The Travelers Wish (The Wattys 2016)

Chapter 14

"After the accident, I was adopted by the circuses owner and his wife, I cried myself to sleep every night for a year afterwards. The only thing that would calm me down would be popping a VHS of the classic version of this parallel into the TV."

My stomach was beginning to turn.

"When I watched that universe, and for the 20 minutes of the episode, I always felt my brothers presence with me, and for that short time I could be happy again. Growing up I was sort of an outcast, and people bullied me, especially boys.

Then I turned twelve and I got these"

I circled my hand in front of my chest and ran my palms down my waist.

Mikey's eyes following my hands..

"I started working without the net, and boys were actually nice to me.

I buried my geekiness deep down, hiding it from the world, trying to fit in.

For 3 years I felt sort of normal, buts that's when the crap hit the fan.."

I looked down, staring intensely at the ragged old throw rug Mikey was sitting on.

"What, what happened?"

Michelangelo asked as if dreading the answer.

The corner of my mouth twitched into a small smile.

"I fell in love."

The boys immediately looked at Donatello.

Raphael crossed his arms.

I chuckled slightly

The tall skinny turtles expression clearly stated. "What did I do?"

April clearly didn't notice, or if she did she hid it well.

This is so adorably awkward.

I continued on.

"I fell face first in love with this guy, he promised me the world. The whole we will be together forever thing, you know."

"Actually we don't."

Leonardo chuckled

"Thank goodness."

Raphael quipped.

I felt the mood in the room lighten a bit.

"Anyways to make a long story short, he cheated me with some skank, while we were In a long distance relationship, after his troupe leader cussed out my guardian, and got the troupe fired."

I pulled my knees to my chest, and rested my chin on them.

Rotten bastard.

"I found out about 20 minutes before I had to go, it crushed me completely, I think I cried off all 6 layers of my makeup... but you know the show must go on, when I went up there, my head just wasn't in the game.

When I got to my last trick, a dropping ankle catch, I missed and I fell 25 feet straight onto my head."

April gasped!

"I was rushed to the hospital, they had my whole body immobilized, the doctors assumed Id broken my neck.

But miraculously, out of all the things I could have broken, I just tore a muscle in my knee, I walked out of there on my own 2 feet."

"Which knee?"

Raph questioned.

"My right one."

He reached over and placed his hand on it, as if feeling for damage.

A tingle ran up my spine.

I caught his eye and he quickly put his hand back in his lap.