Radical Transformation
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(okay, I'm fond of my Prida character, and I just want to show how their friendship starts to build. ((Nothing wrong with the name 'Ralph' btw))
~
Lunchtime passed rather quickly up on the field, in the warm sun. Other people also chose the grass to lounge on, and eat their dinner.
Raph found himself listening to funny tales told by Prida. She was a nice girl to talk to, and Raph found it surprising that he enjoyed her company. He laughed as she told him a funny tale of when she was little. He just felt uneasy, thinking about what she would ask him that he wouldn't be able to answer.
"Had any humorous events in your childhood?" Prida asked, throwing a grape into the air and catching it neatly in her mouth. She was laying on the grass on her side. Her lunch in front of her.
Raph stared at the grass. "I did blow up my brother's computer once, and broke the TV; but half of it was Mikey's fault."
Prida snorted. "You blew up the computer?!"
Raph grinned. "Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
"Oh, nothing at all!"
They fell silent as they ate the last of their lunch, watching people go bye. A group of girls passed them, staring interestedly at Raph, and disgustedly at Prida. They laughed unpleasantly after whispering something, looking back at Prida, then walked on.
"What was that about?" Raph asked. "Who are they?" He stared at their backs as they walked away.
"Just my arch enemy, Ci Ci Harrington and her gang of tarts." Prida said, throwing dark looks at their backs.
"Not all people get on well with each other in this place, then?"
"What do you mean? If Principle Simmons filled you in with trash about this place then forget it. There are some nasty people in this school. Those slags are one lot, then there's Jo Tooks, who's after me . . . He's a sicko really . . . Creeps me out a bit." She laughed and shook her head.
Raph frowned. "What?"
"I've never told anyone that he creeps me out," She sighed. "I'm a private person, most of the time . . . Most of my friends turned to tarts just like Ci Ci and her gang. I've always been considered a . . ." She trailed off, gazing at the grass.
"A what?"
She shook her head. "Because of my eyes . . . I've always been considered a freak, I get told it half the time by Ci Ci."
Raph stared at her, thinking. "You're no way a freak . . ." He said.
Prida smiled. "Thanks, but I have to agree with her . . . I mean, who on earth has purple eyes?" She spoke as those this was a long topic that had started ages ago, and obviously hurt her.
"Purple is a nice colour . . ." Raph told her jokingly, trying his best to be nice without accidentally offending. "Yeah, it's unusual; but you're . . . er . . . unique." He had never really been good at cheering people up, and had never dared to try, but something about the way she referred to herself as a 'freak' made him, for once, try a softer tone. Again, as she smiled at him, he turned away, pretending to watch the school; embarrassed he'd said anything like that.
"So what's it like, being identical quadruplets?" Prida asked, noticing how he seemed to be wishing to change the subject.
Raph shrugged. "Well, we get to impersonate each other," he grinned mischievously. "It's also quite funny how the teachers can't seem to get our names right . . . Donny's been called Leo and Mikey, Leo's been called Donny and Mikey," he stopped and looked back at the school. "No one can remember my name, which I'm glad about . . . Some idiot teacher called me Ralph, and a kid called me Rap. Gets a little irritating after a while." Raph felt surprised he was talking so much. Usually he was quiet with his brothers, preferring to just listen and observe.
Prida laughed. "I think I can tell you apart. Leo is the blue one and he's slightly taller than you all, isn't he? He has a different shaped face as well don't he? Donny's the one in purple and he has a darker tan; Mikey's orange and you can tell because of the kiddish look in his face and plus all the girl stare at him; and you're red with the most, well, only freckles," she grinned. "See, I got ya sorted." She tossed and ate another grape.
"You're the first."
"What subjects did you take?" She asked, pulling up a blade of grass and splitting it.
"PE Theory, Woodwork and somat else . . ."
Prida smiled. "I took PE Theory, too, and woodwork. But I like art."
They fell silent again, and a warm breeze blew past them. It blew Prida's hair up around her face, and Raph jumped as something touched his neck, then felt idiotic when he realized his hair wasn't the only one's flying in the wind.
Prida chuckled when he jumped. She tossed up another grape, and opened her mouth to catch it, but Raph snatched it from the air with a smirk and threw it in his own mouth.
"Fine, you want grapes, open your mouth!" Prida said, playfully. She held a grape as though she was going to throw it to him.
He frowned at her.
"You know the game, open your mouth, I throw, you catch?" Prida grinned.
Raph smiled and shook his head.
