A/N: Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to Kayla and Donniesfan for being my first two reviewers! Thank you so much for the support! I am very humbled that you both have been following since 'Logic of the Soul'. There's still so much story left to tell and I'm very excited to share it with everyone! :D

Chapter 2: Boy Bands and Bullies

Casey always wondered what the inside of the girls' bathroom looked like. He never imagined finding out would require a matte foundation being applied to his face.

"Are you finished yet?" Casey huffs impatiently as Simone sweeps a small brush over his bruised cheek.

"I would've finished ten minutes ago if you'd stop squirming!" Simone snaps back as she holds his chin in place. "Be still! It'll never be said that Simone Calloway's makeup game ain't on point."

His butt against the sink, Simone pulls his face downward to her shorter stature, or at least as much as his anxious limbs will allow. Trying not to move his face, Casey's eyes cut toward the door. What if someone walked in on them? He'd never live it down.

Casey winces as Simone squeezes his cheeks between her fingers, forcing him to face her once again. "Ow, ow, ow! Easy, will ya? You're messing with my heart-breaking good looks here!" he complains, only half-joking about Simone's rough handling.

"More like mirror-breaking," Simone mutters. Casey's nose twitches as she pats his nose with a dusty pink blush, provoking a large sneeze out of him. "EW, CASEY!" Simone shrieks as spittle lands on her face, "If I have to tell you to keep your narrow behind still one more time…" Simone threats him between gritted teeth.

"Okay, okay! Sorry. Just wish I would've known your brilliant idea involved dolling me up like a pageant contestant," Casey mumbles.

Simone rolls her eyes in response, completely focusing on concealing and blending with her make-up sponge.

Trying to keep his mind off the unnatural amounts of color Simone is adding to his face, Casey lets his eyes wander to the empty bathroom stalls, their doors decorated in various boys' names, phone numbers, and catty body-shaming remarks about other girls. He is a little disappointed that he can't find his name but also realizes his hockey mates who bragged about having their names on the girls' stalls are big, fat, stinkin' liars.

"Alright. You have been officially beat by the gods. Whaddaya think?" Simone boasts, as she turns Casey to the mirror.

Leaning in closer, Casey examines his reflection with a critical eye as he takes in Simone's work. He looked good. Too good.

His face scrunches up in disgust, "What did you do?! I look like a boy band heartthrob!"

"I blame your blotchy olive undertones," Simone sasses with a single hand on her hip. Casey gives a sidelong glance at the feisty girl. Simone rolls her eyes and shrugs, "With that smoldering winter skin, the best I can do is Backstreet Boys or Linkin Park."

Casey sighs. "I just needed you to cover the bruises," he complains as he glowers at his beautified reflection. He could only use hockey practice as an excuse for so long. "Last thing I need is Ms. Young asking me a million questions."

"Ms. Young?... She's iight," Simone offers, having way more interactions with the school social worker than Casey has, "but on the real, she is nosy! It's, like, can I have my business back, please?" Simone cackles at her own joke.

Casey reaches to touch the tight, sore spot around his left eye, but the mahogany-skinned girl slaps his hand away.

"No touching!" She gives him a warning glare. "You look like a decent human being now. You're welcome," Simone quipped, leaning over the neighboring sink to reapply her lipstick. "And nobody will know," Simone reassures him with boastful look before casually shrugging. "Trust me. I do it all the time."

Casey frowns, concern etched on his make-up clad face, "You shouldn't have to."

"Neither should you," she gives Casey a knowing look.

The silence, long and palpable, breaks with the rapid pounding on the locked door.

"Occupied!" Simone yells to whoever is outside the door and the insistent pounding stops. With a deep exhale, Simone turns her attention back to Casey. "You text me at the crack of dawn about this…" Simone gestures to Casey's face, "… 'emergency' that April can't—but should—know about. My time, services, and vow to secrecy deserve an explanation."

"It's nothing, I've got it under control," Casey shrugs off her concern.

"You got me sneaking you into the girls' bathroom twenty minutes… I repeat… twenty minutes before school starts for 'nothing'?" Simone looks Casey up and down before rolling her neck at him. "Uh-uh, try again, Jones, because I do not just show up at school early for nothing."

Simone talks trash all the time, so it's easy for Casey to completely ignore her threats, but the way her body language is sashaying with her words right now, Casey decides its best not to provoke her. Plus, she did come through at the last second. "My mom… the cancer, it's… she's not getting any better," Casey admits, "and my dad's not handling it well. He's been drinking and-"

"And you think that's a reason for him to bust you in the face?" Simone glares, not letting him off the hook so easily.

