Well...I'm dipping back to the TMNT fanfics with this one. I've had this on my mind for at least several months about how a young teenager from California (who's birthroots are in the Deep South) goes with his mom, siblings and pet to their new home in New York City. Of course, he's struggling to deal with the move because he doesn't really want anything to change...but the thing about New York, it's always something interesting and that's what this kid is gonna find out. I hope you guys like it because I haven't done a TMNT fanfic since 2010...so I hope that this will be a big comeback after 5 years away. Enjoy!

The New Californian Kid

by: Terrell James

Chapter 1: Leaving California for New York

Malibu, California

On this bright, sunny day in Malibu, a young 16-year old looks up at the window where he sees a couple of moving trucks around the house and he seems completely sad to see that this is his last day in California because he's moving to New York City and it's a very hard adjustment to get used to and he takes one last look at the clear sunny skies and the palm trees while sitting in an empty room. Soon enough, he hears his mom coming in the room and she said to him, "Hard to believe we're moving out of California, huh?"

The young teenager took a deep sigh and looks at his mom and responds, "It still hasn't sunk in. I don't see why we have to move to New York, anyway."

"I know it's hard on you the most, but you've got to make the best at this new change. New York City's a really nice place." his mother said, trying to give him the bright side of things.

The teen looks at his mother with an 'are you serious' glare about the Big Apple and although it's a huge city, he doesn't see it in the nice place to live category and told her, "Mom...it's like a hodgepodge of quick and fast-paced city life. I'd rather live back in New Orleans than be one of them city folks."

"Rocky...this move will be a better experience for all of us. We just have to go for it. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." his mother added.

Rocky took a deep sigh and he still has his doubts about going to New York, but he knows that there's no talking out of it and just blinked his eyes for a few minutes and turns away for a minute and said, "I'll be down in a minute, mom."

His mother understands that he needs some time alone for a quick while and as she leaves the room, Rocky looks around that empty room of his and he had a whole lot of memories that he doesn't want to lose as he moves to New York City and he knows that it'll be hard to leave behind the life that he was very content with; friends, the California lifestyle, palm trees and everything so awesome in Malibu. Just then, he hears four footsteps coming in and he looks down and sees his German Shepherd/Labrador mix pet coming in to comfort Rocky and it was pretty much what he needed.

He rubs his dog's head gently and said, "Thanks, A.J. You always come over when I'm sad, am I?"

A.J. sits down a little bit, then nuzzles his owner as Rocky chuckles softly and said, "I'm a little nervous about living in New York City, you know? There's a lot of weirdoes out there."

A.J. barks in response and Rocky nods at that and Rocky said, "But I have to do what's best for my dad. At least opening up a pizza shop there is the only thing that makes me happy about it."

"Rocky! It's time!" his mother called, from outside.

Rocky lets out a nervous sigh and looks at his dog for a while and stands up for a while and takes out his leash and attached it to A.J.'s collar and said, "Come on, boy."

Rocky picks up his backpack as he leaves the room, but not before taking one last look at his room and said, "Goodbye, room. You've served me well through those years."

Soon after, Rocky heads outside with A.J. and once he does, he sees some of Rocky's friends coming in to say their farewells to him and one of them comes over to him, "We're gonna miss having you around in our skate park, dude."

"I'll miss you guys too. I'm gonna try my best to keep it together, but it'll be hard not to see you guys everyday." Rocky added.

"Hey, we can still text and connect on social media, dude." another friend of Rocky's added.

That was the only optimistic good thing about this new move that he can keep in touch with his Cali friends and he nods his head in agreement and said, "That's true. And also...thanks for making my 16th birthday the best one I've experienced at the skate park."

"Well, hey...we wanted to give a last hurrah birthday for ya at the skate park. Still got the pictures?" asked one skater friend.

Rocky pulls out his phone and scrolled through every picture and video of that birthday and that's every single memory he can always look at and reminisce and Rocky said, "A whole lot of them."

"One more group selfie!" another skate friend exclaimed.

