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sᴜsᴘɪᴄɪᴏɴs.
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     𝕋ℍ𝔼 television once again flipped channels upon my request, a bored sigh escaping me. This bored and lonely feeling was one which I had not felt for a few months. It was a feeling that I had managed to ditch upon meeting Casey Jones.

However, it was as though times had changed back to before I even met him with this despondent feeling crawling its way back into my mind. I could not wrap my head around it—just a few weeks ago Casey, April, and I had been more than fine.

In fact, we had been like a reverse version of the golden trio.

I'm a Harry Potter nerd—don't judge.

But, now, it was even worse than when Casey first met April and was hanging out with her. At least then he still put aside time for me.

It was all going well until one random afternoon when something changed between all of us. Sure, we were still close as ever within the walls of the school, but once we were let out for the day—it was as though the two forgot all about me.

Not only that but suddenly there were secrets between the two that I, under no circumstance, was let in upon. It was not like they had told me either, I was simply able to guess from the glances they would toss one another.

It was unfathomable to me—I had done nothing to deserve that kind of treatment. I missed the days where we hung out all the time after school, where the two would fall asleep at my apartment on school nights. I missed our taco Tuesdays... and Thursdays, Fridays, Mondays, and any other day we wanted Mexican.

Perhaps, I was being overdramatic? No, bitch! We had not hung out outside of school for over a week together now! I know that sounds incredibly pathetic, but when you go from hanging every day to never—you tend to notice the difference.

I had gone from almost every theory possible and only one seems plausible. April and Casey were dating.

I cringed at the thought and mentally groaned, but it was no doubt what I was dealing with here. When they said they could not hang out for various reasons, I knew they were still together most likely off on their own.

It had only been a matter of time anyway, while Casey shamelessly flirted with my mother—it was really April that he had the hots for. April must have grown tired of resisting his... charms and given in.

Still, though, they did not need to hide it from me. Furthermore, even if they were dating that did not mean they could just cut out all our time together. Even if they were making out during the time we all hung out, at least we would be doing just that. Hanging out.

I need to confront them about this!

I sprung from the couch with a quickness, my mind flicking to all the various places around the huge city that they could be. Upon thinking about the different spots, my thoughts wandered back to those four figures I had seen.

There was no other sign about them so they slowly but surely had worked their way to the back of my mind. It was probably just some teens messing around anyway.

After considering it for a few more seconds, I finally decided that the ice rink was the first place I would look for them. Then if they were not there, I would check the movie theatre since the two loved going to the movies. I did as well.

Hopping toward the door, I grabbed my cellphone and keys off the counter before heading out. Locking the door behind me, I briefly wondered if I should text my mom. Then again, I would most likely be home way before her so there was no need.

With that thought, I was off, sliding down the banister of the stairwell.

The air outside was crisp and cool, it tickled my skin uncomfortably. New York was known for its deadly winters, and soon enough, I would be forced to go through the pain of snow and cold. I much preferred the summer to the nippy cold of winter.

Even if you could ice skate outside.

I made it to the ice rink in record time, my shoulders sagging in disappointment when I did not find them there. Growling, I left the rink and started heading to the movie theatre the three of us normally went to.

I bet Casey and her went to go see that new action-thriller! What dicks, they knew I wanted to see that with them!

I had to remind myself that I did not by any means own their time and they were allowed to do as they pleased when they wanted and with whom they wanted. Still—it stung quite a bit.

The sun was beginning to set, casting the sky in a bright fiery orange array of color. Perhaps, had there been more time, I would have stopped and watched the sunset. But I was on a mission, a mission to find my friends who were probably screwing themselves silly somewhere.

When I arrived at the movie theatre, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw Casey and April. Except, it appeared rather than actually seeing a movie they had simply been passing by the movie theatre. It was a coincidence that I had gone to check the movie theatre at the same time the two were passing by it.

Convenient timing!

