"Weirdo Magnet"

"Freak"

"Creepy girl"

"Oh-No O'Neil"

"April the Fool"

"That weird girl"

April was pretty sure she had heard it all. All those 'wonderful' nicknames her friends acquaintances had given her since starting high school. Okay, maybe it actually started around middle school, but it doesn't matter. It wasn't that bad really. Just some too-loud whispers she overheard in the hallway, and every now and again there'd be a snide comment. Nothing too annoying.

And yeah, April sat alone at lunch every day whenever Sunita wasn't visiting her, but hey, at least she had Barry's antics whenever someone insulted his cooking to amuse her. Could be worse.

She could've ended up with Dale in her lunch period. April shuddered at the thought. He was sweet, but in an over-the-top way that rubbed her the wrong way.

The teenage girl was just grateful she had her bots to text throughout the day. Things could be better, but they could also be worse, so you wouldn't be hearing April complain.

Much.

"And then he had the nerve to say I'm the weird one," April ranted to Leo, who was always up for some gossip over the phone during lunch period. "Puh-leaze. Wish Sunita was here. At least she'd have backed me up."

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?"

"Sorry, sorry," April apologized, a fond smile tugging at her lips. "Of course I have you and the guys, I just meant someone here at school. 'Sides Barry, but he won't be backing me up in any arguments anytime soon."

"Yeah no, he's too busy pushing people off roofs," Leo replied, drawing a laugh from April.

"You ever gonna let that go?" April asked amusedly.

"Nope. Can't believe he hasn't been fired yet."

"I think people are too scared to fire the guy," April admitted as she heard a soft ping go off. She pulled the phone from her ear to see an Instagram notification telling her she had a new DM. She absentmindedly listened to Leo ramble about how bad of a guy Barry was as she opened the app, curious to see who was messaging her.

She recognized the username as one belonging to a classmate from her Geometry class and wondered if maybe they needed help with the homework. But once April opened the messages, her heart sank.

'Poor little freak'

'Acting like you're on the phone just so you can pretend you have friends'

'How pathetic'

"Hello? You still there, April?" The concern in Leo's voice pulled April's attention away from the rude messages.

"Heh, sorry Leo. Classmate texted me for help on tonight's assignment, must've gotten distracted," April replied, praying he didn't notice the shake in her voice.

"Oh ok." Leo didn't sound convinced but at least he didn't push things.

"I should probably start working on it, actually. I'll have to let you go.

"Yesh, you have fun with that. You're still coming on Friday, right? All-night Jupiter Jim movie marathon, with your favorite snacks~" April could hear the smile in Leo's voice and grinned slightly despite herself.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world. Later," April ended the call, groaning as she hid her face in her hands. She loved her boys, she really did, but it was hard having friends that no one could ever meet, with no way of proving that they exist.

April glanced around the cafeteria, trying to see if she could find the classmate that had DM'd her. She didn't spot the girl, though that didn't necessarily mean anything, it was a crowded area and April's eyesight wasn't great even with her glasses. The teen sighed and got out her homework, hoping to take her mind off the awful message. After all, it was just a one-time thing, no different from the rude remarks she received every now and again. Right?

Wrong.

For the remainder of the week, April's phone was blown up with DM's and texts from various classmates and random students, though how they got her number was a mystery. Some of these kids weren't people April could ever remember interacting with. Yet they all seemed awfully eager to send harassing and/or just plain cruel messages like everyone else.

'Weirdo Magnet'

'Creepy'

'No one likes you'

'Guillable a$$'

'Weirdo Magnet'

'Such a weirdo'

'You're so dumb'

'Weirdo Magnet'

'Can't believe we have to go to school with a freak like you'

'Ur the one who messed up the school dance, right?'

'Velma Wannabe, chasing ghosts with ur imaginary friends'

'Weirdo Magnet'

…yeah not a fun week for April O'Neil.

It wasn't until that Friday that she finally found out why this onslaught of messages started to happen out of seemingly nowhere.

