TMNT: One Small Turtle: Keeping Warm: Chapter 8

Mikey was laying in his bed, he was tiered and still felt horrible. He hated to admit it, but he did not think he could be full functioning tomorrow either. With all the emotional drain over the last year it seemed to be effecting him. Mikey's phone went off it was Kala.

Kala: Hey bro~! Whuzzzzabe?
Mikey: huh? Kala?
Kala: Mikey, Im bored. Entertain me.
Mikey: where are you?'
Kala: Chillin at the skate park on central. Theres no one here. Mega lame. Ive gone down the same half pipe fifty times in the last hour, im running out of tricks to do. lol How are you feelin?
Mikey: fine. . . 
Kala: it looks like its going to rain
Mikey: I love the rain, feels good on my skin.
Kala: me too, but it messes up my hair.
Mikey: I'm sure you will still be fine. want me to come?'
Kala: its daylight, what if someone sees you?
Mikey: i don't know
Kala: your brothers would never let you
Mikey: yeah
Kala: then again, they dont have to know.
Mikey: thats true
Kala: you could just tell them you want to do some painting in the tunnels
Mikey: youre a genius 
Kala: yeah, i know. But if you get caught it was your idea.
Mikey: great
Kala: 'You should probably wear some clothes just in case, theres no one around now but people might walk by. They wont notice you if you have clothes on.'
Mikey: 'i think i have pants somewhere, what about shoes?
Kala: 'If you have your wraps on it should be fine. do you still have that SpaceTec hat i lent you?'
Mikey: 'yeah, why?'
Kala: 'Wear it. your head is green, anphib, its a dead give away.'
Mikey: 'oh yeah'
Mikey: 'i found the pants and I got my sweatshirt'
Kala: 'this is gonna be stellar! XD'
Mikey: 'can't wait'

Mikey walked out of his room, "Leo can I go paint?"

Leo was getting a soda from the fridge, he glanced up. "In tunnel 566? Are you feeling up to it?"

"Yeah I think it will help," Mikey lied easily. 

 "Sure. Just text me if you start feeling bad. I'll come pick you up." he took a drink of the soda. Leo knew Mikey was feeling down, he felt bad from keeping him from having to skate with Kala, and painting seemed to really be helping him get threw his depression. Leo noted the time Mikey left, if he was gone too long he would go to the tunnel. It was just painting, what could go wrong?

"Sure, thanks Leo you're the best! I promise to just ride it and no tricks and I grab my board? so I don't have to walk the whole way?" Mikey felt bad about lying to Leo, but he knew he could handle skating with Kala.

Leo thought about it, "Yeah, just be careful. You feel dizzy, off or not your self top riding."

"I promise," Mikey said smiling as he picked up his backpack that had his pants and hat, he wore the sweatshirt. He never lied to Leo like this before. Leo was being so nice, letting him leave, using his skateboard to get there. Mikey almost texted Kala to tell her he could not do it, but he needed to get out of the lair.

"Weather said it might rain, careful around the streams, they might over flow." he noted as Mikey was leaving.

"Got it I will just swim home," Mikey laughed.

Leo laughed. "Have fun, Mikey."

"Thanks Leo!" Mikey smiled as he left.

Leo looked at Mikey as he left, it was good to see him smiling and happy again. Meeting Kala was the best thing for him. She was helping him.
----
Kala waited for Mikey by the manhole in the alley across from the park.

"I made it!" Mikey said, "whoa it's bright out…. ." Mikey blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the light he seldom saw.

."No duh! Its like 4pm. Have you never been out in the day?"

"Not that I can remember," Mikey gulped, "maybe when I was really little."

Kala smiled and adjusted his cap. "I can't believe I finally got you on the surface!" She was ecstatic, "This is gonna be bombastic!"

"Yeah," Mikey said trying to to hide his heavily breathing he was having second, or rather third thoughts.

"You gonna be alright?" She asked, noticing his nervousness.

"Yeah…" Mikey's voice trailed, "my hands…you can see them…and my mouth….can you see my carapace?"

"No one is going to get close enough. The park is empty." she glanced behind him. "Nah, you just look husky."

"Husky? Never heard that one."

"Big boned." she laughed.

"Oh," Mikey laughed, "sorry." 

She hugged him excitedly, "Okay Mikey," She pulled back with her hands on his shoulders looking him in the eye. "This is your last change to chicken out, after we leave this alley theres no turning back! We're fugitives, Mikester. Official rebels; destroyer of all rules and regulations. Are you ready for this?"

Mikey gulped, "y-yea….h," Mikey having sec-- wait now it was fourth thoughts.

She smiled wide. Her face was so close to his, he couldn’t help blushing. "Here we go!"

"But my fingers…." Mikey said as they started walking, Mikey looked around awestruck

"Pockets," she said shoving her fists into her own jacket pockets. They went to the edge of the alleyway. The sky was grey with the promise of rain, but it was still much brighter than the sewers. There was hardly any traffic. They'd have to cross the street to get to the park.

Without realizing Mikey kept himself hidden in the shadows. She noticed he wasn't standing next to her at the cross walk. She looked around. "Mikey?"

"Yeah?" Mikey whispered.

