A/N: Aaaand here's the final chapter for The Beginning! Thank you to everyone (if there's anyone out there reading this) who stood by! Don't worry, more chapters with the turtles are coming hehehe. As always, please do review and let me know what you think! :D Oh, btw the song Ella sings in the later part of the chapter is Tori Kelly's "Where I Belong - Intro".
Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT!
The Beginning: Part 4
"Good afternoon, welcome to Café Prose! How may I help you?" Ella asked, beaming at the couple who had just taken a seat across the counter.
It was a busy Sunday afternoon in the cafe cum bookstore, the employees all running around tending to the customers and making sure that a modicum of silence was kept throughout. Located in a quiet area, tucked far away from the hustle and bustle of vehicles and human beings, the cafe sat a little farther off Chinatown. It was perfect, however – creating an atmosphere that suited all those who wanted to relax with a good book or just bask between the quiet of the bookshelves as a respite from the stress of city life.
Ella nodded cheerily to the couple, tucking her pencil behind her ear as she scooted back to the counter, skillfully weaving through the tables and chairs full of people of all ages. She ripped the piece of paper with their order on it before sliding it across the counter to Maisie, who flashed her a thumbs up and a grin to let her know that it'd be done.
Smiling as she turned around, Ella surveyed the cafe, fingers absentmindedly tugging the strands of her hair that had come undone from the bun. She loved working here. The cafe half made such delicious treats whilst the bookstore carried most of her favourite books. The staff were amazingly nice, too, and she'd made quite a couple of good friends over the year and a half she'd been employed as a part-timer at The Café Prose. Furthermore, the cafe had an array of special events, ranging from Poetry Night to acoustic performances, and Ella loved that she could take part it in as well.
Speaking of performances, her acapella club's performance yesterday night had been a blast, with even the school principal commending her on a job well done as the Vice President of the club. Ella had beamed proudly and stated that she couldn't have had done it without her fellow club mates. Her family, Jade, April and even Casey had praised her highly for the repertoire—the one she'd slaved over for the past week.
Sighing in relief to remember that her work was finally done and that it had paid off immensely well, Ella pushed off from the counter where she'd been leaning and walked towards the back of the cafe where it turned into a bookstore. She nodded at Jordan, letting him know that she'd be arranging the bookshelves so that he could take over the customers at the cafe.
Carefully stepping over the small steps leading up to the bookshelves, Ella breathed in deeply. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the scent of books mingled in the air, strangely comforting. Running her hands gently over the spines of the books, she got to work re-shelving those left haphazardly around.
Being around books always cleared her mind; helped her think. At times when the press of people around her got too thick, Ella retreated to where the books were in order to be able to recollect her thoughts and get her anxiety under control. As much as she liked working at the cafe, she never liked it when there were too many people, it often left her feeling disoriented and unorganized.
Humming to herself, she stepped carefully around the tall bookshelves of the cafe and decided to just let the serenity of the place fill her, her mind choosing to enjoy the quiet work of rearranging the books. Ella was so invested in what she was doing that she didn't notice a figure move to settle in front of her—until she pulled out a book and came face to face with amber eyes staring at her from the opposite side of the shelf.
She nearly swore loudly had she not slapped a hand over her mouth quickly to muffle the sound. She scowled immediately at the other person, who'd begun laughing uncontrollably, and stashed the book back into place. "Jade! Not funny!"
Jade was still snickering as she stepped around the bookshelf and approached Ella, who aimed a punch at her arm. "Ow! Rude!"
Ella rolled her eyes, turning up her chin at her best friend, though the sides of her mouth were slightly quirked up. "What are you doing here?"
"What, can't visit my dear, sweet, sister from another mister?" The faint traces of an English accent still clung to her speech even though she hadn't been back home in nearly a decade. Ella had always wondered what Jade would sound like if she had a thicker accent.
"Mm... sure." Ella shook her head, this time allowing a smirk to spread across her face.
Jade shrugged, leaning against a bookshelf. "I got bored at home. Been doing the project since nearly five in the morning now, just thought I needed to get out and get some fresh air, hopefully a new perspective."
