Radical Transformation
~
"Whoa – man I need a drink!" Mikey exclaimed as he returned from his wild dancing, and leant on Leo's shoulder. He nudged his bandanna further up his head so he could wipe the sweat from his brow. The girl who had be waltzing with him flashed him a wave, which was no more than finger wiggling. Then she giggled and headed to the drinks table where her group of friends was, quickly getting into a huddle to ask for details about the dance she had just had.
"Do you even know her?" Leo asked, watching his brother pick up Matt's drink from the table when his friend wasn't looking, and quickly slurp down the rest of it before putting it back down and acting innocent when Matt picked it up and frowned at the lightness of the polystyrene cup.
"Must have drank it all," he muttered and went back to get another. Mikey laughed.
"That girl?" He turned his attention back to his brother. "Well, kinda . . . she asked me for my name once around school."
Leo rolled his eyes and looked to his right where Don and Raph were standing together. Prida was next to them watching the people dance. Leo realized Prida looked like she felt a little out of place there, she had come to a disco, dressed up specially and all she was doing was standing around. Leo nudged Mikey.
"Yo Mike, Prida's looking a little bored . . . And did come here to dance as you told her . . ."
"Yeah," Mikey said slowly.
"Well why don't you dance with her?" Leo pressed.
Mikey's face blanked for a second, before regaining its grin and nodding. "I was gonna anyway – don't you think that I forgot."
"Well if girls keep coming up to you and asking you to dance I wouldn't be surprised if you did forget."
Mikey rolled his eyes, figuring Leo might just be a little jealous of the fact that someone asked him to dance. It was quite funny actually.
"Hey Prida," Mikey yelled over the noise of the booming dance music. She turned to look for who was calling her name. "It's dance time, right?" Mikey grinned.
"Oh, er – well, I can't dance, Mikey –" Prida started.
"Yeah right!" Mikey grabbed her hands and pulled her towards the dance floor, she couldn't help but laugh while still trying to pull away. But Mikey knew his friend better. He laughed as she stuttered awkwardly, trying to tell him that she couldn't dance. He took her hands and twirled her around, her dress flared out and she laughed as she spun. She almost tripped over her own, and suddenly she seemed quite clumsy.
"No – Mikey – really, I wanna go get a drink –" Prida tried, but Mikey only snickered and, leaning back, started to spin in a circle on one spot, holding her hands and forcing her to lean back and move in the circle too. They spun, holding hands until Prida let out a shout of glee and laughed so much one hand let go and she almost flew back, only to be pulled back by Mikey, and she fell into him laughing. They both toppled to the floor and the people around them chuckled and shook their heads.
"Man you're dangerous," Mikey grinned as he helped Prida up.
"You're insane! That wasn't even dancing – and you had me scared I might fall," Prida said, having enjoyed the little dance anyway.
Mikey said, "I'm insane? Took you that long to figure it out?" He laughed again as she slapped him playfully, and he took her hand again and twirled her.
"I figured it out long ago," Prida grinned as she twirled in, met his other hand and twirled out again. The song had changed now.
"I was warned about the strangeness of some songs by Matt," Mikey said, listening to the new song.
"This one isn't that bad," Prida smiled.
-There's a chill in the air (chill in the air)
You hear a creak on the stairs (creak on the stairs)
You got a knock on your door (knock on your door)
Is there anybody out? -
Prida closed her eyes as she twirled again, enjoying the music and the movements to go with it. This was something she would never forget – getting to dance with her friend, something she had thought she wouldn't do. She knew she would have regretted it if she hadn't.
Leo folded his arm with a smile on his face. He was glad Mikey had made Prida happy now. She had looked a tad forlorn a minute ago. Leo reached behind him to the food on the table and grabbed a carrot stick. He then turned and joined in the conversation Don was having with Tyson. Raph had just been pestered to dance by a girl from the group of the girl who Mikey had danced with. He slowly looked at her, giving her his 'I don't think so' stare. She got the hint, shrugged and walked away. Raph turned back to the conversation, only to find everyone staring at him.
"What?" He frowned as if nothing had happened.
Leo and Donny only shook their heads, and continued their conversation about the exams next week. Of course Don had struck up the topic, and then Leo had to remind him that they probably wouldn't be there for the exams, which made Donny's shoulders drop. He had been giving out easy formulas for Math to his friends, who had admitted that they were a little stumped when it came to algebra and stuff like that.
"Thanks Don, I think that's made it easier," Tyson smiled gratefully.
