I watched Leo leave. He's too cute for words. I rubbed my hand against my face. A realization hit me. I was getting too attached. I shouldn't get attached. If my mom were to see this... yeah, I'll be screwed!
What the fuck is wrong with me?!
Being friends with a turtle is one thing, but reseeing my fake exes is a whole other story! We had faux dates to keep up with appearances! We used each other for personal gain! Our dates lasted for a month at best! Why are we connecting? Ok, I asked for a few favors, but it was a small favor nothing major.
Was it because of Leo? Was my reconnection his involvement?
Calm down, Merrill. I have two years left. A little interaction wouldn't hurt. I heard a chair screech. I looked up to see Raphael sitting in Leo's chair; he glared at me.
"Shouldn't you be waiting for a table?" I asked.
"You think you're so smug?" he insinuated while pointing his large finger at me.
"I don't think I know." I gestured for the musician to leave.
"You sit there acting all cool like you're above everyone here."
I smirked. "Not everyone here, but I know I'm better than you."
The large snapping turtle immediately stood up with clenched fists. "That's it!" suddenly, his two brothers appeared pulling him back. I sat there witnessing the ordeal.
"Raph, please", Donnie said, "I don't want to be blacklisted in a pizza restaurant where we can come in without a disguise."
"You're just hangry, big bro", Mike nurtured, "what you need is pizza!"
"What you fuckers need is to get your own damn table", I told them, "If the owner stops by, he's going to kick ya'll out in a nice way then call the mutant authorities to have your ass handed to ya on a silver platter."
"I'm not leaving Leo alone with you!" Raph stubbornly argued. "I don't know much about you, but you give me bad vibes, man. Sooner or later, you're going to do something that'll get me angry. Trust me. You don't want me angry."
"Settle down, Hulk. Don't need to tear your shell apart." Raph gritted his teeth. That was until a waiter appeared and dropped off the Heart Pizza. The three turtles sniffed the aroma. Their mouths salivated over the pizza. "You know what? Go nuts, guys. As long as you save some for your brother." Don and Mike were happy and took a slice. Raph was reluctant but slowly took it.
"Sweet salvation!" Mikey placed the slice to his mouth, unfortunately, Leo appeared and slapped the pizza out of his little brother's hand. "My salvation!" That was messed up.
"Don't eat that reject!" Leo told him and looked at us. "Why eat that when you can have the World's Greatest Pizza?" World's Greatest Pizza?
"I call bullshit", I said dismissively, "we already have a delicious pizza right here. Sit your ass down and enjoy it."
"I agree with our goth friend", Donnie agreed with me muttering "not a Goth", "every restaurant claims to have the world's greatest pizza."
"The whole reason we're here is to eat pizza", Raph reasoned.
"Trust me, hermanos", Leo encouraged spinning his Spanish slang, "it's behind velvet curtains."
"Velvet curtains? Fancy." Mikey followed along with the other turtles. I stayed back so I can walk beside Leo.
What's the catch?
'What are you talking about?
Don't act dumb. It's beneath you. We could've sat down and enjoyed our pizza instead you want us to go somewhere just to try the so-proclaimed World's Greatest Pizza. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a little too eager for us to join.
Leo stared at me. Then, he laughed as he patted my back. "You're overthinking things, Merrill. Relax. This will be a walk in the park." He walked down a hallway where his brothers went. I was about to follow until I looked up at the archway. It read: You are a Champion. My mind clicked.
Oh, hell no.
I quickly went to Leo and grabbed his wrist. "We need to talk", I said dragging him out of the hallway. Once we were out, I pointed to the sign overhead. "Want to explain that." I glared.
Leo stared at me. I couldn't hear his thoughts. "What's there to explain?"
"Tell me this isn't a repeat of the wrestling belt incident?"
"It's not!" he yelled, breaking through my grip. "I just want to get through a maze to get free pizza." 'And get my picture on the Wall of Champions.'
Why am I not surprised? I sighed. "Just promise me... promise me this won't turn into a shitshow."
"Um..."
"Right... I'm out." I tried to make my exit – keyword tried – but I was met with dark eyes blocking my path.
"You can't leave! What if I get kidnapped again?"
I rolled my eyes. "Either you or your brothers will save you from whatever danger you stumble upon." I circled around; again, he blocked me.
"Please stay... do you know how much I wanted to see you?" his eyes brimming with desperation. I was reminded of Kendra after what she has done. But Leo isn't Kendra. Leo isn't clingy like her. Mother said I shouldn't get attached. Attachments are a sign of weakness.
'What?' I looked at Leonardo with wide eyes. Did he hear that? 'Yeah...' Fuck! This mind link is fucking stupid!
"I need to go!" I made to leave, but Leo stopped me.
'I don't think attachments are weak. I think it makes you stronger.' cliché much. 'Rude. Please stay.' I stared at his pleading eyes.