"The project" that Jade was referring to was one of her important art projects before the end of the first semester in May. Ella knew that she'd been working hard at it since late February. It was now early April, and Jade was finishing up the final touches, but she wanted to keep working at it, retouching the canvases where she'd painted her project on.
Ella stopped and regarded Jade, worried and slightly proud for her friend's continuous hard work. Her light brown hair was tied back into a high ponytail at the crown of her head, her face elegantly made up. Perfectly arched eyebrows, red lips and pale skin. She wore an off-the-shoulder white top, a pair of jeans and heeled black boots that boosted her already tall height. At eighteen, a year older than her, Jade was only a freshmen at the New York Academy of Arts, but she'd thrown herself headfirst into college life. Ella admired that greatly, the unyielding passion and determination that she had for art, in particular, painting.
Jade had always loved art, ever since she was young. But she'd gravitated to painting more than anything else, and although Ella admired her passion and strength, above all, Ella admired her talent.
"It already looks perfect, y'know," Ella said softly, hoping to convey her trust and awe in Jade's talent in those words. But it wasn't always nearly enough – Jade had a habit of working herself into a stupor, of telling herself that her art wasn't perfect, perfect, perfect.
Ella just wished that one day she'd see what all those around her saw in her art: magnificent talent.
Jade merely smiled, reaching out and tucking a strand of wavy black hair to tuck it behind Ella's ear. "Thanks, kid."
Ella sighed sadly at her friend's slight brush off of her compliment, already used to it. "Want anything when I'm done here?" She changed the subject, picking up the last of the books needed to be re-shelved and glancing up at Jade with a cheery smile on her face, as though nothing had happened.
Jade grinned. "How about a classic? Tea and scones, since I am British, after all?"
Ella snorted, elbowing her in the side as Jade let out a hearty laugh, slinging an arm around her shoulders.
It was on nights like these when Ella loved to write on the rooftop of their apartment.
Sitting cross-legged with her journal, pen and guitar whilst watching the cloudless night sky was something she'd started doing after her father's death. It gave her a sort of security, her "Secret Garden" — if you considered a concrete rooftop a garden. But it was calming, and helped her whenever she wanted to write but needed the right atmosphere to do so.
Right now, the sounds from the roads below were faint and muffled, and there wasn't anything blocking the light streaming from the moon, allowing Ella to have a sort of nightlight to write to. Her pen scratched along the blank pages of her journal as she wrote, completely lost in her thoughts.
To Ella, writing often felt as though she'd submerged herself beneath an endless ocean, and nothing and no one could dive in after her. It was her thoughts, and hers alone, that warranted her attention then. After swimming for some time, letting the coolness of the words wash over her, she surfaced back up, mind beginning to register that she was on the rooftop; pen in hand and journal perched on her thigh.
She gently placed her pen beside her, stretching out her cramped left hand. Smoothing out the pages that she'd accidentally crushed in her haste to pen down her thoughts, she squinted in the moonlight to read what she had written.
There are times when I wonder if there is more to my life than what I hope and what I intend it to be. I have always wanted to be a voice: someone who speaks for others, someone who stands their ground and says what needs to be said. Someone who gives solidarity to the feeling of emptiness and loneliness that others feel and teach them to turn it into passion in their hearts and fire in their fingers.
I want to be a light, a beacon to those who are lost and cannot find their way home.
Maybe that's what I yearn for the most. Maybe that's why I believe my life has a bigger purpose. Maybe that's why words are my weapons.
Running an ink-stained finger down the page, she bit her lip, reading the words she'd written over and over again.
Ella only knew words, could only ever give others words. She wrote for the ones she loved and cared for, valuing emotion and honesty much more than shallow promises. Maybe that's why she was always easily hurt. Even though she'd grown out of most of her sensitivity, some still lingered in her, like shallow pools of water in the rain. One drop, and a ripple goes through it, no matter the amount of water.
