Bumblebee sat rooted to her chair with her arms crossed. For a brief second, she had allowed her mind to wander back to the fact that her house had been destroyed. Since she had seen the ruins, Bumblebee couldn’t stop thinking about it. But school assignments, homework, and being a part-time assistant to Principal Waller kept her busy—not to mention that here she was, in class with Beast Boy as a partner. He had contributed zero ideas to the project! If anything, he was a total distraction. And now he was volunteering them to go first?
“What’s the matter?” Beast Boy asked, unaware that she was fuming again. “C’mon, you slowpoke!”
Liberty Belle said encouragingly, “I’m looking forward to hearing what you have come up with.”
“Sure thing!” Beast Boy said as Bumblebee dragged herself to the front of the room. Beast Boy smiled at his partner. “Go on, tell them our brilliant plan, Bumblebee!” When she glared at him, he leaned in and whispered, “Make it good. I need to bring my grade up in this class!”
“It would be nearly impossible to monitor all 117 million lakes,” Bumblebee began through gritted teeth.
“Impossible!” shouted Beast Boy.
Ignoring him, she went on, “The best thing we can do is to have a rescue plan in place….”
“Rescue plan!” he began chanting. “Rescue plan! Rescue plan!”
Bumblebee refused to even look at Beast Boy. “With a rescue plan,” she continued, “everyone knows what their job is, and that way we can respond immediately at the first sign of a limnic eruption.”
“Limnic! Limnic! Limnic!” Beast Boy broke into a little dance.
As she went on, Beast Boy kept nodding and repeating random words she had just said. When Bumblebee was done, he led the room in applause. “And that’s what we came up with,” he said, taking a bow. “The two of us. Both. Her and me. Me and she. Him and her, and her and him—”
“Thank you, Bumblebee,” Liberty Belle said, giving her a knowing look, “…and Beast Boy.”
“We make a great team, don’t you think?” Beast Boy was trying to keep up with Bumblebee, who was walking faster and faster to get away from his annoying presence. Finally, she shrank to the size of a bee and began to fly. Undaunted, Beast Boy turned into a hummingbird and flew alongside her.
“I can’t talk now,” she said, brushing him aside. “I have to go to Principal Waller’s office.”
“In trouble again?” he joked. Everyone knew that Bumblebee never got in trouble. If anything, teachers were always holding her up as an example of a good student, which made some kids jealous.
“You coming or not?” Bumblebee asked innocently as she turned full-sized and opened the door. She knew that Beast Boy dreaded walking into the principal’s office, having been sent there way too many times.
“Or not!” he answered, turning into a small green gecko and scurrying away.