.

"Do you even have to ask?" Miko said smirking. "You better tell your aunt and come up with a good excuse cuz we're hitting the road after school!"

Jack's p.o.v

I glanced around the cafeteria anxiously for Miko and Evelyn. Oh man Miko, you really slipped up this time. How could she just text about such important matters just like that out in the open?!

Okay, maybe I'm overreacting a bit, I mean, from what Eve said chances are she just saw a text about Miko going dune-bashing and is jealous that Miko didn't tell her about it. Eve isn't exactly a shrinking violet after all.

Soon I saw Miko gesturing for me at the entrance and I made my way over. I nearly bumped into Eve too. "Oh, hey Jack. Miko wanted to talk to you." She said.

"Ok." I replied before finally reaching Miko.

"What did you guys talk about?" I instantly asked. Call me rude but I think formalities can wait.

"Don't worry, I just agreed to bring her dune-bashing with me and Bulk later." Miko said casually.

"Oh." I said. Looks like that's all there is too it. Eve was just going to hang out with Miko and Bulkhead.....wait a sec....

"What?!" I said just barely managing to keep my voice from going to a shout. "Miko, are you nuts?!" I said. "On second thought, don't answer that, you ARE NUTS!"

Oh god oh god why why why?! Why can't Miko for once, just once think things through?!

"Hey, first off, ouch. I'm not that bad." She said with an eye roll. Yeah, sure. "And second, think about it, this is the perfect chance to throw her off! The doc bot's installed some kinda hologram thingy on Bulk so all he has to do is activate it and Eve will think that she's going dune-bashing with me and one of my 'human' friends Bulk!" Miko explained.

I thought about it and realized that Miko....actually had a point. "Besides, I promised her that I'd introduce her to Bulk after all." Miko pointed out. Right, I'd almost forgotten about the conversation we had at the cafe.

"....fine." I said. Miko was about to whoop but I stopped her. "But on three conditions." I said putting up three fingers. "One, you guys will go dune-bashing and nothing else other than that. Got it? If you guys get a call about a mission, you will send Evelyn back then go to the mission.

"Two, if Bulk's holoform glitches or so much as flickers even the tiniest bit, you will cut the dune-bashing short and come back to base.

"Three, this had better not become a daily thing. You can let her tag along every now and then but you better not make it into a habit? Understand?" I told her in my most stern voice. It was nowhere near the level of authority or firmness Optimus had but I'll work with what I have.

"Yes sir." Miko said with a mock salute.

Oh boy, I hope I don't regret this.

((Small Timeskip brought to you by chibi Bulkhead)) No one's p.o.v

One of the things Evelyn and Miko both actually enjoyed about classes on Fridays is that they have the last subjects in the same class.

And so, after the bell rang Miko and Evelyn had grabbed their bags and burst outta there before the teacher could even blink.

"Hope you brought that puke bag." Miko teased. Evelyn smirked. "Hope you brought a spare pair of pants." She retorted playfully. Soon they were outside and Evelyn saw the familiar dark green SUV.

Evelyn's p.o.v

"Isn't that your friend?" I asked. Miko nodded and opened the door. "After you." She said dramatically. I rolled my eyes and flicked her head before getting in.

"Um....hi." a deep voice said. I looked in front and saw a big, and I mean really big guy looking at me.

He seemed to be an African American in his early or mid 20s, if his tanned skin was anything to go by. He had an anvil jaw and a buzzcut and bloody heck he was muscular. He could literally snap me like a twig if he wanted to. And he was big; his head almost touched the ceiling of the SUV. He wore an army green shirt that showed just how ripped he was and a pair of green camouflage patterned pants tucked into what looked like combat boots. I could make out a bit of a tattoo of sorts poking out of the sleeves of one of his shirt.

He looked like a soldier but.....I noticed how...awkward and careful he seemed. If anything he looked scared that he might break something at any moment. The lad looked like he wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Hi, you must be Miko's friend Bulk, I presume?" I said as I extended my hand. He took it and shook it. Wow, he had a firm grip.

"Yep, the name's Bulk." He said.

"My name's Evelyn." I greeted. "Yeah, Miko told me about you. Glad to finally meet cha." He said.

He had a friendly tone and welcoming posture. He seemed like a gentle giant.

"Right, now that introductions are done and all, let's hit the road Bulk!" Miko said with a pumped fist. I noticed how she propped her feet up on the dashboard in front and how Bulk didn't seem to mind.

"I take it your used to my cousin's enthusiasm." I said. He chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea." He said.

