In those three years I used that new found feeling of everyone being so accepting to finally let my closest friends in on one of the big secrets of my life. I was even more nervous than telling my mother as my closest friend since we were babies sat beside me on the roof tops of my apartment building.

We had bought a small grill that day and Hayden and Tyler helped us set it up. They both smirked and watched intently from their folding chairs tossing beers back and forth waiting for the guys showed up. She sat on the ledge with a smile as the wind blew across her face, her hair staying put as she kept the short chocolate brown hair in tight pigtails behind her ears in the same hair style she wore on a daily basis since she was in high school. She rarely took her hair down from those short, stubby pigtails that stopped an inch above her shoulders. She tired to tuck her bangs behind her ear as she pushed her dark red cat-eye glasses that set off her deep brown eyes higher up the bridge of her nose.

She was a tom boy like me. She fixed cars and road four wheelers through the back lands of Stockbridge with her older brother and mine. She had another younger brother that her mother gave birth to while her father was on leave. He was a Marine and served our country well in the middle east for years before finally coming home to take care of his growing family while his eldest son took to his father's footsteps.

We were all a very tight knit group growing up in that small town, just houses away from one another. Her mother was like a second to me and visa versa. She'd go on our snowboarding trips to our cabin with us and helped my dad fix our snowmobiles, never scared to get a little dirty.

"It's so pretty out here, I can't believe you live here." Felicia better known as Licia said as she looked out towards the stream of city lights before us.

"Yeah, I can't believe it sometimes either." I said with a smile.

"Hey, you see that?" She asked furrowing her brow and reaching to her side for her trusty companion, her video camera. Ever since middle school she kept that thing attacked to her hand like another limb.

She was always a techo-geek fixing computers and amps. She was in the Media Club in school, and the yearbook staff. She taped our band's sessions and parties and loved to put them to music, cutting and mixing certain videos. Any special occasion our family held, graduations, weddings, she'd put on her computer and make little videos as presents. They were always amazing and looked professional.

"No, what?" I asked looking over at Hayden and Tyler as they got to their feet with large smiles over their faces.

"Something, looked like four shadows just jumped that roof top across the street!" She said clicking on her camera and trying to adjust in front of her.

I heard their feet, like a steady drum beat land behind us as she kept her face looking furiously in front of her with her camera swaying with her head. I smirked and turned around as Hayden handed Mikey a beer, then tossing one to Raph. I got from the ledge and walked over to circle of lawn chairs and stood next to Leo.

I looked towards Raph for his reaction first. He slowly watched the girl on the ledge, leaning forward to see if he could get a glimpse of her face. He made a slight frown when he couldn't grab one and sighed turning towards his brother as Donnie shifted nervously as he did when he met my brothers and mother for the first time. Leonardo had a small smile on his face as he placed an arm around my shoulders tugging me closer. Mikey smiled, hiding his nervousness with that grin of his and took a small step towards her as Tyler chuckled.

"Dude, I'd wait till she wasn't close to the edge. She might jump." He whispered as Mikey narrowed his eyes crossing his arms over his chest.

Felicia turned, her head down looking towards her camera's screen as she stepped from the ledge walking towards us as she kept her head down. She sighed clicking it off her camera and letting her arms fall like dead weight in front of her. I just waited with an anxious smile on my face as I saw her head slowly rising towards the group before her flicking her side-swiped bangs from her face. She furrowed her brow slowly before her expression changed to wide eyes.

"What…the…What's with the turtle costumes?" She asked tilting her head in question as Tyler and Hayden blew out laughter leaning against each other. Raphael rolled his eyes as Donnie cleared his throat.

"They're…Uh, not costumes." I say with a smirk, trying to contain myself from joining my brothers.

"Wait…what?" She asks taking a step closer to me as she eyed the brothers carefully. "Isn't that physically impossible…I mean, what…?" She whispers leaning towards me as I lean back looking her in the eye.

"Apparently not Licia. They're mutants." I chuckle as she slowly turns back towards the brothers. Mikey stepped up first.

"Hey, I'm Mikey." He said giving a small wave as she kept her brow furrowed and gave a single one back. "And you are…?"

