Cochlear | A Cobra Kai Fanfiction

14

"Just waiting on the betrothal announcement." Jesse teased, dodging a pillow to the face after with a laugh. "You know grandad always wanted us back here someday. This could be it."

"Just not with her." Kyler barked out without any real aggression. The girl's father worked closely with their own for many years and they grew up going to company parties and birthdays together. It was always a running joke that Ae-Ri and Kyler would be married someday, something that Ae-Ri pursued.

Heavily.

"Whatever, bug. I'm takin' a nap. Wake me up when you're starting your makeup." An unceremonious hop onto his bed followed by a soft silence made Jesse sigh in content. She really did love her brother.

{Demetri}
How's South Korea?
11:06 am

{Jesse}
Cloudy, it's like 78 here
11:10 am

That sounds nice
11:11am

It was really hot today
11:11am

I don't miss the heat
but the rain during
the summer is 🤢
11:12am

No rain<lots of rain
Simple math.
11:12am

Uh... I don't think so
11:13am

Can't grow food without
The proper resources such
as water. Need water to live
therefore... watery place is
better.
11:14am

Ur logic and math is
Sun Amazing.
11:14 am

I think I had a stroke
typing that rip
11:14 am

Are you feeling numb??
Weakness in the legs or
arms? Weirdly confused?
11:15 am

Walk in a straight line
can you do that?
11:15 am

Jesse???
11:16 am

Are you okay? It's
usually abnormal to
have a stroke at your age
and health but not unheard
of. Please medsage back.
11:18 am

I meant: message
11:18 am

Jesse had walked away for a few minutes to go grab a water bottle and came back to her phone buzzing and her brother snoring. She faltered for a second, because she hadn't heard snoring in a while. But the buzzing of her phone drew her attention.

"...Demetri?" Jesse whispered in confusion, sneaking out onto the balcony. "What's up?"

"Are you okay?!" The voice on the other end was frantic and loved together with worry. Jesse frowned, not understanding. "Y-you said you had a stroke-"

"Oh!" Jesse realized with a bashful chuckle. "No, it was a joke because I messed up my letters and words on text."

There was a pause and on the other side of the world Demetri felt himself deflate and shoved his face in his hands. Of course she did. That would make a ton of sense. Why would she text she was having a stroke in the midst of having a stroke.

"Demetri?"

"Don't mind me. Just planning my escape from this universe and galaxy." Demetri groaned at the embarrassment and turned around his gaming chair to look out into his room.

"Thanks for being concerned." Jesse offered as she rested on the railing to lookout into the city with a soft smile. He was such a good ball. "Really. It's nice to know someone cares."

"I-I mean anyone would." Demetri stammered, his face hearing up. "I care about you, but l-like everyone does! Uh, care about you. That is."

"Well, I guess I should thank everyone." Jesse teased. She decided to spare the walking social anxiety commercial and changed he subject. "So, how are you doing? Miss me yet?"

"I literally just saw you 24 hours ago." Demetri pointed out, grateful for the change in subject. "And you said three days."

Fun fact: they both missed each other.

"You, uh, doing alright after the mall?"

"...yeah, I think so. What about you?"

"He's not my best friend." It was supposed to be a joke, perhaps a little more mean than she wanted, but there was a few seconds of silence before a response was given.

"... I don't think he's mine either." Demetri admitted quietly and Jesse winced, regretting the snark. It seemed old habits died hard.

"Hey, look. Underneath all that Hot Topic fake leather, tattoo, and weird colored hair is still a person. And, well... people can change." Jesse tried to explain to her friend to not lose hope. "Eli's gone through a lot. He just needs to feel heard and, I don't know, experiment."

Demetri scoffed and faced his computer once again, looking at the photo of him and Eli at a coding competition. "Most teens experiment with new APIs, Compilers, and anime."

"No, that's just you." Jesse corrected with a snicker. "That's a nerd thing not a normal teen thing."

"I take offense to that! I signed up for AP Computer Science this year, just so you know, and there will be plenty of other teens in there with me!"

"Nerds." Jesse coughed out without any real malice. For a while, the two teens enjoyed going back and forth on the verge of insulting but not quite reaching it.

They spoke for an hour and then One became two hours until Demetri had to go to sleep. It was already starting to trickle with the mid afternoon rain in South Korea in California was reaching a cool night air, Jessi didn't wanna hang up.

"Did you bring your laptop?"

"Yeah, it's in my bag!"

"Well, if you have time maybe we can get on my server and play some Minecraft?"

Jesse's lips twitched at the question and  pushed down the excitement of hanging out with her friend even if they were so far away from each other. Maybe she could convince her mom to get him a flight here for the next two days?

Oh wait, her twins a bully.

Right.

"A-sure! Same time as now?"

Demetri fumbled with his phone to check his calendar and nodded. He gave himself a little smack when he realized she couldn't see him and opened his mouth. "I can do that."

"Great! It's a date, I'll see you-"

"Oi, bug. Who are you talking to?"