Leo leaned closer to Donny and said in his ear, "yeah Don, they can't possible get lower than an A grade now." Donny shrugged and helped himself to the corn snacks in small wicker bowls.
Mikey and Prida both fell into the group, flushed in the face and gasping for a drink, laughing about their wild dance.
"He is mad," Prida stated. Mikey grinned and helped himself to a few potato chips, which made him even thirstier. Prida smirked at his face, and he ran off to the drinks table to grab something cool.
"Good to see you're having a great time," Leo smiled.
"Yeah, I didn't think I would, but Mikey's pretty amazing – he can make me laugh anytime. And I actually had fun while I'm dancing . . . I haven't laughed like that in ages . . ."
"Good job Mikey changed your mind about coming," Leo said. "He kept telling us that you didn't want to come."
"Yeah, I, er, asked him to keep it secret until I actually found something to wear," Prida smiled. "It was worth it when I saw the looks on your faces!" She smirked and looked at Raph and Don.
Mikey jogged back with two drinks, and handed one to Prida. She thanked him and they both gulped it down, trying to beat the other. Mikey won, and emitted a loud burp.
"Hey where's Matt?" Prida asked, placing her cup down on the table and looking around.
"He did go to get another drink a few minutes ago," Leo said, also looking through the mass of people. He spotted their friend standing at the end of the drinks table, watching people dance with a little less than happy face.
"What's wrong with him?" Prida wondered out loud.
"Looks bored," Mikey said, then grinned. "But I know what will make him happy. Prida go ask him to dance."
Prida studied Matt's face, which wasn't easy from that distance, but he did look . . . sad? Yes, maybe he was feeling left out, after all he had said a while ago that he never comes with anyone to discos, and then his best friend came with her.
"Okay, but this is to cheer a friend in need up," Prida said. "Don't think I'm doing this all night, it's just a disco." And she began to walk over to Matt, slowly.
Mikey grinned. "Yeah right, she still has to dance with you guys," he said to Leo, whose face blanked.
Prida kept her eyes on Matt as she walked up to him, making sure no one else was with him just in case he had found a date. But no, he was still alone when he spotted her and smiled.
"You look great, by the way," he said as soon as she came within earshot. "I didn't get to tell you back there."
"Thanks . . . . Hey, er you're looking a little down over here," Prida said kindly.
"Oh, damn," Matt apologized. "I'm fine really . . ."
"Oh," Prida rocked awkwardly on her feet, glancing behind her to Mikey, who made motions with his hands for her to ask him. She turned back around. " . . . Wanna dance?"
Matt looked a little surprised, but smiled and said, "sure." They both walked further onto the dance floor and awkwardly smiled at each other.
"Cute," Mikey said, as his two friends clumsily tried to decide the right way to dance to this song. Finally they just held hands and leaned in a little closer, moving in a circle to the song. As Matt's back turned to Mikey and Leo, Prida, over his shoulder, gave them both an embarrassed smile and then a face that told them how awkward a few moments ago had been, glaring humorously at Mikey.
Donny and Raph moved over to their other brothers, all watching their two friends.
"That Matt with Prida?" Raph asked. The lights had now turned dark, and only a few dim, flashing white spots of light danced over everyone in the Hall.
"Yep – hey who wants to dance with yours truly?" Mikey said, feeling he should make the most of the night quickly. His brothers frowned at him and took a step away. This only made him laugh.
"Fine, you don't love me," he pretended to be upset and stuck his bottom lip out.
"I guess not," Raph said and flicked a carrot stick at him. Mikey retaliated but Raph bunched his fist and Mikey jumped back wisely.
"Hey – whoa, you can't hurt me in a disco! How unfun is that!"
"Maybe not fun for you, but it is for me."
Leo rolled his eyes. "Guys, will you knock it off, you're gonna end up tearing each other apart soon and that's not a nice memory to leave on."
Mikey looked at Leo. "Y' know I've been thinking . . . well, why can't we just, er, write to Prida after we leave – I mean we could direct her letters to April's and pick 'em up there. And not just Prida – what about Matt – and Tyson," he said turning to Donny. "And . . . Roxanne," he said looking back at Leo.
"Mikey," Leo sighed. "We can't send off letters for the rest of our life . . . we're never gonna see them again, and writing letters will only make it worse for you – and no doubt they're probably ask things like 'when are we next coming back to stay with our aunt' or 'can I have your phone number?'" He mimicked in a different voice.
Mikey's eyes softened. "What's wrong with phone numbers?"
