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Chapter 18: Courage

Noelle woke up the next morning with an aching head and swollen sore eyes that made her want to remain beneath the covers all day. She felt nauseous with uneasiness because she knew she'd end up having to talk to her dad about what happened, along with being obliged to go to the police station to inform them that she was safe while somehow telling a believable story. She could easily imagine an entire landscape and paint it, but making up some credible lie was a little more challenging. Her stomach growled in protest though, so she had no choice but to get up and search for some breakfast.

The bed shifted as April sluggishly rolled over from her side and onto her stomach. The red head had stayed the night to make sure Noelle wasn't deserted with her troubling thoughts after such a stressful evening, although the blonde could barely even recall the conversation. She'd basically passed out in Mikey's arms after he'd consoled and held her for what had to be at least a half hour, his voice soothing while he'd continually reassured her that she wasn't alone. Eventually the tears had dried up and her head grew heavy as she'd leaned against him for support, his gentle rocking lulling her into a deep sleep that resulted in him having to carry her back to the guest room. She vaguely remembered hearing words exchanged between her two friends before she was tucked into the sheets, something that pertained to April keeping a watch over her.

Noelle quietly dressed herself without disturbing her slumbering friend, guilt-ridden over all the trouble that had happened around her. She could only speculate how worried her grandma was, and she was certain her dad had been informed of the issue already unless he'd simply missed the presumed phone calls. Her phone had been destroyed in the fire, along with the painting her and Mikey had created together. For some reason, the thought of their picture burning upset her much more than losing her phone, clothing, and even art supplies, though imagining all her her pencils and paints being reduced to ash made it feel like a knife was being twisted in her heart. Her and Mikey's picture was the first time she'd ever felt true happiness, and now it was gone.

"He said we'd make another one. Your life is more important," she admonished herself with a shake of her head. Noelle made her way through the dim room before reaching the door handle and twisting it open. It was only about eight thirty in the morning so she was certain that only Master Splinter and maybe Leo were awake, either drinking tea or meditating together as they did on a daily basis. She was surprised to see that all four brothers were actually awake.

Mikey's face broke into a grin when he saw her up and doing okay. He eagerly waved her over so she could sit next to him while everybody else politely greeted her. She'd only just seated herself when Donnie placed a cup of steaming coffee in front of her, made just the way she liked it.

"Figured you could use some," the intelligent reptile stated with a tired smile as he sat back down and took a sip of his own caffeinated beverage, rings evident beneath his auburn eyes from staying up all night. He suddenly pulled out a T-Phone and handed it to her. "Here you go. Since your other one was destroyed I just made you a new one, and this one has the alarm features too."

She nodded slowly with red cheeks, overcome with gratitude towards his kindness. "Thank you so much Donnie, and I'm really sorry. Hopefully you won't need to make me another one."

"Pfft, D makes them, like, all the time for us," Mikey gleefully chirped in. "You have any idea how many times Raph and Casey have broken their phones?"

"Only because Casey is an idiot," the red-banded brother scoffed. "Can't keep that guy outta trouble."

"I'll second that," April sleepily added on with a yawn as she rubbed her eyes and dragged her feet into the kitchen. "Jones is the very definition of trouble." She sat down between Donnie and Leo and nodded at both of them. "Morning guys."

"Good morning April and Noelle." Splinter smiled politely at the two girls before he glanced at the quiet blonde. He'd been extremely worried about her and what she was going through for somebody at such a young age. He was only grateful that his sons had found her before it was too late. "Noelle, what are you planning to do today? Will you be contacting your father?"

She nodded, hiding her worried face behind her cup as she sipped the hot liquid. "I need to call dad and make sure he knows I'm okay, and I'll try to tell him and my grandma what happened without giving anything away." She sighed and set the mug back down gently. "I'm just worried about what they'll say. I don't know where dad and I are going to live now, so Uncle Nick might have to help me out."

Leo cleared his throat to draw everybody's attention. "You know, if Master Splinter is okay with it, then you could just live here. You probably shouldn't be staying by yourself up there after everything that's happened."

"I agree. You are much safer down here than on the surface right now. I will inform the school about your circumstances and see if they can send your homework over here with April, but only if you are comfortable in doing so."

Noelle considered her options carefully before she hesitantly nodded. She hated to once again have the Hamato clan care for her, but she didn't see what other choice she had. There was a high probability that if she stayed at her Uncle's house then whoever had attempted to kill her might go after the rest of her family as well. She was frustrated with constantly having people look out after her, not to mention that these Kraang creatures or Shredder seemed unwilling to give her a break.

