Radical Transformation
Wednesday was bright, clear and amazingly rainy. Everyone had gotten up early for some reason, all at once, and they didn't know what made them lift their sleepy heads off their pillows and go downstairs. Maybe they all decided they wanted another breakfast like the one yesterday, and Mikey was always willing to please his family.
"Can we put some Cartoons on," Mikey asked, sat on the couch next to Raph and Donnie. "This is one of the few times I'm up early enough to actually watch them."
Leo, who was sat on the floor with the remote, shrugged and changed channel, where it played a couple of kiddy cartoons.
"Cool! I love this stuff!" Mikey exclaimed, and sat back comfortably. He might as well get comfortable; there was still an hour to go before they had to be in school.
"Cuppa tea guys?" April called form the kitchen, after she had already supplied Splinter with his, who was sat in his armchair, smiling at Mikey.
"Sure," they all answered together, and focused their gaze on the TV screen again.
Chuckling, April turned back to the kettle, and a minute later was pouring it up. She handed Donnie and Leo's out first, then Mikey and Raph, who both downed it within seconds, sounding like horses drinking. Both burped together after they put their cups down on the floor, and Donnie looked sidelong at them, his nose wrinkled in slight disgust.
"Hey, I'm starving," Raph suddenly said. "You gunna do anymore cooking this morning?" He nudged Mikey.
"Nope," Mikey said, smiling, eyes still on the TV.
"Why not?" Raph frowned at his brother, and Leo and Donnie looked at him.
"Because we gotta save the food for our dinner tonight," Mikey grinned. "And I'm gunna buy some more stuff too, if that's okay Leo . . . It's your money, heh?"
"I guess, since it's for a good cause," Leo said, smiling and turning back to the TV.
In what felt like a few minutes later, April looked at the clock on the wall and yelped. He guys all turned to look at her.
"Guys! Its twenty to nine!" She said, pointing at the clock.
They all turned their heads from her to look at the clock. Then they turned around to face each other.
"Ut oh," Mikey said, and they all jumped to their feet and dived upstairs.
Splinter chuckled as bangs could be heard, then April took the stairs two at a time to get ready. She had to drive the guys there.
Two minutes later, everyone came thundering down the stairs half ready. Leo and Donnie got to the bottom, and stared at each other.
"Bandannas!" They said, before running back upstairs, just as Raph and Mikey jumped down, and stared at each other.
"Sneakers!" They bother said, and dashed back upstairs, as April jogged down the stairs along with Donnie now wearing his bandanna, who pointed at her messy hair and she at his.
"Comb!" They both shouted, and ran back upstairs.
Splinter shook his head and let out a quiet laugh.
"Guys c'mon! What are you all messing about at - let's go!" April's voice could be heard from upstairs. "Argh! My watch!" She added rushing back into her room, while the guys groaned.
//
Another two minutes later and they were all packed into the car. Donnie was in the front again, and strapped in his safety belt before April could start the car.
"Erm, April," Donnie said gingerly. "Could you not go as wild as you did the other time you were behind the wheel?"
"Donnie, I don't go mad, I just go that little bit faster to get you to school," April said.
A minute later her car pulled up outside school, and the guys got out, all clutching their heads or stomachs. They had all banged their head at least twice, and now Raph and Donnie, who got car sick, were looking pale.
"Let's -" Leo began, but swallowed, trying to feel normal again. "- get going."
They all rushed into school, nearly knocking a few younger kids over when the rounded a corner fast. They made it to their form room just as their tutor was taking the register.
"Danny . . . ? Donnie . . . ?" Their tutor read, still looking down
"Sir," a puffed out Donnie said, glad he was just in time. Their tutor didn't even look up, but continued to read the register.
"Man, close one," Mikey muttered as they quickly took their seats. "Hey Leo, you'll be seeing Prida next won't ya? You can ask her to come to dinner then."
Leo smiled. "Okay, see if I remember." He glanced at Raph, who was looking at the wall.
