Chapter 12
Raph, Donnie, Mikey, Karai, John, Lily and myself were all sitting on the couch, discussing what we were going to do without Leo here to guide us. You never realize how much you need something, or someone, until they're gone.
" So, whose gonna take Leo's place as leader?" Mikey asked the question everyone was wondering.
" We're not gonna replace Leo." Raph said sternly, " He's coming back."
" Yeah, but not for a while." Donnie added in, " He's probably only getting out of New York now."
" Okay, then whose going to fill in for Leo until he's returned?" Karai re-worded Mikey's last question.
" I am." Raph stated, like it was already decided.
" Wait, why should you lead? I think I should." Mikey pointed to himself and sat up straight. Trying to make himself look bigger and taller, so he would be leader quality.
" Yeah right. You can't lead." Donnie huffed. He sat armed crossed on the couch beside Raph. Mikey sat on the other side of Raph, while I sat beside him. Karai was on the other side of Donnie with John then Lily at her other side.
" Well I don't see you volunteering." Mikey pointed out.
Donnie shrugged casually, " I don't want to lead."
" Well that's a first." Raph mumbled, " I'm the oldest, I should lead."
" Your only older by...uh..." Mikey sat puzzled, as he couldn't remember when Raph's birthday was. Actually, we didn't know when anybody's birthday was. That's why we celebrate mutation day. Donnie was able to calculate their approximate date of birth and who was older then who, but he couldn't conclude on a specific day.
" Leo didn't become leader because he was older. He became leader cause he asked." Donnie reminded us. He was right, Leo was leader because he was most deserving and because he asked. Leo was a natural born leader, besides, if he wasn't leader, what would he be?
" Can I be leader?" Mikey blurted out and raised his hand excitedly, thinking that asking would work a second time.
" No!" Raph and Donnie yelled simultaneously.
" Can I lead?" Karai suddenly piped up.
" Why would we let you lead the team?" Raph asked, rejecting Karai's idea immediately.
" Why not?" She challenged but kept a calm tone to her voice.
" Well...um, because..." Raph stuttered and rubbed the back of his head, searching for an answer.
" Because I'm the enemy." Karai finished Raph's sentence and raised an eyebrow.
" No, it's not that. It-it's just-" Raph stuttered some more, desperately trying to come up with something.
" I get it." Karai shrugged, " I use to be part of the enemy's clan. But, I also use to lead them. So I have the experience." Karai made a fair point.
" Yeah! You guys should let Karai lead the team." John supported Karai and placed his hand on her shoulder. Karai glanced at John's hand and he quickly pulled it away. John began to blush as he rubbed his hand shyly, Karai just laughed.
" I actually think it's not a bad idea." I shared my thoughts as all the eyes turned to me.
" Yeah, me too." Lily supported me, and I gave her a glance of thanks.
" Let me prove to you guys that I'm really on your side. I've been staying with you for almost a year. Can't I earn your trust?" Karai pitched her idea again. I could see the hope sparking in her eyes, she was close to leading a team again.
The three brothers each exchanged a glance then looked at me. I nodded my head in approval as I was apart of their ninja team.
" Alright Karai." Raph announced our decision, " You can lead. But-just don't screw up."
" Would I do that?" Karai questioned, giving Raph a doubting look.
" We did manage to capture you." Raph grimaced, he had a playful look in his eyes. Meaning no harm by the words he said.
" Everyone has off days." Karai shrugged and got up and made her way to the bathroom.
" I'll be in my lab." Donnie announced and got up as well.
" Hey Donnie? Did you finish the toaster yet?" Mikey asked as we moved on from our last conversation. Karai was going to lead the team until Leo comes back.
" Not yet." Donnie sighed and began to walk away.
" But, it's been like a week and a half!" Mikey flung his arms in the air dramatically, " I want some toast!"
" Well, it's going to take some time to fix it since it was burnt to a crisp then shattered!" Donnie snapped, letting himself get a little high-strung. As he spoke, he had his back to us, not bothering to turn around. I sensed that Donnie really didn't want to have this conversation, he doesn't like to be rushed, especially not by Mikey.
" Calm down bro," Mikey returned to his calm casual self, " I was just wondering."
