Alana groggily looked up at her alarm clock when she heard it go off, Thursday morning at 4:50 a.m. She had ten minutes to get ready for her first training exercise with Raphael. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, before getting up. She went to her dresser and pulled out some black warmups, a grey tank top, and a light jacket to go over it. She quickly got dressed and brushed her hair out, before pulling it back into a ponytail.
When Alana felt like she was ready, she walked out of her room with her Javelin keys in hand. She noticed that Donatello was up, drinking coffee and reading the paper.
" You're up early." He commented.
" Yeah I know. I have a little.....agenda for the day that I have to keep up with." She said and left it at that. She looked up when she heard a door close to see Raphael coming out of his room. Alana felt eager with anticipation to learn something about the turtles fighting techniques.
" Alright, let's go." He said and yawned.
" Am I missing something here?" They heard Donatello ask.
" Nope." Raphael replied and walked over to the Javelin and waited for Alana to unlock the passenger door.
Raphael and Alana got in leaving a very puzzled Donatello behind. Alana made sure that she was careful when she backed out, fearing that she would hit something and damage the precious car.
When they were finally out of the sewer and past the reservoir, Alana relaxed and glanced at the giant turtle next to her.
" So where are we going to go?" She asked.
" County side park." He answered tonelessly. Alana knew that park all too well.
" What are we gonna tell your brothers?" Alana asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence between them.
" That it's none of their damn business."
" What about my sister?"
" The same thing. You cuss her out all the time. I'm sure that you can tell her that what we're doing is none of her business." Raphael said and looked at her. She felt his eyes on her and decided not to look at him.
" Raphael, did you mean what you said the other day?"
" About what?" He asked and looked back at what was in front of him.
" About when you said that most of the time you're angry and it is because of me." She said and felt an uncomfortable silence in the car. Raphael looked at her curiously, but she wouldn't look at him.
" Why?"
" I don't know.....I just....wanted to know." She said. There was another moment of silence.
" No, not really." He said.
" Then.....why are you always mad?" She asked. Raphael turned to look at her as she was pulling into the park.
" Wouldn't you be mad if you were some freak of nature that no one could accept in society?" He asked coldly. Alana didn't know what to say. She came to a stop and turned off the engine. Raphael was still looking at her as if he expected and answer. She looked into his dark gleaming eyes and felt the touch of fear now.
" Raphael, I never said you were a freak of nature and I don't think of you that way." She said.
" Then how do you think of me then.....huh?" He waited. Alana narrowed her eyes.
" More as an asshole sometimes than anything else." She said. Raphael grinned and dark sinister grin.
" Hmpf." Was the only noise he made before he got out of the car. Alana got out as well and looked around at where they were. She had parked the car under a large oak tree, secluded from the main path.
Raphael walked through some bushes to a small clearing surrounded by trees. Alana followed and waited to see what he would say.
" Alright, first of all, you're going to have to stretch and get warmed up. I'm sure you know how to do that, right?" He asked looking at her.
" Yes I do." She said smartly and found a comfortable place to stretch. Raphael on the other hand, sat himself on a log and starting fiddling with his sais.
Alana stretched for a good thirty minutes before standing up to wait for Raphael. He got up and walked over, looking her over as he came.
" Lean your back against that tree." He said. Alana did as she was told, not knowing what the tree had to do with anything.
" What are you doing?" She asked.
" I'm going to make sure that you stretched out good enough, because if you get hurt, everyone's gonna blame me and I'm not in the mood for their bullshit." He said.
He bent down slightly and picked up her foot and brought her leg up, level to her waist. He looked at her to see if she would flinch in pain, but she didn't even blink.
" This doesn't bother you?" He asked. She shook her head.
" No." Raphael then raised her leg a little higher, but Alana shook her head, so he raised it even higher.
" This doesn't hurt." She said. Raphael raised an eye ridge and pushed her leg back so fair up that it was completely vertical with her body.
" Goddamn girl!!" He exclaimed.
" What the hell do they make you do in ballet?!" He asked.
" Dance."
" Smart ass." He retorted.
After stretching the other leg the same way, Raphael decided that she was ready to begin.
" Alright, come here." He said. She came over and stood in front of him. He walked around and stood in back of her.
" We're going to work on your stance so I'm gonna have to touch you, so don't freak out on me."
" Touch me how?" She asked. Raphael chuckled and shook his head.
" Not the way you're thinking." Alana felt suddenly, embarrassed.
" Shutup and just get started." She said in frustration. Raphael chuckled in amusement softly behind her, and she pretended like she didn't care. Raphael came up closer and instructed her how to put her feet. She did what she was told, but Raphael used his foot to make a few more adjustments.
" Ok, let's do some steps with punching, but we got to work on keeping your stance while you do it." He said. Alana nodded and felt Raphael's arms come around her to adjust her hands into position. She felt tense and uncomfortable being so close to him that she found it hard for her to concentrate. He seemed to sense it too.