'Can't believe I'm dealing with the fallout of an article Mike told me to write,' April thought angrily as she stomped to her locker. 'All because Mrs. Williams thought her classroom was haunted.'

The article for the school's newspaper, which April had been specifically requested to write by the editor, Mike Thomas, had been reshared by just about everyone at Roosevelt High School.

April punched in the combo, ready to grab the textbook she needed and make a dash for the door, ready to leave school and all her terrible acquaintances.

But as she opened the door, a bunch of paper that seemed to have been shoved into the locker fell out. Snickers could be heard all around her.

April's face flushed with shame as she picked up a couple of the papers, groaning when she realized that the papers were screenshots of all the messages she'd received over the past week, printed out and stuffed into her locker to embarrass the teen.

She kicked the papers away from her, ripping the remaining ones out of the locker and throwing them to the ground. Then April turned on her heel and walked with her head high, ignoring the laughs and jeers coming from the students all around her.

Before she exited the school, however, April spun around, boiling with rage.

"I feel bad for you guys, honestly. Your lives must suck if you have nothing better to do than pull some dome prank that a first grader could've pulled off," April's hands were shaking but she hoped her eye roll and disdainful frown convinced her peers that she couldn't care less about what they had to say about her.

Which was a lie, of course, but that wasn't anybody else's business.

April sighed as she walked outside, ready to go home, flop onto her bed, and contemplate her life choices.

A small ding brought out an exasperated groan as April pulled out her phone, ready to chew out whoever had insulted her this time when she noticed the username was the turtle emoji next to an orange heart. Mikey.

'Hey April, just checking that you're on the way to the Lair. We're all really excited to see you! Even Donnie lol.'

With a fond smile, April sent a thumbs-up emoji even as she internally cringed. She loved her boys, her brothers. But keeping something like this was going to be hard.

It was easy enough to act normal over text and the occasional phone call she'd received throughout the week. Fooling them in person was gonna be a lot harder.

They could be weirdly observant when it came to April.

'Maybe I could mention it, really casual, and see if Donnie could figure out how to mass block people,' April thought to herself before quickly dismissing the thought.

The boys had enough on their plate with all the fighting and training they were doing thanks to the criminals of the city being bigger jerks than usual lately. There was no reason to make her boys worry about her.

Besides, she's THE April O'Neil™. She could handle herself. And it was over with, for the time being at least. April turned her phone on silent, muting notifications as she made her way toward her usual sewer entrance.

She was determined to focus on a movie marathon with her bros.

But first, time for a pit stop for some snacks.

ーーーーー

"April O'Neil is in the house!" April exclaimed as she walked through the Lair's entrance.

Silence.

With a sigh, April made her way toward the living room, shifting the bags of junk food she'd picked up at the convenience store, she called out to the boys once more.

"I have food!"

All of a sudden, four teenage turtles appeared out of seemingly nowhere. She smiled fondly as Raph grabbed the bags from April and took them to the kitchen, probably to pour them all into bowls for the group.

"April!" Mikey exclaimed as he picked her off the ground, spinning around as he hugged her. She laughed as he put her down. "It's been way too long."

"She was literally here all of last weekend," Donnie deadpanned as he began to put a movie into the new DVD player he'd hooked up to the TV. Mikey pouted as he walked off towards the kitchen, presumably to help Raph. And make sure the eldest didn't eat all the snacks by himself.

"Missed you too, Donnie," April scoffed as she looked around the room, seeing the recliner, which was surprisingly not occupied by a rat like it usually was. "Where's Splints?"

"Dad had to go with Draxum to shop for furniture to make sure he doesn't break anything or scare humans," Leo explained. "Mike didn't want to miss movie night or he woulda gone instead."

April hummed in response as she flopped down onto her favorite beanbag with a sigh. She closed her eyes, willing the stress to leave her body.

"You good?" Leo asked as he tried to grab a handful of Skittles from the yellow bowl that April knew Mikey or Raph had to have set aside just for her. She snatched the bowl, giggling at Leo's crestfallen face.

