Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT
A/N: Author warning: This chapter really isn't very nice. I apologize in advance.
Hidden in the shadow of a large oak tree, Jared watched curiously as Lona disappeared into the sewers with the large turtle as she had done every day. Jared had been observing them for a week, and now knew their routine fairly well. Standing by the tree for a few more seconds, Jared frowned as his cell phone began to go off. He flipped it open, and began to smile as he listened to the voice on the other end.
-
"Uh…is it bigger than me?" Lona asked.
"Yeah," Mikey said.
The two had been playing twenty questions to pass the time as they sat on the couch on the lair. Raph had gone off somewhere, Don was in his room, and Leo had been called into Splinter's room.
"Does it have an anger problem?"
"Yeah," Mikey said, smiling.
"Is it Raph?" Lona said, giggling.
Mikey nodded. "Yep."
Lona laughed, then turned to Splinter's door. "Whaddya think they're talking about?"
Mikey scratched his head. "I don't know. But Leo'll tell us eventually. And if we don't, we can drop a water bomb on him."
Lona rolled her eyes. "I don't think he would like that."
"That's the point," Mikey told her. He was silent for a moment, then said, "Hey Lona?"
Lona looked up. "Hmm?"
"Who was that guy you were talking to before? The guy with the blonde hair?"
Lona made a face. "Oh. Him. That's Jared. He really likes me…but he's an ass, don't worry." She smiled at Mikey. "I prefer turtles."
Mikey cocked his head. "Why is he an ass?"
Lona frowned. "I don't know, he just is. Thinks the world revolves around him, you know?"
Mikey nodded. "Definitely." He grinned playfully. "You're not looking at other guys, are you?"
Lona swatted him lightly. "Mikey!"
-
Miss Jemina Parker smiled and hung up her phone. She never gave up on a child who needed a better home, and now she had found a link to this girl she had seen at the school.
A son of her friend Mary, went to the same school as the girl. She had gotten his cell number from Mary, and asked a few questions.
Mary's son had known the girl, and had informed Miss Parker her name was Lona.
Miss Parker grinned to herself and gathered up her materials and stuck them in her bag. The boy….Jared, his name was, had given her some other very interesting information. Very interesting.
-
Lona pushed herself up and out of the manhole, and held up the cover for Don.
"Thanks," he said, smiling gratefully as he pulled himself out of the hole as well.
"No problem," Lona said, shrugging.
The two carefully walked in the shadows of buildings and the like. Mikey had been kept at home to do his punishment for dumping a water bomb on Leo, so Don had been recruited to escort Lona to school today.
As much as Lona liked Mikey, she was a little relieved that their daily, 'Get over your fear of heights' training was broken, at least for now. Although Mikey had been extra cautious since the incident on the roof.
"Hey, have you noticed the same car has been following us for a while?" Don said nervously.
Lona laughed. "Donnie, you're being paranoid. This is New York. There's gonna be cars."
Don shrugged, a hand on his bo staff anyway. "You're probably right, but better safe then sorry."
Lona shook her head. "Yeah, whatever." She pulled a package from her bag as they approached the school. "Hey, can you give this to Mikey?" She asked Don. "I forgot to before I left."
Don took the package, and turned to leave. "Sure," he said. "Have a good day at school."
"Yep!" Lona said, saluting him. Don chuckled and began walking away.
-
Miss Jemina Parker squinted through the windshield of her beat up Chevrolet Lumina. She had been tailing the girl - Lona, Jared had said her name was - since she had emerged from the sewer hole. Miss Parker smiled to herself for the third time that day. Jared had told her exactly which sewer hole to watch, and it seemed he was right.
Miss Parker watched as Lona handed the giant turtle with her something. His appearance did not startle Miss Parker, as Jared had shown her his picture of the thing.
She wondered if the thing could talk, or if it was a pet of the girl, or what. She quickly looked over her notes. If the plan went well, she would know soon enough.
-
Lona looked up from her paper as the PA system crackled to life. 'Lona Morrison, report to the principal's office. Lona Morrison, report to the principal's office.'
