The Shadow's Secret│TMNT

60 || Stargazing

"The Perseids meteor shower peaks tonight."

I nodded, only half listening to Olivia as I traced the scar on my wrist and looked up at the ceiling, thoughts of my mother running rampant through my mind.

"If you wanna watch it, we could drive out of the city and—"

"Don't you have plans with Andy tonight?" I asked, her words finally seeming to reach my ears.

"Yeah, but I can cancel."

I sat up on the couch to look at Liv, standing in the doorway to her room about to get ready for her date. "Don't cancel for me," I said. "Seriously, it's just a meteor shower. Besides, I'll probably just watch Chappie, I've been wanting to watch it forever now."

Olivia grinned. "Yeah, you can watch that one without me. It looks weird." She shifted her weight and leaned against the doorframe, watching me carefully. "You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay," she took a step back into her room, "I'm gonna get ready then."

I nodded, falling onto my back on the couch again. I wanted to watch the meteor shower more than anything because I knew nothing stopped my mother from watching it every year. Cloudy skies? She drove until the sky was clear. Full moon? She brought out the telescope. Freezing weather? She gathered blankets and sleeping bags and made enough hot chocolate to last us the whole night. Leukemia? She stayed awake all night, staring up at the sky through a tiny window. Nothing stopped her, and I knew every night she was still watching.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I sighed, irritated. But my curiosity got the best of me and I lifted it up to my face to check it. A message from fake Raphael appeared on the cracked screen:

What are you doing

The message was simple but I couldn't help my smile. I typed a response:

Nothing. Liv's leaving for a date soon, I'm gonna watch a movie

His reply came fast. Of course you are. What movie

I grinned. Chappie

Wtf is that

Idk it's new, it's about robots

Sounds boring

I scoffed. Fuck off

In response, he sent a middle finger emoji.

We went on to talk and bicker for a while longer. But it must've been for longer than it felt because before I knew it, Liv was saying goodbye and leaving to meet up with Andy and the sky outside was darkening.

I didn't really feel like watching a movie, suddenly.

My body stiffened and the air felt...wrong. No, occupied. Then it was breaking and I was moving, lifting my hand and ripping the sai from his grasp. Raphael was grinning at me.

"Nice reflexes, Carter."

"Stop doing that!" I cried, sitting up on the couch while a smile snuck onto my face. Raph didn't reply, he just grinned wider and took the sai from my hand.

"Come on," he said, placing the weapon back on his belt and walking back toward my room.

I narrowed my eyes at his retreating figure. "What?" But, once again, he didn't reply. What the hell is he doing? "Where are you going?" I shouted. He turned his head, a smirk plastered on his face that said get off your ass and see for yourself.

Once again, my curiosity got the better of me and I followed him.

••• 影の秘密 •••