"Oh, uh…Felicia. Licia…Well, ya know whatever you want to call me. Not that you have to call me anything I just…Um…Licia is fine." She said laughing nervously before clearing her throat and rolling her eyes to her own embarrassing behavior. Mikey nodded his head slowly pressing his lips together to hide laughter of his own.

"Dude she rambles like Donnie when he's nervous." Mikey said to Hayden as he nodded his head swallowing his gulp of beer.

"Oh man, it gets worse!" He chuckled as Licia narrowed her eyes.

"I am right here!" She said crossing her arms as Donnie rolled his eyes.

"Don't mind them, they share a brain." He said as she turned her narrowed eyes towards the turtle in purple. Her expressing lightened as she noticed the soft touch to his eyes and extended her hand to his. "I'm Donnie."

"Feli- Well, you know." She said in a small smile as he nodded his head with one of his own.

Raph stood next to his brother in purple never changing his unreadable expression. She turned towards him as Donnie and her were done exchanging greetings. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest plate as he looked out towards the lights behind her. His intense look made her slowly turn back towards me, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

"That's Raph." I say nudging the crimson clad brother as he let his eyes slowly wonder back to the girl.

"Sup." He said before taking a swig of his beer. She nodded her head to his supposedly greeting and Mikey went to her side. He stopped himself from putting his arm around her shoulders and just nudged her slightly.

"Don't mind him, he gets nervous 'rounda pretty face." Mikey winked as Felicia chuckled lightly.

"Thanks?" She said furrowing her brow in a mock expression of confusion as Mikey smiled. "And you must be Leo I've been hearing about for what, four years now?" She said crossing her arms towards me.

"I had my reasoning." I said with a shrug as she nodded her head.

"Uh-huh. Sure." She said rolling her eyes at me as she extended her hand for Leo. He smiled and took it with a single shake.

"Nice to meet you." He said with a slight bow of the head as she smiled and looked at me for a moment giving me a slight look of approval.

"Pleasures all mine." She said letting her eyes wonder his body for a moment before passing with me a chuckle and nudging my shoulder.

"Hey I saw that!" I screamed flicking one of her pig-tails.

"Aw, c'mon Fearless gets all the chicks!" Mikey whined. Felicia chuckled a little harder this time, a genuine laugh of hers and I felt the weight on my shoulders lift away.

The rest of the night went smoothly. She answered question that were thrown left and right at her from Mikey and even asking a few of her own. She and Donnie got along rather well that first night. The subject of fixing came up as Donnie was explaining his recent project. Her head perked in interest as he smiled explaining things and her adding her two cents on the matter.

"Wow, Don actually has someone he can geek out with." Mikey chuckled as the two lost in conversation both picked their heads up slowly.

Soon after that we had more of those nights on my roof and weeks later she eventually made her way down to the lair to see the lab she had been hearing about. She started getting comfortable around them and actually soon called them friends. She even got used to Raph. She was always a little squeamish around him, being as though she's a shy girl at times and he's well…Raph. But, it diminished and she found herself bickering with him almost as much as I did.

Like this one time.

Felicia and I walked into the large abandoned warehouse that led down to the guy's lair one evening, about two or three months after that first night on the roof tops. I walked in noticing the familiar grunting sounds of Raphael in the corner working on his bike as the Atreyu album I burnt for him blared behind him. I smile and caught his attention as he saw the doors opening. Giving him a wave he followed with a head nod as Felicia smiled giving him a single nervous wave. I open the elevator that takes us down to the lair as Licia stops noticing him struggling with his gas tank.

"Ya know, the bolt might just be stripped." She said walking over to him, being careful of his tools that were scattered across the concrete. He furrowed his brow slowly before turning over his shoulder and moving his eyes up to hers.

"What?"

"The bolt, there." She said leaning in a little over his shoulder and pointing. "It might just be stripped, that's probably why you can't tighten it anymore, and leaving it to sag the way it is." She said with a small shrug as he turned back towards his bike and then back up to her.

"What are ya some kinda expert on bikes?" He asked as a sarcastic remark going back to tightening the bolt. She arched a brow and shook her head.

