Reckless. [TMNT 2012]

12. Operation: Fake Out; Casey

The night seems to last much longer than usual. I can't get my mind off of Evelyn. Or Nyleve.  Whatever the heck her name is.

  I keep seeing flashes of Evelyn's blue eyes, to the whited-out eyes of Nyleve. They seem like two completely different people. They don't act or speak the same, and they certainly don't resemble each other. Or do they?

  Now that I am thinking about it, they do have some similarities. They are both smart and use big words when it's convenient for them. They are quite stiff and set in their ways. They rarely share a genuine smile with me.  Overall, they almost seem like the same person.

  By the time I fall asleep that night, I am determined that they are the same girl and plan on proving it.

  The next day at school is torture. I search through all the hallways for Evelyn, but I don't know where she might be. I don't have a clue what classes she takes; I don't even know if she is still in an anatomy class. She could have taken it last year and she's just teaching me what she knows from heart.  My assumption is confirmed when I don't find her anywhere near the lab room.

  Throughout the day, I think I catch a glimpse of a blonde bob or tan skin, but then it is gone within a split second. It is a wild goose chase to locate Evelyn.

  It gets worse when I realize that April is avoiding me. I don't understand why my interest in the party girl bothers her so much. Shouldn't she be happy that my crazed obsession with her has shifted? She has always hated my attraction to her, after all.

  I don't even attempt to confront April about her behavior. If she doesn't want to be around me, then fine. I am too preoccupied anyway. Locating the party girl is my number one goal and nothing is going to hinder me from victory. And if anyone tries to stop me, I'll just use the hockey stick I have stored in a sheath on my back. That'll teach them not to get in the way of Casey Jones.

  When I finally get to see Evelyn, it is at our usual bench in the park. She gives me a small nod of greeting as I take a seat beside her, her trademark frown plastered across her face. "Ready to start?" she asks the moment my rear connects with the frozen wood.

  "Yeah," I answer absent-mindedly. I have a way to find out if she is Nyleve, but I still need to figure out how to word it.

  Before she has a chance to ask me an anatomy question, I put on an innocent face and launch into my plan. "So, you know how you brought up my parents in our last study session?"

  Evelyn's blue eyes immediately something, but it doesn't look like guilt. "That was a mistake," she says.  "We were supposed to stay on topic, so I apologize for that."

  "Oh, it's all cool," I reply with a shrug. An apology isn't exactly what I'm looking for. "I started to think about them a lot because of that.  Then I remembered how my dad and I used to cook every Thanksgiving morning, and it got me into the holiday spirit.  Since I'm going to be alone this year, I was just wondering if you have any ideas on how I can still have fun on Thanksgiving.  You know, like any parties or something?" I raise a single eyebrow.

  Evelyn looks suspicious of my question. "I don't believe parties are a proper way to celebrate Thanksgiving," she says slowly, as if she isn't sure if I'm serious.

  I nod attentively, probably for the first time in my life.  "But that's because you actually have family.  What do you do on Thanksgiving?" I push on as excitement builds up in my stomach.

  Evelyn's frown grows.  "My mom makes a big buffet and both sides of my family come into the city to visit," she answers skeptically.

  "You like your family, right?"

  "Of course."

  It's the perfect opportunity to see if my plan will succeed. "So Thanksgiving is your favorite holiday, then?  Because you get to be around family?" I press casually, leaning back into my seat and spreading my legs out comfortably.

  Evelyn's lightly shaded eyebrows kink up. "Not necessarily," she responds. "I believe that all holidays are the same."

  "No way!" I protest. "All of them are different! Valentine's Day is for those nasty old couples and kids that are too young to date. Christmas is for giving presents to those people that you only see once a year," I lean in as I get more interested in her reaction. "And Halloween is for, you know, scaring little kids. Have you ever done that?"

  Evelyn blinks. "Have I ever done what?" Maybe it's my imagination, but she seems to be avoiding the subject.

  "Have you ever scared kids on Halloween?" I repeat.

  Evelyn looks at me as if I've grown two heads. "Why would I waste my time doing something as impractical as that?" she asks.

  "Come on, all of us have done it!" I try to persuade her to admit it, but not a single eyelash seems out of sort by my close question.

  Evelyn shakes her head. "I spent Halloween up in my room. That's much more productive than scaring kids for their candy," she replies evenly.

  I let out a puff of air. My idea didn't work out how I thought it would. She is really good at lying.  Yet, somehow I feel she is too logical and innocent to lie.

  As I realize that my prediction must be wrong, my hopes begin to sink. If she has something to do with Nyleve, then she would have given away something by now. A nervous expression in her eyes, an uncertain twitch of her lips. Something along those lines. But she hasn't done a single one of those.

  Disappointed, I drop the subject. I'll never be able to locate the party girl. She is gone forever, and I'm just going to have to accept that.

  Before my thoughts can travel much further, my cell phone starts vibrating inside my pocket.  Grateful for another excuse to avoid studying, I whip the device out and answer it.

  "Yellow," I greet the caller.

  "Casey, guess what!" It's Raphael, and he sounds breathless with excitement.

  "What?" I demand immediately.  His emotions are practically contagious as they leak through the phone.  If Raphael is ecstatic, it has to be something worthwhile.

  "Donnie created a cure for the zombants," Raphael explains, only growing more out of breath with each statement.  It sounds like he's running.

  My eyebrows shoot up into my low hairline.  "Dude, you better not be pulling my leg," I warn him, though I highly doubt he would joke about something like this.

  "I'm not!" Raphael insists.  "We haven't tested it yet, but Donnie and his big brain are certain that it'll work.  We're heading to the sewers to try it out right now.  You up for meeting us by 5th?"

  "Yeah, totally!" I exclaim.  Just as I agree, however, I remember that Evelyn is sitting right beside me.  With a hurried goodbye, I hang up and stow my phone back into my pocket.

  Evelyn raises an eyebrow as if to say, 'Are you quite finished?'

  I don't have time to explain this to her.  She won't get that I'm a vigilante attempting to stop evil from contaminating the city.  She won't understand that I'm friends with ninja turtles who are trying to save the infected citizens below the surface.  She doesn't even understand that I despise school.

  "Listen, Goldilocks.  I gotta run," I hastily explain as I rise out of my seat.  I throw my backpack over my shoulder and turn away.  "I'll check in with you later."

  "Casey Jones, I-" Evelyn starts to protest against my dismissal, but I don't give her the chance.

  "See ya!" I call as I bolt down the sidewalk, start towards 5th Avenue.