We squirmed our bodies in the cramped space. Our limbs kept tangling with every movement we made. It was getting hotter and hotter by the second and Merrill's breathing over me wasn't helping. Why didn't I bother bringing my odachi. Even if it was my first date, I would've hidden it somewhere or made it an accessory to my outfit. But NOOOO! Since I can summon ten swords and a pair of golden wings, I thought bringing my mystic weapon would be too much.

Why couldn't I think like Raph and bring extra protection? (NOT THAT KIND OF PROTECTION!) I should've asked Dee if he had a spare taser gun. I don't think a taser gun would help especially with the opponents we were up against.

Merrill breathed over me which caused me to shiver. Why does he have to be taller than me? "Whelp," he started, "this doesn't beat my Top 5 Weirdest Dates."

I growled. He thought this would count as weird. And he's ranking how odd it was?! Unbelievable! Here I was getting dolled up in a dress and no mask! I wanted one night: a simple, calm night having a fancy dinner with my best friend/soulmate. Was it too much to ask? I was mentally prepared for this night. I hyped myself up with my friend's help and I may or may not have told my fam about my first date, definitely NOT including Dad. He will break his prosthetics... and his bones! So... yup... kinda went solo on this. It was supposed to be a regular, normal night.

"I knew this was gonna happen", I muttered, yet it was loud enough for Merrill to hear me.

"What? Us getting tied up together in a box while facing each other? A kinky fantasy, yes. Reality? Even I didn't see that coming."

I shook my head as I rested on his chest. "This wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to enjoy our first time together without... this! I should've never let you talk me into coming here."

"OK. I admit. Their prices are unnecessarily high. Two thousand dollars for a steak covered in edible gold? I'm rich but even I know it's dumb which was why I wanted to eat the Wagyu steak. The price was cheaper."

I sighed, shaking my head. "It's not about the overpriced meal." I took a deep breath. I didn't want to do this but seeing how our night turned out had to mean something. "This had to be a sign", I muttered.

Merrill shifted. "A sign? What? You read your horoscope or something?"

"No, but maybe I should've. I meant it's a sign that our relationship shouldn't be anything more than friendship."

My friend huffed. "That's stupid. We've gone through strange adventures daily. We've gone through worse. Hell, we survived a fucking fairy tale. This shouldn't be anything different, Lee." He didn't have to suffer. He would've lived a normal life if he never met me. "You know this circling isn't getting us anywhere We could bust ourselves out of here with our powers."

"And once we're outta here... once we've saved the day... we're breaking up..." I felt Merrill's body tense. I didn't like the idea either but it's for the best. We're better off as friends...

Friends... My friends helped me so much to get ready. All their hard work will be wasted and it's all my fault.

~Lady Ai~

(Monday; four days before Date Night)

I can't believe I agreed to go out with Merrill. An actual date! My first actual date! With my best friend, Merrill – who's a human! Ya'll be thinking how exaggerated I'm behaving. You don't understand. It's my first date with a guy I REALLY like. I dreamed of dating him; hoping that one day it would come true. But I pushed aside that thought and enjoyed spending time with my friend. I never thought it would be true!

Can ya blame me? I'm a teenage mutant turtle in love with a teenage emo human boy. 'Sounds like a story a fangirl would write.

Why did I say yes?! I could've made an excuse or backed up my rejection with a logical explanation (something Donnie would say but more me). I guess a part of me wanted to go and experience it.

I'm nervous and giddy wrapped together in an anxious burrito! I'm excited; then, worried followed by joy along with a slap of depression. Would it be too late to cancel? How about a rain check? Wait. That might be a bad idea. Knowing Merrill, he already had the arrangements set up which brings me to feeling terrible for canceling.

I groaned as I plopped down on my bed with a heavy sigh escaping my mouth. No matter how many times I pace around my room our date starts on Friday which means it's gonna happen.

Also... I have a big problem: my choice of clothing. My clothes are... limited. I have a few hoodies, a couple of pairs of jeans, a leather jacket, some winter wear, and let's not forget some clothes I've received from my friends. These clothes are "OK" but not date-worthy. If Merrill's putting an effort into planning our night, then I should put in the same amount. I need to wear something that makes him react more than a nosebleed. There's one person who can help me.