Next class was Art for Mikey, Geography for Donnie, and PE Theory for Leo and Raph, and as soon as the bell went a minute later, they all took off together, walking to Mikey's room first, which was on their way to their other classes.
"Hey Donnie, don't forget to say yes to those girls for the disco," Mikey grinned as he disappeared into his Art Room. Donnie went red.
"You're going aren't ya?" Leo asked Don as they moved along the corridors.
Donnie didn't answer straight away. "Well . . . er, yeah I guess, could be fun."
Leo smiled and looked at Raph, asking him the same.
"Dunno," was the reply.
Both Leo and Donnie turned around looked at him, frowning.
"Hey, if we're all going you gotta come too," Leo said, more of an order, but with a smile. "Prida's going . . ." Leo added, grinning.
"Yeah, c'mon it'll be fun, we've never been to a disco with other humans before," Donnie said, smiling.
"Other humans? What are you, Aliens?"
All three turned around to a familiar voice: Prida was right behind them, smiling. She waved as they stared at her.
"Oh, look, my room," Donnie said, and waved bye, disappearing.
"Hey," Leo greeted Prida.
"Hi, so you're all going to the disco then?" Prida asked.
"Yeah, most of us," Leo looked at Raph, pointedly.
"You're not going?" Prida asked him.
"I dunno," Raph shrugged. They were waking across the field now, making their way to the Sports Centre.
"Oh, well, your brother said before that you don't go to many, so you ought to, lighten you up," Prida grinned.
Raph smiled and glanced at Leo who smiled. Prida looked away and frowned, replaying Donnie sentence in her head. ' . . . We've never been to a disco with other humans before . . . '
//
Leo spent the entire PE Theory class either listening or talking to Roxanne and Prida. Their class was mixed and they were sent to a room to do some written work; something was going on in the gym so they couldn't use it. No one did any work because they had a substitute taking the class, and he didn't really nag at them to get on with work. The topic all through the class was mostly the upcoming disco. Leo certainly heard it a lot from Roxanne's friends, who were giggly and annoying, and even Roxanne seemed to look at Leo with apologetic embarrassment. Her friends soon started their own little huddle, chattering about some really cute guy they wanted to take to the disco.
At last the bell rang and Leo slumped his shoulders in relief; he was glad to get out of the stifling hot room and away from those giggling girls. It amazed Leo how totally different Prida was to the normal tarts around Vinilla High.
Though as he left the room with Prida and Raph, who wasn't too happy about leaving it to go to French, which was only bearable because Donnie gave them all the answers before they could look like fools in front of the whole class.
"Yo Leo," Don said, quickly steering Leo slightly out of ear range of Prida, who took her seat along with Raph. "Did ya ask her yet?"
"Er, no, not yet, Don," Leo said, rolling his eyes. Why did HE agree to ask Prida? Not that he was, but if he just pinned it on Raph then his brothers wouldn't dare keep bothering HIM.
French was just the same as any other French class. Donnie of course received praise and a surprised expression from the teacher, who had never met a student as good as herself at French; and envious glances from other members of the class, all heard Donnie talking in long sentences in French. Donnie didn't realise people were listening until he saw them staring at him, then he shut up after that, despite the fact that the teacher tried to hold French conversations with him.
All of the class was glad when the bell rang for break, including Donnie who was not enjoying the envious looks and the nagging of the teacher to talk. He moved out quicker than his brothers.
"You know," Donnie sighed when they caught up with him outside the French Block. "Sometimes it pays to be a smart dude."
"Yeah, but you handle it well, Donnie-boy," Mikey grinned, resting his hand on Donnie's shoulder.
"Yeah, also, it's rare to find someone like you around," Prida smiled, pulling thin strands of hair out of her mouth and tossing it behind her shoulders. The strong wind that had picked up was making her clothes cling to her, and Donnie got a small glance at her amazingly slim figure. Her black, baggy top and her cotton blue pants tugged behind her as she walked.
