The Turtles and Me [IN PROGRESS OF REWRITING]

Baxter's Gambit

"Rowny? Are you ready?"

Both Tania and April gasped at the same time whilst I widened my eyes to the size of dinner plates. "Not yet, Blue!" I called, wincing slightly at how my voice cracked. Damn him. I could never mask my emotions when it came to him. Tania resumed to applying gunk all over me, her movements becoming more rushed now that we had a limit on time. April stood up and frantically compared shoes with my dress. "Uh, okay, just don't make me wait for too long." Okay!" he called from the other side of the door, his retreating footsteps thudding in the hallway. Tania and April sighed in relief and both eyes were back on me. "It's your lucky day, miss." April said and both turned back to work. I scoffed in reply, a single thought sticking to my head like glue:

You're telling me

After what felt like centuries to me, the girls were finally done with my clothing and makeup, leaving me breathless as I stared at myself in the mirror.

My now-curly hair was falling on my shoulders like cascading waterfalls, reaching above the waistline and it was a way more different look than I was used to. My makeup looked less than basic though, aside from the eyeliner and mascara. Glimmering golden eyeshadow, vibrant red lipstick that made my lips look plump and fuller, along with a small amount of bright pink blush, accentuating the smooth of my jawline, my eyes popping in a more innocent way, and somehow I felt more beautiful than I did before. The dress, added with a pair of heels the same color, a golden heart-shaped necklace falling gracefully on my chest. A pair of tiny diamond earrings shone under the golden lightbulb in my bedroom. Tania and April stood the opposite of me, and looked at the result in awe and proud. Mostly proud. "Now that's what I call a 'pretty woman'." Tania complimented with a beaming smile, and I rolled my eyes skywards, but unable to keep the goofy smile spread across my face.

"Whatever." I simply replied before the door swung opened, pouring light into the room as Mikey was standing and looking at us with expectation. When the girls moved out of the way, his eyes locking with mine as they were no longer blocking him from me, his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened in awe. "Whoa...wait until Leo sees this!" he crowed as he practically bounded out of the room before I could even open my mouth to protest.

The girls turned to me and nodded to the hallway, and they didn't have to say anything as their eyes wordlessly motioned for me to step outside. Sighing in defeat, I walked out of my room, feeling strange in my dress and heels as they clicked through the floor, and the back of my neck burned for the oncoming teasing and cooing. I looked down to my shoes, and tried to be careful with my walk, reminding myself to thank both my deceased mother and Jewel. I lifted my head and saw Blue walking calmly up to me with Mikey chatting his ear off fiercely, and an irritated and exasperated frown on his face. When they both finally realized that I was in front of them, they halted in their tracks and Mikes steps back and leaves Blue with eyes wide as saucers, the surprise slacked jaw hanging open.

Heat creeped up to the tip of my ears, a blush blooming across my cheeks as the back of my neck burned with embarrassment. My stomach churned and I felt like I was about to hurl my breakfast from this morning if Blue didn't take his sapphire eyes off me. My nerves were high and loose, prickling my skin with nervous energy I hadn't felt since the day I told Blue I loved him.

The minutes became hours and the hours became years as nervousness was replaced with anger. With a forced clear of my throat, Blue jolted in surprise and blinked out of his shocked stupor, and smiled sheepishly, blushing with embarrassment. "Sorry." he apologizes, still eyeing my outfit, "It's just...you look so..." he stops himself, seemingly dumbstruck and at a loss for words. "...beautiful." he breathed, his eyes jumping from my dress to my long, slim legs.