Lona rolled her eyes as a chorus of 'Oooooh's,' and 'You're in trouble's,' met her.
"Do high school students ever grow up?" she wondered as she walked through the hallway, taking her sweet time getting to the office.
Upon entering the office, Lona noticed a somewhat heavy set woman sitting on a chair. She stood up as Lona entered.
"Hello," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Miss Jemina Parker. I'd like to talk to you."
-
Mikey ambled along the sewers, whistling, a couple roses in his hand.
"Hey Don!" he said, waving, catching sight of his brother. "You take Lona to school?"
"Yeah," Don said. "Leo tell you what's up?"
Mike shook his head. "No." He held out the flowers, showing them to Don. "I got these for Lona."
Don cocked his head. "Why?"
Mikey shrugged. "'Cause I wanted to. Not everybody has the courage to date a giant turtle."
Don smiled. "She'll like them."
-
Lona stood up in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I can't just pack up and live with a complete stranger!" she cried, trying to stay in control. "I can't!"
Miss Parker kept sitting there, that fake smile on her face. Lona wanted to wipe that stupid smile off. "But dear," Miss Parker started, making Lona wince at the word, "The sewers are no place for a young lady."
Lona silently wondered to herself how the lady knew she lived in the sewers. She paled as she realized that if the lady knew that, she could have seen Mikey or his brothers.
"I can't…." she whispered.
"Well, I'm afraid you don't have a choice," Miss Parker said frostily, the fake smile leaving her face, "I can't have children living in the sewers. I already have a foster home set up for you."
A single tear dripped down Lona's face onto the floor, and she wondered how she was going to be able to tell Mikey where she had gone.
As Lona slowly left the room, she bumped into Jared. "I don't have time for this, Jared," she said.
"Hear me out," he said.
Lona waited, not really caring what he had to say.
Jared casually leaned against the wall. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to the Thunder Club with me tomorrow?"
Lona sighed, "Jared, I'm really not in the mood-"
"I think you are," Jared said, hate making him ugly. "Or else your friend is going to end up in a zoo."
Lona backed up. "You're lying," she whispered.
"Oh really?" Jared sneered, and showed her the picture of her and Mikey he had taken. "I know where the thing lives. So if you don't want it to end up on a dissection table, you'll do exactly as me," he pointed to the door of the principal's office, "And Miss Jemina Parker tell you to."
Lona looked down at the floor. "She knows too." It wasn't a question.
"Yes," Jared said, snapping the phone shut. "So here's what you're gonna do, and exactly what you'll say to…what was its name again?"
Keeping her eyes on the ugly green tiles of the floor, Lona said, "I don't have to tell you that."
Jared frowned. "Fine. It doesn't matter anyway. Now here's what you're gonna say."
-
Mikey frowned as he saw Lona approach him. Something was wrong. He could tell.
"What's up?" He asked. Lona said nothing.
Mikey frowned and put a hand on her shoulder. "Lona, there's something wrong. Tell me. Please?"
Lona took a shuddering breath. She really didn't want to do this, but the safety of Mikey, his brothers, and Splinter depended on it.
"Mikey," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "I…I can't be your girlfriend anymore."
Mikey took a step back. "Wait…what?"
Lona bit her lip, trying to keep herself from crying, and trying to remember what Jared had told her to say, knowing he was watching everything from the safety of a hiding place. "I…could never…go out…with a mutant." Lona couldn't look at Mikey. "I'm sorry," she gasped, and ran away, leaving Mikey behind. She didn't notice as three roses fell to the ground.
-
Lona huddled in the passenger seat of Miss Parker's car, not saying anything.
"I'll take you to your foster home tomorrow, but for tonight you'll have to stay with me," Miss Parker was saying in her fake cheery voice. Lona wished she would shut up.
She took another shuddering breath and kept from crying. She couldn't believe what she had done to Mikey, but it was for the safety of his family.
That night, on an itchy pullout bed in Miss Parker's apartment,Lona cried herself to sleep. A few miles away, and underground, a turtle in orange did the same.
-
A/N: Okay, that was mean of me. It'll get worse before it gets better, but I promise it will get better.