"Been a long week. So ready for the weekend to begin," April replied, throwing a couple of Skittles in her mouth as Leo got up to sit on the couch. He smiled at her as Raph dropped a bowl of sour cream and onion chips in the blue-clad turtle's lap.

Raph and Mikey set down some bowls around the ground and on the arms of the couch filled with the chips and candy April had gotten for them along with a few bowls filled to the brim with popcorn.

"Well now you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy some of Jupiter Jim's finest movies," Raph said as he sat down next to Leo, Mikey choosing to sit on the recliner while Donnie occupied the bean bag next to April.

The girl smiled softly. Maybe this was exactly what she needed to unwind and forget all of her school troubles. Her stomach turned thinking about those screenshots and how everyone had laughed at her expense. If Sunita, or even Dale had been in the hallway, they would've stood up for her…right?

April shook her head slightly. No point in thinking about that when she was supposed to be spending quality time with her family.

She side-eyed each of the boys as the movie started. Raph had his eyes glued to the screen, already halfway done with a bowl of popcorn while Mikey was leaning forward in anticipation, snackless but seemingly content to just watch the movie. Leo laughed as the movie began with one of his favorite Jupiter Jim jokes, spilling some chip crumbs as he did so. Donnie had his phone in hand, absently scrolling as he pretended not to be paying attention to the screen, chewing on some licorice.

April had been through so much with these guys, and they'd had to deal with so much in their young lives. She was glad they had the chance to just chill and act like regular teens.

The honorary Hamato sister didn't have a single doubt in her mind that they would've defended her at school, if only they could be there. Her brothers had her back. She smiled fondly as she turned her attention back at the screen right as Jupiter Jim rescued some lone alien from a murderous galactapus.

And that's how the teens spent the next 4 and a half hours, up until the credits for the third movie began to roll.

"Alright boys, I say it's time for a Pizza Intermission," April announced as she stretched her arms.

"Agreed. Leo, put in our order. No Hawaiin," Raph warned the younger turtle, earning an eye roll.

"Aw you're no fun," Leo pouted as he patted around his spot on the couch a couple of times before shrugging. "April, I dunno where I put my phone. Can I use yours to make the order that's deprived of one of the best pizza toppings of all time?"

"Sure thing," April agreed, handing her phone over to Leo, both extending their arms toward one another to avoid getting up from their comfy positions. "Ooh, order some crazy bread."

"Crazy bread! Crazy bread!" Mikey chanted, April laughing as she started chanting too. Raph shook his head at their silliness while Donnie ignored everyone.

Normally, Leo would have joined in the silly chant, yet he was suspiciously quiet. April glanced over at Leo, who hadn't moved from his spot on the couch, and he was seemingly frozen, his mouth agape.

April was about to ask what was wrong when she noticed how hurt he looked. A grim line on his face, his eyes shining with unshed tears as he kept his gaze glued onto April's phone.

"Leo, what's the matter?" April asked, effectively silencing Mikey as he, Raph, and Donnie turned to look at their brother. He didn't say anything, so April got up and took a tentative step toward the red-eared slider.

Leo's eyes shot up to meet hers and he stood up abruptly, pulling her into a tight hug. April hesitantly wrapped her arms around his carapace, taking notice that he seemed to be shaking.

"Uh, guys? What's happening?" Donnie asked uncertainly, eyes flicking back and forth between Leo and April, the latter of which shrugged.

"You're scaring me, bud. Are you okay?" April asked softly, only to find herself jerked away, Leo holding her at arm's length as he stared at her sternly.

"How can you ask me that?" The others were taken aback by Leo's harsh tone. He hardly ever spoke like that, sometimes to Donnie and occasionally Raph, but never to Mikey or April.

"You didn't tell us," Leo's voice broke and April wanted nothing more than to hold her brother close but his grip on her was tight and she decided to wait and see what else he said, to figure out why he was acting like this. "I thought you told us everything. Were you ever going to say anything?"

"What are you talking about?" April asked exasperatedly, pulling away enough to put her hands on her hips to show Leo she meant business. "What is wrong?"

