Pages (TMNT fanfiction)

di Lodovico

What's up!

My name is Michelangelo Hamato. I am:

-Sixteen goin' on seventeen

-A junior in high school

-A major cat lover

-A pizza connoisseur

-An artist

-Crazy in love with my best friend, Renet Tilley

-A skateboarder

-Able to see the Yokai of Japanese legend.

No, the last one isn't a typo. It's something I got from my parents, though my brothers didn't inherit it. Only me and my sister, who's... Well, not here. I've always kinda known about my 'gift', but it was really bad last year. I could hardly relax at all. But then I met a few Yokai that really changed my perspective.

Since last December though, I've barely seen any of them at all. I'm not exactly sure why, but I get a feeling that's about to change. Hopefully not right now, though, because I'm already late for school and the last thing I need is to get held up my some mythical crazy! 

My feet pound out a rhythm on the pavement as I stumble down the sidewalk and up the freezing stone steps to Eastman High School. The first bell shrieks madly just before I can get to class. At this point, Mr. Rockwell has had me for years and doesn't even look up from the purple slip on his desk. Oops...Leo won't like that. "Mr. Hamato, take your seat." He drawls as I plunk sheepishly into my desk. Renet shakes her head, pretending to be appalled by my tardiness, but I know better. I smile broadly at her, taking out my notebook. I could do lame math stuff, sure, or I could sketch the most beautiful girl ever. The correct choice is pretty obvious, I decide as I sketch the outline of her face. Round and pale like the moon, a slight tilt of her chin, some shading in the crook of her neck... A few minutes later, I discreetly hold up the finished product for her to see. She puts her hand to her chest in a flattered expression, though I can tell she's exaggerating. She is blushing though, so maybe-

"What's this?!" I ask in horror as Mr. Rockwell drops a surprise quiz on my desk. 

"This is the quiz I mentioned yesterday. Perhaps you would know that if you saved the art for art class."

Okay, I might deserve this a little bit. But for real, I don't remember talking about any of this stuff! I sigh out an 'oh well' and fill out the answers.

1.  -39x + (9x - 12) = _Dude, I dunno. 

2. The square root of 144 - 14 + 78 = _Is that even a real thing?!

3. 90 + 20x - y =   Isn't that what you're here to teach me?!!

It goes on like that for a while, and needless to say, Mr. Rockwell was not too pleased. I think it was number twenty that did him in, when the square root of eight hundred was 'pineapple'. 

The rest of the morning classes are pretty much the same, just me pretending to pay attention and then totally getting called out on it. I don't really have any good reason to be so distracted, either, I just can't focus. I think I have an early case of senioritis, yikes. 

At lunch, Mondo comforts me when Renet ditches us. I mean technically, she's not ditching because she has a club meeting, but still! I miss her. She's back for afternoon classes, though, which is a huge relief. They're super borings, though, except art class. Lately, I've been hung up on drawing just one thing: Tigers. I open up my sketchbook and flip through an entire jungle's worth of them, going through almost every art style I know.

"Hey, Mikey!" Renet whispers, shaking me out of my tiger-filled daze. "Do you wanna hang out after school tomorrow? I saw a new cafe opened up on Main and I really want to try it!"

"Yeah, sounds great!" I whisper back just as the last bell rings. "I'll see you tomorrow!" 

I sling my marker-decorated backpack over my shoulder and dash out the door. The air is colder than it was this morning, and when I get home there's a distinct chill in the house. I set my backpack down by the door and walk with silent purpose to my dad's room. 

As soon as I'm in the door, I close my eyes and reach out, feeling for the presence of the Yokai. "Kon'ya...?" I whisper softly. He's there, I know he is, but he doesn't answer me. After what feels like an eternity, I open my eyes just the slightest bit.

There's no Yokai in front of me. There is, however, a small stone sitting on the white sheets on dad's bed. I reach for it excitedly, not really caring whether or not it could be dangerous. Despite the cold of the room, it feels almost warm in my hand. I flip it over, almost by instinct, and stare at the other side. 

There's something carved in it. An 'M', with a tic mark through the right leg. 

I wonder what it is?