Turtles In The Roaring 20s

Chapter 9: Clean Up

What was once the quiet and abandoned jazz club, was now filled with laughter and life from just the presence of April O'Neil and Donatello Hamato. Working together, the two cleaned up The Dojo, while along the way, talking and making each other laugh. They started by sweeping up the stage and polishing the equipment. They then went off to the main room of the club dusting the furniture, polishing the tables, and then turning the chairs upside down to rest on the tables. It was time for them to begin their final task of the night, sweeping and mopping the floor.

"So, you're a fan of my mother's work?" Donnie said as they continued their cleaning, him with a mop and April with a broom.

"Oh, y-yeah! Back in the day she was my idol!" April continued with a smile, "I still have some of her old records. She's what inspired me to take up singing in the first place!"

"Have you ever sung in public before?" Donnie asked.

"Not really," she told him. "You were the first to ever actually hear me sing. No one really knows that I can sing, not even my dad. Or Casey. And I've known him for years."

"How do you even know Jones?" Donnie asked curiously, "I heard you got the job here thanks to him."

"We've known each other forever," she explains. "We were schoolmates. My dad was always busy so I would have to spend time at his place after school. His parents would look after me for a few hours then my dad would come and pick me up after work."

"Oh, alright, but what about your mom?" Donnie asked, "Wasn't she home to look after you?"

"My mom died when I was very little," April told him softly.

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. You didn't know."

April took a deep breath, stopping herself from tearing up from the thought of her mother and continued, "I remember spending hours at Casey's parent's house listening to your mother's music on the radio. I had all of her records! Then when you guys, her own children, started coming into the spotlight, you, your brothers and sister, you all amazed me with your talents! I knew I wanted to be just like all of you! Singing and dancing on stage in front of a large audience and hearing an adoring crowd cheer your name!"

April happily spinned around, twirling her dress, as she imagined the scenario in her mind. Donnie looked on at her happily, seeing the redhead imagine her dream becoming a reality.

"And someday you will," Donnie tells her with a warm smile.

April looked at him, returning his kind smile with another. She's never met anyone who was so encouraging of her dreams, given that she's never really expressed her dreams with anyone till now, but it was still a pleasing moment. Still, with all of this talk about herself, April's curiosity soon got to her.

"Donnie, can I ask you something?" April asked as they continued to clean the messy wooden floor.

Without breaking his focus to the floor he's mopping, Donnie says, "Sure. Ask away."

"When I first saw you backstage earlier tonight..." April started. She was rather nervous to ask a question she could assume was personal, but her curiosity had to know, "You looked scared. You were fidgeting your tie and your hands were shaking. Were you alright?"

Donnie stops his work, surprised by her question, "Oh... That," he chuckled in a tone of embarrassment, "It's just some performance jitters I get before every show."

"Performance jitters?" April repeats with confusion, "you mean like stage fright?"

"...Yeah. I know it's weird because I've been doing this for so long, but no matter how often I do it I keep getting stage fright. I can barely keep it together during a duet, let alone a solo..."