-How It All Began- Book 1 (TMNT 2012 Human A U)

Chapter 3 (The Mission)

-Raph's View-

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'Okay, that was weird.' Raph thinks to himself.

Where he grew up, in the suburbs of San Diego, California people have given him awkward stares and glares every time he walked by them because of his eyes.
It has always creeped him out and made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Except for the time when he got angry at a teenager for bullying him and calling him a freak.
Raph was only eight but his temper got the best of him.
He punched the boy in the face and sent him home crying for his mommy.
His parents told Raph's father and of course Raph got his butt handed to him.

He can remember his father yelling at him before beating him up to the point where he could hardly stand and all this over a simple bully issue.
Right away Raph knew his dad was drunk the next day when he saw empty beer cans littered all over the living room floor of his home.

The fifteen year old hot head frowns as more memories of his drunken father come to torment him.

Raph snaps out of it and turns his attention to the present, he's desperate to talk about anything to get his father off his mind.

"I don't blame ya for thinkin' I look weird." He says to the dark haired boy sitting next to him.

Raph notices the crease in his brow through the lenses of his glasses while his reddish brown gaze dart in his direction.

"Actually that's not what I was thinking but why would you say that?- I mean yeah you're eyes are quite unique but they are not to strangest thing I've seen." He states truthfully before letting out a silent nervous chuckle.

Raph shrugs his shoulders to cover up the utter disbelief and shock he has tucked inside.

"I donno." He says being cautious in his words.

A moment of silence goes by.

"So. Do ya know where the bus is heading?" Raph clears his throat before speaking up.

"New York City, I'm Donatello by the way but you can call me Donnie." The pale skinned boy responds.

Raph nods.

"Thanks." He says.

Donatello.

Raph feels like he knows that name.
The persons' face is floating around in the back of his mind but the image is all a blur.

Exhaustion is quick to take a toll on Raphs' body.

He curves his arms behind his head and lets out a yawn.

Then he lets his droopy eyelids down before he knows it he dozes off to get some much needed rest.

*******

Raphael didn't sleep well.

He was hoping to get at least an hour nap but he wasn't sure he even had anywhere near twenty minutes.

There's an explainable reason for this and it's one he is already aware of.

He couldn't shake the constant nightmares of his past reappearing in his mind, haunting him like the plague every time he falls into a soundless slumber.

They are more irritating to him now but
he can still feel the terror which sits in the pit of his stomach each time he wakes up.

Then he feels the tap of a finger on his shoulder.

"What?" Raph grumbles.

He opens his eyes to a crack.

"W-Well I just want to tell you that the bus has stopped." A quiet voice answers sounding wobbly with hints of nervousness.