April walked with her hands folded behind her back casually and Casey hummed. I rose a brow, but rather than confront my friends I watched from the shadows.

Okay, that sounds like super creepy, but I swear it is not as weird as it sounds. Honestly.

Stealth was something that came easily to me. It was as though I had some sort of sixth sense to recognize when and where someone would be looking. Anytime April or Casey even hinted at glancing at me, I would either move or blend into my surroundings enough that they would take no notice of my presence.

Eventually, after following them for a block or so, the two turned into an alley.

"Oh come on, guys," I groaned, "in an alley, really? Have some class," I murmured while trotting after them.

Only, after peeking my head around the corner leading into the alley, what I saw was definitely not what I was expecting. Casey had removed a manhole cover from the ground, motioning to April to hop in with a smile.

What. The. Hell?

What the fuck was this? IT? People do not just hang around in the sewers. Seriously, the things that were probably down there. Roaches, rats—it could have been anything!

Which was golden seeing as Casey was literally terrified of rats. Plus there was no telling how dangerous it was down there. They could get lost, they could get hypothermia, they could get sick. Hell, it is so filthy that the plague is most likely hanging around down there. What in the world were they thinking by going down there?

An even nastier image met my mind. What would the only reason they want to go down there... alone be? I cringed... that is so unsanitary.

At this point, I was willing to offer up my own bed for their activities just so they're not messing around in the sewers and catching diseases.

Even I knew not to have some fun in the sewers, and I'm me!

However, after April hopped down and Casey followed, the manhole sliding into place—I knew I could not let them go through with this. Shaking my head, I ran from my spot and toward the previously open manhole.

"I can't believe I am about to offer up my own bed!" I growled, bending down and deciding how the hell I should go about lifting this manhole.

It was no doubt about to be heavy as shit. Puffing a breath, I rolled my sleeves up and gripped the dirty edges of the heavy metal lid. Biting my lip, I prepared for this to be heavier than I was capable of lifting and to need to come up with a plan B.

However, it was then that something almost amazing happening. Rather than screaming with effort and having muscles that simply ached from exertion... none of that happened.

That is right. On that random Tuesday afternoon toward the middle of fall—I, Andi Carrington, lifted a manhole cover off the ground as though it were no heavier than a feather. Everything in me tensed, and my mouth fell agape.

The city continued to move on as though nothing at all had happened, but I more than knew that was not normal. That manhole cover alone weighed more than 100 pounds and it was made from pure steel. Yet, I felt as though I could have lifted it with one arm if I wanted to.

My lips fell into a tight line.

Let's just say... this was not the first super odd thing I had found about myself since the accident. However, I had enough common sense to know that as much as I shared with my mother—these certain oddities were not things that I should.

I could debate the matter of life later, though. Tossing the manhole to the side, I eyed the leaky wet sewer system below. The smell of filth was already overpowering and I was not even inside yet.

Crying internally, I reminded myself that this was so April and Casey did not get a disease. Leaping in, I began climbing down the ladder, easily sliding the covering back in place as I went.

My eyesight adjusted faster than I thought possible to the dim lighting of the sewers. The stank wafted against my senses causing me to gag and dig my face into my shoulder as I climbed down. Mentally, I was screaming and everything in me wanted to vomit.

How could they stand the smell?

My eyes were actually watering at this point.

Finally, after a few moments of climbing below ground level, I made it to a wet stone ground. My noise scrunched at the obviously dirty and mutilated water that was splattered all over the floors in shallow puddles.

The same water leaked from the equally as stone walls, only a few old lights dangling from the roof and spaced relatively far apart.

My shoulders slumped as I eyed my now ruined pair of converse. Well, they were not necessarily ruined but I made a mental note to take them off before I walked into my apartment building. There was no telling what was in the dirty water and I definitely did not want to track that onto the floors of where I lived.

