Chapter Four
Lucy was on her way to pick April and me up later in the week. Due to my brothers' encouragement (or perhaps a better term would be harassment), I had agreed to go to the AATB concert with my little sister and my best friend. The boys were almost completely moved out and only had a few more things to transport before their presence would be erased from our-my-home completely. Little talking went on between us as they meandered the house, mindlessly ensuring that they weren't forgetting something. The nostalgia of every room seemed to be intent on backhanding us across our cheeks and hearts until we were numb. I tried to keep my mind off of it by watching for April's approach out the window.
Finally, I saw her walking up the driveway, talking to someone very intently on her cell. The conversation delayed her approach, giving me some time to give my goodbyes. After tonight, the boys would be out of my everyday life for good.
I turned around from the window to see them all staring at me from different parts of the living room-kitchen blend. Leonardo was the first to approach me.
"Guess that's our cue to start heading out," he muttered, gesturing to April's barely audible voice outside. He put a hand on my shoulder-a very casual and common gesture of affection for him. I put my fingers over his.
"I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'd miss you guys," I told him, holding back lumps that collided together in my throat. "Be safe getting down their tonight, ok?"
Leo nodded. "We will."
Michelangelo came over to me and wrapped my body in his arms. "We'll come visit all of the time," he assured me sweetly.
I hugged him back. "I know."
He backed away and Donatello came to me next. "Here." The rectangular device he'd been working on a few days ago was being held out to me. It resembled a flip phone that had a shell stuck onto its front and, upon opening it, I found a set of numbers with a large red button over top of them.
"It works like a regular phone," Donatello explained, "but if you push that big button, it'll alert us when you're in trouble. If you ever need anything, just hit it and we'll come to you right away." I cradled the device in my hands as though it were a delicate baby fairy.
"Thank you," I told him earnestly, bowing my head so they wouldn't catch sight of my tears that had begun to fall. Donatello gave me a light hug, then he too stepped away.
Raphael came up to me awkwardly, obviously not sure what to do about my blubbering figure. He struggled to find the right words to say.
"Listen, don't push that thing too much, aight? It's for emergencies only, and a fashion emergency doesn't count," was what came out. I laughed half-heartedly at the attempt. He looked away uncertainly. "Eh, listen, I'm not really the hug-type o' guy…"
Before he could finish the thought, I threw his arms around his neck, hiding my face from him in his chest. He was off-guard for only a moment as he set his arms around my waist.
"I'll miss you the most, Scarecrow," I joked as I pulled away, wiping a tear from my cheek. He gave an unamused chuckle and waved me off.
Leo, though we'd been intellectually open with each other, had never been one to be too touchy-feely with me either. He stood over me and sort of waved his hand around the air between us uncertainly.
"Well, good luck," he offered. I gave him a brisk nod.
"Yeah. Good luck to you too."
He sighed for a moment, then surprised me with a tight and sudden embrace. I held him too, resting my face into his shoulder.
"If you ever need anything," he muttered, "ever, just let us know." I nodded against his scaly skin and we released.
A knock came at the door and by the time I glanced at it and turned back around, the boys were gone.