The next school year flies by, even without having to fight for the safety of New York. April takes a gap year to work, saving up extra funds for tuition and keeping an eye on Casey while he works on recovering the credits he missed last year.

The turtles find their own niches. Donatello and Sarina keep building, experimenting. Michelangelo plays video games, listens to music, and visits Annalise whenever the gets the chance. Annalise, of course, focuses on getting through high school and surviving her minimal shifts at her retail job. Leonardo works at the Hamato Dojo with Karai and Shinigami. Raphael stays dedicated to the vigilante role his brothers used to carry with him, helping out the Mutanimals when they happen to be in town. Slash makes sure Raphael knows that his previous offers are always on the table.

Taylor takes the cheque her mother left her and starts laser tattoo removal. Once it's as gone as it possibly can be, she plans to cover it with ink that actually suits her tastes. That's one battle she's eager to fight through. College applications are another thing as, letter after letter, she tastes rejection.

Shortly after her eighteenth birthday, the last letter comes in, her last chance.

"Last one, huh?"

"Yup. I've gotten replies from everywhere else I applied to."

Raphael and Taylor sit in Raphael's bedroom, staring down the envelope that holds Taylor's future. Altoona Beauty School.

Taylor sighs as she pushes her dark hair from her eyes. "It's in Pennsylvania."

Raphael raises an eye-ridge. "And?"

"If I got in, then I have to leave New York. I'll be far away."

"You could come visit."

"Yeah, but...I like being close."

She hugs herself, staring at the letter again, and Raphael thinks of the conversation he had with Slash months and months ago. He didn't think he'd have any reason to accept.

"Well..." he starts. "The Mutanimals have their main base somewhere in Pennsylvania. I could drive out with you, stay with them while you're on campus."

Her eyes widen. "But your family? New York?"

"They'll still be here when your program ends."

She starts to smile before she shakes her head, waving her hands around. "Ay, we're talking like I got accepted! Let's do this! Carpe diem!"

She snatches up the envelope and rips it open, sucking a breath as she pulls out the letter. They hold their breath as she unfolds it. She skims the first few words until she sees what she's looking for.

"We are happy to accept you as a student this coming..."

She lets out a shriek of glee as Raphael leaps to his feet, hollering and hooting. He scoops her into a tight hug, shaking her and bellowing like a madman.

"THAT'S MY TAY! SHELL YEAH!"

She howls even as she starts to laugh. "WHOOOOO!"

"We're going to Pennsylvania!"

"Hell yeah, we are!"

It's a moment of joy, a small victory, before things get rougher.

----------

Graduation arrives and Taylor, Andy, and Casey receive their diplomas, finally finishing their high school journey. Sure, Casey never imagined walking across the stage at the same time as his little sister, but he'll take it. Things are looking up for all of them.

That is until about a week later when Casey finds himself seated in the school counsellor's office.

"So, as it turns out, you didn't graduate," Ms. Somerset says, hands folded on her desk.

Casey tilts his head as he lounges in his chair. "You're kidding, right? You don't seem like the joking type, Ms. S."

Her eyes narrow. "Oh, I don't joke about such things, Mr. Jones." She flips a stapled bunch of paper from beside her computer, sliding it across the desk to him. "This will detail it further, but you failed trig. Again."

Casey tries to keep smiling as he sits up, glancing at the paper. It's his transcript and a letter, marking that while he recovered his missing science and Spanish marks, his math mark was still just not up to standard to receive the credit. It's always math.

Why would they let him walk the stage if he didn't actually graduate? Why would they do that just to humiliate him now?

He reads the letter, words hopping out at him. Unfocused. Struggling. Impatient. Unserious. Immature.

He gets it. He sucks as a student, but really?

"There are a few options. Summer school would be best but if that somehow doesn't work out, we can always have you return here and work on the recovery material during the year. I'd advise making your summer work if you don't want to deal with the social aspects of things."

Humiliation and he has to spend his summer doing more school? What's he going to tell April? Raphael is running off to Pennsylvania with Taylor when her course starts and now Casey won't even have a summer to kick it with him before he goes?

Everything about this sucks.

He gathers the paper in his lap. "Anything else I need to know, teach?"

She sighs. "Let's hope this is the last time we have this conversation, Mr. Jones."

"Right back at'cha."

He takes his leave, walking through those same old halls. He shoves open the front doors to see his dad's car still waiting for him out front, Andy sitting in the back texting and snapping bubblegum. The sun has started to go down.

He climbs into the passenger side. Arnold glances at him, raising an eyebrow.

"So what's the word?" he asks as they start driving.

Casey kicks his feet up on the dash with a shrug. "Nothing important."

"Uh-uh. Come on." Arnold slaps the steering wheel a bit, glancing at him. "Tell me."

Casey shrinks a bit. "Seriously, old man, it's nothing! I just didn't really pass trig so now I've gotta recover it! It's fine!"

"Ooh, shit," Andy whistles.

Arnold purses his lips as his knuckles turn white around the steering wheel. "You failed again? The hell was that graduation for?"

Casey throws his hands up. "Who knows?"

"Casey, how..." Arnold shakes his head, his hands trembling a little, jaw clenched. "How the hell do you fail twice? I thought things were looking up! April tutored you, got you through the past few years fine—"

"Well, April wasn't around this year! It's not a big deal, dad. I'll handle it."

"Will you, though? Geez, Casey, can you act like you give a shit about your future for a second? What kind of person does his senior year twice?"

Casey gawks as he sits up, letting his legs drop back to the floor. "I care! I just don't give a shit about school! It's just math, anyway. I don't need math to be a hockey player!"

"That's—"

"You played! Can't you just call someone, give me a good word? I'll play semi-pro until I get scouted and no one's gonna give a shit about my high school transcript."

"I'm not going to give you handouts, Casey! Not before you prove that you can actually think about more than just...running around at night beating up thugs and—"

"Hey, that's just how I let off steam!"

"It's dangerous and clearly it takes your focus away from school. You can't be running around at night trying to be some kind of hero! If you put half of that time into your academics—"

"Hockey players don't need to be smart!"

"But you don't even focus on hockey! You don't focus on anything!"

"That's not true!"

"You're not a kid anymore and it's time that you acted like it! It's time that you—"

"DAD, LOOK OUT!" Andy screams.

Casey hears a horn blaring, screeching tires, and a bright light before there's nothing but pain and blackness.

----------

Dad? Andy? Anyone?

Nothing is where it should be. Nothing is right. His head hurts and spins and his ears won't stop ringing, a high-pitched wailing drone that won't leave him alone. He can barely keep his eyes open and there are too many lights. He smells smoke.

Dad?

Dad, please answer me.

I didn't mean any of what I said. I was just pissed off at everything. I was pissed off at myself.

Can we talk about it?

Please talk to me.

Dad?

Dad?

...

Please?

End of Book Six, Part One