"Because hearing them over the phone and writing to them will only wanna make you see them – and I . . ." Leo shook his head and looked into the crowd of dancing people. " . . . I don't want you guys to be hurt."
Mikey's eyebrows furrowed in a sad frown as he studied his brother's face, who wasn't looking at him. Don and Raph glanced at each other and then back at Leo.
"You're too protective Leo," Raph said in a low voice; frowning at his brother. "I'm sure we can take care of ourselves – and if Mike wants to go ahead and give his little friends and Prida his phone number then it's his god damn right to!"
Leo looked up sharply as Raph's voice got louder. He frowned angrily at Raph.
"You just don't care! You don't see what I do! I know that eventually it will get too much for all of you! I try to protect us – while you just risk our lives –"
"How the hell can giving out a phone number or writing a letter risk our lives?" Raph yelled, which really didn't seem that bad to other people because of the loud music. "It's just a stupid letter to a bunch of friends who we'll never see again!"
"It can lead to things –" Leo began, but stopped and stared behind Raph, Don and Mikey, who all turned around to see Prida frowning irritably at Raph. Clearly the phrase 'bunch of friends' was not a nice description about her and the others and how the tone in his sentence was so dispassionately said. She had heard most of the argument, after coming back from the dance with matt.
The music in the background became clearer as no one spoke for a second,
-You can't run - you can't hide
From the beat inside of you -
"Oh, look I didn't –" Raph started to say.
Prida gave him a confused and angry look, turned and disappeared into the crowd of people.
Raph's shoulders and face dropped and he stared at where she disappeared, realizing how harsh he must had sounded.
"See, already people are getting hurt," Leo's voice managed to reach his ears past the thumping music.
Raph's face tightened angrily at Leo's words but he did not turn around to face him. Mikey was staring in the direction Prida had left. Donny was silently chewing on a potato chip he had picked out the basket.
"I think you oughtta apologize," Mikey said, looking slightly cheerless.
Raph felt like blaming Leo, like it was his fault that made him angry and careless. Leo had to be overprotective of them – even though they were all capable; they were ninja, they were strong, there aren't many things that could even get a scratch on them. Why does he have to be like that? They were just as strong as he was – or didn't he think that?
"Hey Raph, you gonna dance with me tonight?"
Raph frowned and broke out of his thoughts to see his brothers a few meters away. He had moved away from them while he was thinking, and now he turned around to look at a pretty girl, with a bit too much make-up and a very flashy belly-top above her tight jeans. The face was familiar and unwelcome.
Raph eyed her, wondering why she wanted to dance with him. They weren't exactly on speaking terms.
"No," he said flatly, and walked around her searching for Prida. Ci Ci watched him, and then looked at the other three, eyeing the purple-clad guy.
Tyson walked over to Leo, Donny and Mikey. "Hey Don, I heard Bonnie talking to Amba about getting you to dance." He raised and dropped his eyebrows, grinning. Donny smiled nervously, no idea what to say to that. His cheeks flushed even more when Ci Ci asked him to be her date.
//
Prida crossed her arms and leant against the wall across the other side of the Hall from the quadruplets, thinking. She wasn't upset, just . . . surprised to hear Raph say that. Maybe she didn't know him that well, or all of them – come to think about it, she really didn't know as much as she would have liked to. Maybe I'm just being stupid, Leo told me Raph has a temper – maybe what he said was just the carelessness of it . . . She herself had just gotten angry just hearing him being angry. Prida shook her head to herself and listened to the music. But a few seconds after she had abandoned her thoughts, someone spoke behind her, and the eerie thing was, the voice spoke softly, but was completely clear over the music.
"Your Prince has arrived . . ."
Prida turned around to stare into the face of Jo Tooks. Prida was pretty surprised to find how . . . handsome he looked tonight, with his hair combed, gel-free, sitting perfectly over his attractive features, a lose strand falling over his eye, and his smooth grin in place. It was a very different Jo Tooks who looked as absolutely drop-dead sexy as the guys.
"Tooks?" She frowned, not really asking, but more or less telling herself it was him. The beating in her chest was not longer the blast from the music, but from her heart. Man did he look good, if only he wasn't such an ass most of the time.
His response was only a slight indication of his head behind him, and without missing a beat he picked up her left hand and pulled her away from the wall and into the crowd of people, where she followed him, amazed he hadn't already said something idiotic to impress her or something. She wanted to ask him if he could even dance, but she didn't want to speak in case he replied in his stupid tone; she didn't want to hear him sound like an ass. He began to dance with her, with both hands wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her much too close to his body. He danced slowly with her in a circle, even though the music was not slow.