"No, I just know a thing or two 'bout 'em." She shrugged.

"No offence or nuttin' but youra girl…I doubt you know all that much." He said shaking his head as she opened her mouth slowly taking complete offence to it. She closed it quickly knowing this turtle was the one with the uneasy temper and sighed crouching down beside him.

"Well, if you would just look at the bigger picture other than just one spot where you think the problem is, you'd realize that…"

"Who the hell said I wanted your help anyways?" Raph said dropping his wrenched to the ground and turning towards her as Felicia backed away.

"Well no one, I just thought…" She said in a cowardly manner, backing off before he got too upset. He took a step back keeping his eyes narrowed, more to himself as he realize he may have frightened the poor girl.

She sighed softly to herself as he backed off and looked over at me as I just smiled at her with a shrug. I knew Raphael would never do anything to hurt someone, especially a girl. She started walking back towards me slowly as Raph looked over his shoulder at her.

"Fine!" He said taking the shammy that lay over his thigh and wiped grease from his hands. She turned around on a heel before looking over her shoulder once more at me as I motioned for her to go back. "You know a 'thing or two' 'bout bikes then here..." He said in a mocking tone as she furrowed her brow looking down at the wrench he thruster towards her and back at him. "Then you fix it." He said opening his arms towards his bike as she arched a brow slowly tugging the wrench quickly out of his grasp.

"Fine. I will." She said nudging him out of the way as he caught himself before stumbling. He made a low growl in his throat as she ignored it, going to work on his bike.

She pulled the stripped bolt out with one swift pull, not needing the wrench as she looked over her shoulder at Raphael before dropping it at his feet. He narrowed his eyes at her as she turned back towards the bike, catching the falling gas tank as she positioned it to stay still until she got a supporting bolt to hold it back in place. With a few slow, tightening turns she grabbed his shammy and wiped the grease from her hands off and stood up with a smile.

He kept his eyes in a glare on hers as she arched her brow in accomplishment as she hit him with the shammy letting it fall into his hands and keeping a hold on the other end.

"That's what a girl can do." She said with her still cocky expression over her face and widening smile.

"You screwed in a bolt." He said as a pretentious laugh came out. "That ain't all that hard sweetheart." He said tugging the shammy out of her grasp as she rolled her eyes.

"You were not even aware of the bolt being stripped until I pointed it out. You woulda been stuck up here for hours!" She said looking over her shoulder at him as he crouched back down next to the bike.

"Bullshit." He said taking his previous positing as he laid the shammy back across his thigh.

"Oh my god." She said turning towards him as he lifting his gaze at her. "You're scared that a woman might be able to show you up in something."

"Like hell I am." He said turning away from her as she chuckled.

"Then just admit it." She said crossing her arms.

"Admit what, you know howda use a wrench? Alright, congratulations now ya can leave." He said keeping his eyes on his bike as she rolled hers.

"Well ya know Raph if ya get caught again I'll be right down in the lair." She said as she walked back over to me as I waited for her at the elevator. She smirked as she heard his growl from behind her.

It wasn't long till my other friends from back home came to visit. It was easier explaining it with my whole family and another of my best friends to back me up.

Riley was second. She was more on the wild side growing up. She was that girl in school that was friends with everyone and didn't call herself popular, she just had that electric personality that you couldn't not want to be around. She plays drums like a beast and is always the first girl to make herself known, anywhere really.

She had beautiful dirty blonde hair, that she turned a bright platinum blonde with black streaks on the underside over the past year. She keeps it about shoulder length with choppy layers, since she was about twelve and decided that it was the perfect amount of hair to have on her head.

She is the same size as me, always was. We always shared clothing and we always said back and forth how I wanted her chest but she wanted my backside. She has her ears pierced three on each and the first gauged to about a size two. The plugs change weekly and she loves her hard, 'punk' persona. Along with her ears she has her lip on the left side pierced and her right nostril. She has three tattoos, one of which is Animal from the Muppets on her left ass cheek. Believe me, I warned her but she was too excited to be eighteen and able to get them without her dad's consent.

She grew up a town away from Stockbridge. Her mother walked out on her when she was really young. She never seemed too mixed up about it she was always very smiley and she knew her mom just couldn't handle it.

