Reckless. [TMNT 2012]

20. Thanksgiving; Casey

Song: Someday - Disciple

The next twenty-four hours are spent in confused rage. I can't decide if I am angry or puzzled at Evelyn's behavior. She is so vicious, yet so delicate at the same time. I'm not sure if I should be offended or not. Or if I should even care.

    Evelyn acted as if me fighting off Tiger Claw was the end of the world. So what if he knocked me out? It wasn't the first time I had been mowed down. It happens more often then she realizes. Why does she think she has the right to tell me how to live my life?

    I angrily shove another cookie into my mouth as I let my feet dangle off the counter. Deep down, I am more mystified by her attitude than anything. I want to know why she cares so much, why she went out of her way to lecture me about it. She's just my tutor. She has no real reason to be worried about me.

    She is the most confusing robot I've ever met. And that's coming from a guy who has been around the Kraang.

    The worst part of it all is that Tiger Claw got away. I was so caught up in the argument that they slipped right out of my view. By the time I escaped the mansion, they were gone. I had failed to stop them once again.

    Suddenly, there is a knock at the front door. I have half a mind to ignore it, since I'm too busy drowning in my thoughts. The visitor is persistent, however, because the knocking continues. The noise drills into my brain and makes my train of thought crash.

    Resigned, I walk over to the door and open it. My redheaded best friend stands there with a joyful greeting on her face, her baby blue eyes sparkling.

    "Good to see that you still exist, Jones," she teases me as I allow her to step inside.

    "Ha, ha," I reply in a monotone voice. I'm not in the mood for jokes.

    April picks up on this immediately. She sets a plate of pumpkin bread into the kitchen table and raises her eyebrows. "Alright, what's wrong? You look like you just lost your ability to rollerblade."

    I hadn't planned on telling anyone about what happened. But with April offering her consent, I find myself giving in.

    So, I tell her everything. About how close I've gotten with Evelyn and how she invited to her house to study. I inform her about how well we were getting along, and how I was beginning to consider her a friend. I explain to her the fight that Evelyn and I had about the Halloween party. I even mention that she lost her mind when she saw me fighting against Tiger Claw and his mutant friends.

    There is a long pause after I finish my rant. April weighs my words with a frown on her face. "I think you need to let her cool off," she finally advises. "Give her some time to think about what happened."

    "There nothing to think about!" I protest. "She just completely overreacted."

    "She found out that you're the guy she's been thinking about since Halloween night," April points out. "That's huge, especially since she happens to be your tutor. Of course she would freak out over that. Girls don't take things like that lightly, Casey."

    "I didn't wig out when I found out she was the girl from the party," I retort irritably. By not siding with me, she is making things worse. "I was totally cool about it. She should have done the same."

    "Maybe she's got a lot on her mind right now," April suggests. "She does seem like a busy person, after all."

    There's something like a hint of dislike in her voice, but I don't care enough to ask. The platter of pumpkin bread on the table catches my eye and I change the subject. "What's that for?" I ask as I scrutinize it.