Hang In There Coral

Early Birds

The sun was up and so were the girls. As they were chatting away in the coffee shop.

"Wow, I can't believe you and Donnie are finally going to tie the knot!" Sunita stated with excitement.

"Yup, and if you want you can be my bridesmaid." April told the yokai that was currently in her human disguise.

"*gasp* I would be honored-" Sunita started to say.

"Hey, why can't I be the bridesmaid?" Casey interrupted her girlfriend.

"Oh sorry, Casey but um..." April hesitated to say.

"Aw, please 'spicy bear'. I always wanted to be a bridesmaid." Sunita said softly as she nuzzled up against her lover.

"Oh alright, darling." Casey gives up in content.

"Hehe, glad that's settled." April said in relief before taking a sip of her drink.

"Me too." The guy with sunglasses that sat next to her said after seeming to come out of nowhere.

"What- Marley?! When did you get here?" April exclaimed.

"You know this guy, April?" Sunita asked.

"Eh, kinda? He's just a guy that I met at work." April clarified with a shrug.

"So what are you doing here 'Marley'? If that's even your real name." Casey asked with a glare so intense that it could have driven ghosts back to their grave.

"O-of course that's my... r-real name!" Marley stuttered out as his bones began to rattle at the very core of despair.

"Oh, Cassandra. You have got to learn how to control that 'evil eye' of yours." Sunita scolds lightly.

"Whoops! Hehe, force of habit." Casey apologized with embarrassment.

"Uh... that's ok." Marley finally managed to say. "Anyways, April. I was wondering if I could crash at your place for a while." He requested.

"Why?" April questioned.

"Well uh, you see... I'm here on 'vacation' but thanks to my bad luck the hotel that I was supposed to stay at got overbooked." Marley said through his teeth.

"So... what do you say? Help a temporarily homeless guy out?" Marley asked as he fidgeted with his 'human' fingers.

"Hmm. Sounds like a real shame but I'm afraid that my apartment is just too small." April politely declined.

"Oh please! I'm begging you! I promise I won't be a bother!" Marley pleaded as if his life depended on it.

"I'm sorry but... you're just kinda creepy." April said bluntly.

That statement felt as if a sword was stabbing right into the redhead's ego.

"I know!" Casey hollered out as she slammed her hands into the table. "You can stay at my place!" She offered.

"Uhh, that's ok. I-I don't want to barge into the home of someone that I barely know." Marley scratched the back of his head nervously.

"You sure were fine asking me that five seconds ago." April muttered in a salty tone.

"Don't worry, I don't bite. Much." Casey said with a sinister smile.

"Pfft, oh you and your dark humor." Sunita rolls her eyes playfully. "Have fun you two." She waved.

"B-b-but..." Marley was at a loss for words.

"Come on pal! It'll be great! You can even be my workout buddy! Though I gotta warn ya, it can get pretty intense!" Casey exclames in excitement.

"Oh snap. This is not going to end well for me." Marley mutters as the lady with the rocking buzz cut, drags him out of the shop.

Meanwhile, down in the Hidden City mall:

The snapper and slider were sitting on the couch full of shopping bags.

"*yawn* Why did we have to come here so early?" Leo groaned sleepily as he reclined back into the couch.

"Because the early birds get the best deals." Donnie states as he checks out the fancy suits.

"Oh right, I almost forgot." Leo responded sarcastically.

"Are any of these to your liking sir?" The tailor, who was a yokai asked.

"Yeah and by the way-" Donnie asked the tailor as the slider began to drown them out.

"Ugh, how much longer do we have to shop for?" Leo grumbles to the giant snapper to his left.

"I'm sure he'll be done soon." Raph responded hopefully.

"Hmm, this one has a great seam, not too tight on the shell and silky soft to the touch..." Donnie ponders out loud as he tries one of the suits on.

"Is this the one?" Leo muttered rhetorically.

"It's practically perfect in every way but..." Donnie begins to say.

"But?" Leo echoed in anticipation.

"Does it come in purple?" Donnie asked the tailor.

"Oh come on!" Leo lets out a dreaded sigh.

"Yes." The tailor replied.

"Then I'll take a purple one." Donnie requested.

"Very good choice sir." The tailor nodded before leaving to place the order.

"Oh thank goodness." Leo sighed in relief.

"Donnie!" Mikey bursted into the dressing room. "You'll never believe this but in the other shop there's a deal for eyeliner where if you buy fifty they will only cost five dollars all together!" He exclaimed.

"Ooh, now that sounds like a steal. We better go before they're all gone!" Donnie replied to the box turtle in enthusiasm.

"Ugh, we're never leaving this death trap of boredom." Leo groaned.

"Geez, I know I'm the 'strong one' but even I can't carry the whole mall on my shell." Raph mutters with dread.

But the turtles with short bandana tails seemed completely oblivious to they're complaints. As the two continued to skip to the next store. Ready to shop until they dropped.