Despite this, a small laugh caught my attention. Throwing my head up, I was met with the sight of Casey and April walking with their backs to me. It appeared as though they were going somewhere in particular, and it had me tilting my head.

Did they know where they were heading then? Had I been completely wrong about the "going into the sewers to screw themselves silly"? I sure hoped I was and that the two had more sense than to come into the sewers to do something like that.

Steeling myself against the smell, which thankfully started fading to the back of my mind the longer I was down here, I started following after my two friends. Rather than announcing my presence to them, I once again followed the two silently.

With the stealth of a ninja, I made sure to stay as quiet as possible while following them. As we went, I memorized every twist and turn, noting the way we came in and the way we were going.

Sooner rather than later, when we took one final turn my jaw nearly dropped. Somehow, we had ended up halfway in the sewers and halfway in the cities subway tunnels. Except, this particular station appeared far off from the rest as well as deeper underground and not to mention, the tracks were not finished.

I suspected that was the whole reason it had been abandoned in the first place.

However, was truly caught my attention was what lurked past the turntiles. I froze, and despite the horrid smell—my mouth fell agape.

"Hey guys!" April greeted a group of talking human-sized reptiles who were sat around some large couch-thing and watching television.

"Hey April!" One with a purple bandana exclaimed happily before being smacked across by a red wearing bandana thing.

They were man-sized, each some sort of muscular mutated... thing.

While they were by no means the most appealing to the eyes, I had the oddest sneaking suspicion that I had seen worse. My attention rounded from the littlest one resting on his stomach in front of the old television—his eyes wide with wonder as his huge feet swung in the air behind him.

If the situation was any different, I might think that the reptile mutant wearing an orange bandana was almost adorable. Behind him sat three other mutants, each with their own bandanas. Red, purple, and blue.

I wondered briefly how strong the one in red was considering he had a substantial amount of muscle covering his body. The purple-wearing mutant, while being the tallest, was also the most lean.

Lastly, the blue bandana-wearing mutant was a mixture of the red ones muscles and the purple ones height. His eyes were similar to the orange one with a look of adoration on his face as they watched the television.

I eyed the television, frowning at some weird old-ass anime show that was playing.

What dorks.

Faster than I gave myself credit for, I dodged behind a turntile and hid myself from view as April quickly sat in between the blue and purple-wearing bandana mutants.

Blue barely batted an eyelash at her sudden appearance, but purple smiled nervously—his green and almost scaly cheeks gaining a near unnoticeable amount of color.

"Yo, Raph, whatcha reading?" Casey leaned down to eye whatever it was in this "Raph" creature's hand's.

A magazine from what I could tell.

"Raph" tilted his head up with a small smirk.

"Ninja-weekly," he explained, his rough voice accented in a very noticeable Brooklyn dialect.

I was not sure what to do at this point. Something in me told me not to confront them. Obviously I, nor anyone else, is meant to know of this secret location and the things which inhabited it.

There was no telling what they would do if I revealed myself. Surely, Casey and April would never allow any harm to come to me, but still, there was no telling what would happen. Not only that, but with everyone's current position—making an attempt at running was a no-go. They would see me immediately, so I would need to wait until their positions moved.

What the hell do I do?

Instead of thinking on it at that very second, I chose to stick around and simply watch. Surprisingly enough, they all seemed... normal. As though it were any other large group of friends hanging out. The purple-wearing bandana reptile appeared to be helping April out with her homework.

Casey and Raph had ditched the magazine to go and play with the pinball machine. The blue-wearing bandana mutant and the orange one also followed, the four forms standing around the old machine cheering.

I had the oddest desire to suddenly go join them but I could only imagine how that would go. Just casually inviting myself in and waltz over as though nothing was amiss.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"What the hell?!"

Yeah, no—I don't think so.

Realizing that calling the mutants "things" was probably really rude and offensive, I tilted my head while pondering exactly what they were. Humanoid? Yes. Human though? No.