" Relax. I'm in a fairly good mood today, so as long as you keep me there, I'm not gonna hurt you." He said and Alana smirked, relaxing a little and leaning more into him and concentrating as hard as she could to understand what he was trying to teach her.
Janet came out and sat next to Leo at the table. Michealangelo made them two eggs each with bacon and fried potato slices. Donatello came over and was served his plate with more coffee on the side. Mike sat down and began to eat his breakfast. Janet turned to look at Donatello.
" You were awake early this morning, weren't you?" She asked.
" Yeah."
" Where did Alana go?" She asked, having heard the car engine earlier.
" Her and Raphael went out somewhere." He answered, sipping his coffee.
" Together?" Leo asked.
" Yep." Don replied, as if it wasn't anything unusual.
" Where did they go?" Janet questioned curiously.
" I don't know. Raphael didn't bother to tell me." Don said and took another bite of his eggs.
" Hmm.....are they starting to get along now?" Mike asked aloud to no one in particular.
" Who knows. Maybe we'll find out when they come back." Don said, still acting as though it was a normal thing for the two to get along.
" Yeah......anyway, Master Splinter said he was going to come back in a few more days." Leo said, remembering how happy he was when his father figure woke up yesterday morning.
" Yeah, some things are going to have to change around here." Don commented. Leo and Mike nodded in a agreement.
" We're gonna have to do something about the fighting." Leo stated.
" Yeah I know." Don said softly and continued to eat his food in silence. He knew that it wasn't just Raphael and Alana, it was also Janet and Leo.
It wasn't until noon that Raphael decided to end the lesson. The air outside was cold, but Alana was sweating and panting. She was right when she said that Raphael wouldn't be so easy going on her. He made her work for the time that he was putting into this effort and Alana was dead tired now. She lay, sore from the workout, on the log that Raphael was sitting on earlier in the morning. He turned to look at her and smirked. He had barely broken a sweat.
" Don't tell me you're tired." He mused. Alana turned to look at him and flipped him the finger. Raphael let out a laugh and Alana thought it was the first time that she had actually seen Raphael so gentle looking since she had know him. He almost reminded her of Michealangelo when he looked like he was enjoying himself.
Raphael looked at her and watched her chest heave up and down. He must have really worked her hard.
" I take it, you don't get this worked up in ballet?" He asked.
" Not like this. Ballet is hard, but this was worse." She said.
" I guess you won't be standing on your toes for a while." He stated.
" Actually, I was going to go for the four o clock class today, so I should be getting back and change for it."
" Girl! You are going to be sore! You have to get up tomorrow too. A few more workouts like this and I'll start showing you how to hold the sais." He said. Alana hid the smile that was creeping onto her lips as she got up.
" Wait.....who's gonna go with you to the ballet practice?" Raph asked.
" I don't know."
" You can't go without an escort, remember?" He said.
" I know.......why don't you go with me?" She asked. Raphael went wide eyed and looked at her.
" What are you? Crazy? You think I want to go over there and see a whole bunch of little girls dance on their toes to opera music?"
" It's not opera music and they're not all little girls. Most of them are older than me, but I was placed in the advanced class so that's why I'm with them. Besides, it might bring out your sensitive side." She stated, looking at him with gleaming, amused eyes. He flattened his eyebrows to look levelly at her.
" I don't have a sensitive side." He stated flatly.
" Sure you do. You just don't want anyone to know." She said.
" No I don't."
" Yes you do. I didn't think you had a fun side to you either, but all morning, you've been acting similar to Mikey."
" He rubs off sometimes, but I can go back to being a dick if you want." He stated, tilting his head.
" No, I don't mind when you act like an ass to someone else, unless you're wrong, but as for me, I'd rather have you be nice like you are now."
" God...you make me never want to smile again." He stated. Alana laughed softly to herself and shook her head. She never thought that she would smile because of Raphael.
" Please go with me. I'll let you drive the Javelin later too." She teased.
" Another bribe?"
" I guess."
" Awe shit...." He mumbled, knowing that he wanted to drive that car as much as he could.
" Alright, alright! I'll go, but don't be surprised if I fall asleep in there." He said.
" Ok." She said and tossed him the keys.
" Let's go then." She said and headed for the Javelin on the side of the bushes. Raphael smiled and looked at the keys.
" Shit.....she was for real." He whispered and headed anxiously to the car. Alana grabbed her coat that she had set on the hood of the car earlier after she had gotten hot and sat herself in the passenger seat. Raphael got into the driver seat and put on his seat belt and then started the engine. He listened to the loud roar of the engine and smiled to himself before Alana began to direct him on what to do. He gripped the steering wheel and trembled with excitement.
" Hold the brake down and put her in drive." Alana instructed. Raphael was surprised to hear Alana refer to the Javelin as a "she". He thought only guys did, but he guessed that she knew her stuff. He did what he was told and waited anxiously to take off.