Regardless of how much she enjoyed living with her underground family, it didn't change the fact that her dad was essentially homeless while she had a place to stay. "I don't mind, and I'm extremely grateful, but I'm really worried about my dad. Do you think he'll be alright?"

Mikey placed a hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Your dad is probably one tough dude, so I'm sure he'll totally be fine."

"And besides," Donnie contributed, "most adults in his age group and career choice should have some sort of backup account available with enough substantial funds to easily at least afford some apartment. He'll have adequate living quarters."

'Thank you Dr. Nerdstein," Raph grumbled with an eye roll.

As she studied the helpless expression on her friend's face, April was pulled back to the time she'd also been forced to temporarily give up her normal daily life in order to hide away in the sewers while her dad remained imprisoned and her life in jeopardy. That was obviously no longer the case anymore, as she'd become a much stronger fighter and Kirby had eventually been rescued. Even though he was once again missing, she still felt confident and safe enough to remain on the surface in her aunt's home. Noelle didn't really have that luxury at the moment, so April could understand quite well what it felt like to be trapped and deemed incapable of protecting herself from future attacks. She was on the guys' side this time, mainly due to the fact that the blonde girl had already been in a situation that could've cost her her life, but also because Noelle was still improving her skills. The brothers didn't view Noelle as helpless, but were clearly protective and didn't want her to feel like she was jeopardizing her family just by being around them. If there was ever a group of people that would fight hard to keep the person they loved safe, then there wasn't a better family than the Hamato Clan.

Noelle's phone suddenly went off, disturbing the momentary reticent atmosphere with a jolting ring. Eyebrows knit with confusion, she glanced at the caller ID and instantaneously felt goosebumps spread across her skin while her stomach twisted itself repeatedly in anxious knots. She timidly eyed her friends, ashamed at just how uneasy she would be to take the call by herself. "I-it's my dad."

"You may answer it in here if you feel more comfortable in doing so," Splinter kindly suggested. "We will be silent."

With a deep breath that still didn't seem to calm her racing heart, she shakily raised the phone to her ear and nervously swallowed. "Hi dad."

"Noelle! What the heck happened?! I've been trying to call you all night but your phone just went straight to voicemail. How did my house catch on fire?! Explain!"

She cringed at his emphatic yelling. It was rare he raised his voice to her, but this had to be the angriest she'd ever heard him. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Raph heatedly glaring at the boisterous tone. "Somebody set the house on fire while I was home, and I think it was the person who took mom away." She honestly didn't know if that was true or not, but it at least seemed believable. "My friends saved me so I'm staying with them right now. I'm so sorry that happened dad. I really am."

"Funny how all this stuff happened after you moved in. Thanks to whatever issues you and Savannah have, I've lost all my projects. I've been working on some of those for a few months, and now they're ruined because some idiots decided to go after you. I can't take this anymore. Just stay with your friends. You're their problem now."

The line clicked before it emitted a dial tone that was silenced by trembling fingers. Noelle began to breathe heavily as her heart pounded powerfully against her rib cage and tears filled her eyes. Everybody was staring at her with a stunned or angry expression on their face, and all of them were in absolute disbelief. Even Mikey looked livid over how Felix had just spoken so harshly towards his daughter, because for some reason her nearly dying in the fire just wasn't as important to him as all his stupid projects were. It was incomprehensible.

The distraught girl got to her feet on wobbly legs before she gradually walked out of the kitchen like she was trapped in some sort of trance. Mikey stood up to go after her, but April shook her head and held a hand out to stop him. "You did your part last night, so now it's my turn. I think I might be able to help her out a little more."

The youngest turtle realized that the redhead was right; if anybody in the room could relate to Noelle then it was definitely April. He nodded in appreciation and sat back down with a hopeful smile. "Just make sure she feels better, okay?"

"I promise," April reassured him, and then briskly left the room to search for her friend. Mikey's smile faded at the thought of Noelle once again crying and feeling alone.

Raph all but threw down his stool as he got to his feet and cracked his knuckles, his eyes glaring brightly with fury. "What a jerk! Who does that guy think he is?! I swear, if I see him I'm going to shove my foot right up his-"

"Raphael! Control your temper. Even though Noelle has been through a great deal, she is still much stronger than you think. All we can do is offer her our support when she needs it, otherwise she will never gain the strength to keep pushing forward. Although he may not act like it, this man is still the father of her, so he must not be harmed."