"Man is it windy?" Mikey said, looking at the people walking the opposite way to them, trying to keep their hair under control. "And man am I starving!"
"You're always hungry," Leo moaned.
"Not tonight though, eh?!" Mikey said, winking and nudging Leo with his elbow. Leo rolled his eyes again. Prida frowned, smiling, but dismissed it.
//
Maths class was, just like French, the same as it always was. Leo found it interesting to see how he and his brothers were adapting to this new routine. It was so normal now, he was beginning to forget what it was like down in the sewers where they sometime woke up to a deep drop in temperature, and were all too cold or sedative to do any practising, and would have to wait for Donnie's boiler to kick in. Or sometimes it would be too warm, and they lost more fluids than they drank. Without realising, Leo had a small smile on his face as he remembered how his brothers used to slip sometimes on the kitchen floor because of their sweat. That only happened two or three times, Donnie had fixed their problem.
"Hey Leo, you okay?"
Leo's smile wiped as he shook himself back to reality. He looked at Prida, who was watching him, smiling.
"What?" He asked, frowning.
She chuckled. "I asked if you were okay? You looked a little out of it."
"Nah, I'm good, I'm fine," Leo assured her. He realised that if he did have to ask Prida, now would have been a good time; but no, Raph wanted the honours. Leo couldn't blame him, they were close friends and Leo knew that meant something special to Raph, who had never bonded well with any strangers, except April and Casey. Then he reminded himself of who there was to bond with. Well, Raph wasn't the bondy sort of guy.
As the bell went for the third time that day, Leo wondered just when was Raph going to ask Prida. It couldn't be next class, Biology, because they were all together and Leo was sure Raph didn't have the guts to do it in front of his brothers.
"Don't even ask, Mikey," Leo said, holding a hand up to him, just as Mikey drew breath to ask Leo if he had asked Prida. They all sat down in their seats for Biology.
()()()()
"Oh man, at last, I don't think I can take any more of this topic," Mikey groaned as the bell went, signalling Lunchtime. "Okay, it's always good to get to the canteen before it starts getting crowded, I'm running, you coming Raph?"
"Nah, I'm gunna slow it down," Raph answered.
"Why? Aren't you hungry? C'mon the food and tables'll be taken!"
"Mikey, Raph's leg's playing up, you go grab a table," Leo cut into the conversation, glancing meaningfully at Raph.
"Okay, stomach lead the way!" Mikey said, and zoomed off.
"C'mon Don," Leo said, tapping his bro on the arm. The two jogged after him.
"Man, I've never seem 'em so hungry," Prida laughed. "Is your leg alright? I heard you took a nasty scrape."
"How did you know?" Raph asked, hoping whichever one of his brothers hadn't said anymore.
"Mikey told me."
"Oh, well, er, listen," Raph slowed his pace, and Prida joined him. "Me and the others were, ya know, er, grateful for that dinner your sister cooked for us . . ."
"Oh that's okay, she enjoyed having company, it's not often she gets to cook for more than me, her and Korey. She's pretty thankful."
"Oh, well, that's good then - but me and the guys were just wondering if . . . you . . . wanted to . . . join US . . . for dinner, tonight . . ." Raph bit his lip, and hoped that he hadn't already gone red.
Prida looked at him and slowly grinned, showing her perfect teeth. They both unconsciously stopped in the corridor, facing each other.
"That'd be great," she said quietly, as though no one had ever asked her such a question.
The dread inside Raph disappeared instantly and his face split into a grin.
"Cool," he said. "No blindfold." He grinned, assuring her she wouldn't have to walk blindly again.
She grinned and they both set off down the corridor to the canteen. For the first time in a long time Raph hadn't smiled so truly.
Hehe, you gotta wait now for the dinner. I thought I'd leave it there other wise it would have gotten too long. Thanks for your reviews, I'll try and get the next chapter up sooner than this one took. Thanks again ;)!
