"What do you mean you can't hang out?" Nixie asks as her and Mitch skate around on the blacktop.

He sighs and skids to a stop. "I'm going to visit my grandma that day."

"You can't...cancel?" She smiles nervously. "I don't mean that dis-respectively, but we haven't been able to chill outside of school recently."

He runs a hand through his curly blonde hair. "Listen, I haven't seen my grandma since I was five, and her and my mom are on thin ice."

"Why is that?"

Mitch freezes. He thinks of the family picture he has tucked away in his back pocket, his fingers itching to pull it out and show her. As he watches his best friend; this confident, funny, amazing, beautiful girl that accepted that he lives in the sewers, he can't help but think that it's time.

"My grandma didn't want to accept my mom's choices about marrying my dad," he starts slowly.

Nixie tilts her head a little bit, her almost red eyes twinkling. "Marriage troubles? That happens all the time! And why wouldn't your grandma like your dad? Your dad is hilarious!"

"Because..." Mitch reaches into his back pocket, his hands shaking. "Nix, promise me you aren't going to freak out. Please?"

She nods and smiles, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers. "MJ, there is nothing you could tell me that would make me freak out."

He smiles a tiny bit. I don't think so.

He unfolds the picture and holds it out to her. She takes it, her eyes widening as she looks at it. She looks back at him, her mouth slightly agape.

"Before you say anything," Mitch says, holding a finger up. "Let me explain. It isn't photoshopped, it isn't tampered in any way. That is my family. Yes, my dad and uncles are turtles, my aunt is a wolf-raven like Dean, half my cousins are turtles, my other aunt is a cyborg-"

Nixie grabs the front of his shirt collar and presses a kiss to his lips, shutting him up. His eyes widen, but she doesn't pull away. He slowly relaxes, shutting his eyes just as she breaks away.

"Mitch, I'm not freaked out," she says.

"I...buh...wha...huh?" he stammers, still reeling from the kiss.

She laughs and nudges his arm. "Yeah! I mean, I had theories about why you guys lived in the sewers, but this one was not on my list. Look at them! They're like...superheroes! Look at your grandpa! He's so cool!"

He lets out a long breath. "Wow...I'm so relieved to hear you say that."

"So...you, your mom, and your aunt Taylor are the only ones who are human?"

His heart jumps when she says "human" instead of "normal".

"Well, I've got a slightly different build-up of my body because of my dad," Mitch says, pointing to Michelangelo. "I'm stronger, and according to my uncle Donatello, my muscles are built more like a turtle's. Like...my back is incredibly hard, sort of like a shell, and my tailbone is longer than most others."

Nixie grins. "So you're a half-mutant?"

He laughs nervously and rubs the back of his neck. "I guess."

She grins. "I still can't believe this! Now I know why Dakota always wears that eyepatch, and Asher, Copeland, and Venus look great, and Dean is just badass. Those wings and stuff are freaky, in a good way!"

He nods. "Thanks for understanding, Nix."

She smirks and punches his arm. "No problem, dude."

She gives him the picture and skates away. Mitch's eyes widen and he spins in her direction.

"Hey! Why'd you kiss me?" he shouts.

She stops her board and does a 360 turn. "Because I like you, you nerd!"

With that, she skates away. Mitch can't help but let a dopey smile fall across his face.

🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕🐢🍕

"Good luck with your grandpa, Co," Tiki says as the two walk down the hall.

She breathes deeply. "Yeah, it's gonna be weird."

"You'll be fine."

"I've just got to refrain from pounding is face in."

"Yeah, do that."

At the far end of the hall, Elisabeth, Dakota, Asher, Lukas, Kelly, Mitch, and Nixie have already shown up. Dean is nowhere to be seen.

Asher is grinning proudly as he shows off his brand new violin. The others watch with curious eyes, happy for their friend.

"It took a lot, but we could finally afford it!" Asher says as Copeland and Tiki join them. "Beauty, isn't she?"

"Indeed," Kelly agrees.

Asher shuts the case and puts it on the floor for a moment while he turns and opens his locker. Katie walks by, not bothering to notice the instrument on the floor. With one step, her foot kicks the case and sends it skidding across the floor and into a wall. Instantly, the Hamato Clan and friends are looking its way.

"Agh! My baby!" Asher shrieks, rushing towards the case and scooping it into his arms.

"What the heck was that, Katie?" Dakota demands, moving towards the girl.

Katie blinks a few times. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see it."

"Didn't see it?! Do you see it now? What if you broke my violin?!" Asher exclaims, towering over her.

She backs off. "Holy crap, band geeks get weird about their possessions."

Copeland's hands clench into fists as her teeth grind.

His cheeks turn red with anger and embarrassment. "I'm...I'm not a band geek."

"Well, you're still a nerd, so I don't really care. See, the only reason I really end up associating with you guys is because of Dean. For some reason, someone who's as popular as him still likes hanging around with people who cramp his style, like you." She rolls her eyes. "Seriously, I let myself change for the cheerleaders. Dean should've too."

Asher tries to keep a straight face, not wanting to show just how much her words hurt.

She's just a person, he tells himself. She doesn't have the mental capacity to comprehend-

His thoughts are cut short when Copeland's fist flies into Katie's jaw. She screams and falls over, the ebony-haired girl fuming over her.

"I...am sick...and tired," she heaves, "of you treating...my family...like shit beneath your shoes." She reaches down and yanks her up by the collar, staring into her eyes with a burning fury. "Don't you ever call my cousin that again, you selfish bitch."

"Copeland!" Dean's voice calls.

The quarterback dashes over, grabbing his cousin's shoulder and pulling her back. The turtle in disguise lowers her, her chest still heaving.

In his level-headed tone, Dean asks, "Okay, what happened?'

"Katie kicked my BRAND NEW violin across the floor!" Asher says, his body shaking.

"Then she called Asher a band geek, followed by telling us that we cramp your style and the only reason she hangs out with us is because of you," Mitch adds. "And...that she changed because of the team, and that you should've as well."

Dean turns to his girlfriend, his hands clenched in to fists. "Katie?"

Still teary-eyed from the punch, she forces a small laugh. "Dean, they're lying! I would never-"

"One week."

"Huh?"

"One week. You have one week to smarten up and stop being as fake as Nikki Minaj's ass, or we're through."

"Oooooooo..." everyone save for the couple murmurs. Copeland smirks and snaps her fingers.

"Um, I don't-"

"My family would never lie to me, and they are the most important people in my life. You do not get to treat them badly just because you want me to yourself. News flash, sweetheart, but I'm not something that can be owned. Either you go back to being that sweet girl I met and had a crush on in grade nine, or we break up and you can find a guy who enjoys your standards." Dean crosses his arms, never breaking his fierce gaze from her. "Got it?"

She swallows. "One week. Got it."

He smirks. "I think you've got gym. Bye." He waves shortly, turning to his family. "Come on, let's get out of here."

They all stare at him in shock, especially Elisabeth.

"No yelling because I just punched her?" Copeland asks.

He smiles. "Nah. She'll survive."

"Dude...I've got chills from that speech," Nixie whispers.

Lukas nods. "Way to stand up to her."

"You think she'll change?" Kelly asks.

Dean shrugs. "If she really likes me because of me, she will. Otherwise, I'll have made the right choice."

"Good to have you back, bro," Asher says, looping an arm over his shoulder.

The group heads down the hall, feeling satisfied and happy again.