"We can't wait any longer," Leo stated with frustration. "We need to put an end to all this or things will just get worse. Let's head up to the surface and see if we can find any clues as to where the Kraang are hiding. Are you guys in?"

"Heck yes son!" Mikey exclaimed with a grin. "Let's go kick some Kraang boo-tay!"

Donnie headed towards his lab. "I just need to grab a few things."

Splinter was still uncomfortable with his students going up to the surface during the day, but Leo was right. Time was passing quickly and with little progress; it was time to move forward a few steps. "Be careful, my sons."

"Hai Sensei!"

[][][]

April gently knocked on the bedroom door before she pushed it open, her heart sinking when she saw Noelle laying on the bed with her right cheek pressed against the pillow and a blank stare in her eyes. Trails of hot tears slid down her reddened face as she lifted her head up. "April?"

The redhead sighed while she seated herself on the bed and pulled her friend into a hug. "Oh Noelle. I'm so sorry that happened. It wasn't right for him to talk to you like that."

Noelle bit her lower lip as her swollen eyes stung with fresh tears. "I feel pathetic. I don't like crying to much and being a baby."

"Don't. You're an amazing person."

"I just..."Noelle sat up and wiped her face to prevent herself from looking even more like a mess,"...I feel like there's a reason why my parents don't like me, and I'm scared that I'll never get mom back and that dad wouldn't have cared if I'd died as long as his proj-"

"Stop." April squeezed the blonde's hands as she spoke firmly. "We were all worried about you, even Raph. Mikey made me promise to take care of you because of how upset he was that this happened. It was terrifying for all of us to think that we'd lost you, so don't you dare think that nobody would care."

Noelle didn't like the idea that they'd been troubled, especially Mikey. He was such a cheerful person that the idea of him being frightened caused her heart to sink. "I'm really sorry that you all went through that."

"But it's not your fault. None of this is, and that's why it's so awful." April softened her voice. "When the guys accidentally turned my dad into a giant bat creature, I was wrongfully angry at them. I gave them the cold shoulder and refused to talk to them, which I know really hurt Donnie. We made up, obviously, but to this day I still feel terrible about how harsh I was towards them. It was just an accident, and I think that maybe your dad is reacting similarly because he's just overwhelmed that he lost what he's worked so hard for. I'm not saying it's right that he talked to you like that, but it might soften the blow a little. All we can do is hope that he'll come around, but even if he doesn't you still have a family here."

A smile gradually crept onto Noelle's face as she realized that her friend was right. The turtles and Splinter had proven to be more of a family to her than her actual family. Sure, she had her grandma, aunt, uncle and cousin, but when it came to her parents, they just weren't in the picture. She didn't have the same happiness and energy around them like she did with the Hamato clan. Instead of pitying herself, she would count her blessings.

[][][]

Two long hours had passed by, and there still wasn't any sign or indication that the Kraang had been hanging around a certain part of town. Donnie had sent out one of his camera-carrying cockroaches, much to Raph's horror, down to random abandoned buildings to sneak beneath shut doors and show whether there was any sort of activity taking place. Unfortunately, the operation hadn't been successful successful so far.

"What are we going to do about Noelle?" Donnie asked as he set his small pet towards a desolate old car garage. "She lost everything, so she'll need clothes and other basic necessities in order to live with us."

Raph hopped back from the crawling bug with a grossed-out expression on his face. He only let out his breath when the disgusting creature was off the roof and out of sight. "Doesn't April's aunt make clothes or something? Maybe she can help."

"That's a lot of clothing to make, and we can't just expect her to do it for free. The only other thing I can think of is maybe Noelle has some spare clothes at her mom's place." Leo frowned at the problem, his eyes briefly glancing towards the monitor on Donnie's wrist to make sure nothing had been spotted before he turned to face Mikey, who was laying on the ground with his feet spread out. "Mikey, do you remember if she left any clothes at her apartment?"

"Uh, I think so," he responded without tearing his gaze away from the game he was playing on his phone. "Probably. I mean, we can just go later, right?"

"Then you better mean later and not when you feel like it. I can go with you while April and Casey go out and buy her whatever she needs."

Donnie frowned when his minuscule spy returned to his palm without any helpful information. "Well, guess this is another dud. Might as well call it a day and head back. I'll research some possible hiding spots and add them to my notes for when we do this again."

