6 The Orange Sparkler Pt. 2

Chapter 6 - The Orange Sparkler Pt. 2

Kamila woke to something warm pressed to her forehead. Her eyes opened slowly and at first she thought she was in the dark part of her room, however, she soon realized that it was the library. The windows were closed to prevent the rain from entering and the sun was facing the other side of the house causing the room to look darker than it actually was outside. From what she could see she was laying down on one of the long couches near the library's entrance. But how did she get here? Wasn't she downstairs earlier? And what was on her head?

Raising a hand she tried to lift what ever it was only to find that it jumped away from her. It was then that she saw the blur of green from the top of her head move and she soon realized that it was one of the boys. And not just any boy but Donatello. Tilting her head she stiffened when she also realized that not only that it was Donnie's hand on her head but the fact that her head was also resting on his lap. Her face was easy to see as it had darkened in the semi lit room but instead of panicking she steeled herself.

"What happened?" she asked sitting herself up finding Don's hand lifting as she did so.

"You, uh, fainted. You are more than likely anemic so I brought you here to rest. How are you now? Are you in any pain?"

"N-no." Kamila answered. "I seem to be fine now."

"Well just in case I want you to rest for a bit longer and don't worry about the rest of your chores. I'll talk to master Splinter about not working tomorrow." Donnie explained. Getting up he went over to the book case and lightly pulled out a thin book with orange red binding. Flipping it open he turned to a page in the middle and showed what was inside to her. The pages had a drawing of a person and several long paragraphs explaining what Don believed she was ailing from. "Anemia in humans is usually due to malnutrition and because you have not put on much weight since you have been here I suggest an extra helping during meals."

Kamila read what she could of the squiggled words and from what Don and the page said her faintness was probably due to her lack of vitamins and iron. "I suppose I have to don't I?" She asked glancing up at Don. The look he gave told her she had no choice. "But I -"

Don cut her off, " You still believe that you do not deserve more food because this place is not your home. You think that if you not being selfish helps we will not reprimand you on your actions and make you feel you do not deserve it. That is what you believe, and you are wrong." He stated snapping the book shut. This caused her to jump in her seat. "How many times must I tell you that you deserve to stay and enjoy this place just like any of us? We will not reprimand or correct you for satisfying your basic needs or having fun. Although Mikey is a bad example I want you to look over his own books. Do not be weary of being selfish or having any fun now and again. This place is your home just as much as it is ours."

"Your starting to sound like Master Splinter. He told me the same thing a few days ago."

"I know I was there." Don said crossing his arms. He had been tailing her around ever since she had arrived. Everything she did, everything she spoke, even what she wore was noted in one of his books. He told himself it was research on human behavior. That's all it was. That's all it had to be. But every time she smiled or every time she spoke he started to wish that those were directed at him. Of course Mikey was the one to make her smile. Raph would sit and listen to her babble, Leo would protect her from Raphs angry fits, but what could he do for her? Master Splinter was her new mentor so any advise or guidance was taken directly to him. She didn't need him to be smart when she had someone far wiser. This made him feel sort of left out. This only fueled his sneaky following more. He had seen her go with Master Splinter to look for mushrooms a few days back and had seen her stumble but the reason why had not dawned on him until today. He had seen his master help her and heard him order her to take it easy but the severity of his words did not stay with her. He had to make it a point that she, under any circumstances, was to reframe from resting.

His words made her brow arch in confusion. How could he have seen her? She had fallen on her way back from picking mushrooms in the woods. For him to have seen meant that he had either been there before she or he had been following her and from the way he had started to fidget as she kept quiet made her realize it was the later. So he had followed her and Master Splinter. It was not a big thing to her but it did leave her asking on what else he was doing and why. Sooner than she wanted her thoughts began to wander and just as they started she shut the door on them. 'Good god Kamila what were you about to think?' She asked herself. Soon enough she felt the blood rush to her face in embarrassment. She needed a distraction quick.

Looking away from Don she turned her eyes to the bookshelves and immediately went for the first book she saw. Getting up she went past him and grabbed a brown leather book with an image of a sparrow. "Fine. If I am to rest then I guess I will need something to help make the time go by. This story looks familiar." Suddenly she felt the hairs, and scales, on the back of her neck rise. She didn't have to look to tell that Don was now standing behind her. He loomed over her glancing at the book in question. He was so close she could feel his heat warming her back and dare she say she could even smell the oils she used on his clothing yesterday to clean them like he had asked. Lavender and Baby's Breath. A relaxing smell with a subtle hint of sweet. The fact that it was raining didn't help either. The smell of fresh rain with the oils make him smell like an untouched field after a thunder storm. It made her shiver.