Raph, Donnie, and Mikey just stared, waiting to hear what Leo was so upset about before they attempted to interfere.

Leo shoved April's phone towards her, and she gulped as she saw all the muted notifications that covered her phone screen. It was a lot of the same stuff she'd been getting all weak, along with some remarks about how "out of line" she'd been about her "stunt" in the hallway right before she left school.

"Oh." April couldn't think of a single thing to say. Her thoughts raced as all the boys stared at her expectedly, attempting to peer at her phone. When she realized this, April quickly shoved it into her pocket. "Look, it's- well I did that article Caleb asked me for, remember? The one about ghosts in one of the classrooms? This is just a response to what I wrote. Next week, the vultures will have something else to pick on."

"What are you talking about? What's being picked on?" Mikey asked in confusion. April rubbed her arm awkwardly, trying (and failing) to smile reassuringly.

"I didn't think it was a big deal," April whispered. Leo looked furious at that, glaring intensely, though she couldn't tell if he was angry with her or with the messages.

"What's not a big deal?" Raph looked between his pseudo-older sister and immediate younger brother, unsure of what was happening and how he was supposed to fix it.

"She's got a bunch of texts and DMs dissing her. I only saw a few but they called you a freak, April. Said no one likes you, that you're dumb, which is sooo not true, and called you a bunch of names like 'Weirdo Magnet'. How is that not a big deal?!" Leo exclaimed, crossing his arms.

Raph's face went slack, as if he was unsure what he'd heard while Donnie's expression was unreadable. Mikey's eyes flashed with rage and April feared she'd be receiving a visit from Dr. Delicate Touch if she wasn't careful.

So she did what she did best; tried to comfort her boys.

"Come on guys, it's not like it's anybody I really know. I've barely even read them, and like I said, it's just 'cause of that dumb article I wrote," April tried to reason. "Besides, I am the Weirdo Magnet. Kids are bound to notice all the weird stuff that happens around me, so of course they're gonna call me out on it. Heck, you guys call me that all the time!"

"That's different!" Leo shouted. "If you had a problem with it, we would've stopped. Immediately. This, this is not ok. This is…it's….Donnie, what's the word?" Leo asked as he looked at his twin, who looked, to be frank, quite pissed.

"The word you are searching for is bullying. The technical definition is repeated physical, verbal, and/or social behavior that intends to cause physical, social, or even psychological harm," Donnie stated, typing furiously on his tech sleeve, making April worried that he was planning some kind of attack on her classmates.

"Are they hurting you?" Raph's voice was tense as he stared at April. His brothers all suddenly looked more worried than angry at the thought, and April rushed to put their minds at ease.

"No! I promise, not a scratch, big guy. Even if there was, you guys know I can take care of myself. And this?" April grabbed her phone out of her pocket and waved it around for emphasis. "This is nothing. I've only really looked at a few of them, and I'm blocking the people like crazy. Worst thing that's happened this week was the locker thing, and it wasn't even that bad."

"What locker thing?" Donnie's eyes narrowed in suspicion and April winced.

'I should not have said that,' she thought as she frantically searched for the right words that would reassure the boys while ending this increasingly uncomfortable conversation. But as she observed how distressed each of her brothers were looking, she found she was at a loss for words.

When it became obvious that she wasn't going to say anything else, Leo sighed and went to cup April's face in his hands to force her to look at him.

"Look, if you really don't want to talk about this, then we won't make you," Leo stared, ignoring his brothers' indignant gasps voicing their disagreement with his words. "But April, we're worried about you. You've barely talked to us all week, and when you did, you didn't seem like yourself. Now that we know why, well it's obvious that's why you've looked a little down all night."

"And this," Leo continued, gesturing towards April's cell, which she only then noticed that she'd been clenching tightly in her hand. "Is clearly bothering you. It's not 'nothing', and if it's hurting you, then it's a big deal to us."

