Out of Place [Cobra Kai OC x Robby Keene]

16- Happy Birthday...

Tears pour down my cheeks and my temple throbs where my father hit me. Blood trickles down my arms and legs but I don't care. I don't know where I'm going, I just need to be somewhere safe. And at this point, I think even the Cobra Kai dojo filled with all its students would be safer than the hell I just left.

——

I stumble over my own feet as I make my way to the front door. I'm a crying, bleeding mess but I don't care. For once I don't care. All that matters is that I got away. I ring the doorbell, praying that someone answers. Please. Please.

And almost as if answering my prayer, Mr LaRusso opens the door.

"I didn't know where else to go," I say through tears. His expression shifts in a second as his eyes fall on the side of my face.

"What happened?! Are you okay?!" He asks, gently leading me into the house. I was already sobbing but him asking if I'm okay just makes it worse. I'm shaking so bad. I can't stop saying 'I'm sorry' over and over again. I should've just gone and stayed at a Walmart parking lot. I'm so stupid. He's gonna hate me. What if he hits me too?!

"What's going on?" Mrs LaRusso asks, rounding a corner to see what the commotion is about, "oh my god what happened?!"

I try to form words but they don't work. All I can hear is the echo of my dad yelling at me. All I can picture is the pure anger in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, take deep breaths, there you go. What happened?" Mr LaRusso asks in a steady, clear voice. I wipe tears away to the best of my abilities. Okay, okay, it's okay it's okay.

"Me golpeó..." I manage to choke out, reverting back to Spanish in my panicked state of mind. Por Dios, Im such a damn idiot! The LaRussos exchange a glance. They must think I'm so stupid... I want to stop crying, I do... but I can't.

"That was Spanish, right? I'm sorry, but we don't understand, can you repeat that?" Mr LaRusso says, tone patient and gentle.

"He hit me..." I translate, voice barely audible as another wave of tears takes over my body. They exchange another glance.

"Come on sweetheart, let me help you with those cuts," Mrs LaRusso says. I nod and she leads me to a bathroom, motioning for me to sit up on the counter.

"How did you get these cuts?" she asks as she starts cleaning out the ones on my legs. My whole body is shaking and hot.

"I kicked the window. I didn't- I didn't know what else to do... I thought it would work better than it did. There are bandaids in my bag," I say, wincing as she puts disinfectant on them. She looks up at me sharply.

"You kicked a window?" She asks, sounding shocked. It was sealed shut. It was break the window, or be left at the mercy of my dad, and I'd rather break a hundred windows. I nod as another wave of tears washes over me. A part of me is in naive denial. I think it's the part that wished for her family back on birthday candles. The part that believed him when he said he was lucky to have me and that my mom would be proud of me. There's a part of me that believed that he would never really hurt me...

I was wrong.

"It's okay, it's okay. Deep breaths, okay. You're safe here, nobody can hurt you here. We'll keep you safe," she says in a calm, soothing voice. I heed her words, doing my best to take deep breaths, even though it feels like someone pressing on my chest and clawing at my throat. It reminds me of when Hawk had me in a choke hold in the cafeteria. I don't know what to do. I can't go back to my house. I'd just as soon join Cobra Kai. I know I won't feel safe anywhere right now. How can I? But here, with Mrs LaRusso gently bandaging my wounds with a certain motherly care that I haven't felt the warmth of in years, I feel a little better. I know if my dad were to come for me, Mr LaRusso would be there to help me. I'm far from feeling at ease, but being here now brings me immense comfort. Mrs LaRusso runs a soft hand just past the throbbing spot on my face.