I reached for my phone, entered my contacts, and dialed their number. I waited eagerly while hearing the line beep.

"'yello? Alex the Fashion Magician is speaking." I let out a relieved sigh.

"Hey, Alex", I greeted, feeling my anxiety dancing in my belly. "It's been a while, huh?"

"Darling! It most certainly has. We have so much to talk about", they said. "Unfortunately, now isn't the right time to have a conversation. I'm in the concept stage of my latest side project."

I felt my shoulders sag. "Oh. Sorry. I'll call back later." I shouldn't have asked Alex of all people. Merrill said they have like a gazillion fashion projects on their plate. Maybe I could score an outfit at a store and return it without getting a stain or tear on it. Why did it sound like it's easier said than done?

"Darling. What's wrong?" Shit! I didn't hang up yet!

"Don't worry about it!" I reassured them. "I just need your help with something. No biggie." With that, the line went flat. Huh. That was unexpected. I checked to see if my phone died. My phone was at 83%. Okay… I guessed they had something to do. I shrugged. Oh well. Back to my current dilemma: my first date outfit.

Suddenly, a rush of what sounded like a subway running at full speed was rushing to my room. What? I looked over to see Alex resting against the wall; their appearance was disheveled. Their hair was loose and frizzy due to the sweat pouring out. Their clothes were unkept. They look like they ran the NYC's marathon.

"What is the 411? I need all the Ws and the H and I don't mean hoe. I need the who, what, when, where, why, and how!" They heaved, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

I just stood there, impressed by how they managed to speak while gasping for air which made me wonder where they lived. "Where did you live again?" Gawd, I hoped they didn't live on the other side of the city. I would feel really bad for them.

To answer my question, my big brother, Raph, rushed in with a sketchbook in hand. "Alex, why did you leave me? We were in the middle of creating the teddy bear junior league. We were deciding what their team uniforms were going be", Raph turned over the book. There were a few pictures of bears in different baseball uniforms. They were too cute. I didn't know Alex and Raph were working on a project together. "We haven't talked about accessories yet."

Alex went over to my sulking brother as they gently grabbed the book. "I'm sorry, my sweet giant, but something came up that I could not ignore. But I promise as soon as I finish, I am all yours." Raph continued to pout. "How about this? Why don't you make a prototype bear? Use my sketchbook for inspiration. I know I drew a couple of sports uniforms in there. Cut those out and adjust them on the bear. Think of it as… homework. Is that OK, Raphael?" Alex gave back their book.

Raph gave it some thought but he nodded. "Raph never had homework before… is this how school is?"

"…sure…?"

"Cool!" My brother's enthusiasm caused my friend to chuckle and kissed him on his cheek. Raph left my room in a dream-like daze.

When Alex focused on me, I gave them a smirk. "So… you and my big brother a thing or what?"

They covered their face behind their fist pretending to cough. I noticed their ears had red on the tip. "Not exactly. We are working on a collaboration project. We are deciding whether to sell them online or not."

I shrugged. "That's too bad. Raph seemed to REALLY like you. And, if I don't know any better, I'd say you feel the same way… it's not like I'm saying against it. It's just that you two look so happy together. Just sayin'~"

They cleared their throat. "This is not about me! This is about you and your emergency! Tell me the deets!" I sighed. I told them of my problem. When I finished, Alex had the biggest smile I'd ever seen. "Finally! It's been what, three months? You two are settling your relationship! OMG! I could hear wedding bells already!" They squealed so loud I had to rush over to cover their mouth.

"Not so loud", I shushed. "I haven't told anyone yet and I would rather keep it that way. My dad isn't on Team Merrill; he's more of an "I Hate Goth Boys" Alliance."

Alex nodded after I let go. "I get it. Papa seems like he's not a big Merrill fan. I couldn't imagine what his reaction would be if he heard about your little rendezvous. Let me guess. You want me to create an ensemble that will make your emo boyfriend drop to his knees and kiss your feet."