"Wow, Leon, I thought Mikey was the family therapist," April joked weakly as she felt tears pool in her eyes, feeling a wave of emotions wash over her. How crestfallen she'd felt when she realized what the kids at school really thought about her, how pathetic her attempts to avoid the situation were, and how hurt she felt as insult after insult was thrown by her classmates. A harsh reminder of how completely and utterly alone April was…it all came to a head.

Her brother's worried (and still somewhat furious) expressions and Leo tentatively reaching his hand towards April was all it took to make the dam break.

A sob wracked through April and Leo wasted no time drawing her into a hug, with the others quick to follow.

Mikey nuzzled into her shoulder as Raph churred softly into her hair, wrapping his arms around everyone to bring them closer together. Donnie, Mr. 'No-Touchy', held one of her hands tightly while he leaned into the group hug.

As she cried, April admitted how it had all started when she'd been on the phone with Leo, how no one believed she had any friends other than Sunita, who was gone for the week, and Dale, who nobody really cared for either. She talked about how she believed it would stop but it just got worse, because of a dumb article she didn't even want to write, and the stupid locker incident where April had felt so humiliated.

She cried and she cried until finally the sobs started to subside. She sniffled softly.

"I'm- I'm sorry," April said after a while, holding onto her boys as tightly as she could. Raph tsked before he nudged her forehead gently.

"You ain't got nothing to apologize for, Riri," Raph replied, using her childhood nickname that April hadn't heard in ages. The others chirped in agreement, and April smiled faintly despite the tears still streaming down her face.

"You guys already got a lot to deal with already. I didn't want to add onto it," April admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "You shouldn't have to worry about me too."

She felt Mikey move from his spot by her shoulder so he could grip her chin and make her face him. She saw the furious glare on his face and mentally prepared herself for the dreaded delicate touch she knew she was about to receive.

"Girl, you know we love you," Mikey took in a deep breath and April winced. "But that is the dumbest thing you have ever said!"

"Miguel, let's not make her cry again, please, and thank you," Donnie stated dryly as a mechanical limb appeared from his stay-at-home battle shell, holding a hanky in front of April's face. She grabbed it, the guys releasing her simultaneously so she could wipe her eyes and blow her nose.

"What I think Mikey meant was, we want to worry about you. You're family and we're never too busy for family," Raph elbowed Mikey slightly, who huffed, showing no signs of remorse.

"Well said, hermano," Leo added as he slung an arm around April. "And 'sides, what kind of brothers would we be to let you deal with this alone? Gram-Gram said 'you are not alone' or something like that, right?"

"I just felt like I shouldn't be that affected," April replied sheepishly. "I've dealt with plenty of trash talk when we fight the bad guys. Why do I care so much about what some kids have to say?"

"Because it's different coming from your peers," Donnie stated as he oh so subtly grabbed April's phone, presumably to see who exactly was sending the texts as well as the assortment of messages on social media. "Not that you'll have to deal with them for much longer."

"No manslaughter," Raph, Leo, and Mikey scolded in unison, resulting in some grumbles from Donnie. April laughed.

"Honestly, D, if you could just mass block all of these numbers and accounts so I don't gotta do it all individually, that'd be a huge help. I'm tired of my lock screen being filled with jerks instead of my picture of Mayhem," April was relieved to not see a maniacal grin on the genius' face, instead seeing Donnie give her a soft smile before he typed a few things on April's phone.

"On it," he gave a silly salute as he tossed April back her phone, pulling out his own and typing rapidly on both his phone and his tech sleeve. "I'll even throw in a free program that automatically blocks people who make new accounts with the same phone or use certain words in their messages to you."

April's shoulders slumped in relief, sighing happily.

"Thanks. I know how busy you are, so I really appreciate it."

"For you, anything," Donnie quipped, though Leo had to ruin the moment with his need to tease his purple-clad twin.

"Unless it's bees, spiders, or beach balls," Leo mocked. Raph rolled his eyes and interjected before the Disaster Twins got into a full-blown argument.

"Alright, alright, let Donnie fix this. April, what do you wanna do for the rest of the night?" Raph asked, then, as an afterthought, he added, "Besides finally ordering pizza."

