"Let me get this straight. Donnie became a Purple Dragon; join their cult; wears his new jacket like a second skin; sees those smartass motherfuckers as his new clique; and he's hanging out with them. Am I missing anything?"
"Nope. You're caught up", April answered to Katie. After a long afternoon of classes, the gang and I, along with April, were sitting on a wooden lunch table underneath a tree. I was lying on top of it listening to them talk. My arms were over my head and my hands cushioning my head; one leg laid across as the other was lifted and bent. "I tried to tell him it's a bad idea, but he's so fixated on that stupid jacket."
"Oh please. Those jackets aren't as hype as they look", Alex commented, "If Donatello wanted a jacket, I would happily create something worth having sex with."
"You don't think it's more than just a jacket, don't you?" Lydia asked, "he wouldn't be this invested in simple clothing. You know the turtles longer than all of us, April. What do you think?"
"I think Dee is making a huge mistake! But no! He loves that jacket more than his own friend's opinion!" You could hear the venom spilling out of her mouth. "Why are you laying there like you have no care in the world? Hello! New York to Merrill! Come in, Merrill!" the bitch had the fucking nerve to poke my head. I fanned it away. "Well? Aren't you gonna do anything?!"
I sighed. "Not a damn thing." a chorus of protest rang in my ears. I sat up. "Guys. We're not Don's Jiminy Cricket. We can't hold his hand and tell him what's right or wrong. He'll learn the hard way. We'll be there if he needs us", I told them.
"Uh, hello! You know Kendra more than any of us! You know how she thinks and acts!" April gave out good points. I know Kendra better than her; I grew up with the PD leader. I know she's planning something without a doubt; I know her too well.
What pissed me off more was the fact that Kendra knows me just as well as I do. She knows I know and knows I can't do anything with solid evidence. I can't just bust through the principal's office telling the old fart what the PD is up to; he'll think I'm BSing out of my ass on the spot which leads to me getting detention and sending me to the guidance counselor. It's pretty much the same scenario with the softshell; Donnie is the type to see the results rather than hearing it. Believe me. I'm just as concerned and aggravated as everyone else. Although there is nothing more than I would love to tell Donnie about his status quo, I know I can't rush into this. I had to step back and let things flow.
"I hate this as much as you do", I retorted.
"Doesn't seem like it", April countered with crossed arms.
I glared her way. "You had no effect either, pendeja. Why the hate?"
The African American girl grabbed my shirt collar. "Don't push it, Goth Boy."
Lydia went between us, holding April's hand. "Alright, let's not fight. This is not getting us anywhere."
"Oh, let it ride. We have enough drama as it is. Why not add it one more to the pile", Alex encouraged, "I'm sure everyone is on edge. What's wrong with letting loose some steam?"
"I bet April would win", Katie said making me narrow my eyes in annoyance. April's lucky she's a girl... rather, she's lucky I'm not a killer.
"Not helping", Lyds hissed.
"Guys, break it up. It's not worth the energy." We looked up at the tree to see Leo sulking on a branch. Leo didn't accompany us to our classes like the first time he visited. We found him above the table outside staring absentmindedly so here we are having our little meeting. The fact that it's about his brother and not putting in his two cents worries me.
"Hey, Leo, you good?" April asked, letting me go.
I saw the slider shrug. I tried reaching out to him mentally, but Leo's mind, though close, was far from reach. Maybe I should do something. "Yo, let me talk to him alone. I bet he'll be open with me", I told the group.
The guys nodded, but April was uncertain. After a long moment that stretched too long, she nodded. The guys grabbed their things and left leaving me and a depressed turtle. I started climbing the tree. I grabbed the branch where Lee was sitting and lifted my body. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?" my friend shrugged again giving me permission. I swung my legs for leverage as I balanced myself. I sat next to him with ease. He didn't shift his posture. I grabbed a thick branch above our heads keeping me in place. We sat in comfortable silence watching the autumn leaves fall. "Gotta love fall, am I right?" I quipped. No response. I thought that was a good one. "Penny for your thoughts, Baby Blue." Leo looked at me with a raised eye ridge. "What? I got your attention."