"Ah c'mon, you can be so unpredictable! One minute you're talking to me, the next you're completely shy!"
"I ain't shy!"
"Open your mouth then."
"No."
Prida was about the toss the grape anyway, but someone came striding over to them. It was a boy, with a wicked, handsome looking face, dark hair and an unpleasant grin. The sort who was voted one of the sexiest guys in school and won.
"Hey, babe," he said to Prida, and plonked himself down next to her, practically on top of her. She shuffled away.
"Go away, Jo," she said in a dark tone.
"Why? I wanna meet your new friend," he turned to Raph. "Who're you?" He demanded.
"None of your business," Raph growled.
"Well if you're digging on my chick then I'll make it my business!"
This guy obviously didn't know who he was speaking to, and was lucky he wasn't already lying on the floor, a part of it.
"I ain't digging, so take your snotty face somewhere else, pal!"
"Jo! I am not your 'chick'! Go away!" Prida said forcefully.
But Jo Tooks completely ignored her, and continued to glare at Raph.
"You know, that's some nerve you've got there to start a school, new, and immediately start chatting up my girls!"
"JO! I am not you fricken girl so will you get lost!" Prida shouted.
Raph stood up, fists balled. Man, did this guy need a good solid punch.
Jo stood up as well. "Ooh, getting tough now are we?" He mocked.
"If you don't get outta here." Raph promised. He had been warned by Leo not to start anything, and as much as he hated to obey, he knew he shouldn't; but his anger side was taking control.
Prida stood up as well and there was a tense silence for two seconds in which Tooks and Raph glared at each other. Jo decided to leave, and grabbed Prida around her waist.
"See ya later, babe," he said, and locked his mouth on hers. She seemed a little stunned to push him away.
That somehow brought Raph's anger to a level he knew too well he couldn't control. He grabbed Tooks by the scruff of his neck and held him threateningly close. Prida blinked.
"Listen, pal! You're really getting on my shell, so I suggest you take a hike, unless you want to be one eye ball short!"
Jo might have been tough looking, but his face showed his surprise as Raph pushed him away. Tooks glared at Raph.
"You'll get what's coming to you, Ralph!" He shouted, then stormed off.
Raph growled. "Ralph? RALPH?! It's Raph, moron!"
Prida put a hand on his shoulder, wiping her lips. "That name really bugs you, doesn't it?"
Raph shook his head. He'd done it again. He'd let his anger take over. It was dangerous even to him.
"Damn - sorry - damn," Raph stuttered.
"Hey, s'alright. That guy needed a good threat. Never actually seen one given to him, except me, but he completely ignores mine . . ."
"Does he always do that? Just come up to you like that?"
Prida sighed. "Yeah . . . I tell him to stuff it, but he takes no notice . . . Thanks." Then she grinned. "You seemed really mad when he kissed me . . ."
Raph stared, then blushed as red as his shirt. "I just get too angry sometimes, especially when people I hate annoy me."
"Oh, one of those anger waves. Well, you've only been here one day, and already you have an enemy and a good friend, moi! Shall we go to the gym and see what your brother, Leo, is doing?"
"Yeah, 'kay," Raph said, not really bothered. Why had he let his anger get the better of him? That's all he needed. Bad reports about beating up other kids, and turning into a school bully. Even the title 'bully' made him angry. He hated kids who thought they were better.
As they walked back towards school, Prida frowned to herself. When Raph had threatened Tooks, he had told him he gets on his shell . . . Strange phrase. Must be something from LA. But Prida couldn't help but get the feeling that there was more to Raph and his brothers than they let on.
()()()()
Why hadn't they returned? It had been two days now since they went to get that pizza from the new shop Michelangelo had dragged them to. When they didn't come back the first night, Splinter had carefully gone out into the sewers, to the main manhole they use, but was shocked to find it surrounded by humans. What was going on? First his sons don't return home . . . and later Splinter finds their entrances blocked. Could his sons not have returned because they could not get down to him?
Splinter sighed and opened his eyes. He had been trying to find his sons through meditation, and had sensed his oldest, in a safe place. But Leo had been too weak to respond or even know Splinter was trying to communicate to him. Splinter sensed an injury, and had sensed his other sons; all were even weaker than Leo. What had happened?
A noise caught Splinter by surprise. He turned to listen better. It was voices, and they were in his home!
()()()()
The gym was empty when Raph and Prida walked in to find Leo, but no sooner had they walked in and looked around, than he came out of the office to the right of the gym.
