Donatello
It was around two o'clock in the morning before we decided to head back. Most of us were exhausted by the time we did. We laid out the towels on the roof to dry, and one of us would bring out our suits after we all changed back into our pajamas. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow and surprisingly got a good night's sleep.
The next day at noon, Leo pulled me from my reading to introduce us to Mr. Saki. Mikey was already there asking Mr. Saki an endless amount of questions.
"And this is my second little brother Donatello or Donnie as we call him," Leo said. "Don, this is Mr. Saki," he said, and I shook the man's hand.
"Hello, Donatello. Leonardo has told me you have quite a mind having already skipped a grade and currently enrolled in the gifted and talented program," he said, and I felt my face go red.
"Well…I'm not that good," I said, lifting my shoulders and adjusting my glasses.
"Not according to Leonardo. I will enjoy the day I take you in as my student as well," he said, and I gave a small grin.
"What about me huh?! Will you enjoy me as your student? Will I have my own room? Do you like pizza? Are you a secret ninja in the justice force?" Mikey kept asking until Leo covered his mouth.
"Relax Mikey," he said.
"Yes yes, I look forward to seeing your skills for myself one day. Now, Leonardo, we must be on our way. Say your goodbyes now," Mr. Saki ordered, and we all went quiet.
"Yes Mr. Saki," Leo said, and then slowly turned back over to us. Mikey's smile had now turned glum, and I just stared at him. Then all at once, we all embraced each other holding on tight.
"This won't be forever; I swear. When we come back, we can all finally have a family," he said. I nodded and could hear Mikey already sniffling as his breathing got shorter. I could have stayed like this forever if I had to but made myself let go of Leo and Mikey. Leo took a deep breath before grabbing his suitcase and followed Mr. Saki out of the apartment after a quick hug goodbye from Ms. Adams. We all followed Leo outside, where a blank limo was waiting for him with a large man with blonde hair tied up by the already opened door. Both of us watched with heavy hearts as Leo got into the limo with Mr. Saki, followed by the large man with blonde hair who closed the door. Leo looked back at us and smiled before he was taken away.
I looked over and saw tears rolling down Mikey's face as he let out a soft sob. All I could do was put an arm around him and held him tight. "It's okay, it's okay Mikey," I whispered, but his sobs just got louder. Now, I stood in front of him grabbing him for a full hug, and he grabbed onto me for dear life. "Remember, Leo said this won't be forever," I comforted, but Mikey didn't show any sign that he heard me. Then I looked up and saw Raph looking at us from the fire escape. I don't know what he doing, but he just kept looking at us. Finally, he let out a grunt and ran, but mostly climbed up the fire escape.
'No Raph, come back. Please!' I pleaded in my head. Mikey's cries still screamed in my ear, and I wanted so badly to push him away and cover my ears. Raph stopped at our floor and put his hands on the window before slowly looking back at us. My eyes pleaded with him; begging not to leave us just yet. But my hopes were crushed when he jumped back inside the apartment without looking back. I sighed in frustration and then turned my attention back to Mikey squeezing him harder. My eyesight started to go blurry and I tried with all my might not to blink.
"C-come on Mikey. Let's go back inside," I said. It took Mikey a minute to fully let go of me and allow me to put my arm around him in a sideways hug. With that, we walked back inside the apartment together.
The rest of my day was spent with Mikey watching T.V or playing video games with him. Ms. Adams even ordered pizza for everyone who did manage to get a soft smile from Mikey. Heck, even Raph came out from wherever he was hiding to eat with us, but he still didn't say anything to us. At ten, it was time for us to turn in. We all walked to our rooms but froze when we heard Mikey gasp. He looked back at us cautiously before turning back to his door and opened it with a shaky hand. He looked up at the top bunk, and I noticed that his bottom lip was starting to shake.
"Are ya comin' or what?" I heard Raph call to me. I turned back to him and saw he was already sitting on his mattress in our room. Then I turned back to Mikey.
"Mikey, you can take my bunk tonight. I'll sleep in there," I said.
"What?! No way!" Raph yelled, getting up from his mattress.
"Then you take the empty room," I snapped.
"Why?! Because Mikey's too much of a baby to sleep in a room by himself without ninja Leo around to scare all the monsters away under the bed?! Grow up!" Raph said, going over into Mikey's room and pushing him on the bed hard. I walked into the room now, just in case I needed to play peacemaker again. Mikey lay on the bed with enlarged pupils looking up at Raph whose fists were turning white. He stared up at the empty bunk and then turned back to Mikey.