Casey's brows crease in frustration as he refuses to meet Simone's penetrating glare. He knew it was a mistake telling her. He should have just figured it this out on his own. "You don't understand, okay? He's not himself. He's… he's struggling." Casey's expression darkens, the weight of Simone's judgment pulling heavily at his conscience.

Simone scoffs as she steps into Casey's personal space. "Trust me, I get it. I've had more than my fair share of black eyes and busted lips." She juts out her chin, unabashed. "Sure, I crack jokes, hang out with my bestie, or get faded to deal, but what I'm not gonna do is defend those jokers who abused me!" Despite her shorter stature, Simone doesn't hold back as she pokes an accusatory finger at Casey's chest.

"It's my dad, Simone! Not some random jerkwad in foster care!" Casey snaps at her. Her stunned expression makes him regret his outburst as he averts his eyes to the floor before looking at her again. "He's my dad," Casey whispers apologetically with a shrug.

Please don't make a big deal out of this, Casey pleads in his mind as they both hold each other's gaze, unwavering in their personal stances.

Whatever trigger Casey unwittingly pushed deflates in Simone just as quickly as it rose. With slumped shoulders, she sighs. "The cancer thing with your mom really, really sucks." There's a gentleness in her tone rarely seen by the hockey player. "But you getting the snot beat outta you isn't cool." She takes his chin in her hand, checking her handiwork again before hooking her thumbs in her jean loops. "Do what you gotta do to survive it, but don't excuse it cause it's not okay."

Casey gives a short nod. Before her acknowledgement of abuse, Casey knew very little about Simone's home life, only that she was in foster care and had lived with April's aunt for a while. April was their mutual friend, the bridge over their often-temperamental friendship. Simone was annoyingly talkative, sassy, and brash, but Casey never suspected her to be a survivor of abuse. Was she still surviving in her current foster home?

The silence between them is heavy with unwanted truths but the weight is short-lived as Casey, king of banter, flashes a crooked smile. "Anyways, time for me to make my debut. How's my smoldering eyes?" Casey gives his best broody-eyed look while carding his fingers through his hair.

"You look constipated," Simone deadpans, before allowing a smirk to stretch across her full lips as they follow back into a safe and easy repartee free of black-eyes and broken homes. "Come on, pretty boy. I'm not letting my facial masterpiece go to waste in this bathroom." Simone gestures at Casey's face as she unlocks the door, tossing her dark brown and teal braids over her shoulder.

Simone is many things: a blabbermouth, loud, boujee, and just downright aggravating at times, but Casey can't deny the confidence she emits (she calls it black girl magic). Magic or not, Simone isn't always so bad.

Slinging his bookbag over his shoulder, he follows Simone's chipper vibe. "So how exactly are you going to sneak me out of the girls' bathroom?"

"Don't worry, Jones. I'll get you out with your reputation still intact," Simone grins mischievously as she pulls open the bathroom door.

"Wait what are you—."

Before Casey can question her cryptic words, Simone plants a well-aimed karate kick to his rear sending Casey sprawling onto the hallway floor.

"Casey?!"

Casey's face pales when he hears April's shrilled voice. Simone kicked him into the hall just as April was walking by. Seriously, what were the odds? Casey glares at Simone. Who is he kidding… with Simone the odds always seem to work against him.

"O.M.G! CASEY JONES, YOU SLIMEBALL!" Simone shouts in mock disgust.

"Wait, what?!" Casey sputters, annoyance and betrayal coloring his face.

"Ugh, I caught him looking for his name on the stalls. As if any girl would brag about being with Casey STD Jones." Simone taunts sticking out her tongue for good measure.

"I DO NOT HAVE STDs!" Casey shouts louder than he intends, mortified, as a few cheerleaders walk around him, scrunching up their noses.

"Really, Casey?" April gives him an exasperated look, believing Simone's cover-up much to Casey's surprise.

"Heh… er… well, what can I say… the ladies love Casey Jones. Had to make sure my rep was still fresh," Casey flashes April a toothy smile, playing along with Simone's fabrication as he dusts his jeans off and leans against a locker.

"And why do you look so… glowy?" April asks tilting her head curiously to the side.

"That's just the Casey Jones charm, Red." Casey clicks his tongue twice, pointing at April with a wink.

"Typical Casey Jones tomfoolery," Simone says nonchalantly, shifting her weight from one hip to the other while crossing her arms.

April groans, grabbing Casey by the arm. "Come on, or we'll be late for class." She turns to Simone. "Catch up later in study hall?"

"Bet. However, I will not be studying," Simone answers earning a chuckle from April.