Soon we were driving away and Miko turned on the radio. "Time for track 6." She said and soon the car was filled with the lyrics from the song 'Don't Stop Believing'.

The three of us bopped our heads to the song and at one point Miko and I began singing away much to Bulk's amusement.

Throughout the ride we went through various rock songs. "You like heavy metal too?" Bulk asked. I nodded.

"Classics are pretty good too." I said.

"Isn't that the opposite of rock?" Bulk asked confused. I shrugged.

"Just because they're opposite doesn't mean they can't mix." I said.

"I don't mean to sound rude but you and Miko have a lot in common and at the same time, you guys are kinda like opposites." Bulk said.

Miko grinned. "Of course! It's what makes us the perfect duo!" she said.

"What she said." I said.

Soon we were out in the open desserts of Jasper, Nevada. I saw nothing but sand and a couple of rock formations for miles.

"Buckle up, things are about to get bumpy." Bulk warned. I didn't need to be told twice as I buckled up.

I looked at Miko who seemed at ease and I smirked. "First person to scream buys the other lunch?" I challenged.

"You are so on." Miko said as she clicked her own belt into place.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Bulk asked worriedly. Wow, I never took a big guy like him to be such a worrier.

I could feel my heart thumping in my chest so hard, I'm surprised it hasn't shot out. A small part of me was scared out of my wits while another part of me felt so excited and giddy like a kid on Christmas.

"If Miko can do this, so can I. Now punch it!" I said pumping my fist.

"Well, here goes." He said. The next thing I know was that the outside world became a blurr as we were soon speeding across sand dunes. I was pushed back into my seat while Miko and I gripped the roof handles so hard my knuckles went white.

'Do not scream do not scream do not bloody scream!' I told myself over and over again like a mantra but soon I couldn't hold it in and neither could Miko apparently as we both screamed our heads off.

"THIS IS AWESOOOOOOOOOOOOME!" I shrieked over the roar of the engines and rolling sand.

"I KNOW RIGHT?!" Miko shouted. We whooped in delight as we went up and down and for a couple of moments I could've sworn that we honest to god literally flew through the air from one sand dune to another.

"GET READY FOR THE BEST PART!" Miko shouted and soon my stomach got pushed back as we zoomed up a sand hill. Then we stopped and for one moment, we all caught our breath as we just stopped at the peak and admired the view. The dessert was barren but it certainly had a rugged beauty to it and I quickly whipped my phone out and snapped a pic.

Then my heart went up to my throat as the next thing I know, we were rolling downhill at incredible speeds.

I clenched onto my phone, afraid that it might go flying outside, so tight I could've sworn I put a crack in it. At one point I felt ourselves go over a bump so big we went airborne before gravity took hold and we crashed back on the sand.

After a while, Bulk turned the wheel causing the car to swerve and bring us to a stop. Bulk unlocked the car doors and Miko and I stumbled out.

My knees were a bit wobbly and the world seemed to spin a bit but I got over it and panted. I was slightly out of breath from all the whooping and screaming I did. I bent over and rested my hands on my knees. My hair which was tied up in a messy low ponytail was even messier and wilder now.

"That....was....WICKED!" I said. "Did you feel that, Miko?! We honest to god actually flew for a couple of moments!" I said.

"I know right?! That was the living meaning of fun!" Miko said as her eyes practically glowed with excitement.

"C'mon girls, it's getting late. Best if I drop you guys home now." Bulk said from the SUV. I was surprised to find him perfectly fine. He must be used to all this.

"Aw." Miko complained but got in anyways. We fell into a comfortable silence for a while as we all rested and regained our breaths. This time, Bulk drove at a much more sedate pace.

After regaining my breath, I decided to break the silence and start up a conversation with Bulk to try and get to know the big fella more.

"So, this is what you guys do most of the time?" I asked him.

"Yeah, pretty much. We do some other stuff with some other guys too." He said.

"Bulk here is part of the Sci-Fi club." Miko explained. I frowned. Him? But Bulk seemed too old for that kind of stuff. He also seemed too young to be a teacher.

"No offense, but aren't you too old for the Sci-Fi Club?" I asked him. He shook his head. "I'm a student adviser. I watch over em' while the adults are out and stuff." He explained but I was still suspicious.

"You look like you'd be more at home in the gym." I said.

"Nah, I'm not that much of a brawler." He said. Miko snickered. "The guy's a gentle giant, Eve. Trust me." She said.

"Alright then." I said and let it drop. At least, I made them think I did.