"Yeah... you did." Leo let his legs swing looking up at the midafternoon sky. "I don't like it", he replied with a heavy sigh.
"Don't like cafeteria food? I know. They could've improved it by adding a vegan menu, but school budget."
"What? No, Merrill, that's not what I meant, and you know that." I shrugged and waited patiently. "I don't like Donnie getting close to your ex. It's... well, I don't like it."
"You're not telling me why. I won't get what you're bitching if I don't know the whole deal." Leo bit his lip as he kept his eyes away from my gaze. "You're really going to make me work for it?" no answer just a shift of his head in the other direction. I touched his hand, turned his head to face me, and our foreheads touched. I had to dig deep through his memories until I found what I was looking for.
Leo encountered Kendra on the day he first came to school. She told him about the events on my eighteenth birthday. I wasn't surprised. She overheard a conversation between me and my mother. Obviously, Kendra will use it to her advantage especially if it means getting a leg up on competition.
I pushed back, opening my eyes. I saw Leo's face flushed. His dark eyes stare into my camera lenses. I stroked his cheek to ease his nerves. How long was he thinking about this? A whole month?
"This isn't about me! This is about Donnie!" Leo objected, grabbing my hand.
"Like I said, Donnie doesn't need us to be Jiminy Cricket. He'll figure it out on his own. Right now, you're my concern."
"Ugh! I hate this stupid mind link", the slider sneered, "It's hard to lie to you."
"Yeah, yeah, how unfortunate. Back on topic. You thought about Kendra's words this whole time and you never told me."
Leo glared at me. "Well, you didn't tell me about the whole soulmate thing!" Touche, turtle. He sighed. "We just got out of a fight. I don't want to go to round two."
"Neither do I, but we got to work on our communication shit. So, let it out. I had a feeling we're bound to come across that bridge eventually."
My friend took a deep breath. "Are you really going to disappear when you turn eighteen?"
I stared hard into those eyes. "That... that was the deal." Leo released his grip as I turned toward the city view. "After I recovered and was installed with prosthetics, my parents made sure I was their prime goal. I was the future for Project Protégé: a living soldier. Father equipped me with technologies and knowledge while Mother trained my body. The deal was I could do whatever I wanted without drawing too much attention to myself until I reached my eighteenth birthday. I could get away with murder and my family pay for the best lawyers and whatnot. After that, everything involving Merrill Damian Ramirez will be wiped clean. Birth certificates, pictures, media, everything will be gone. Hell, even my name won't be mine. I'll stick with something cliché like Protégé. However, recently I've been having second thoughts.
"I don't want to leave this life I've made. I was willing to give it up without batting an eyelash. I didn't want to make friends. I didn't want to make connections. I didn't want to stand out. That was until I met the Furball and met you guys, including you. I don't know how but you got me involved in life rather it's your adventures or mine. I'm grateful that I met you. Also, your Spanish was by far the sexiest thing I've ever heard." I chuckled as I saw Leo cover his face with his scarf. "I'm building a plan to get my own life. It might leave me going incognito; hopefully, it won't come to it. I'm trying to get in contact with my aunt, but she's been too busy to answer."
"...you're not leaving?" I barely heard his words. I felt his fear bubbling in my chest. I was just as scared as he was. I was starting to enjoy my life. I want to finish school, have more time with my friends, experience many things coming my way, I want to grow as a person, and find love.
"No. Not by a long shot", I replied, wrapping my arm around his waist, "You're too cute to forget."
"Good... I don't wanna lose you."
"I don't wanna lose you either." I tightened my grip on his waist. His head snuggled against my shoulder.
"I hope Donnie will be okay."
So do I... I hope Don uses my advice wisely.
~Lady Ai~
I have friends! New friends!
My new friends are as intelligent as I am.
