Protector (TFP)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ -ᴀ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴅ-

Luckily today was Friday, which meant that in two seconds, I would have officially survived my first week attending Memorial High School. I was proud of myself for not letting my grades drop despite all the crazy events this week. Granted, I have had to change a few things in my schedule to stay safe, but I have come to accept them. One of the more challenging things to get used to was going to the Autobot base daily.

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but finding a believable excuse made it hard. Mom always questioned why I came home later than usual, and I had to tell her that I had joined the "robotics club." Convincing her was more difficult than I thought, but I shouldn't have been surprised, considering I was a terrible liar. She only believed me when I told her a few of my friends were in the club, and I just wanted an excuse to hang out with them more.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, the doors leading to freedom came into view, and my legs moved faster as I dodged and weaved through the students. I was only a few feet away when a hand landed on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. Turning on my heels, I met with an unfamiliar face of a girl. 

I was immediately drawn to her dark Auburn hair pulled up in a simple ponytail, and I couldn't help but notice our similarly colored eyes. The only difference between ours was the shade. While mine was a dark jade, hers was a bright emerald that added to the girl's beauty.

"Finally, I caught up to you!" The mysterious girl exclaimed, her hand lifting from my shoulder. My brows furrowed in confusion as I racked my memory for any name to put to the face, but I gave up when I drew a blank. The girl noticed my trouble and laughed, hugging the textbooks to her person tighter. 

"Oh right, we haven't met. My name's Sierra!" The girl introduced, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. I sent Sierra a polite smile and outstretched my hand toward her.

"Nice to meet you. My name's Astra." I replied, pulling my hand away when she returned my handshake. "Did you need me for something?" I wondered, confused by the sudden greeting. Sierra immediately perked at the subject change and pushed a piece of paper into my hands, her eyes studying me as I read the flyer. I scanned it several times before my attention returned to the girl in front of me.

 "It's a cheer flyer," I commented, unsure what she wanted from me.

"I'm the cheer team captain, and we need more girls on the team," Sierra said, a hopeful glint in her emerald hues. I already knew where this was going, but I allowed her to continue, even though I wanted nothing more than to leave. 

"So I was wondering if you were interested in joining?" I shuffled uncomfortably, my fingers absentmindedly fidgeting with the crystal as she waited for my response.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not looking for any clubs at the moment," I answered, sending her a sheepish grin. "I'm just trying to get used to the school, and I already have a busy schedule," I explained, hoping that would deter the older girl. But the smile on her face was steadfast, and she quickly interlocked her arm in mine and strode through the door. I clumsily followed her, too surprised by the sudden action to pull away.

"What better way to get used to the school than by joining cheer? You can go to all the games and meet so many people!" Sierra pointed out, sending me another blinding grin. I didn't have a good enough comeback as she continued dragging me past the schoolyard, and I noticed, to my displeasure, that she was bringing me to a group of girls. I stopped my movement before she could get me any further, forcing a smile to my lips.

"I must admit it's tempting, but I'm not sure cheer is for me." I reiterated, sliding my arm out of hers. I didn't know why she was so determined for me to join, but I didn't have the energy to add another thing to my already full plate. The girl hummed in thought before her face brightened, and she invaded my personal space once more.