Aiden fidgeted, the game was almost over, but did it have to be televised? Frowning, she pulled out her phone, three more minutes and she could go home. Why did she even agree to coming? The newscaster down by the field spoke excitedly into her microphone; obviously she didn't realize that our team was losing. Aiden shoved the phone into her pocket, remembering that morning…
"Hey, Aiden! Whatcha doing later?" Jason had asked
She shrugged. "Going home?"
"You should come with us to see the game after school. It'll be fun!" he added, seeing her raise an eyebrow.
Sighing, she nodded. "Sure, I guess I'll go…"
It would seem that he had lied. He had spent the majority of the time snogging his girlfriend and cheering down by the field, leaving Aiden to text her friend, waiting for it to be over.
A few moments and a touchdown later, it was over. 10-40 we had lost dreadfully. As the bleachers cleared, Aiden noticed that Jason and his friends were nowhere to be seen. Since her dad was out with his girlfriend that night, it would also seem that she had no means of transport back to her house. Trudging gloomily down the steps, she sat on the fence between the bleachers and the field, watching the news team pack up.
The woman who had been cheering into her microphone earlier, helped her coworkers heave their equipment into the van. Turning around, she noticed a girl sitting alone by the bleachers. Approaching her, she called out.
Aiden shook her head out of its stupor. Jumping down off of the fence, she walked over to the reporter.
"Hi." She said, quietly
"Hello. Why were you all alone up there?" the woman asked kindly
"My classmates ditched me." Aiden shifted uneasily
"Haven't you got a ride home?"
Aiden shook her head. "I'm just gonna wait here until dad can come get me."
The woman cocked her head to the side. "Till he can come get you?"
"He's on a date about an hour and a half away…" she stared at the ground
"I can give you a ride home, if you'd like." She smiled kindly. "I'm April, by the way."
Aiden grinned back extending a hand. "I'm Aiden and that'd be spectacular."
April shook it and turned back to her crew. "I'll see you guys in a bit." And they nodded in understanding, clambering into the van.
They both got into April's car, with some difficulty considering, the soda cans and some wires needed to be moved. Aiden nearly sat on what appeared to be a hockey mask.
"Sorry about that, it's my friend's. Just toss it in the back." April said, laughing.
Aiden nodded, but placed it carefully on the seat, recalling who it belonged to.
"You know Casey, then?" she asked April.
She looked at her questioningly and slowly replied. "Yea, I do. But how do you know him?"
Aiden proceeded to explain that she had run into him a few weeks previously, while wandering around the city. He had actually prevented her from becoming 'thug food'. April laughed, listening to her account of the attack as Casey had apparently fallen over at one point but continued using the criminals' heads for golf balls.
It had been a short drive to Aiden's house but she shook April's hand and climbed out of the battered car. April handed her a business card.
"If you ever need anything."
Aiden nodded, bowing. "Thank you very much, Ms. O'Neil."
April smiled and backed out of the space, pausing only to watch Aiden unlock the door and enter the house.
Arriving back at her own home, April entered it to see four green faces grinning at her, one of them covered in what appeared to be, cheese.
"What took you so long?" Mikey whined, wiping off the cheese,
"Yea, really." Donnie and Raph said in unison.
"Some girl's friends ditched her at the game so I drove her home."
"Couldn't her parents have gotten her?" Mikey asked
April shook her head. "From what I heard, she only lives with her father and he was on a date an hour or so away…"
"Dude…" Mikey replied
"Sucks to be her." Raph replied, facing the TV again.
April sighed. "I think you guys would get along great." She went on, her eyes roving from face to face.
Leo finally spoke, staring at the floor. "We were told not to make ourselves known."
The other three groaned. "We need to find someone else to hang with though." Mikey complained. Donnie and Raph nodded in agreement.
Splinter walked into the room and they all sat up straight, with the exception of Raph. He gazed at them thoughtfully, as though making a difficult decision.
"You boys could do with a change…You may go." He smiled as their eyes lit up.
Mikey was the first to the window. "I'm drivin'!" He exclaimed, joyfully.
April shook her head. "How about I drive?"
Mikey pouted, but nodded in agreement.
As they made their way to the car, Mikey called shotgun loudly and only a slug on the arm from Raph and a hiss to keep his voice down, shut him up. It had begun to rain, but as soon as they were in the car (their heads down in case of other drivers) they were off. Easy enough to say, it was difficult to squeeze three bulked up turtles into the back of a Toyota Corolla but somehow they managed. Raph complained of having sat on something uncomfortable and as he lifted himself, found the shattered remains of Casey's mask. He was not going to be thrilled.
The car pulled to a stop in front of Aiden's house. It had not occurred to April that Aiden might freak and call the cops, but perhaps it was too late now. Either way, she sighed and pressed the doorbell twice. "Coming!" came a stifled yell from inside and a few moments later, the door opened to show a very disheveled Aiden. Her hair was wild and she rubbed her eyes. "Oh. Hi, Ms O'Neil." She fixed her hair, self consciously. "Sorry, I was asleep. What's up?"
"A few of my friends wanted to meet you." She smiled warmly. "May we come in?"
Aiden nodded, snatching a hairbrush from the stairs and readjusted her hair. April motioned that it was alright, and the car doors opened. Glancing around for onlookers, they bolted to the door. Aiden found herself gaping at four giant green turtles, all grinning at her nervously. Stepping out of the way of the door, she allowed them in.
Aiden wobbled into the living room where all four turtles were sitting comfortably. April, however, stood near one of the chairs.
"Bit early for Halloween innit?" Aiden questioned, rubbing her eyes again.
Mikey laughed and Leo shook his head.
"These aren't costumes." Donnie said, poking Mikey.
"Oh…That's pretty epic then." Aiden laughed, glancing at April and April nodded as if understanding the unspoken question.
Leo shook his head in exasperation and began to recite the tale of how they became so. It was as if he'd heard it enough times that it was engraved on the lining of his cornea. Although Raph and Mikey continually fidgeted, they became silent with a glare from Leo, and did not interrupt again. Afterwards, they sat for a few moments in silence, but from out of it came a loud rumble.
"Mikey!" the three said in irritable unison.
"Sorry, I'm hungry…" replied the youngest brother.
Aiden sat on an arm of one of the chairs. "I suppose I should go cook something." She said, thoughtfully gazing at the floor.
"Can you make pizza?" Mikey asked excitedly, jumping up.
Laughing again, Aiden nodded and went into the kitchen with April following suit.
When the pizzas were made and the smells of Alfredo and tomato sauce wafted into the living room, Aiden entered it. The TV was on and they appeared to be watching some uber-cheesey sci-fi movie.
"The pizzas are ready!" she called, waking them from the daze.
Mikey and Raph, fought to get into the kitchen, with Donnie and Leo, shaking their heads, close behind.
Aiden turned to April and smiled. "Thanks for helping me with the pizzas." She thought for a moment "And bringing me some psychotic new friends."
April sighed. "Well they've been demolishing my house for a few weeks, so I thought they'd like a change of scenery."
"Thanks…I think." Replied Aiden, handing Don some paper towels after he had spilled mountain dew on the counter.
"Hope your dad won't mind…" April went on.
She shrugged. "Eh, he'll keel over, but it's nothing some mountain dew can't do to wake him up again." Winking, she snatched herself a slice of the alfredo pizza, and sat on the couch between Raph and Don. Leo on one chair, April on another, with Mikey sitting on the floor, snickering at the bad effects on tv.