-I don't know why
I try to fight the Chemistry–
I can't hide it
Every time your body's next to mine
He swung her around, picking up the pace more to the music's. She was actually smiling lightly, yet she was still frowning at him.
-I don't need a book to show me how
I don't need an English teacher
To help me to say I want you now-
Prida was swung so fast she felt dizzy, and then she was snapped back, bumping noses with Tooks. The flashing lights had been turned off, but now they flashed back on and danced over his face, letting Prida see his grin, and it was then Prida seemed to snap out of her trance and notice that look that always made her want to slap his face. She frowned disgustedly, realizing she was dancing with this 'thing', and turned quickly to get away from him, but his grip on her hand was strong, and he pulled her back.
-I'll give it up
Yes sweet honey you win-
Her hand hurt from where it was jerked, and she tried again to break away, but he spun her again, and she lost control. She felt pathetically helpless as she was spun forcefully here and there just so Tooks could keep dancing with her. She kept losing her sense of balance, so she didn't know when she was going to fall, or throw.
-No one's gonna tell me wrong from right (oh no)
Lovin' you is all that matters
Baby I'm here with you all the night-
She was beginning to feel sick: sick from the spinning – and sick because she was dancing with Jo Tooks, who she had hated for years, but had known since elementary school.
//
Just how big is this Hall? Raph thought to himself, wondering where a girl could get to, especially one who stands out over prettiness – and then he saw the dark hair whip around her face as she twirled in someone's arms. Raph felt slightly disappointed that she could find someone else to dance with so quickly and cheer up with, but then he saw that her face was far from merry. And he saw who was pulling her about. With a growl he pushed two people apart and started to storm over to them.
//
Prida's hand was in pain now, but she also felt slightly sick. She wanted and tried to pull away, but every time she tried he would pull her back so fast she would lean almost to the floor, arms length from him, and he would pull her back before she could gather herself together again. He pulled her to his body again, circled, and forced her, gently but forcefully, back so she was draped over his arm, looking upside down at everyone. Man did she feel sick. She caught a glimpse of a red shirt, but she was pulled back up. Now she felt woozy and weak, and her head leant on his chest, desperate to get rid of her dizziness. But, with her aching hand in his, he spun her out again, less compellingly, and she closed her eyes as her free arm stretched out from the spin. Suddenly someone grabbed her it, and just as Tooks was about to pull her back, the new hand pulled her away from Tooks, and since Jo's grip was less tight since she wasn't resisting any more, her hand pulled free from his and she fell into the new person, who had a red shirt on.
"Hey? Prida you alright?"
The person had grabbed her arms, holding her up, but her head lolled as she was shaken, feeling weak from sickness to look at them. But she could tell from the voice who it was. She felt stupid.
Raph looked at her closed eyes. "Hey." He shouted. He lifted her chin so she could look at him.
But as soon as Prida leveled with Raph's eyes, she was yanked away yet again and held at the side of Tooks while he glared at Raph. People who were dancing closed in, making Raph lose sight of Tooks and Prida. He angrily shoved them aside and spotted the two again.
"Leave me alone," Prida shouted, attempting to pull herself away from Tooks. Handsome or not she was pretty angry with him. How could she have thought she could stop Tooks being an idiot by not talking to him? Stupid!
And again the world blurred and she was beside someone else, having just been whirled away from Tooks. Raph stood in front of Prida and glared at Tooks, at the same time Mikey appeared through the crowd behind Prida, having seen most of the commotion. He frowned at the Tooks and Raph stare-duel and turned Prida around.
"You okay, Pri?" He asked concernedly, watching her face. Her eyes were half closed.
"Get me a drink," she sighed, and lent her arm on his shoulder.
"Why don't you take a hike, and get lost," Raph snapped to Tooks, fists bunched.
"Why don't you mind your own business?" Tooks snapped back.
"I think you killing my friend IS my business!"
Tooks, growling like Raph does, threw a punch at Raph's face, but it was caught in Raph's hand, and he was about to take his own shot but some wild dancers bumped into both of them and they fell over. A few 'sorries' were yelled, but like Raph and Tooks cared about that when they were scrambling back up to tear each other's throats out. But before they could even get back to their feet Mikey grabbed his brother and threw Tooks a glare.
"He's not worth it Raph, leave the idiot," Mikey said, and pulled his brother away to where Prida was standing. They watched Tooks glare at them, and then disappear as the space that they had fallen into was filled.