Sighing, she closed the journal, setting it and the pen aside. She wrapped her arms around the neck of her guitar and pulled it over, looping the strap behind her back. She made sure it was in tune before she began strumming, calling to mind a song she'd written as an impromptu performance for one of the Café's events.
I'm just a girl with her guitar
Trying to give you my whole heart
If there's anybody out there listening to me
All I have is a story and a dream
Here I am, and that's all I can be
You know I forget to breathe sometimes
And I'm so afraid to fall behind
Why do I let the pressure take over my mind?
When I know the truth is never wrong
I'm alright, this is right where I belong
Her voice carried across the cold, night air, soft and steady. Ella let the last notes of the song play out over the wind, her fingers gently resting on the strings of her guitar. For a while, she closed her eyes, drinking in the tranquillity she always felt when she surrounded herself with nothing but her two passions in life.
That is, until a loud voice yelled out right beside her ear, "That was amazing, dudette!"
Ella cursed, startling so badly that she sent her fist flying in the direction of the voice — only to have it stopped by a huge green hand with three fingers.
Mikey's face hovered in front of her, surprised and grinning widely. "Whoa there, Ella! It's only me, your boy Mikey! And my brothers, of course."
Mikey let go of her fist, and Ella let it drop down to her side as she tried to catch her breath. Three other figures stepped out from the shadows and into the light. Donnie waved, a small smile on his face, while Blue gave a slightly awkward smile and Red nodded curtly at her with a smirk.
"Seriously though, your voice is amazing! And you play the guitar really, really well! Can you teach me sometime, huh? Please? Pleaaaaaaase?" He dragged out the last word, falling to his knees dramatically and clasping his hands in front of her.
She could see the rest of his brothers shaking their heads at his display, Donnie and Blue face-palming while Red just rolled his eyes.
"Sure," she managed out, unfolding her legs and standing up. She took off the strap, setting the guitar down onto the floor gently, and straightened the oversized sweater she was wearing. "Just as long as you promise never to do that again, 'kay?"
Mikey gasped, nodding at her so earnestly that she almost reached out with her hand just to get him to stop. Luckily, Blue stepped forward and grasped his shoulder, fixing him with a fondly exasperated look.
"Mike, you can ask her about that later, but right now we're here to discuss something a bit more serious." At that, Mikey's expression smoothed out into a solemn one. He got to his feet and moved back to where his other brothers were standing behind Blue.
Ella watched in confusion, growing slightly concerned. What was happening? Did they regret revealing themselves to her? Did they decide that she wasn't worthy of getting to know them?
Seeing Ella's anxiousness, Blue put his hands up, waving away her worries. "Don't worry, it's nothing too serious! We're just here to talk to you, that's all."
She nodded, biting her lip as anxiety began to curl in her stomach.
Blue continued, taking a step closer to her. "We just want to properly thank you for the kindness that you showed when we arrived on your balcony that night. You didn't have to, and yet you offered us help to patch up our little brother, and we're very thankful to you for that."
Behind him, Mikey gave her a bright grin, and Ella felt the anxiety begin to uncurl at the adorable sight.
"And when our younger brothers decided to use your home as a hideaway, even though it was uncalled for and could've put you in danger," at that Mikey looked down and toed the floor, "you still chose to help them. Moreover, you even offered that we could come anytime, whenever we needed help or just needed somewhere to go to." At this, his expression turned genuinely confused.
"Why?"
Ella blinked, bewildered at his simple question. For a while, she couldn't think of anything to say, instead staring at the four blankly, when a cold clarity washed over her.
Of course, they wanted to know why. Of course, they needed to understand. They were different, extremely so. Most humans would turn them away or call the authorities, most likely handing them over to the government for experimentation or something. But her? She chose to help them, chose to offer them a place whenever they needed it. She hadn't chased them away, or called them freaks.
She'd been kind.
Even now, as they talked to her, they watched her with wary eyes, as though afraid that she would turn around and run away from them. Only Mikey was looking at her with an open expression and was that trust, in his eyes?
Ella was floored, Mikey was looking at her with such hope and confidence that she almost wasn't able to answer Blue's question.