"About time," Raph grumbled, anxious to get away from the vile cockroach. Just as he was about to hurry off he noticed his little brother nonchalantly getting to his feet with a frown on his face. "Something up Mikey?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking that Noelle doesn't have the wooden thing she uses to paint on anymore. She's probably sad without it."

"Oh, you mean an easel," Donnie clarified.

"Yeah, that thing."

"Well..."Leo folded his arms over his chest and tapped a foot as he thought about a solution. "...I suppose we could always just make her another one. It shouldn't be too difficult. We'll figure it out when we get back." He turned to leave while the others followed, but Mikey couldn't help frowning over the fact that Noelle had lost all her art supplies. That would be like him not being able to eat pizza!

The mere thought of such a catastrophe made his eye involuntarily twitch.

[][][]

Things had gone about just as smoothly with the police as Noelle predicted. The cops had automatically assumed that she somehow had been the cause of the fire and were very skeptical of her story. The only thing that saved her from panicking was April stating that they had been hanging out at her aunt's house. She'd stared the officers right in eye while using her stubborn voice to prove she wasn't messing around. Eventually Noelle was able to go, but she felt the officers glaring daggers at her back as she walked out.

"The police were like that to me too when dad when I went to them after dad was kidnapped, but that was mostly because I stupidly told them aliens had played a role. I mean, I would've looked at me like I was an idiot too," April explained with her hands shoved deeply into her coat pockets. The temperature had decreased rapidly within the past 48 hours, bringing about clouds that promised future snow flurries and freezing nights. Nearby cars honked impatiently.

"I'm sorry. I guess it's just hard for them to believe something so abnormal could happen."

"Probably hard to explain without some sort of proof," April agreed.

The girls walked only a little more, eventually turning down a side street that led them to the front of Nick's house. Noelle took a deep breath before she went up the stairs and knocked on the door, uncertain of what to expect from her family. She clenched and unclenched her fingers while her heart sped up with anticipation and she bit her lower lip, turning her head only briefly to see her friend confidently smiling. She returned her attention to the door when she heard the click of a lock.

The door was swung open by a young girl with brown hair that had been styled into a bobcut with bangs. Her hazel eyes widened when she saw Noelle standing in the doorway, and immediately ran to give her older cousin a hug. "Noelle! You're okay!"

"Hi Ella. I'm so sorry," Noelle apologized as she returned the embrace, the stinging feeling of guilt cutting through her like a fresh wound. She patted the twelve year-old's head affectionately before she pulled away and gestured to April over her shoulder. "April, this is my cousin Ella. Ella, this is my friend April."

The red head grinned and walked forward to hold out her hand. "Hey! Nice to meet ya!"

Ella was a friendly girl, so she shook the offered hand and smiled shyly. "Nice to meet you too." She grabbed her cousin's wrist and pulled her into the house while April followed close behind. "Grandma and mom are in the kitchen. They're both really worried about you."

All three girls walked past the living room and into the dining room. It was a lot more spacious than Felix's had been, complete with a wider table and multiple counters that had been wiped clean. Sandra sat adjacently to Melanie, who had hair that was a darker shade than Ella's, but the hazel eyes were identical. Both ladies glanced up in shock when Noelle entered, her wrist still clasped affectionately by Ella.

"Oh thank God!" Melanie hurriedly set her cup of coffee down to stand up and hug her niece. "Where have you been? We've been sick with worry!"

Noelle felt her throat tighten up over how terrified her family was for her safety. "I'm so sorry. I-"

"Now, now, sit," Sandra gently urged from her seat, her hands shaking as she patted the open chair beside her. "You seem to have much to say."

"And who is this?" Melanie asked when she finally noticed April standing behind her niece.

"Oh, aunt Melanie, this is my good friend April. She's been very supportive to me since everything happened."

"How nice," Melanie responded with a warm smile. "You girls go ahead and sit down. Is there anything I can get you both to drink?"

April shook her head as she shrugged off her coat. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Can I join you guys?" Ella innocently smiled up at her mother. "I'll be quiet."

Sandra nodded her head even though her daughter-in-law seemed hesitant. "You're quite alright. Go ahead and stay." With a gleeful grin the young girl plopped down at the end of the table and eagerly waited for the conversation to start, happy to be included among the "adults".