Donnie just moaned in responded and walked into his lab, shutting the door behind him.
" Well, I'm gonna go make toast." Mikey stated and jumped up. He started to head towards the kitchen.
" But, the toaster is still broken Mikey." I reminded him. Had he already forgot the conversation he just had with Donnie two seconds ago.
Mikey stopped walking and spun around on his heels to face me.
" I know that." He said.
" Then...how are you going to make toast?" I asked, but I must admit that I was a little afraid to know the answer.
" With a blow torch." Mikey spoke as if it was obvious. Could Mikey not see the danger in that? Raph's right when he says Mikey's stupidity blinds him sometimes.
" Well that can't end well." John then stated the obvious as he spoke what everyone else was thinking.
Mikey ignored our warnings and continued to make his way to the kitchen. It was silent after that because we were all listening to Mikey banging around in the kitchen. It wasn't long after Mikey came out of the kitchen, looking sad.
" Yeah...um, we're out of bread." He sniffled.
" Bummer." Raph huffed sarcastically.
" Hey Taylor..." Mikey began as he said my name rather suspiciously, " Your looking kinda pale. You should go get some sunlight."
" Oh really?" I laughed, knowing that Mikey was just making excuses.
" Yeah, and while you're out and about, you can go get some bread." Mikey suggested and looked at me with round puppy eyes.
Knowing that I couldn't fight the pleading look in Mikey's baby blue eyes, I sighed and gave in.
" Fine. Lily, John. You wanna come?" I asked as I stood up from the couch.
" Sure." Lily agreed and grunted as she stood up.
" Yeah, okay." John agreed to then almost lost his balance as he stood up.
" Raph, you want anything?" I offered. Since I was going out, I might as well see if Raph wanted something.
" A normal little brother." He told me with all seriousness.
" Sorry," I laughed, " Can't do that." And with those last words, Lily, John, and myself all left the lair and wandered into the sewers.
We walked the sewer halls for a few minutes before coming to the man hole cover. I climbed the ladder first and listened for any passing cars or approaching footsteps. All seemed quiet so I tilted up the cover ever so slightly and seen that the coast was clear.
" We're good guys, you can come up." I shouted down to Lily and John as I hopped out of the sewers and onto the side of the road. We were right by Lily's house.
" Ugh, gross." John muttered as Lily pushed him up the ladder and onto the surface.
" We've been going down into the sewers for, like, two years now! And you say it's gross every time!" Lily shouted, but not at all angry.
" Your such a girl John." I teased and helped him get up off the pavement.
" I am not!" He pretested, " I like girls, but I am not one." He insisted and brushed any dirt off of him.
" You sure?" Lily continued teasing him as she stood on her feet. We began walking as John went on about why he is not a girl, but simply concerned about germs.
" So, where should we go?" I changed the subject as we started to head towards the busier part of New York.
" Somewhere that sells bread." Lily concluded but laughed afterwards as she realized how silly she sounded. Most stores sells bread, so it didn't really matter what shop we went into.
We walked in silences for a little while. I was enjoying the peace for once. I liked being out of the lair for a change, feeling the warm sun blazing on my skin. It's been a while since Lily, John, and I just hung out as friends. For once, I didn't have to worry about Leo missing, or the Shredder, or even Midgar. I could just enjoy being with my friends.
" Taylor?" John's voice snapped me away from my thoughts.
" Yeah?" I asked, pretending that I was never off in dreamland.
" Want to stop in here for a second?" Lily pointed to the store we where standing in front off. It took me a moment to recognize the store. But then I recognized the brick walls, and the red and white striped sign, and the logo that all O's is the sign were a favourite pastry of mine. My friends and I were standing in front of the doughnut shop we use to go to everyday after work.
" I think I'm in the mood for a cream cheese delight." I smiled at the memories that we shared here at the doughnut shop only. Lily and John smiled back at me and we walked through the door.
As we walked in, a little bell above the door rang and the warm scent of freshly baked doughnuts filled my nose. The happy atmosphere of the lively little doughnut shop filled my eyes, everything from the round red table with colourful chairs to the fat baker behind the counter.
" Three cream cheese delights and three white milks please." I ordered our food as Lily and John went to pick out a table.
