Chapter 02 - Day One
Lunch period arrived without incident—much to Leonardo's relief. Despite how the eldest Hamato dreaded leaving Michelangelo alone, his baby brother had kept as controlled as Donatello in their classes. At least, that's what he claimed during the last break. Now if only he could say the same thing about Raphael…
"Must you sleep through so many lectures?" Leo questioned. His sidelong glance was set on his brother and he withheld a sigh as the duo exited their classroom.
The tan teen shrugged before heading down the crowded hall then slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Maybe if the teachers weren't so dull I wouldn't feel compelled ta close my eyes."
"What's the point of enrolment if you aren't going to make the most of it?" Leo frowned when Raph shrugged again.
"Think they'll serve anything good for lunch? My stomach's killin' me."
"Can't you ever be serious where it matters?"
"Yeah; 'cuz I totally need ta be on guard when a two-hundred pound nerd is goin' on 'n on about John Adams."
"We were talking about Jefferson."
"John. Jeff. Whatever."
Leo scowled, rounding a water fountain while catching his brother's half-lidded gaze. "You told Sensei you'd treat this opportunity with respect."
"Get off my case, Fearless."
"No"—Leonardo picked up his pace so it matched Raphael's—"I won't let you squander this chance. Do you know the trouble our father went through to get us this far? Do you even care?"
"What makes ya think I don't?"
"Actions are telling."
"Whatever. Ya're wrong—as usual. I just don't see how knowin' the life of a bunch 'a dead guys is gunna help us become stronger warriors."
"Is that why you think we're here?" Raph glanced away, so Leo finally released his sigh then slowed his speed. "What did you expect?" he continued.
"I don't know," the hothead answered, stoic.
"School isn't the streets. Or a fight club. We have a chance to train our bodies at home, but here? Here, we're meant to train our minds."
"Guess I was hopin' for a little more."
"Like what?"
Raphael snarled and before Leonardo could press for answers, a metallic clap brought his attention to the lockers that lined the hallway. There, a slender redhead in leather and a tattooed Hispanic crowded a hunched figure on the ground. Leo barely recognized them from class, though their names escaped him. His eyes lingered on the dragon emblem sewed into the duo's jackets before returning to the quivering teen that Amanda shoved.
"Where is it, Harrison?"
Harrison glanced up from the ground, revealing wide black eyes below his shaggy bangs. How strange. If he glared properly, his broad physique and strong features could out-shine Raph's intimidation. Yet he flinched under the scrutiny of people half his size.
"Damn punks," Raphael spat, growling.
"Raph, don't," Leo countered. He placed a hand on the hothead's chest and fought the urge to look back when Harrison stuttered a weak protest.
"It ain't right, Leo!"
"Stop." Glancing around to ensure no passing student paid them any mind, the older brother added, "I hate it too. But we can't risk an outburst."
"I can control myself."
"You say that a lot."
"So ya're just gunna—"
"You three are blocking my locker."
'Wait…I know that voice as well.'
Almost masculine, how could Leo forget the listless hum that he'd mistaken as a guy's not one class ago? The Junior rotated on his sneaker until he saw the young woman responsible for the group's pause: a stern-looking athletic figure whose copper-red hair was twisted into dreadlocks around her patch-work sweater.
"Who's the cave woman?" Raph muttered.
"You slept through that as well?" Leo asked.
Raph returned his older brother's frown with a vacant expression. "Slept through what?"
"Can't ya see we're busy here, Gray?" The first redhead spoke in a sweet tone, pouting as she flipped her straight hair over her shoulder. Leo found the motion pointless and silly; her hair was too short to stay there.
"And I care?" Gray countered. She snorted—a deep sound—then stepped towards Harrison. He didn't cower below her, though. In fact, his mouth twitched into a smile that she overlooked. "Call your dog off, Livino," she said towards the Hispanic bully. "Hall knows this one's mine."
"You know how she can get," Livino replied with a crooked smirk.
"And I am no dog!" When Hall sneered, her gothic make-up offered little flattery, and she stomped her boot before poking Gray in the arm. "Ya can't have them all, ya know. One of these days, the PD's will take a stand."
"But not today. Not on school territory."
