Two More Turtles (TMNT Book 1)

Another Pointing

We all sat and listened to the giant rat’s story. It was about him loving a woman than this guy called the Shredder said bad things. He lost his cool then fought the guy. He lost his wife and his daughter, Mii-wa.

Naomi looked at me when our Sensei’s name appeared in his story. I nodded silently as he finished.

“That’s why, Raphiel, you take snide remarks and take them with dignity. Like a river over stones.” the giant rat said.

“Yes, Sensei.” Raph bowed his head.

I saw Naomi looking around, a little bored by the looks of it when she passed a normal-sized turtle eating a leaf.

“He’s kinda cute.” Naomi muttered, staring at the turtle.

Raph got up and walked over, “He’s mine!”

“What’s his name?” Naomi ignored the snap in his voice.

“Uh, Spike.” he replied.

I looked at Naomi’s expression as she nodded and I think I understood who she might like. Raph. But why?

“I’m going to help.” Raph suddenly said, putting a leaf down in front of Spike. “I don’t care if you two follow, but I’m going now.” he jumped into the water and left from our sights.

Naomi was leaning on a restraint as I came up behind her. I opened my mouth before she interrupted, “I thought you’d figure it out eventually.”

“Do wha--?” I stammered.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

Mind reader! I screamed in my head.

“But I’m no mind reader… You’re just to obvious to what you see. Don’t really keep your emotions together.”

“I do too!” I argued.

“You were staring at Mikey with a puppy look.” she scoffed.

“Like you never did…”

She turned to me. “How many times have you wondered what I was thinking?”

I blinked. “A bunch…”

“I know I was happy-go-lucky and all, but I was still a mystery.”

“Still are…” I muttered.

Naomi turned to the water. “But, yes, I like Raphiel… And you, Mikey. Although I’m still wondering why…”

“He’s funny.” I smiled.

She shook her head and jumped in the water, heading out.

I pointed at the abandoned train tracks and yelled, “There’s a way out this way too!”

Naomi didn’t hear and just continued swimming. I sighed and took the tram way, going up to the surface as Naomi toppled over me. “Beat you!”

“Gah!” I screamed.

She laughed and jumped to some roofs. I followed. As we jumped from roof to roof, I asked, “Do you think Sensei is the same Mii-wa that the rat was talking about?”

“Mii-wa was saved from a fire and hasn’t really known her birth parents.” Naomi answered. “There might be a small possibility.”

“How come small?”

“Any child could’ve been saved from a fire and didn’t know their parents and the same name as an old guy with a dead wife and supposedly dead daughter.”

“Do you think all this through on your spare time?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Occasionally.”

“How much free time do you have to even think?”

“Me, thinking? No, I just come up with reasonable explanations.”

I thought I heard the ice cream truck. “Hungry?”

“Never thought you’d ask.” Naomi smiled, going in the direction of the sound. “I still wonder why there’s a late-night ice cream truck roaming these streets.”

“Late night customers?” I guessed.

Naomi shrugged, coming to a stop on the next roof. We looked down as the truck went by. It stopped at its usual spot, the driver got out and we went down. Popping open the back, we took some cones and popsicles that were multi-colored. Hurrying, we got out, closed the back and jumped back into hiding, eating in peace. Naomi got a brain freeze because she was eating so fast.

I laughed at her. “Ha ha, Naomi! You just got served by a popsicle!”

“No puns!” Naomi moaned, trying to get rid of the freezing pain in her head. “Ow…”

We sat like that for a few minutes while Naomi’s head cleared. Then we wondered where the turtles went. We looked around.

“They could be anywhere.” Naomi sighed.

“But the tracks they were following ended at that building.” I pointed. As I pointed, a giant mutant spider came out of a window, jumping past us and climbing over buildings away from where I pointed at.

Naomi looked at me strangely and sighed, “Stop pointing before you hurt somebody…”