"I'm not sure if I should thank you or hate you right now," Casey says under his breath as he brushes past Simone.

"You're welcome!" Simone says in a sing-song voice before skipping down the hall in the opposite direction.

Casey and April make it to their Information Technology class just before the tardy bell rings. Side by side at their computer desks, April logs into the class module assignments while Casey opts for a casual game of Candy Bash.

"Have you heard from the guys?" April asks quietly while clicking away on her keyboard.

Casey knows by 'the guys' she means the turtles. Arm propped on the desk, he leans his head against his fist, while idly bashing candy on the screen as his free hand maneuvers the mouse. "Not since… Christmas?" He winces as the words exit his mouth. He hadn't meant for so many days… or rather so many weeks to pass. On top of everything else going on in his life, he could now add lousy friend to the list.

April's voice softens. "I'm sure they understand, Casey. I know you've been busy with your mom lately. How is she?"

Casey sucks in his bottom lip at April's question, never breaking eye contact with the bright sugary game on his screen. "She didn't want to stay in the hospital anymore. Dad brought her home so she would be more comfortable."

So she can die. Casey shakes the grim thought from his mind as he clicks his mouse to match six green candies. Casey had begged her to stay in the hospital in case there was something, anything, the doctors could do to stop the cancer's progression but his mom was adamant about coming home.

No more, Casey. I'm tired. I want to come home. I want be home with mia famiglia. You wouldn't deprive your dear mother of that, would you, love?

No, of course he wouldn't. It's just that every day feels like he's going home to a cemetery, and stepping in her room feels like it's an open casket waiting for her last breath.

"Casey."

April's hand covers his which gripping the mouse tighter than necessary. Her subtle touch and concerned look is enough to pull Casey from the cloud of morbid thoughts brewing in his head.

"Hm?" he hums, not trusting his voice, and only looks back at April when he's sure the tears have receded.

"I said, if you need anything let me know, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, Red. Thanks. I'm good though." He pulls away, settling his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie. "So have you heard from the guys? Is Leo still pulling a Raph?" Casey's question was enough to avert the conversation as April rolls her eyes with exasperation.

" 'Pulling a Raph' is an understatement. With Leo and Raph's faces plastered all over the news and social media, it's not safe for any of them to go out alone especially with the EPF agents still scattered in the city."

Casey nods, "Yeah, I've seen a few of them replacing the local police watch spots."

"Exactly! But according to Raph, there's no reasoning with Leo. He's out there trying to find Donnie by himself but he's no closer to finding him thn any of us are. What's worse is how he treats Raph and Mikey."

"Huh?" Casey frowns because if he knows anything it's that Leo would literally die for his brothers.

"Leo hasn't been around to help Raph with Mikey, or anything else around the lair for that matter. I brought groceries to the lair last week, and Raph was making sure Mikey and Master Splinter had dinner all while trying to fix a leak under the kitchen sink. I didn't even know Leo was there until he stalked out of his room and disappeared into the sewers. It's like he doesn't even care about them anymore. Poor Mikey's absolutely heartbroken and I know it bothers Raph even though he won't admit it."

"Sounds like Leo just needs a good kick in the shell," Casey says with indifference, as he rocks his chair on its back legs. "Why hasn't Splinter whacked Leo with his walking stick yet?"

"Raph says he's in deep meditation, tracking Donnie, and can't be disturbed. So it's pretty much just Raph handling everything in the lair."

Casey finds it hard to believe that Leo just up and ditched Raph and Mikey. Sure, Leo was super intense during their Christmas get-together but Casey would have carried that same energy if his little sister were missing. Leonardo had always been overly protective of anyone he considered family, ever since Casey was first introduced to the blue-masked turtle. Donnie had openly shown disdain of him for obvious April-related reasons but Leo's initial distrust of Casey was silent, subtler, born of a discreet protectiveness that would end with your face on a missing person's poster if you messed with his family.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Red. I think Leo and Raph are just at each others throats right now 'cause Dee is missing. You wouldn't get it. Just sibling stuff, best to stay out of it."

April let out a small huff at Casey's dismissive tone as her fingers tap dance across the keyboard with more force than necessary.

"I don't have to have siblings to feel a train wreck coming a mile away," April mutters sarcastically.

Wordlessly, the remainder of class ticks by, both teens wrapped in their own thoughts. The rest of Casey's classes are a blur of teachers, back of the classroom chatter, and homework assignments he is too mentally preoccupied to write down.

"Hey, Tyrel, isn't that the Jones kid?… The one who got taken by those subway lizards?" Kevin's voice slithers into Casey's hearing range.