"The Sparrow and the Pearl. A childish story Mikey likes to read."

His words snapped her out of her daze. "Childish?" She asked turning to him. "Ok yes this is a story for children but if you look into it this story is kind of dark."

Don took the book from her gently and opened it. Placing a hand on his hip he lifted the book higher for him to read. "From what I can see it is a dull story about revenge."

"Its not just about revenge." Kamila said snatching the book back. Flipping the page she gestured over to the table for them to sit. Don moved back a step allowing her to freely move past. He followed her to the table and took the seat next to her. When she had seated herself she placed the book between them and began to explain the story in detail.

The Sparrow and the Pearl, was a story about a few sparrows that lived in a willow tree. Before the summer started an army of hawks took over the land and the willow tree killing all the birds including the sparrows. However, one of the sparrows lives and falls in the river where it is taken to the ocean. Kamila explains that the sparrow wakes to find that it had been swallowed by a giant magical clam who grants him his pearl to save his home. The sparrow swallows the pearl and then turns into a fire breathing dragon.

"And this is where he goes back home and saves everyone. Hence the ending of a child's story." Don interrupted.

"Actually he does not actually save them." Kamila said flipping a few pages ahead. "See? He goes back home to find that the hawks were feasting on his family and he becomes so angry that he sets the whole forest on fire killing everything and everyone."

Don read the next few pages and sure enough the dragon had been so angry that he had actually set the forest including the willow where he had lived in flames. "But now that he had destroyed his home what was the point of eating the pearl?" Donnie questioned.

In the span of two hours they discussed the meaning and the outcome of the story. Don had realized that Kamila had just a calculated and thought out mentality as he had. This lead them to converse in detail about other stories and their ideas about what they meant and how they could have done better to solve the problems they had acquired. It was at this time as they were about to open another book that Kamila noticed the sun shoving its way through the shutter.

Kamila stood and walked over to the window and opened it to see that it had stopped raining. Don watched her in the sunlight. She looked radiant and it swept him into an amerced state. At that moment all he saw was her. The way her dark black hair shined in the light to the way she smiled as the sun warmed her skin. If he was being honest he thought she in this exact moment looked absolutely beautiful. Even when she turned around to look at him he couldn't help the flutter he felt in his chest.

"I guess I should go back home. I'll try to rest a little before dinner." She said coming back around to pick up a book she had yet to read. Pushing in her chair she stood close to Donnie and, gently using her hand to bring his head close, gave him a small kiss on his forehead. "Thank you for taking care of me." She said before she walked out of the room.

Mikey had been keeping tabs on his brother Donnie for a long while now. He had noticed that his brothers started to take a liking to Kamila being around but he could tell that Donnie was starting to have more feelings for her then them. From the way he followed her around to secretly helping and checking up on her at night to make sure she was ok. He was all for his brother to get tied up with Kamila. She was perfect for him, in his opinion. She was smart, humble, kind, pretty, and it gave her a reason to stay here forever so he could eat her cooking all the time. All he had to do was just push his brother just enough to actually start getting her to notice his affections.

Coming down the hall from the dojo Mikey noticed Kamila coming done the last few steps. She looked happy and had a slight blush going on as she clutched a book he had seen was from the library. This particular book was from one of Don's private collections meaning that the only way she could have it was if he brought it down from the very top shelf. Given that it also meant that she had just spent time with his brother. This brought a mischievous grin to squiggle wiggle up his face.

Kamila made it down to the last step when she heard the familiar sounds of Mikey's steps coming towards her. Looking up she smiled at him before accepting his open hand that was extended to her. "What are you up to?" She asked coming closer to loop her arm around his.

"Master Splinter asked me to bring him some parchment paper from the storage house."

"Oh? I'll join you then, I was on my way back to rest for a bit."

"Awesome!" He said excitedly and led her outside.

When they came up to the storage house next to her home Mikey gently released her arm and opened the door for her. Kamila stepped inside and, like she had to do when they removed everything in her house, had to shuffle and watch their steps as they went past the large boxes towards the back. There they found a large shelf that held smaller boxes and neatly placed scrolls. Mikey was the first to rummage through the box closest to him. Kamila on the other hand looked around else where.