Sensing that everybody was waiting for her to speak, Noelle deeply exhaled before her eyes fell to the table to avoid the inevitable disturbed expressions. "I'm, uh, well, going t-to tell you something different than what I told the police." Melanie sharply inhaled in alarm but remained silent. "I was painting in my room at dad's house when I smelled smoke. I looked downstairs and saw fire, so I called my friends for help. They eventually came and rescued me but my phone was destroyed with the house so I didn't have a way to reach out to anybody."

Sandra reach out and placed a hand on her granddaughter's arm. "Oh hunny, were you hurt? Why didn't you call the fire department?"

Noelle nervously swallowed over how tricky things were about to become. "My friend Donnie had a gas mask with him so he was able to clear my lungs right away, but I do have some cuts and bruises. Nothing serious. I didn't call 911 because there was already an alarm system in my phone that would contact the brothers right away. They saved my life."

Melanie furrowed her brows together. "Who are these friends of yours, and what makes them more capable of rescuing you than the fire department?"

"Are these the same people who are helping you find your mother?" Sandra added on.

"Yes grandma They, um, well..." Noelle glanced at April for some sort of help. She hated to put the redhead on the spot like that, but she really didn't have a clue on what to say that wouldn't give away the turtles' identity.

Fortunately, the freckled girl was quick with catching on. "They're highly-skilled fighters who have been immensely supportive not only to Noelle, but me as well. They're an amazing group of guys who have helped a lot of people. They've basically made the both of us feel like part of the family."

"They sound super cool!" Ella chimed in with her elbows propped on the table. "Can we meet them?"

"That sounds like a good idea to me."

"Hunny, who are these people?"

Fear churned in Noelle's stomach as her and April exchanged apprehensive glances. How could they possibly explain to three normal humans that they were friends with mutant ninja turtles who lived in a sewer? It seemed like the girls had been backed into a corner without a way out, but the truth was out of the question, and half-lies could only do so much.

"I can ask them." That was the only thing Noelle could think to say. "They aren't very sociable people though."

Her aunt didn't seem convinced. "It won't kill them to come up and properly introduce themselves. We're all starting to get really scared with these incidents. Maybe you should call the police-"

"They won't believe her. My dad was taken too and the cops thought I was crazy. The same people who took my dad are the ones who kidnapped her mom and trust me when I say they aren't regular people." April stood up and slid her coat back on. "I apologize for interrupting you, and I know you all want answers, but something will happen soon to stop all this. Until then, please be patient because we're doing the best we can."

"And what does your father think about all this?" Sandra directed at Noelle with concerned eyes.

Sensing her dejected mood, the redhead placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder for support. "He-he told me that I wasn't his problem anymore." As Noelle repeated the harsh words thrown at her earlier, she realized that she wasn't just heartbroken over her dad's refusal to help her, but she was also a little angry. It was extremely rare for her to feel mad at anything, but she was just so tired of trying to get his love and approval only to get repeatedly tossed to the side like she didn't matter. Mikey had helped her see that she wasn't some terrible unwanted person who didn't deserve to be loved or have friends, and it wasn't right for her parents to treat her like she was. She swallowed away the knot that had climbed into her throat and stood up alongside April. "I'm going to live with my friends and work together to rescue mom. They make me really happy and have helped me better myself. I just need you all to believe in me, p-please."

Sandra observed just how far her granddaughter had come. She'd had her doubts about these strangers, but somehow she just knew she could trust them with Noelle. To see such determination on the teen's face brought about hope that she hadn't felt in a long time. "You have my support hunny. Shame on your daddy for not seeing what a wonderful daughter he has." She smiled as Noelle gave her a tight hug and whispered her thanks.

Ella grinned in admiration at her cousin before she turned her attention to her astonished mom. "Mom, I think she can bring Aunt Savannah home, so let's believe in her too, okay?"

Melanie sighed in defeat prior to peering seriously into April's eyes, where she strictly held her gaze. "I'm entrusting my niece to you. I won't call the cops right now, but if I even sense she's being mistreated or taken advantage of, I won't hesitate to do so and bring her here. So please, take good care of her. She's a good kid."

April nodded and smiled. "You have my word. We'll even keep you updated."

"Thank you." The brunette stood and reached out to pull Noelle into another embrace. "I love you. Be safe, please?"

The blonde nodded against her aunt's shoulder, experiencing more confidence than she'd ever felt before. She'd make things right again, and she wouldn't be alone.