"Yeah, I heard he got bit and can shapeshift into a mutant lizard now," Tyrel gossips.

"Nah, man, you're lying."

"No cap, for real! Did you see what he did to Derek the other week? Dude went off! And I heard if he bites you, you'll turn into mutant lizard too."

"Yeah, well Jones has always been a little psycho but now he's—"

"Now he's what?" Casey slams his locker door shut revealing two football players idling talking about him like the latest tabloid freak. Kevin and his football friends have been talking trash about him all week and he was tired of ignoring them. Casey's blood boils as he closes the gap between him and the two football jocks. "You got something to say, then say it to my face!"

"You feelin' froggy then jump, lizard boy!" Kevin squares his shoulders using his extra three inches of height to try and intimidate Casey as Tyrel cackles from somewhere in Casey's peripheral vision.

Casey's dark glare meets Kevin's cocky one. That was as good an invitation as any for him.

Casey raises his fist but it comes short of Kevin's face as Tyrel hooks his arm. Using his linebacker body weight, Tyrel shoves Casey's back against the lockers. Living up to his psycho persona, Casey headbutts Tyrel, sending the boy stumbling backwards as he howls in pain holding his bloody nose. Casey's head whips to the side as Kevin lands a sucker right across his left cheek.

"What the heck?!"

Casey shakes the burst of stars from his vision. Confusion etched his face as he eyes the peculiar blend of colors smeared on Kevin's fist. His cheek throbs as he touches the warm swell of skin. Casey's fingers pull back a thick coat of makeup revealing beneath it a grotesque canvas of a purplish-black bruise, its edges a distorted yellow hue.

"Dude, I told you he was a mutant lizard freak! His skin is melting off!" Tyrel shouts, holding his nose as he points to Casey's face, causing several students to gasp and whisper in the hallway. Casey's heartbeat is a rush of water pounding between his ears as the football jocks draw more attention with their jeering.

"Sick! It is true, Jones? Did you bite your family and mutate them into a bunch of freaks like you? No wonder your mom—"

Kevin never finishes his sentence as Casey's hockey stick cracks across his lips.

Casey slouches in one of the chairs outside the principal's office holding an ice pack against his aching cheek. This was the third time he had been sent to the principal's office in the past month. The first time was a wellness check after being supposedly 'abducted' by mutants, and the second time was after shutting Derek's big mouth with his fist. A heavy sigh presses past Casey's lips. Whacking the star football player with a hockey stick was not going to go over well with Principal Baldwin. His dad was going to kill him and his mom…

The dark clouds return to Casey's mind, his frustration and anger melting into guilt. His mom was home now. The last thing she needed to be worried about was her dumb son getting expelled from school. God, he hoped he didn't get expelled from school.

"Casey! Oh my gosh, what happened?" The pitch of Simone's concerned voice abruptly yanks him out of his head.

"It's not that bad. You should see Kevin McAllister," Casey says, smugly.

"My beautiful work of art!" Simone laments, showing where her true concern lies as she dramatically flops in the seat next to Casey and pulls the ice pack away from his face. "You literally messed up my beat face by getting your face beat. You were a stud this morning! I had you lookin' like a straight-up dime and now you look like I should be tossing you pennies. How could you?" Simone looks comically distraught, much to Casey's annoyance.

"I'm fine, Simone, thanks for asking," Casey's tone drops with muttered sarcasm as he rolls his eyes and snatches the ice pack back from her. Simone sweeps her eyes over Casey. Exasperated, he leans forward with his elbows on his knees pressing the ice pack against his cheek again.

"So, Kevin McJerkface is the cause of this whole situation?" Simone questions with an air of sass as her finger points and circles the space around Casey's bruised face.

Casey grunts a confirmation in response.

"And you beat him down with your hockey stick?"

"I only hit him once. That is not considered a beatdown. I've had worse during hockey practice."

"If I was there, he would have ate that hockey puck and left no crumbs."

"Maybe no crumbs but definitely some teeth."

Casey and Simone stare at each other for half a beat before bursting into laughter. God, his face hurt but it felt good to laugh. If only for a moment, Casey's heart felt lighter as he and Simone joked about Kevin McAllister's demise. As their laughter dies down to chuckles and snickers, Casey looks curiously at Simone, her attention now occupied by a meme on her phone.

"So, why are you here?" Casey asks arching his brow.

"Disrupting class, sleeping in class, maybe both?... I don't know." Simone answers with a nonchalant shrug never turning from her phone.

"Are you trying to repeat eleventh grade?" Casey asks with amusement in his eyes

"Stop it. You sound like April now. It'll be fine," Simone says with the wave of her wrist and a light heart. "I'll just do the make-up work and all will be well in my academic world."