"Hey guys," Leo said, smiling. He thought it a bit unusual for Raph to still be with a girl, but then his brothers weren't anywhere and she was probably showing him around. "What's up?"
Raph shrugged. "Nuttin', what did ya find out?"
"Gyms open at lunchtimes on Thursdays, and after school till five, and on Saturday," Leo said.
"You guys like gym?" Prida asked, eyebrows raised slightly.
They both nodded.
"You work out a lot, don't you?" Prida asked slowly. She could tell they didn't look like normal bandy teenager.
"Yeah, we like to . . . Keep in shape . . ." Leo said, tempted to start explaining how they couldn't exercise in their dojo, because a) it was underground in the sewers, and b) it was with a four foot something tall rat, who was their Master.
"Guys! Guys!"
They all turned around to see Donny and Mikey rush into the gym, flushed faces and wide eyed.
"What? What is it?" Leo asked, immediately sensing something in their worried tone.
"I think you'd better see something," Donny said solemnly. He and Mikey made sure they were following, then led them out of school.
While they were walking, in the direction of the street outside of school premises; Leo asked:
"What's wrong?"
"We got a call from April at the school reception," Donnie said. "She told us the police had found where the criminals were hiding . . . IN the sewers . . . She said it'll be on the news in a few minutes, then we rushed to find you, it might be on now . . . There's a TV shop here . . ."
While they crossed the street, Prida frowned and swallowed all this information. This seemed important to them. But what was important about a few criminals hiding in the sewers? What did it mean to them?
They crossed the street and turned the corner. They were met by the muffled but recognisable sounds of a TV. The News was on, and they stood and watched as a woman with short, blond hair spoke.
"The police have claimed to have found the hiding quarters of the criminals who had broken into more than five jewellery stores this week," the reporter said. "it was discovered this morning, and police are positive they had been using it long before the start of robberies. As you can see, it seems to have been occupied more than a few weeks, or even months . . ."
She droned on, but now the guys weren't listening. On the screen now was a picture of an underground, sewer home. A familiar couch and armchair were in sight, and a few empty pizza boxes were sat on the old, familiar table. The guys stared at their home on TV . . .
~
Thanks for reviews, SFAM (lol, I knew I'd use this).
~
(okay, I'm fond of my Prida character, and I just want to show how their friendship starts to build. ((Nothing wrong with the name 'Ralph' btw))
~
Lunchtime passed rather quickly up on the field, in the warm sun. Other people also chose the grass to lounge on, and eat their dinner.
Raph found himself listening to funny tales told by Prida. She was a nice girl to talk to, and Raph found it surprising that he enjoyed her company. He laughed as she told him a funny tale of when she was little. He just felt uneasy, thinking about what she would ask him that he wouldn't be able to answer.
"Had any humorous events in your childhood?" Prida asked, throwing a grape into the air and catching it neatly in her mouth. She was laying on the grass on her side. Her lunch in front of her.
Raph stared at the grass. "I did blow up my brother's computer once, and broke the TV; but half of it was Mikey's fault."
Prida snorted. "You blew up the computer?!"
Raph grinned. "Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
"Oh, nothing at all!"
They fell silent as they ate the last of their lunch, watching people go bye. A group of girls passed them, staring interestedly at Raph, and disgustedly at Prida. They laughed unpleasantly after whispering something, looking back at Prida, then walked on.
"What was that about?" Raph asked. "Who are they?" He stared at their backs as they walked away.
"Just my arch enemy, Ci Ci Harrington and her gang of tarts." Prida said, throwing dark looks at their backs.
"Not all people get on well with each other in this place, then?"
"What do you mean? If Principle Simmons filled you in with trash about this place then forget it. There are some nasty people in this school. Those slags are one lot, then there's Jo Tooks, who's after me . . . He's a sicko really . . . Creeps me out a bit." She laughed and shook her head.
Raph frowned. "What?"
"I've never told anyone that he creeps me out," She sighed. "I'm a private person, most of the time . . . Most of my friends turned to tarts just like Ci Ci and her gang. I've always been considered a . . ." She trailed off, gazing at the grass.
"A what?"
She shook her head. "Because of my eyes . . . I've always been considered a freak, I get told it half the time by Ci Ci."
Raph stared at her, thinking. "You're no way a freak . . ." He said.
Prida smiled. "Thanks, but I have to agree with her . . . I mean, who on earth has purple eyes?" She spoke as those this was a long topic that had started ages ago, and obviously hurt her.
