April sat in Hollys' kitchen watching the little television on the counter top. Holly was busy rummaging through the fridge looking for something easy she could quickly cook up for the both of them.
"Remind me, you're not allergic to anything right?" Holly peeked out behind the door.
"Not that I'm aware of, no." April took a swig of her water. "Why, what are you thinking of?"
"Pad-Thai noodles, although I really can't be bothered cooking." She closed the refrigerator and turned to April. "I'm just going to use some of the money mom left me to order something. Do you like Chinese? I know a great place that delivers."
"Yeah, I love Chinese! Do you have a menu?" April jumped up as Holly went to the draw where her mother kept all the take-out menus for every restaurant in the area. They leaned on the counter-top shoulder to shoulder deciding what to order.
Holly popped up when she thought she heard a tapping. "Did you hear that?" She spun around and walked through the archway that led to the living room. She nearly fell over backwards when she saw who was rapping on the French doors that led to the balcony.
"Are you going to let us in or what?" Raph was crouching down slightly, trying to hide behind the stone pillar that surrounded the door. If one of Holly's neighbors were to walk out onto their balcony it would be a difficult situation to try and explain.
She rushed to the door and opened it quietly. She grabbed his arm and tugged him inside roughly, closing the door behind him.
"What are you doing here?" She hissed at him. Hands on her hips.
"We haven't seen you in four days. Is it so bad that we missed you and wanted to make sure you were ok?" Raph snapped back, not really thinking what he was saying.
Holly's expression softened, and she sighed. "Wait, are the others here too?" She walked back over to the door and peeked out, not seeing them.
"They're on the roof, we didn't think it would be wise to all be waiting on the balcony." He pointed up to emphasize his point.
"So, how'd you get to be so lucky as to be the one to jump down?" She looked over her shoulder at him as she opened the doors. He blanched as he realized he didn't want to give her an answer. He had volunteered.
She stepped out into the cold night air in her baggy flannel pajamas and turned her gaze skyward. The night wind whipped her hair around her face and tugged at the hems of her pant legs. She saw the other turtle teens up on the roof, peeking over the lip down at her. She checked to make sure none of her neighbors were near their doors and beckoned them down. Three green figures hurled themselves over the wall and alighted soundlessly on the concrete next to her, they then dashed inside out of the sight of any curious eyes. Holly checked the other balconies once more and ran in to meet them. Closing the blinds, just to be sure that no one could possibly discover the turtles.
"Well, this is a nice surprise!" Holly said to the now full room. April had walked calmly out of the kitchen with a smug grin plastered across her face.
"Any you guys were worried she wouldn't want to see you?" April threw one arm around Donnie and the other over Leo, gave them a quick squeeze, and then continued through to stand next to Holly. Donnie's face had a pink tinge to it.
Holly beamed at the little group now standing in her home, she had never really had this many friends. It was a nice feeling, knowing that there was someone out there who wanted to make her smile. "You guys." Was all she could say.
April put an arm around her shoulders and squished her gently. "I had a feeling you may want some additional company."
Mikey stood on Hollys other side and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't want to go more than a day without me either." Holly laughed, but gave him a playful shove, just to deflate his ego a bit.
"Ok, well I'm still hungry so let's get some food on the way, and then we can all get back to socializing." April said, waving the menu back and forth.
They ordered six different entrees, three containers of fried rice and a couple of orders of won-tons for good measure. The group then wandered into the kitchen and all sat around the center island waiting for the food to get there.
"Ok, I have to ask, where did your mom go that was so important that she had to leave you alone for almost a week?" Leo asked.
"She works in fashion, and this week is the London fashion week, she goes every year." Holly shrugged, "Usually she gets a neighbor to stay with me, but this year she figured I was old enough to stay by myself."
"And she trusts you not to have wild parties or anything?" Raph asked, "I know I would."
"Yeah!" Mikey chimed in.
"Our building has a doormen that are here 24 hours a day, she would know if I had company over."
"Is she ok with me being here?" April asked warily.
"Oh yeah, I asked her if you could come over. She likes you, and knows you won't be a bad influence on me." April snorted. Holly couldn't help but chuckle along with her. If her mother only knew.
A little while later the doorman called up on the intercom to lett her know the delivery man was there. Holly told him to let the guy up and hastily told the boys to hide in her bedroom for just a moment.
"Why? It's not like the guy can see us from here." Raph argued.
"I don't even want to risk it." Holly hissed back.
He still didn't budge. So, she stalked straight at him and grabbed him by the arm again. She spun him on his heel and started shoving him with all her strength. Mikey chuckled as he too was ushered into the other room. Holly marched him into her room, spun him back around to face her, and poked him right in the plastron.