Livino chuckled as Hall's words turned to angry gibberish. She spun on her heel, leading the way for her companion to follow down the otherwise empty corridor. Leo noted a grin the Hispanic sent his way, but had no clue as to why. He rubbed a faint scale patch under his shirt collar then brought his attention back on Harrison once Raphael shifted.
"Th—thanks, Melody," Harrison said softly. Again, he smiled, though Gray ignored the sincerity, pushing his large figure aside with her leg so she could open her locker.
"Do you have my homework?" she asked in a flat tone.
Leo shared a look with Raph.
"Y—yes," Harrison replied. "B—but, uh…"
"But what?" Gray slammed her locker shut, having traded one book for another. From what Leo could read on its cover, he noted it was irrelevant to their next scheduled class. Or any high school class, for that matter.
"You're smart," Harrison started. "Really smart. I've been doing your homework for months now, and I just—I, uh"—the frazzled teen shifted through his backpack on the floor, producing several messy papers—"I don't get why you need me."
"I don't have time for every little thing," Gray responded as she snatched the papers away. After a brief glanced over them, she turned.
Only to come face-to-face with the eldest Hamato brothers. Leonardo met her blue gaze, squaring his shoulder in instinct. 'Wait; don't look hostile. We aren't here to make more enemies.'
"What are ya lookin' at?" Raphael snapped.
Leo almost face-palmed. "Raph, we're in her way."
"We see all that, an' that's all ya can say, Fearless?" The tall teen scoffed at the approaching young woman, and Leo jabbed an elbow into his brother's side—a warning against the yellow glow that ignited his narrowed eyes.
"What did you see?" asked Gray, straight-faced.
"A bully bullyin' other bullies." Raph replied so lowly, his Brooklyn drawl almost butchered his words.
Yet Gray lifted her hooked nose without missing a beat, studying the dark-haired male that she stood eye level with. "You have an obtuse view, Red. Don't fake understanding. And don't get involved, either. I have things handled."
"Handled?" Leo spoke indignantly, so the moment Gray faced him, he had no choice except continue. "Would the principle agree?"
"You have no material worthy of a report. No one was hit, were they?"
"Doesn't make it right."
"Life isn't right," the redhead snarled. Her jaw tensed under Leo's furrowed brows and she cut off his chance for further comments by scoffing. "You think the real world is any different? It's worse. So suck it up, and look the other way like everyone else."
Wordless, Gray brushed past the Hamato brothers. Raph attempted to stop her before Leo interfered. The eldest shook his head, despite Raph's glare, then turned towards the lockers. They were now completely vacant, Harrison nowhere in sight.
"If I'm gunna have ta put up wit' that shit for two years," Raphael snarled, "I ain't gunna last."
Leonardo chocked back a reply; he would only agree, even when he knew he shouldn't…
Raphael stabbed several chicken nuggets with a fork, finding their firmness as nauseating as Michelangelo's babble. He grimaced at the pitiful meal then glanced up from his cafeteria tray to the blonde across the table.
"Dudes, I never knew art class could be so much fun!" Mikey gushed. Thankfully, he sunk back into his bench seat (with help from Fearless) and deflated onto the tabletop dramatically. Good; his spiel was over before Raph knew it began.
"Glad you're enjoying yourself," Leo said with a hand on the youngest's shoulder.
The orange-clad teen sprung to life in a split second, his grin widening. "This has been one of the best days ever. And it isn't even over!"
"Please"—Raph snorted—"all we've done is sit around."
"You haven't made any friends?"
"Like you have?" Raph raised his fork, the nugget still attached, so he could wave it in Mikey's freckled face when he leaned over the table.
Mikey puffed his chest out below his hoodie, capturing the nugget with his lips and chewing while saying, "Weren't you listening? I've met several fun people. Way funner than you, Raphy."
"No one's more fun than me," the second eldest grumbled.
"'Funner' isn't an actual word, Mikey," Donatello interjected.
"Give me a break; I haven't gone to my spelling class yet."
The curly-haired brunette paused from eating his salad, his eyes pained for some reason. "There are no spelling classes in high school."
"Then I'm in trouble."