I felt my face heating up. "I wouldn't go THAT far. I know Merrill is planning something fancy. I just wanted to... dress the part, I guess. I have until Friday to get ready. I know this is short notice, but I could really use the help."

Once again, Alex nodded understanding. "In a way... you want to be the bell of the ball. The admiration of his desires. You want to have Merry Bear's full attention. You want him to salivate his appetite. You want him to..."

"OK! Ok... I get it. I want to look nice, not slutty. I do want to see "some" reaction from him..."

"Hmm..." the blonde stroked their chin in thought. "It's not a difficult task but... I can't work here since I have no materials to start with... there is an aspect of the sketching phase, designing, crafting... all of it to be done before Friday. It's a good thing you contacted me earlier. But I got to say, you caught me off guard. My mind is set on the bear set." My mood turned sour. I got too hopeful. I was better off borrowing an outfit from a store at the mall. I wasted their time. Alex looked over at me with a smirk. I became worried. "How do you feel about going on a field trip?" they asked waving a pair of car keys.

They brought a car?

~Lady Ai~

"Ya know… if you wanna come over, a heads up would've been nice", Katie scowled letting us into her apartment. I wasn't aware of where Alex was driving us. I didn't know we were coming over to Katie's place. After I got dressed up in my disguise (the one my friends gave me), Alex drove us to the upper city region and the next thing I knew Alex knocked on a dark green door and Katie, wearing a pair of baggy pajama pants and a spaghetti strap with a skull printed on the front, answered the door. "Lee I could allow since I like him more. You, Alex, are a handful. It's bad enough I have to deal with your extra energy during of school. We don't exactly go hand-in-hand."

My fashionable friend pouted. "The feeling is mutual, KitKat, but as much as I want to express your viewpoint on your style, I required your assistance."

Katie blankly stared. She turned to me and then to Alex. "Are you keeping Lee hostage until Merrill hunts you down? I would pay money to see that."

"Oh, psh! Nothing of the sort", Alex replied, offhandedly. "Believe it or not, I do love my life. I want to see my dream as a fashion designer come to light!"

"...okay... so what's with the sudden visit?" The punk rocker asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm surprised you know where I lived."

I decided to finally step in on the conversation. "Why are we here, Alex? I mean, it's great to see Katie and all, but aren't we a little late?"

Alex blinked a few times until it finally clicked. They wrapped their arm around my shoulders. "Ah, yes! You see, KitKat, as amazing as I am daily, I, am in a bit of a pickle. The Cat Girl Maid Squad has a new mission which I deemed Operation: Lee's Fairy Godmothers."

Katie stared between me and the enthusiast blonde. She looked back at me and I shrugged. I was just as flabbergasted as her. It's been a month since they made us wear the costume; I didn't think that would be our actual group name. We need to talk about what to call ourselves. "I'm gonna need a cup of coffee."

"Also, we need Lydziepop. We need all hands on deck. This is a MUST!"

Katie just glared. "As much as I hate to say it but it's a school night. You know how strict her parents gets with curfew."

Now I felt bad for asking. "Come on, Alex. This is too much. Lydia doesn't have to be here", I tried telling them.

Unfortunately, Alex was determined to bring the gang together. "No, it will not be all right, Leeny Beany! When I say "all hands on deck", I mean all hands on my dick! - I mean deck! KitKat, call your angelic slut and I'll pay for Uber. Tell her to make any excuse to come over for a sleepover. We're not letting our mutant turtle look like he lives in the sewer!"

"...but I do live in the sewers", I told them, feeling accused, but I knew they meant well.

It was over twenty minutes later when Lydia came over, looking like she was set to kill anyone on the spot. As soon as she saw me, her killing instinct simmered. Katie brought was up to her bedroom which was located upstairs on the second floor down the hall where I told the girls of my... predicament. Katie's room was black like Merrill's except it was filled with rock bands, skulls, and a board with pictures of London on it.

Lydia immediately gave me a hug releasing a joyful squeal. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"

"It's about damn time", Katie mentioned, sitting on her black bean bag chair. "I get the whole friends-to-lovers ratio, but your relationship was as slow as molasses."

"Kitty, be nice. Aren't you happy for Lee?"