" Hey, I haven't seen you guys in a while." The pudgy french cashier noted as he smiled a friendly smile at me and handed me my doughnuts.
" Well, no place is as good as Danny's Doughnuts." I smiled and took the tray of doughnuts and milks. I walked over to the window seat that Lily and John picked out. I gave them each a plate with a doughnut on it and a milk. I set the tray aside and sat down to enjoy my doughnut.
It didn't take long for John to gobble down his doughnut. He's usually a fast eater when it comes to something delicious.
We laughed and talked like we use to, before I met the turtles. Before I fell in love with Donnie. Before my first fight with Shredder, before Donnie lost his memory, before our break up, before Midgar, before Leo left, before any of it. And now, looking back made me realize just how much had happen since.
" Wow." I breathed, sorta talking to myself.
" What?" Lily questioned as the both looked at me oddly.
" I've just realize how big an impacted the turtles have on our lives." I told them. And they nodded in agreement.
" Yeah, if you hadn't met the turtles, I would have never met Raph." Lily pointed out, " And John would have never gotten a crush on Karai."
" What!?" John blurted out, a little louder then necessary, " I mean, I-uh, don't know what your talking about."
We shared a moment of laughter before finishing up the rest of our milk and doughnuts. We threw out our trash and continued on our search for bread. We eventually did decide on a store, but we must of walked around for an hour before deciding what kind of bread to buy. It wasn't really that hard of a decision, we were all just having too much fun and wanted to kill some time.
" Okay, okay." Lily finally got her voice under control from her laughter, " Taylor if you had to choose to either kiss a cow, or live with a pickle on the end of your nose for the rest of your life. What would you choose?"
" Umm," I hesitated, " Depends, if I kissed the cow, would I be immune to pickle noses?"
" Uh, yes." Lily decided.
" And where would I have to kiss the cow?"
" Either on the butt, or on the lips." Lily nearly burst out laughing as she answered my question.
" Neither!" I shouted in utter discus as we continued to walk down the side walks of New York.
" Then it's pickle nose forever!" John declared.
" No wait!" I screamed, " I'd kiss the cow on the lips!"
" Ew, you know they chew their food, throw it up in their mouths, then eat it again?" Lily pointed out.
" Yeah, and you know where the food comes out of after it's digested four times?" I pointed out as well.
" Alright, you win." Lily squinted her face, truly grossed out.
" So, would you guys say your 'utterly' grossed out." John joked.
" How punny." I mused and shoved John, causing him to bump into Lily and then her to fall on the grass, " Woops." I laughed as John offered his hand to help Lily up.
" Hey, you wanna fight?" Lily joked around and threw his fists up in a defensive way.
" Okay." I went along with Lily's little game. Her eyes went wide with shock as she thought I was serious.
" No way! I ain't fighting a kunonich." Lily backed away and hide behind John.
" It's pronounced kunoichi." I corrected her, " And I'm not officially one. Not yet anyway."
" You'll get there one day." John assured me then jumped into the sewers as we arrived at our man hole cover.
" Here, catch!" Lily shouted down to John and threw him the loaf of bred. Then she jumped in the sewers after John.
I was about to follow him, but something grabbed my shoulder. Whoever was grabbing me, I took their wrist and flipped them over my shoulder and onto the ground. Without looking who it was, I placed my foot on top of their chest as I still clung to their arm.
" Taylor wait!" He shouted. I looked to see who I was holding down, and it was no other then Garret.
" Garret! What the heck!?" I shouted then paused. Had he seen Lily and John go into the sewer? How was I going to explain that to him? I sighed then continued, " What do you want?"
" I would like you to remove your foot from my chest." He grunted.
" Sorry." I apologized and helped Garret up, " Now what is it you want?"
" Taylor, I need to tell you something. The thing that I've been trying to tell you." He insisted.
" Spit it out." I said, getting kind annoyed, I didn't have time for this.
" Taylor," Garret began, " I-I know about the turtles."
Dun, dun, dun! Hehe, okay so this update is kinda sorta not really that late. I usually update every three-four days and it's been what? Five maybe? I dunno. Anyway, hope you are enjoying this story so far and please review! I love to hear what you guys think! Thanks :D