May watched over the city with quiet eyes. The dark night was cold, and sent a few shivers down her spine, but at the same time, she marveled in it. In the freedom that she had.
She checked her watch and sighed. "Where the heck is Raphael? He said he would be here an hour ago!" She groaned.
Raphael was sometimes late like this, often enough that it was annoying, but rare enough that May didn't try coming late, for fear of making Raphael wait.
She looked around, expecting to see him, to hear a sarcastic quip or comment, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"RAPHAEL!" May shouted to the city. What was taking him so long?!
"MAYYYYY!" She heard a reply, about two blocks away based on the sound. He was coming. She could finally see his large form moving in the dim lighting.
"I'm here!" He grinned, breathless, once he stopped.
"About time!" May complained.
Raphael chuckled, still panting. "Yeah, well, what can I do?"
"Be on time?" May suggested.
Raphael smirked, and punched May in the shoulder playfully. "I could. Or I could keep you waiting and keep having fun with it."
May rolled her eyes. "You don't gotta be a jerk." She pushed him with both hands, even though he didn't move, or even lose balance for an instant.
"Alright, Jones. Let's go." Raphael pushed her lightly and ran off. May took chase, following her best friend over rooftops and across alley gaps.
She jumped down into an alley and leapt back up to the roof when the gap was too large. Raphael always hated when May did that, but hey, revenge was sweet.
Raphael loved hanging out with May, even considering May's past, despite her stubbornness and eagerness to argue.
May loved hanging out with Raphael just as much, but she noticed that today, something seemed to be distracting him.
She wanted to ask what was wrong, but something told her that he wouldn't say it, no matter how many times she asked.
They patrolled the city a little longer, before heading into the sewers to Raphael's place.
"Hey, May." Mikey called upon their entrance.
"Hi, Mike." May replied.
Raphael sighed, watching Mikey with expectancy on his face.
However, Mikey just turned back to his video game.
May couldn't help but wonder, but again, said nothing. It was never a good idea to press Raphael.
They went to the nook that Raphael called a bedroom.
"So, what kept you?" May asked him.
Raphael shrugged. "Nothin'."
"Nothing? Absolutely nothing held you up? You just decided to be late just to annoy me?" May growled.
"You know what? Maybe I did! Maybe I just don't want to hang out with you!" Raphael snarled in reply.
May raised an eyebrow. "If you don't want to hang out, you could just say it."
"Go away, Jones!" Raphael blew up.
May stepped back, and left angrily.
She headed for her apartment alone, for the first time in months.
Ever since May had met Raphael, they had never fought, and they had always been friends.
She plopped onto her pillow and felt tears stream down her face. Raphael had never snapped at May like that, for as far as she could remember.
"I guess we really aren't friends..." She sniffed. Great. Back to no friends.
May lay in her room alone, crying, feeling the loneliest she had for months.
Raphael paced in his room, occasionally punching the wall or something.
He was mad at himself, just as mad as he was at his brothers. As aggravating as their seeming ignorance was, he shouldn't have snapped at May. It wasn't her fault they had forgotten. She didn't even know what today was.
Raph stopped a second to take a breath. May had left with a hurt look in her eyes. Raphael was starting to feel guilty about yelling at her.
He went out for a run, and passed by May's bedroom window.
He stopped. The curtains were wide open and the window pane was open a little.
May was laying face down on her pillow, her shoulders trembling. He could hear sobs coming from the open window.
Gently, Raphael tapped on the window.
May's head snapped up to look at the window. She had tears trailing her face. She walked up to the window and opened it.
"What do you want?" May demanded in as tough a voice as she could, although it sounded tearful and pathetic.
Raphael reached through the window and hugged his friend.
"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."
May was surprised, but hugged him back, grateful to still be friends.
"Come in. It's cold outside." She offered.
Raphael nodded and entered. May closed her window.
"Now, are you going to tell me what's really been bugging you all day?" May questioned.
Raph sat on her bed and sighed. "Truth is, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at my family."
"Why?"
Raphael took a minute to think. "Because... Today... They forgot."
"Huh?"
"It... It's my birthday today, and nobody has said anything about it, all day." He admitted.
May suddenly felt bad. Shouldn't she have known today was his birthday? "Raph... I had no idea..."
"I know you didn't. I don't blame you for it. It doesn't matter anyway." He shrugged, indicating the clock. "It's not my birthday anymore. They forgot."
May's alarm clock said 12:34 am. She felt her eyes getting teary. As much as she fought with her parents, they had never forgotten her birthday.
She sat beside him, putting an arm around Raph's shoulder.
"I'm sorry..." It was all she could say.
Raph half-shrugged. "It doesn't matter." He stood. "It's fine. I'm fine!"
May stood too. "You sure?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." Raphael nodded. He turned to the window. "I, um... I gotta go. I just... I need to be alone for a bit."
"Okay, I... I'll call you later?"
"Sure." Raphael shrugged, climbing out the window.
May thought. She had seen the tears in his eyes, no matter how desperately he was trying to hide it. What could she do to help her friend?
She didn't know, but there were three turtles she wanted a piece of.
Donatello, Leonardo and Michelango were watching TV, when May stormed in.
"Is Raphael here?" She asked.
"No..." Donnie replied. Leo shook his head.
"Think he went for a run." Mikey added.
"Oh? Good. There's something we need to straighten out." May turned off the TV, and stood in front of it.
"What's this about, Jones?" Leo asked.
"You three are the worst brothers I have EVER seen! I can't believe you!" May growled.
"Wha-?!"
"You realize what yesterday was, don't you?!"
"Uh... Tuesday?" Mikey replied.
"Wednesday." Donnie corrected.
"Thought it was Monday..." Leo raised an eyebrow.
"Noooo! The date!"
"Yeah. Yesterday... Was... Oh my God..." Donnie gasped in realization.
"Now you remember?!" May growled.
"R-Raph's birthday. We forgot!" He gulped.
Leo and Mikey gasped. "Oh, yeah!" Mikey shrugged. "I thought he seemed grumpier than usual."
Raphael walked into the lair, when he heard May yelling. Curious, he snuck up to the living room and listened.
"...just pathetic and cruel! My parents never did that to me, and we fight ALL THE TIME! I just... I just can't with you guys. You're so... Shallow!" May ranted.
"He'll understan-" Donnie started, but May fiercely cut him off.
"He shouldn't have to understand! You can't just forget somebody's birthday and expect them to understand! Do you realize that he was crying earlier?! You actually hurt him." May shook her head. "I hope you guys are proud of yourselves, I really do. Because now he knows how much you actually care about him."
"May!" Leo stopped her. "It's not that we don't care about him. We just... Forgot."
I never forgot your guys' birthdays... Raph thought bitterly.
"Oh, really? A birthday isn't just some day that doesn't matter. It's not like Halloween or Christmas or Easter, where you can choose whether or not to celebrate it. A person's birthday is the celebration of the person themselves. Forgetting somebody's birthday, anybody's birthday, especially your own brother's, is basically saying they aren't worth it. They aren't worth the effort." May hissed, then walked out.
Raph hid before she could see him, but reappeared after she had left. He smiled, and headed to his bed. He was grateful to May for what she'd said, how she had stood up for him
He wondered if he could show her his appreciation, and how he would. He also had to make it up to her for yelling at her.