"Of course, I'm happy for him. I'm just disappointed in Merrill. That jackass took his sweet time in asking Lee. Or was Lee the one to drop the bomb?"

I shook my head with a small smile. "Merrill asked me... I didn't want to at first but I... I said yes anyway! I'm excited! Really!"

"Which has been brought to our attention." We looked over to Alex who sat cross-legged on Katie's bed looking like they're the ruler of the bed. "You see... I would love to create an ensemble for Leonardo within 48 hours; however, my mind is not in the right mindscape. It's filled with another project I am working on." I quirked an eye ridge. They haven't told them they're working with Raph on said project. It's not my business if Alex wanted to say who they're working with or not.

"What? Ya got fashion blocked? Shocker", Katie sarcastically remarked.

Alex glared at the smug girl. "How dare you. I have never had a fashion block in my life. I am to the brim with ideas! If I were to create an ensemble out of a paper bag, you would wear it morning, noon, and night. You value my fashion insight. You crave it like breakfast."

"All I hear is one of those purse puppies yapping like a squeaky toy. Are you telling me that you're too busy to help our dear friend – who came to you for your fashion insight, mind you – and you can't provide it? And you call yourself his friend. For shame."

"You little faux punk rocker-!"

"Enough, both of you!" Lydia stepped up, stopping their bantering. "This is about Leonardo. And he needs our help to make him look amazing for his first date. Set aside your little feud and let's put our heads together. Do I make myself clear?"

The two grumbled in unison. I could always on Lydia for being grounded.

"Thank you, Lydia, for being the voice of reason here", I said. "I don't know where Merrill's taking me, but I know for a fact that it's gonna be fancy. I want to dress the part. Something that makes Merrill react in a way that he won't think of anyone but me."

My friends stared at me in silence. I was beginning to feel uneasy until Katie released a smirk. "Well, shit, Lee. How can I say no to that? Count me in."

"You have my support as well. With or without Kitty's involvement", Lydia joined. Her girlfriend let out a "Hey!" making me laugh.

"And of course, I'm here to stay, Leeny Beany! With us working together, Merry Berry will come crawling to you morning, noon, and night!" Alex declared. I felt my entire body heating up. The girls giggled. Then, they stopped as they watched Alex rip off their outfit to reveal their red catmaid costume. Were they wearing those the entire time? Why? "Cat Girl Maid Squad! ASSEMBLE!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Katie's neighbor yelled from outside.

"Why are you wearing that, Alex?" The brunette dared to ask.

"You don't need to know that." Alex cleared their throat. "Any suggestions, ladies."

I watched my three friends coming up with ideas for my outfit. I'm happy to have friends like them. They didn't care what I looked like. I'm lucky to have met them. It made me wonder if they were friends because they met me. What would happen if we never met? Would they continue their lives like usual? My mind came back to reality when I saw Katie whispering into Alex's ear. I blinked. That's weird. Did I miss something?

"Really? Do you still have it?" The fashionista whispered.

"Yeah, I was planning on giving it to Lee anyway. Now's as good a time as any." Katie wanted to give me something. It's not my birthday. And I haven't told them what day it was. Katie went to her closet and pulled out an outfit hanging from a hanger. I knew my face was blushing looking at it. And I thought my school's disguise was short! That outfit couldn't even get past my butt! "Good thing I didn't donate this bad boy."

Alex went up to inspect it. Picked up a sleeve then focused on the bottom. "It's a bit small, darling. I need to measure Lee for altering this piece, especially making room for his shell. Plus, extra fabric for the work. We might as well create a new ensemble."

Lydia joined Alex. "I can think this could work. What if we extend the lower half? Remove a couple of frills."

"Oh! I like where your mind is heading, Lydziepop! Modernize this bitch!"

Those two instantly started making plans with Alex already having their sketchbook out. I barely got an ounce of what they said. One moment they were talking about what changes they could do. The next turned to accessories. All I was thinking of was how I'd pull it off. What if all their hard work was for nothing? What if everyone looks at me weirdly? What if Merrill hates my look? What if a pasta truck and a tomato sauce tank collided and I was in the middle of it all? I'll become turtle spaghetti before my date!