"Stay here, or suffer the consequences." She gave him one last shove to make her point and glared at him as she backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.
"Do you have to be difficult all the time?" Leo asked exasperatedly.
"I kinda' like getting under her skin, she fights back unlike the rest of you." He admitted to them with a shrug.
Out in the hallway, Holly shook her head at April who just grinned back at her. She knew how Raph could get, but he seemed to enjoy rattling Holly more than everyone else. Well, except maybe Mikey.
Holly opened the front door to her apartment, to find a skinny college-age kid standing with a big brown bag in his hands. "Here's your food, that will be $74.13 please."
Holly pulled out $85 from her pocket and handed it to the greasy kid. "Keep the change, thank you."
"This seems like a lot of food for two chicks." He looked at them suspiciously.
"Well, I like leftovers." Holly smiled sweetly at him, and promptly closed the door on him. "Moron" she muttered to herself.
She walked back to the kitchen and placed the large bag on the counter. She almost wanted to start eating without letting the turtles out yet, but she would then be punishing Leo, Donnie, and Mikey when it was Raph who really needed the lesson. She would have to think of something that would get him back for this.
April looked up and could almost see the cogs turning in Hollys' head. "You want to get him back, don't you?"
"Oh yeah." Holly glanced at the hallway that led to her room.
"I think you and I can come up with something." April nodded encouragingly and started unloading the containers of food.
Holly walked back to her room and pushed open the door slowly. She noticed that Donnie and Leo looked a little uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?" She asked them.
The two turtles looked at each other, "We've never been in a girls room before. It just feels kind of invasive." Leo answered.
"You're fine, I have nothing embarrassing in here." She motioned for them to follow her back to the kitchen. Mikey who was sprawled on her bed, jumped up and rushed out to get his food. "Where's Raph?"
"I think he went exploring in your closet." Leo said and pointed at the only other door in the room.
Holly rushed past him and stopped just outside her walk-in closet. "Raph?" She called gently.
"Raphael?" She sang his name like a mother would to a child who was hiding.
Leo and Donnie watched her take a step in reaching for the hanging string that would turn on the light.
"You really have a ton of clothes." Raph popped out from between some of the dresses her mother had brought home from somewhere fancy, that she had never worn. Holly jumped and fell over backward back out of the closet, landing on her butt. She sprang back up and tried to grab him, but he jumped just out of reach. He chuckled to himself and she shoved him out into her room.
"I'm seriously going to get you for this." She stomped after him. From where he was, he couldn't see the smile on her face, but he could certainly hear it.
Leo and Donnie both gave their trouble-making brother a look, but let out a sigh of relief seeing that Holly wasn't really mad at him, or them.
They all shared the food between the group, everyone trying some of everything until everyone was full. There was a little left-over, so Holly boxed it up and put it in the fridge for later.
"So? What do you guys think? Pretty good, right?" Holly flopped down onto the couch between April and Leo, grabbing the remote on the way down. She clicked through the channels as they all gave their approval. They decided to watch the new episode of Leo's favorite show since it was only an hour long, and the turtles would have to go out on patrol soon anyway. Raph did grumble a little but a death glare from Holly shut him up pretty quickly. He was pushing his luck today. They settled down on the huge squishy couch and put their feet up.
During the show, April kept sneaking a peek over at Raph, she couldn't help but notice that he was spending an awful lot of time looking over at Holly. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, he always kept his feelings bottled up so tight that most of the time she had no idea what was going on inside his head. Of all the turtle boys, he was by far the hardest to get close to. Because he always put up his tough front, no one seemed to be able to get any kind of real emotional response from him.
By the time it was time for the turtles to go, it was just about midnight. and Holly really didn't want them to leave. April's aunt was already on her way over to take her home, and it would only take her ten minutes to get here. The turtles had to be gone before then just in case she wanted to chat for a moment.
"Alright guys, it's time to go." Leo got up and started toward the balcony doors. He opened the curtain just a tiny bit to make sure there was no one around to see them leave.
Donnie and Mikey were standing right behind him waiting for their orders to move. Raph, however, was standing by the girls.
"Shouldn't you be leaving?" Holly asked, blinking at Raph innocently.
"Yeah, but I just wanted to, you know." He scratched his head nervously. As soon as he realized he was doing this, his hand snapped down to his side.
"Nope, I don't have a clue." She crossed her arms and kept an amused, but confused, look on her face.
"I wanted to," he paused and hurriedly muttered "apologize."