" I know that you want to haul ass in this car, but please don't. I am not in the mood for having a heart attack." She stated. Raphael smirked and side eyed her, but did what he was told for once. He let his foot off the petal and pressed the gas gently and they began to make their way down the dirt path to leave the park through another exit. Alana felt very tense as he drove, but after a few minutes of getting used to it, she relaxed and leaned back against the chair. Raphael glanced at her and frowned.
" I still don't know if training you is such a good idea, ya know." He said tonelessly.
" Why not?" She asked.
" Because if you get mad at your sister, you might use that training against her." He said.
" You actually care?" She asked sarcastically. Raphael slowed the car down and stopped on the side of the dirt road right in front of the main road and put the car back on park.
" Look, I don't like your sister very much, ok, but she is with my brother and I have to accept that no matter how much it bothers me. If they find out that I am training you, it's my ass on the line, not just yours. My brothers will kick my ass for it." He said. Alana heard a side of Raphael that she didn't really know was there. She looked into his brown eyes and nodded her understanding.
" I won't use it against her." She said. He looked into her green eyes for a minute, but couldn't look for much longer because he felt strange around her. He turned away and looked out the window.
" What's wrong, Raphael?" She asked.
" I don't know." He said flatly and looked back ahead of him.
" Raphael, do you get mad that Leo and Janet are together?" She asked suddenly. He turned to look at her with one eye brow raised.
" What is that supposed to mean?" He asked curiously.
" Well.....I don't know......do you ever get jealous?" She asked a little more uncertainly.
" Hmph!" Raphael's face turned dark again as he looked at her.
" I am not saying it to be mean or anything......I just want to know." She said, scooting a little more toward the door, away from him.
" I don't think we should talk about this." He growled.
" Why not? It's not like I am going to tell anyone. I just want to get to know you better." She said.
" Well you don't need to know how I feel about anything." He gritted through his teeth. Alana looked down at her lap.
" I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad or anything. I was just curious." She said softly. She could feel his gaze upon her and she didn't want to look up because of it.
" Do you get jealous that they are together?" He retorted. Alana shrugged.
" I don't know. I guess so. When she's with him, it's like she has no problems what so ever even after all this stuff that has happened. She seems so happy and all. So yeah, I guess I am jealous. She can just be with Leo and have all her problems go away, while I sleep in my bed and have nightmares about what happened to my parents that night." She said and bit her lip as she felt the tears fill her eyes. She closed her eyes and tried to push them back, but didn't look up at Raphael who was still gazing at her, but not angrily anymore.
Raphael sighed and realized that he hadn't exactly seen things the way Alana did. He still had his family and she didn't.
" Well......the answer to your question is yes...." He said. Alana looked up through her tears and looked at his dark green face.
" I am jealous. Almost for the same reasons as you." He put in.
" Why were you so mean to us? To me?" She asked softly. Raphael looked at her and shrugged.
" I haven't had good experiences with people, ok?" He said, looking away.
" Mike mentioned that you hadn't been the same since something happened to you when you were younger........what was it?" She asked softly again. She saw his jaw tighten and his eyes narrow as he looked out the windshield.
" I was up top looking for food for the family since it was my turn. I wasn't paying that much attention and two little rich, white girls saw me. They called me names and kicked snow at me since it was during the winter. They said that I was a little freak and that they hoped I would die so no one would ever see how ugly I was. Ever since then, I hated everyone. I don't trust anyone. I have a limit to my exceptions, but it doesn't stretch very far. I hated the both of you, cause you were rich and had everything. You were the one that didn't like the idea of coming to our home cause it was sewer." He growled and looked at her.
" It's not that, I'm just scared of places like that. I don't feel safe anywhere." She said. Raphael didn't say anything to that one. Alana looked at him, but he turned away again. She knew that he didn't want her to see any of his emotions.
" You're not only jealous, you're angry aren't you? Janet and Leo have something that you don't. You're mad, because you were the one those girls called names to and Janet never did that to Leo. She loved him the way he was." She said and knew that she had hit home. Raphael lowered his head and wondered how she could pick out the truth like it was nothing.
" What about you? You seem like you kind of like Mikey." Raph stated bluntly. Alana shook her head.
" Not like that, no. I don't want to fall in love. I'll probably just end up losing someone else too. I have enough problems." Alana stated. Raphael turned to look at her, but didn't say anything.
" Let's go." He said, but there was something about his tone that Alana didn't understand. Was he hurt by what she had just said? She couldn't tell. The next minute, he pretended like nothing was wrong and that they had never had that conversation.
" Do you have to go to ballet practice with you?" He asked distastefully.
" Yes. I'll do anything to get away from Janet and Leo. Your brother bothers me more than any of you. He's so damn arrogant." Alana growled. Raph chuckled.
" You got that right." Raphael said. Alana remained quiet and wondered if her and Raphael were actually going to start getting along and get off on the right foot this time. She hoped so. It would be nice to have at least one friend through this crisis. She could only hope that her and her sister would start to get along sometime in the future. Janet was all she had left.