Or worse... Merrill rejecting me... Going out with someone better looking than me? A human! Well... it would be better that way... I don't have to linger on my crush and Merrill gets to be with someone of his species. Everyone wins!

I looked over to Katie who kept staring at me. I gave her a questionable look, but she grabbed my wrist and walked out of her room.

Katie pulled me away leaving our two friends to discuss the alterations to my outfit. The punk rocker led me to the roof. After, she turned to me with a pointed look. "OK. Spill. What's with the long face?"

I couldn't help but blink. "What face?"

"That face that says you got rejected even though the date hasn't even started. I thought you would be thrilled. Not that I would date that bisexual vampire since I'm a lesbian and I'm spoken for."

I sighed. She's got a point. I dreamt of this day. Me and Merrill dating in the open where everyone agrees with our relationship. Our families approve. Our friends have our backs. And... we'll live happily ever after. "You're right..." I admitted, walking over to the edge. I hugged myself. "You're right, Katie. I'm scared. I'm excited about it, but I'm more scared. It's not like the Homecoming Dance with students; this is the outside world! Sure I've done it a couple times with my brothers, but this is... different. I'm going solo here! I'm stepping into a whole new world and I know... I know I'm gonna fuck it up." My eyes began to sting. "Merrill's better off taking someone prettier or handsome; someone human... someone worthy..."

"Alright, I'm stopping you right there." Katie grabbed my shoulders and turned me to her direction. "You are just as human as everyone else on this planet. Yeah, you're a different species, but it goes the same with racism. As this dude said in the movie "Hidden Figures", "We all pee the same color". It goes the same for you too." I wanted to laugh at her quote and I know she wanted me to, but... I just don't have it in me. "I feel like there's something else."

"...what if I let myself be happy and something terrible happens? Just like Homecoming, a bad guy randomly picks our spot to cause chaos-"

"Which you'll stop them."

"Or an oozequito comes in and pokes a stranger mutating them-"

"Which, also, you'll stop them."

"Or Merrill disappears leaving me standing alone looking like an idiot! A lovestruck idiot." Katie stared at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you still thinking about what Kendra said? Lee, that was like months ago! She just jealous she couldn't -"

"It's true, Katie! It is! Merrill confirmed it! The moment he turns eighteen, he'll disappear! Poof! Gone! Finito! And he'll take my heart with him..." I watched her expression shift to gobsmacked. "I don't want to risk that... I'm more afraid of giving my all when all I'll get in the end is heartbreak..." I may have gone too far, but it's how I feel! That's why I wanted to still be friends with Merrill. If we're friends then we won't get too attached. It'll be better for both of us. If he does disappear, we can go about our lives before we even met. Everyone wins, even though I lose yet I'm gonna pretend I've won anyway.

I studied Katie. She didn't make any expression. She didn't know how to respond. I didn't blame her. I dumped a heavy load on her. I felt bad to even tell her all this. I should've lied and come up with something else. Maybe I held on too long that I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to tell someone. Someone close to me. Katie happened to be the person I talked to.

Katie released my shoulders and looked over her rooftop. "When I was little, I used to go to church with my parents on Sundays. I never wanted to go because I got too bored. One Sunday, however, became the best day of my life." I walked over to her as she continued her story. "It was a few hours in, and I was halfway falling asleep when I heard music playing. I looked up to see an angel at the center. When she started to sing, all I saw was her. Everything was quiet except for her voice. I remembered how warm my chest felt."

She fell in love. Was there someone else before Lydia? Does Lydia know? I inspected Katie's expression only to realize how she gazed over the horizon in a daze. A small smile, barely visible, crept up. "You met Lydia back then."

Her red ears gave it away along with her sheepishly rubbing her neck. "Yeah... back then... I didn't know what I was feeling. All I knew was that I had to keep going to see her. Even if I have to go to church 7 days a week. I even begged my parents to let me join the choir. I wanted to keep seeing Lydia."

"I know you're trying to cheer me up, but is there a point to your story?"

Katie gave me a soft glare as she poked a finger at my forehead. "Hush you. Doesn't your old man tell you to respect your elders?"

"You're like two years older than me."

