Taking Sides
Disclaimer: Sorry I am not the brains behind the Ninja Turtles or the other characters from the show. I am simply a fan of them who enjoys writing stories about them for pleasure – not profit. Thanks.
PS. I know peanut butter is called something else in the States – but I'm sorry I just can't call it that. It's the same thing and you'll know what I mean.
It was your typical Saturday afternoon beneath the streets of New York. The residents of the house had slowly woken up one-by-one only just before lunch and they were already into their own activities.
Over to one side sat Donetello, who typed madly into the computer – for he had come up with a new theory which he was planning to test out – as soon as he had the time.
For Donetello this was chill out time and the best way for him to chill out was by putting his intelligence to good use.
Meanwhile his brother's had a different view of chill out.
This usually meant using as little brain cells as possible and as few muscles as possible. They were in fact sitting in front of the television watching Saturday afternoon television. This consisted of re-runs of the Crocodile Hunter, which was basically a show about a guy who wrestled with crocs and ran after deadly snakes.
Mikey was happily glued to the screen; he hadn't working out that it was almost an hour since lunch. Though his older brother's had.
"Anyone want something to eat or drink?" Leonardo asked, looking at both his brothers in front of the TV and also his brother by the computer.
"We got any popcorn or has popcorn guzzler eaten it all?" Raphael asked, looking at the orange clad turtle to whom he spoke of.
"Hey, not my fault they don't sell popcorn in bulk now is it?" Mikey said in defense of his actions. He just loved popcorn.
"There was some there yesterday," Donnie recalled, "I almost used it in an experiment, until Mikey chucked a poop at me."
"Dude, we don't use food on experiments!" Mikey pointed to the scientist.
"But it was okay when he invents something he later lets you eat?" Leo eyed his youngest brother.
"Would you eat popcorn that he's burnt and blown up in a test tube?"
"How do you know he was going to do that?" Raphael asked.
"He told me."
"Actually Mikey I never told you what I was going to do with it. You just didn't want me to take it," Donnie said.
"So there's popcorn, I'll go make some," Leo got up to go to the kitchen.
"Thanks Mum," Mikey chuckled, getting a dirty look from his oldest brother.
"What flavored popcorn you want?" Leo called.
"Salt and vinegar." Raph called back.
"Butter," came Donnie.
"Peanut Butter."
"You are gross, Mikey," Donnie made a face. Mikey would eat anything with peanut butter on it.
"Butter it is then," Leo called back.
"What?!" Raphael stood up and went over to the kitchen. "I said I want salt and vinegar."
"Yeah I heard, but Don and I want just butter."
"Yeah but that's only you two, what about me and Mikey?"
"Mikey will eat anything," Leo simply replied.
"But I don't want butter. I want salt and vinegar," Raph told his brother.
"Make your own popcorn, then."
"Leo I want salt and vinegar!" Raphael yelled.
"Here we go again," Donnie muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Ask Mikey what he wants again." Raphael demanded.
"No."
"Mikey, Leo wants to know if you want salt and vinegar or just butter on your corn," Raphael called out into the other room.
"Like he's goner agree with me and Donnie, he knows that if he says butter you'll go beat him up."
"Mikey I promise not to beat the crap out of you if you say butter. But I do know that you like salt and vinegar too."
"Don't reply," Donnie warned his brother, just as Mikey was about to say something.
"Why not? It'll get the popcorn out here quicker."
"Mikey, do you only ever think of your stomach?"
"No I think about beating Raph again on the play station."
Donnie rolled his eyes. When was his younger brother going to grow a brain. The kind of brain that actually was of any use to anyone, besides Mikey.
The yelling in the kitchen got louder, as Leo and Raph argued over to bring out the Vanilla Coke or just plain Coke to drink.
"They will never change will they?" Donnie said to his brother.
"Who?" Mikey asked.
"Those two, who did you, think I meant?" Don pointed to the kitchen. Raph was yelling about how vanilla coke didn't taste the same as normal.
"Terri and Steve Irwin?" Mikey suggested, looking at the TV.
Donnie hit his head on the table out of frustration.
"Well I don't like vanilla coke as much as the normal one. I prefer the cherry one, but the store was out of it." Mikey told Donnie.
"There you go again, taking his side and thinking about food!" Donnie said, pulling his head out of his shell.
"What you talking about, bro?"
"You always take Raph's side when those two fight. Can't you see Raph started that stupid fight? He had to act like a child and wine to Leo that he don't want butter popcorn."
"But it was unfair to go for butter when he wants some salt and vinegar. Leo could have made two lots – one for those who want butter and those who want the other."
"What if there's not much popcorn to do that, Mike?"
