Hey everyone. I haven't written anything in quite a while. Sorry about that. I've been caught up in other things. Anyway, several days ago I started what I called a "Word-A-Day Challenge" where I downloaded a word-a-day app on my phone, used the word for that day and wrote a story from it. I've been quite lenient about doing it these past few days, but perhaps I'll catch up again soon. Hope you all like the story.

Jan 4
Mawkish
- emotional to the point of being unpleasant

He didn't know exactly how he got where he was. It all seemed a blur of confusion and chaos. He couldn't recall exactly how the abysmal events unfolded and how he got to this point. In fact he couldn't even remember what was going on. Who was he?

Oh yeah. That's right. Donatello. The most idiotic, eccentric, insane, pathetic turtle to ever exist on the face of the earth.

Alright. He wasn't idiotic. Perhaps he made mistakes at times, but that wasn't idiocy. Trial and error are a part of a scientist's life. Perhaps he was a BIT eccentric. But he certainly wasn't insane. His brothers liked to insist he was on account of his often blundered inventions, but insanity and genius are often confused.

Pathetic... Now that was a different story.

What was the definition of "pathetic?" It meant pitiful. Useless. Unable to perform adequately. Now that was something that fit him to a T. He couldn't even get most of his inventions to work right and now... now he was just being humiliated.

His whole escapade had begun because of his pathetic nature. An entire lifetime of isolation from society had bred feelings of romanticism and adventure within his young heart, the former being most predominant. And as such, led his mind astray sometimes. Focusing so often on mathematics and electronics, scouring his brain for creative ideas and inventions, had forced his mind to become a place of intrigue and curiosity. What couldn't he explore?

He certainly could try expressing himself. And he certainly needed practice with that as of late to a certain someone. It was just an innocent act. He wasn't trying to hurt her or stir up trouble for himself. He hadn't even meant to show it to her. But horror of horrors, why did he have to actually try?

And somehow THEY got to it. Those infamous... THEM. Their names were so unsanitary he couldn't even speak in his mind.

How had he left it? How had they gotten to it? It was probably Mikey - er - HIM. He was always the instigator in situations like this. He was always the troublemaker. Don had probably left the recorder sitting on his desk when he went for lunch. But he always locked it in a drawer, how could he have forgotten this time? Either way he had and... ugh...

Now Raph was in on it. Alright, he would speak the names. The EVIL names. Mocking him. He had been momentarily frozen solid from pure shock, but now he was over it. If they intended to mock him, then so be it. He would take it like a man-turtle. If only SHE wasn't there to actually listen. It would be one thing if it were just his brothers, but it was another thing entirely to have the girl of his directed affections to actually be hearing the piece intended for her.

He could die. He could just lay down and die.

Instead he tried extracting the device away from his two kept tossing it and handing it off to one another, Donnie yelling and brothers laughing. But no matter how much he yelled, the audio continued. He could nothing now except burrow his face in his giant, three fingered hands and hope his death would come quietly. Or perhaps, the death of his brothers. That would be just as desirable.

And as soon as the awkward, mawkish recording had begun, it ended. Mikey and Raph continued to laugh, crying from hysterics and clutching their plastrons. They insisted on hearing it again and Donnie simply couldn't take it. He ran.

"Donnie stop!"

It was April. Why couldn't she leave him alone? He had already been through enough humiliation, he needn't have her mocking him too. Don couldn't even bring himself to look at her the entire time of the recording.

But still he stopped. For some reason he had become a sort of lapdog, doing anything she wanted. He really was pathetic, wasn't he?

"I'm sorry your feelings got hurt. I didn't think it was funny," she said.

In the distance of the lair, they could hear his recording sounding again and Mikey and Raph's laughter ringing out. Everything kept adding to his pain.

"Yeah but... it was stupid," he answered, turning away again.

"No not stupid," she said. "It was..."

And here she did laugh. So she was lying too? But it wasn't a mocking sort of laugh like that of his brothers. It was more out of embarrassment.

"...Romantic." She finally said. Now it was her turn to walk away. He watched as she ran over to the others, smack the both of them across the head, yank the device from Mikey's hands, and walk back. She handed it off to Donnie.

"You really oughta put that in a safe place," she added before turning back around and yelling some more at the two guilty parties. They looked pleasantly ashamed.

That night Don slept quite peacefully for one who'd entirely lost his dignity. He couldn't stop smiling for the life of him. Maybe he wasn't pathetic after all.

It's not very long, but I enjoyed writing it. I fully support the April/Donnie shipping in this new Nick TV show. It's so adorable. I just hope they won't rip Donnie's heart out when they finally introduce Casey into the show. ;_;