"Shush. As I grew older, I noticed some things about myself. For instance, me and religion don't go hand in hand. Afterward, my admiration for Lydia was love. But I was doubtful. I didn't know if she was into girls as I was. Instead of confronting her, I chose to keep my feelings to myself. I thought my life was over when I saw her walking side-by-side with Merrill." She gave out a dry chuckle. "I thought "Man... I missed out! I lost to the Sexy Lucifer! There's no winning over that!" You wanna know what I did."

"You pulled Lyds to a corner and told her how you felt?"

"NOPE! I did the opposite! I retreated like a coward. I walked away with a heavy heart. I didn't tell anyone. All I wanted was to find a cemetery, dig a grave for myself, and lie in it. I thought it was all over until that son of a bitch had the fucking nerve to drag me along like I'm some blind person. I was about to give him a black eye to match his look when I noticed he pulled me to the back of the school.

"What surprised me was seeing Lydia looking nervous. My first thought was the Sexy Lucifer having his way. I heard rumors of him being a player. Strength-wise, I'm no match against him especially with his high-level prosthetics. I planned to blind him with some dirt and make a dash for it, but Goth Boy walked away without saying another word. I was confused as fuck. He got two hotties, and the guy didn't give so much a sparing glance. I looked over to Lydia who looked like to make a run for it or faint. That was until she blurted out that she had a crush on me.

"Dude, I thought I was dreaming when she told me. I never thought she would be interested in me. Me! The same sex as her! The poor thing started to cry when I didn't respond. I happily told her I felt the same."

I let her story sink in. "Lydia used Merrill as a cover", I said.

She nodded. "That's what she told me. That was before she told her religious parents. She was worried they wouldn't love her as she is; so, she asked Merrill to help her. She would use him as a cover, and we could be together in peace." Katie looked over my way. "What I'm trying to do say, Lee, is, yeah, love is scary. It's risky, sure, but if you truly love someone, you're willing to risk everything. That's what me and Lyds did. We dated in secret for a whole year until a student caught us and posted pictures of us on the school website. It's not how we wanted to debut our relationship, but Lydia was confident and proud. She even told her parents who, surprisingly, supported our relationship. My mom was happy for me, too. Dad... well, he can go fuck himself."

I became silent as I looked over the horizon ahead. I breathed in and said, "You're saying I should go for it. I should play this risky game."

"If you're willing to play. If what you say is true, Merrill disappearing and all, then I know for a fact that you're not gonna take it lying down. When that day comes, you would travel to the end of the world to find him ONLY if your affection for Merrill is strong."

My affection for Merrill... is it strong enough for us to be together? At the end of Beauty and the Beast fairytale, Merrill and I were getting married. Sure, it wasn't close to the real deal, but we were willing to stay together.

... I... I wanted to be with him... and for some reason, Merrill wanted it too.

"So... are you willing to take the risk or are you gonna not bother going? 'Cuz I'm here for ya whichever you decide."

There's no doubt what my answer would be. "Let's do this!" I said with more confidence. "I wanted to go on this date. I'm not turning back now!"

Katie smirked. "That's the Lee we all know and love. Let's bounce back to my room. I don't trust Alex alone with my girl. It's not like they're planning to take her away. I'm afraid Lydia becomes Alex 2.0 with them to themselves." She headed for the entryway. I grabbed her wrist before going any further.

"Can you keep it between us?" I asked. "I don't want the others to know about what we talked about."

Katie gave me a questionable stare until she agreed. "A'ight. I'm guessing you wanted to keep the whole "Merrill disappearing" spiel a secret. Just know we've got your back." My eyes stung as I gave Katie a big hug. She gladly returned it. "Do me a favor. If Goth Boy does pull vanish as you say, hunt his flat ass down and bring him back. He's the leash to hold Alex down."

I chuckled. "Will do. Let's go back downstairs. I'm afraid of what I'm walking into the moment we step back into your room."

Katie wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Hey. You wanted help and Alex's part of the help. Extravagance is their favorite theme. Then again, ya got me and Lyds in your corner. You'll be the hottest shit of the year if it kills us!"

"Please don't."

"Too late!"

I'm lucky to have friends like them.