//------------------------------// // Garage Sitting // Story: As the Apple Blooms // by The FraudulentBrit //------------------------------// As the Apple Blooms Part 15; Garage Sitting As the sounds of metal whirling and grinding rang throughout the Chop Shop, Apple Bloom couldn’t tell if it was deafening noise or music to her ears. The day before, she had been invited to a private tap lesson with Marble Pie from Tender Taps, a boy who had not only become her best friend, but the boy who she was starting to nurse a crush on. Now, she had returned to the normal grind, this time dusting the front of the store. Once the sounds died down, Wheeljack and Ratchet entered the store front, sweat dripping from both of their foreheads as the latter asked, “Are you sure you left it in here?” “Of course I did.” Wheeljack replied. “I’m telling you, the schematics were pinned up somewhere in here.” The raspy voiced scrapper began to walk along the walls, inspecting each of the blueprints and schematics that had been placed for decoration. After a few moments, Wheeljack turned to Apple Bloom and, in a slightly desperate tone, asked, “Hey, uh, Apple Bloom? Have you seen the blueprints for a military jeep?” “Ah’m not sure.” Apple Bloom replied. “Don’t you keep the military vehicles over there?” As she pointed to the corner of the wall in the back, Wheeljack followed her finger as he began to make his way over to the wall. Before he could find the right blueprint, however, Ratchet found what they were looking for and pulled it off the wall. “There we are.” The older medic replied. He then turned to his colleague and said, “I win this time.” Wheeljack could only sigh as he remarked, “Heh, guess I owe you five bucks.” Apple Bloom then asked, “So what did ya need that for?” Ratchet replied, “We found an old military jeep on the property. Sadly it’s too far damaged to repair so we’re scrapping it.” This certainly caught the young girl’s attention. “Whoa.” Apple Bloom replied. She then asked, “You guys need a hand with it?” Wheeljack began to reply, “Well, about that……” Ratchet then interrupted with, “No. Ironhide doesn’t want you hurting yourself again.” Apple Bloom wanted to protest, but couldn’t’ help but look down to her hand and notice the healed scar running across her palm. Dejected, she replied, “Ah guess so.” With that, Ratchet and Wheeljack returned to the garage to continue their scrapping as Apple Bloom returned to her dusting. As she found herself alone, Apple Bloom turned to the clock on the wall to see what time it was. It was only eleven A.M... Groaning, Apple Bloom leaned against the wall in frustration. “No wonder Applejack sent me here.” She complained to herself. “Ah bet she chose this place because of how boring it gets.” She then stopped herself as she added, “Well, maybe not all of the time.” Then, as if right on cue, the sound of a car pulling up caught Apple Bloom’s attention. Curious, she asked herself, “Ah wonder who that could be?” Her question was answered when Knockout and Breakdown entered the Chop Shop. Knockout, looking around, whistled and remarked, “You know, there’s always been something nice and rustic about this place.” Breakdown, on the other hand, found himself nervously looking around as he added, “Except with the noise. It sounds like someone it killing a cat or something.” Realizing that she had customers, Apple Bloom stepped towards the two men and greeted, “Welcome to Ironhide’s Chop Shop and Junkyard. What can we do for ya?” Knockout walked up to Apple Bloom and said, “Well, if it isn’t Apple Bloom? I never noticed how adorable you are.” As he pinched the former farm girl’s cheek, Breakdown stepped in between the two as he said, “Knockout? What have I told you?” letting out a “defeated sigh,” the man in red replied, “I know.” He then returned his attention to Apple Bloom and apologized, “Sorry kid. I kinda get excited.” Apple Bloom then asked, “So, what is it we can do for you?” Knockout stepped forward and answered, “Oh boy, where do I start?” As the young girl gave a confused look, the man in red replied, “Well, for starters…..” he then wrapped his arm around Breakdown’s as he continued, “Tonight is date night.” “Date Night?” Apple Bloom replied. “That sounds romantic.” Breakdown then added, “Yeah. This loveable little loser got us reservations at the Energon Room and tickets to this play called “Witwicky and Faust.” He then pointed to Apple Bloom and said, “And that is where you come in.” Before Apple Bloom could ask what Breakdown meant, Ironhide and Ratchet entered the shop front