Home ❀ Ironhide

- 4. macey -

       It seemed that the day was dragging on after I saw that man. There were plenty of soldiers I had seen on the base, but never one like him. I have a pretty good memory of faces, and with a face like that I'm damn sure I'd remember it.

Nothing exciting happened during the duration of the school day. Surprisingly, Ryan did not make anymore snide remarks or comments with a sexual innuendo for the rest of the day, praise the lord for that. Looking over at the clock, I saw that here was only two minutes remaining for the older students, who were the last class I had for the day.

"Remember, you have a test next week on protein synthesis! Study, study, study!" I said uselessly as the young adults left the classroom, I know none of them were listening to me, but today I really didn't care.

My thoughts were still stuck on that man with the beautiful blue eyes. Also that he was with Will. Meaning he most likely knew Will well and was part of the "special team" I was sometimes told about without any details.

I know I shouldn't do it, but I need to go to the hanger and ask Will about it. It's eating away at my gut, and that almost never happens to me unless something bad is going to happen. That's it. I'm going to find Will.

•••

Walking through the confusing corridors again, I managed to get myself lost, again, but I had a mission to complete.

"Ms. Exner, I pressure?" A deep voice sounded behind me, sending chills down my back. I turned around slowly, scared that I would come to face an angered General, wouldn't be the first time. Instead, I was met by a man with a soft, warm smile. He had bight blue eyes, like mystery man, blue jeans with a blue jacket and red flames. Wow, he really likes blue. He was also super tall, even taller than Will and that was saying something. I was pretty tall for a girl, standing at five feet seven inches, but I still had to crane my head to look up at this man.

I realized that i had never answered this mans question, so I pulled myself out of my daze and answered.

"Um, yes? Yes. I am Ms. Exner. Is there something you need..." I trailed off, trying to get his name, which I did.

"Just call me Optimus, Ms. Exner."

"Okay, Optimus," I tested how his name sounded in my mouth, it sure was a strange name, one I had never heard before, "what is it you need?"

"Commander Lennox and I request your presence, it's important," what? Will needed me? Why didn't he just text me; it would've saved me so much time instead of getting lost in these never ending halls.

"Um? Okay, yeah, sure. Like now you two need me?"

"Yes, please, Ms. Exner we would-"

"Sorry to interrupt, Optimus, but please, just call me Macey," I hate when people outside of the classroom called me 'Ms. Exner' it makes me feel a lot older than I am.

"Very well Ms. Exn- Macey, very well. And yes, it is an urgent matter that we require your presence."

Neither of us said anything after that. Optimus just turned on his heel, nice legs might I add, and started walking to our unknown destination hastily.

•••

Since Optimus walked at such a quick pace, quite hard for my short legs and hi to keep up with, we arrived at a meeting room within three minutes.

The meeting room was on part of the base I had never been to before, even through getting myself lost all of those times before. It was very dark, almost like an interrogation room you'd see on a crime show. There was a long table with about a dozen chairs surrounding the table. Currently, no one was sitting down in any of them. At one head of the table there was a laptop and a folder. Oh my goodness. Are they firing me. Oh my lord, what did I do wrong? I thought that I've been doing quite a well job in my teaching position this semester.

My thoughts were interrupted by the door slamming, scaring me half out of my skin. Quickly, I jumped around to see the source of the noise, only to see the one and only William Lennox.

He looked different from when I had seen him this morning. His eyebrows were furrowed into a tight line on his forehead, obviously showing worry he had, for what I had no clue. His eyes also seemed clouded, distracted it seemed. He must have been thinking about Annabelle and Sarah.

When his eyes actual met mine, their cloudiness seemed to go away and be replaced with worry, to accompany his eyebrows and forehead.

       "Shorty? Is there something wrong? Are you-"

      "First off, don't call me shorty," I practically growled towards the military commander standing in front of me, "secondly,  is there something wrong?! I know what you called me down here to do, William! You're going to fire me aren't you?! I can provide you with a solid argument as you why you will regret this decision-"

      "Macey we're not firing you! Why would we do that? You're practically the best teacher we've ever had on any base I've even seen, so chill out."

     "Don't you tell me to 'chill out', William, you almost gave me a heart attack."

      I had completely forgotten that Optimus was standing in the room until he cleared his throat, obviously wanting us to stop arguing like three year olds.

      "Sorry Optimus," we both said at the same time, ashamed that we had stooped down to such low levels while arguing.

      "Let's get down to it then, Macey you've been invited to speak at a ceremony in your home state of New Jersey. This has been cleared through the system, we have majority of the trip set out already, all we need is your consent," Optimus told me in a deep voice, wait. Ceremony? Why would I be asked to speak at a ceremony in a place I haven't been for years.

      "Only one question, Optimus if you don't mind me asking," he gave me a nod, "who asked me to speak at a ceremony there?"

     It was Will who answered my question this time, "it's more like a banquet you've been asked to speak at, it's the one you've always told me about, with the horses, they asked you since you've been so successful after you went into college. There's only three people there who know what you possibly speaking, none of your friends know so it would be a surprise for them and-"

     "I'll do it, but this sounds too good to be true, what's the catch?"

     "Well, you're going to need protection while on this trip," Will explained. Since when did I need protection? All I'm doing is speaking at a banquet in New Jersey of all places. The most dangerous thing we have are potholes, "and we've picked one of our soldiers to go with you."

     "Okay, seems fair. When do I need to book our plane tickets?"

      "Never. You're driving from Washington to Jersey and back."

      Okay, so one I'm getting to go back home for a short while, which is both exciting and nerve wracking. Two, I'm driving with a complete stranger across the country twice. And three, I'm going to have so much work to do between my class I teach and the classes I take for college.

     "Shorty," I shot Will a look at this, "this is going to be who you're traveling with, Ron Edih, the weapons specialist for my special team," Will spoke, watching me weirdly as if looking for a reaction at these words. Right after he finished his last word, the loud door swung open to reveal this 'Ron Edih'.

     And in walked in the blue-eyed man who was standing outside of my classroom just hours ago.