"Purple is a nice colour . . ." Raph told her jokingly, trying his best to be nice without accidentally offending. "Yeah, it's unusual; but you're . . . er . . . unique." He had never really been good at cheering people up, and had never dared to try, but something about the way she referred to herself as a 'freak' made him, for once, try a softer tone. Again, as she smiled at him, he turned away, pretending to watch the school; embarrassed he'd said anything like that.
"So what's it like, being identical quadruplets?" Prida asked, noticing how he seemed to be wishing to change the subject.
Raph shrugged. "Well, we get to impersonate each other," he grinned mischievously. "It's also quite funny how the teachers can't seem to get our names right . . . Donny's been called Leo and Mikey, Leo's been called Donny and Mikey," he stopped and looked back at the school. "No one can remember my name, which I'm glad about . . . Some idiot teacher called me Ralph, and a kid called me Rap. Gets a little irritating after a while." Raph felt surprised he was talking so much. Usually he was quiet with his brothers, preferring to just listen and observe.
Prida laughed. "I think I can tell you apart. Leo is the blue one and he's slightly taller than you all, isn't he? He has a different shaped face as well don't he? Donny's the one in purple and he has a darker tan; Mikey's orange and you can tell because of the kiddish look in his face and plus all the girl stare at him; and you're red with the most, well, only freckles," she grinned. "See, I got ya sorted." She tossed and ate another grape.
"You're the first."
"What subjects did you take?" She asked, pulling up a blade of grass and splitting it.
"PE Theory, Woodwork and somat else . . ."
Prida smiled. "I took PE Theory, too, and woodwork. But I like art."
They fell silent again, and a warm breeze blew past them. It blew Prida's hair up around her face, and Raph jumped as something touched his neck, then felt idiotic when he realized his hair wasn't the only one's flying in the wind.
Prida chuckled when he jumped. She tossed up another grape, and opened her mouth to catch it, but Raph snatched it from the air with a smirk and threw it in his own mouth.
"Fine, you want grapes, open your mouth!" Prida said, playfully. She held a grape as though she was going to throw it to him.
He frowned at her.
"You know the game, open your mouth, I throw, you catch?" Prida grinned.
Raph smiled and shook his head.
"Ah c'mon, you can be so unpredictable! One minute you're talking to me, the next you're completely shy!"
"I ain't shy!"
"Open your mouth then."
"No."
Prida was about the toss the grape anyway, but someone came striding over to them. It was a boy, with a wicked, handsome looking face, dark hair and an unpleasant grin. The sort who was voted one of the sexiest guys in school and won.
"Hey, babe," he said to Prida, and plonked himself down next to her, practically on top of her. She shuffled away.
"Go away, Jo," she said in a dark tone.
"Why? I wanna meet your new friend," he turned to Raph. "Who're you?" He demanded.
"None of your business," Raph growled.
"Well if you're digging on my chick then I'll make it my business!"
This guy obviously didn't know who he was speaking to, and was lucky he wasn't already lying on the floor, a part of it.
"I ain't digging, so take your snotty face somewhere else, pal!"
"Jo! I am not your 'chick'! Go away!" Prida said forcefully.
But Jo Tooks completely ignored her, and continued to glare at Raph.
"You know, that's some nerve you've got there to start a school, new, and immediately start chatting up my girls!"
"JO! I am not you fricken girl so will you get lost!" Prida shouted.
Raph stood up, fists balled. Man, did this guy need a good solid punch.
Jo stood up as well. "Ooh, getting tough now are we?" He mocked.
"If you don't get outta here." Raph promised. He had been warned by Leo not to start anything, and as much as he hated to obey, he knew he shouldn't; but his anger side was taking control.
Prida stood up as well and there was a tense silence for two seconds in which Tooks and Raph glared at each other. Jo decided to leave, and grabbed Prida around her waist.
"See ya later, babe," he said, and locked his mouth on hers. She seemed a little stunned to push him away.
That somehow brought Raph's anger to a level he knew too well he couldn't control. He grabbed Tooks by the scruff of his neck and held him threateningly close. Prida blinked.
"Listen, pal! You're really getting on my shell, so I suggest you take a hike, unless you want to be one eye ball short!"
Jo might have been tough looking, but his face showed his surprise as Raph pushed him away. Tooks glared at Raph.
"You'll get what's coming to you, Ralph!" He shouted, then stormed off.
Raph growled. "Ralph? RALPH?! It's Raph, moron!"