"I'm not leaving", I said with a heavy sigh, "but I'm not getting involved. If you haven't noticed, Raphael wants to snap me in two whenever I so much get within a few millimeters of your space."
"Don't worry I can handle my brother." He sensed my disbelief. He huffed. "You leave me with no choice." He inhaled as he stood with his back against my chest; he grabbed my arm and pulled it over his plastron. He opened his mouth. "NO PLEASE! NOT IN PUBLIC!" he dramatically rested his hand over his head. I began to panic. "NOT WHERE EVERYONE CAN SEE US!" everyone in the restaurant saw the display.
"Wait, no! that's not – ok, ok! I'll go with you!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU WANT TO DEFLOWER ME ON TOP OF THE TABLE?"
"I'LL GO WITH YOU, DAMMIT!" Leo calmed down as he wrapped his arms around my neck.
"Just kidding! False alarm! My boyfriend and I were just roleplaying. Carry on!" everyone went back to their business.
You manipulative lil' bitch.
Leo looked at me with doe eyes as he pulled away. 'I don't know what you're talking about.' He turned away. "Let's go, sweetie!"
I can't believe you blackmailed me. We entered through the hall. Raph was about to speak, but Leo told him it was nothing. We entered through the doorway beyond the red curtains. We were met with the largest maze we have ever seen. I didn't like it not because it looked like a giant stone pizza pie.
"Is anyone else getting Death Run vibes?" I asked. We walked into the giant maze.
It felt like ages traveling in the labyrinth with Leo taking the lead. He kept ordering us to keep going left. All the walls looked the same it wouldn't surprise me if we were going in a circle. The turtles were getting exhausted. Raph was ready to eat the wall. Donnie was leaning over his tech-bo. Mikey was barely standing. Until we heard a noise.
"That's not my tum tum", the box turtle replied.
"No, that sounded like baking, we must be getting close." Leo went ahead. We turned over the corner and spotted mutant cooking utensils making a pizza and stuffing said pie into the live oven. "Great. They make the pizza for you. We'll take five extra-large pizzas; one Meat Lovers, one not Hawaiian, how does anyone feel about olives?" the four chefs came after us. A pizza cutter fought Leo; a rolling pin squished Mikey, Raph was against a cheese grater, and Donnie fought against a brick oven. I decided to assist Donnie. I kicked the brick's cheeks. It got angry and went after me.
I ran to the wall. I leaped up against the wall. I shot a smoke pellet into its mouth. It coughed out black smoke. It ran away. I spotted the grater shred through Raph's bandana's tails. He activated his mystic fists; however, Leo stopped his brother from going further.
"No mystic powers!" the slider yelled.
"No mystic powers?" Raph echoed.
The grater came for them, but I ran to it with a quick step. I slammed my foot against the grater's face pushing it back with a flip. Leo looked at me with wonder as I recovered.
"Leo, what's going on?" I asked. "This isn't what I signed up for."
"Going with Goth Boy here, what's going on?" Raph followed.
We spotted a statue ahead. The finish line. "Guys, we can talk about this later once we get..." Leo paused, seeing stone walls spouting out the ground covering the exit and caging us in. Leo went up to the wall. His fist hit the wall. "Oh, come on! I was so close!"
"Now why can I use my power fists and smash my way through?"
"Funny story..."
"Let me guess", I interrupted, "we can't use mystic powers to get through this maze?"
Leo nervously smiled. "Yeah... like you said."
"LEO!" Raph yelled. Suddenly, the left and right walls popped out and flames spewed out.
"Leo, make a portal! I'm too young to be a flambe turtle!" Mikey pleaded.
"I can't. It's against the rules", Leo declined.
"Who fucking cares? We're going to be pinchos in minutes!" I declared. There was something else lingering. There was doubt and uncertainty. I might be spitballing here but... "Leo... you can't control your portals?" Leo's eyes grew wide. I was right. I don't get it. "What happened to all those visits to my place?" I asked in bewilderment. He comes to my place through portals whenever he felt like it. Was this any different?
'because of you...' I blinked. 'I always thought of you, which makes it easier to reach you.' Leo clutched his sword while avoiding my gaze.
"Leo..." even on the verge of our death, my attention was lined on Leo. I placed my hands on the slider's shoulders. His eyes stared at mine. "I know you can do this. You have the power in you." God, that sounded cliché. "All you need is to focus."
Leo nodded with more confidence. He swung his sword and circled it with a twirl of his wrist. No portal. He tried again. And again. And again.
"No pressure, but the walls are closing in fast!" Donnie yelled.
"I can't... I can't do it!" Leo was losing it. It pained me to see Leo down. I went behind him. I clasped my hands over his.
"I know you can do this. Concentrate."
"Anytime now!" Raph yelled.
"Shut up, Fat Ass!" I yelled back.
"I'm not fat! I'm thick!" I would've made a joke right there, but our lives were wearing thin.
