I'm Friends With the Monsters (AOE)

Chapter 2: The Final Masquerade

'Well, I'd better drop the phone and delete this convo before Tessa gets on my ass about talking to you.'

'Don't blame her. I understand completely.'

'Yet you somehow still like her.'

'She's nicer than you think Gabs.'

'Then I'm a squirrel.'

'You talk like one ;)'

'Haw-haw. Whatever. :P see ya 'round.'

I deleted off eveything between us, and left her cellphone on the counter with a soft sigh. Boy oh boy, if Tessa ever found out, she'd throw the book at me! Not to mention the bookshelf and the wall behind the bookshelf.

Deciding to let things slide along casually, I headed back upstairs and into the loft of my room. It was getting hot, so I decided to head into Uncle Cade's workshop and paint. He'd let me come in there when he wasn't welding or anything, and I'd paint. Actually, my work had been featured in the town's small art gallery. Okay, make that artist too if nothing else works out. Grabbing my IPod, earbuds, one of the few blank canvases left and my supplies I headed down the stairs and outside, whistling as I walked in. Tessa and Uncle Cade were having another fight, but, I didn't really care. Instead, I just seated myself at my easel and squirted multi-coloured paint out and set my brushes aside. Briefly running by them to grab a glass of water (and I downed half of it. What? I get hot quickly!), I came back and sat on my designated stool and began to paint.

I just usually began with a dark background. Deep black at the bottom, but as I worked, I painted a dawn in the distance, with purple clouds and all that. I went through my Linkin Park playlist, and each song seemed it hit a chord with me.

Lost in the Echo...

Castle of Glass...

Numb...

Breaking the Habit...

What I've Done...

New Divide...

Iridiscent...

Strangely enough, I'd began to paint a picture of Optimus Prime! Don't ask how I know, like I told you earlier, I've done my research. I even had a picture I printed off of him, should I even get lucky and spot his alt-mode. That said-picture I quickly retrieved, and used it to paint a somewhat-silhoutte of Optimus Prime standing and facing the sunrise. I then added the faint silhouttes of soldiers standing nearby, all of them facing the same direction. Some had rifles in their hands, others stood straight and strong. But, I decided to add one more detail. Just as I was about to begin...

Someone tapped on my shoulder. "Hm?" I looked over my shoulder, seeing Lucas's grin, and he mouthed, 'it's here'. I gasped and pulled out my earbuds, stopping my music.

"YES!" I cheered, putting down my brush and running outside towards the driveway as Uncle Cade stood there.

A tow-truck pulled up, hauling in the rustiest, beaten up Marmon 97 semi-truck I had ever seen in my life! Can I get an amen that this thing desperately needed 'TLC'?

"Bring it up!" Uncle Cade shouted. "All the way!"

He held up his hands when it got close enough. I stood in between him and Lucas, who was casually lounging against his car.

Lucas actually looked bummed. Poor guy, I wondered why.

"A TRUCK?!" Tessa exclaimed as she walked over in those daisy-dooks that I initially could NEVER fit!