[][][]

The girls arrived back at the lair in high spirits and with pizza boxes stacked on their hands. Casey had promised to show up later, and April once more had to call Irma and apologize for skipping out on eating at a gluten-free restaurant with her again. The bespectacled girl had talked the redhead into movie night on Tuesday, leaving April no choice but to say yes so she didn't feel like she was continually ditching her friend. Noelle was still indifferent about Irma, but a part of her hoped that she'd get to go to the movies or out to eat with them one day too.

The boys had only arrived back moments before, all gathered in Donnie's lab as he put thumbtacks into random spots on the giant map of New York he had taped to his wall. Three red tacks had already been pinned into the paper next to at least a hundred other tiny holes from earlier missions. The lanky turtle stuck his tongue out in concentration while he considered the next spot. Raph and Leo argued over possible hideaways to suggest, completely oblivious to Mikey standing around and playing games on his phone again. It was the usual commotion that made Noelle feel at home.

"Lunch time!" April announced as she tauntingly held the boxes out for the boys to smell. Their pupils dilated and drool began sliding down all their chins at the mention of their favorite dish.

"Sah-weet!" Mikey bolted right up to Noelle and snatched a slice out of the box. He stuffed the piece right into his mouth and began pulling the blonde by her shirt sleeve into the living room with his greasy hands. The teens had settled down on the floor while they contently ate their meal, their good moods only increasing when Casey walked in with 24 cans of various soda. Noelle happily basked in the pleasant atmosphere, only feeling her smile disappear when she ate her final slice of pizza. She had an idea, but the thought of doing it alone really made her nervous. She had the right to say something though, and she knew who she wanted at her side when it happened.

"Mikey?"

The energetic terrapin shoved in his fifth slice of the delicious food and gazed at the blonde while sauced stained his lips and chin, uncaring of the mess on his face."Yeah?"

She smiled and handed him a napkin. "There's something on your mouth."

"Is there?" He stuck his tongue out to lick what he could off the lower part of his mouth before he wiped the rest off and emitted a loud burp that set her in giggles while his brothers rolled their eyes. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome. I, well, I actually was hoping you could be there for me when I make a phone call later. I wanted to talk to my...to my dad."

His lips widened into a smile as he patted her shoulder and nodded. "You got it."

[][][]

They leaned against his bed in companionable silence, her fingers apprehensively tapping the blank phone screen as she suddenly felt nauseous with worry. "I don't know if I can do this."

"You can," Mikey encouraged while he tucked his legs into each other. "I know it's scary and stuff, but I'm here with ya. Girl, you've got this." He gave her a wide grin and she felt some of fear ease away. She nodded, brought the contact screen up, and tapped her father's name.

She waited with bated breath as the phone rang four times before going to voice mail, leaving her rather relieved about not having to speak to him so soon after earlier discussion. She decided to just leave the message, hoping that he would listen to it over and over again and take what she had to say seriously.

"Hi dad, it's me. I thought about what you said to me earlier, about me not being your problem anymore, and I...I just wanted to say that it was very hurtful." Angry tears filled her eyes, and this time she allowed them to fall. "I don't know why you think I'm such a burden or hate me so much, but I think it's awful that you treat me like I'm a nuisance instead of your daughter. I miss mom and you don't even care if I'm around or not. I've always been alone and sad but nobody noticed or cared, so I'm going to make your wish come true and stay away from you for as long as you want. I love you." She clicked the end button and nearly dropped the phone on the floor as her arms shook.

"Hey, it's okay," Mikey whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. He could feel her heart racing as she anxiously sucked in air and whimpered against his plastron. "I am so, so proud of you."

"I-I'm being pathetic again," Noelle managed to say between heavy sobs. She covered her face, ashamed that she had already cried twice that day after already bawling the night before. No matter what April said, the idea of continually going to somebody for support made her feel like a useless burden. She hoped that maybe if she cried enough now, then perhaps she wouldn't so much during the following days. Her shaking began to calm down as he rubbed her upper back and pulled her in closer, making her feel safe and protected.

"You know what I think?" Mikey gently tilted Noelle's head up so she was looking him right in the eyes. "I think that one day you're going to have your moment and prove to the world that you've come a long way. I'll smile and be super proud because you're that awesome, and then I'll laugh at everybody who didn't treat you like the great person you are." He wiped a tear off her face and playfully bonked his forehead against hers with a grin.

"Do you really think that will happen?" she asked with a shy smile on her face. "If so, then I can't wait to make you proud."

His heart skipped a beat and he blushed. Somehow, he didn't think puberty was the right word for what he was going through.