from the garage. Noticing his guests, Ironhide asked, “Ah, Knockout, Breakdown. What brings you two here?” Knockout replied, “It’s me and Breakdown’s date night, and we need someone to babysit our garage.” All three residents of the Chop Shop were surprised by what he had said. Confused, Ironhide asked, “Wait, what do you mean by that? Why would anyone need to watch over your shop?” Knockout replied, “Well, we were gonna do this tomorrow night, but the only tickets for the play were for tonight, and let’s just say we already rented one of the garage spots to…….” Breakdown interrupted his boyfriend with the simple answer. “….To Sideswipe.” Ironhide sighed as Apple Bloom asked, “Why’s that a problem?” As the other adults began to look at her, she asked, “Ah take it it has to do with her reputation?” Knockout replied, “Not quite. Let’s just say the last time we left her alone in the shop, there was so much oil spilled all over the place we couldn’t even turn on the lights without worrying something would catch fire.” Apple Bloom gulped as she took in what she heard. She knew Sideswipe had earned a reputation of being a troublemaker and a nuisance, but now it seemed like she might have been a little more difficult than she thought. Ironhide then asked, “So you need me to babysit Sideswipe?” Knockout then replied, “Not you. Apple Bloom.” As everyone began to turn to Apple Bloom, the young girl pointed to herself as she mouthed, “Me?” Knockout replied, “From what I’ve heard, you seem to be one of the few people who can adapt to her antics. That and I’ve heard about your reputation with helping people.” Apple Bloom said, “Well, Ah’ve never seen Sideswipe do anythin’ dumb, and it’d be nice to see her again.” Knockout took a step forward and said, “Well now. We’ve got her convinced. Now all we need to do is arrange payment.” As Apple Bloom and Ironhide looked at each other in confusion, the red dressed man added, “You didn’t think I was asking you to do something for me for free, right?” The man in red then reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten dollar bill. “I’d say fifty bucks for the night, first ten in advance.” Apple Bloom was certainly shocked. Sure, Ironhide had paid her as his “employee,” but to be paid for something that would likely not be too much work was fantastic. As she reached for the bill, she turned to her uncle and asked, “Is it alright if Ah do this for Mr. Knockout and Breakdown?” Ironhide contemplated the proposal before he replied, “I suppose so.” As Apple Bloom squealed with enthusiasm, the older man turned to his two guests and asked, “What time should she arrive?” Breakdown, handing Apple Bloom the ten dollar bill, replied, “5:30. We’ll probably be back by ten O’ Clock.” Ironhide nodded as he turned to Apple Bloom and said, “In that case, I expect you home by Ten Thirty. I’m giving you the extra time to account for the darkness.” Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Ah’ll be home by then.” Knockout then said, “Now then, I think it’s time we went home and started to get ready.” Breakdown remarked, “Come on, we have plenty of time.” Knockout then grew a cheeky smile as he replied, “I know, but it takes forever to get my hair just right.” Breakdown simply sighed as he turned to Apple Bloom and Ironhide as he said, “Be there before 5:30. I’ll have him ready by then.” He then turned to his boyfriend and added, “Whether he likes it or not.” With that, both men departed the Chop Shop. Apple Bloom just hoped there was enough to keep her busy until then. Knockout and Breakdown’s Garage, 5:20 P.M. As Apple Bloom made her way to the front door of the shop, she found herself hoping things wouldn’t be as hectic as she had been warned. Still, she knew that she had been paid to do a job, and she was going to do it as best as she could. After knocking on the door, Apple Bloom was greeted by Knockout, dressed in a snazzy red tuxedo. Noticing his “contractor” had arrived, the older man turned back into the building and called out, “Oh honey, the house sitter’s here.” From inside, she could hear Breakdown call back, “I’m not honey Knockout!” The red skinned man soon made his way to the door, wearing a dark blue tuxedo. He noticed Apple Bloom and remarked, “As you can see, we like to dress for the occasion.” Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Ah understand. One of mah sister’s friends would probably find you two fascinating.” As Knockout began to speak, Breakdown interrupted him with a quick, “Much as it would be fun to chat like fish wives at the market, we gotta go. They won’t hold our reservations forever.” With that, the two boyfriends entered their car and went off into town, leaving Apple Bloom to look after their home. Fifteen Minutes Later Apple Bloom discovered two things while waiting for Sideswipe. One was the fact that Knockout and Breakdown’s garage was much like Ironhide’s. There were four slots for vehicles to park with spaces for someone to operate under the vehicle, ramps to elevate cars, and many, many boxes and small cabinets filled with tools, supplies, and spare parts. The other part was that, much like at home, it was horribly boring. With everything as neat as she could make it, all there was for Apple Bloom to do was to just wait for Sideswipe to arrive. Leaning against the open garage door, she just sighed to herself as she said to herself, “Come on Sideswipe.” Then, she heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle off in the distance. Stepping outside, Apple Bloom was pleasantly surprised to see a custom sports motor bike coming closer from off in the distance. Seeing her friend arrive brought a smile on her face. Sideswipe swiftly turned her bike into the open garage slot as she slowed down. Once she was right in the middle of the slot, she turned the bike off before stepping off and removing her helmet, revealing her short boyish hair. All in all, she looked the same as the last time Apple Bloom had seen her; red leather jacket, black sleeveless shirt, dark gray jeans, and black biker boots. “Howdy Sideswipe.” Apple Bloom greeted her friend. Sideswipe stepped forward and extended her fist, hoping for a fist bump as she replied, “So you’re the one they roped into babysitting me?” As Apple Bloom returned the fist bump, she answered, “They said Ah’m house sitting, but Ah gotta feelin’ it’s more to keep you from doin’ somethin’ stupid?” As the girl in the crimson jacket slightly stiffened herself, Apple Bloom hoped she hadn’t touched a nerve. Instead, Sideswipe simply shrugged as she replied, “Hey I don’t blame you. You spill lubricants all over the floor one time….” She trailed of as she continued, “Then someone’s car begins to slip, the next thing you know….” “Ah think Ah get the point.” Apple Bloom interrupted. Sideswipe then asked, “So, since no one else should be here, you wanna help me?” Pausing for a moment, Apple Bloom replied, “Why not?” Soon both girls were busy at work, or rather Sideswipe was busy as Apple Bloom handed her whatever she needed. The former farm girl then asked, “So Sideswipe, how come Mr. Knockout is lettin’ you do this on your own?” Without even turning, Sideswipe began to speak. “They have this sort of deal where you pay half as much as you would to have your car or bike tricked out or repaired to rent the space or do it yourself. I’d have done this earlier but I was running some errands for Seaspray.” “Seaspray?” Apple Bloom asked. “Ain’t he the guy who runs the local pool or somethin’?” Sideswipe didn’t say anything, simply forming the “ok” gesture with her hand. It was pretty clear that Sideswipe wasn’t going to be very talkative. Sighing to herself, Apple Bloom began to walk towards one of the empty garage slots. Once again, the same thought from a few days earlier crawled into her mind. Considering the shop wasn’t very busy and Sideswipe wasn’t in a chatting mood, Apple Bloom began to scuff the floor. Once it seemed the floor was both solid enough and produced a decent sound, she began to perform a few basic shuffles, followed by several paradiddles. Apple Bloom was surprised when she heard Sideswipe ask, “What ya doing there?” The former farm girl turned to see her friend looking at her with a smirk on her face. Sideswipe continued, “That looked like some pretty decent dancing.” “Mah friend Tender Taps has been teachin’ me to tap dance.” Apple Bloom replied. “It’s a lot of fun, and Ah gotta admit he’s a great teacher.” Sideswipe noticed Apple Bloom was starting to blush at the mention of Tender Taps’s name. Walking up to the yellow girl, she leaned against her as she playfully teased, “You like him, don’t you?” Apple Bloom began to reply, but could only look away as her face turned even redder than her hair. “Hey, don’t look so embarrassed.” Sideswipe reassured Apple Bloom. “So, what’s he like?” Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom replied, “He’s this amazin’ dancer and he’s the friendliest, sweetest, cutest…..” realizing what she had just said, Apple Bloom felt her heart soar as she finished, “Ah guess Ah do like him.” “Awh, isn’t that sweet?” Sideswipe said, momentarily dropping her tough girl attitude. As Apple Bloom managed to regain her composure, the biker continued, “Trust me, he sounds a lot better than a lot of boys I used to know.” Then, the mischievous smile returned to her face as Sideswipe continued, “Besides, he might like to know another dancer.” Apple Bloom asked, “What do ya mean by that. Sideswipe then took a few steps away from Apple Bloom as she straightened herself until she was standing as erect as a soldier at attention. Then, to Apple Bloom’s amazement, she began to perform odd shuffle like motions with her feet. Soon she was performing some kind of percussive dance, her feet striking the floor like a tap dancer’s would, but still somewhat off. What was even more impressive was Sideswipe kept her upper body and arms totally rigid. After a few minutes, Sideswipe finished as she extended her arms in a dramatic pose. Apple Bloom, now totally stunned speechless, said, “That was AMAZIN’! How’d you learn to do that?” “I used to step dance when I was kid.” Sideswipe nonchalantly replied. “My parents thought I needed a hobby that didn’t involve getting covered in gas and transmission fluid.” As she took a deep breath and removed her leather jacket, she added, “It was either that or dress making, so I figured I’d at least do the one that sounded more fun.” Apple Bloom then complimented, “Either way, ya seem to be pretty good at it.” Sideswipe shrugged as she replied, “You think that was cool, you should’ve seen what I could do five years ago.” She then turned to her bike as she said, “Now, I think the engine needs tuning.” Thirty Minutes Later…. “There we go.” Sideswipe said as she wiped the sweat off of her brow. After all the blood, sweat, and tears (Or at least one of those), she and Apple Bloom had finished the modifications and repairs to the motorcycle. “Now my baby here is the fastest bike in all of Allspark Wells.” Apple Bloom then added, “And we did it without you trashin’ the place.” She then rested her right hand on her hip as she continued, “Ah guess Mr. Knockout was worried over nothin’.” “That’s because I didn’t want to cause them any trouble.” Sideswipe replied as walked towards the waiting area. “Hey, I gotta sit down for a moment. You wanna watch some TV?” Apple Bloom nervously asked, “You sure Knockout and Breakdown would approve of that?” Sideswipe replied, “Hey, it’s in their waiting area. Besides, they usually leave it on.” Apple Bloom was hesitant for a brief moment, but figured that if it kept her friend from doing anything reckless, it couldn’t hurt. “Ah guess.” Apple bloom replied as she and Sideswipe made their way to the waiting area. Knockout’s Garage, the Waiting Area Much like any other auto business, the garage had a waiting area for people to pass the time while their vehicle was being worked on. There were several benches and chairs, a bookshelf with magazines and novellas, and just as Sideswipe predicted, a television that was still running.” Taking the remote from the small table it was resting on, Sideswipe began to flick through the channels, muttering to herself, “No, no, that’s boring….” After a few minutes, Sideswipe found something worth paying attention to. “Alright, now this here is worth a look.” She said as she stopped on a channel showing some sort of rock band performing. Leaning back into her seat, she said, “Now this here is worth a look.” Apple Bloom, on the other hand, was a bit more off put by the band on the television. As the band performed their song, they banged their heads and one of the members even stuck his tongue out. Repulsed, Apple Bloom remarked, “Ah’m not sure Ah like this kinda music.” Playfully rolling her eyes, Sideswipe replied, “Ok, let’s find something else.” She then began to scroll through the channels, cycling from an evening talk show to cartoons to some old film with three people poking and smacking each other. Then, the TV momentarily flashed a young man who, if Apple Bloom’s eyes weren’t lying to her, bore a surprisingly suspicious similarity to Sideswipe. “Wait a minute!” She called out to her friend. “Go back, that fella looked kinda familiar.” Sideswipe quickly replied, “Nope. You’re probably going crazy.” Apple Bloom wasn’t quite satisfied with her friend’s response, and yet another mischievous thought entered her mind. Thinking quickly, Apple Bloom snatched the remote from Sideswipe’s hand and began to flip back to the channel with the familiar man. It was some odd commercial for some male hygiene product, most likely shampoo or deodorant. However, Apple Bloom was focusing more