Mikey and Raph turned to Prida, who was fanning her face.
"You okay?" Raph asked, placing a hand on her arm.
"Drink, drink, drink!" She said, trying to lighten everyone.
It worked, Raph chuckled and Mikey grinned.
"Okay dudette," Mikey said, putting both hands on her shoulders and steering her around people. "Let's get that – er – those drinks!"
They headed over to the drinks table, where Prida downed two drinks and sipped on a third while Raph apologized for what he had said. Prida said it was she who had overreacted about it, and that she knew he had been mad when he said it. She didn't ask what the topic that had made him say it was, though.
"Hey Prida – where'd Matt go?" Mikey asked, suddenly remembering his friend.
Prida stopped drinking. "He found his own date – or I should say she found him."
"Who?"
"No idea, but he was happy dancing with her."
Mikey smiled. This was good, at least then Matt would probably have a girlfriend by the time they leave, and wouldn't be alone. After all, his group of friends had been pulled closer in friendship because of them, so it wouldn't be too hard on them all when Mikey and his brothers left.
"Hey Pri, wanna dance?" Mikey asked, looking at the time. It had already been a while into the night, and he didn't want to spend any of it to the side not doing anything.
"Oh, er, loved to Mike, but my hand is killing me from where Tooks crushed it," Prida held it up, making it limp.
"Jerk," Raph growled, referring to Tooks of course.
Mikey glanced at his bro before taking Prida's crushed hand gently, and bowing like a gentleman.
"Well I'll just have to be real careful," he grinned, and kissed it, making Prida roll her eyes.
"Fine, but no spinning," She held her index finger out to make her point.
"Okay!" Mikey said, and pulled her away from the drinks table, where Raph shrugged, picked up Prida's drink and downed the rest of it.
"I still feel sick though," Prida moaned Mikey wrapped his arms around her waist, picked her up, spun her and dropped her, grinning. "You said you wouldn't spin!"
"I was just turning you around, I wanted to keep an eye on him," Mikey said, eyes narrowing at someone behind Prida. She knew who he was on about.
Raph saw Tooks as well, and was about to go tell him to shove it, when someone spoke to him, again.
"C'mon, just one dance," Ci Ci flashed her eyelashes once and smiled as sweetly as she could manage. She had had no luck with Donny, damn his shyness.
Raph frowned at her. "No." Raph turned back to watching Mikey and Prida, but the annoying girl beside him stepped closer and watched with him. With an annoyed sigh and a roll of eyes Raph left her and walked over to his other brothers.
"Hey where's Mikey?" Donny asked as he joined him, Leo and Tyson.
"Dancin'."
Leo looked through the crowd and saw his brother with Prida, wondering if Raph apologized to her.
"Took you both long enough to find her, what'd you do, rescue her from other guys?" Leo joked.
Raph fixed Leo with a stare. "Yeah."
Leo frowned. "Who?"
"Tooks. The obsessed weirdo was jerkin' her around," Raph through gritted teeth, though his voice remained level.
Leo's face darkened at the sound of Tooks' name, and his eyes narrowed. Donny had frowned irritably at the name.
//
"Okay Mikey, I need another drink. Lemme go!" Prida laughed. Mikey was dancing with another girl (the one he had first danced with) at the same time, and tired to spin them both without them colliding.
"Okay," Mikey said, letting go of Prida's hand and taking the other girl's free hand in his. They continued to dance wildly, which seemed to be Mikey best dance style. The girl was really having fun, laughing away with her cute seem-to-be date.
Prida shook her head grinning at the two, and then made her way over to the drinks table where she grabbed one of the many polystyrene cups and poured herself a drink. She slurped her it while watching the people dance and have a good time, then she looked at the clock on the wall above the doors and realized she had already been there half the time they were allowed; and she knew she would have to make the most of the rest of the time. Which meant, she smiled to herself, that she would try and get the other three brothers to dance. She wondered if they would just shake their head and she would have to use Mikey's scheme and just bug them until the gave up. She grinned evilly to herself, put the cup down and walked over to the group of the three brothers and Tyson.
They were grinning at Mikey, who could be seen through the crowd because the people steered clear from them. The girl seemed just as good-natured as Mike did.
"Hey, did the dance get to rough for ya?" Leo grinned as Prida joined them.
"No," she said casually with a growing smile. "I had to grab a drink . . ."
Leo smiled, bobbing on the spot to the music.
" . . . And I wanted to dance with you."
