My Mutation (TMNT FANFIC) [UNDER EDITING]

Chapter 41: It Just Gets Worse

Content warning for homophobia 

*****

The next day I go to school, distracted. My head is full with thoughts about what Kazuno said, what I'm going to do about Nina and the inevitable... How I'm going to act around my Mum when she discovers that there was a break in at a museum and that the most important artefact in all of Japan was stolen. 

But we can think about that when I have to go home, for now let's put focus on Nina and what I have to say to help her. 

I know Raph said she betrayed me and everything but.. I have to try at least, she couldn't have gotten into that situation out of her own free will, there's just no way. She's still one of my best friends and I know that she would never do anything to deliberately hurt me; she must have a reason, everyone does. 

Spinning my locker door open, I quickly dump the books that I'm carrying to exchange them for the books that I need for my morning lessons. I'm still stuck in my own world when there's a loud bang beside me causing me to jump.

I blink and turn to the side seeing Alexis standing there with her eyes wide and a worried expression on her face. 

"Lexi?" I frown, feeling concerned. She rarely ever looks like this. "What's wrong?" I ask. 

"I'm fine, but uh, what about you?" She asks slowly, cautiously. 

I blink confused, "yeah, I'm fine? What's going? Has something happened?" 

"Well... Kinda..." She says slowly, she glances to the hallway and I follow her gaze just now noticing that we're getting a fair number of looks. I look back to her more puzzled. 

"Lexi?" 

She grimaces before looking back at me, "okay uhh you... You might want to hold my hand for this." 

I give her a look as I then grab her hand, her squeezing hard. 

"Ok," she continues, biting her lip as she once again glances to our peers and then back at me. "Someone took a photo of you and Nina... from that night.. And well, they posted it on all of the noticeboards around school." 

For a moment my eyes go wide as my mind immediately goes to our fight from last night. But then I realized that no, that's not what Lexi was referring to, it was the kiss that Nina forced on me during that party. 

The blood drains away from my face and I'm overwhelmed by the sudden urge to throw up or faint, or both. I look down at the ground as if trying to stabilize myself as I clutch hard on Lexi's hand.

"Really?" I whisper.

"Yeah..." I hear her say regrettably. "I don't know who took the photo or even put it up but... It's everywhere."

I nod slowly and allow myself to pull away from her, wandering slowly to the nearest noticeboard so that I could see it for myself. 

I hear the chatter of my peers, I see their bodies as I move through, half of me wondering if I'm pushing through them or if they're making way for me instead. 

And then there it is. 

Covering the whole board to completion. 

Was that damn kiss. 

I turn away from the site and see the crowd, my eyes hyperfocusing on their faces. Distorted snarls, accusatory looks, viscious smirks. 

Is it just me or are they all whispering to eachother about me? 

Am I hearing my name being mentioned?

Was that a slur I just heard?

 And then I see her, her grey eyes meeting mine, a blank face.