Fallen: Cobra Kai

S4 E7

Authors note: A short update but I wanted to get this chapter out. I have so many ideas for the tournament but a bit of an authors block for the chapters getting there. Hoping to have those chapters all out soon! Let me know if there's anything you want to see happen in the rest of season 4 :)

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I want to get out of here fast. We're in math class and the teacher said that if you finish your work with 100% you can leave, but I'm not the best in math. I want to head out early so that I can get to the dojo before anyone else. It's better practicing when I don't have to worry about intimidating an audience.

I look over to see that Hawk is basically finished his work. Watch he'll stay after even though he doesn't have to, just to bother me. I've been avoiding him for weeks now. Sensei Silver made it clear that he'll go after Hawk if I talk to him, I won't let that happen again.

I guess I really shouldn't be calling him Hawk anymore. Eli looks completely different now with his hair all buzzed off. Even when I met him, it was never this short. At least Robby wasn't lying, they didn't do him any physical damage. It might have been better if they had though, this is just psychological damage instead.

When he transformed into the Hawk, it gave him strength. It made him more confident. This newfound confidence brought him friends. It also brought him a girlfriend...

He's had his hood up ever since it happened. Most teachers are okay with it because the news of what happened has made its way all over school. Unfortunately for Eli, our math teacher doesn't share the same sympathies. She makes him take his hood off. He still keeps his head down, but it doesn't make a difference.

Eli takes his work up to the teacher and surprisingly, he doesn't even come near me. He just grabs his things and runs out. I remember when he used to do that daily. I never thought he would be like this again.

After another half an hour, the bell rings and I'm still struggling to get this work done. At least the bell ringing means that I can finish doing this stupid work. I should be training for the tournament right now.

Gathering up my things, I hand in my work and run out the door. My locker isn't far from here but I get sidetracked on my way there as a hand comes out of a storage closet and pulls me into it.

I look up to make eye contact with Eli as he stares down at me. More like glares down at me actually, he hasn't looked this angry with me in months.

"Did you tell them to do this?"

I blink a bit, shocked by the accusation. "I didn't tell them to do anything!"

"So they just decided to cut my hair off for no reason?" He doesn't believe me.

"They said they were getting revenge for you betraying us."

"Betraying who!" He explodes and then remembers we're in a supply closet. He lowers his voice, "The only person I was betraying was myself. That guy who attacked people? I beat people up simply because they reminded me of me. That's not who I am."

I sigh. "I didn't have anything to do with that."

"Then why won't you leave? What's holding you there?" He can't know that I'm not allowed to talk to him. But I also can't let anyone find out that we're talking right now.

"I can't talk to you." That was smooth, Riley.

"Why not? Who's keeping you from me?"

I shake my head, "Nothing is going on. Just," I groan a bit. I don't know what to say to him anymore. "Your hair doesn't look bad. I know it's not the mohawk but it's still nice. It shows off your other features."

"Like my scar?"

"Like your eyes." I hold eye contact with him. He does have the nicest eyes, like an ocean blue. I always told him that I loved his eyes.

Eli lets out a breath as he stares at me. "I shouldn't have blamed you."

"It's okay," I glance down at my shoes. "I probably would have blamed me too."

He presses his lips together as he stares at me, obviously lost in thought. "Did something happen?"

My head tilts, "What do you mean?"

"That day that Kyler saw us in the diner together. Did something happen after that?"

He's too smart for his own good. "No."

It must have taken me to long to answer because he's moving closer to me and talking fast. "No, no you're lying. I can tell you're lying. I know you Riley, better than anyone else. Something happened that day and that's why you're too nervous to be seen around me. You haven't talked to me like this ever since then and you're only talking to me like this now because nobody can see us."

I shake my head, "You're wrong."

"I'm not wrong." He takes my hands, "Please. Tell me what he did."

His touch brought back way too many emotions and I lost my composure. I slammed myself backwards to get away from him and ended up flying through the door, onto the hallway floor.

I stand up quick, checking around me to make sure that nobody saw anything, before darting down the hall. I can hear his footsteps behind me, obviously running after me but I've always been faster than him.