"What are you doing? C'mon. Don't act like a dork! These cars are going by so fast theres no way they'd see you."

"What was I doing?" Mikey asked confused. 

She reached over and pulled him out of the shadow. "It's fine Mikey. The sun wont hurt you."

Mikey let out a small gasp as the dull sun light touched his skin.

She looked up at him with her bright blue eyes. "It's okay, Mikey."

Mikey nodded, pulled the hood over his head and shoved his hands in his pocket and walked with his head down. They made it across the street without any incidents. "The skate park is right over there," she pointed. Mikey could barely see the top of the half pipe peeking over the hill. There was a chill in the air, good thing he was wearing clothes.

Mikey followed Kala to the skate park, the farther her got form home the nervous he grew. Once it came into sight he was awe struck. He had always imagined what a real skate park would look like but this was breath-taking. It was huge and all paved with smooth pebble-free cement. Along the edge There was  a drop bowl and more ramps than he could count. there was even a line of half pipes! Mikey had always wanted to try to ride a real half pipe.

"Wow"

"Have you ever been to a skate park before?" she asked.

"Just a small one once. When I was eight."

"Pretty Stellar right?"

"Totally"

"Come on!" she giggled as she dropped her board down and hopped on. 

Mikey did the same gliding over the smooth surface. It was nothing like the sewer floors. He moved with such swiftness and stability. It was like hovering on air. If he closed his eyes it was like he was flying. Kala dropped into the bowl, disappearing from sight. Mikey followed after Kala, he told himself, everything was going to be okay. Kala did a flip at the end of the bowl and dove back in, speeding passed him with a smile.

"This is amazing!" Mikey called out

"I know right!" She hollered as she skimmed the rim and did a nose dive. It started to sprinkle. The cold rain drops felt nice on Mikey's face. Kala power slid to a stop and looked up. "Dang."

"What?" Mikey said.

"It's starting to rain," She called to him

"So?"

"You want to keep skating? Wipeout levels are dangerously high in the rain. Like I'm sure I could handle it, but I wouldn't want you to get hurt," she challenged.

"I'm fine!" Mikey snapped getting tired of everyone laying into him.

"If you insist," she shrugged as it started showering. It was a light rain. Cool and crisp. It ran down Mikey's jacket and tickled his skin. Kala went to the ramps and started doing tricks. Some of which Mikey had never seen before.

"Whoa what was that?"

"A pressure flip?" She said looking up. Her hair was wet, all her gel had been washed out, leaving her hair falling down to her shoulders. It curled up with the water. She had also removed a large amount of make up. Mikey had never seen her like this before. She looked so...pure.

"Teach it to me"

"Oh, well it's a lot like a pop shove it, but you gotta put more pressure on the back... " She showed him. "Just scoop it up instead of popping and it-" she did it again "Does that"

"Like this?" Mikey said, but instead he fell on his side.

"Oooh, almost." She winced. His board rolled off a few feet. "You okay?"

Mikey grunted as he stood up, "I'm fine," he said going after his board.

"You woulda had it if it weren't for the rain," She said comfortingly.

"Yeah," Mikey said, "teach me another one."

"Well, can you do a helicopter flip?"

"Never heard of it," Mikey said.

"Oh, dude, dig it," She ran to the other side of the ramp and picked up a lot of speed. As she neared Mikey she popped her board a good four feet in the air, spinning it several times under her. She landed it perfectly. "Pretty wicked, huh?"

 "Wicked"

"Can you teach me?"

"Sure," she glided over to him, "start with a regular pop, but you gotta get it real wide, and you skid this foot real quick and twist the other one, but you gotta get major air or you'll bail. Trust me I hit pavement like two hundred times when I was learning this one." She brushed a peice of hair out of her face.

"You missed a strand," Mikey said moving it for her before attempting the move. She blushed.

"Ready?"

"Y-yeah," she nodded shaking it off.  "Just build alot of speed and you should be fine, but prepare to eat asphalt. I got a bright pink bandage with your name on it."

"Very funny," Mikey laughed. He speed up and as he went into the flip he did not have enough air and he came crashing down his had banging on the pavement.

"Ouch!" She winced. "Couldn't say I didn't warn you, buddy."

Mikey's eyes rolled in the back of his head, he knew what was coming.

"Mikey?" she called nervously.

Mikey felt his body begin to jerk, yup he was having a seizure.

"Th-thats not funny Mikey. Come on…" she was scared.

The jerking did not stop not matter how much Mikey wished it.

"Mikey!" She ran to him. "Oh shit!" she started to panic, she didn't know what to do.

Mikey's body stopped jerking and went limp

"You said you were okay!" She knelt beside him. "Mikey!" her voice cracked. "Mikey you gotta wake up, I can't carry you."

nothing came from Mikey. He just laid there his eyes shut, slightly pale.

She pulled off her jacket and folded it under his head. She knew she should call for help, but If the turtles found out she took him to the surface they'd never trust her again! They might not even let her ever see Mikey again! She couldn't let that happen! but she didn't know what to do! And Mikey was hurt! If they stayed at the park too long people would notice him and ask what's wrong. That would be even more trouble! She had no other choice, she pulled out her phone. She bounced impatiently waiting for him to pick up. "Casey! I need help!"