"Yeah, whatever you want! Movies, video games, skateboarding, Uno, arts and crafts," Mikey continued to list random stuff, though April just shook her head.

"We can keep watching movies, but…maybe we watch in a Turtle Pile?" April asked hesitantly. She didn't always join in the Turtle Piles, those were typically something only the Hamato brothers did. There were, however, a few rare occasions where April had the opportunity to join in, and she hoped tonight was one of those times.

"Oh yeah! Mikey and I will make the fort!" Leo announced, grabbing his youngest brother as they went to get pillows and blankets. A fort was a necessity for any good, non-impromptu Turtle Pile.

"Is that okay with you, Donnie?" April turned to the turtle, his eyes glued to his phone. "It's okay if you want to sit on the side instead."

"It's fine. As long as I can be on the edge of the pile in case I need some space," Donnie waved off her concerns, and inwardly, April cheered.

There was always a 50-50 chance of Donnie joining any type of planned Turtle Pile, mostly because of his fear of 'togetherness'. So it warmed April's heart to know he was gonna be a part of it as well.

"Ta-da!" Mikey and Leo announced eagerly. April turned around and gasped. A beautiful pillow fort, with somewhat structurally sound pillows positioned to surround the siblings, stacked so that the blankets could be draped over them as a roof of sorts, with the softest blankets and pillows stacked underneath to make it more comfortable for everyone. And there was obviously space so that they could all see the TV.

"It's perfect," April said once she realized they were waiting for her response. Mikey beamed at her before giving her a quick squeeze.

"Only the best for you, sis," Mikey pecked April's cheek before he gathered the snacks and arranged them in a way that any of them could reach even while in the pile.

"I love you guys," April admitted softly. The boys all glanced up and smiled warmly at her.

"Aw, we love you too," Raph cooed as he plopped down onto the floor, his head propped up by a pillow as he faced the screen with his plastron face-up. He scooped a pillow into the crook of each arm, and his tail curled next to his legs.

"Turtle Pile!" Leo shouted as he leaped and landed on Raph's right side, earning an 'oof' from his older brother. He scooted around until he was comfortable, leaning on the pillow Raph had placed by his right arm.

"Turtle Pile!" April, Donnie, and Mikey yelled as they (more gently) landed on Raph. Donnie decided to curl up around Raph's left arm, near the exit of the fort, while Mikey made himself comfortable on Raph's stomach, grabbing some candy bars from one of the snack bowls.

April decided she'd just stretch alongside some of the boys, her legs covering Leo's and her head on Mikey's stomach. They each had to use some of the pillows to maneuver their heads so they could see the TV without straining their necks.

"Everyone adequate?' Donnie asked. Everyone voiced their agreement, which had Donnie nodding before he turned on the next movie.

April sighed in contentment, her troubled thoughts fading away as she listened to the beginning of Jupiter Jim's next adventure, hearing the guys' commentary. Before she knew it, she found herself drifting off to sleep, shielded by her brothers from all the worries she'd had at school.

Mikey smiled as he noticed April's breathing even out as she fell asleep. He had been the one put in the pizza order himself, making sure to include April's favorite (triple meat), and he'd texted Splinter to pick it up on his way back. He'd wake her up whenever it arrived, but for now, he'd enjoy the peaceful look on her face. It suited her a lot more than the down-in-the-dumps look she'd been sporting all night.

ーーーーー

April woke up once throughout the night to eat a few slices of pizza, and whoever had ordered was an angel because they got her favorite triple meat supreme.

After filling her stomach with warm food, she'd fallen asleep once more, not waking up again until morning, when she heard the sound of feet shuffling and someone being shushed.

"You're gonna wake her up," Leo whisper-yelled.

"Excuse me, but I need to make breakfast. You know she loves my berry crepes," Mikey whisper-yelled in return. April smiled; Mikey knew her so well.

"Not the crepes," Donnie grumbled quietly. April had to stifle her giggle, trying not to alter the guys that she was awake. They could be surprisingly sweet, especially when they thought she was asleep.