(Added that end bit about the blindfold - it had to go in somewhere! Sorry I missed it, and SFAM)
Wednesday was bright, clear and amazingly rainy. Everyone had gotten up early for some reason, all at once, and they didn't know what made them lift their sleepy heads off their pillows and go downstairs. Maybe they all decided they wanted another breakfast like the one yesterday, and Mikey was always willing to please his family.
"Can we put some Cartoons on," Mikey asked, sat on the couch next to Raph and Donnie. "This is one of the few times I'm up early enough to actually watch them."
Leo, who was sat on the floor with the remote, shrugged and changed channel, where it played a couple of kiddy cartoons.
"Cool! I love this stuff!" Mikey exclaimed, and sat back comfortably. He might as well get comfortable; there was still an hour to go before they had to be in school.
"Cuppa tea guys?" April called form the kitchen, after she had already supplied Splinter with his, who was sat in his armchair, smiling at Mikey.
"Sure," they all answered together, and focused their gaze on the TV screen again.
Chuckling, April turned back to the kettle, and a minute later was pouring it up. She handed Donnie and Leo's out first, then Mikey and Raph, who both downed it within seconds, sounding like horses drinking. Both burped together after they put their cups down on the floor, and Donnie looked sidelong at them, his nose wrinkled in slight disgust.
"Hey, I'm starving," Raph suddenly said. "You gunna do anymore cooking this morning?" He nudged Mikey.
"Nope," Mikey said, smiling, eyes still on the TV.
"Why not?" Raph frowned at his brother, and Leo and Donnie looked at him.
"Because we gotta save the food for our dinner tonight," Mikey grinned. "And I'm gunna buy some more stuff too, if that's okay Leo . . . It's your money, heh?"
"I guess, since it's for a good cause," Leo said, smiling and turning back to the TV.
In what felt like a few minutes later, April looked at the clock on the wall and yelped. He guys all turned to look at her.
"Guys! Its twenty to nine!" She said, pointing at the clock.
They all turned their heads from her to look at the clock. Then they turned around to face each other.
"Ut oh," Mikey said, and they all jumped to their feet and dived upstairs.
Splinter chuckled as bangs could be heard, then April took the stairs two at a time to get ready. She had to drive the guys there.
Two minutes later, everyone came thundering down the stairs half ready. Leo and Donnie got to the bottom, and stared at each other.
"Bandannas!" They said, before running back upstairs, just as Raph and Mikey jumped down, and stared at each other.
"Sneakers!" They bother said, and dashed back upstairs, as April jogged down the stairs along with Donnie now wearing his bandanna, who pointed at her messy hair and she at his.
"Comb!" They both shouted, and ran back upstairs.
Splinter shook his head and let out a quiet laugh.
"Guys c'mon! What are you all messing about at - let's go!" April's voice could be heard from upstairs. "Argh! My watch!" She added rushing back into her room, while the guys groaned.
//
Another two minutes later and they were all packed into the car. Donnie was in the front again, and strapped in his safety belt before April could start the car.
"Erm, April," Donnie said gingerly. "Could you not go as wild as you did the other time you were behind the wheel?"
"Donnie, I don't go mad, I just go that little bit faster to get you to school," April said.
A minute later her car pulled up outside school, and the guys got out, all clutching their heads or stomachs. They had all banged their head at least twice, and now Raph and Donnie, who got car sick, were looking pale.
"Let's -" Leo began, but swallowed, trying to feel normal again. "- get going."
They all rushed into school, nearly knocking a few younger kids over when the rounded a corner fast. They made it to their form room just as their tutor was taking the register.
"Danny . . . ? Donnie . . . ?" Their tutor read, still looking down
"Sir," a puffed out Donnie said, glad he was just in time. Their tutor didn't even look up, but continued to read the register.
"Man, close one," Mikey muttered as they quickly took their seats. "Hey Leo, you'll be seeing Prida next won't ya? You can ask her to come to dinner then."
Leo smiled. "Okay, see if I remember." He glanced at Raph, who was looking at the wall.