"Honestly," she began, clasping her hands in front of her, slightly perturbed by the amount of attention she was getting. "I'm not really sure. At first I was sort of scared, but then after that I just got... curious. And then you mentioned that Mikey was hurt, and I figured that just because you aren't human, that doesn't mean I should turn you away and disregard the fact that he was hurt."
Seeing Mikey's eyes light up at her words urged her to continue her train of thought.
"I mean—yeah, you guys aren't human, and I don't even know you personally, but you didn't try to kill me or anything. If you wanted to, you would've just done me in instead of landing on my balcony. Besides, I'm not one to judge someone based on appearances. You all looked so worried at Mikey's state, and I guess..." she hesitated, rubbing her wrist in embarrassment at their intense gazes. "It kind of reminded me of my family."
She didn't mention another thing, however. How Mikey reminded her of her little brother, the one that she'd lost so long ago. She felt that they didn't need to know that.
All was quiet after what she'd said, and Ella fought to not fidget as they stared at her. Finally, Mikey—sweet Mikey—broke off from his brothers and ran towards her, scooping her up into another tight hug.
"I knew you'd make a good friend! Thank you, Ella!" He beamed up at her, and Ella nodded weakly as the life was squeezed out from her by a giant turtle again.
"Are you trying to kill her before she can actually be your friend?" Red appeared beside them, yanking Mikey's arms and forcing him to put her down. The younger turtle squawked and began to gently pat the smaller girl down, asking if she was alright.
Ella laughed breathlessly, waving away Mikey's concerns and giving him a thumbs up. He brightened at that, giving her one in return.
Red turned to her, and she blinked up at him as his gaze ran over her before his bright green eyes snapped up to her face and he said, "The name's Raphael, but ya better call me Raph. Nice to meet ya, pipsqueak."
Ella stared at him blankly, before a slightly outraged expression appeared on her face. "Pipsqueak?" she demanded, straightening up with her hands on her hips.
Raph smirked, tilting his head to her, before stepping back and letting Blue take his place. From the way they listened to him, Ella inferred that he was the eldest, and therefore the one who took care of them. His sapphire blue eyes roved over her face, as though searching for something, before he smiled at her, genuine and grateful.
"Hello, miss...?" He waited, looking down at her expectantly.
"Isabella, Isabella Grace. But you can call me Ella."
"Ella," he continued, smile still fixed on his face. "I'm Leonardo, but please call me Leo. Thank you for your kindness and your open-mindedness. We don't have the luxury of meeting people like you every day, so we're very grateful for your help and your offer. Your generosity is of great value to us, and we promise not to disrespect it."
Ella beamed up at him as Donnie came over to stand beside his brother, giving her a wide smile that exposed the gap in his teeth. He gave her a small nod and said, "Thanks again, Ella. You've been a great help."
She blushed under all the expressions of gratitude and was about to say something in reply when a voice calling her name robbed her of her words.
She turned, knowing that it was her older sister looking for her, searching to see if she was on the way up, and whirled back, only to find the four turtles gone. Slightly surprised, she didn't notice when her sister was beside her, shaking her shoulders.
"So you've been up here this whole time, huh?" Lia commented, raising an eyebrow at her younger sister's still blank stare. She snorted, reaching out to flick her nose.
"Hey!" Ella protested, hands coming up to cup her poor nose. She glared at her sister before sticking out her tongue, much to the elder's amusement.
"Mum's been looking for you, little writer." Lia teased, reaching out a hand to ruffle the younger's darker hair. Ella grumbled as she began to pick up her journal and pen, her elder sister already looping the guitar strap across her back.
Together, they made their way towards the staircase, but before she went in, Ella stopped and turned around, searching for the ones whom she knew were still there.
From the rooftop across the building, Mikey waved back cheerily, his brothers looking on. With one final smile from Leo, they disappeared in the blink of an eye, as though they were never actually there. Ella looked on, a huge grin stretching across her face at where they'd been.
From down the staircase, Lia called her name again. Ella turned, feeling happy and triumphant, and descended the stairs knowing that from here on out her life would be drastically different with the four turtles in it.