They were reptilian of some sort, and at first I was positive it was a frog... but no. In complete honesty they were all much too cute to be an ugly-ass mutant frog. But then, I noticed the shells.

The shells which looked heavy and sat on each of their backs. There was only one animal that I was aware that adorned shells such as those.

Turtles.

Awwww, turtles—how cute!

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I win, ha, in your face, Raph!"

And to further my previous statement, I noticed blue dancing around as he apparently won—his voice steady but excited nonetheless.

"Whatever, Lame-o-nardo," what kind of name was that? "we all know you're only good at this game because it's Space Heroes themed,"

"You're just being a sore loser!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Oh come on, what are you guys—five?" April scolded the red and blue wearing bandana turtles.

Raph and... Lameonardo?

Casey was cackling in the background with the orange-bandana guy having already taken over the gaming machine. At this point, I was tired of crouching and after checking my phone to confirm, it was beginning to get late.

Heading home would be the best option.

I still was not sure what to do about this whole mutant situation. Mutants normally, at least according to Casey, ran rampant among the streets of New York at night. However, to my knowledge most were known to be hostile. These ones obviously were not hostile.

Well, from what I was observing, then again I am sure it would be completely different if they actually knew that I was spying on them. Knowing that there was really no other option than to just suck it up and sneak off—I darted to the side.

At first, I thought I was in the clear. After all, I was staying low to the tunnel ground and keeping my eyes peeled at all of them—waiting to see if any would notice me. The four playing pinball were too wrapped up in their game, April was furrowing her brows at some homework on her computer, and the purple-one was... staring directly at me.

Shit. The one second he's not making heart eyes at April.

His mouth had gaped slightly and there was a moment where we were both just staring at each other in disbelief. It eventually got to a point where it became awkward.

He blinked.

I blinked back.

Awkwardly I waved before nodding in the opposite direction to their little hideout.

"I'm just gonna..." I was mouthing the words to him, "gooooo—but nice meeting you! Cool colors, really love what you've done with the place!" My mouth moved but no sound came out as I said it.

"I can't understand anything you're saying!" He suddenly screamed causing the others to all turn to him frantically, throwing odd looks his way.

"An intruder!" He exclaimed not a beat later and I took note of the gap in his teeth.

"Ah, fuck," I said out loud, April and Casey catching sight of me—their eyes widening.

"Andi?" Casey cried but I wasted no time in darting off.

"Catch you at school tomorrow, Casey! See ya, O'Neil!"

"What the—?" I recognized it as the voice of Lameonardo, "STOP HER, GUYS!"

"No, don't hurt her, she's our friend," I vaguely heard April's voice but I was moving faster than I actually even thought myself capable of.

There were multiple footsteps coming after me, but I was moving quickly. Unfortunately, there was no chance of me making my grand escape through the exact way I came before any of them caught up to me.

Thankfully, I caught sight of some steps leading up to a manhole covering off to the side. Leaping up, my hands grasped the metal of the ladder easily enough, and I was climbing to my safety.

"HEY!"

I looked down only to see the red-wearing turtle had grasped my ankle, the others fanning out around us below.

My eyes alit with fiery determination and the turtle must have seen my expression for his own face turned into something akin to "oh, shit".

"Sorry, 'bout this," I cried before slamming my foot right to his face.

The turtle-man cried out before falling off the ladder only to be caught by his brothers. But before they could grab me a second time, I shoved the lid off the manhole with so much strength the heavy lid went flying.

My eyes widened and I imagined the others held similar expressions to the now lost pothole covering.

"Well, then..." I wasted no time deciding that I could deal with that later and leaped out of the sewers.

"Stop! Get back here!"

I wish I could say New York's air was any fresher than that of sewers. Sadly, the polluted air only proceeded to smell a little less than the shit of the sewers.

Still, though, I was off like a bullet recognizing that home for me was only a few blocks away.

Damn, wait till Whitney hears about this! Or sorry, I meant mom!