「ABSENCE」 TMNT 2012

27; Toast

Mikey chomped noisily on a piece of pizza, cheek resting on his hand. His elbow was on the table, which was totally rude. But his brothers didn't care, and Master Splinter didn't care, so he didn't care either.

Satisfactory sounds accompanied his smacking. "Hm. Mm. Mhm." He lifted a pepperoni and studied it thoughtfully as he swallowed. He then came to the conclusion that, "I'm bored."

"That's nice," Raphael commented absentmindedly, reaching into the pizza box for another slice.

"It's not," Mikey decided. He shoveled the rest of his lunch into his mouth and stood abruptly. "I think I'll go play pinball."

    Donnie entered the kitchen just then, picking up on the one-way conversation. He didn't look up from his phone when he mentioned, "April's bringing Elly over in a little bit to hang out." He jerked open the refrigerator and selected a can of soda, eyes still glued to his device.

    Raph lowered his pizza just as he was about to bite into it. "Um . . . what?"

    This time Donnie did look up, slightly annoyed. "You heard me."

Splinter sipped his tea slowly. "Raphael, I agreed to let her come."

The turtle turned to his father, searching jus furry face for an explanation. "But why, Sensei? For all we know, she could actually be working with the Kraang! She's a product of their experiments, remember?"

"I am well aware of that. But April trusts her, and we trust April. I am willing to give the girl a chance, if that's what she wants from us." The rat lifted the steaming cup to his lips, finalizing his statement with a loud slurp.

Raph sighed. "If you say so." He bit down on his pizza, mood dampened.

Mikey leaned across the table. "Well in that case, I guess I'll have that last piece, if you don't mind, my brother," he said, hand hovering over the pizza as he eyed Raphael.

    Raph reached out to snatch the piece away from his brother's grimy hands, but another green hand butted into the circle and swiped it. When Mikey and Raph looked down, the box was empty. When they looked up, Donnie was holding a familiar pepperoni delicacy. He took a bite, sent them a cocky wink, and left the kitchen.

    By the time April arrived, the family members had dispersed, involving themselves in whatever activities they happened to find amusing for the time being. If you were to ask each turtle how often they got bored, they would each tell you the same thing: all the time. Living in the sewers didn't exactly make for an eventful life.

    "Hey, April!" Mikey greeted from the TV pit. He tilted his head so he could glimpse Elly, who had walked in behind the redhead. "Elly! How's it going?"

    She gave him a small wave and moved closer. "Good. How are you?"

    "I'm great. Just watching this interior decorating show."

    "Why interior decorating?" Curious, she stepped closer and crossed her arms.

    Mikey lifted his shoulders. "There's nothing else to watch." He shifted and leaned his head back to look up at her. "Hey, you want a tour of our home?"

    With a shrug, she agreed. "Yeah, that'd be great."

    "You're stealing my plans, Mike," sighed April.

    He stood up and clicked off the television, stretching his arms above his head. "You can help me show her around so I don't miss any rooms."

    She rolled her eyes. "That's what I'm here for. To remind you guys of all the things you forget."