Her mom was an eighty's rock singer, which Riley thinks she gets her taste in music from. She was into drinking and her father was more on the calm side which is why Rye thinks they ran into problems. He raised her by himself while running his families musical instrument store in Springfield. Hence, why Riley knows the skins like the back of her hand. She started since her mom left and never stopped. She fell in love with those kits and says it's her 'therapy'.

She settled, slightly since high school but, when the time arises and there are some drinks involved she's back to her normal Riley self. I have known her since middle school. Felicia, her and myself became fast friends and I'm sure are going to stay that way for life, along with our other best friend that came along at the same time Riley did. Her name is Isabella, of course we all call her Izzy.

Izzy is a red head pride and true. Her curly red locks frame her face and flow down to the center of her back as her face has a small splash of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks bones. Her piercing blue eyes can make any man go weak in the knees and always had that fiery red headed spunk.

She was the girly girl of the group. Wanting to go shopping and had expensive taste with her new Coach bags and Abercrombie and Fitch clothing. She never shared Riley, Felicia and my taste in music either; she was more of a folk music and show tunes kinda gal. However, she did put up with it and it grew on her after awhile.

Izzy and her younger sister came from a family with some cash so to say the least she was spoiled. However, she was never stuck up. She always accepted everyone and anyone and never judged them, but everyone judged her. She ignored them throughout middle school and high school. The "popular girls" tried to tag her as one of their own but she always thought they were materialistic. She has one of the kindest hearts I know, loves animals and is actually still studying to be a veterinarian. She's a smart cookie, even though you'll actually have to talk to her for some time before you figure that one out.

Those two had different reactions to the situation…

Riley laughed for about a minuet before she realized Licia and I were serious when we sat her down to prep her for the meeting. She stopped and arched a brow slightly before it furrowed into a serious expression and uttered a low "are you serious?" Then came a "no fuckin' way." And an "I have to see for myself."

So she did, and she laughed again. Not as hysterical as she did before, just a breath of air in disbelief with a smile across her face. She slowly walked over to the brothers as Hayden stood next to Mikey who was the first one she approached.

"Hey." He said as she met his eyes for a moment. That wonderful Mikey grin spread over his face making those innocent blue eyes sparkle and she could do nothing but return her own gleaming smile. "I'm Mikey." He said extending his hand as she looked down at it for a second before gripping her small one in his.

"Riley." She said turning down the line of brothers as she moved to Donnie next. "And you're…." She trailed off, examining him for a moment and snapping her fingers. "Purple, so Donnie, right?" She said looking over her shoulder at me as I laughed nodding my head. "Awesome alright." She said extending her hand. "Riley, nice to meet ya." He nodded his head shaking her hand as she moved down to Raphael. "Alright…He's the mean one right?" She said over her shoulder as I slapped a hand to my head.

"The mean one?" Raph asked crossing his arms and arching an eye ridge towards me. I shrugged.

"Dude, how else am I gonna describe you?"

"Ugly?" Mikey shrugged as Raph glared at his brother reaching over Donnie's shell and smacking Mikey upside the head. "Ow…" Riley laughed crossing her arms.

"Well, they're definitely brothers." She chuckled. "But, anyways, you're Raph then?" She asked the brother in red as he sighed nodding his head. She gave him a look in question, eyeing him carefully for a moment before extending her head.

"What was that look for?" He asked furrowing his brow as she shrugged.

"Don't seem like a mean guy to me." She said moving to Leo. "And you're the one that's bangin' my best friend." She said as Leo chocked on his sip of beer, coughing. Riley laughed as I sighed going over to her and shoving her shoulder.

"Nice." I said as Leo cleared his throat of the liquid and Riley's laughter died down.

"What? It was a true and simple observation of his character." She shrugged innocently.

"Shut up." I said rolling my eyes as she laughed harder.

"It's nice to meet you Leo." She said finally as he smiled a little and shook her hand.

