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It feels great to have a best friend once again.
He's tough, he's rude, he loves cleaning the scum off the streets.
Like me.
He's got anger issues.
Unlike me – I'm a calm, levelheaded guy who only beats up people deserving it.
And he's a valuable ally, almost as strong as I am.
Of course, he's a mutant turtle, and his father is a giant rat – it's a long story – but you don't judge people by the color of their skin. No matter how green.
Yes, even if I've only met him one week ago, it feels like I've always known Raphael.
Except I haven't, and sometimes it shows.
Like right now. I don't know what ticked him off, but he's kicking and throwing trash cans, grunting like the enraged amphibian he is.
Well, I'm going to find out.
"Come on, dude, what's the matter?"
I try to put my hand on his shoulder as I ask, but he dismisses me with a shrug and another grunt.
"Real mature, dude," I complain.
He turns around to glare at me, which I shrug off.
"Is it something I said?"
He doesn't deny, so I further look into that possibility.
"Well, I was telling you how perfect that night is to fight bad guys …"
He kicks another trash can. It's probably not the reason he's mad. It made no sense anyway.
"And that my weapon is so much better than yours!"
He rolls his eyes and sends a bin lid flying against the wall – still not that.
"And that Leo was lame to worry we would attract ourselves trouble – trouble is what makes life worth living!"
He freezes, and my top-notch intuition translates.
"That's it? You're mad because I said your brother was lame? But you've kept repeating all week how annoying and bossy he was, and how neither him nor your other brothers got you!"
Raph has three brothers. Donatello, aka Donnie, who prefers building machines to beating people up – I have no idea what April sees in him. Raph says he's boring. Michelangelo, nickname Mikey, who was a bit wary of me at first, but we found common ground – we have similar table manners. Raph told me he's always trying to get on his nerves. And Leonardo, or Leo, who's also my friend's leader when they're out ninja-ing.
Which I thought exasperated Raph to the extreme.
Raph glares at me again, then he sighs and seems to deflate. I must look really puzzled, or maybe he's as worried as I am to damage our newfound friendship, because he finally condescends to give me an explanation.
"First, it's not the same when you're the one saying it, and second…"
He offers me a sheepish grin. It's a grin nonetheless, so I'm relieved – we're still best friends. I knew it. He and I, that's for life.
"He was there to listen to it, so it's not as if I was speaking ill of him behind his back. Not that I've never done it before."
His grin disappears as he says so, and I've a feeling he's confessing something huge. I hope he'll tell me the full story one day, but I'm not going to push.
Besides, I'm even more puzzled now.
"Uh, Raph? He wasn't with us last night. Or the night before, or the night before the night before, or..."
Now Raph's grin is back. I'd even say it's a smirk.
"Are you sure? You know we're all ninja, right?"
I blink as the meaning of his words slowly hits me.
"Do you mean he was spying on us? Hiding?"
I turn around, suddenly suspicious. And indignant.
"Where is he? Not fair, Leo!" I shout to the shadows.
Raph chuckles.
"He's not there tonight, I've already told you so. Besides, he wasn't trying to hide. At least not from me."
I cross my arms, determined to get to the bottom of this important matter.
"Then why did you let him?"
Raph doesn't answer immediately. His face is unreadable, which I really don't like. His eyes are on me, but it's like he doesn't really see my face – like he's gazing through my body, looking for answers in the dark.
Then it's gone, and Raph is back to his good old self. He nudges me with a smirk.
"First, it'll work in our favor if he knows how you fight, and that you can stand your ground. In case you ever want to accompany us on missions."
I can't help grinning at the pride I hear in his voice, and at the prospect of more fighting.
"Second…"
Raph winks.
"Now, I can rub it in his face. And believe me, I won't hold back!"
I nudge him back.
"Laaaame."
He nudges me again, a bit harsher, and I have to reply – then it's a full-force brawl between the two of us.
Between me and my new best friend.
And while I hit him, tease him and laugh with him, I ponder what I've learned tonight. Raph's relationship with Leo isn't what I thought it was.
Which means that maybe his relationship with Donnie and Mikey isn't what I thought it was, either.
I have a feeling I'll have to learn to know Raph's brothers if I want our friendship to last.