"Focus, Lee. I know you have it in you... focus..." I felt a jolt of electricity coursing through my fingers. We twirled the blade. A bright blue portal appeared. "Congrats."
"I did it! I made a portal –" Raph rammed through it with us and his brothers together. We fell from above and landed on the ground. My back contacted the concrete floor with Leo landed on top of me just like before. We sat up. Leo and I hit our heads.
"Sorry", we said in unison. Then we looked up to see a giant minotaur statue holding a pizza box. The slider climbed the statue toward the box. He finally made it and held the pizza box over his head in victory.
"Yeah! We did it!" he yelled in triumph.
"CHEATERS!" a bellowed banshee cry screeched. The statue started to crumble.
"Leo, get down from there!" I yelled. Leo quickly escaped. The statue broke revealing a live and VERY angry minotaur. My scanners picked out the specific details. Minotaur. Female. Hostile.
"You don't deserve this pizza!" she yelled. She summoned green vines almost reminded me of Barry. She thrust her vines at us. I immediately went to Leo's side, and we fought together in unison.
"Activate protocol: Wolverine!" my sharp claws cut through my gloves. I cut through the vines coming for me. A vine lunged at me. I sliced it into pieces. More vines came my way. I sliced them one by one. A vine decided to do a sneak attack, but I kicked it away. my back hit something hard. I looked back to see Leo behind me. I smiled until a vine grabbed his ankle and yanked. "Leo!" another vine came and grabbed me tying it around my torso and securing my arms.
We were held up to the minotaur's face. "You dare cheat before the assistant manager? Then, you shall not leave this place alive!" she thrust her hand up as pyro burst through her fingertips.
Yup, we're gonna die here.
"Stop!" the minotaur paused, bringing Leo close to her. "I was the one who cheated. They had nothing to do with it. If you're going to punish someone, punish me." Shit, Leo. He was taking the blame. How noble.
The minotaur shrugged. "Alright." Her vine crushed Leo.
"Hey!" I yelled, gaining her attention, "you claimed to have the World's Greatest Pizza, but who's to say we haven't had better."
She loosened her grip. "What are you talking about? You're not talking about Famous Minotaur Pizza on 19th, are you?"
"Ah, memories", I mused while flipping my bang out of my face. "You hear that Sugar Beak, our first date", I signaled Leo with a wink.
Leo understood my meaning even without the mind link. "But of course, Dark Chocolate", he answered, sweetly, "remember I wore that cute outfit? You passed out due to blood loss." I felt my eyebrow twitch. Bitch. I'm so getting you back for this.
"A night to remember... but the pizza there was off the charts." The assistant manager let us go. She had the pizza box in her hands.
"That garbage that's called pizza? Wait until you try mine!" she opened the flap. Looked like an average pizza pie. The four vines came, took a slice, and thrust them straight into a turtle's mouth. They savored the taste.
A pizza obscured my vision. "Sorry. Ain't hungry", I declined, however, the manager wasn't having any of it and thrust the slice into my mouth. "Holy shit! This pizza is bangin'!"
"So, where do we get our pic–" I quickly covered Leo's mouth.
"The pizza was all the appreciation we need. Right, Leo?" I gave the slider a side glare. He automatically nodded his head. I released him. We were about to leave with Leo's brothers until a long vine divided us. We looked at the minotaur.
"I'll let you go... under one condition." We looked at each other in confusion.
So, in the end, we did get our picture taken... on the Wall of Cheaters. Hey, it was better than getting roasted alive. On another part of the wall was a small section with a plague Cutest Couple with a picture of me and Leo smiling; we stood close together with my arm wrapped around his waist as he gave a camera a wave. We do look cute together.
"Can I have a copy?" an added voice came with me. I looked at Leo with our faces flushed. I quickly recovered. "This was fun and all, but I gotta bounce. Tell your dad I want to meet him by tomorrow." The assistant manager gave me a manila folder; I gave her a tip.
"Wait so soon?" I heard Leo say. "What am I going to tell him?"
I turned to Leo who looked terrified to even approach his father for this request. "Tell him I want to talk to him over dinner. To reach an understanding and find a middle ground. I did say I'll convince your father to uplift your punishment." I approached the blue-bandana-wearing turtle. His dark eyes watch my movements. I was within his space. "After all..." I grabbed an end of his bandana lifting it to my lips, "I promise to take you to the homecoming dance; it'll be a night to remember..." I gently tugged him forward; my lips next to his earlobe, "even if I have to take you there myself." Leo released a small gasp as I released him. His face was a muddy, blushing mess. I stepped away letting Leo slide down staring into space. I got my win for today.
I encountered the turtles. Raph was ready to strike. I smirked. "I hope to see you tomorrow." The huge turtle pounced but he was held back once again by his brothers.
I made my exit in a calm demeanor. I'll buy cigarettes another day. I need to prepare myself.