"Relax, I'm making you a nice fluffy omelet. You know I know what your favorite food textures are, and I know crepes aren't one of them," Mikey replied nonchalantly, his voice sounding further away, most likely headed toward the kitchen.

"Not to interrupt, but we got a situation," Raph said, alerting April that yet another of the brothers was awake. "I gotta pee."

April's eyes widened as she faked a yawn, quickly hopping off of Raph's stomach, where she'd been resting previously. She yawned for real as she scrubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning, guys," April yawned again as she noticed Raph get up and head toward the bathroom. She spotted Leo and Donnie and smiled brightly at them. Mikey seemed to have heard her as he popped back into the room, his chef's hat placed firmly on his head.

"Good morning, sunshine~" Mikey hugged her quickly, pecking her forehead. "You're getting some crepes, courtesy of Chef Michelangelo."

"Thanks Mike!" April called out as he ran back to the kitchen. Leo ruffled her hair, which had fallen out of its usual buns, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Morning, Apes," Leo replied as started to pick up some of the pillows while Donnie leaned against the couch, swiping on his phone and being completely unhelpful.

"Hey April," Donnie nodded toward her and April rolled her eyes. His good morning greeting never quite matched the same energy as his brothers, but that was Donnie for you.

"Sleep well?" Leo asked, smiling at her as she started to help pick up and fold the blankets.

"Like a baby. Best sleep I've had in ages," April replied truthfully, feeling relaxed and well-rested, for once.

"Maybe we should do this more often. Gets Donnie to actually sleep for once," Leo teased as she shot a smirk at his brother, who gave Leo a deadpan expression.

"Like you're one to talk, Nardo."

"He's got a point, Mr. Insomniac," April laughed at the betrayed expression on the slider's face. Raph chose that moment to walk back into the room, glancing at Leo's face.

"Y'all giving Leo a hard time again?" At Leo's indignant nod, Raph smirked. "Good."

April and Donnie chucked at Leo's dramatic gasp as he glared daggers at his older brother.

"Betrayed by my own siblings. Micheal is my new favorite!" Leo huffed as he stormed out of the room towards the kitchen, presumably to let the youngest know of his new status.

"Love you too, Leo!" April giggled as she called after the turtle. Raph placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, getting her to look up at him.

"You feeling better?"

April's eyes gazed at the remains of the pillow fort, thinking about the warmth she felt as the boys had all held her while she cried, how they had all slept around her, protecting her in their own little piece of the world.

Her eyes met Raph's once more and she gave him a firm nod.

"Yeah. This was just what I needed," April stated as she heard the sound of Mikey cheering and Leo laughing in the kitchen, earning a chuckle from Donnie. "I think I'm gonna be just fine."

ーーーーー

Bonus:

April dreaded her return to school the following Monday, knowing that while Donnie's system might've blocked the insults coming from her phone, he couldn't block people in real life. They could say whatever they wanted to her face if they wanted to.

Yet surprisingly, no one said much of anything to her when she came back to school. She might've gotten the occasional glance her way or had people move away from her as she walked through the halls, but no one had anything to say to her.

If they had to interact with April, her classmates were extremely respectful, being polite as they got their schoolwork done. People seemed to panic a little whenever they were paired up with her and even looked a little afraid sometimes.

Yet no one said anything even remotely negative towards her or brought up the article or the locker prank.

She had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with Donnie, maybe even all of the boys.

April knew better than to say anything about it though. She would just pretend to be oblivious and wait to see how long this peace would last.

If there was one thing she had learned in all of April's years of knowing the turtles, it was that sometimes, it was better not to question things.

If it's not broken, don't fix it.

AN: Hope you enjoyed the story! Recently, I got into the ROTTMNT fandom and I'm obsessed. Have so many ideas, hopefully I get to write them all.

On a serious note, however, if people are harassing you like they did to April in this fic, tell someone. Can't guarantee that it'll stop or anything but telling someone is the first step to feeling better.

- Kitkat Out!