Prida put a hand on his shoulder, wiping her lips. "That name really bugs you, doesn't it?"
Raph shook his head. He'd done it again. He'd let his anger take over. It was dangerous even to him.
"Damn - sorry - damn," Raph stuttered.
"Hey, s'alright. That guy needed a good threat. Never actually seen one given to him, except me, but he completely ignores mine . . ."
"Does he always do that? Just come up to you like that?"
Prida sighed. "Yeah . . . I tell him to stuff it, but he takes no notice . . . Thanks." Then she grinned. "You seemed really mad when he kissed me . . ."
Raph stared, then blushed as red as his shirt. "I just get too angry sometimes, especially when people I hate annoy me."
"Oh, one of those anger waves. Well, you've only been here one day, and already you have an enemy and a good friend, moi! Shall we go to the gym and see what your brother, Leo, is doing?"
"Yeah, 'kay," Raph said, not really bothered. Why had he let his anger get the better of him? That's all he needed. Bad reports about beating up other kids, and turning into a school bully. Even the title 'bully' made him angry. He hated kids who thought they were better.
As they walked back towards school, Prida frowned to herself. When Raph had threatened Tooks, he had told him he gets on his shell . . . Strange phrase. Must be something from LA. But Prida couldn't help but get the feeling that there was more to Raph and his brothers than they let on.
()()()()
Why hadn't they returned? It had been two days now since they went to get that pizza from the new shop Michelangelo had dragged them to. When they didn't come back the first night, Splinter had carefully gone out into the sewers, to the main manhole they use, but was shocked to find it surrounded by humans. What was going on? First his sons don't return home . . . and later Splinter finds their entrances blocked. Could his sons not have returned because they could not get down to him?
Splinter sighed and opened his eyes. He had been trying to find his sons through meditation, and had sensed his oldest, in a safe place. But Leo had been too weak to respond or even know Splinter was trying to communicate to him. Splinter sensed an injury, and had sensed his other sons; all were even weaker than Leo. What had happened?
A noise caught Splinter by surprise. He turned to listen better. It was voices, and they were in his home!
()()()()
The gym was empty when Raph and Prida walked in to find Leo, but no sooner had they walked in and looked around, than he came out of the office to the right of the gym.
"Hey guys," Leo said, smiling. He thought it a bit unusual for Raph to still be with a girl, but then his brothers weren't anywhere and she was probably showing him around. "What's up?"
Raph shrugged. "Nuttin', what did ya find out?"
"Gyms open at lunchtimes on Thursdays, and after school till five, and on Saturday," Leo said.
"You guys like gym?" Prida asked, eyebrows raised slightly.
They both nodded.
"You work out a lot, don't you?" Prida asked slowly. She could tell they didn't look like normal bandy teenager.
"Yeah, we like to . . . Keep in shape . . ." Leo said, tempted to start explaining how they couldn't exercise in their dojo, because a) it was underground in the sewers, and b) it was with a four foot something tall rat, who was their Master.
"Guys! Guys!"
They all turned around to see Donny and Mikey rush into the gym, flushed faces and wide eyed.
"What? What is it?" Leo asked, immediately sensing something in their worried tone.
"I think you'd better see something," Donny said solemnly. He and Mikey made sure they were following, then led them out of school.
While they were walking, in the direction of the street outside of school premises; Leo asked:
"What's wrong?"
"We got a call from April at the school reception," Donnie said. "She told us the police had found where the criminals were hiding . . . IN the sewers . . . She said it'll be on the news in a few minutes, then we rushed to find you, it might be on now . . . There's a TV shop here . . ."
While they crossed the street, Prida frowned and swallowed all this information. This seemed important to them. But what was important about a few criminals hiding in the sewers? What did it mean to them?
They crossed the street and turned the corner. They were met by the muffled but recognisable sounds of a TV. The News was on, and they stood and watched as a woman with short, blond hair spoke.
"The police have claimed to have found the hiding quarters of the criminals who had broken into more than five jewellery stores this week," the reporter said. "it was discovered this morning, and police are positive they had been using it long before the start of robberies. As you can see, it seems to have been occupied more than a few weeks, or even months . . ."
She droned on, but now the guys weren't listening. On the screen now was a picture of an underground, sewer home. A familiar couch and armchair were in sight, and a few empty pizza boxes were sat on the old, familiar table. The guys stared at their home on TV . . .
~
Thanks for reviews, SFAM (lol, I knew I'd use this).