One of his skater friends gathered around Rocky and the others for a skate group selfie and they definitely posed for the cameras and took loads of selfies and one of them got a selfie stick and took a couple of pictures along with one of A.J. as well and soon afterwards, mounds of fist-bumps, bro-hugs, regular hugs and group hugs followed as they said their goodbyes.

Some of them was kind enough to offer some gifts for Rocky's farewell and one of them said, "Let's hope New York City doesn't eat you up."

Most of them said their byes to A.J. as well and in turn and soon afterwards, Rocky and A.J. got in the car with his mom, two little brothers and a little sister as they drove off of Malibu as the rest of his skater friends waved bye to them as Rocky waved back at them.

Once Rocky went to LAX airport with the family, he can see that this is one of the last times he'll set foot in California as the moving truck ventures from Malibu all the way to New York City while the entire family takes a flight to New York City. While on the flight, Rocky thought it was best to take out his journal and write out what he's going through while listening to his mp3 player.

What's up, journal?

Well, I'm leaving Malibu for the New York City as a new home because my dad's opening a pizza store to bring in some southern delicacy into the folks of New York. I'm not sure if them people in New York will be cool with food from the South...especially if it's in pizza. My mom says that it'll be good for the family because we get to live in the big city. Me...I don't really think I would fit in these New York counterparts because it's crazy, fast and insane there. It's gonna be a very hard adjustment for me to go from Malibu dude to New Yorker. If they ain't got no skate park there, I might go crazy! Maybe it's that Louisiana sense in me that is open to anything, but I'm not so sure if I can get used to that New York City lifestyle. Whatever it is, I'm not gonna get used to it.

I miss my friends a lot in Malibu like crazy and they've seen me as a brother to them for so long and I thought Malibu was gonna be hard to adjust when I moved out of N'awlins to there. Now, it's like deja vu...only the place that I used to not get used to ain't there no more. Hopefully, I'll come back to Malibu for a visit, but if I have to run across some weirdoes in the streets of New York, Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens...wherever the heck these places are, I'm hitchhiking back to California and A.J.'s gonna go with me too. Well, that's all for now, so...our flight to New York is coming in a few minutes. Write ya later, journal.

A couple of minutes later, Rocky heard the flight attendent announce, "We are now reaching New York City. Please keep your seat belt buckled as we are about to land."

Rocky sighed heavily as he turned off his mp3 player and prepared himself for the arriving flight to New York City and by the time the plane landed, he knew that this will be the start of his New York chapter. He noticed his mother looking at him and he said, "Are you ready?"

"I guess." Rocky answered.

As soon as the family heads to the airport to get their stuff, they see their father waiting on them and comes over to him. The mother comes in to embrace her husband with a huge hug and the father sees his kids coming in and he comes to Rocky and asked, "How's the flight, son?"

"It's okay." Rocky replied.

"Your mother told me that you're having a hard time leaving California and I understand that, but don't worry...you'll grow to love New York." Rocky's dad added.

"And then we'll move to yet another city sometime later." Rocky added.

"Rocky Joel Elias Zuckerburg..." his mother said, very sternly.

Rocky's father looked at his son and told him, "Just make the best of New York City and give it a chance, son. Plus, this is where I got my start in cooking in college."

Rocky was defnitely reluctant to accept the new reality, but he also knows that he has to support his father in whatever he does and he nods his head and replied, "Yes, sir."

A few minutes later, they piled in the car and rode all around the city and Rocky sees everything there; the Brooklyn Bridge, the Hudson Bay, the Empire State Building, Times Square, the Lady of Liberty and he has to admit that the sightings look pretty cool and took a few pictures of them. A couple of minutes later, away from parts of New York City, they pull in where the moving truck is at and park it on the curb and one look at the house and Rocky looked completely surprised to see this.

"What do you think, Rock?" asked the father.

Rocky wasn't sure how to make of the whole thing and he said, "It's...something."

This is only the start. Stay tuned for more! BTW, how am I doing so far? And please be honest, but don't be too harsh. Again, it's been 5 years since I made a TMNT fic.