And yet... something felt out of place. I thought it was me since I was their newest member. Or maybe it was how Kendra kept getting closer to me getting me to interact more. She even wanted me to talk about my inventions, which I was happy to be obliged. I just couldn't shake off my paranoia. Ugh. I let Nardo's words get to me. However, I kept thinking about the article informing my involvement. It even informed my approval that the column was short, but it was completed in a short amount of time. I thought about talking it over with Kendra, but I didn't want to lose not only my jacket but my new friends. So, I kept it to myself and waited for a better time. Possibly where I can be alone with the PD leader.
What felt like three hours later, we stretched our limbs. "What a game! Nice work guys! Von Ryan, you killed it with the buffs! Without you, we'd be long dead."
"I know", I agreed.
"My dumb cousin could learn a thing or two from you."
"Hey!" The boy with the round glasses digressed.
The round boy gave me the nudge. "Bro, the way you handled that mob rush. Pure satisfaction! Where have you been hiding? Under a rock?"
"...sure, let's go with that..." There's no way I'm telling them I live in the sewers. Not yet at least. Let's see where this goes.
"Hey, guys, check it", Kendra said, pointing to the entrance, "it's Ms. Bookworm." I turned my attention to the entrance. It was the blonde beauty I bumped into today. Her blonde hair was a lighter shade of yellow which I thought was white when I first encountered her. Her brown eyes scanned the room until it landed on us. Our eyes locked then they shifted to the front counter where the owner was wiping the table. She walked over to it. "Look at her. Think she's better than us jus' 'cus she the smartest in the school." The leader's tone was like she was spitting acid.
"She is?" I asked, intrigued. I thought April said the Purple Dragons were the smartest students in school. If so, why wasn't she in the group?
"Diana", Jeremy - I think it was his name (the one with the glasses) - sighed heavily with a starry-eyed gaze. "She got beauty and brains: two dangerous compounds." Diana... what a beautiful name. I watched Diana speak with the cashier worker.
Kendra pulled the glasses off the googly boy's face. "Don't get too excited. She got that title for her photographic memory." Does Diana have a photographic memory? Interesting. She tossed the lenses over her shoulder with little care. Jeremy managed to grab them before they hit the floor.
"I don't know, chief", Jason disagreed, "She volunteers in the library every day. She's surrounded by books."
"Books are overrated, Jase. By the way, libraries have computers, too. With her membership, Di has full access. She's full BS." BS? Should I know what that meant? Oh, wait. Bullshit.
Kendra's lips grew a sneaky grin. "Let's go greet her, boys." she made her way over to the front counter; her two sidekicks following her. Should I intervene or watch? For all I knew, this could be a part of my initiation. I was warming up to my new jacket. I decided to linger back. Kendra leaned against the counter in a laid-back manner. "Hey, Di, what's up?"
"The sky. What do you want Kendra?" Diana blurted out, bluntly. I like how she gets to the point. Her fingers tapped impatiently. Height-wise, Diana held a rough two inches taller than Kendra.
"Why so hostile? I just wanted to say hi to our "brightest" and "promising" student. I don't see you around here often. You hide in libraries like you practically live there. Planning to be a librarian after college? I took you more of a nerdy teacher."
The worker came back with a cup. It was a slender man; roughly early twenties give or take. I could care less how he looked. "Here's your drink, Di. Heading to the library again?" the twig man placed the drink in front of his customer.
"But of course, Henry. I got to keep this brain pumping with information", she responded, ignoring Kendra's presence like an insignificant insect. "How long is your shift?"
"A couple more hours. Plenty of time for you to browse your kingdom. I'll come to pick you up after work, k?"
The blonde nodded. "Ok. See you."
The man nodded and went to the back.
Diana went to grab her drink, but the light purple-hair girl swiftly took it. "What're you drinking, Di? Didn't think this place sells alcohol. Who would've thought Lil' Miss Perfect was a drinker."