"Well, Leo goes out and buys more."
"Mikey, why would Leo bother to do that? He's got more important things to do than go to the store and get more popcorn!" Donnie cried, trying to get his brother to see the logical in all this.
"What important things? Fighting with Raph over stupid popcorn flavors?" Mikey said, hands on his hips.
Donnie had to agree there – yes, those two were fighting a pointless cause. But they usually did that, it was almost considered normal in the turtles' household for Leo and Raph to fight over nothing of real importance.
"But Leo didn't start the fight; he was dragged in by Raph."
"No he didn't. He's a big boy and can pull himself out at any time he wants. Bet you Master Splinter thinks that since Leo's the oldest he's the one who has to learn to stop the arguments before they get out of hand."
"Well he does." Donnie defended his brother.
"Na, it only ends when Raph stomps off in a crappy Raphie mood."
"No Leo usually tries to reason with him and Raph can't hack it, so he stomps off."
"You're such a Leo Lover maybe you two should get married," Mikey joked. Donnie was always taking Leo's side in things.
"I'm just pointing out that Leo is usually the one in the right. I go for who ever is the most logical. Which is usually Leo?"
"Donnie and Leo kissing in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Mikey sang. Donnie pegged a book at his brother, which bonked him on the head, but that only stopped Mikey from singing – didn't shut him up though.
"So Leo was right last night for taking his so called "short cut" which then took another ten minutes to getting to April's?" Mikey pointed out.
"We got stopped by a small group of purple dragons!"
"That doesn't take ten minutes to beat up four P.D's!" Mikey argued back.
"Mikey we got there in the end didn't we? So what is the big deal?"
"Big deal is, that Raph's suggestion is much quicker, but cos you had to take Leo's side, we got there ten minutes later than when we would have if we took Raphael's way!"
"Oh get over it already! Leo got us there all the same," Donnie argued back.
"Still think you have a secret love for Leo!" Mikey teased.
"No I don't! Then what about you and Raph?"
"Raph's cool. He's my friend," Mikey replied.
"Really so your friend beats you up and calls you names?"
Mikey shrugged.
"He shares things with me."
"Really? When was the last time Raph shared anything of his?"
"He shared his packet of chips with me the other day!" Mikey said, defiant.
"What one chip?" Donnie remembered when Mikey got upset at Raph for only handing him one chip when he wanted Raph to share with him.
"He lent me his CDs."
Donnie laughed. "Firstly, you probably took them when he wasn't looking, like you do with me and Leo's things. Secondly, you don't even like Raph's music."
"Na, I do like it and he let me borrow them. Go ask him if you don't believe me!"
"He probably doesn't want them anymore if he let you have them!"
"What's that suppose to mean?" Mikey asked his brother.
"You always break stuff you borrow. Anything borrowed by you, usually ends up in the bin or in my fix-it pile."
"Then explain why you think Leo is so great, besides the fact you secretly love and want to marry him!" Mikey said like a bratty seven year old.
"Michelangelo!" Splinter had returned from his walk to find two sets of arguments going on in his home.
"Firstly, Leo and I are brothers – so get that out of your head. Secondly, he's the only one in this whole family with a bran between his ears!" Donnie stomped off to his room, with Splinter calling after him.
"What is all that about?" Splinter turned to his youngest.
"Donnie told me off for taking Raph's side in the fight going on in there," Mikey pointed to the kitchen. He knew Splinter would forget about his argument with Donnie, once he saw the other two fighting.
"What seems to be the problem with those two?" Splinter asked.
"Na, you can't make up everyone's mind for them Leo!" Came Raph's voice.
"I am not doing that. No one said what kind of drink they wanted, so I am getting them whatever I find in the fridge."
"But Donnie hates that stuff. He won't drink it."
"Well he can go get his own drink then!" Leo argued back.
There was a cough from the doorway. Both turtles turned to see their Sensei had returned.
"I think there have been enough arguments for one day, thank you. I want all four of you to spend some time alone."
"Four of us?" Came Mikey in front of the TV.
"Yes, you and Donetello also need time alone. You seem to be getting on each other's nerves today. He has already gone to his room to mediate his thoughts."
Mikey just burst out laughing; Raphael in the kitchen also had to hide his laughter.
"Splinter you know Donnie's probably working on another science project he's got in his room," Raph told his father.
"He's right, you know. Donnie usually goes to his room and works on his top secret stuff." Leo agreed with Raph, which made Raph look at him puzzled.
"Well, just the same, I want you all to spend the next hour alone away from your brothers." With that Splinter turned to retreat to his own room. He was ready for his mediation, even if his sons were not.