Leo stopped dancing and looked at her as though she had just said something totally crazy and he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. She grinned while Don, Tyson and Raph turned to listen.
"W – er . . . say what?" Leo said, eyes brows now high on his forehead without them appearing to have moved.
Prida grinned and took the cup he was holding out of his hand and on the table behind. She grabbed his sleeve and started to pull him slowly to the crowd of dancing people.
"I said, 'I want to dance with YOU' . . . You don't want to dance with me?" She knew this would work. Man she wanted to burst out laughing at the look on his face. She knew he hadn't really expected her to ask him.
"W-w-w – well I can't, er, dance," Leo stuttered, aware he was being led away from the safety of the food table and that he couldn't exactly put on the brakes. He could hear the sniggers of his brothers and Tyson behind him, and ahead, behind Prida, he could see Mikey laughing.
"Neither can I so that makes us even!" Prida said, and with that she clasped his hand tightly and, using her own weight, spun Leo so he was now facing towards his brothers and Prida could give a thumbs-up to Mikey.
Leo face looked slightly sick, and his expression was clearly one that read 'help?
Prida snickered, and playfully spun herself into Leo's arms, while he stood there, moving a step forward slightly against the pull, and then she twisted his arms so that he spun under her arms. Hands linked and arms crossed over each other's, they both did the same again, and spun under arms, Leo moved himself without Prida pushing him. He soon started to smile, and while he was enjoying the so-called-dancing, he tried to keep the message on his face that he still objected to it.
"You know you like to dance!" Prida shouted above the sudden booming music that blasted through the Hall as the song ended and another started to jig up straight after.
"This is dancing?" Leo joked.
Prida shrugged. "Okay, this is –" and she pulled him closer and wrapped her arms around neck. "It helps if you put your hands around my waist." She wanted to burst out laughing, and she would feel bad for making Leo so embarrassed later – right now she wanted to dance, which surprised her, because she came in this hall wanting to stay hidden to the walls and maybe even carry out a small conversation with her friends. She did not expect to dance with Matt, let alone Leo. Mikey, yes she did expect it; she could predict what he was bringing her there for.
Knowing he would look a fool if he just stood there with his hands suspended in the air at the sides of her waist while she had her arms around his neck, Leo slowly put them around her waist as though she were so delicate he might have injured her if he moved faster.
"Okay – yeah, this is dancing," Leo agreed, a look of total embarrassment on his face. He was still smiling, and he was doing his best not to look at Don, Raph and Tyson, and at Mikey who had joined them, all were grinning at him.
"C'mon Leo, step lively dude," Prida said, and picked up their slow pace, so it was pretty much cool dancing in a circle, not too slow and not too fast.
"You are deliberately embarrassing me!" Leo exclaimed, starting to get used to this dancing.
"Now why would you be embarrassed?" Prida asked, with a false air of wonderment. She watched his face expression, and grinned as he narrowed his eyes comically at her.
//
"Who has a camera?" Mikey called out jokingly, grinning with the rest. "Man, our 'fearless leader' - and the look on his face was more like the 'fearful Leader'!" He slapped high-fives with Donny and Raph, and turned back to watch the dancing.
"Man, I will never let him forget the one thing he is bad at," Raph grinned. "dancing."
Tyson tilted his head and made a judging expression. "Actually he's quite good."
"Yeah but let's say he's not!" Mikey said.
"You're just jealous," Donny smirked. "You've just got the disco groove, Leo's got the disco moves." He defended his brother. It was quite true that Leo was a pretty good dancer with a partner, as evidence is shown right in front of them; but on his own he was terrible – at least when they were a few years younger.
Raph and Mikey just looked at Donny with one raised eyebrow, and then they turned back to the food table, hoping to scoff down a few more snacks before the other could eat more. Of course the chances that Mikey won were high.
//
"They're busy eating now," Prida informed Leo, watching her friends over Leo's shoulder. "Tyson and Don are talking – you're no longer being sneered at."
Leo shrugged and pretended he didn't care. "like I care, let 'em sneer if they want."
"Yeah, I'll have THEM up here soon too," Prida grinned, eyes glinting mischievously. She and Leo were still moving in, roughly, a circle. "What's Donny dance like?"
Leo thought about that for a second and a half. "Pretty good I think; he dances good with Mikey."
"With Mikey?" Prida laughed.
"Yeah, those two can be quite funny when they want to be – but I know that Donny's probably the best singer outta us lot."