"You're one to talk." Kendra blinked. "Oh, let me educate you. It was a response to your previous inquiry. When I state, "you're one to talk", I meant as a comeback to your assumption accusation comparing me to "a nerdy teacher". It's rich for you to say since if you happen to stumble upon what is a definition of a nerd in the dictionary – rather, in your case, the technical search engine – it is described as someone who is above intelligent yet socially awkward. Hearing this definition reminds me of you since I have only seen you with your two boys engrossed in computers like it is your lifeblood. You rely on technology to get answers or have them be the solution to your dilemma. I prefer to be old-fashioned. Technology evolves, yet books remain the same because it is written on paper.
"You call me a nerd, but I think you hold the crown for Queen of the Nerds, Kendra."
I stood there flabbergasted at the girl's words. It was a good thing my brothers weren't here because I was close to getting down on one knee and proposing to this girl. The two boys were holding in their chuckles. Kendra gave them a heated glare stopping their laughter short. The beret-wearing girl looked at the drink in her hand. She opened the lid and drank the liquid.
"Ugh! What is this crap!" she yelled.
"Flavorless juice. Healthy fruits and vegetables are pummeled into a liquid drink without sugar. Just how I like it." Dear pizza supreme in the Sky, Diana is a woman of many surprises!
Kendra clicked her tongue. "Not my taste. You can have it back." The tech club's leader threw the drink at Diana. The juice drenched through the victim's light clothing. Some of it covered her glasses. "You know what? It looks better on you." Kendra took a quick picture of the drenched girl before snapping her fingers. "Let's bounce. This place is cramping our style." She and the two boys left. I stood there watching the blonde breathe heavily. Her fists tightened and loosened; she repeated the process for a few seconds more until Diana straightened and went to the restroom. "Ey, Von Ryan! You coming or what?"
I wanted to make sure Diana was alright. "I realized I need to get to my family. They probably are wondering where I am." It wasn't a complete lie. I wanted to go home. Not pull a Leo, you know.
Kendra shrugged. "Cool." She took it well. "Meet us tomorrow same time. And maybe we can be closer if you know what I mean." She gave me a wink and left the café. I shivered. Did it get cold here?
Anyway, I waited for Diana outside the restroom leaning against the wall. The door opened revealing the blonde trying to remove the stain off her shirt. Her glasses were off giving me a closer look at those adorable freckles. She muttered under her breath about the stain being a bitch on her clothes. I loudly cleared my throat causing the girl to jump. Her eyes narrowed in anger. "What do you want? Come to complete your initiation?" What was she...? Ah. I see. She expected me to be crude and crass to her.
I raised my hands indicating peace. "I didn't stay to do anything to you. I wanted to see if you're alright."
"As you can see, I'm not. I'm soaked in the juice that I wanted to drink, and I am already late to the library no thanks to you and your club." I can see April didn't exaggerate the Purple Dragon's description. They were jerks. Why didn't I do anything? I could've stepped in and stopped the incident before it occurred. Leave the drama outside the door. Was I afraid of losing not only my jacket but my new comrades?
"Donnie, was it?" Her voice brought me back to reality.
"Yes! I mean, yes you are correct." I cringed hearing my voice reach a treble note. I cleared my throat. "I'm surprised you remembered my name."
"How can I forget you and your first impression?" my eye twitched. Right. Not the best moment in my youth.
"Here. You should wear this until you get home and change", I said, taking out the sleeve of my jacket.
Diana abruptly raised her hand stopping my gentlemanly action. "Don't bother. I would rather wear a trash bag than wear that disgusting fabric." Funny. That's something Alex would say. Diana crossed her arms. "Let me ask you something. Why are you with them?" Yet another person questioned my decision. Coming from Diana, it hit something differently in my chest. "The Purple Dragons are conceited individuals. I thought you were above that. At least, I hope you were. I guess I was wrong." she turned around to walk, yet the girl paused but didn't face me. "I hope you know what you're doing." And with that, I watched her walk. Honestly, I'm starting to question it myself.
What is the difference between Leo's friends and mine?
My brother's friends are loyal. Mine... are they worth calling friends, to begin with?