Next class was Art for Mikey, Geography for Donnie, and PE Theory for Leo and Raph, and as soon as the bell went a minute later, they all took off together, walking to Mikey's room first, which was on their way to their other classes.
"Hey Donnie, don't forget to say yes to those girls for the disco," Mikey grinned as he disappeared into his Art Room. Donnie went red.
"You're going aren't ya?" Leo asked Don as they moved along the corridors.
Donnie didn't answer straight away. "Well . . . er, yeah I guess, could be fun."
Leo smiled and looked at Raph, asking him the same.
"Dunno," was the reply.
Both Leo and Donnie turned around looked at him, frowning.
"Hey, if we're all going you gotta come too," Leo said, more of an order, but with a smile. "Prida's going . . ." Leo added, grinning.
"Yeah, c'mon it'll be fun, we've never been to a disco with other humans before," Donnie said, smiling.
"Other humans? What are you, Aliens?"
All three turned around to a familiar voice: Prida was right behind them, smiling. She waved as they stared at her.
"Oh, look, my room," Donnie said, and waved bye, disappearing.
"Hey," Leo greeted Prida.
"Hi, so you're all going to the disco then?" Prida asked.
"Yeah, most of us," Leo looked at Raph, pointedly.
"You're not going?" Prida asked him.
"I dunno," Raph shrugged. They were waking across the field now, making their way to the Sports Centre.
"Oh, well, your brother said before that you don't go to many, so you ought to, lighten you up," Prida grinned.
Raph smiled and glanced at Leo who smiled. Prida looked away and frowned, replaying Donnie sentence in her head. ' . . . We've never been to a disco with other humans before . . . '
//
Leo spent the entire PE Theory class either listening or talking to Roxanne and Prida. Their class was mixed and they were sent to a room to do some written work; something was going on in the gym so they couldn't use it. No one did any work because they had a substitute taking the class, and he didn't really nag at them to get on with work. The topic all through the class was mostly the upcoming disco. Leo certainly heard it a lot from Roxanne's friends, who were giggly and annoying, and even Roxanne seemed to look at Leo with apologetic embarrassment. Her friends soon started their own little huddle, chattering about some really cute guy they wanted to take to the disco.
At last the bell rang and Leo slumped his shoulders in relief; he was glad to get out of the stifling hot room and away from those giggling girls. It amazed Leo how totally different Prida was to the normal tarts around Vinilla High.
Though as he left the room with Prida and Raph, who wasn't too happy about leaving it to go to French, which was only bearable because Donnie gave them all the answers before they could look like fools in front of the whole class.
"Yo Leo," Don said, quickly steering Leo slightly out of ear range of Prida, who took her seat along with Raph. "Did ya ask her yet?"
"Er, no, not yet, Don," Leo said, rolling his eyes. Why did HE agree to ask Prida? Not that he was, but if he just pinned it on Raph then his brothers wouldn't dare keep bothering HIM.
French was just the same as any other French class. Donnie of course received praise and a surprised expression from the teacher, who had never met a student as good as herself at French; and envious glances from other members of the class, all heard Donnie talking in long sentences in French. Donnie didn't realise people were listening until he saw them staring at him, then he shut up after that, despite the fact that the teacher tried to hold French conversations with him.
All of the class was glad when the bell rang for break, including Donnie who was not enjoying the envious looks and the nagging of the teacher to talk. He moved out quicker than his brothers.
"You know," Donnie sighed when they caught up with him outside the French Block. "Sometimes it pays to be a smart dude."
"Yeah, but you handle it well, Donnie-boy," Mikey grinned, resting his hand on Donnie's shoulder.
"Yeah, also, it's rare to find someone like you around," Prida smiled, pulling thin strands of hair out of her mouth and tossing it behind her shoulders. The strong wind that had picked up was making her clothes cling to her, and Donnie got a small glance at her amazingly slim figure. Her black, baggy top and her cotton blue pants tugged behind her as she walked.