"Cool, I'll have to have him sing to me before you leave," she smiled, though she guessed Leo would place the credit of the best singing voice on one of his other brothers, when she actually thought he might have made the best singer.
"Don't get your hopes up, he'd be too embarrassed, but I expect a brain like that could learn how to dance quickly in a matter of seconds. So I say he's a pretty neat dancer." He smiled fondly.
Prida laughed. "I know how Mikey dances – wildly, and let me guess, you have no idea how Raph dances because . . . you've never seen him dance?"
"Correct guess," Leo confirmed. His eyes rose to the ceiling as he listened to the new song that had started. It was a song that could either have a fast dance, or a slow one, though most around were dancing fast, and Leo found his hands in Prida's and she was spinning around on the spot with him, having a great time.
-True to your heart
You must be true to your heart
That's when the heavens will part-
Leo thought about the song lyrics. Great, he thought, start a song that's on about being true just when I'm dancing with Prida . . . who I haven't exactly been telling the truth to . . . And as the song continued Leo started to feel real guilty. Why? He didn't know, but he felt it was for him and his brothers' protection that no body knew who they really were. But he really wanted to tell Prida that they weren't who they appeared to be. They weren't . . . human. But then listening to himself think that in his head sounded really crazy. Who would believe him if he told them he wasn't human? And besides, he couldn't risk anyone telling people. Maybe Raph was right and he was being too overprotective, but he didn't dare stop, he feared something would happen if he wasn't, as his brother put it, overprotective.
Prida frowned, seeing Leo's expressionless face. She could actually see his eyes clouded over with thought. What was he thinking?
-When all the world around you
It seems to fall apart
Keep on Believin' baby
Just be true to your heart . . .-
Man just hearing that song gave Leo the urge to tell Prida he wasn't actually going back to LA, in fact they hadn't even come from LA! But he kept his mouth shut, and blinked himself back from his thoughts. Prida was watching some other people dance.
"Hey, I hope no one thinks I'm gonna be doing this for the rest of the night," Leo said, drawing her attention back.
She grinned as the song ended and Leo bowed like it was an old-fashioned dance where the partners ended the song with applause and a bow to each others – so Prida followed with her own curtsey, tripped and fell on her butt. She laughed and picked herself up.
"No, I don't think they'll expect you to dance for the rest, but they do expect you to dance with Roxanne," Prida replied grinning, and walked back to the food table with him.
"Hey L-EE-o," Mikey said resting his arm on his brother's shoulder. "That was some pretty smooth dancing, really convinced me you we desperate for the toilet!"
He and Raph laughed cruelly and slapped each other a high-five, while Donny looked at Leo and waved a hand dismissively at the two 'evil' bros.
"They're just jealous," he said. "You're gonna have to show Mikey how to REALLY dance, Leo – and you can show Raph HOW to dance."
This time it was Leo and Donny's turn to snicker and slap a high-five, though a little less enthusiastic than the other twos'.
"I dance perfect already," Mikey crossed his arms.
"Like I want to dance," Raph put in, rolling his eyes.
Donny turned to Leo. "But, I gotta admit you did look very funny at the start!" Raph and Mikey started laughing again.
Leo tilted his head to lean towards Prida, and raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled.
"Well Donny, let's see how funny YOU look when you dance!" She said, and grabbed his hands before he could back away.
"Oh – but I don't – wha -!" He was cut off as he was pulled away from the table. He managed to see Leo's grinning face, and he already felt his cheeks beginning to flush red with heat.
"C'mon Don, you'll love dancing!" Prida teased, avoiding the other people who were partying.
"No really – I really can't –" Donny said. Why did he sound like Leo?!
"Go with the flow, dude," Prida encouraged. She would have him dancing yet!
"Give it Turtle Power!" Mikey yelled to them, one hand cupped around his mouth the other in a fist held in the air. He grinned, but when Leo, Don and Raph glared at him, and Prida and Tyson frowned, he quickly realized what he had yelled and said feebly, "Flower power? Boy power . . .?"
Donny exhaled nervously, hoping no one would make too much about that. His eyes returned to Prida, who was frowning softly at Mikey, as if she was fixing things in her mind. That didn't make Don feel any better.
"He's, er, obsessed with turtles," Donny said. "His favorite animal."
Prida looked back at Donny. "Yeah? Oh . . ." She looked back at Mikey, watching him fidget uncomfortably. "Turtles are cool . . ." She turned back to Don again. "So, Leo tells me you're a great singer." She smiled as he looked at the floor and chuckled, slightly embarrassed.