on the man being used as a model. Indeed, he bore a very striking similarity to Sideswipe, with the main differences being his being a man and wearing a yellow shirt. She was so mesmerized by this mystery man that she didn’t notice Sideswipe steal the remote back and turn the television off. “Hey!” Apple Bloom called out. “What was that for?” “Not a good idea to watch stuff with jerks like that.” Sideswipe spitefully replied. As she rose from her seat, she remarked, “Well, I better make sure my bike is alright.” Apple Bloom, however, was slowly realizing something. She remembered what Sideswipe had said about her brother, Sun Streaker if she remembered correctly, and now that she put two and two together, she couldn’t un-see it. “Sideswipe, wait!” Apple Bloom said as she rose to her feet. Sideswipe stopped in her tracks, not turning around but refusing to continue either. Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom said, “That fella on the TV looked kinda like you.” She then nervously asked, “That was your brother, wasn’t it?” Sideswipe finally turned around and, in a shockingly depressed tone, said, “I could have spent the rest of my life without seeing that little fucker.” She then looked up to Apple Bloom’s face and quipped, “You didn’t expect to hear me use that kind of fancy talk, did you?” “Not really.” Apple Bloom replied with a guilty chuckle. “Ah take it you still got a problem with him.” Sideswipe made her way back to the seat as she replied, “Honestly where do I begin? If he hadn’t run off to start his modeling career, I wouldn’t have had to drop out of school.” She then began to ramble. “I mean, sure he could have stayed and helped when dad began to become convinced everybody was plotting against him and going in sane. But NO….” the last part was absolutely dripping with sarcasm. “Somebody wanted to become a model so he just disappears one day with nothing but a note saying “I’m off to follow my dream. Tell Sideswipe to kiss my ass.” I mean what kind of brother or sister just stabs their family right in the back?” Apple Bloom felt like something had pierced right through her heart. She knew that Sideswipe was venting about her brother, but part of her couldn’t help but realize everything she said also applied to her, and as much as she tried not to think about it, the image of her own sister and brother reminded her of why she was even in Allspark Wells in the first place. Now, Sideswipe realized that she had said something that clearly hurt her friend. Rising up to her feet, she walked up to Apple Bloom and gently said, “Hey, sorry about that. Guess I just needed to blow off some steam.” Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Thanks. Sorry Ah kinda got a bit emotional there. You just kinda reminded me Ah was a pretty horrible sister.” Sideswipe then added, “Don’t beat yourself up. I know you may have done something stupid, but I doubt you could ever be as selfish as Sun Streaker.” As a warm smile began to grow on her face, she continued, “Besides, you’ve got a better fashion sense, you’re a lot friendlier, and if even if we haven’t known each other very long….” Sideswipe then impulsively wrapped Apple Bloom in a massive hug as she said, “I’d say you’re a pretty good sister.” Apple Bloom immediately returned the gesture, hugging the biker as she felt her eyes beginning to water. Managing to keep herself from crying, she simply replied, “Thanks.” The Chop Shop, A Few Hours Later…. “Uncle Ironhide, Ah’m home!” Apple Bloom said as she entered the front door of the Chop Shop. As Ironhide made his way up to his niece, he was surprised when the young girl ran up to him and wrapped him in a massive hug. “Oh my.” He replied as he managed to regain his balance from the sudden jolt. “What was that for?” Apple Bloom simply answered, “For bein’ mah family.” She then began to blush a little bit as she continued, “Sideswipe told me about her family, and Ah just wanted to show a little appreciation for what you’re doin’ for me.” Ironhide couldn’t help but feel touched by what his niece said to him. He then knelt down so he could look at her face-to-face as he said, “Trust me kid, family is something that sticks together no matter what.” As he rose, Ironhide then said, “Hey, since the guys and I were working with a lot of heat tonight, we got some ice cream to cool off. You want some?” Apple Bloom’s eyes grew with excitement as she replied, “You bet!” With that, Uncle and Niece made their way to the kitchen to get some ice cream to finish off what had proven to be quite the eventful day.