There were more things in this storage house than what was in hers. There were larger statues and objects here that were not only gorgeous but irksome because the fact that they were covered in dust and hiding away bothered her. She loved everything the boys created. How could she not when everything they did make was absolutely gorgeous? Tip toeing her way over to one of the statues she notices a open box containing what looked like letters. Coming closer she reached into the box to pull one out only to realize that is was a poem. In fact, the box was filled with them. The one in her hand was written in Leo's handwriting. Neat and to the point. The poem itself was the same and made her curious to see if there were some from the others.

"Ah I see you found our poems! Master Splinter would make us write them when we were younger. Ugh! I hated it!" Mikey exclaimed looking over towards her.

"I can tell." She giggled as she read one of Mikey's. It was good but you can tell the point where he began to grow bored. If she was being honest they were all good. Leo's always had a point and a meaning, Mikey's were fun and energetic causing the reader to feel the same, and then there were Donnie's. Don's poems were long and detailed. They mostly depicted nature at its purest and, being himself, added a little science notes to it as well. She liked his the most.

"Ah I found it!"

Kamila looked up from the poem to notice that he was already standing next to her with box in hand.

"Oh that's one of Donnie's! pretty boring huh?" Mikey asked shuffling the box so he could hold it with one arm.

"No. Its very beautiful actually. Like in this one," She said lifting the paper, " he talks about the fauna like he has know it forever. Like it is his best friend or someone he looks up to. Its very touching."

"Huh. I guess." He said before turning to go out. "I got what I need. I'll see you at dinner ok?" Mikey asked going to the door.

"Of course!" Kamila smiled making her way out of the house as well with both poem and book in hand.

"Awesome!" Mikey closed the door to the house when she left and the moment he saw her enter her own home he took off like a rocket. Speeding through puddles and bounding into the house he dumped the box inside of Splinters room and took off. Splinter was sitting at his desk when his son came and dumped the box next to him and sped off. Odd. He had not asked for more parchment? Rubbing his beard he shrugged it off.

Thundering up the stairs Mikey ran straight to the library where he knew his brother still was. Coming up to the door he tried to calm himself down to make him look as normal as possible. When he entered he found his older brother sitting by the window, with a book in one hand and his other propped up keeping his head still, as he watched Kamila move about her bedroom. Mikey knew the moment he saw him that he was daydreaming about said girl. This was perfect.

Coming up to his brother he sat next to him where he could see Kamila as well. "What'cha up to bro?" Mikey asked keeping his eyes on him.

"Uh huh." Don said dreamily.

Mikey smirked. "Beautiful day, aint it?"

"Yeah, beautiful."

"So beautiful that you will let me mess with your cultures and un-alphabetize your labels?"

"Yeah, sure." Don agreed continuing to look out the window only to sulk once Kamila gets up and moves to a part of the room he cant see. That was the moment Mikey snapped him out of it.

Slamming his hand on the table he cause his taller brother to jump in his chair. "Dude you need to get a hold of yourself!"

"What on earth are you talking about!? And why are you banging the table!?"

"Dude, bro, you just agreed that I can go to your room and mess it all up."

"I said no such thing! Did I?"

"Exactly. What's going on with ya bro?"

"Nothing is going on. I am perfectly fine!" He said then glanced back out of the window just as Kamila came back into view holding the book she took.

Mikey could visibly see his brother slowly return into that dreamy state and before he lost his brother again he needed to move quick. "You like her don't you?"

Don scoffed. "Of course I like her. We all like her. Even Raph."

"Nah bro! You know what I mean. You like like her. I can see it all over you. The brainsick Donatello is in love."

Don choked on his tongue at this statement and quickly turned away. "Your being ridiculous!"

"Yeah. I sure am." Mikey said with a huff. Standing up he pushed his chair in and before he turned to leave he spoke once more. " Oh, a little birdy told me she likes poetry. Since you obviously don't like her that way maybe I can use that to help her fall in love with me? Dang, in not good at that stuff though."

Suddenly Don jumps out of his chair. Racing to the book case he grabs two to three books and then races out of the library towards his room.

"What's the rush bro?" Mikey asks. He smiled triumphantly knowing his plan had gone exactly as he planned.