"I don't sing so how should he know?"
Prida shrugged. "No idea, but I believe him." She smiled sweetly, and twirled into him holding his hand. They said nothing but laughed a little as they danced, less wild than Mikey, less slowly than Leo. Then Prida's soft frown returned.
"Donny," she said, and he replied with a 'hm?'. "Remember when you said you'd always be there, you all would?"
Donny looked at her, wondering where she was getting, and why the soft, almost sad tone.
" . . . I really believed you, trusted you . . . but I have a feeling . . . that promise is gonna break . . ." She was almost asking him if her prediction was correct.
There was a frown on Don's face now. He looked at her, and then at the floor, remembering that night at her house when he had told her he and his brothers would always be there for her. Then he remembered how Mikey had wanted to write to his friends after they had gone. Directing the letters to April could work, and probably would work. But then Leo's warning about the 'questions' in the letters floated into his mind. They would surely ask about phone numbers. We could get a cell phone, Donny though with a chuckle. Mikey would do anything for a friend, and Leo would do all he could to keep his brothers happy and living, maybe they could write.
Finally Donny said, "I may not always be there for you in person . . . but I will always be there for you in other ways."
Prida thought Don meant the same as Mikey; that he would be in her heart even if she could never see him again. She nodded when he looked at her to see her reaction.
"I heard the argument about writing letters," she said. His expression was uncomfortable again. She continued. "I don't know why Leo doesn't like the idea . . . but how can it hurt? Do your stepparents not like the idea of their address being handed out?"
"No – I'm sure he – I mean, they, wouldn't mind that . . . but Leo's just . . . well, er, he just sees it as unsafe. He's way too protective, and we just can't get through to him sometimes . . ." It was sort of true.
Prida strongly felt the urge to ask who this 'Splinter' was. Or 'Master Splinter' as she had heard Raph and Mikey call him. Who do you call 'Master'? It seemed weird, very weird.
//
"Mikey, you're such a loud mouth!" Raph said to his brother.
"Hey, I said sorry!" Mikey loudly, defending himself. "It's not like everyone stared at us, pointed and shouted 'look! It's those mutant turtl-"
Raph clapped a hand over Mikey's mouth and the other on the back of his head, glancing around and giving quick glances to people who looked. Leo shook his head and massaged it with his hand.
"Mikey, I think it'll be safer if you just glued your mouth shut for the rest of the night," Leo sighed.
Mikey removed Raph's hand and looked slightly mad. "I didn't really mean to say it . . . it's just a good job we're changing back soon then."
Leo looked at his brother's face. He could tell he didn't mean it.
"Any more mess-ups and you're dead," Raph threatened lightly, poking a finger at Mikey, jabbing his nose.
"Jeeze, it's not like I'm gonna shout out that we're mutant turtl-"
Leo's hand was blocking his mouth now, and all three brothers' eyes followed a group of staring girls as they passed. They would have heard what Mikey might have said.
"Just shut up!" Raph said when they had passed and Leo stepped back from Mikey, glaring at him.
"It's not like anyone would suspect anything," Mikey said, now rubbing his face where two hands had been slapped across it. "You BOTH worry too much."
//
"Friends," Prida suddenly said, smiling.
Donny frowned. "Yeah, we'll stay friends when we leave, no question about that –"
Prida laughed. "No, Friends! The series. This is the theme to it!" She snickered at his face as he listened to the song that had now started.
-No one told ya life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
And when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year
I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before
I'll be there for you, 'cause you've been there for me too-
Donny hummed the tune in his head, and then stopped suddenly. Hey, what is this? Play-the-song-to-make-you-feel-guilty-night? Donny thought.
//
Mikey was bobbing to the music while Leo and Raph watched their brother dance. Raph had a horrible feeling Prida was going through their friends and his brothers, and she had yet to dance with him. He shivered.
"Hey, you guys," Mikey said, stopping his continuous bobbing. "We have less than two hours left, and after that . . . I guess we meet with an old guy and our life . . ." He trailed off.
Leo nodded at his brother, knowing what he was thinking. He wanted to change back mostly because he didn't want Splinter feeling left out of it all, since Leo and his brothers were having a great time in there human life.
Yeah, when we change back, it'll be for the best . . .
~
Songs: 'Things That Go Bump In The Night' by Allstars; 'Best Inside Of You' by Autograph; 'Give It Up' by Evelyn (Champagne) King; 'True To Your Heart' by Stevie Wonder and 98 Degrees; 'I'll Be There For You' Friends theme song.