Hothead Hardships

Chapter 9: Learning New Things

Cassidy Holloway

Monday

Cassidy was a vibrating mess on the bar stool, her leg anxiously jumped as her fingers thrummed the counter. Her eyes solely focused on the clock. Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok. It was a hellishly slow shift and she had an hour left before she could leave. She just wanted to see him. It's been days! With a frustrated huff, she checked her phone again, there were no new notifications and she felt borderline crazy. Raphael had been constantly on her mind, and his random voicemails and texts were holding her world together. She hasn't seen him because Leo has them preparing for something. Leonardo had a feeling that things were going to surface with the new year and the issue with Vern only heightened his alert senses.

Today was the day. The day she's been looking forward to and hadn't stopped thinking about for the past couple of weeks. She couldn't stop thinking about what he was going to teach her. It was no lie that she's been reminiscing how she gained a little of his respect when she landed that punch when he and his brothers first saved her. She'd never forget how her heart thrummed in her ribs at his display of approval.

Approval.

His approval has been itching at the back of her mind. The chime over the door signified that a customer just walked in. Twisting, she glanced at the clock and realized that only three minutes had passed. This was going to be the longest fifty-seven minutes of her life. Hopping off the stool, she went and greeted the customer with a smile, the large red banded ninja on her brain.

——

Raphael Hamato

Monday.

Mikey watched as his older brother hummed as he walked into the kitchen. Raphael was in unnaturally high spirits. It unnerved his brothers, each flabbergasted by his actions yet too stunned to speak. They had no idea what had gotten into him, not even Mikey and that confused the youngest brother. He even went to talk to Leo and Donnie and they all agreed that he could torment Raph the nano-second he reverted to his, normally, grumpy self. Leo had an inkling as to what got his brute of a brother in good spirits. Well, more like who.

Speaking of Leonardo, he was currently reflecting on what he knows of Miss Cassidy Holloway. He'd be lying if he said he was thrilled that she had all but ambushed his family into revealing their secrets. But, he did have to admit that she had become a great, trustworthy addition to the family. Especially for Raphael. His immediate younger brother was a bundle of short fuses, and heated emotions, and was considered a man of action. Yet, when it came to Cassidy, he displayed a sense of patience that was rare to come by. Their friendship had blossomed to the point where both Donnie and he had a difficult time convincing Mikey to keep a distance and not annoy the red-banded brother too much in front of Cassie. Mikey had a lapse in memory, but with a threat of his beloved comics being 'misplaced' or his unruly stash of vintage Playboy magazines mysteriously being discovered by Dad. The threats helped in knocking the youngest brother back into reality. Of course, Donnie or himself would never do that unless under extreme circumstances but the threat still held weight and they were going to use that to their advantage.

Leaning against the brick pillar at the entrance to the kitchen, he watched his burly brother. Analyzing his movements and mannerisms. He liked this newfound distraction for Raph but being the oldest brother, it was his job to worry nonetheless. His worries consisted, primarily, of what was to happen if Cassidy never returned the ever-growing feelings that Raphael harbored for her. What would it do to Raphael? Despite his brother's tough machismo and the walls and defensiveness he's built, he still wore his heart on his sleeve for those he cared about. One of Mikey's more insightful readings of their brutish brother was when he referred to him as a 'cuddly teddy bear that was incredibly violent.' Leo was pulled from his thoughts as Raphael began cursing under his breath.