"Man is it windy?" Mikey said, looking at the people walking the opposite way to them, trying to keep their hair under control. "And man am I starving!"
"You're always hungry," Leo moaned.
"Not tonight though, eh?!" Mikey said, winking and nudging Leo with his elbow. Leo rolled his eyes again. Prida frowned, smiling, but dismissed it.
//
Maths class was, just like French, the same as it always was. Leo found it interesting to see how he and his brothers were adapting to this new routine. It was so normal now, he was beginning to forget what it was like down in the sewers where they sometime woke up to a deep drop in temperature, and were all too cold or sedative to do any practising, and would have to wait for Donnie's boiler to kick in. Or sometimes it would be too warm, and they lost more fluids than they drank. Without realising, Leo had a small smile on his face as he remembered how his brothers used to slip sometimes on the kitchen floor because of their sweat. That only happened two or three times, Donnie had fixed their problem.
"Hey Leo, you okay?"
Leo's smile wiped as he shook himself back to reality. He looked at Prida, who was watching him, smiling.
"What?" He asked, frowning.
She chuckled. "I asked if you were okay? You looked a little out of it."
"Nah, I'm good, I'm fine," Leo assured her. He realised that if he did have to ask Prida, now would have been a good time; but no, Raph wanted the honours. Leo couldn't blame him, they were close friends and Leo knew that meant something special to Raph, who had never bonded well with any strangers, except April and Casey. Then he reminded himself of who there was to bond with. Well, Raph wasn't the bondy sort of guy.
As the bell went for the third time that day, Leo wondered just when was Raph going to ask Prida. It couldn't be next class, Biology, because they were all together and Leo was sure Raph didn't have the guts to do it in front of his brothers.
"Don't even ask, Mikey," Leo said, holding a hand up to him, just as Mikey drew breath to ask Leo if he had asked Prida. They all sat down in their seats for Biology.
()()()()
"Oh man, at last, I don't think I can take any more of this topic," Mikey groaned as the bell went, signalling Lunchtime. "Okay, it's always good to get to the canteen before it starts getting crowded, I'm running, you coming Raph?"
"Nah, I'm gunna slow it down," Raph answered.
"Why? Aren't you hungry? C'mon the food and tables'll be taken!"
"Mikey, Raph's leg's playing up, you go grab a table," Leo cut into the conversation, glancing meaningfully at Raph.
"Okay, stomach lead the way!" Mikey said, and zoomed off.
"C'mon Don," Leo said, tapping his bro on the arm. The two jogged after him.
"Man, I've never seem 'em so hungry," Prida laughed. "Is your leg alright? I heard you took a nasty scrape."
"How did you know?" Raph asked, hoping whichever one of his brothers hadn't said anymore.
"Mikey told me."
"Oh, well, er, listen," Raph slowed his pace, and Prida joined him. "Me and the others were, ya know, er, grateful for that dinner your sister cooked for us . . ."
"Oh that's okay, she enjoyed having company, it's not often she gets to cook for more than me, her and Korey. She's pretty thankful."
"Oh, well, that's good then - but me and the guys were just wondering if . . . you . . . wanted to . . . join US . . . for dinner, tonight . . ." Raph bit his lip, and hoped that he hadn't already gone red.
Prida looked at him and slowly grinned, showing her perfect teeth. They both unconsciously stopped in the corridor, facing each other.
"That'd be great," she said quietly, as though no one had ever asked her such a question.
The dread inside Raph disappeared instantly and his face split into a grin.
"Cool," he said. "No blindfold." He grinned, assuring her she wouldn't have to walk blindly again.
She grinned and they both set off down the corridor to the canteen. For the first time in a long time Raph hadn't smiled so truly.
Hehe, you gotta wait now for the dinner. I thought I'd leave it there other wise it would have gotten too long. Thanks for your reviews, I'll try and get the next chapter up sooner than this one took. Thanks again ;)!
(Added that end bit about the blindfold - it had to go in somewhere! Sorry I missed it, and SFAM)