"Y-you know what? Fine! Be a baby and sleep with Donnie," he said and grabbed Mikey's shirt before pushing him out of the room. Then, he shoved me out after him and slammed the door right in our faces. The two of us looked at eachother, shrugged our shoulders, and walked into mine and Raph's room.
The Next Day
Ms. Adams had to almost literately drag Raph out of bed the next day for breakfast. When we were finished, most of us were about to get started on our chores when Ms. Adams pulled all three of us into her office. I couldn't figure it out, but she didn't seem like the cheery woman we all knew. Something was different.
"Boys, I'm afraid I have to tell you something that you may not like. Early this morning, I received a phone call from social services. There was an emergency late last night, and they need to place two little ones here immediately," she explained.
"And…what's your point?" Raph asked.
"You all know that I can only take in six children in my care, and CPS needs to place the little ones here," she continued.
'Please don't say what I think you are going to say.' I thought as I felt butterflies in my stomach.
"I'm sorry boys, but the state thinks enough is enough. Remember, our job is to do what best for you as far as finding you each a permanent home; even if that means separating you in order to do that. Therefore, they decided to place Mikey and Raph in another potential permanent home. Don, you're staying here with me," she said, with guilt written all over her face.
"WHAT!?" we all shouted.
"No! What about Leo and Mr. Saki?! And Donnie! We can't leave him here all alone!" Mikey whined.
"I'm so sorry Mikey, but there's nothing I can do. We can't wait around for Mr. Saki to make up his mind about taking in the rest of you. We don't know how long that will take," she said.
"That's exactly what I told Fearless but did he listen?! No! Send Jake and Hannah to the new placement!" Raph yelled, but Ms. Adams just shook her head.
"The state wants you and Mikey Raph. There's no avoiding the situation. CPS will be here in an hour to pick you up. You need to get your things packed and say your goodbyes," she said.
"But…" Mikey said but didn't finish his thought.
"Well you can call them back up and say we're not going," Raph said and stormed out of the office.
Break*Break*Break*Break*Break*Break
No sooner was our hour up that the doorbell ran. In walked a tall, colored woman with black, straight hair, wearing a grey suit with her male partner who was our current Social Worker, Kevin Eastman, coming into the apartment. Following them were two police officers in full uniform.
"Lorraine Mincks from Child Protective Services of New York state, and I know you know Mr. Eastman here," she said, and each showed their badges. "We're here for Raphael and Michelangelo," she said, and Ms. Adams motioned over to where we stood.
"Well too bad. I ain't goin' with you," Raph snapped crossing his arms.
"I'm sorry but you don't have a choice," the woman said.
"Raphael, this is for your own good. Don't you want the chance to finally have a good home?" Kevin asked.
"Don't pull that crap with me, Kevin! If you want to find me a good home, then find one that takes in all of my brothers!" Raph yelled.
"No more games Raphael. You're being relocating to another foster home," he explained.
"Fine, then take both my brothers instead of just one," Raph continued.
"Your new home can only take in you and Michelangelo for the moment," Kevin said.
"Then…then put Donnie and Mikey there and leave me here," Raph said, as a cold shiver ran up my spine.
'No! That's just as bad as leaving me here. I…I can't be the brave one for Mikey Raph!' I told myself.
"That's not how it works Raphael. We didn't just pick you two at random; this new placement will bring you that much closer to finding a permanent home," Lorraine continued.
"All the more reason to send Mikey and Donnie instead! Don't most people want younger kids instead of a moody teenager?" Raph asked.
"Uh, Raph? You do know I'm technically a teenager too right? I'll be fourteen in a month," I said.
"No one asked you, brainiac!" Raph hissed at me through clenched teeth. "Younger kids have an easier time finding homes right?" he said desperately.
"That isn't true Raphael. The trouble is finding enough homes willing to accept and love a child. It has nothing to do with you in the slightest," she said, and then looked at her watch. "We don't have time for this. Boys, grab your things and let's go," she said, and Raph glared at them.
"No," he said and sat down on the couch still with his arms crossed. "Take them," he insisted again, pointing at us.
"But Raphie…" Mikey said, but Raph didn't even look at him.
