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Home maintenance and repairs had gotten significantly easier and cheaper since April met a bunch of mutant teenagers who were easily bored and used to fixing things around their own home. Apparently all she needed to do was decline an invitation to hang out due to needing to call a repairman for some long overdue maintenance, and Donatello was cheerfully volunteering himself and his brothers to do the work instead.
As long as she provided the materials and a steady stream of pizza, they were happy to help out. And Master Splinter was happy to set them loose from the lair for a couple hours, under the supervision of a responsible adult.
They may have goofed off some, but they eventually got the job done.
The most recent project was getting one of the smaller units in the building up to code so she could, theoretically, rent it out.
They had already given it an initial clean-up. Mostly consisting of knocking cobwebs from corners and sweeping up, which the Turtles had turned into a makeshift game of curling with the brooms and dustpan. Afterward, Donny had checked the wiring and replaced some of it with castoffs from the junkyard.
Now they were patching up the floor and walls, with a combination of freshly-bought materials and material scavenged by the Turtles. She had been a little skeptical at first, but Donny had assured her he looked up the local building code and they made sure to only bring things that would pass an inspection.
Leo and Raph had taken some of the wood over to a weak spot on the floor and were carefully testing and measuring the area. Donny and Mikey were sorting through a pile of other building material.
Suddenly grinning, Donny nudged Mikey with an elbow. When Mikey looked up, Donny pointed at the pink foam insulation and murmured, "Expired cotton candy."
At that mysterious statement, Mikey dropped his head back and groaned up at the ceiling. "Bro," he said with a tone of deep disappointment and betrayal.
When Leo and Raph glanced over curiously, Donny held up the insulation. "Expired cotton candy?" Raph asked, prompting an amused snort from Leo.
"Et tu, Raphus?" Mikey protested.
Raph grimaced and pointed at him. "First of all, never call me that again. Second, make better life choices."
"Can I get some context?" April asked, looking between the embarrassed-looking Mikey and his unsympathetic brothers.
"It's…well…" Leo hesitated.
Mikey waved his hands in front of himself and yelped, "Super boring story! April doesn't want to hear that."
"She did ask," Donny pointed out, still grinning.
Rolling his eyes, Raph turned to her and said bluntly, "Mikey tried to eat insulation once."
"Oh!"
"Raaaph!" Mikey whined.
"Then when it didn't taste right, he spat it out and said it must've expired," Donny added.
"Don!"
"Well…kids believe all kinds of weird things," April said diplomatically.
"It was last year," Raph said flatly.
"Oh." She shrugged and gave Mikey a pained smile. "Sorry, Mikey, you're on your own."
Mikey dramatically staggered back and pressed the back of one hand to his forehead. "Abandoned by my only defender!"
"Quit puttin' weird stuff ya find in yer mouth and ya won't need defendin'!" Raph told him.
"He has a point," Leo said, covering his mouth with one hand to try to hide his smile.
Crossing his arms and giving a haughty sniff as he tilted his beak up, Mikey said, "My curiosity leads to occasional culinary accidents, your curiosity leads to gang fights and lava monsters."
"He has a point," Donny said, pointing at Mikey.
"Whose side're ya on, Don?"
"I'm not taking sides," Donny said cheerfully. "It's every Turtle for himself."
"You're the one who started it!" Mikey yelled.
Donny beamed and held up the sheet of insulation, wiggling it at Mikey. "Forbidden cotton candy," he intoned.
"April! Donny's bullying me!"
Dropping her forehead to one hand, April let out a deep groan. "Will everyone stop if I get pizza?"
"Yes please!" Mikey said, clasping his hands in front of his chest and shooting her a pleading look.
"You're the best, April!" Donny agreed, tossing the insulation back in the pile.
"You need a hand?" Leo offered.
"It's fine, I'll just get a couple from that place around the corner."
"Ooh, Lou Mike Tony's?" Mikey asked. "I love that place!"
"I prefer Tony Lou's," Donny piped up.
Raph frowned. "Why do all the pizza places around here have the same name in a different order?"
"You're exaggerating," Leo dismissed.
Raising an eyebrow at him, Raph asked, "An' which one's your favorite?"
Leo was silent for a moment, then looked away and muttered, "…Mike Tony's."
"I rest my case."
"Today I'm getting Lou Mike Tony's," April firmly spoke over them. "Because they're around the corner."
"Thanks, April!" the boys chorused, with a variety of sheepish and amused smiles.
When she returned home from walking to Lou Mike Tony's and briefly detouring to a nearby food cart, she had a stack of pizza boxes and a bag balanced on top. She was immediately swarmed by mutant turtle teens, who were more than happy to relieve her of the burden.
"Oh wait!" she said, stopping Raph with a hand on his arm. He obligingly stopped and turned back to her. When she grabbed the bag from on top of the pizza boxes, he glanced at it and snickered before going back to taking the stack into the kitchen.
"Mikey!" she called out.
"Ooh, what'd ya get?" he asked, bouncing over.
With a flourish, she presented the bag to him. "Fresh cotton candy."
Expression morphing from excitement into theatrical betrayal, he gasped, "April!"
The other three started laughing, and she chuckled with them, letting Mikey snatch the bag from her.
"Joke's on you, I'm not sharin'!"
"Aw what?"
"C'mon, Mike!"
"Now Mikey, let's not be hasty."
"Sorry guys, I got it for Mikey," April told them, heading into the kitchen to dig out her pizza cutter. "He gets to decide who gets any."
Behind her, Mikey stuck his tongue out at his brothers. Then he held up the clear bag and pointed at it. "First, look at that and tell me it wasn't an honest mistake to make."
Donny tilted his head thoughtfully and cupped his chin with one hand. "If you found a piece without writing on it, I suppose I could see it."
"Yeah yeah, honest mistake, anyone coulda made it, "Raph grumbled.
"You still shouldn't be putting random things you find in your mouth," Leo pointed out. "Did you even do the sniff test?"
"Wet blankets don't get cotton candy," Mikey replied.
Leo rolled his eyes. "Fine, it was an honest mistake."
"Thank you, April!" Mikey said cheerfully. "Even if it was a joke."
"Eh, I figured it was a good excuse to treat you."
Tossing the bag on the counter, Mikey came up and threw his arms around her. "I approve of any excuse to treat me," he assured her.
April giggled and patted his head. "I'll bet you do. Now go get the paper plates from the pantry."
"Aye aye, cap'n!" Mikey gave a salute and let go of her to rummage around for the plates.
Shaking her head at his antics, April smiled. Yes, home repairs had definitely gotten easier, cheaper, and certainly more exciting since meeting the Turtles.