The Travelers Wish (The Wattys 2016)

Chapter 39

I was on my way back from the circus office, 2 small white envelopes with several VIP front row circus tickets tucked safely in my back pocket as I made my way down the hall.



I quickly peeked into our dressing room and sure enough all 4 brothers were passed out on the various sofas and couches.


There much weaker human bodies were not used to the strenuousness aerial work I had put them through this morning, and it had tuckered them out.


...and Raphael made fun of me when I wanted to take a break from rooftop leaping, back my first night above ground as a turtle.



I should wake him up just to tease him about that, but I smiled and quickly forgot that idea when I saw how adorably passed out he was against Donatello.


Streaks of red and black hair covered his sleeping face.



I never thought a group of teenage boys sleeping against each other could be so heartwarming.

true, they often fight, as brothers do, and sometimes can't stand the sight of each other, but even in there subconscious they are remarkably close.
Wanting to stick together, animal instinct I guess you could say.


"Looking for something?"
A all to familiar voice slightly startled me.

My brother appeared behind me.


"Oh no nothing."
I perked up at his presence.

"Look"
I nodded into the room at the sleeping foursome.


He leaned in, peaking over my shoulder, his familiar scent washing over me.


"Awe, I take it they are brothers?"
He said through a grin.

"Quadruplets actually, just non identical."
I gently shut the door, as not to wake them.

"Brothers, they can be a handful sometimes, but they have their moments.
Makes me miss mine though."
I shrugged.

I looked at him standing there and it was hard to believe that this man was not my brother.

Not my actual brother anyway.


Sure he may look, act and sound exactly like my brother, and may even share the same soul, but he is just a parallel, a mirror, my real brother is dead.

Just like his Roxanne.


But looking at him and listening to his voice just made me almost completely forget about that, it was so natural here with him, like no time had passed since I last saw him, like it had been 10 minutes and not 10 years.

"Where you headed?"
He asked as I started for the exit.

"Iv gotta order a pizza, and find a messenger."

I daunted the task.


"You have a car?"
He held the door open for me and I stepped out onto the parking lot, the noisy sounds of New York, filling the air.

"No I was gonna get a cab."
I replied.


"Iv got a few errands to run myself, need a ride?"

He offered kindly.


This would give me a chance to spend a little time alone with my "brother"

The 6 year old little girl in me practically pulled her own hair out, begging me to say yes.


"Sure, thanks."

______________________


"And I will need these delivered ASAP."


I told the skinny new jersey girl behind the message counter as I handed her the envelopes.


She smacked on her chewing gum as she jotted it down.


The bell rang as I pushed the door open, and I stepped out onto the sidewalk.

I had already had a pizza delivered to the guys, so they could eat as soon as they woke up because I knew they would be starving.


I got back into my brothers pickup truck.


"What was that, if I might ask?"
He asked while pulling the giant truck onto the hectic New York traffic.



"Just a few tickets for some friends."



"That's nice of you."
He smiled, my mothers eyes shining down at me.


I smiled hugely up at him, familiar memories of him and how much I loved him and looked up to him as a child returned to me immediately.



"Wow, I just noticed you have eyes that look exactly like my little sister."


Then his bright mood dimmed a little.


"Must run in the family, you do remind me a lot of her."
His eyes focused on the road.



I swallowed the lump in my throat.



That's right, I died here.
It must have been hard on him, I knew it was for me.
It changed me.



"What was she like?"


His grip shifted on the steering wheel, we were stuck behind a red light.



"She was one of those little girls that you wouldn't forget, she was more then adorable and she had the biggest blue eyes you ever saw, just like yours and beautiful golden blonde curls."


Oh so I was blonde here?


Interesting.


"Cutest thing ever, and real funny to, the things shed say some times..."



He smiled as if remembering.


"Crack you up, and man did Roxy look up to me, I think she just adored me. We were close, really close.
My parents performed a lot, so I took care of her most of the time, but I didn't mind, she was never a burden, I loved spending time with her."



A silent tear rolled down my cheek, I quickly wiped it away with hand, hoping he didn't see.



He did, crap!


"You ok?"


I wanted to lie, I wanted to say something was in my eye, but I was tired of lying, I didn't want to lie to him.



But I couldn't exactly tell him the truth now can I?


Hey yeah it's me, your sister Roxy.
I'm not dead, well I am dead, but I'm here, and you're dead, but your not. But we are both here.
And by the way, I'm a dimensional crossing superpowered being.
So how's mom?

Yeah, I don't think so.


"I know how you feel, to lose a sibling, my brother, well...."


"He died?!"
Felix exclaimed.


"No, no."
I shook my head.



"He left the show, when I was very little, just disappeared I guess, haven't heard from him since."
I lied.


"Oh, I'm sorry."
He said sympathetically


"Yeah, I used to wonder what he'd be like, if I saw him again?what happened to him to make him leave?."



He patted me on the shoulder, smiling a bit.


"It's a small world, maybe you will see him again."


The corner of my mouth twitched into my trademark sideways grin.


"Maybe I will."