"Oh, that's what this is. I'm actually kind of surprised that you know what one of those is." She uncrossed her arms and put them on her hips.
He pulled a sarcastic face at her, and she cracked. She laughed at him and he couldn't help but smile back.
"You're lucky I like you, or I may not be so forgiving." She took a step towards him and gently shoved him towards the doors. "Come on, we have to get you guys out of here."
She moved right next to Leo, and slid through the curtains and onward out the doors. A moment later, she poked her head in and whispered that the coast was clear. The boys darted out of the door and hopped onto the railing of the balcony and sprang up to the roof. She watched them disappear over the roof-top. For the briefest second, she could have sworn she saw a smile on Raphs face, but he was gone before she could even get in another glimpse.
She walked back inside and let out a huge sigh that made her hair flap over her eyes. April laughed as she knew exactly what she was feeling. "I'm starting to wonder if this is more trouble than it's worth." Holly noted. She knew it was, but she liked to be a little dramatic every once in a while.
April was hoping that they would get a moment alone. There was something she wanted to ask Holly that would classify as "girl talk". "What do you think of the guys?" she started, keeping it light.
"They are awesome." Holly said with a smile.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh, and what about Raph." April just had to know.
Holly looked at her friend, she knew what she was asking. She wasn't stupid after all. "You want to know if I like him, don't you?" She asked bluntly.
April just shrugged.
Holly shook her head with a smile. "I think he's not as tough as he thinks he is." She answered honestly.
"Meaning?" Pressed April.
"Meaning, that I think he has a softer side that no one really gets to see." She strategically avoided answering but knew it wouldn't work for long.
"Yeah, I got that. But you're not giving me an answer." April stated simply.
"Alright, I do like him, but I don't think it goes past friendship... At least I don't think so." There was no point in lying. "I think that we have similar personalities and, I'll admit, that I rather like arguing with him." Holly shrugged, she didn't think it was a big deal. "But will you grant me the same courtesy? What's going on with you and Donnie?"
April had a feeling that this may come up again. She wasn't sure what was going on between her and the tallest of the turtle brothers. She did like him, but she didn't know how deep it went. "I don't know." she finally gave in.
"Looks like we're in the same boat." Holly said as the intercom buzzed. Holly pushed the talk button, "Yeah?"
"Ms. O'Neil is here to pick up her niece." the doorman's voice sounded through the tiny speaker.
"Does she want to come up?" There was a pause.
"No, ma'am. She said she needs to get home."
"Alright, I'll send April down." she let go of the button, but clicked it back on for a second, "and stop calling me that!"
The girls went down to the lobby and Holly exchanged pleasantries with Aprils' aunt. After a quick conversation the two teens hugged goodbye and Holly watched as her friend drove away.
"It's nice to see you smiling for a change ma'am." The older gentleman commented.
"Thanks Bud, but call me Holly, please?" Holly replied.
"Maybe just this once, Holly." he winked at her as the elevator doors closed.
Holly returned to her apartment feeling significantly better than she had in days. She cleaned up the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed. She watched some late-night chat show until her eyelids grew heavy and she finally drifted off to sleep.
April kept quiet most of the way home, she couldn't stop thing about what she and Holly had talked about. She had known for a while that Donnie had a little crush on her, but she never really considered if she reciprocated those feelings. Yes, she thought about him quite a bit, but she thought about all the turtles all of the time.
April changed into her pajamas and turned on the radio on her night stand, it played music softly and she sat cross-legged on her bed, breathing deeply to clear her mind. After a few moments, she groaned and mushed a pillow into her face. This was hopeless, she just couldn't concentrate right now.
There was a tapping on her window and sure enough, there was Donnie, smile plastered on his face, the gap between his teeth ever-present. She smiled back at him and walked over to open the window.
"I thought you guys were going on patrol?" She asked.
"We are, we just wanted to stop by and make sure you got home ok." Donnie replied lightly.
"I didn't even walk today, you know I got a ride." She smiled at him.
"I know, but you never know with the Foot or the Kraang." He smiled back at her, a little sheepishly.
"Well, thank you. I appreciate the concern." She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm. He blushed red, and she found that she felt her cheeks burn slightly. She withdrew her hand and reached out for the handle on the window. "Good night Donnie, night guys." she said to the roof.
"Night." He waved at her and sprang back up to the roof. She watched him go before she shut the window quietly.
April sighed, no use trying to meditate now.
I just wanted to add a little note of thanks to everyone who has been so kind with their comments. I appreciate all the feedback and am glad that you're enjoying my story!
