I Knew You Were Trouble {TMNT Raph Love Story}

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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*Raph's POV*

I jump from building to building heading towards Raelin's apartment. I wonder why she would take a whole week off from school.

I finally reach her apartment building and just sit on the roof for a couple moments. I'm probably the last person she wants to see right now. She's probably just sick. I mean, there are sicknesses that would make her stay home from school for a whole week, right?

This isn't like me. I never get nervous before I go and do something. I'm the one who wants to jump into a situation, not run away from it.

And here I am acting like Leo thinking the scenario through. I never thought I would be like Leo in a million years, but here I am. Acting like Leo. Thinking about a situation. 

Leo would be as shocked as I am about all of this.

But, he doesn't know about Raelin. None of them do except April.

Why would I tell them, though? They don't know what it's like to be in love. They don't know what it's like to look at a girl and think she's the best creature in this whole damn world.

Well, Donnie might to April, but that's beside the point. April doesn't judge him. They don't know what it's to love a girl who would judges you for your appearance.

They probably never will understand.

After a few moments of pondering over the idea, I can hear sobs coming from Raelin's apartment below my feet. That has to be Raelin. I have to go check and see if she's ok.

I jump down on to the window frame and knock on the window hoping for the best. What could've possibly happened that would hurt her like this? Was it my fault?

Raelin turns around and I can see her tear stained face. She comes over to the window reluctantly and opens it. A tear that has wanted to escape before I showed up found a path down her right cheek and she turns around and heads back towards her desk.

"What are you doing here?" she asks with a scratchy voice from crying. She takes a seat in her pink swivel chair and I hop into the room.

"I came to see if you were ok," I simply respond and she turns her swivel chair to face me.

"How did you know I wasn't?" she asks.

"April told me you didn't go to school all week," I reply and she turns around to face her desk. I take a seat on her bed and look at her night stand. She has a pink lamp with a pink alarm clock. I'm guessing her favorite color is pink.

"Well, I don't see why you would care. I've treated you like crap and have been selfish with all of my decisions lately," she says and finds more tears escaping her eyes. "It's not easy trying to keep your social status."

"Well, I don't really have one, so I wouldn't know. The only people I socialize with are my brothers and April and my sensei," I explain and she scoffs.

"You're lucky," she mutters under her breath. "Everyone thinks that the popular girl has it easy. Everyone thinks she has everything. Everyone thinks that she's amazing. Everyone thinks that she loves everything about her life and that she's the most confident girl ever. Well, they have me wrong." She tries to hold back more tears.

"Well, in the movies, it seems that way," I say, which I realize probably didn't help.

"Ha! Movies can go to hell. 'Popular' girls in real life don't have everything," she retorts putting air quotes around "popular" and rolling her eyes at it. "I don't have everything. I don't have a dad and my mom doesn't give a damn about my life. I have to deal with trying to please Taliyah, Haidley, and Carrie on a daily basis. I have expectations from others that I need to fulfill. It's anything but easy! I wish I had April's life, honestly."

"You don't want to be popular and have a great social life?" I ask dumbfounded. Who wouldn't want that?

"No. I don't. Not anymore, anyway," she replies.

"Anymore?"

"When I was in middle school, I was bullied. I lived in California back then. I was at the bottom of the food chain. I was the nerd with glasses and braces! I was the girl no one wanted to hang out with because it wasn't cool! I always envied the popular girls. I thought they had everything. So, my mom and I moved here because of her job. I went to high school and got rid of the glasses and braces and started over. At first, being popular was great. Now? It's tiring and I realize that no one really likes me. They act like they like me. That's so much worse than people saying they don't like you. But, when they're your best friends who talk crap about you behind your back, that's painful. I don't understand why I wanted this life in the first place. No matter where I am on the social scale, I'm disliked. I can't win in life! I'm a freaking failure and everyone knows it!" she exclaims and starts crying even more now. "Why would you waste your time on me?"

"I don't know. There was just something about you that attracted me. What about your boyfriend? He likes you."

"Who? Tyler? No way. He cheated on me with Taliyah. I'm not even worth him!" she shouts.

"Will your mom hear us?" I ask hinting at her shouting.

"No. She's at work and won't be back until 9 tonight. It's only 1," she explains and I nod in agreement.

Wow. Here I was thinking that Raelin had a great life when in reality, she probably has it worse than anyone.

"So, you'd rather have April's life?"

"She has decent and good friends. I don't have that," she replies. "Carrie and Haidley only hang out with me for the popularity."

I notice a picture on her desk with a girl around the age of 13 next to a display board with a certificate. That's Raelin when she was 13, most likely. And her mom's standing next to her. They're both smiling. But, this girl doesn't really look like Raelin. She has big black glasses that frame her intoxicating blue eyes and light blue braces on her teeth. Her blonde hair is up in a pony tail.

"That picture," I simply say and point to it. 

She picks it up and scoffs with more tears escaping from her eyes.

"I won the seventh grade science fair," she says and puts it face down on her desk.

"Do you still have those glasses?" I ask and she just looks at me confused, but then reaches into on of her desk drawers. She pulls out the same big black glasses from the picture.

"I wear contacts now," she simply states as I grab the glasses. "Except I didn't put them on today since it would be pointless. All I had planned for the day was cry it away."

"Well, why wear the contacts?"

"Because having glasses would make me a freak here, too," she simply responds and turns away from me. If I'm not mistaken, I saw a slight blush on her cheeks. 

"I think you'd look beautiful with these on," I state without hesitation and regret it immediately.

"No, I wouldn't," she says extremely persistent.

"Could you try them on? I just want to see," I suggest and she rolls her eyes, but takes the glasses away from me. She slips them on and turns towards me with a seriosuly expression on her face.

"I probably look stupid."

"No, you don't. Could you put your hair up in a ponytail for me?"

"Fine," she agrees and finds a stray hair tie on her desk. She puts her hair up and faces me once more. 

Oh my gosh, she's beautiful.

"You're breathtaking," I let my thoughts slip out of my mouth.

"Really?" she asks like she doesn't believe me.

"Yes," I simply reply.

"I look like a complete idiot," she puts herself down once more. 

She turns around in her swivel chair obviously embarrassed when she has no reason to be. I think she's way better with the glasses and pony tail than not with them on.

I stand up and walk over to her. I kneel down beside her chair and turn her around myself.

"You're perfect," I say and take a chance.

I crash my lips into hers and enjoy the moment.