As the night went on and all the brother's and Hayden sat on my apartment sofa, talking amongst themselves. Boba perched comfortable next to her trusty companion Michelangelo as he rubbed her ears like it was second nature. Riley and I stood back against my wall that separated the kitchen from the living room with smiling faces. She kept her eyes forward as she tilted the neck of her beer bottle against mine for a moment. I turned my slightly tipsy gaze towards her as she let out a chuckle.

"They're jacked." She said as I nodded letting out a laugh myself.

"Yup."

"How's he in the sack?" She asked looking towards Leo as I laughed leaning closer over to her.

"Amazing. Best sex ever."

"Really?" She asked looking toward me now as I nodded my head trying to muster the most serious face I could at that moment.

"Like ya wouldn't believe." I said leaning back against the plastered wall.

"Huh…" She said folding her arms as her beer bottle slowly went up to hers lips as she tilted the liquid in her mouth.

Izzy screamed. Felicia, Riley and I had to drag her to my bedroom to calm her down. She first started pacing back and forth in front of us as Felicia grimaced looking over at me. I just sighed and put my hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"Breathe." I said softly as she nodded her head and began taking deep breaths in and out. Riley exited the room first to go see the guys and try and explain to them it's just how she is. It's true, Izzy pretty much screams at everything from bugs crawling near her to a simple "boo" from someone sneaking up on her.

Finally, Licia and I got her to calm down as she made her way behind us back into the living room. Riley smiled standing in between Mikey and Donnie as they both tried to force uneasy smiles. Izzy gave one back and a small wave.

"I'm sorry for the um…I am kinda jumpy." She said in a nervous laugh as the brothers nodded, except for Raphael who stood with his arms crossed and arched brow. I shot a glare at him as he rolled his eyes and went into my kitchen to grab a beer. "I'm Isabella." She said walking over to them as I stayed by her side. Leo extended his hand first as she smiled taking it, he bowed his head as Mikey jumped up next thrusting his hand towards the girl. She smirked and took it as he kissed the top of her hand with a wink. Leo smacked him upside the head as she gave a slight chuckle.

Donnie acted different than I've ever seen him before. He kept his eyes glued to her as she walked over to him flashing her perfect smile. I thought I saw his knees buckle slightly as he extended his hand, taking hers gently in his.

"It's nice to meet you." He said softly as they caught eyes for a moment, their hands still attached and pumping up and down in front of them. She let a smile slowly cross her face after looking at him for a moment and nodded.

"It is."

That night we all sat on my roof top, drinking and listening to music as I think Leo finally got to see me in my full element. I had my best friends around me, and they knew. They all finally knew this huge secret that had been hovering over my head for three years and I just felt freed. Riley was able to joke around with Mikey. Izzy kept mostly to herself as Riley, Felicia and I all tried to get her to loosen up. Felicia smiled and talked with Donnie about a video she was working on as I kept noticing Raphael look over ever so often at my brown hair, smarty friend. I smiled as Leo asked me what I was smiling about and I shook my head.

"Nothing, just it's a great night."

After all is said and done, those five years later, I'm sitting on my mother's porch in Stockbridge watching Hayden toss a football to Mikey as he leaps for it, catching it with ease. I hear a "show off" from my little brother and then laughter from the Riley and my father at the bottom of the steps watching the two in the yard, Boba and Rufio chasing and running back and forth while Izzy plays catch with them.

Splinter is in the backyard, under our large maple tree on the shaded grass as he meditates watching over his sons as they all play and laugh along our large yard. I see Leo smile down at Riley as she smacks his leg in passing to him climbing the stairs to me. He hands me a beer as I grab his hand pulling him down towards me to catch his lips with mine.

Felicia pulls into the driveway with her old Jeep Wrangler, filled to the brim with amps and mic stands for the night's festivities with Donatello sitting in the passenger seat. I wave with a smile as Leo turns and gives the gleaming brown headed girl one as she bounces out of her tall Jeep, while Donnie climbs out and follows her to the back.

Riley gets up, leaning down towards my father in his wheel chair and giving him a kiss on the forehead before she goes to help her friend empty her trunk. Hayden follows with Mikey as he nudges his best friend with his elbow.

It all seems so normal to us now. This is my family, these are my friends and this is my life. And, I've never been happier.