"Mikey"—Leo's stern tone cut off the blonde's chuckle—"you've remained controlled…right?"
"Of course, of course, of course!" Mikey said in one quick breath. He stole another one of Raph's nuggets, nearly choking on it when he tossed it in his mouth.
Raphael flashed his flailing form a smirk. "See what ya get for scarfin' down food?"
"You aren't one to talk about food scarfing," Don muttered towards his meal. Judging by his dead tone, Raph would assume his brother's eating habits disgusted him. As if; Mikey was the worst of the four.
"You mean you haven't slipped up once?" Leo added. He straightened beside Raphael, whose head fell into his hands as he pushed his food tray aside.
Mikey was quick to capture the plastic piece. "Seriously, Leo," he said while assimilating Raph's meal with his. "I've made good impressions. Like, this guy named Raven helped me find my classroom because he was in World History too. I think you'd like him; he was very OCD and anal about how I organized my desk. Even did the same face twitch thing you do. Yeah, like that!"
Sniggering, the youngest Hamato slung an arm around Leonardo, whose displeased face followed his moves like a grouchy lion. "Then in Earth Science I meet Tabitha and Sven. They were building things out of our materials, and I couldn't resist."
"In oddah words, ya imposed on 'em."
Mikey glared at Raph with unintimidating baby blues.
"So long as you haven't used your powers, I guess it's okay," Leo noted.
"Come on, Raphy Boy here will snap before I do."
"Shut it, Cheese-for-Brains!"
"Ya gotta get new material, Bro."
"Raph."
Raphael snapped his gaze towards his older brother, confused by his cold voice and pressed lips. "What, Fearless?"
"It's day one and you're already letting your temper get the upper hand."
"Am not."
"Your eyes are glowing. Again."
"Can't help it." Scoffing, Raph rubbed his eyes, which felt hot against his palms. "I'm still pissed about earlier."
"What happened earlier?"
"Nothing," Leo said over Mikey. The youngest blinked, glancing between his two eldest brothers.
Since Leo kept quiet, Raph risked glancing up. "We came across some bullies, but Fearless made sure we didn't do anythin' about 'em."
"Re—really?" Donny asked, his straight brows raised.
"We aren't the authorities, Raph," Leonardo remarked.
"We still should'a done something."
"You just want an excuse to punch something."
"Why would I need one with ya right beside me?"
"Uh"—Don's timid tone cut through Leo and Raph's glaring contest—"what exactly happened?"
"Two punks in leather jackets were threatenin' some big guy."
"And you didn't make friends with them?"
"Not funny, Mikey," Raph growled towards the brazen blonde. "The big guy didn't defend himself at all."
"Fighting obviously isn't in his nature," Leo added. "My guess is that he's been picked on his whole school career."
"So you just…watched?"
"See? Even Mike's disappointed, Fearless."
"Someone else interfered." The eldest spoke with his pointy chin raised and fists clenched on the crowded table. "It turned out alright."
"Really? That cave woman extorted homework from the guy!"
"In a non-violent manner."
"Are ya serious?"
"Is it really any different than what you're going to make Donny do for you? And don't lie, I know you will."
The hothead swore his head would explode. Leo's controlled expression literally boiled his body. The hand he once held against his head slammed against the table as he stood, though its slap hardly registered in the noisy cafeteria. Fearless had the nerve to shake his head, like Raph were nothing more than a child, and every ounce of frustration collected at his palm then spread outwards.
"So much for Sensei's teachin's about defendin' the weak," he spat.
"Don't twist this around to suit your desires, Raphael," Leo countered.
"Someone was in trouble; we didn't help."
"In the end, we didn't need to."
"An' if somethin' like that happens again?"
"You'll stay out of it." Eyes narrowed, the eldest lowered his voice. "In order to keep a low profile, to keep our promise to Sensei, yo'[ll stay out of it."
"Fuck you!" With a growl, Raph flipped over the nearest food tray. Several strands of melted plastic stuck to him when it collected at the table's center, but he ignored it and whirled until an exit was spotted.
He heard Leonardo grumble "Day one" from behind. Not like it mattered. Raph was certain Fearless would complain about the following days as well. He always had something to complain about.
