Before.

Raph's POV

It wasn't always like this.

We used to be really good friends, we hung out all the time, played around, we would even gang up on Mikey and Don.

We were the best of friends.

He was strong, and confident. He was always ready to face what the day gave him.

But I wasn't like him. When I was young I was the weakling. I was the one they picked on, tormented, teased and bullied.

I used to cry.

He would come and say it was okay, and I would believe him for a time...

But best friends don't last long, especially when your only six. You grow up, you change into the person you were meant to be.

Even if it means leaving behind a friend.

He was my best friend, and I thought I was his, yet as we grew he just pulled farther away from me.

I was so upset.

He didn't even care, he would just brush me off with a 'grow up' that would leave me more hurt then I already was. I was a kid, and I guess I didn't understand at the time what was really going on. I didn't know I was loosing my friend, I only believed we were fighting, that we would grow out of it.

Instead it only got worse.

The drift between us only grew with time. Our fights weren't just kid talk anymore, they had escalated to a whole new level. Fists and kicks were used to their full, and the words started to hurt more.

He would stone himself. Knowing he would soon be leader and that I would have to follow him.

I, on the other hand, knew I would never follow, and because of that I would always be the outcast in the family.

He was changing so much, couldn't he see that?

Funny how it all just goes to hell, when there's only one person trying.

He started hanging with Don and Mikey. I knew we were pretty much through.

Don and Mikey still picked on me. It was because I was different from them, I was smaller, my color was much darker, and I wasn't the best at speaking yet.

He didn't really take interest to it, so I was thankful. I don't know what I would have down if my best friend really did hate me that much.

Then Sensei tells us that he is our new leader, that we will follow him, and be loyal to him.

And that day I stopped crying over every little thing that upset me.

I knew I couldn't rely on him anymore and I couldn't be pushed around either. My best friend had grown up without me and had become a totally different person and maybe it was time for me to move on too.

"Hey RAPHIE" Mikey teased, he new that name annoyed me and it made me feel small.

I'd always had two choices, to either walk away or cry, but I went with another.

I just glared at him and without even thinking I punched him, hard."Hey MIKEY" I growled back, "And don't call me that it's getting on my darn nerves!" I yelled back.

With another snarl, I just left the room.

It was time to grow up.

.

Hey guys! well what did you think? I wasn't going to post this, but my dear friend, MillionDollarNinja, convinced me otherwise. ( plus she really, really helped with ending this XD) kk R&R plz! Tell me what ya thought!
kk Luv Ya! Ruth.