A Rose by Any Other Name

The Reminiscent Gala: [4](Donnie)

"Woah." I whisper as I watch Rose evade Leo's desperate attempt to flirt with her.

She's a lot more self-independent than I thought she would be. It just makes me like her even more.

She walks my way and I hide in the shadows. She notices me and looks but doesn't see me. So she continues on with a simple shrug.

Once she reaches the back of my room where we are gonna watch the movie Leo peeks around the corner.

"ACK! LEO!" I say angrily. He scared me again.

"HOW CAN I SCARE YOU BUT NOT HER?!" He says frustrated. "Also. Wow." He says watching her turn the corner.

"Mhm." I agree. "You just added onto the problem so thanks." I say following her.

"HOW?!" He says flabbergasted. "I just showed you my best moves and it obviously didn't work on her so how did I make it worse? She obviously only sees me as a brother but you don't see the way she looks at you!" He says following me.

I stop short. It feels like I can't breathe.

"What...?" I ask him.

Leo starts looking anxious and starts mumbling stuff. He obviously doesn't want me to know what ever this is.

"Leo. Spit. It. Out." I say turning.

His mouth is pursed and he's looking away.

"Leo." I say with a warning.

"Got to go!" He says pulling out his sword and making a portal under him.

"LEO! TELL ME!" I yell into the portal as it shuts.

I sit back and sigh. This isn't gonna go anywhere. I need to let everyone know after the movie about the Gala. My plan for it too.

I hopelessly walk into the movie room. I spot Leo on top of Raph's head. He sees me and looks away.

Rose is sitting beside April with Sunita on the other side of April. Mikey is sitting next to Sunita and Raph next to him. With Leo on top of Raph's head. 

Where do I sit?

If I sit next to Rose it might be weird since it's just the girls. But if I sit next to Leo he won't talk to me and it'll seem like I'm pestering him. 

Again. Classic Donnie overthink. 

I must've been standing there long enough because the movie was starting. 

Rose looks at me with pity in her eyes and gestures for me to sit next to her.

I comply. Thank goodness I don't have to make the choice anymore.

I sit next to her. Far enough away we aren't touching but not so far away that there is a huge gap between us.

I watch as Cinder crawls from behind Rose's back and into her lap. Rose strokes Cinder as the movie gets through the opening credits.

I see Mayhem on April's head. Snuggled up close.

I wonder where Cici is hiding in my room? The sugar glider that Rose convinced me to keep from the zoo has been sleeping a lot. I'm unsure if it's because of how injured it is or because it's just tired.

Both Cici and Cinder have been looking a lot better since we found them. We have been feeding them lots of food and Mikey has been helping with their medical needs.

Leo and Raph still don't know about Cici yet though. I'm afraid they could hurt her while she's still healing. But whenever I'm not near her I worry she fell off something or is stuck.

I lean and whisper quickly in Rose's ear, "I'm gonna grab Cici. I'll be right back."