"Raphael, I don't want to have to force you out, but I will if I have to," Lorraine said, and I looked over at Raph just waiting for his response with both fear and curiosity. Raph didn't even flinch or move. "Very well," she said and looked over at the two officers. One of them nodded and walked over towards Raph.
"Let's go, son," he said holding touching his shoulder, but Raph slapped it off.
"Don't touch me or call me 'son'," he snapped. This time, the officer grabbed Raph and pulled him off the couch, who then started hitting and punching, trying to escape. That's when everything took off for me. I covered my mouth with both hands and already felt my body make tears in my eyes.
"Get your damn hands off me! Donnie!" he shrieked, and the tears finally rolled down my face.
"Come on," the officer said, and managed to drag him out of the apartment. His screams were echoing from the hall back into the room that gave me more shivers than before. Then, another officer went over to Mikey and scooped him up with no problem due to how light he was.
"N-No wait! Donnie!" Mikey screamed as he flared around in the officer's arms as he reached out towards me. The officer showed no sign of struggling to get him out unlike with Raph. I fell to my knees and covered my ears sobbing, trying to get Raph and Mikey's screams out of my head.
"RAPHIE! DONNIE! HELP!" I heard Mikey scream from the echoed hallway but just squeezed my ears tighter.
Suddenly the screams were starting to sound faint and my heart dropped. My eyes went wide, and I raced out of the apartment room, down the steps as fast as I could towards the screaming. I ran outside the door, and saw a social services car open as they were trying to push Raph in there with Mikey right behind him still flaring around.
"Wait!" I shouted, running over to them, but was pulled back by none other than Ms. Adams. I looked at her with vengeful eyes. "NO! HOW COULD YOU?! Raph! Mikey!" I cried, but she still held on.
"Don, please don't make this any harder than it needs to be," she said, but I refused to listen. If only I could break free! Raph managed to stop moving his head all around and looked right at me.
"TAKE HIM WITH US! PLEASE!" Raph begged as he was pushed closer towards the car. Raph pushed and pulled with all his might, but the officer still held on with a death grip.
"DONNIE, DON'T GO!" Mikey screamed at the top of his little lungs, sobbing while trying to reach out for me as they dragged him to the waiting car. I managed to get one hand free, and that was all I needed to get more adrenaline. I reached out to Mikey as he was doing.
"LET THEM GO!" I begged, beginning to hyperventilate. Now she had let my hands go, but she now gripped my chest, pulling me further back.
"Breath Don, breath," Ms. Adams tried to console me, but I didn't want to hear any of her words. Not after she betrayed us.
"Don't take them! Please!" I begged as more and more tears rolled down my face. All I could do was watch as they pushed Raph into the car, but he just barreled his way back out into the officer.
"Stop fighting son. You're making it worse for your little brothers," the officer holding Raph again, but Raph just growled back.
"Put that one in first," Lorraine said, and the officer holding Mikey easily got him into the back of the car. Then, Raph was pushed into the car after him, and the door slammed shut, locking them both in the car.
"RAPH! MIKEY!" I screamed again. Raph used his fist to beat against the glass that wouldn't budge. Each time he pushed harder and harder, that it made a loud 'bump' that caused me to flinch every time. I could still hear Mikey's cries and saw him looking at me with his hands on the back window completely distraught. I felt my body ache from all the pulling and pushing, but I continued to fight. Now Raph was using his whole body to either break the glass of the car or force the child-lock door open.
"Let's go, Kevin," said Lorraine, and started to jog to the driver's seat, with Kevin heading for the passenger seat.
"NO! PLEASE!" I pleaded, giving it everything I had.
"Don, it's okay. It's only going to be for a little while," Ms. Adams said, but I still didn't listen to her lies. The car turned on and I saw something in Raph's eyes I didn't think I'd ever see; panic.
"DONNIE!" Raph yelled, and the car pulled away. The last image I saw of my older and only little brother was them looking back at me with their palms on the back window. Ms. Adams finally let me go, and I bolted for the car. If I could just catch up to it, then I could save the others. But then it turned the corner. That was it. There was no way I'd be able to catch up now without getting lost. So I just fell to the ground and screamed their names to the heavans or whoever was listening.
Great, now I'm crying. It's sad to say, but some siblings in foster care do in fact get separated from each other in order to place them in a foster home. I promise that things will start to pick up after a while and yes, a certain master will be involved in this story later on.
Hope you all enjoyed it.
Review!
LaurenHardy13