I don't mean to brag but I'm a decent judge of character. Bulk was a nice guy, I won't deny that. He may look scary and intimidating but he was friendly. Plus, he knows how to think for others like when he asked me if I wanted to bail out. He didn't ask it because he looked down on me, he simply asked out of concern for my safety. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't touched.

He was someone anyone could naturally get along with. He's a gentle giant but......something about him was off.

The question is what?

Was he really a gentle giant? Could all this be just an act to gain my trust to catch me off guard? Was there more to him than I thought?

For him to be a student adviser to some Sci-Fi Club....it was fishy to say the least. It just doesn't fit. I guess the dune-bashing would make sense as to why Miko can't communicate with me via texts and calls and vice versa but still...something doesn't add up....

"Why did you keep it a secret from me again?" I asked Miko.

"I needed to get permission from the club and stuff." Miko replied.

"Really? Never thought I'd live to see you listen to the rules and ask for permission to do anything." I joked with a smirk though deep down I wasn't. This whole situation just didn't add up.

But was that really the case or was I just being paranoid deep down and simply won't admit it?

When I looked back at Bulk, my eyes widened. I could've sworn that for one short moment, I saw his body....flicker like a hologram. I blinked and rubbed my eyes thinking I had sand in them messing with my vision.

Did I really see that or was the heat and sand causing me to see things that aren't real?

I leaned forward and tentatively laid a hand on his shoulder....nope. His body didn't flicker or anything. It was solid....it was...real.

"Something wrong?" he asked turning back a bit to look at me. I shook my head and leaned back.

"Nothing." I lied. "You just got some sand on your shirt."

Soon he dropped us back home and I said goodbye to them before entering my house.

I said quick greetings to Ed and Aunt Selina before going into my room. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed that:

1. My hair was a mess and there were specks of sand in them.

2. My clothes were rumpled.

3. There was definitely sand in my shoes if the uncomfortable feeling in my feet and the sand around me was anything to go by.

I decided to take a long shower to wash the sand off and changed to a simple blue tank top and red shorts. 

I used the hair dryer to blow my hair dry and threw myself onto my bed.

I thought about everything and questions kept going through my head.

Was Bulk really what Miko said he is? Is he really their student adviser? Was he really just a friend of Miko's or something....more? And why would someone his age hang out with a teenager? Is dune-bashing really all Miko does? Bulk mentioned they do other stuff, what kind of other stuff? Is Miko in trouble? Is she even aware of it? Is she doing the wrong things? Is she mixing in with the wrong crowd?

A thousand and one questions with zero answers. I tried to push them away but they kept coming back. It took a lot of willpower to simply go downstairs and swallow dinner.

That night, I tossed and turned in my bed and could barely get a wink of sleep.

The next morning, I took a small sip of coffee from Ed when he wasn't looking. It actually helped. So, after another quick sip and three energy bars, I went to school.

I saw Miko waiting for me outside the school and I waved a quick 'hi' to Bulk, it looks like he's her ride to school too. Miko waved goodbye to Bulk enthusiastically with a wide smile.

"Morning, Eve. Wow, you don't look so good. Rough night?" she asked me. I simply nodded and pulled her aside.

"Miko," I said in a rare dead serious tone. "Are you doing something you shouldn't? Are you mixing in with the wrong crowd? You can talk to me you know, I'm your cousin and we're family, I love you like a sister and you know that."

"Hey, Bulk's not a bad guy! You already met him!" Miko said defensively. I put my hands up.

"I didn't say that. Look, I think he's a nice guy." That was the truth. "But you should be careful. You're using protection, right?" I know what I was saying sounded bizarre but the only logical conclusion I could come to was that Bulk might be in a relationship with her.

"What?! No! Of course not!" Miko said wildly waving her hands with an applaud look on her face. "Eve, Bulk and I are just best buds. That's all there is to it. Honestly."

I wasn't that convinced but I could see the sincerity in Miko's eyes and knew that she was telling the truth. I sighed.

"Ok, sorry about that. I personally think Bulk's a great guy to hang around. I can see why you like him." I said.

"Yeah." Miko said. "Wait, by like you mean a friendship like, right? I already told you that that's all there is to it."

"Of course." I replied. "Miko, if you're ever in trouble, you can talk to me. You know that, right?" I told her.

"I do, now c'mon, let's get to class." Miko said before running off. I smiled and ran after her.

But even so, I still can't get rid of that blasted feeling that I'm missing something.

Perhaps Bulk was innocent, but he was still on my suspect list. I'm no detective but even I know that something still doesn't add up about the whole situation.

And I plan to get to the bottom of it.