𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚒𝚗'𝚝 𝚊 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍.

Chapter XXIV

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐕

A Break?
——————

When the two unusual teens got back to the humans apartment they put their numerous bags off to the side and started watching a movie while Charlotte went out to get Chinese takeout for their dinner.

The movie they were currently being entertained by was a movie fit for the holiday, Coraline; yet another movie Donatello hasn't seen before and James had watched religiously at an unknown point in his life.

"Dude, if I was in her place I would have been way more discreet when trying to leave." James mentioned just after the part where the protagonist rejected the buttons. "Like, she could've had dinner with them then did the usual night routine thing—then when she got home never go back. Right?"

When James glanced over to his turtle companion he saw that he wasn't listening, in fact, the turtles eyes never left the screen even for a second; his arms held a pillow close to his chest with a blanket around his shoulders.

The only thing this picture lacked was a horrified expression across his olive green face; instead his eyes were wide with curiosity, not fear, his mouth was slightly agape, not wide open with disturbed horror and his face didn't wrinkle in any way, he was fascinated.

James didn't try to break out of the trance his friend was under, rather, he went back to watching the film; he even made the prompt decision to lean on Donatello's side to watch more comfortably.

The evening was peaceful so far, the sun had set just minutes ago and the two teenagers could've heard the shrieks of happy children outside the building if they weren't so into the movie that was only just ending.

"That movie was so cool." Donnie muttered still not looking away from the screen that was now rolling the credits.

"I have the book if you wanted to borrow it, I think you'd have a fun time comparing it to the movie." The human stretched getting a few cracks from his back in the process.

"Really?!" The mutant finally turned to his friend after an hour.

James nodded and got up from the couch stating that he would get the book from his room and be right back, it took him only a few minutes to find the book and, as a bonus, find one of his good metal hook bookmarks that he had made himself before moving to New York.

James wiped the dust off the book with his hands while making his way back to the living room. "It's a little dusty but still in great condition." James' voice faded close to the end of his sentence when he saw that his taller turtle wasn't in the room anymore.

He looked around and wandered over to where he was previously sitting, the blanket the turtle used was folded neatly with the pillows placed in the corner of the couch; on top of them was a note written on a ripped piece of paper.

It simply read: 𝙴𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚞𝚙, 𝚝𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 ~(ಥ_ಥ)> ♡

James couldn't be upset—how could he be when Don drew that little face at the bottom corner? He was disappointed that they couldn't hang out longer though and that he couldn't give his friend the book.

But he didn't deserve the amount of disappointment he was feeling; it's his fault for being clingy to someone with a girlfriend and responsibilities coinciding with said girlfriend, maybe if he got a significant other he would be as busy as Donnie.