Casey snorts at Simone's care-free attitude. He needs just a pinch of her chill vibes to get through the rest of today.

"Casey Jones. Principal Baldwin will see you now," the secretary announces, pinching a corded phone between her ear and shoulder.

"So much for adding your face to my InstaGlam page," Simone pouts. "It was nice knowing you, Jones."

"My face better not be on your Glam page," Casey warns, though his tone is slightly more upbeat and less irritated than before.

Simone sucks her teeth, rolling her eyes at Casey. "Well, you obviously blew any chances of that happening. Your face is giving Rocky Balboa vibes, which is nothing but gross at the moment." Simone smirks and Casey can't help but smile back.

He tucks Simone's good-natured banter in a warm corner of his mind as he enters the lion's den—Principal Baldwin's office. Closing the door behind him, Casey stops in his tracks. He wasn't expecting his hockey coach to be here too.

"Have a seat," Mr. Baldwin directs as he leans forward, clasping his hands on top of his desk. Coach Roberts stands beside the desk, arms crossed over his chest.

Worry creases Casey's brow as he glances between the principal and his coach. Casey slowly sits down in the fabric armchair.

"Casey, do you remember what I told you after your altercation with Derek?" Mr. Baldwin asks.

Casey shrugs, knowing exactly what Mr. Baldwin told him as he avoids eye contact.

"I told you that, according to our school policy, a second offense means expulsion from school. Is that what you want, Casey?"

"It wasn't my fault! Kevin and Tyrel started talking smack!" Casey's frustration flares as he leans forward in his seat, defending himself.

"So, you thought bashing Kevin in the face with a hockey stick and busting Tyrel's nose was the solution to that? You know better than that, Jones," Coach Roberts reprimands.

"You think I gave myself this?" Casey points at his swollen cheek. "They started trash talking, they threw the first punch, not me."

"Then, you walk away, Casey, you don't engage. Same rules on ice apply to school bullies," Coach doesn't let up on Casey. His lip thins, betraying his disappointment in Casey's behavior.

"Then he should've kept my mom's name outta his mouth!" Casey's eyes widen as the turbulent words spill out his mouth before he can bite his tongue. He hadn't meant to yell, to sound so childish and petty, but in the heat of his coach's accusations he felt cornered and nobody was listening.

His mother was dying and no one was listening.

Casey blinks. Releasing the arm rests from his death grip, Casey quickly masks his rogue emotions behind a deep frown as he shoves his fists in the pocket of his hoodie.

Mr. Baldwin and Coach Roberts share a look, their expressions softening.

Mr. Baldwin pauses before continuing with concern, "I understand, Casey. Kevin and Tyrel will be disciplined accordingly. But violence is never the answer. You could have seriously hurt someone."

Casey's chest tightens with sudden guilt, his mother's face flashing in his mind. He knows she wouldn't approve of his actions, especially now, when she's fighting so hard just to… live.

"I'm sorry," Casey whispers, his voice barely audible.

Baldwin sighs, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not going to expel you, Casey. But there will be consequences. You're going to have in-school suspension for a week and I'm afraid I'll have to take you off the hockey team." He glances at Coach Roberts who gives a nod of agreement.

Casey's heart plummets at the mention of his beloved sport being ripped from his life. Hockey had always been his escape, his way of channeling his emotions into something productive.

"Look, I'm sorry. It… it won't happen again, I promise. Just, please… I need… Hockey's everything to me," Casey stumbles through his protest, his voice tinged with desperation.

Baldwin's expression softens, sympathy flickering in his eyes. "I know, Casey. And I'm truly sorry. But right now, you need to focus on your classes and getting back on track. Talking to the school counselor could help."

Casey looks to Coach Roberts with pleading eyes but his coach's resolve is final. There's no point in arguing. Casey nods, his shoulders slumping with defeat, but it doesn't make the loss of control of yet another part of his life any easier to bear.

Eyes downcast, he leaves the office, the weight of his actions pressing down on him like a leaden blanket.

"Casey Jones."

Casey sighs. He knows an authoritative tone when he hears one. Who could he possibly be in trouble with now?

As he lifts his gaze with a clenched jaw, a female in uniform shows him an Earth Protection Force badge. A rotten feeling drops in his gut as a whole new level of trouble stands in front of him.

Eyes wide and lips pursed, Simone stares at the officer as she whispers to Casey, "Bruh. You are doing the absolute most today."

Casey groans.

A/N: Sheesh, Casey just can't catch a break.

Until the next chapter, have a great day on purpose!

~Poetique